More Snow And Wintry Showers Set To Hit UK

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Video: Wintry Weather On The Way

Forecasters are predicting heavy snow to fall across parts of Britain in the coming days, prompting a warning about travel disruption.

Wintry showers are forecast for England's North, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday.

Up to 5cm of snow is expected in low-lying areas and forecasters say higher ground could see in excess of 10cm.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for people to be aware of possible travel disruption.

Strong gusty winds are also expected and visibility may be reduced.

1/23

1. Gallery: White Winter: Snow Falls On England

   A car that crashed into a house in Sheffield in the snow. Pic @VentureResi

]]>

Snow covered trees on the Baitings Reservoir, near Ripponden, as the cold snap continues

]]>

Sheep cross a bridge under Baitings Reservoir dam

]]>

]]>

A statement by the Met Office's chief forecaster read: "An active cold front is expected to push south-east across the UK during Wednesday introducing an increasingly cold and unstable air mass.

"Showers will become frequent and heavy, increasingly falling as snow in the north and west, and driven well inland by strong to gale force north-westerly winds.

"Accumulating snow is likely, especially overnight."

Paul Knightley, UK forecast manager at weather services company MeteoGroup, said strong winds will bring colder air.

"Accompanying this fresh to strong wind will be numerous wintry showers, falling as hail, sleet and snow.

"Although these are possible almost anywhere from Wednesday afternoon onwards, the higher ground of western and northern Britain and Northern Ireland is most likely to see significant snowfall."

Last week, snow and freezing conditions gripped parts of northern England, the Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

The coldest temperature of the winter so far at -11.2C was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in Scotland on January 18.

It beat the previous record low of -9C, which was set on December 27 in Cromdale, Moray, also in Scotland.

Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain

Top Stories

1. Breaking News: Greece's Syriza Forms Anti-Bailout Coalition
2. Harrowing Stories From Rape Capital Of World
3. 'Historic' Blizzard To Slam US Northeast
4. Hoax Caller Was Drunk And On Drugs - Report
5. Double Murder Suspect Found Dead In Prison Cell

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Video: Wintry Weather On The Way

Forecasters are predicting heavy snow to fall across parts of Britain in the coming days, prompting a warning about travel disruption.

Wintry showers are forecast for England's North, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday.

Up to 5cm of snow is expected in low-lying areas and forecasters say higher ground could see in excess of 10cm.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for people to be aware of possible travel disruption.

Strong gusty winds are also expected and visibility may be reduced.

1/23

1. Gallery: White Winter: Snow Falls On England

   A car that crashed into a house in Sheffield in the snow. Pic @VentureResi

]]>

Snow covered trees on the Baitings Reservoir, near Ripponden, as the cold snap continues

]]>

Sheep cross a bridge under Baitings Reservoir dam

]]>

]]>

A statement by the Met Office's chief forecaster read: "An active cold front is expected to push south-east across the UK during Wednesday introducing an increasingly cold and unstable air mass.

"Showers will become frequent and heavy, increasingly falling as snow in the north and west, and driven well inland by strong to gale force north-westerly winds.

"Accumulating snow is likely, especially overnight."

Paul Knightley, UK forecast manager at weather services company MeteoGroup, said strong winds will bring colder air.

"Accompanying this fresh to strong wind will be numerous wintry showers, falling as hail, sleet and snow.

"Although these are possible almost anywhere from Wednesday afternoon onwards, the higher ground of western and northern Britain and Northern Ireland is most likely to see significant snowfall."

Last week, snow and freezing conditions gripped parts of northern England, the Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

The coldest temperature of the winter so far at -11.2C was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in Scotland on January 18.

It beat the previous record low of -9C, which was set on December 27 in Cromdale, Moray, also in Scotland.

Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain

Top Stories

1. Breaking News: Greece's Syriza Forms Anti-Bailout Coalition
2. Harrowing Stories From Rape Capital Of World
3. 'Historic' Blizzard To Slam US Northeast
4. Hoax Caller Was Drunk And On Drugs - Report
5. Double Murder Suspect Found Dead In Prison Cell

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Harrowing Stories From Rape Capital Of World

By Alex Crawford in Minova, Democratic Republic of Congo

The room is crowded with women, all of whom have been raped. If that's not horrifying enough, many of the women have been raped multiple times and are pregnant as a result.

Their terrifying stores of torture and terror are not even unusual. If the Democratic Republic of Congo is the rape capital of the world, then Minova is its nerve centre - and the raping is still going on.

The town is most notorious for the mass rape of hundreds of women by Congolese soldiers in November 2012.

An investigation by the United Nations found the soldiers raped at least 97 women and 33 girls (some as young as six).

The locals insist the true figure is far higher - and more alarmingly, that the rapes are still continuing.

Video: Dec 2014: The Violent Past Of DRC

The assaults are not confined to Congolese soldiers but also the rebel militias as well as the vigilante groups set up to 'protect' the population.

The Sky camera crew is at a shelter set up for rape victims by a woman called Rebecca Masika (known as Ma Masika).

She has two children as a result of rape and knows the trauma and isolation of being a victim.

"If you look at my face, you can see the scar, it's a mark of rape and I have them all over my body," she says. "I had to help these women because I've been raped too.

"They made me watch them cut my husband's body into pieces, then they raped me on his dead body."

One of the young girls in the room looks heavily pregnant and has a visible weeping sore on her right ankle.

Anuarite is 16 years old - barely out of childhood herself. The rebel militia who raped her did so several times during the four months she was held captive.

She has terrible internal injuries too - and cries as she recounts her horrific story to us. Her birth won't be easy.

Video: Sept 2014: Militia Scared To Disarm

She says: "They took us into the bush and those who refused to sleep with them, they forced, by stabbing us with knives. They killed many girls.

"Some of them were shot with bullets in the vagina."

All these stories are uncomfortable hearing. We hear how the rapists - again in uniform - have even attacked the very house where Ma Masika has built the refuge.

All these women have been left homeless after being cast out by their families and their communities.

And the refuge is crowded out with children - all the result of rape.

It is heartbreakingly tragic. There's a whole generation of rape babies - and little interest from the outside world coupled with mass inertia as to how to make it all stop.

Congo's civil war may be two decades old but the violence is creating fresh victims every day.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Greece's Syriza Forms Anti-Bailout Coalition

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Video: Greece Rejects EU Austerity

Greece's left-wing Syriza party has formed an anti-austerity coalition government, just hours after sweeping to victory in Sunday's national election.

Party leader Alexis Tsipras has struck a coalition deal with the right-wing Nationalist Independent Greeks party which, like Syriza, opposes Greece's tough international bailout deal.

"From this moment there is a government in the country," Nationalist Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos said after talks with Mr Tsipras at Syriza's headquarters in Athens.

Alexis Tsipras (R) with the leader of the Independent Greeks party

"The Independent Greeks give a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. There is an agreement in principle."

Mr Tsipras will be sworn in later this afternoon.

1/16

1. Gallery: Alexis Tsipras Celebrates Victory For His Anti-Austerity Party

   A young child supporting anti-austerity party Syriza takes part in celebrations after the first exit polls in Athens

Syriza supporters await the final result of the Greek election at the party tent

]]>

Members of the conservative New Democracy party watch as exit polls shows a significant victory for Syriza

]]>

Outgoing Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is seen after a news conference following an updated exit poll in Athens

]]>

Celebrations continue for supporters of Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras in Athens

]]>

The unusual pairing of parties from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but with a shared drive to reverse painful austerity measures, raises the prospect of a stand-off with European creditors including economic powerhouse, Germany.

In his victory speech Mr Tsipras​ vowed Greece would abandon the "catastrophic austerity" measures imposed under the EU-IMF deal.

He has also promised to renegotiate the repayment terms of Greece's €240bn (£176bn) international bailout.

