Written By Unknown on Selasa, 07 April 2015 | 23.12
A survivor of a massacre of some 1,700 troops by IS forces in Tikrit last June has been talking of his escape as forensic teams begin exhuming the graves.
Iraqi soldier Ali explained how IS lulled him and fellow troops into believing they would be well treated.
"They told us they had no problem with us and promised us we would be sent to our families, they brought us cars and even gave us water to make us feel secure," he said.
"Once they put us in large cars, they managed to control us and brought us here and tied us up, and I still have a mark from my cuffs here."
He went on: "The fourth bullet was meant to kill me, but I was not hit.
"The fifth bullet was fired, killing the one who was next to me. Playing dead, I fell to the ground. I was covered by the blood of my colleagues and I rolled down into the valley."
A forensic team member writes on the body bag of a soldier's remains
Up to 12 suspected mass graves are now being exhumed.
"We dug up the first mass grave site today," said an Iraqi health official working with a forensic team sent in to Tikrit, outside the former US base camp of Camp Speicher.
Video:'Mass Graves' Exhumed In Tikrit
"Until now we found at least 20 bodies. Initial indications show indisputably that they were from the Speicher victims.
"It was a heartbreaking scene. We couldn't prevent ourselves from breaking down in tears. What savage barbarian could kill 1,700 persons in cold blood?" he asked.
The mass killing of the Shi'ite troops took place as the fighters fought their way across northern Iraq.
Their deaths came to symbolise early on the brutality of IS, as well as the group's hatred of the country's Shi'ite majority.
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Gallery: Iraq's Battle For Tikrit
Smoke billows during Iraqi military operation to retake Tikrit from Islamic State militants
Iraqi flags fly on outskirts of Tikrit as government forces move into the city
A 100-year-old man has killed his wife with an axe as she slept in their home, before killing himself with a knife, prosecutors say.
It is still not clear what sparked the murder-suicide at the weekend in Elmwood Park, New Jersey.
Michael Juskin had a "history of domestic issues" with his 88-year-old wife Rosalia, according to the prosecutor in the case.
But the motive for the attack remains under investigation, prosecutor John Molinelli said. Nobody else was believed to be in the home when the attack occurred.
According to local news reports, the bodies were found by a relative, possibly a son, who alerted police.
Reports also said Juskin had been suffering from dementia.
Neighbours told The Record newspaper that they often saw the couple out and about - Juskin walking a dog and his wife tending to her garden - but said they kept to themselves.
"They were always together, putzing around outside," said Barbara Szczecina, who lives down the block.
She added the wife "used to be in her garden all the time".
At least 74 children have been killed and more than 100,000 people displaced in Yemen since fighting there intensified two weeks ago, according to the UN's children's agency.
UNICEF said hospitals are struggling to treat the large numbers of wounded with inefficient supplies and some medical facilities have come under attack.
Saudi Arabia has in recent weeks led an air campaign against Yemen's Shi'ite rebels and their allies.
At least three health workers, including an ambulance driver, have been killed in attacks, the agency said.
UNICEF also said the violence has disrupted water supplies in parts of southern Yemen and sewage is overflowing in some locations, raising the risk of an outbreak of disease.
Video:Yemen Crisis: Saudi 'Allows Aid In'
Children are especially vulnerable as the fighting continues, said UNICEF's Yemen representative Julien Harneis.
He said: "They are being killed, maimed and forced to flee their homes, their health threatened and their education interrupted."
As well as the dozens who have been killed, 44 have also been wounded, according to UNICEF.
The fighting pits allies of Yemen's embattled president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, against rebels known as Houthis and their allies, soldiers loyal to Hadi's predecessor, the ousted autocrat Ali Abdullah Saleh.
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Gallery: Aftermath Of Airstrikes By Saudi Arabia And Gulf Allies - 26 March
People search for survivors under the rubble of houses destroyed by an air strike near Sana'a Airport in Yemen. Continue through for more images
Six people have been injured after an explosion at a chemical plant in southern China.
Hundreds of firefighters were deployed to tackle the hydrocarbon fire following the blast at Goure PX Plant in Zhangzhou, Fujian province.
Strong tremors were felt up to 30 miles (50km) away, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Footage posted by China's CCTV News showed flames shooting into the air following the explosion.
Authorities said there were no leaks from the plant's three tanks of burning hydrocarbon liquids and no signs of environmental contamination.
More than 800 firefighters tackled the blaze
The factory produces the toxic chemical paraxylene and this is the second explosion there in 20 months.
Concerns over the safety of plants that make paraxylene, a chemical used for producing fibres and plastics, have prompted several protests in China.
Exposure to the chemical, which is also known as PX, can cause eye, nose and throat irritation.
Zhang Yiteng, deputy mayor of Zhangzhou, said one person was injured at the blast site and five hurt by broken glass.
A total of 177 fire trucks and 829 firefighters were deployed to fight the blaze and all nearby residents were evacuated, Mr Zhang said.
This is the second explosion at the plant in less than two years
He added that the fire was under control and authorities were monitoring the environment for contamination.
There were protests against the plant before it was even built.
It was originally meant to be built in the densely populated city of Xiamen in Fujian, but demonstrations in 2007 by residents concerned about potential health hazards led to it being moved to a less populated area in Zhangzhou.
Several other cities around China have seen similar protests.
In a sign of the ruling Communist Party's sensitivity to the debate surrounding environmental issues, comments on a report on the incident on the Netease web portal have been disabled.
Discussion of the explosion dominated China's popular online social networks, with many users saying the blast vindicates the environmental protesters' fears.
