Boston Residents Rejoice Over 'End Of Terror'

Boston Bomb Suspect In Custody

Updated: 8:00am UK, Saturday 20 April 2013

The second Boston bombing suspect has been captured after he was found hiding in a boat parked in a suburban backyard.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was already wounded from an earlier shootout, exchanged gunfire with police for an hour while holed up in the boat in the neighbourhood of Watertown.

The dramatic stand-off ended with the 19-year-old being given first aid on the lawn next to the boat before he was taken away in an ambulance. 

Dzhokhar remains in "serious condition" at Beth Israel Deaconess hospital, said Boston police commissioner Ed Davis.

Swat teams surrounded the boat after a tip-off from a resident who noticed blood on it, Mr Davis said.

The man lifted the cover of the boat, saw the teenager covered in blood and alerted police.

A police helicopter then used infra-red equipment to confirm there was a human inside the boat.

Dzhokhar had been on the run since his 26-year-old brother and fellow suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev  - known as suspect number one - was killed in a shoot-out with police in the early hours of Friday.

The brothers were believed to be behind Monday's twin explosions at the Boston Marathon which left three people dead and around 180 wounded.

During their getaway attempt, they killed Massachusetts Institute of Technology policeman Sean Collier and severely wounded another officer, authorities said.

A crowd of residents cheered as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev - known as suspect number two - was taken into custody, and the celebrations continued into the night in the city's streets.

Mayor Tom Menino said on Twitter: "We got him".

Boston Police tweeted: "CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody."

The family of eight-year-old Martin Richard, who died in the bombings, released a statement praising police.  

"Tonight, our family applauds the entire law enforcement community for a job well done, and trust that our justice system will now do its job," the family said.

Martin's mother also sustained brain injuries and his sister lost a leg in the blast.

US President Barack Obama told a news conference the suspect's capture "closed an important chapter in this tragedy".

But he said there were still many unanswered questions about the marathon bombings, including whether the two men had help from others.

As Dzhokhar was being captured, three people in New Bedford, Massachusetts, were also taken into custody for questioning over the blasts.

Lieutenant Robert Richard said two men and a woman were being questioned by the FBI "on the assumption there is an affiliation with suspect number two".

Dzhokhar's capture came at the end of a tumultuous all-day manhunt and house-to-house search by thousands of elite police officers.

As night fell, police announced that they were scaling back the hunt and they had so far come up empty-handed.

But shortly after that statement, a break came in Watertown when the homeowner - who had been indoors all day due to the manhunt - saw the blood on his boat.

The vessel had not been searched before because it was outside of the police perimeter set up during the search.

It has also been revealed that Tamerlan attracted the attention of US authorities two years ago.

The FBI said its agents interviewed him in 2011 at the request of a foreign government, but that the investigation found "no derogatory information", according to an official.

The FBI declined to identify the country involved or the nature of the probe.

The brothers moved to the US a decade ago from a Russian region near Chechnya and had been living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as legal permanent residents.

Their father, Anzor Tsarnaev, told reporters in Russia that he believed his sons had been framed and described the killing of Tamerlan as "cowardly".

Maret Tsarnaev, the men's aunt, said Tamerlan had recently become a devout Muslim who prayed five times a day.

Speaking to reporters at her home in Toronto, Canada, she also said the older brother was married and had a daughter in the US.

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Boston Bombings: Second Suspect In Custody

Boston Marathon Blasts: Timeline

Updated: 2:50am UK, Saturday 20 April 2013

Here is a timeline of events from the Boston Marathon bombings to the death of one of the suspects and another one being taken into custody.

Monday, April 15 (Times are local)

2.50pm: An explosion takes place near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Around 10 seconds later, there is another blast about 100m further back down the same road, Boylston Street, also on the marathon route.

The explosions occurred four hours into the race and two hours after the men's winner had crossed the line, but thousands of runners were still on the course.

2.57pm: The Boston Globe's Twitter feed reports a witness hearing "two loud booms" near the finish line.

4.02pm: Boston police confirm two people have died and 23 injured in the explosions via Twitter.

6.12pm: President Barack Obama addresses the nation, saying: "The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight."

8.49pm: At a news conference, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announces the FBI has taken over the investigation.

It is confirmed three people died as a result of the bombings and at least 100 others were hurt. The injury toll was later put at over 180.

Tuesday, April 16

Two victims of the blasts were identified as Martin Richard, eight, and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell.

Martin was waiting with his family to give his father a hug at the finish line when he died.

Restaurant manager Ms Campbell had gone with her best friend to take a picture of the friend's boyfriend crossing the finish when the bombs went off.

Wednesday, April 17

The third victim is identified as 23-year-old Chinese graduate student Lingzi Lu.

Boston University confirmed Ms Lu was studying mathematics and statistics there and was due to receive her degree in 2015.

It said she and two friends had been watching the marathon near the finish line. One of the friends, also a Boston University student, was injured while the other was unharmed, it added.

There are reports a suspect has been detained in connection with the explosions and is due to appear in court - but authorities said there had been no arrests.

The federal court in the city is evacuated due to a bomb scare but people are later allowed to return.

Thursday, April 18

Afternoon: Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend an interfaith service at a Roman Catholic cathedral in Boston to remember the bombing victims. The president vows the attackers will face justice.