"Greece leaves behinds catastrophic austerity, it leaves behind fear and authoritarianism, it leaves behind five years of humiliation and anguish," Mr Tsipras told thousands of supporters in Athens.

But a spokesman for the German Chancellor said Angela Merkel still expects Greece to stand by its commitments to international creditors, while Chancellor George Osborne said Syriza's promises were going to "be very difficult to deliver".

1/2

1. Gallery: Tsipras' Surprising First Post-Election Tweet

   Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras' first tweet after sweeping to victory in Greece's general election was somewhat unexpected

His first victory tweet was to British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie for this message of congratulations

]]>

Greece was forced to undertake deep budget cuts and fiscal reforms as a condition for the 2010 bailout from the so-called "Troika" - the group of creditors made up of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.

Many in Greece feel slashed public spending has hit the most vulnerable hardest, while leaving the tax evasion and corruption of the apparent elites untouched.

With 99.8% of the votes counted, Syriza had 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament, just two seats short of an overall majority.

It was 8.5 points ahead of the conservative New Democracy party of outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who promptly conceded defeat.

Financial markets have reacted nervously to the result, fearing fresh trouble in Greece and a contagion of anti-austerity sentiment in other struggling eurozone countries that could put strain the currency bloc.

Video: Samaras: 'Greek People Have Spoken'

The euro fell to a fresh 11-year low against the dollar shortly after the result became clear but later strengthened against the dollar and while stocks initially fell across Europe, the major markets later recovered.

The AthEx market - which tracks the prices of the top 25 firms in the Athens Stock Exchange - opened 0.6% lower before losing more than 5% of its value in a volatile first hour.

Mr Tsipras said he would cooperate with fellow eurozone leaders for "a fair and mutually beneficial solution", but said the Greek people come first.

"Our priority from the very first day will be to deal with the big wounds left by the crisis," he said.

"Our foremost priority is that our country and our people regain their lost dignity."

Video: Osborne warning after Greek vote

He added: "The verdict of our people means the Troika is finished.

"The new Greek government will be ready to cooperate and negotiate for the first time with our peers a just, mutually beneficial and viable solution."

Mr Samaras had insisted voters would be making a huge mistake to elect Syriza at a time when painful fiscal reforms may be about to pay off.

After conceding defeat, he told supporters: "My conscience is clear because I told the truth to the Greek people until the very end.

"I received a country that was almost destroyed and I was asked to hold a hot potato and I did that."

Video: Olympic Sites Left Crumbling

Mr Tsipras, meanwhile, used his first post-election tweet to respond to a message of congratulations from British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie.

"Thank you Dr", he wrote, in apparent reference to Laurie's role in the US television series House.

Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain

Top Stories

1. Harrowing Stories From Rape Capital Of World
2. More Snow And Wintry Showers Set To Hit UK
3. 'Historic' Blizzard To Slam US Northeast
4. Hoax Caller Was Drunk And On Drugs - Report
5. Double Murder Suspect Found Dead In Prison Cell

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Video: Greece Rejects EU Austerity

Greece's left-wing Syriza party has formed an anti-austerity coalition government, just hours after sweeping to victory in Sunday's national election.

Party leader Alexis Tsipras has struck a coalition deal with the right-wing Nationalist Independent Greeks party which, like Syriza, opposes Greece's tough international bailout deal.

"From this moment there is a government in the country," Nationalist Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos said after talks with Mr Tsipras at Syriza's headquarters in Athens.

Alexis Tsipras (R) with the leader of the Independent Greeks party

"The Independent Greeks give a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. There is an agreement in principle."

Mr Tsipras will be sworn in later this afternoon.

