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'Supertides' Draw Crowds In Western Europe

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 22 Maret 2015 | 00.57

Higher-than-usual tides are expected across the southern coast of England and the north of France due to a rare alignment of the sun and moon that happens only every 18 years.

The most spectacular scenes are expected at the picturesque French island of Mont Saint-Michel.

Perched on a rocky island topped with a Gothic Benedictine abbey, the Unesco World Heritage Site is exposed to some of Europe's strongest tides.

But the high tide due on Saturday evening is expected to be exceptional because of Friday's solar eclipse, with predictions that the water could reach as high as 14.15 metres.

On Friday police struggled to control a crowd of around 10,000 people drawn to what experts had described as "the highest tide of the century".

They were mainly disappointed because, despite a big enough surge of water to leave the only access road impassable, the waves fell a few inches short of expectations.

Officials at France's Navy Oceanic and Hydrological Service urged caution, warning that the high tide around 8pm GMT, "will come in faster than a running man" and would pose a danger to people venturing out too far.

In nearby Saint-Malo, crowds gathered by the beach to see waves lap at the town's stone walls.

Similar high waters are expected in parts of the UK's southern coast, where the Environment Agency moved to reassure people that the risk of flood remained "very low for the next few days".

A spokesman said: "High tides this weekend may lead to spray on promenades in some exposed coastal locations.

"We always monitor the flood risk situation closely, working alongside partners, including the Met Office and local authorities, and issue alerts and warnings if required."

The extreme spring tides were welcomed by surfers, however, as more than 100 headed to surf the River Severn's tidal bore.

Sky News Midlands correspondent Adele Robinson, in Minsterworth, Gloucestershire, said the bore is one of the largest in the world and waves reached 6ft 2in.

It is the second of three tidal bores expected this year, making 2015 a year of unusually-high tidal surges.

"It's essentially the incoming tide, which is pushing against the current of the river in the opposite direction, which creates waves that can travel a considerable distance."

The moon's gravitational pull and the rare alignment between the sun and the moon also have an effect on the rare high tide, she said.

One of those surfing the bore was Gary Wells, who managed to stay on his board for "about a minute-and-a-half", adding that it was "a bit trickier than you think."


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Seven Children Die As Fire Sweeps Through Home

Authorities say seven children aged between five and 15 have died following a fire at a home in Brooklyn, New York.

Two people, including a woman and a teenage girl, have also been critically injured in the blaze, according to the fire department.

The dead children are all believed to be from the same family.

A neighbour said he heard the children's mother shouting for help.

Nate Weber told the New York Post: "I heard a woman yelling 'My kids are in there! Get them out! Get them out.'"

Emergency workers were called to the property in Midwood, a leafy section of Brooklyn known for its large Orthodox Jewish population, after midnight on Saturday.

More than 100 firefighters attended the scene and brought the fire under control.

Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro said a malfunctioning hotplate left on during the Sabbath may have caused a fire.


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IS Runaways' Parents Must Share Blame - Top Cop

One of Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officers has said the families of those who travel to Iraq and Syria to fight should take "prime responsibility" for their welfare.

The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Peter Fahy said it was "ill-advised" for relatives of youngsters who had gone to join Islamic State extremists to blame the police or other authorities.

His comments come after the families of London schoolgirls Kadiza Sultana, Amira Abase and Shamima Begum, who are feared to have joined Islamic State, claimed police had "failed to act appropriately".

But Sir Peter said: "What is ill-advised is to just blame the police, blame the authorities, blame the school, when the absolute prime responsibility for the welfare of children lies with the parents.

"I'm not saying that is easy. But it creates the conditions for a backlash, which again is not positive."

He tells The Times: "I think there's a real danger that we put this into a box labelled Muslim and say it is just about Muslim parents. No. From what we see, all parents are absolutely struggling with this.

"How do you get a balance between allowing your youngster some freedom, knowing all this material is being streamed into their bedroom, (and) at the time trying to safeguard them."

Meanwhile, a 21-year-old British woman has been detained in Turkey on suspicion of trying to travel to Syria to join the IS terror group.

The woman was detained at a bus station in the capital Ankara on Monday and is being held pending deportation hearings.

Five teenage girls who are said to have shown an interest in going to Syria have also been barred by a High Court judge from travelling abroad.

The developments come as footage emerged of three British teenagers suspected of planning to join IS militants in Syria.

The CCTV video of the young men was taken at an airport in Istanbul just before they were stopped allegedly heading to the border with Syria.

The teenagers, two aged 17 and one aged 19, were arrested and flown back to the UK but have since been released on bail.

Their arrests came amid heightened tensions between UK police and Turkish officials following the disappearance of the three girls who attended Bethnal Green Academy in east London.

The trio are believed to be staying at a house in al Raqqa.

Security services estimate 600 Britons have gone to Syria or Iraq to join militant groups, including Mohammed Emwazi, also known as "Jihadi John", who has appeared in several IS beheading videos.


