UK halts Egypt flights amid bomb talk

British prime minister David Cameron has said it is “more likely than not” that a Russian airliner was downed by a bomb as he defended moves to halt flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh.

Cameron said he had “every sympathy” with Cairo’s anger over the impact on its tourist industry, but that the move was “about putting the safety of British people first”.

He said he would speak with Russian president Vladimir Putin about the latest developments.