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At Least 142 Killed In Yemen Suicide Bombings

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 Maret 2015 | 14.59

At least 142 people have been killed and hundreds more injured after four suicide bombers attacked two mosques in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

The bombers struck during Friday prayers at mosques mainly used by supporters of the Shia Muslim Houthi group which recently seized control of the government.

The attackers detonated their explosive belts inside and outside the buildings.

One witness said: "A man with a crutch and his leg covered with plaster showing the Houthi sign on the crutch entered the inside of the mosque, then we heard the explosion."

A spokesman for the country's health ministry said at least 30 of those wounded in the attacks were in a critical condition in intensive care.

In an online statement, the previously unknown Sanaa branch of Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombings and said they were "just the tip of the iceberg".

The US condemned the attacks, but said it was too early to confirm whether IS was involved.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there is not, as yet, a "clear operational" link between Yemeni extremists and IS fighters in Syria and Iraq.

"We express our condolences to the families of the victims, we deplore the brutality of the terrorists who perpetrated today's unprovoked attack on Yemeni citizens, who were peacefully engaged in Friday prayers," he said.

Yemen is divided by a power struggle between the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in the north and UN-recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who fled to the southern city of Aden in February after escaping house arrest in the capital.

He has established a rival seat in Aden with the backing of Sunni-led Gulf Arab states but twice in the last two days unidentified aircraft have attacked his presidential palace.

A government spokesman said the President was not in the palace at the time and is unharmed.


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Shia Volunteers Lead Fightback Against IS

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent, in Iraq

Ansar Marjaiyeh, or Soldiers Of The Religious Leadership, is a group of Shia volunteers leading the fightback against Islamic State militants near Fallujah.

IS snipers are just 200m away, and they return fire hard and fast. The volunteers are slowly pushing the militants back, but holding the territory they retake is their main challenge.

Their weapons are not impressive, but their resolve is. Dozens of these fighters have been killed so far. This is just one of several open fronts with the Islamic State group in Iraq.

More than 20,000 Shia militiamen from different groups, many backed by Iran, are involved in the fight against IS. They make up what is known as the Popular Mobilisation Force. Around 5,000 Iraqi officers and soldiers are working with them.

The men proudly show off their weapons and what they have picked up during battle.

One militia leader showed us what he said was a receipt, bearing the stamp of the Islamic State group, invoicing the Syrian government for crude oil worth thousands of dollars. The receipt said the oil was to be transferred from Mosul to Syria.

We met up with hundreds of fighters on their way to the frontline in Tikrit - the birthplace of former president Saddam Hussein, which was taken over by IS last summer.

The military operation In Tikrit is in its third week, but the militias still only control parts of the city.

Hadi al Amiri heads up the Badr Brigade, one of Iraq's most effective fighting forces.

Seen by many as Iran's man on the ground, he told Sky News that dozens of Iranian advisors are helping take back territory from IS, and that Tikrit would be retaken within days.

But he insists co-ordination with local Sunni forces has been key, and is confident his men will soon take back Anbar before recapturing the country's second city, Mosul.

He said: "We were victorious in Diyala, and we're using the same strategy here, as a result of a high degree of co-ordination between the army, the popular mobilisation forces and the police."

In Diyala, though, Sunni families returning have found their homes burned and looted. Rights groups say dozens of villages were destroyed not just by IS, but also Shia militias carrying out revenge attacks.

We spoke to people in Diyala who told us they heard about those attacks from their neighbours and friends, but did not see anything themselves.

Militia leaders insist they have strict orders not to harm locals under their control, and near Tikrit, we found Shia fighters helping hundreds of families going home.

There are also some areas where the battle was too fierce, meaning there is nothing left to come back to. Islamic State flags still litter the walls along the streets as mangled metal and charred buildings replace what used to be a vibrant neighbourhood.

For now, the momentum is with the militias and the Iraqi army.

Tikrit will be a strategic and symbolic victory before the push northwards, but that will entail Shia militias controlling Sunni and mixed villages - putting Iraq's delicate sectarian balance to the ultimate test.


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Watch The Solar Eclipse Live Here

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 Maret 2015 | 14.59

Watch The Solar Eclipse Live Here

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Solar Eclipse Watchers Hope For Clear Skies

The solar eclipse is just minutes away as millions of people prepare to witness the rare astronomical spectacle, depending on the unpredictable British weather.

Cloud cover is likely to obscure today's eclipse for many people, however darker skies and a slight drop in temperature will still be experienced during the event that will not be seen again in the UK until 2026.

It will be the deepest solar eclipse shadow to fall across Britain since 1999. Observers in the UK and Ireland will witness a near total eclipse with up to 97% of the Sun blocked out, while South Wales and the north coasts of Devon and Wales are likely to have the clearest skies.

:: Live Updates: Countdown To The Solar Eclipse

Around the country the proportion of the Sun covered by the Moon will increase towards the north, ranging from 84% in London to 89% in Manchester, 93% in Edinburgh, and 97% in Lerwick in the Shetland Isles.

Only people in the Faroe Islands and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the North Atlantic will witness a total eclipse.

:: London

The partial phase of the eclipse will commence at 8:25am. One hour and six minutes later at 9:31am the maximum eclipse will occur with 85% of the Sun blocked out. The event will end at 10:41am.

:: Manchester

Viewers in the northwest will see 90% of the Sun obscured. The event begins at 8:27am, will reach maximum coverage at 9:32am, and will last two hours and fifteen minutes, finishing at 10.42am.

:: Belfast

The event begins a minute later than London at 8:26am and will last two hours and 13 minutes, ending at 10.39am. The eclipse reaches maximum coverage at 9.31am when 95% of the Sun will be obscured.