"Do you remember what we were worried about at the time?" wrote a user on Sina Weibo, a Chinese Twitter equivalent, referring to protests in the northeastern city of Dalian in 2011.
"What we worried about is now the reality in Zhangzhou."
Another wrote: "Only when the city officials and their families live near a PX plant will their assurances be convincing."
"They should build a PX plant in Beijing," said another.
A man and his seven children were found dead after being poisoned by carbon monoxide from a generator they were using after a power company cut off their electricity.
Police discovered the bodies of 36-year-old Rodney Todd, his five daughters and two sons at their home in Princess Anne, Maryland.
Officers said the cause of the deaths was still under investigation, but the man's mother and stepfather said police told them the family died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Bonnie and Lloyd Edwards identified the children as sons Cameron, 13, and Zycheim, 7, and daughters Tynijuiza, 15, Tykira, 12, Tybree, 10, Tyania, 9, and Tybria, 6.
Mr Edwards said they had been left in a state of "disbelief" following the tragedy.
"It's so hard," he said.
"How can you understand something like that?"
He said Delmarva Power had cut off the family's electricity to the house because of an outstanding bill.
People mourn outside the scene of the tragedy
"To keep his seven children warm, (Mr Todd) bought a generator," Lloyd Edwards said.
"It went out and the carbon monoxide consumed them."
Princess Anne Police Chief Scott Keller said there was a generator in the kitchen that was out of fuel.
Matt Likovich, a spokesman for Delmarva Power, declined to say whether the power had been cut off and said the matter was being investigated.
Bonnie Edwards described her son as a loving, caring young man who set an example for his children.
"I don't know anyone his age who would have done what he did" for his children, she said.
"I was so proud to say he took care of seven kids."
Mr Todd was a utility worker at the nearby University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
His supervisor, Stephanie Wells, said she had not seen Mr Todd since 28 March.
She said she reported him missing after no one answered when she knocked on the door of the family's home on Monday.
An Emirati woman on trial for the murder of an American and attempting to kill another has said she is "possessed by evil spirits", according to local reports.
Alaa Bader al Hashemi is accused of stabbing to death teacher Ibolya Ryan, 47, in an Abu Dhabi shopping mall restroom.
The victim was a mother of two twins.
Ibolya Ryan was the mother of twins. Pic: Footprints Recruiting
The suspect is also charged with attempting to murder an American doctor of Egyptian origin by planting a bomb outside his apartment.
The two attacks took place within hours of each other in the UAE capital on 1 December.
Hashemi asked a court to provide her with psychological help, saying she had "unreal visions" and would see "ghost-like people" due to a chronic mental illness she claims to suffer from, local daily The National reported.
Police arrested the suspect last December in a raid on her home
Emirati authorities have denied international media access to the trial, which began on 23 March.
The suspect was tracked down using CCTV footage of her going in and out of the restroom where Ms Ryan's murder took place.
Police found blood on the steering wheel of Hashemi's car and bomb-making material inside.
The suspect's car with blood on the steering wheel. Pic: Abu Dhabi Police
Authorities say she embraced "jihadist ideology and then engaged in terrorist acts in support of terrorist organisations" such as al Qaeda and Islamic State.
She has also been charged with financing terrorist organisations in the United Arab Emirates, collecting explosive materials and creating an Internet account to promote terrorist ideas.
Two West Yorkshire teenagers are believed to have travelled to Syria, counter-terrorism police have confirmed.
The boys, both 17 and from Dewsbury, were last seen by their families on 31 March.
They are believed to have flown from Manchester airport to Dalaman in Turkey on the same day, police say.
West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Mark Milsom said: "We are extremely concerned for the safety of these two boys and would urge anyone with information to come forward and speak to us.
"Our priority is for their safe return; their families are gravely worried about them and want them home.
"Syria is an extremely dangerous place and the public will be aware of the dangers these boys may face.
"The choice of returning home from Syria is often taken away from those that come under the control of Islamic State, leaving their families in the UK devastated and with very few options to secure their safe return."
He urged anyone who is worried about someone they know travelling to Syria to get in touch with authorities.
Kadiza Sultana, Shamima Begum and Amira Abase are thought to be in Raqqa
"This is not about criminalising people. It is about preventing tragedies by offering support to communities, families, young and vulnerable people," he said.
Kirklees Council chief executive Adrian Lythgo said: "We are deeply concerned for these young people and will continue to work in close partnership with the Counter Terrorism Unit, West Yorkshire Police, our communities and schools to prevent and eradicate any threats and concerns."
UK security services believe around 600 Britons have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join militant groups, while around half are thought to have returned to the UK.
They include three teenage girls from East London, who are now thought to be in the Syrian city of Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold.
Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana were last seen on CCTV at a bus station in Istanbul on 17 February.
Last week, nine Britons were arrested allegedly trying to cross into Syria from Turkey illegally.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 or the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.
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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's lawyers claim he was pressured by his older brother
By Sky News US Team
Jurors have begun deliberating in the federal death penalty case of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Tsarnaev faces 30 federal charges in connection with the 15 April 2013 bombings that killed three people and injured 264 others.
The 21-year-old is also charged in the fatal shooting of an MIT police officer days after the attacks.
If he is convicted, jurors will hear a second round of evidence before determining whether to sentence Tsarnaev to death or life in prison.
In closing arguments on Monday, the prosecution urged the panel to hold Tsarnaev accountable for the attacks they said he carried out with his older brother in order to "punish America" for its wars in Muslim countries.
