Schools, sites closed after quake

24 August 2011 Last updated at 16:32 GMT Residents in New York spoke about the quake which was caught on camera in Washington and at a media briefing in NYC

A day after an earthquake rattled the US east coast, Washington schools remained closed and inspectors are assessing damage to national monuments.

The magnitude-5.8 quake, which some people initially feared was a terrorist attack, caused no known deaths or serious injuries.

Engineers have been studying cracks in the Washington Monument, and some federal office buildings are shut.

The quake centred on the state of Virginia but was felt widely.

It was one of the most powerful tremors to hit the US east coast since 1897.

High-rise fright

The quake shook Washington DC for about 30 seconds at lunchtime on Tuesday, with the White House, Pentagon and Capitol buildings among sites evacuated across the city.

Engineers are evaluating cracks found in the Washington Monument

In New York City, the tremor sent many people fleeing high-rises such as the Empire State Building.

"I ran down all 60 flights," accounting office worker Caitlin Trupiano said. "I wasn't waiting for the elevator."

One of the most damaged buildings in the US capital was Washington's century-old National Cathedral: three capstones broke off and cracks appeared in some walls.

Pictures posted on the cathedral's website showed the extent of the damage, including fallen statues.

"Experts are tirelessly working to assess the building damage, both structurally and aesthetically," the cathedral managers said.

At the Washington Monument, the obelisk-shaped memorial to America's first president, engineers discovered cracks in the stones at the top.

They are evaluating how to repair the monument so it can be reopened to tourists.

Just two days after the start of the academic year, 126 Washington school buildings were closed on Wednesday.

Poking fun

DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said the sites were being examined by structural engineers.

The quake epicentre was near the Virginia town of Mineral, population 430

A handful of federal buildings were also shut on Wednesday, including some offices of the homeland security, agriculture and interior departments.

Some residents of apartments in the Washington DC suburbs were staying in shelters awaiting structural surveys at those buildings.

Two nuclear reactors were taken offline as a precaution near the epicentre of the quake, but no damage was reported.

The fuss generated by the relatively mild tremor has prompted some teasing, not least over on the west coast in California, where such events are much more common.

Images of toppled lawn chairs and wonky picture frames were posted on social networks.

The earthquake that devastated Japan in March released 60,000 times more energy than Tuesday's in the US.

It struck some 84 miles (135km) south-west of Washington, at a depth of 3.7 miles.

The epicentre was near the town of Mineral, in the state of Virginia, the US Geological Survey said.

Three aftershocks were recorded on Tuesday, measuring from 2.2 to 4.8 in magnitude.

View the original article here

Mexico game ditched after gunfire

21 August 2011 Last updated at 07:43 GMT Saturday's match was abandoned near the end of the first half A first division football match in Mexico was abandoned because of a gun battle just outside the stadium.

Players from Santos Laguna and Monarcas Morelia ran to the dressing rooms and fans dived for cover as shots rang out in the northern city of Torreon.

The players were in the 40th minute of their scoreless match on Saturday when pandemonium broke out.

Gunmen had opened fire on members of the security forces at a checkpoint, injuring one policeman.

About 20,000 fans were watching the game at the TSM, home of Santos, but no-one was hurt inside the stadium.

The authorities said the shooting began after three vehicles with armed men failed to stop.

Santos chairman Alejandro Irarragorri, accompanied by his goalkeeper, went on to the pitch to make an announcement.

He told the crowd: "In the Santos club, we feel bad for the time in which we are living. It is evident that the game will be suspended.

"You can be assured that we will try to control these situations. We are sorry for Morelia, the referees and those who are visiting us from elsewhere."

Drug-related violence in northern Mexico has claimed thousands of lives in the past few years but it is not clear if this shooting was linked to organised crime.

More than 35,000 Mexicans have been killed in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon began deploying troops to fight the drugs cartels in December 2006.

It is thought this is the first time a football match in Mexico's top-flight division had to be abandoned due to violence since Mr Calderon became president.

Last year, a baseball game was suspended in the north-eastern border city of Reynosa because of a similar incident.

View the original article here

VIDEO: Wildfires hit UK after hottest ever April

3 May 2011 Last updated at 18:32 GMT Help

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Canada Liberal quits after defeat

3 May 2011 Last updated at 20:14 GMT Mr Ignatieff's Liberal Party saw its seats in the House of Commons drop from 77 to 34 Former Harvard professor Michael Ignatieff says he is resigning as the leader of Canada's Liberal Party, after a crushing defeat in the country's general election.

