Peter Woodman

Emergency services were put on stand-by at a British airport after a Helios 737 jet reported mechanical problems on the same day another crashed in Greece, killing all 121 people on board, it emerged today.

Two black-box recorders from the Cypriot airliner that crashed outside Athens will be sent to France for expert examination, officials said today, to determine why the plane went down – possibly with all 121 on board already dead.

Greece’s worst plane crash, in which 121 people died yesterday, appeared to have been caused by a sudden drop in oxygen.

A CYPRIOT airliner carrying 121 people into a hill near the ancient city of Marathon yesterday, killing all passengers and the six crew members on board.

A Cypriot airliner ploughed into a hill north of Athens today, killing all 121 people on board, Greek officials said.

In an edgy prelude to war, Saddam Hussein has mocked a US ultimatum to surrender power, and Washington's claim of public support from 30 nations for its international coalition supporting Iraq’s disarmament.

The UN weapons inspectors today flew out of Iraq after US President George Bush issued Saddam Hussein a final ultimatum to go into exile or face war.

Sammy McIlroy says Northern Ireland are looking to arrange another friendly against one of the teams competing in the World Cup.