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Gallery: Boston Bombing Trial Evidence
Fireworks were shown as part of the evidence at the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, accused of carrying out the Boston marathon attacks that killed three people and injured 264 in 2013
A plaid backpack that was found in a landfill after a college friend of Tsarnaev's took it from the defendant's dorm room and tossed it into a dumpster
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A black laptop case, a portable hard drive, cell phone and spare batteries, and an homemade remote control device
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A blood-stained message that prosecutors say Tsarnaev wrote on the inside of a boat where he was hiding
]]>
The remains of a pressure-cooker bomb recovered at the bombing scene and a diploma for Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the defendant's brother who was killed in the aftermath of the bombing
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"This was a cold, calculated terrorist act," Assistant US Attorney Aloke Chakravarty told jurors.
"This was intentional. It was bloodthirsty. It was to make a point.
"It was to tell America that 'We will not be terrorised by you anymore. We will terrorise you.'"
Tsarnaev's lawyers, who acknowledged at the trial's outset that their client helped orchestrate the attacks, have tried to convince jurors that he was pressured by his radicalised older brother.
Video:Moment The Boston Bombs Exploded
The surprise admission was part of the defence's effort to spare Tsarnaev the death penalty should the jury convict him, as expected.
Defence attorney Judith Clarke on Monday told jurors it was 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev who "built the bombs" and "murdered (MIT police) officer Collier".
"Tamerlan led and Dzhokhar followed," she said.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed following a gun battle with police when his brother inadvertently ran him over with a car they had hijacked.
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Gallery: Boston Bombings Trial: Who's Who
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, has gone on trial accused of the Boston Marathon bombings. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. He denies wrongdoing
His older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed days after the bombings on 15 April 2013
]]>
Over the last several weeks, the jury has heard testimony from friends and family of those killed in the attacks and from more than a dozen people who lost limbs as a result of the bombings.
Jurors even heard from police officers who described exchanging gunfire and dodging homemade explosive devices thrown by the Tsarnaev brothers as they attempted to flee the city.
The defence called just four witnesses over two days in presenting its case.
Tsarnaev's lawyers have not indicated whether he will testify during the sentencing phase.
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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's lawyers claim he was pressured by his older brother
By Sky News US Team
Jurors have begun deliberating in the federal death penalty case of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Tsarnaev faces 30 federal charges in connection with the 15 April 2013 bombings that killed three people and injured 264 others.
The 21-year-old is also charged in the fatal shooting of an MIT police officer days after the attacks.
If he is convicted, jurors will hear a second round of evidence before determining whether to sentence Tsarnaev to death or life in prison.
In closing arguments on Monday, the prosecution urged the panel to hold Tsarnaev accountable for the attacks they said he carried out with his older brother in order to "punish America" for its wars in Muslim countries.
1/8
Gallery: Boston Bombing Trial Evidence
Fireworks were shown as part of the evidence at the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, accused of carrying out the Boston marathon attacks that killed three people and injured 264 in 2013
A plaid backpack that was found in a landfill after a college friend of Tsarnaev's took it from the defendant's dorm room and tossed it into a dumpster
]]>
A black laptop case, a portable hard drive, cell phone and spare batteries, and an homemade remote control device
]]>
A blood-stained message that prosecutors say Tsarnaev wrote on the inside of a boat where he was hiding
]]>
The remains of a pressure-cooker bomb recovered at the bombing scene and a diploma for Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the defendant's brother who was killed in the aftermath of the bombing
]]>
"This was a cold, calculated terrorist act," Assistant US Attorney Aloke Chakravarty told jurors.
"This was intentional. It was bloodthirsty. It was to make a point.
"It was to tell America that 'We will not be terrorised by you anymore. We will terrorise you.'"
Tsarnaev's lawyers, who acknowledged at the trial's outset that their client helped orchestrate the attacks, have tried to convince jurors that he was pressured by his radicalised older brother.
Video:Moment The Boston Bombs Exploded
The surprise admission was part of the defence's effort to spare Tsarnaev the death penalty should the jury convict him, as expected.
Defence attorney Judith Clarke on Monday told jurors it was 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev who "built the bombs" and "murdered (MIT police) officer Collier".
"Tamerlan led and Dzhokhar followed," she said.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed following a gun battle with police when his brother inadvertently ran him over with a car they had hijacked.
1/10
Gallery: Boston Bombings Trial: Who's Who
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, has gone on trial accused of the Boston Marathon bombings. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. He denies wrongdoing
His older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed days after the bombings on 15 April 2013
]]>
Over the last several weeks, the jury has heard testimony from friends and family of those killed in the attacks and from more than a dozen people who lost limbs as a result of the bombings.
Jurors even heard from police officers who described exchanging gunfire and dodging homemade explosive devices thrown by the Tsarnaev brothers as they attempted to flee the city.
The defence called just four witnesses over two days in presenting its case.
Tsarnaev's lawyers have not indicated whether he will testify during the sentencing phase.
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The UN Security Council has called for life-saving assistance and the safe evacuation of Palestinians after fighting among militants threatened a refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus.
The council was forced into an emergency meeting late on Monday after Islamic State (IS) militants began pushing into the Yarmouk camp in what is the group's deepest foray into the Syrian capital so far.
During the meeting, UN head of Palestinian refugees Pierre Krahenbuhl called the humanitarian situation in the camp "completely catastrophic."
Residents in Yarmouk are facing a 'dire' situation say activists
The capture of the camp places IS just five miles from the centre of the capital, with 18,000 residents without access to food, water or medicine.
The situation in Yarmouk has been described as "beyond inhumane" by civil rights activists, with the area being shelled and people trapped in their homes.
Video:IS Threat Gets Closer To Damascus
Yarmouk has seen increased shelling and sporadic street fighting after the militant group stormed the southern area of the city on Wednesday.