Evening: The FBI releases photos and video footage of two bombings suspects at the scene before the attacks.

One is pictured wearing a black baseball cap and a second had a white baseball cap on back to front.

Police say the suspects tried to rob a supermarket in Cambridge, across the river from Boston, on Thursday evening.  

10.20pm: Officers receive reports of shots fired on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Boston.

10.30pm: A police officer at MIT is found with gunshot wounds in his vehicle after being shot several times. He died in hospital.

The bomb suspects are suspected of carrying out the shooting.

They are then thought to have stolen a Mercedes car at gunpoint and later release its driver unharmed.

Friday, April 19

1am: Witnesses in Watertown near Boston report hearing multiple gunshots and explosions. The suspects reportedly threw explosives from the vehicle as police followed it into the area.

The suspects and police exchange gunfire, during which an officer is hurt.

Police say one of the two suspects in the MIT officer shooting, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is dead. But his younger brother, Dzhokhar, remains at large. The pair are suspected of carrying out the bombings.

An extensive manhunt takes place in the Watertown area for Dzhokhar, who is said to be armed and dangerous.

Almost a million residents in Boston are warned to stay indoors and public transport is stopped as armed police search for Dzhokhar.

The two suspects are said to be from a Russian region near Chechnya and have lived in the US for at least one year.

6.60pm: Massachusetts Governor Patrick Deval announces the "stay indoors" order is being lifted, even though Dzhokhar remains in hiding.

Around the time the order is lifted, a flurry of gunfire breaks out in the community that is being searched. Law enforcement officials locate Dzhokhar in a boat parked behind a home.

8.45pm: Dzhokhar is taken into custody by police.

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Boston Marathon Bombings: Suspects On CCTV

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

The FBI has released new pictures of two suspects in the deadly Boston marathon bombings.

The photographs show a pair of men investigators describe as "armed and extremely dangerous".

Images released on Friday morning show one suspect wearing dark clothes, a dark cap and sunglasses.

The man described as 'suspect one' was wearing a black cap

The second suspect is seen wearing a white baseball cap, which is reversed allowing a clearer view of his face.

The Boston Globe claims that one of the suspects has been captured, while the other remains on the loose.

CCTV footage was released of the pair on Thursday, in which they are seen carrying bulky backpacks as they walk the route of Monday's race in the heart of the city.

Another image of suspect one

The men were filmed heading in the direction of the finishing line, moments before both bombs went off just seconds apart.

Three people were killed and more than 180 others injured in the explosions.

FBI special agent Richard DesLauriers, who is leading the manhunt, appealed for help in finding the suspects.

The man described as 'suspect two' was wearing a white hat

He said: "Somebody out there knows these individuals as friends, neighbours, co-workers or family members of the suspects.

"Though it may be difficult, the nation is counting on those with information to come forward and provide it to us."

The FBI has declined to discuss the men's ethnicity for fears people would be led "down the wrong path potentially".

Suspect two is said to have dropped his bag at the site of the second blast

Earlier at a moving inter-faith memorial service, Barack Obama joined 1,700 people at Boston's Holy Cross Cathedral to honour the victims - the youngest of whom was eight-year-old Martin Richard, from Boston.

The president promised the killers would be brought to justice, saying: "We will find you.

"We will hold you accountable. But more than that, our fidelity to our way of life - to our free and open society - will only grow stronger."

A profile shot of suspect two

Police have begun opening up more of the city after security was heightened in the wake of the attack, but the scene of the blasts was still being scoured by forensic teams on Thursday night.

The other people killed were steakhouse manager Krystle Campbell, 29, and Lu Lingzi, a graduate student from China. Seven victims are in a critical condition.

There was panic and confusion in the aftermath of the deadly twin bombing

The bombs were crudely made with explosives, nails and ball bearings packed into pressure cookers, investigators close to the case have said.

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Boston: Hunt For Killer After MIT Uni Shooting

Gunfire and explosions have reportedly been heard in the hunt for the killer of a police officer shot dead at a Massachusetts university in Boston.

The officer was responding to a report of a disturbance on Thursday night when he was shot multiple times.

The officer, who was not immediately identified, was taken to a hospital where he later died from his multiple gunshot wounds.

A message on the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT) website earlier described the incident as "active and extremely dangerous" as police swept the campus in Cambridge - nine miles west of Boston city centre.

People were urged to remain indoors until further notice and to stay away from the Stata Building in particular, off Kendall Square, as police helicopters with spotlights circled over head.

Reporters were told to move away from the scene and to switch off their mobile phones.

University students have been warned to stay indoors

Cambridge Police Department said in a statement that six gunshots were heard at 10.50pm local time.

Dozens of police officers were later seen racing from the scene near Kendall Square toward Watertown.

Dramatic accounts of police and two armed young men engaged in a shootout at the scene emerged in the US media.

The New York Times quoted local resident Andrew Kitzenburg, who said he saw the pair, wearing backpacks, shooting at dozens of police officers from behind a black Mercedes SUV.

The 29-year-old said the officers and the men were 70 yards apart and engaged in "constant gunfire".

He said an explosive device was also thrown at the police and went off some 20 yards from where they were shooting from.