PM Stephen Harper's Conservative Party took 167 seats to win a majority government in Monday's election.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) became the official opposition by claiming 102 seats, while the Liberals took 34.

The election marks the worst defeat in the history of the Liberal Party.

Mr Ignatieff said on Tuesday that Conservative attack ads, which made use of the more than 30 years Mr Ignatieff lived in Europe and the US, had a large impact on the outcome of the election.

"My attachment to the country, my patriotism were questioned, my motivations were questioned and that had a political effect, there's no doubt about that, but I have to also take my responsibilities," Mr Ignatieff said.

Continue reading the main story Conservatives: 167 (+24 from previous parliament)New Democrats: 102 (+66)Liberals: 34 (-43)Bloc Quebecois: 4 (-43)Greens: 1 (+1)Independent: 0 (-2)The Liberal Party dropped from 77 seats to 34 in the House of Commons, with Mr Ignatieff even losing his own seat in a suburb of the city of Toronto.

The election marks the first time in Canadian history the Liberal Party did not finish either first or second.

Mr Harper, meanwhile, pledged he would not shift his party to the right in light of it having won its first parliamentary majority.

"We got that mandate because the way we have governed and Canadians expect us to continue to move forward in the same way," he said.

Conservatives won 167 of the 308 electoral districts, earning 40% of the vote and 54% of the seats in parliament, Elections Canada reported.

US President Barack Obama called Mr Harper to congratulate him on the victory, the White House said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: "Canadians chose hope"

"The president said he looked forward to continuing his close cooperation with the prime minister," the White House said in a statement.

Mr Obama renewed his commitment to cross-border co-operation on trade, customs enforcement and security, the White House said.

Mr Harper, who took office in 2006, has previously won two elections but never before led a majority government.

Monday's vote was Canada's fourth general election in seven years.

Mr Harper went into the election having headed two successive minority Conservative governments since 2006. His party held 143 seats in the House of Commons prior to the dissolution of the last government.

Continue reading the main story Lee Carter BBC News, Toronto

Although the opinion polls predicted that the Conservatives would regain power, the scale of victory came as a surprise.

PM Stephen Harper ran a tightly-focused campaign, concentrating largely on his government's record in managing the economy, which has emerged from a recession as one of the strongest among the G7 group of countries.

The NDP had its best-ever showing, taking 102 seats. But it has been a disastrous night for the Liberal Party - it dominated Canadian politics in the 20th Century but has suffered its worst-ever result.

The Quebec separatist party, Bloc Quebecois, which has dominated politics in the French-speaking province for the past 20 years, has been almost wiped out, winning just four seats, too few to qualify for party status in the parliament in Ottawa.

The realignment of opposition parties could change the landscape for Canadian politics. There will certainly be calls for the Liberals and NDP to merge in an effort to unite the left-of-centre vote. And by choosing the federalist NDP over the separatists, Quebec may have triggered a renewed debate over its place in Canada's federation.

Analysts say the prime minister has slowly nudged the country further to the right during his five-year tenure.

He has lowered sales and corporate taxes, avoided signing climate change legislation and become a stark advocate of Arctic sovereignty.

He has also increased military spending and extended Canada's military mission in Afghanistan.

New Democratic gains

NDP leader Jack Layton jubilantly greeted his supporters in Toronto on Monday evening.

"Spring is here, my friends, and a new chapter begins," Mr Layton said.

The NDP went into the election with 36 seats, compared with 77 for the Liberals and 143 for the Conservatives.

The separatist Bloc Quebecois, which seeks independence for the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec, suffered heavy losses, retaining only four seats out of the 47 seats it previously held.

Its leader, Giles Duceppe, lost his own seat and resigned as party head.

In a historic first, Green Party leader Elizabeth May won her seat in British Columbia, becoming the first Green to be elected to the House of Commons.

Mr Harper's government was forced into an election after a no-confidence vote in parliament.

It was found to be in contempt of parliament because of its failure to disclose the full costs of anti-crime programmes, corporate tax cuts and plans to purchase stealth fighter jets from the US.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Biker dies after rally accident

29 April 2011 Last updated at 11:51 A 62-year-old Borders man has died in hospital in Edinburgh after an accident at a vintage motorbike rally in Fife.

Graham Bell, of Dryinghouse Lane, Kelso, was hurt in the crash with another biker at the event at Cardenden near Lochgelly on Sunday.

He died in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary five days after the accident.

The other biker involved, a 61-year-old from Earlston in the Borders, was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline with minor injuries.

A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Search continues after US storms

18 April 2011 Last updated at 22:17 GMT North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue said she had been brought to tears by the devastation in her state

Search and rescue efforts are continuing in the US state of North Carolina after days of storms and tornadoes killed at least 44 people across half a dozen states.