Chris Gunness, a spokesman for UNRWSA, a UN support agency for Palestinian refugees, said activists had not been able to get aid into the area since the current round of fighting began.
Yarmouk has been under siege for two years since it was surrounded by Syrian government forces.
Video:Camp Conditions "Beyond Inhumane"
Some Palestinian civilians who were trapped have managed to flee to safer areas, but the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syria's government air force has dropped several barrel bombs on the camp since Sunday.
Palestinian officials and Syrian activists said they were working with rivals from the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front.
The two groups have fought bloody battles against each other in other parts of Syria, but appear to be cooperating in the attack on Yarmouk.
Video:Only One In Five Flights Drop Bombs
Only around 2,000 civilians have been able to leave the camp so far.
Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sherine Tadros said: "Yarmouk is about 10km from the centre of Damascus and IS militants are reportedly in control of most of the camp.
"It's a dire situation and desperate for those people waiting for UN aid but it simply can't get in there because of the fighting.
Video:May 2013 - Yarmouk Refugees
"We've been told that more than 20 people have been killed since this latest fighting began and several instances where women have been kidnapped by IS militants."
Mr Gunness has called for a "political framework" to solve the crisis and allow aid to be delivered on the ground.
"We need a political framework which will give some kind of meaning and substance to this humanitarian work. So, we need political action and we need it urgently."
Video:Feb 2014 - Inside Yarmouk
Meanwhile, Iraqi forensic teams in the Sunni city of Tikrit, recently recaptured from IS forces, have begun excavating 12 suspected mass grave sites.
The graves are thought to hold the bodies of up to 1,700 soldiers killed last June as Islamic State fighters fought to capture large areas of northern Iraq.
A Russian nuclear submarine has caught fire in a shipyard but there were no weapons on board, according to Russian news agencies.
The 155m (508ft) 949 Antei was reportedly being repaired in Zvyozdochka shipyard in Russia's northern province of Arkhangelsk, when the blaze broke out.
The ship reportedly caught fire as welding works were being carried out, with rubber insulation catching fire.
A shipyard source told the Interfax news agency: "There is a fire on the submarine.
"We are fighting the fire now."
Smoke is seen above the shipyard as the submarine burns
The emergencies ministry has so far refused to comment.
The United Shipbuilding Corporation, which runs the shipyard, said the submarine's weapons and critical elements of its nuclear reactor had been taken out before the repairs started.
Spokesman Ilya Zhitomirsky said no one was injured.
A nuclear-powered submarine carrying atomic weapons was engulfed in flames in 2011, nearly leading to a nuclear disaster.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 31 Maret 2015 | 23.12
Urgent diplomatic talks are being held in a bid to reach a nuclear deal with Iran, with a deadline to secure an agreement fast approaching.
Significant differences reportedly remain between the two sides meeting in the Swiss town of Lausanne.
For nearly a week the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China have been trying to break the deadlock in negotiations aimed at stopping Iran from having the capacity to develop a nuclear bomb, in exchange for an easing of international sanctions that are crippling its economy.
But stumbling blocks of enrichment research and the speed of lifting sanctions is threatening to scupper an agreement that could end a 12-year standoff between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear ambitions and reduce the risk of another Middle East war.
All sides say an agreement is possible but uncertain
Meetings are being held in an attempt to try and bridge the remaining gaps by the deadline of midnight local time on Tuesday (11pm UK time).
The aim is to reach an understanding that could serve as the basis for a final accord to be reached by the end of June.
All sides say an agreement is possible but uncertain.
It is unclear what missing the 11pm deadline would mean for the talks which have lasted nearly two years and been extended twice since an interim agreement was reached in November 2013.
Most of the parties have indicated they do not want another extension, although they have also said the interim agreement will remain in place until 1 July, suggesting talks could continue.
Meetings are being held in an attempt to try and bridge the remaining gaps
As talks resumed on Tuesday, the spokeswoman for the US State Department tweeted: "Long day ahead."
On Monday night, Secretary of State John Kerry admitted: "There are still some tricky issues.
"We are working very hard to work those through. We are working into the night."
The six powers want more than a 10-year suspension of Iran's most sensitive nuclear work.
Tehran, which denies it is trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability, is demanding a swift end to sanctions in exchange for temporary limits on its atomic activities.
Iran says it wants nuclear enrichment only for energy, science, industry and medicine.
The world's nuclear nations
But many countries fear Iran could use the technology to make weapons-grade uranium.
There is a sense of added urgency with the US Congress warning it will consider imposing new sanctions on Iran if no agreement is reached this week.
In turn, US President Barack Obama has threatened to veto any sanctions moves by the Republican-dominated Congress.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes the negotiations, said the agreement being put together in Lausanne sends the message "that Iran stands to gain by its aggression".
Iran said the key issue was lifting sanctions quickly.
The country's nuclear negiotiator Majid Takhteravanchi said: "There will be no agreement if the sanctions issue cannot be resolved.
Two hooded men have been filmed ramming a stolen car into a shopping centre – then skidding through corridors so they could loot a jewellery store.
The raid, captured on CCTV, saw a Subaru Impreza career through the entrance of the Kippax Fair mall in the Australian capital, Canberra, leaving shattered glass strewn across the floor.
After unsuccessfully reversing into a cash machine twice, the robbers drove further inside and tore through the shutters of Exquisite Jewellers.
It took just three minutes for the store to be raided for the third time
It is the third time that the shop has been ram-raided in 12 months, according to police.
They used crowbars to smash through glass displays, and three minutes later, left with their haul.
Australian detectives confirmed the robbery took place in the early hours of Monday morning and have revealed that a second shopping centre was raided in similar circumstances just a day later.