One of the men then ran towards the officers and was apprehended and arrested.

Armed officers arrive at the scene

Police are still hunting for the second man who reportedly got away and conducting door-to-door searches in the area.

Sky's US correspondent Dominic Waghorn at the scene said it was unclear whether the police officer shooting and the stand-off in Watertown were linked.

"We have several incidents and we have no idea whether they are connected - and whether indeed they are connected with what happened earlier in Boston this week at the marathon," he said.

"We do know that gunfire and explosions are reported in streets close to the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology after a police officer was shot dead there.

"What is also interesting is the FBI have been reported here, the National Guard are here and Homeland Security officers as well.

"That's unusual, it's potentially significant because they wouldn't normally be called in for the shooting of a policeman.

"They would be called in if there was some kind of terrorist activity or some other event that would draw in federal agents."

It comes just days after two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 180 others.

The FBI have released pictures and video of two suspects in the deadly Boston marathon bombings.

MIT later lifted its campus lockdown but warned students to "remain vigilant".  About 11,000 people attend the prestigious school.

More follows...

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Texas Blast: 'I Cleaned Blood From Injured'

A woman has told how she helped clean the blood from local residents after a fertiliser plant explosion rocked a Texas town.

The blast happened in West, near Waco, and was so powerful that it was felt for miles around.

Local woman Julie Zhhirnik said: "I just hurt so much, and just seeing everything that I saw … it's unexplainable. It's just horrifying for everyone.

Residents from a nearby nursing home are triaged in a car park

"I cared for a lot, I do home help and I care and I helped and cleaned a lot of residents' blood and gave them blankets. I just tried to be there."

One firefighter said: "I've never seen anything like this. It's part of the job, sometimes it makes you nervous, but you just have to overcome it for those less fortunate."

Debby Marak said the blast was like being "in a tornado", adding that "stuff was flying everywhere."

The remains of the fertiliser plant burn after an explosion

Resident Cheryl Marich, whose home was destroyed, said: "It knocked me down, it knocked me back. It was like the whole road just picked up."

Jason Shelton told the Dallas Morning News: "It exploded just like the Oklahoma City bomb.

"I live about a thousand feet from it and it blew my screen door off and my back windows. There's houses levelled that were right next to it."

Firefighters check a destroyed apartment complex

Another witness, Bill Bohannan, told the Waco Tribune-Herald: "It knocked us into the car... Every house within about four blocks is blown apart."

More follows...

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Texas Explosion 'Was Like A Nuclear Bomb'

A number of people have been killed and hundreds injured after an explosion at a fertiliser plant in Texas.

More than half of the town has been evacuated and people are still being pulled from damaged buildings following the blast in West, near Waco.

The blast - which the US geological survey said had a 2.1 magnitude - was so powerful that a nearby block of flats was destroyed and 130 residents of a local nursing home were injured.

A block of flats was destroyed in the blast

As many as 75 homes were damaged by the blast as well as a local school.

A number of people are also suffering from "respiratory distress due to chemical inhalation". 

Officials have said firefighters have stopped trying to tackle the blaze as there are fears of another explosion.

A plume of smoke rises up after the explosion Pic: KWTX-TV

The explosion happened shortly before 8pm local time on Wednesday and could be heard as far away as 45 miles.

Tommy Muska, West's mayor, said a number of firefighters are unaccounted for.

He told CNN: "It's like a nuclear bomb went off."

This image shows the initial blast Pic: KWTX-TV

Sergeant William Swanton, from Waco Police Department, said there were scenes of "extreme devastation".

"We're going house to house, business to business, and we're seeing quite a bit of devastation in the area of the plant.

"They're still pulling victims out, still bringing victims to triage.

A photo from Twitter user @TitansHomer shows a destroyed apartment complex

"There may be firefighters that are unaccounted for and potentially a law enforcement officer as well."

He also said that a helicopter which was helping with the rescue operation was damaged.

Texas Governor Rick Perry said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of West, and the first responders on the scene."

The injured are treated at a nearby sports field

Debby Marak told The Associated Press she noticed a lot of smoke coming from the area across town near the plant, which is near a nursing home.

She said she drove over to see what was happening, and when she got out of her car two boys ran towards her screaming that officials told them to leave because the plant was going to explode.

Moments later the blast happened.

"It was like being in a tornado," the 58-year-old said. "Stuff was flying everywhere. It blew out my windshield.

"It was like the whole earth shook."

Police officers have reportedly been transporting the injured to local hospitals in their patrol cars.

As many as a dozen helicopters have been sent to the West High School stadium where ambulances are waiting to transport victims to hospitals.

Glenn Robinson, chief executive of Hillcrest Baptist Medical Centre, in Waco, told CNN his hospital had received 66 injured people for treatment, including 38 who were seriously hurt.

He said the injuries included blast injuries, orthopedic injuries, large wounds and a lot of lacerations and cuts.

American Red Cross crews from across Texas are being sent to the site.

The explosion comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Waco siege - a deadly confrontation between federal authorities and heavily armed locals.

The Dallas Morning News said that the fertiliser company previously reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency and local public safety officials that there was no risk of fire or explosion at the plant.

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Thatcher Funeral: Security Tight After Boston

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

Britain will today remember the life of one of its most famous prime ministers as Baroness Thatcher's funeral takes place amid tight security.