1/16

1. Gallery: Alexis Tsipras Celebrates Victory For His Anti-Austerity Party

   A young child supporting anti-austerity party Syriza takes part in celebrations after the first exit polls in Athens

Syriza supporters await the final result of the Greek election at the party tent

]]>

Members of the conservative New Democracy party watch as exit polls shows a significant victory for Syriza

]]>

Outgoing Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is seen after a news conference following an updated exit poll in Athens

]]>

Celebrations continue for supporters of Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras in Athens

]]>

The unusual pairing of parties from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but with a shared drive to reverse painful austerity measures, raises the prospect of a stand-off with European creditors including economic powerhouse, Germany.

In his victory speech Mr Tsipras​ vowed Greece would abandon the "catastrophic austerity" measures imposed under the EU-IMF deal.

He has also promised to renegotiate the repayment terms of Greece's €240bn (£176bn) international bailout.

"Greece leaves behinds catastrophic austerity, it leaves behind fear and authoritarianism, it leaves behind five years of humiliation and anguish," Mr Tsipras told thousands of supporters in Athens.

But a spokesman for the German Chancellor said Angela Merkel still expects Greece to stand by its commitments to international creditors, while Chancellor George Osborne said Syriza's promises were going to "be very difficult to deliver".

1/2

1. Gallery: Tsipras' Surprising First Post-Election Tweet

   Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras' first tweet after sweeping to victory in Greece's general election was somewhat unexpected

His first victory tweet was to British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie for this message of congratulations

]]>

Greece was forced to undertake deep budget cuts and fiscal reforms as a condition for the 2010 bailout from the so-called "Troika" - the group of creditors made up of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.

Many in Greece feel slashed public spending has hit the most vulnerable hardest, while leaving the tax evasion and corruption of the apparent elites untouched.

With 99.8% of the votes counted, Syriza had 149 seats in the 300-seat parliament, just two seats short of an overall majority.

It was 8.5 points ahead of the conservative New Democracy party of outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who promptly conceded defeat.

Financial markets have reacted nervously to the result, fearing fresh trouble in Greece and a contagion of anti-austerity sentiment in other struggling eurozone countries that could put strain the currency bloc.

Video: Samaras: 'Greek People Have Spoken'

The euro fell to a fresh 11-year low against the dollar shortly after the result became clear but later strengthened against the dollar and while stocks initially fell across Europe, the major markets later recovered.

The AthEx market - which tracks the prices of the top 25 firms in the Athens Stock Exchange - opened 0.6% lower before losing more than 5% of its value in a volatile first hour.

Mr Tsipras said he would cooperate with fellow eurozone leaders for "a fair and mutually beneficial solution", but said the Greek people come first.

"Our priority from the very first day will be to deal with the big wounds left by the crisis," he said.

"Our foremost priority is that our country and our people regain their lost dignity."

Video: Osborne warning after Greek vote

He added: "The verdict of our people means the Troika is finished.

"The new Greek government will be ready to cooperate and negotiate for the first time with our peers a just, mutually beneficial and viable solution."

Mr Samaras had insisted voters would be making a huge mistake to elect Syriza at a time when painful fiscal reforms may be about to pay off.

After conceding defeat, he told supporters: "My conscience is clear because I told the truth to the Greek people until the very end.

"I received a country that was almost destroyed and I was asked to hold a hot potato and I did that."

Video: Olympic Sites Left Crumbling

Mr Tsipras, meanwhile, used his first post-election tweet to respond to a message of congratulations from British actor and comedian Hugh Laurie.

"Thank you Dr", he wrote, in apparent reference to Laurie's role in the US television series House.

Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain

Top Stories

1. Harrowing Stories From Rape Capital Of World
2. More Snow And Wintry Showers Set To Hit UK
3. 'Historic' Blizzard To Slam US Northeast
4. Hoax Caller Was Drunk And On Drugs - Report
5. Double Murder Suspect Found Dead In Prison Cell

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Father Overwhelmed By Japanese Hostage 'Death'

The father of the Japanese hostage apparently killed by Islamic State has said he is overwhelmed by grief.

Shoichi Yukawa said he still had hope "deep in my heart that this is not true" and added that if he were reunited with his son he would give him a "big hug".