The car was driven through the entrance of the mall
Just after 5am on Tuesday morning, another stolen Subaru was used to break into the Gungahlin Village shopping centre – and yet again, a jewellery store was the target.
Both attacks caused significant damage, and the full value of the jewellery stolen is yet to be determined.
Iraq's prime minister has declared victory in the weeks-long battle to retake the key city of Tikrit from Islamic State.
Haider al-Abadi used Twitter to announce what he called "the liberation of Tikrit" and congratulated Iraqi security forces and volunteer Shia fighters on "the historic milestone".
A spokesman for the prime minister added: "Iraqi forces reached the centre of Tikrit, raised the Iraqi flag and are now clearing the city."
Islamic State extremists seized the hometown of former president Saddam Hussein last summer, as part of the group's rapid advance across the north and west of the country.
The Iraqi interior ministry claimed at least 40 militants were killed on Tuesday as security forces cleared a government compound, security headquarters and Saddam's presidential palace.
The current operation to retake Tikrit began in early March, as troops and Shia volunteers moved in to capture nearby towns and surround the city itself, backed by air strikes from the US-led international coalition.
Forces are now working to remove roadside bombs and makeshift explosives left behind by the Sunni extremists.
The man who has taken a significant early lead in Nigeria's closest-ever presidential election has told Sky News he does not even know the official timetable for any run-off, such is the quiet confidence in his camp.
But the APC's Muhammadu Buhari cautioned an outright win would only happen if the count was "free and fair".
We joined Mr Buhari as the first half of results in the count showed a convincing lead for the former military ruler.
The official tally indicated the opposition leader had built up a two million vote lead on sitting President Goodluck Jonathan with the results in half the states declared.
To win, Mr Buhari needs not only the most votes but at least 25% in two-thirds of Nigerian states to avoid a run-off.
Video:Nigeria Poll: Ballots Being Counted
But this is the fourth attempt by the former general at claiming the presidential prize and he has accused the ruling PDP Party of rigging the vote in all three previous contests.
This time has been no different he said, although he told us he remained optimistic that the attempts to manipulate the ballot would be fruitless and the outcome would still be favourable for his party.
He is not alone, however, in his concerns about rigging.
The British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and his American counterpart John Kerry issued a joint statement warning that there were "disturbing indications that the collation process - where the votes are finally counted - may be subject to deliberate political interference".
If the second half of the results appear to diverge dramatically from the estimates made by independent observers, there will be mounting calls of skullduggery.
Video:Violence Disrupts Nigeria Election
The 72-year-old challenger admitted to being a little tired after an election campaign which saw him visit 35 out of the country's 36 states as well as travelling to London to talk to British opinion-makers.
He spoke passionately about his desire to restore morale amongst his countrymen and women, crackdown on Nigeria's rampant corruption and rout Boko Haram.
He has repeatedly tried to lay to rest the ghosts of his past on the campaign trail after obtaining a reputation as a hardline military ruler when he first took up the presidential reins in 1983 after the army ousted the elected leader in a coup.
He himself was deposed in another coup two years later and jailed.
Since then Mr Buhari says he has undergone a dramatic conversion from military dictator to democracy-lover.
Video:Nigeria Goes To The Polls
It was the fall of the Soviet empire - achieved without the "firing of one bullet" - which he attributes to his dramatic political change of heart.
Now though, with Nigeria's soldiers largely demoralised and complaining of poor pay, few weapons and little leadership, and a violent extremist insurgency in the north, suddenly his military background is becoming a positive asset.
Mr Buhari said: "With my background as a military man, we have to restore morale, with retraining and reorganisation.
"I am confident the military will respond favourably to me.
"Nigeria has the capacity to deal with Boko Haram.
Video:January: How Boko Haram Operates
"Nigerians are being killed in their hundreds every day and our (current) leadership sleeps soundly.
"I assure you that wouldn't happen under my leadership."
An official from Mr Buhari's camp told us on the way out: "We don't want Goodluck.
"We tell our supporters to wish us the best of luck instead."
The smiles seemed to suggest they believe they have both the luck and the votes to clinch this contest.
Gunmen have taken a prosecutor hostage at a court in Istanbul, an official has confirmed - and Turkish special forces have entered the building.
An unverified image appears to show Mehmet Selim Kiraz with a gun to his head and a hand over his mouth - and his hands appear to be bound with cable ties. Sky News has decided not to show the hostage in distress.
The photograph was published online by the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) - a banned far-left organisation.
In the picture, one of the militants has concealed his face with a red and yellow scarf, while flags and posters bearing the organisation's insignia hang in the background.
The group, which has been listed as a terror organisation by the US, the EU and Turkey, had threatened to kill Mr Kiraz at 1.36pm UK time if their demands were not met. That deadline has since passed.
The courthouse in Istanbul has been evacuated and special forces are inside
According to witnesses, at least three shots have been fired inside the courthouse. The police are currently trying to negotiate with two militants via a mediator.
Istanbul's police chief, Selami Altunok, said: "There is no problem concerning any of our colleagues. Our negotiators and Umit Kocasakal, the head of the Istanbul Bar Association, are talking to the militants. We are trying to resolve the issue without anyone being hurt."
The chief prosecutor was investigating the death of Berkin Elvan - a teenager who died in March 2014 from injuries inflicted by the police.
Berkin Elvan died from his injuries after spending 269 days in a coma
He spent 269 days in a coma after being hit by a gas canister fired during anti-government protests, and his treatment by officers caused outrage nationwide.
The DHKP-C wants the officer it blames for the 15-year-old's death to "confess" on national television. Mr Kiraz was reportedly handed a list of suspect policemen by investigators two weeks ago.