Four thousand police officers will line the route of the funeral procession, with the alert heightened in the wake of the Boston bombings on Monday.

In the last 24 hours, hundreds of officers have been patrolling the streets with sniffer dogs trained to detect explosives.

Lady Thatcher, who died on April 8 after suffering a stroke, is having a ceremonial funeral - but the Queen's presence effectively raises it to a state event.

The former politician's family, friends, one-time colleagues and Cabinet foes, as well as dignitaries and figures from around the world will be at the ceremony.

Her coffin spent the night at the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in Westminster and will be moved at 10am to another church on The Strand, then transferred to a gun carriage.

The procession will then go to St Paul's Cathedral for a service at 11am, lasting an hour. There will be a private cremation later.

The security operation for the funeral and procession will be a mix of plain clothes and high visibility policing, according to former Scotland Yard Specialist Commander Roy Ramm.

He told Sky News: "There will be a lot of activity checking bins and receptacles. There will be spotters on rooftops.

"Uniformed officers on the ground will also be briefed on what to look for: the person who wants to disrupt, shout obscenities, maybe throw something.

"But they'll also be looking for people who perhaps are exhibiting signs that they want to do something much more serious. That will be intelligence driven as well."

Lady Thatcher's coffin in St Mary Undercroft

One protest group has been granted permission to turn their backs on the coffin as it passes, but officers will also be sensitive to the distress that protests could cause to mourners.

Mr Ramm added: "The police have a duty to facilitate legitimate protest, but where that protest starts to ferment disorder they also have a duty to keep the peace."

Protesters say that because the funeral is a public event, paid for by taxpayers, it is a legitimate platform.

Lawyer Simon Natas, who represents arrested protesters, says the guidance from police has not been clear.

"It's deeply confusing for people who want to protest to be told they may be arrested for being insulting. Political opinion and legitimate peaceful protest cannot be criminalised just because it may upset people. It is protected free speech."

Most of the crowds gathered outside St Paul's, some of whom had been in place since Tuesday, seemed supportive of the late Tory leader.

However, a small group of protesters demonstrated against what they called the "glorifying" of the funeral and cuts to the welfare state.

David Winslow, 22, a student from Durham, held a placard saying "Rest of us in Poverty" and wore a T-shirt with the slogans "power to the people" and "society does exist".

Lady Thatcher has divided opinion across Britain

"We plan to turn our backs," he said. "We want to maintain a dignified protest, it's counter-productive to cat call and sing Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead.

"The message is that spending £10m on such a divisive figure in times of austerity, especially when austerity is being imposed on the poor, is wrong, especially when harm is being caused to the disabled and the NHS."

He added: "The Government wants to glorify this. It is a massive propaganda campaign to idolise Margaret Thatcher."

At a Facebook-organised protest in Ludgate Hill, retired social worker Patricia Welsh, 69, expressed her anger at the taxpayer having to foot the funeral bill.

"I am absolutely furious that Prime Minister David Cameron has decided to spend £10m on a funeral when normal people are having to face cutbacks, libraries are closing and the NHS is being cut - for the funeral of a Conservative woman.

"Like anyone else she deserves a decent funeral, but not at the expense of the taxpayer."

The pensioner said 2013 reminds her of living in the 1980s. "If you're on benefits you're made to feel like a scrounger and evil," she claimed.

In stark contrast, Margaret Kittle, 79, flew in from Canada to pay her respects.

She said: "My family came to Churchill's and I wanted to come to Maggie's because they are the two greats of history. We will never see the likes of Mrs Thatcher again."

John Loughrey, from Wandsworth, added: "She saved Britain. She gave my father the opportunity to buy his council house. We had all sorts of problems and Mrs Thatcher put it all back together again. We needed the Iron Lady."

Downing Street insisted that David Cameron was not disappointed with Washington's decision not to send currently serving senior politicians to the funeral.

Barack Obama's official presidential delegation will be led by George Shultz and James Baker, who both served as secretaries of state during the Thatcher era.

Former US vice-president Dick Cheney and former secretary of state Henry Kissinger are also due to attend.

Meanwhile, French media reported that President Francois Hollande will be represented by Elisabeth Guigou, a close adviser to Francois Mitterrand while Lady Thatcher was in office, rather than a serving member of his administration.

Argentina's ambassador to London Alicia Castro has declined an invitation to attend the funeral, in what was seen as a mark of continuing sensitivity over the Falkland Islands.

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Guide To Lady Thatcher's Funeral Arrangements

Tight Security For Thatcher Funeral

Updated: 8:50am UK, Wednesday 17 April 2013

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

Britain will today remember the life of one of its most famous prime ministers as Baroness Thatcher's funeral takes place amid tight security.

Four thousand police officers will line the route of the funeral procession, with the alert heightened in the wake of the Boston bombings on Monday.

In the last 24 hours, hundreds of officers have been patrolling the streets with sniffer dogs trained to detect explosives.

Lady Thatcher, who died on April 8 after suffering a stroke, is having a ceremonial funeral - but the Queen's presence effectively raises it to a state event.

The former politician's family, friends, one-time colleagues and Cabinet foes, as well as dignitaries and figures from around the world will be at the ceremony.