More than 60 tornadoes ripped through North Carolina, killing 21, the highest toll for any of the states affected.

A White House spokesman said the government stood ready to provide aid.

Governor Beverly Perdue said on the NBC network's Today show that she had never seen anything like the devastation.

She said homes in the state had been handled like paper dolls' houses.

"The good news is that the tornadoes have left and things are brighter today in North Carolina," Ms Perdue said.

At the White House on Monday, spokesman Jay Carney said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was monitoring conditions.

"We have folks on the ground assessing the situation and standing ready to provide assistance as necessary," he said.

The killer storms cut across a vast swath of the American south, sweeping east across Oklahoma and Arkansas on Thursday and Friday then through Mississippi and Alabama and up through Virginia and North Carolina.

The storms, which also caused damage in the states of Texas and Georgia, moved out over the Atlantic on Sunday.

Devastating destruction

More than 240 tornadoes were reported over the three days, including 62 in North Carolina, but the US National Weather Service's final numbers could be lower because some tornadoes may have been reported more than once.

More than 60 tornadoes were reported in North Carolina, where officials confirmed 21 deaths

The North Carolina state emergency management agency said it had reports of 23 deaths from Saturday's storms, but local officials have only confirmed 21.

Authorities in the city of Raleigh early on Monday were blocking access to a mobile home park of roughly 200 homes, where three children had been killed during the storms.

Ms Perdue said she planned to tour hard-hit areas in three counties in the state on Monday.

She added that the devastation she had seen on Sunday had left her in tears.

The governor said she had contacted President Barack Obama, who pledged his support, and that federal emergency workers had already been deployed to the state.

"We have in North Carolina a tremendous relationship with our federal partners, and have been through this so many times," she said.

"That's not a good thing. That's a bad thing," she added.

Ms Perdue said on Sunday the number of tornadoes had been the highest since 1984, when tornadoes killed 42 people.

Hailstones the size of grapefruit were reported as the storms swept through the region, causing flash floods as well as tornadoes.

Trees and downed power lines still covered nearby roads on Monday.

Most of North Carolina's 21 confirmed deaths occurred in two rural counties - 11 in Bertie and four in Bladen, about 70 miles (112 km) south of Raleigh.

In the Bladen County community of Ammon, Audrey McKoy and her husband, Milton, witnessed a tornado lifting pigs and other animals into the sky, as the storm struck their mobile home community.

"It looked just like The Wizard of Oz," Mrs McKoy said.

Mr McKoy found three bodies in their neighbourhood after the storm, which spun their mobile home, had passed.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

Read the terms and conditions

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Lansley sorry after nurse rebuke

13 April 2011 Last updated at 11:22 GMT By Nick Triggle Health reporter, BBC News Andrew Lansley tells an audience of nurses "I am sorry if what I'm setting out to do hasn't communicated itself"

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said he is "sorry" for failing to communicate his plans for the NHS in England.

He was speaking to an audience of 65 nurses at the Royal College of Nursing conference.

Earlier some 96% of 497 delegates in Liverpool took the unprecedented decision to give him a vote of no confidence.

It comes on the day Labour called on the government to scrap its NHS plans.

Mr Lansley's appearance at the Liverpool meeting had caused anger among nurses who wanted him to address the whole conference rather than having a smaller meeting.

The meeting with nurses was part of the government's "listening exercise" which was launched last week amid mounting criticism of his reforms.

He said: "I am sorry if what I'm setting out to do hasn't communicated itself."

Continue reading the main story Nick Triggle Health reporter, BBC News

Nurses, of course, cannot vote the health secretary out of office. But the backing of the no confidence motion in Andrew Lansley is hugely symbolic.

Even though only 500 of the Royal College of Nursing's 400,000 membership were there, it still demonstrates the challenge facing him personally and the government as a whole in getting NHS staff on board over its plans.

Nurses attending the Liverpool conference have been angry all week.

They feel Mr Lansley has snubbed them with his decision not to address the whole conference. Instead, he met 65 nurses away from the main hall.

But there has also been a barrage of complaints about the cuts they are seeing to services. And this is the crux of the problem.

The government's overhaul is happening at a time when the NHS is tightening its belt.

The two issues are in many ways separate, but are becoming conflated. And that spells trouble.

He went on to say he believed that there was a shared objective in ensuring the NHS was free at the point of use.

And he added: "I'm here to listen not to lecture.

"My view is that we are working together to support these principles and if we've not got that right we will do so with your help."