Another condition for the prosecutor's safe release is that the armed fighters in the courthouse are allowed to leave unharmed.
It remains unclear how the group smuggled guns into the courthouse - however, many Turkish towns and cities were hit with the worst blackout in 15 years on Tuesday.
Some far-left groups in Turkey believe the authorities have orchestrated a cover-up by refusing to reveal the perpetrators responsible for Berkin's death.
An opposition politician, writing on Twitter, claimed he had spoken to Berkin's father, Sami, who said: "My son died but I don't want any other person to die. The prosecutor must be released. Blood cannot be washed away with blood.
"I don't want anyone to even get a nosebleed. Until today, I've only demanded justice, and I only want a fair trial."
Many Turkish news channels had been broadcasting live scenes from the courthouse, but have returned to their normal programming after a media blackout was imposed for "national security" reasons.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously sparked controversy when he branded Berkin a "thug" and encouraged his supporters to boo the teenager's mother at a rally.
In 2013, the DHKP-C was behind a suicide bombing outside the US Embassy.
A major terrorism trial in Uganda has been suspended after one of the senior prosecutors in the case was shot dead in what police say could be a targeted killing.
Joan Kagezi was one of the lead members of the prosecution team in the trial of 13 people suspected of involvement in twin bombings by the Somali Islamist group al Shabaab in Kampala in 2010.
Ms Kagezi was fatally wounded at around 8pm on Monday in Kiwatule, a suburb of the Ugandan capital, after stopping to buy fruit at the side of the road.
A police spokesman said it appeared she was shot through her car window by two men who had followed her on a motorbike.
Her three children, who were also in the vehicle, escaped unhurt.
"Her death is a big loss to the country," Uganda's police chief Kale Kayihura said.
Security has been boosted in Uganda amid a heightened terror threat.
"The murder of Joan Kagezi should only serve to increase our resolve to hunt down and bring to justice all those elements bent on disturbing the security and development of our country."
Officers are now looking into the possibility that the killing was linked to Ms Kagezi's work in finding those responsible for the bomb attacks in 2010, which killed at least 79 people watching the football World Cup final at a restaurant and sports club.
1/29
Gallery: Images: Kenya Mall Massacre
This image of the car park under the shopping centre was taken by German scientist Eike Luedeling. His Kenyan wife and two children survived the attack.
This image was also taken by Mr Luedeling when he collected his car on Sunday, September 29.
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The violence of the crash has hampered the identification of victims
All 150 victims of the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps will be identified by the end of the week, according to French President Francois Hollande.
Speaking at a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Mr Hollande said: "The French interior minister confirmed that by the end of the week at the latest it will be possible to identify all of the victims thanks to DNA samples."
This contradicts an earlier report in the German newspaper Bild that the relatives of the victims may have to wait months for their loved ones to be identified, with no guarantees they will all be found.
Colonel Francois Daoust said they may not be able to find all the victims
The head of the Criminal Research Institute at France's National Gendarmerie told the newspaper it would take forensic teams between two and four months to complete the DNA identification process.
Even then, "we cannot promise that we will be able to identify all of the victims," Colonel Francois Daoust said.
Video:New Details Of Co-Pilot's History
The violence with which the Airbus A320 crashed into the mountainside in the French Alps last week has severely hampered the identification of the remains of those on board.
Recovery teams scouring the crash site have said not a single body has been found intact.
Some 78 different DNA profiles have been isolated so far from around 400 body parts, although none have been directly linked to the victims.
Family members have been asked to provide forensic teams with DNA samples to help in the identification.
1/16
Gallery: The Victims Of The Germanwings Crash
American Emily Selke, a recent graduate, was on the plane with her mother Yvonne. Raymond Selke has described his wife and daughter as 'amazing people'. Pic: Facebook
Iranian sports journalist Hussein Javadi was on his way to Austria to cover a football match. A friend said he was 'a kind, loving, caring man'. Pic: Maysam Bizær/Hossein Javadi
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Argentinian Sebastian Greco was on board with his girlfriend. Pic: Facebook
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Argentinian Gabriela Maumus, 28, was the daughter of a firefighter. Pic: Facebook
]]>
Spanish victim Carles Milla Masanas, 37. The businessman was on his way to a food industry fayre. Pic: Facebook
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Investigators are currently working on the theory that the 27-year-old co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, deliberately crashed the plane.
The voice recorder suggested he locked the pilot out of the cockpit and intentionally put the Airbus A320 into a descent.
German prosecutors revealed on Monday that Lubitz had been treated in the past for suicidal tendencies, although no evidence has been found to prove he felt suicidal at the time of the crash.
Christoph Kumpa, a spokesman for Dusseldorf prosecutor's office, said he was known to have paid several visits to doctors in the days and months before and nothing of this nature was found to have been documented.
Video:Crash Site - Latest Search Video
He said: "There still is no evidence that the co-pilot told before that he'll do what we have to assume was done and we haven't found a letter or anything like that that contains a confession.
"Added to this, we have not found anything in the surrounding be it personal, or his family, or his professional surrounding, that is giving us any hints that enable us to say anything about his motivation.
Lubitz had been given a sick note on the day of the crash, but the note was never submitted to Germanwings.
It has been reported he had also been receiving treatment for an unspecific vision problem which could have affected his ability to fly, although Mr Kumpa said nothing had been found to verify those claims.
Video:How The Co-Pilot Took Control
Investigators have so far been unable to find the aircraft's second black box, which would provide technical flight data of its final moments.
A road to improve access to the crash site has been built by investigators, who resumed their search on Tuesday.