Her coffin spent the night at the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in Westminster and will be moved at 10am to another church on The Strand, then transferred to a gun carriage.

The procession will then go to St Paul's Cathedral for a service at 11am, lasting an hour. There will be a private cremation later.

The security operation for the funeral and procession will be a mix of plain clothes and high visibility policing, according to former Scotland Yard Specialist Commander Roy Ramm.

He told Sky News: "There will be a lot of activity checking bins and receptacles. There will be spotters on rooftops.

"Uniformed officers on the ground will also be briefed on what to look for: the person who wants to disrupt, shout obscenities, maybe throw something.

"But they'll also be looking for people who perhaps are exhibiting signs that they want to do something much more serious. That will be intelligence driven as well."

One protest group has been granted permission to turn their backs on the coffin as it passes, but officers will also be sensitive to the distress that protests could cause to mourners.

Mr Ramm added: "The police have a duty to facilitate legitimate protest, but where that protest starts to ferment disorder they also have a duty to keep the peace."

Protesters say that because the funeral is a public event, paid for by taxpayers, it is a legitimate platform.

Lawyer Simon Natas, who represents arrested protesters, says the guidance from police has not been clear.

"It's deeply confusing for people who want to protest to be told they may be arrested for being insulting. Political opinion and legitimate peaceful protest cannot be criminalised just because it may upset people. It is protected free speech."

Most of the crowds gathered outside St Paul's, some of whom had been in place since Tuesday, seemed supportive of the late Tory leader.

However, a small group of protesters demonstrated against what they called the "glorifying" of the funeral and cuts to the welfare state.

David Winslow, 22, a student from Durham, held a placard saying "Rest of us in Poverty" and wore a T-shirt with the slogans "power to the people" and "society does exist".

"We plan to turn our backs," he said. "We want to maintain a dignified protest, it's counter-productive to cat call and sing Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead.

"The message is that spending £10m on such a divisive figure in times of austerity, especially when austerity is being imposed on the poor, is wrong, especially when harm is being caused to the disabled and the NHS."

He added: "The Government wants to glorify this. It is a massive propaganda campaign to idolise Margaret Thatcher."

At a Facebook-organised protest in Ludgate Hill, retired social worker Patricia Welsh, 69, expressed her anger at the taxpayer having to foot the funeral bill.

"I am absolutely furious that Prime Minister David Cameron has decided to spend £10m on a funeral when normal people are having to face cutbacks, libraries are closing and the NHS is being cut - for the funeral of a Conservative woman.

"Like anyone else she deserves a decent funeral, but not at the expense of the taxpayer."

The pensioner said 2013 reminds her of living in the 1980s. "If you're on benefits you're made to feel like a scrounger and evil," she claimed.

In stark contrast, Margaret Kittle, 79, flew in from Canada to pay her respects.

She said: "My family came to Churchill's and I wanted to come to Maggie's because they are the two greats of history. We will never see the likes of Mrs Thatcher again."

John Loughrey, from Wandsworth, added: "She saved Britain. She gave my father the opportunity to buy his council house. We had all sorts of problems and Mrs Thatcher put it all back together again. We needed the Iron Lady."

Downing Street insisted that David Cameron was not disappointed with Washington's decision not to send currently serving senior politicians to the funeral.

Barack Obama's official presidential delegation will be led by George Shultz and James Baker, who both served as secretaries of state during the Thatcher era.

Former US vice-president Dick Cheney and former secretary of state Henry Kissinger are also due to attend.

Meanwhile, French media reported that President Francois Hollande will be represented by Elisabeth Guigou, a close adviser to Francois Mitterrand while Lady Thatcher was in office, rather than a serving member of his administration.

Argentina's ambassador to London Alicia Castro has declined an invitation to attend the funeral, in what was seen as a mark of continuing sensitivity over the Falkland Islands.

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Boston Marathon Explosions: Live Updates

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8:30am UK, Tuesday 16 April 2013

Moments after the first blast

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Boston Marathon Bomb Attacks: Three Dead

The FBI is leading a terror investigation after three people were killed and more than 140 others hurt in a twin-bombing attack during the Boston Marathon.

Spectators' cheers turned to screams and a pool of blood formed on the ground as the explosions ripped through the crowd near the finish line.

The blasts happened almost simultaneously about 100m (330ft) apart, shattering windows and sending smoke and debris into the air.

Emergency workers tore away fencing as others carried seriously injured men and women from the scene in the heart of the city.

The Associated Press news agency reported that an eight-year-old boy was among the dead. Of the 144 reported injured, 17 are critical.

Massachusetts General Hospital said "several amputations" were performed on survivors.

More than 25,000 people were registered as taking part in the race, 374 of whom were British. There were also 108 Irish athletes.

There have been no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack, the most serious in the US since the 9/11 World Trade Centre atrocity. Al Qaeda-linked groups and militant white extremists have attacked targets in America in the past.

An injured runner is helped away from the blast site

The Pakistani Taliban, who have previously threatened attacks in the US, have denied any involvement.

Barack Obama vowed to find and punish those responsible, as a senior White House official said the attacks were being treated as an act of terrorism.

Mr Obama avoided using the words "terror" or "terrorism", saying officials "still do not know who did this or why".