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed "an outrageous and unforgivable act" after a video reportedly showing an image of captive Kenji Goto holding a picture of a beheaded Haruna Yukawa was posted online.

The clip also purportedly contained the voice of journalist Mr Goto, 47, claiming the 42-year-old private military company operator had been killed.

Mr Abe said the video, which also includes a demand for a prisoner exchange for Mr Goto, appears to be authentic.

Kenji Goto purportedly claimed his fellow hostage has been killed

The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) had threatened to kill the captives unless a $200m (£133m) ransom was paid to secure their release.

The 72-hour deadline set by the Islamist militants expired on Friday.

However, in the new video they have called for the release of Sajida al Rishawi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in Jordan for her part in the Amman bombings in 2005 that killed 60 people.

Mr Abe insisted Tokyo would not bow to terrorism and said his government would spare no effort to secure the release of the remaining captive.

Islamic State have demanded the release of Sajida al Risahwi from Jordan

But he reiterated that Japan would not give in to terrorism.

Barack Obama condemned the "brutal murder" and said the United states would stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Japan.

He called Mr Abe to offer his condolences and called for the immediate release of Mr Goto.

In the video, Mr Goto spoke in English, blaming Mr Abe for Mr Yukawa's death, and told his wife and family not to give up on him.

A Japanese news agency reported the video of Mr Goto had also been emailed to the wife of one of the hostages.

The hostages had appeared in videos wearing the same orange jumpsuits as those worn by captives in previous IS videos.

The mother of Mr Goto has pleaded with militants to spare her son's life.

Junko Ishido said he is a friend of Islam who devoted his life to helping children in war zones.

Mr Yukawa was seized by militants in August, after he went to Syria in what he described as a plan to launch a security company.

Mr Goto, a veteran war correspondent, went into Syria in late October seeking to secure Mr Yukawa's release, according to friends and business associates.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Woman At Centre Of IS Prisoner Swap Demand

Islamic State militants have said they will release the remaining Japanese hostage Kenji Goto if a prisoner called Sajida al Rishawi is released from jail in Jordan.

But who is she and why does IS want her free?

On the evening of 9 November 2005, explosions ripped through three hotels in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Police at the scene of a bombing at the Radisson Hotel, Jordan, in 2005

At the Day's Inn hotel, a bomber detonated an explosive belt killing three people. Down the road at the Grand Hyatt, a second bomber detonated his belt. Nine people died.

At the Radisson SAS Hotel, the final two suicide bombers prepared their devices. The couple, a husband and wife team, walked into the hotel ballroom where newlyweds were celebrating their marriage with 900 guests.

Al Rishawi shows her suicide belt during a televised confession in 2005

Ali Hussein Ali al Shamari detonated his device. It killed him and 37 others. His wife tried to detonate her belt, but it failed to go off. She escaped but was later arrested. Her name is Sajida al Rishawi.

She has spent the past 10 years, forgotten, in a Jordanian prison cell. Suddenly she is a focus again.

In his audio statement, Japanese hostage Mr Goto read out the demand from his IS captors:

"I would like to stress how easy it is to save my life, you bring them their sister from the Jordanian regime and I will be released immediately. Me for her."

IS say they will release Kenji Goto if al Rishawi is freed

Al Rishawi, an Iraqi national in her 40s, is more than just a symbolic 'sister' of the Islamic State. There is a thread linking her to the terrorist group and it goes back over a decade.

The thread begins in Ramadi, a town in a region west of Baghdad where the group known as Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) was formed.

Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi was killed by US forces

The leader of AQI was Abu Musab al Zarqawi, a man personally responsible for a series of bombings and beheadings at the height of the Iraqi insurgency in the mid-2000s.

Al Zarqawi's 'right-hand man', according to the Jordanian deputy prime minister, was a man called Mubarak Atrous al Rishawi. He was the brother of Sajida al Rishawi.