Three trucks left the dropzone in Seyne-les-Alpes after a 48-hour road-building operation to ease access to the mountainside.
The vehicles now take 45 minutes to reach the base of the slope where debris is spread across some five acres (two hectares), while two helicopters fly overhead to check for pieces that might have been flung further.
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Alps Crash Victims 'Identified By End Of Week'
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The violence of the crash has hampered the identification of victims
All 150 victims of the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps will be identified by the end of the week, according to French President Francois Hollande.
Speaking at a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Mr Hollande said: "The French interior minister confirmed that by the end of the week at the latest it will be possible to identify all of the victims thanks to DNA samples."
This contradicts an earlier report in the German newspaper Bild that the relatives of the victims may have to wait months for their loved ones to be identified, with no guarantees they will all be found.
Colonel Francois Daoust said they may not be able to find all the victims
The head of the Criminal Research Institute at France's National Gendarmerie told the newspaper it would take forensic teams between two and four months to complete the DNA identification process.
Even then, "we cannot promise that we will be able to identify all of the victims," Colonel Francois Daoust said.
Video:New Details Of Co-Pilot's History
The violence with which the Airbus A320 crashed into the mountainside in the French Alps last week has severely hampered the identification of the remains of those on board.
Recovery teams scouring the crash site have said not a single body has been found intact.
Some 78 different DNA profiles have been isolated so far from around 400 body parts, although none have been directly linked to the victims.
Family members have been asked to provide forensic teams with DNA samples to help in the identification.
1/16
Gallery: The Victims Of The Germanwings Crash
American Emily Selke, a recent graduate, was on the plane with her mother Yvonne. Raymond Selke has described his wife and daughter as 'amazing people'. Pic: Facebook
Iranian sports journalist Hussein Javadi was on his way to Austria to cover a football match. A friend said he was 'a kind, loving, caring man'. Pic: Maysam Bizær/Hossein Javadi
]]>
Argentinian Sebastian Greco was on board with his girlfriend. Pic: Facebook
]]>
Argentinian Gabriela Maumus, 28, was the daughter of a firefighter. Pic: Facebook
]]>
Spanish victim Carles Milla Masanas, 37. The businessman was on his way to a food industry fayre. Pic: Facebook
]]>
Investigators are currently working on the theory that the 27-year-old co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, deliberately crashed the plane.
The voice recorder suggested he locked the pilot out of the cockpit and intentionally put the Airbus A320 into a descent.
German prosecutors revealed on Monday that Lubitz had been treated in the past for suicidal tendencies, although no evidence has been found to prove he felt suicidal at the time of the crash.
Christoph Kumpa, a spokesman for Dusseldorf prosecutor's office, said he was known to have paid several visits to doctors in the days and months before and nothing of this nature was found to have been documented.
Video:Crash Site - Latest Search Video
He said: "There still is no evidence that the co-pilot told before that he'll do what we have to assume was done and we haven't found a letter or anything like that that contains a confession.
"Added to this, we have not found anything in the surrounding be it personal, or his family, or his professional surrounding, that is giving us any hints that enable us to say anything about his motivation.
Lubitz had been given a sick note on the day of the crash, but the note was never submitted to Germanwings.
It has been reported he had also been receiving treatment for an unspecific vision problem which could have affected his ability to fly, although Mr Kumpa said nothing had been found to verify those claims.
Video:How The Co-Pilot Took Control
Investigators have so far been unable to find the aircraft's second black box, which would provide technical flight data of its final moments.
A road to improve access to the crash site has been built by investigators, who resumed their search on Tuesday.
Three trucks left the dropzone in Seyne-les-Alpes after a 48-hour road-building operation to ease access to the mountainside.
The vehicles now take 45 minutes to reach the base of the slope where debris is spread across some five acres (two hectares), while two helicopters fly overhead to check for pieces that might have been flung further.
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A 74-year-old man has died after his mother-in-law's gravestone fell on him.
Stephen Woytack was kneeling next to the grave marker when the top portion toppled on to his head, killing him, police in northeastern Pennsylvania said.
He had been helping his wife tie a cross around the stone at St Joseph's Cemetery in Throop on Monday morning when it fell.
The cemetery's caretaker told WNEP-TV the couple came to visit several times during the year, particularly at this time to decorate the grave for Easter.
"They tie a cross to it every year, the both of them," Ed Kubilus said.
"And after they're done tying the cross to it, they stand there, say prayers, and then they leave."
Mr Kubilus said some headstones become unstable this time of year as the ground begins to thaw, which causes the bases to sink slightly.
He added the Woytacks had just recently moved their grave plots closer to the mother-in-law's burial site.
The Vatican has revealed it is close to reaching an agreement with Italy over a clampdown on potential money-laundering.
A senior Vatican official said the deal may be announced later this week, and is part of Pope Francis' attempt to sweep clean Vatican finances.
For decades the powerful financial institution within the Holy See has been accused of facilitating illicit behaviour.
Officially known as the Institute for Works of Religion, it has faced accusations of providing a tax haven for wealthy Italians.
That practice violates the bank's mission of managing funds for the church and helps well-connected Italians evade taxes, according to investigators and regulators.
Pope Francis has forced through major changes
Since his election two years ago, Pope Francis has forced major changes on the bank to rebuild trust and its sense of purpose.
Last year it blocked accounts of 2,000 clients, ended around 3,000 "customer relationships", and saw a management overhaul.
Video:HSBC Says Sorry
The bank's 2014 annual report is due to be revealed in the coming weeks.
The data-sharing agreement comes on the back of Italy's recent deals with Monaco, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, US investigators have agreed a deal with Swiss private bank BSI, over voluntary disclosure of tax-related offences by wealthy Americans.