But he vowed: "We will find out who did this. We'll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice."

Bill Bratton, a former head of Boston police who is now based in London, said: "Unfortunately in my country there are no shortage of potential suspects, if you will."

The marathon is held every year on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts state holiday which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775.

The explosions happened on Boylston Street, four hours into the race and about two hours after the men's winner had crossed the line, as amateur runners were reaching the finish.

More than 17,000 competitors had completed the race by the time the blasts struck.

The blasts struck close to the finish line in central Boston

TV helicopter footage showed blood on the ground and the desperate efforts of rescuers in the popular shopping and tourist area known as the Back Bay.

A woman near the second bomb, Brighid Wall, 35, said people had frozen, unsure of what to do.

Her husband threw their children to the ground, lay on top of them and another man lay on top of them and said, "Don't get up, don't get up."

She said she saw six to eight people bleeding profusely, including one man who was kneeling, dazed, with blood coming down his head. Another person was on the ground covered in blood and not moving.

"My ears are zinging. Their ears are zinging. It was so forceful. It knocked us to the ground," she said.

Runner Tim Davey, from Virginia, was with wife Lisa and their children in a medical tent set up for exhausted runners. "They just started bringing people in with no limbs," he said.

Roupen Bastajian, 35, a state police officer from Rhode Island, had just finished the race when he heard the blasts.

"I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor," he said. "We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs.

"A lot of people amputated. ... At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing."

A senior US intelligence official said another two unexploded bombs were found and disarmed near the end of the 26.2mile (42km).

Windows in buildings nearby shattered into the streets

There were reports of a third blast at the JFK library a few miles away but that was later confirmed as a fire that was believed to be unrelated to the blasts.

No one has been arrested, although officers searched an apartment in the Boston suburb of Revere as part of the investigation.

A no-fly zone was also put in place over the city as security was tightened and flights bound for Boston's Logan International Airport were briefly held up at other airports.

At the White House, the Secret Service expanded its security perimeter as a precaution.

One British runner, Anthony Meenaghan, said he was "safe and well" but added "can't believe what I saw and heard".

Mr Meenaghan, 21, is an architectural technology student from Sheffield Hallam University who is on a work placement in Boston.

He was running with his father, who is also called Anthony.

He tweeted: "Thanks for all messages. I'm safe and well. Can't believe what I saw and heard. Sad day."

A bomb squad officer inspects a bag along the route

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said the authorities had received "no specific intelligence that anything was going to happen".

At Massachusetts General Hospital, Alisdair Conn, chief of emergency services, said: "This is something I've never seen in my 25 years here ... this amount of carnage in the civilian population. This is what we expect from war."

British police are now reviewing security plans for this Sunday's London Marathon - the next major international marathon.

The London race's chief executive, Nick Bitel, said it was "a very sad day for athletics and for our friends in marathon running".

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Twitter: "The scenes from Boston are shocking and horrific - my thoughts are with all those who have been affected."

Boston Police said there is a helpline in the US for concerned relatives: 617 635 4500, and anybody with information about the blasts should call 1 800 494 tips.

The UK consulate in Boston said British Nationals in need of emergency consular assistance should call the Global Response Centre on 1 877 854 6872.

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Thatcher Funeral: Practice Run Of Procession

A full military rehearsal for Baroness Thatcher's funeral procession has taken place in the early hours of this morning.

Timed to last 19 minutes, Wednesday's ceremonial service will involve more than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel and see Lady Thatcher's coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage from St Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force, down the Strand on Wednesday morning.

Led by the Band of the Royal Marines, the solemn procession will then slowly travel along Fleet Street towards St Paul's where around 2,000 mourners are expected to attend the service.

Major Andrew Chatburn, the man in charge of choreographing the parade, said the rehearsal "went very well" and claimed it was "vitally important" to stage a trial of the event.

He said the atmosphere of the thousands of people expected to line the streets could obviously not be replicated, but added those involved, including the horses, were used to big occasions with large crowds.

"We'll have a debriefing and we'll take the points from that. We'll address whatever we have to address. If it's additional rehearsals in barracks we'll conduct those rehearsals and we'll get it right on the day," he added.

The band played the funeral marches of Chopin, Beethoven and Mendelssohn as it made its way along the deserted streets.

The military and police wore their working dress and high visibility clothes respectively, but will be in ceremonial uniform on the day.

The pensioners from Royal Hospital Chelsea did not take part today due to the early start, but they will line the west steps of St Paul's for the real event.

A Union-flag draped coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage

Lady Thatcher said she did not want a state funeral, but she has been given the next highest honour: a ceremonial funeral with full military honours tailored to her.

With all the the pageantry of a state funeral, it is set to be the largest in Britain since the Queen Mother's.

Downing Street has refused to give details about the cost until after the ceremony but it is expected to run into several million.

The rehearsal came after a poll by ComRes found that only 25% of people think the event should be funded form the public purse and that 60% are against the idea.

But the Government has defended the plans for the lavish ceremonial service.

Tory Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, one of the organisers, insisted it had to be a "fitting event for a very great lady".

He told Sky News on Sunday that the ceremony would be a "fitting send-off" and argued that the involvement of the armed forces was "not over the top in any way".