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Budi The Baby Ape Thriving After Tough Start

Budi, the baby orangutan rescued after being kept for months in a chicken cage in West Borneo, has made a remarkable recovery.

Budi was found critically ill in December in the village of Kubing, Ketapang, neglected and starving in his small dark cage.

His owner had fed him entirely on condensed milk and eventually contacted an animal welfare charity to give him up.

When the charity, International Animal Rescue, took Budi to their rescue centre, he was in extreme pain, unable to move, sit up or even lift his limbs, which were damaged by malnutrition.

But in the past few months, the one-year-old has learned how to walk, climb and even to chew his own food.


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Man Shot After Machete Attack At US Airport

Three people have reportedly been injured after shots were fired at a security checkpoint at New Orleans international airport.

Fox News is reporting that a man armed with a machete and insect spray attacked two Transportation Security Agency workers before he was shot multiple times.

The man allegedly walked up to the checkpoint at around 9pm local time and pulled out a can of wasp spray and attacked a male officer, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.

He is then said to have pulled out a machete and slashed a female officer in the upper right arm.

The male officer grabbed some luggage to defend himself and then was chased, authorities said.

Other TSA officers arrived and shot the man three times in the left side of his chest, face and left thigh. He was unresponsive when he was rushed to a local hospital, officials said.

Passengers nearby suffered minor injuries as they scrambled to leave the area, according to police.

Airport spokeswoman Michelle Wilcut said the site has now been secured and it is not thought that flights will be affected.

Video uploaded to Twitter by a witness showed police and medical staff at the scene and a female official on a stretcher.


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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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Amazon Criticised Over Sale Of 'Slap Her' Mugs

Women's rights campaigners have criticised Amazon after Sky News revealed products promoting domestic violence were being sold on the firm's website.

Amazon UK have now pulled the items but other sellers on its international sites are still offering products which appear to contavene the company's listings policy.

The controversial merchandise withdrawn by the retailer after being contacted by Sky News were mugs bearing the slogan "Don't Keep Calm Slap That Bitch, Hard!"

Priced from £5.99 and offered by at least two sellers on the retail site, they were described as: "An ideal special gift or you can just keep the mug for yourself!"

Feminist writer Kate Smurthwaite told Sky News: "We have had this problem before with Amazon.

"They have sold things with horribly inappropriate violence-encouraging slogans.

"We have made a fuss and they have dealt with it and taken it down.

"I just don't understand why they haven't put a process in place, that before these things go live there's a button that says 'Hold on we need to check, lets make sure that this is an appropriate thing to be selling'."

And the story sparked an immediate backlash on Twitter, with one post stating: "Shame on you Amazon for accepting the products in the first place."

Lady Of Lorien tweeted: "This is why we need feminism."

Linda Bee said in a post: "Despicable that Amazon accepted them to sell but who makes the trash."

Catherine Coles said: "Wow there are some things that should never make a company money."

And Imran said: "@AmazonUK oh dear! Massive #fail."

After removing the items from sale, Amazon said in a statement to Sky News: "The product to which you refer is not available at Amazon.co.uk."

Amazon have sparked controversy previously after offering rape T-shirts and 'Hit Her' tops which they were forced to take down after a public backlash.

It later emerged the 'Hit Her' T-shirts had remained for sale on some international Amazon sites including in Germany.

And on Saturday, Amazon.com were offering phone cases for sale with the slogan: "Don't Keep Calm Slap the B***h Hard."

The Amazon UK website lists details of prohibited items which include: "Products that promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance or promote organisations with such views."

Amazon typically charges companies 7% of the price, postage and any taxes to list and sell items through its website.

Amazon has come under fire previously from MPs over tax avoidance.


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Labour Received £600k From Hedge Fund Donor

Ed Miliband is facing embarrassment after it emerged one of the Labour Party's largest donors is a hedge fund manager.

It has been disclosed that a "mystery" donor who has given the party nearly £600,000 is Martin Taylor, who describes himself as "a born and bred Londoner, who also happens to be a hedge fund manager".

The revelation will be particularly awkward for Mr Miliband, who routinely criticises the Conservatives over their reliance on funding from hedge fund mangers and businessmen.

Last month during a heated exchange in the Commons Mr Miliband dubbed the Tories "the party of Mayfair hedge funds and Monaco tax avoiders".

Electoral Commission records show Mr Taylor has made eight donations, totaling £591,000, to Labour since 2012, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

His identity had been unclear because parties need only to provide a name for donors of amounts above £7,500 and not further details.

This makes it difficult for the public to fully identify those people on the donors' register who have a common name.

In a statement on Friday, Mr Taylor, of Nevsky Capital, insisted there was "no mystery" about his donations and said his family had always been Labour, including his father, who was a councillor in Lewisham.

He said: "This Martin Taylor is me. I am a born and bred Londoner, who also happens to be a hedge fund manager. And I am proud to support the Labour Party.

"This may seem a bit odd to many people. It is commonly believed that everyone in the financial sector supports the Conservative Party, in a quest to pay ever lower levels of tax ...