Al Zarqawi and Mubarak Atrous al Rishawi were both killed by US forces in Iraq, but their group lived on.

It adapted and amalgamated with other groups.

By 2006 it had morphed into the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) and eventually, after expanding into Syria as well as Iraq, it became the self-styled 'Islamic State' under the leadership of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, a graduate of al Zarqawi's brutality.

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi is the leader of Islamic State

King Abdullah of Jordan, who proudly announced the capture of Sajida al Rishawi after her failed bombing attempt in 2005, has spoken in the last 24 hours to the Japanese Prime Minister.

The two men will be discussing al Rishawi: can she be traded? Will she be released?

Following her arrest, she made a TV confession of her attempted bombing.

She explained how she and her husband spread out in the ballroom in order to kill as many people as possible: "There were women, men and children" she said.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

UKIP MEP Defects To Conservative Party

The Conservative Party chairman has dismissed Nigel Farage's claims against a UKIP defector as "absolute desperate stuff".

Amjad Bashir announced on Saturday he had defected to the Conservative Party, with David Cameron saying he was "absolutely delighted" with the decision

But Mr Farage told Sky News the "Establishment" had been threatened by UKIP's success and that he was expecting "102 days of endless negativity" ahead of the General Election.

Amjad Bahir has defected to the Conservatives from UKIP

He has claimed UKIP's MEPs had been "begging" him to get rid of Mr Bashir because of a number of serious irregularities and said the party was was about to suspend him.

Speaking on the BBC Andrew Marr Show, he said he was "surprised" the Tories had accepted the MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber given UKIP were about to suspend him because of the allegations of a "grave nature".

Video: Grant Shapps on UKIP defection

The UKIP leader claimed there were questions over money in Brussels, the apparent employment of illegal immigrants at his restaurant, alleged interference with candidate selection process and apparent links to political extremists from Pakistan.

However, Grant Shapps told Sky's Dermot Murnaghan the Conservatives had done "due diligence" on Mr Bashir's background and had been in talks with him for some time.

And he dismissed the comments made by Mr Farage as "absolute desperate stuff from UKIP".

It comes as one of Mr Farage's most senior aides sparked controversy by claiming Britain has "hundreds of thousands of bigots" and saying UKIP was proud to stand up for them.

Matthew Richardson, the party's secretary, has dismissed his comments as "lighthearted harmless banter in the pub".

Mr Farage told Andrew Marr it was an attempt by the political establishment and their "friends in the media" to damage UKIP and echoed Mr Richardson's comments that it had been just pub talk.

As he attempted to limit the damage from the weekend's stories, Mr Farage promised to fund the NHS with the money Britain would save from leaving the European Union, pledging £3bn extra a year - more than Labour's pledge.

Mr Bashir, who was formerly UKIP's small business spokesman, was accused of hypocrisy last May after it emerged that seven people were arrested for immigration offences in a raid on his restaurant.

Video: UKIP MEP Suspended Before Defection

At the time, the party leader had refused to "prejudge" the case, as Mr Bashir's family had launched an appeal.

In addition, Mr Bashir reportedly held a "continued affiliation" with Mujeeb Bhutto - who resigned from the party in 2014 after it emerged he had been jailed for leading a gang of kidnappers in Pakistan.

Explaining his reasons for quitting the party, Mr Bashir told The Sunday Telegraph that UKIP had become a "party of ruthless self-interest" and was "pretty amateur".

He added: "The issues raised in my notice of suspension are historic and well known to the party. Indeed, on one of them, Nigel Farage has publicly defended me over it."

The defection is a boost for the Prime Minister, who saw two of his own MPs defect to UKIP last year and comes as a ICM Wisdom Index poll showed a significant drop off in UKIP support in the last month and a Tory boost.

He said: "I'm absolutely delighted that Amjad has decided to leave UKIP and join the Conservative Party."

Mr Farage claimed UKIP could win around three or four seats in May and said the party was not just taking seats from the Tories.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More