Some 700 serving members of the armed forces took part in the trial run

Speaking on the Murnaghan show, he said: "Of course, with any funeral of any former prime minister the state inevitably plays a big role.

"Normally there would be a funeral followed by a memorial service. She was very adamant that she didn't want that, she wanted a single service. So this needs to be a fitting event for a very great lady."

Amid fears protests could mar the funeral next week, Mr Maude also urged critics of Lady Thatcher to be respectful.

"It is a free country. People must be free to express their views," he said, but added: "I would simply ask that they respect the wishes of the mourners for this event to take place in a dignified way."

Sky's events commentator Alastair Bruce, who watched the rehearsal, said Lady Thatcher "would have wanted to see democracy in action" and that organisers were hoping the protests would not offend mourners or affect the procession.

"The ceremonial has been worked on very hard by the armed forces, and they are doing their very best to represent the United Kingdom. They will want to deliver that duty without interruption," he said.

George Galloway will attempt to block PMQs delay so MPs can attend funeral

Meanwhile, Respect MP George Galloway will attempt to scupper plans to cancel Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions so that MPs can attend the funeral.

He has said he will try to block a Government motion dropping Commons questions and delaying the start of business to 2.30pm, after the funeral has taken place.

Ministers had hoped the motion, tabled by the Leader of the House Andrew Lansley, would go through "on the nod" at the end of Commons business tonight.

Last night, police charged a series of demonstrators at London's Trafalgar Square who were protesting against Baroness Thatcher's legacy and who marked her death with a party.

Scotland Yard said nine suspects had been charged with various offences including assaulting police, affray and drunk and disorderly, and would appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on various dates in the next few weeks.

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Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro Elected President

Venezuelan electoral officials say voters have chosen Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor Nicolas Maduro as their new president in a tightly-fought contest.

His challenger, Henrique Capriles, declared that he would not accept the results and called for a full recount.

Mr Maduro campaigned on a promise to carry on the late president's self-styled socialist revolution, while his rival claimed the late president's regime has put Venezuela on the road to ruin.

Officials say Mr Maduro beat two-time challenger Mr Capriles by just 300,000 votes. The margin was 50.8% to 49.1%.

Addressing a crowd from the presidential palace, Mr Maduro called his victory further proof that Mr Chavez "continues to be invincible, that he continues to win battles".

He said that Mr Capriles had called him before the results were announced to suggest a "pact" but he had refused.

At the opposition candidate's headquarters, people hung their heads quietly as the results were announced.

Henrique Capriles demands a recount

Mr Capriles emerged later, saying his campaign's tally of votes came up with "a result that is different from the results announced today".

"It is the government that has been defeated. The biggest loser today is you. The people don't love you," he said directly addressing Mr Maduro.

Turnout was 78%, down from just over 80% in the October election that Mr Chavez won by a margin of almost 11 points.

National Electoral Council president Tibisay Lucena told a news conference: "These are the irreversible results that the people have decided."

In a hint of discontent within Chavista ranks, National Assembly president Diosdado Cabello, who many consider Mr Maduro's main rival, expressed dismay at the tight outcome.

He tweeted: "The results oblige us to make a profound self-criticism. It's contradictory that the poor sectors of the population vote for their longtime exploiters."

Maduro supporters celebrate his victory

Mr Maduro, a foreign minister to Mr Chavez, rode a wave of grief for the late leader, who ruled Venezuela for 14 years with a socialist revolution that made him popular among the poor while alienating others critical of the weak economy.

Mr Maduro has vowed to continue the oil-funded policies that cut poverty by almost half to 29% through popular health, education and food programmes.

But he also inherits a litany of problems left behind by his mentor: South America's highest murder rate, with 16,000 people killed last year, chronic food shortages, high inflation and recurring power cuts.

Opinion polls had given Mr Maduro leads of 10 to 20 points during the campaign, but Mr Capriles energised the opposition and closed the gap.

"This is a very important victory for the future of the country. This is the legacy of our comandante, who is no longer here. But he left us Maduro and he will defend his project," said one Maduro supporter, Rafael Perez Camarero.

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Millwall Fighting: Arrests After Fans Clash

Police have arrested 11 people after violence broke out among Millwall fans during the FA Cup semi-final against Wigan.

During the second half of their 2-0 loss to Wigan on Saturday, around 20 Millwall fans began fighting with each other behind the goal at Wembley Stadium.

The disturbing scenes, which were witnessed by millions on television, left some fans bloodied and youngsters in tears.

Skirmishes began towards the end of the game

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Ten people have been arrested following sporadic disorder among fans in the Millwall supporters' area at Wembley.

"Investigations into the circumstances of the incidents are continuing."

Some fans were left bloodied by the violence

Alex Horne, general secretary of the FA, said: "The Metropolitan Police and the FA are investigating scenes of sporadic violence and disorder in the Millwall FC end at the FA Cup semi-final.

"The FA and Wembley Stadium will work with police and representatives of Millwall FC to review all events.

Millwall promised to ban those involved

"We will look to ensure those involved are identified and we would call for criminal charges and a football banning order to be brought against them.

"The FA deplores the scenes which have taken place, which are unacceptable. Everything will be done to take action against those involved."

Millwall have long had an unwanted reputation for hooliganism and Saturday's scenes were a throwback to the 1980s.