He then went on to apologise another three times during the 90-minute meeting, before saying: "I would be joining you in voting against me if I thought the product of what I was doing was to undermine the NHS."

Later on he told journalists separately that he accepted the vote of no confidence was a "rebuke" and he would be looking to address the concerns.

'Time to oppose'

His comments came after heated exchanges during a debate at which nurses voted in favour of passing a motion of no confidence in the health secretary's handling of the NHS reforms.

Nurses said they were angry about the changes and the way the government was running its new consultation.

David Dawes, a nurse from Manchester, said the RCN had tried to engage with government in the past, adding he did not believe it was interested in changing its plans so now was time "to oppose".

Zeba Arif, a mental health nurse from London, said: "Reform means making it better. Is this making it better? No it is not."

And Bethann Siviter, a nurse who now works in Birmingham after moving to England from the US, added: "If this goes forward the NHS is dying. I come from a country with private health care. Don't go there."

The motion of no confidence in Mr Lansley was backed by 478 delegates, with six opposing it and there were 13 abstentions - it is thought to be unprecedented.

Under the shake-up, GPs are to be given control of much of the NHS budget, while greater competition with the private sector will be encouraged.

But critics, including the Royal College of Nursing, have warned the changes could undermine the NHS.

After months of attacks, the government said last week it would run another consultation, even though the bill underpinning the changes has already started progressing through Parliament.

'Junk it'

Wednesday marked the first significant step in that process - and saw Labour leader Ed Miliband make a speech about the NHS.

Mr Miliband warned the plans would put hospitals at risk and lead to staff losing the power to do what they believed was best for patients.

"The answer to a bad bill is not to slow it down, but to junk it," he added.

Mr Lansley responded saying: "Ed Miliband is being deliberately misleading. It is wholly inappropriate for him to use the NHS as a political football like this."

Mr Lansley is said to be there to "listen and reflect" rather than lecture

In the morning, Mr Lansley met voluntary sector chiefs in Downing Street to discuss how they can get involved in delivering services.

He then travelled to Liverpool to meet nurses. But instead of addressing the entire conference - as public health minister Anne Milton did on Tuesday - he met a smaller group of nurses representing all parts of the UK.

The decision caused anger among delegates at the conference.

Mike Hayward, a nurse from London, who attended the meeting with Mr Lansley, said it would have been better to have addressed the main conference.

But he added: "It is pleasing he has come here, but I wonder what difference it will make. He seems to have Victorian attitudes to the NHS - that doctor knows best.

"We want to see nurses and other groups represented more."

It was a theme echoed by other participants. Many expressed concern about the cuts that were taking place on the front-line as well as the scale of the changes.

Some questioned whether the concerns would be really taken on board. But Rachael Armstrong, a hospital nurse, said: "I do feel he got the message and I think he has to act now."

Peter Carter, the general secretary of the RCN, added: "I hope the health secretary goes away and thinks about what we have said to him. If there aren't changes there will be a hardening of opposition."

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Nine injured after city bus crash

9 April 2011 Last updated at 16:58 GMT One person is said to have suffered serious injuries in the incident, with another eight hurt Nine people have been injured, one seriously, in a crash involving a bus and a car near Cardiff city centre.

A Stagecoach bus from Merthyr Tydfil ended up in front gardens off the A470 North Road at 1340 BST on Saturday.

The casualties - a mix of those travelling on the bus, including the driver, and in the car - have been taken to hospital.

The X4 bus had 20 passengers on board. The main road north of the city centre was closed in both directions.

One person is believed to have suffered serious injuries while the others sustained minor injuries.

The front of the bus was badly damaged in the crash

The single-decker X4 bus was travelling from Merthyr to Cardiff when the crash took place between Colum Road and Maindy Road.

South Wales Police say the road is closed in both directions between the Gabalfa interchange and Colum Road.

They advised motorists to stay clear of the area.

BBC Wales reporter Kate Scott-Williams, who spoke to police at the scene, said a total of nine people were believed to have been injured.

"There's only two vehicles involved, a car and a bus. Both vehicles were travelling towards the city centre," she said.

"There was a collision of some sort and they then veered off the road into a garden - they've ended up across two gardens."

The road was still closed at 1730 BST for crash investigations to continue.

A spokesman for Stagecoach said: "A car was in collision with our X4 service around 1.40pm today in North Road, Cardiff.

"The single-decker bus, which was travelling from Merthyr to Cardiff, had around 20 passengers on board."

He added: "Our first thoughts are for the welfare of those who have been injured. We will also be assisting the police in any way that we can with their investigation into the accident."