:: Scotland

Further north, eclipse watchers will enjoy a slightly better show. Viewers in Edinburgh will see 93% of the Sun covered and from Lerwick in the Shetland Isles, the Moon will obscure 97% of the solar disk. 

:: Aberystwyth

Viewers can watch the eclipse from 8.24am and the event will last a total of two hours and 14 minutes. The event will reach maximum at 9.29am when 90% of the Sun will be obscured.

Despite the excitement, Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, warned the event could become memorable for the wrong reasons if observers failed to heed warnings of the dangers.

"This one takes place right in the middle of the rush-hour," he said. "It's not the best time from a safety point of view.

"A partial eclipse is more risky by far than a total eclipse because people don't realise that even looking at a thin sliver of sun is dangerous. It's absolutely true that there is a serious risk to people's eyesight.

"If people can't find a way to view the eclipse correctly then they shouldn't look because they're likely to damage their eyes."

A tourist visiting Norway for the eclipse has described the terrifying moment a polar bear dragged him out of his tent as he slept.


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Exclusive: Ex-Cop 'Ashamed' Of Smith Cover-Up

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 19 Maret 2015 | 14.59

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A former detective has told Sky News he is "ashamed to be a retired officer" after a systematic cover-up to protect the late MP Cyril Smith from child abuse allegations.

The officer, who did not want to be identified, joined Greater Manchester Police in the early 1970s and served for over 20 years working on many high-profile investigations.

He spoke exclusively to Sky News and said he and his colleagues were amazed at how they were closed down when they had the evidence to prosecute Smith, who died in 2010.

He said: "To have all that taken away in the blink of an eye, put into a box … it is similar to watching the X-Files when you see a box being taken into a big warehouse and it is never to be seen or heard of again. That was how it felt."

He revealed his team were ordered never to speak about the investigation again.

"It was a senior police officer. In those circumstances when you are confronted by a very senior police officer, unless you are working with them, you don't remember the names, you remember the rank. It is the rank that is giving the order."

He cannot say who the man was but he suspects he was from the Metropolitan Police. "We only had our suspicions, the suspicions led back down to London," he said.

"I have to say that I am getting to be ashamed to say I am a retired police officer," he added.

On Wednesday Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs people would not be prosecuted for speaking out about child abuse cover-ups.

"I don't want to see anyone prosecuted for uncovering wrongdoing in this way," he said.

The ex-detective believes there could be hundreds of retired officers who are aware of what happened but still would not have the confidence to speak out.

He said: "People coming forward will feel frightened and nervous, but once the story has been revealed they will feel an awful lot better.

"The more officers that come forward the better because the powers that be just wouldn't be able to cope with it."

He believes the IPCC-led investigation into allegations of police misconduct will face many barriers but urged officers to speak out and do what is "morally right".


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Toxic Smog Alert For Asthmatics And Elderly

Britain has been placed on a health alert because of a potentially dangerous cloud of air pollution from Europe.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said it was mixing with home-grown smog to create a toxic hazard.

Officials warned it could trigger problems for people with respiratory conditions, the elderly and the young.

Large parts of England will see air pollution climb to moderate levels on Thursday, although in some northern areas it will reach nine out of 10.

A DEFRA spokeswoman said: "Winds bringing in pollution from the continent, combined with locally-generated pollution and still weather conditions has led to some high pollution measurements across the UK."

Kay Boycott, chief executive of Asthma UK, said two-thirds of sufferers find air pollution makes them worse and increases the risk of a potentially fatal attack.

"It's vital people with respiratory conditions check air pollution forecasts, carry their reliever inhaler with them at all times and ensure that they are taking their preventer inhaler every day," she said.

"This will help build resilience to asthma triggers like air pollution."

She added: "People with asthma have told us that on days when air pollution levels are high they feel that they can't even leave the house for fear (of) an attack."

A Met Office spokesman said it was working "very closely" with DEFRA and Public Health England to ensure the advice they give is based on the most up-to-date and accurate information.

Air pollution has been so bad in Paris this week the French government was forced to impose restrictions on motorists.

On Monday, only vehicles with odd-numbered plates were allowed on the city's roads, followed by those with even-numbered plates on Tuesday. By Wednesday, police had also brought in low speed limits.

The good news is that smog levels in the UK should have fallen enough by Friday morning to allow those affected to see the partial eclipse of the sun - the first in 15 years.


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Budget: Osborne Insists 'The Plan Is Working'

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 18 Maret 2015 | 14.59

Income tax will be the main focus of what could be George Osborne's final Budget as he plans to raise the personal allowance and scrap annual returns.

The Chancellor has insisted there will be "no gimmicks or giveaways" but the Tories hope his speech will kick-start the party's election campaign.

An improvement in economic forecasts will see him allocate £2bn to raise the personal tax allowance from £10,600 to £11,000.

Mr Osborne will also announce plans to scrap the annual tax return - affecting more than 12 million professionals.

Digital tax accounts will be created for all individuals and small businesses which can be accessed at all times from a smartphone, computer or iPad.

Older voters have already been promised further changes to pensions, allowing five million people with existing annuities the right to cash them in from next year.

Businesses will also hope to see announcements on passenger air duty, reductions in charges on North Sea energy firms and measures to encourage research and development.

The Chancellor will use the Budget to give voters more details on what the Conservatives would do if they win the General Election on 7 May.

These will include taking more people out of inheritance tax and raising the higher rate tax threshold to £50,000.

A Sky News projection, following analysis of the latest polls, suggests a hung parliament with the two parties virtually neck and neck.

Mr Osborne will say: "The critical choice facing the country now is this: do we return to the chaos of the past?

"Or do we say to the British people, let's work through the plan that is delivering for you?

"Today we make that critical choice: we choose the future. We have a plan that is working - and this is a Budget that works for you."


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