"I believe very strongly that everyone should contribute to society and those who are lucky enough to earn a lot more should contribute more than others.

"This principle has become particularly important since the global financial crisis in 2008 threw Western economies into recession, reduced living standards and sparked a wave of cutbacks on government spending: cutbacks that have hit those with the least hardest."

He added that he also supported Labour's controversial mansion tax policy, which has recently drawn fire from the pop stars Cheryl Fernandez Versini and Myleene Klass.

A Labour Party spokesman said: "We are grateful to people from all walks of life who support the Labour Party and our better plan.

"Unlike David Cameron and the Conservatives who increasingly rely on the money of an exclusive group of donors - the same people who they have rewarded with tax breaks - Ed Miliband will enter Downing Street owing nothing to anybody."


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Missing Girl At Centre Of Police Search Found

A young girl who went missing from her Sussex home, prompting a police appeal, has been found.

Jasmine Coleman, 12, had last been seen in her bedroom at her home in Lancing, West Sussex, around 11.30pm, possibly talking to someone on FaceTime.

A further check at 2am on Saturday revealed she had vanished.

A Sussex Police spokesman said that she was found in the Croydon area on Saturday afternoon.

There have been no arrests but police said Jasmine was talking with officers from the Metropolitan Police and had not yet been reunited with her parents.

A spokesman said earlier: "It is thought Jasmine may have gone off in a car with an older man, travelling towards London on the A24, or may have travelled somewhere by train."


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Cameron And Miliband TV Battle Confirmed

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Britain's political leaders will take part in a series of televised election programmes, including a seven-way debate, and starting with a live question and answer session hosted by Sky News and Channel 4.

David Cameron and Ed Miliband will both appear in the first event, held on Thursday 26 March and jointly presented by Kay Burley and Jeremy Paxman, but there will be no head-to-head as originally proposed by the broadcasters.

The only full debate will be on 2 April, and hosted by ITV, involving seven party leaders including those from UKIP, the Greens, the SNP and Plaid Cymru.

:: Be part of the studio audience

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has not been invited to a third event to be held on 16 April that will see all the "opposition" leaders clash.

However, he will be part of a final question time session on 30 April, one week before polling day, in which the leaders of the Lib Dems, Conservatives and Labour will be separately grilled by a studio audience.

Although the leaders will all turn up at the events, a number have expressed frustration about the process and the final outcome.

A Labour source said it was "ludicrous" that Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband would attend the same programme and take questions from the same audience, but not debate face-to-face. They accused the Prime Minister of "cowardice" for dodging a head to head.

A Lib Dem source said the process had been a "farce" but said the party had always been clear that Mr Clegg would turn up to any debates that he was invited to.

He accused other parties, led by the Conservatives, of trying to "duck" the clashes, and admitted he would have preferred it if the Lib Dem leader was invited to the debate between opposition leaders.

That event was proposed originally as a "challengers debate", excluding the Conservatives, Labour, and Lib Dems, but it is understood that Mr Miliband insisted on taking part.

However, the Lib Dems were not also invited - perhaps because that would appear to empty chair the Prime Minister.

Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, launched a tirade on twitter, writing: "#TVdebates are now so far from the original proposals. Broadcasters should be ashamed. They've kowtowed to manipulation from Downing Street."

He added: "Public deserve proper #TVdebates but now fobbed off, playing into hands of 1 party. It's a smack in the face of democracy and I am appalled."

He and others felt too much had been compromised for the Prime Minister since the first proposal from broadcasters for a two-way, three-way and four-way debate, including Labour, the Tories, Lib Dems and UKIP.

Mr Cameron started by insisting on the Green party taking part, leading to a new proposal including two seven-way debates. He then said that he would not take part in events during the short election campaign.

Although he had said a head-to-head debate was credible, he finally said he would only sign up to one multi-party debate before the campaign starts on Monday 30 March.

A Number 10 source was happy with the final result.

"If anything, this is an improvement on the deal we were offered last week. The PM has always believed too many debates would suck the life out of the campaign. In all these formats, we are confident the choice between competence and chaos will be clear," he said.

John Ryley, Head of Sky News, said: "We are extremely pleased that the Conservative and Labour party leaders have agreed to take part in a programme that will kick start the election campaign and put the two people most likely to be the next Prime Minister under scrutiny in front of millions of viewers across the UK."

The event that will most closely resemble the 2010 election debates will be held on 2 April, and aired on ITV.

But instead of including just three leaders it will have seven, including Nick Clegg, Nigel Farage, the Greens' Natalie Bennett, SNP's Nicola Sturgeon and Leanne Wood from Plaid Cymru.

A spokesperson for the broadcasters said: "We're delighted that there will be a debate with all the party leaders during the election campaign. The debate on 2nd April will build on the success of the 2010 TV debates which were so highly valued by viewers. 

"We're very pleased to be able to offer viewers an extensive range of programmes, across the four channels, featuring the party leaders interacting directly with voters during the campaign."


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