It is unclear what sparked the clashes

The club's chief executive Andy Ambler said it would do all it could to find those responsible.

"Our position is clear. Anyone associated with our club found guilty of violent behaviour will be banned indefinitely from Millwall matches in addition to any punishment they receive from the authorities," he said.

"Having worked so hard to show the positive side of our club both on and off the field, we cannot allow the actions of a mindless minority to undermine that.

The match ended 2-0 to Wigan Athletic

"At this stage we are still in the process of establishing the full details of what happened in a section of the ground during the second half.

"When we have those facts at our disposal and the police have completed their investigations we may be in a position to comment further." 

Millwall chairman John Berylson, who flew in from the United States for the game, said: "There are always a few idiots. That's not our fan-base and we don't even know who those people are. We will be investigating."

Police moved in after the violence started

And the team's captain Danny Shittu added: "Today was meant to be a good day out at Wembley. I'm disappointed by it.

"It's sad to hear about these things happening on a day like today. Things like that shouldn't be going on, It should be a great day for both sides."

Wigan's chairman Dave Whelan, whose team will face Manchester City or Chelsea in the final next month, said he was appalled by what he saw.

Millwall fans were condemned for the fighting

"I can't understand why the Millwall fans would fight each other," he told the BBC.

"I understand if they want to fall out with the visiting team, but why would they fall out amongst themselves? It just gives football a very, very poor reputation."

"We know Millwall are a tough club, their team's tough to play, the supporters are Millwall Millwall Millwall... straight through. But don't fight each other."

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Thatcher Funeral: Most Brits Oppose Paying

Lavish plans for Baroness Thatcher's funeral have been revealed as a new poll shows more than half the British public oppose using taxpayers' money to pay for it.

Lady Thatcher said she did not want a state funeral, but she has been given the next highest honour: a ceremonial funeral with full military honours tailored to her.

With all the the pageantry of a state funeral, Wednesday's service is set to be the largest in Britain since the Queen Mother's, bringing to the fore the issue of who will pay.

While her estate will make a contribution, Downing Street has refused to give details about how much the service will cost the taxpayer, saying this will be revealed after the funeral.

But a ComRes survey for the Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror has found that only 25% of people think it should be funded by the public purse - compared to 60% who are against the idea.

The survey also showed that one in three people think she was Britain's greatest peacetime prime minister - although 41% of people disagreed.

Lady Thatcher at a Royal Hospital Chelsea event in 2008

Labour's former deputy prime minister John Prescott angrily denounced the cost in his column for the Sunday Mirror.

"Thatcher split this country, North and South, the haves and have nots, 'one of us' or 'the enemy within'. This country paid enough thanks to that woman. So why the hell should we continue to pay now she's dead?," he wrote.

"Privatise her funeral. It would be a fitting tribute," he added.

David Cameron and William Hague both defended using taxpayers' money last week, insisting it would be wrong not to mark Lady Thatcher's huge contribution to the nation.

The Foreign Secretary said: "The rebate she negotiated for this country from the EU has brought us so far £75 billion - which is twice the size of our annual defence budget.

David Cameron will do a Bible reading at the funeral

"I think that puts money in perspective ... so I think we can afford to contribute to a funeral."

The poll comes as the Government released the Order of Service for the funeral at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday.

Lady Thatcher's coffin will be carried through the streets of London on a gun carriage, allowing the public to pay their respects as the funeral cortege passes by. 

It is the same honour bestowed on Diana, the Queen Mother and Winston Churchill.

Then there will be a single bell will toll as the funeral cortege draws up to St Paul's, and 14 Chelsea pensioners will line the steps as the coffin is taken into the cathedral.

The presence of the pensioners - the oldest aged 90 - is aimed at reflecting the strong connection Lady Thatcher built up with the Royal Hospital Chelsea over the last 10 years.

In front of the coffin, Michael and Amanda Thatcher, grandchildren of the former prime minister, will carry cushions bearing the insignia of the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit and lay them on the Dome Altar.

The service, attended by the Queen, will be "framed" by British music, with traditional pieces by great British composers played at the beginning and at the end.

Lady Thatcher's love of poetry will be reflected in her choice of TS Eliot's Little Gidding, which will be printed on the opening page of the Order of Service and William Wordsworth's Ode: Intimations of Immortality on the final page.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Amanda Thatcher will deliver the readings from the King James Bible - of which she was particularly fond.

It was confirmed that the hymns will be He Who Would Valiant Be, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, Psalm 84 set to the music of Johannes Brahms, and the patriotic verse I Vow To Thee My Country.

The funeral address will be delivered by the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres.

The military procession leading to the service will feature more than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel from units particularly associated with the Falklands War, including some from the Welsh Guards, the regiment that suffered some of the heaviest losses.

Plans are also developing for Lady Thatcher's legacy to be enshrined in the creation of a major new institution to promote her political philosophy and shape future Tory politics.

Supporters of the former leader are working on a Margaret Thatcher library for London as a lasting memorial.

Backers also aim to raise £15m in private funds to establish the combined library, museum and training centre.

It is planned that visitors will be able to view key artefacts from her time in office, such as her trademark blue Aquascutum suits and handbags.

:: ComRes interviewed 2,012 Great Britain adults online on April 10 and 11.

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