Cardiff Bus said the closure of North Road was seriously delaying all services to the north of Cardiff.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

St Francis of Assisi's tomb reopens after restoration

9 April 2011 Last updated at 14:50 GMT By Duncan Kennedy BBC News, Rome St Francis died in 1226 and was made a saint two years later The tomb of St Francis of Assisi has reopened to the public after the first restoration in its nearly 800-year history.

St Francis was buried in the 13th-Century and became the patron saint of animals and of Italy.

St Francis of Assisi devoted his life to the poor.

The son of a wealthy cloth merchant from the Umbrian town of Assisi, he rejected his own comfortable upbringing to help those in need.

In 1224 it is said he received the stigmata, making him the first person to bear the five wounds of Christ.

He died in 1226 and was made a saint two years later.

The body of St Francis was placed in a bronze urn and buried in a stone crypt in his hometown.

Now for the first time, they have both undergone a restoration.

For two months expert metal polishers and stone restorers have worked day and night to renovate the tomb.

Franciscans from all over the world are due at a special mass to mark the event.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Cairo tense after Mubarak speech

11 February 2011 Last updated at 09:45 GMT The BBC's Jon Leyne: "The military has to make a big decision"

Tension is mounting in the Egyptian capital Cairo ahead of fresh protests in response to President Mubarak's announcement he will not step down.

Crowds are gathering outside the presidential palace, Tahrir Square and the offices of state TV in the city.

Meanwhile, the military's supreme council has said it will make an "important statement to the people".

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says the mass protests could bring protesters into direct conflict with the army.

This is the most dangerous moment so far in more than two weeks of protests, he adds.

In a televised speech on Thursday evening, Mr Mubarak said he planned to stay in office until September's polls, but pledged to hand over some powers.

He had been widely expected to stand aside. Instead, his announcement has left uncertainty and confusion, analysts say.

Mass protest marches are expected to get under way following Friday prayers at midday (1000 GMT).

On Friday morning, there was a stand-off outside the offices of state TV, with troops sealing off the building and keeping back a large crowd.

Continue reading the main story Jon Leyne BBC News, Cairo

Demonstrations are planned today in multiple locations.

The headquarters of state TV and the presidential palace itself could become the targets.

That would put the protesters in direct confrontation with the military. The role of the generals will be crucial but there must also be questions about whether junior officers will obey if they are ordered to disperse the protests.

It is the most dangerous moment so far in this crisis, one that will determine the future of Egypt and quite possibly the whole Middle East.

In his speech, Mr Mubarak said he would pass some of his powers to his vice-president, intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, but details of this remain unclear.

The Egyptian embassy in Washington said the changes meant Mr Suleiman was now the de facto president.

But the crowds in Tahrir Square reacted with fury, yelling "be gone" and waving their shoes in acts of defiance.

US reaction

After the speech, US President Barack Obama convened a meeting with his national security team at the White House.

Then, in a strongly worded statement, Mr Obama urged restraint from all sides, and said it was "imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality".

Egyptian opposition leader Mohammed ElBaradei called Mr Mubarak's speech an "act of deception".

"There is no way the Egyptian people right now are ready to accept either Mubarak or his vice-president," Mr ElBaradei told CNN.

"And my fear right now is this will start violence."

Cairo resident Sherine Barakat told the BBC that she did not think there would be violence between the protesters and the army.

"Yesterday in the square soldiers were saying: 'If you march to the palace, no officer will stand in your way'. I think the army will help the people," she said.

Expectations that Mr Mubarak might leave began to circulate on Thursday afternoon when a statement by army chiefs said it would remain "in continuous session" to discuss how to safeguard "the aspirations of the great Egyptian people".

Hossam Badrawi, the new secretary general of the ruling NDP, then told the BBC he would be surprised if Mr Mubarak was still president on Friday.

The anti-government protests that began on 25 January were triggered by widespread unrest in Egypt over unemployment, poverty and corruption.

They followed a popular uprising in Tunisia which brought about the downfall of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

Read the terms and conditions

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Teenager dies after being stabbed

12 February 2011 Last updated at 17:06 GMT A 17-year-old has died in hospital after being stabbed in Gorebridge near Edinburgh.

Lothian and Borders Police said the murder happened at Newbyres Crescent at about 0220 GMT.

The teenager, who has not been named, was taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary following the attack, but he later died.

The force said it was carrying out house-to-house inquiries and that they were following positive leads.

Det Insp Jim Robertson said: "We are appealing for information in connection with this incident and would ask anyone who was in Newbyres Crescent, Gorebridge early this morning, or who has any information that may assist, to come forward."

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.