Lugano-based BSI is to pay a $211m (£140m) penalty after admitting for decades to operating thousands of client accounts to hide assets from US authorities.
Video:Credit Suisse Fined For Tax Evasion
There is now expected to be a flood of settlements between the US Department of Justice and the notoriously secret Swiss private banking sector.
But the voluntary disclosure provision does not include Swiss banks already under criminal investigation.
Last May, Credit Suisse paid more than $2.5bn (£1.7bn) over tax avoidance and rival UBS admitted wrongdoing and paid $780m (£530m) in a 2009 tax evasion settlement.
Criminal investigations continue into several other Swiss banks, as well as a probe into HSBC's Geneva private banking arm.
An armed prisoner who escaped a hospital in suburban Washington DC where shots were fired has been captured.
Wossen Assaye, 42, broke free from a private security guard at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, and fled with the guard's weapon, police said.
Fairfax County police tweeted: "We have received confirmation that the escaped prisoner, Wossen Assaye, is in custody by Metropolitan Police."
The scene overnight at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia
He was found on Pennsylvania Avenue in south east Washington, DC after a manhunt lasting nearly nine hours, a police official told News4.
Police said they had also located a stolen Toyota Camry the "armed and dangerous" suspect was driving.
The hospital was placed on lockdown, while several roads were shut as police combed the area for the suspect.
This woman, who has not been named, might be with the suspect
Police said Assaye might have been with his girlfriend, whose photo was posted on Twitter even though she was not named.
He was being held in Alexandria on federal charges of armed bank robbery and was taken to a local hospital after he tried to harm himself, according to police.
While at the hospital, Assaye overpowered the guard and took his gun. One shot was fired, but no one was injured, police said.
The manhunt continued in the morning
Footage from the scene showed a heavy police presence outside the hospital, with several squad cars on surrounding streets and a helicopter hovering above.
The hospital is about 15 miles (24km) west of Washington DC.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 24 Maret 2015 | 23.12
By Sky News US Team
Israel has denied a claim that it spied on US-led nuclear talks with Iran in order to undermine support for a deal.
A Wall Street Journal report, quoting current and former US officials, said the Israelis had eavesdropped on the negotiations.
Israel also obtained intelligence from secret US briefings, informants and diplomatic contacts in Europe, according to the Journal.
The White House was said to be especially angry because Israel had shared its inside information with US lawmakers to brief against a nuclear accord.
World powers are trying to strike a deal with Iran by the end of March
"It is one thing for the US and Israel to spy on each other," the Journal quoted a senior US official briefed on the matter as saying.
"It is another thing for Israel to steal US secrets and play them back to US legislators to undermine US diplomacy."
Video:Netanyahu Declares Victory
The spying was reportedly discovered by American intelligence intercepting communications by Israeli officials.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the report was "not true".
"We do not spy on the United States," he said. "There are enough participants in these negotiations, including Iranians.
"We got our intelligence from other sources, not from the United States."
Republican House Speaker John Boehner said he was "baffled" by reports of Israeli spying.
If true, the espionage would do little to allay the currently strained relations between the two allies.
Scarcely a day has passed since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's return to power last week without a critical comment by Obama administration officials, who were outraged by his pre-election posturing.
The Israeli prime minister apologised on Monday for his remarks playing the race card to drum up more right-wing votes at the expense of Israel's Arab minority.
He also backtracked on comments flatly ruling out a Palestinian state - a White House foreign policy priority which spurred months of fruitless shuttle diplomacy by US Secretary of State John Kerry.
US officials, however, have been unimpressed by Mr Netanyahu's olive branch.
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told a left-leaning pro-Israel lobby on Monday: "We cannot simply pretend that those comments were never made."
Mr Netanyahu irked the White House earlier this month by addressing the US Congress to warn in apocalyptic terms against a deal with Iran.
Many Republican lawmakers are backing the Israeli prime minister ahead of the US president.
Under the emerging terms of the deal, the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China are offering to ease sanctions if Iran limits its nuclear programme.
Iran says its uranium enrichment is for civilian energy purposes and denies its plans to build a bomb.
A boy in South Korea has managed to get himself stuck in a toy vending machine.
The boy, whose last name is Lee, was on his way to school in the capital Seoul when he stopped to try and get a toy from the machine on Tuesday morning.
Refusing to be undeterred in his attempts to get what he wanted, the boy, who is believed to be aged around seven, climbed inside in order to get to the prizes on offer.
The emergency services broke the lock on the machine to get to the boy
A passing pedestrian spotted him and called the emergency services, who came to rescue the boy.
They were surprised to find the child still happily playing with the toys, and quickly broke the lock on the machine in order to free him.
The boy, who was stuck for about 20 minutes, was not injured, so he was sent on his way to school.
The boy was stuck for around 20 minutes
The vice principal of the school, which did not want to be identified, told Sky News: "The boy is mischievous.
"When you can't get a toy, other children would walk away or kick the machine.
"But he wanted to get the toy so climbed into the machine."
At least nine Pakistani fighters have been killed in a US drone strike in the Nazyan area of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, Pakistani officials have said.
The militants were part of the Pakistani Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Islam group, which has recently announced a Taliban link-up.
US protesters in Nevada demonstrate against drone strikes
The air attack, part of an increasing drone campaign against Pakistani militants in Afghanistan, was carried out near the site of fierce fighting on the Pakistani side of the border in recent days.
Fighter jets have been carrying out attacks on areas in the Tirah Valley in the Khyber region, and the army says scores of militants have been killed.
Video:Report 'Raises Questions On Drones'
At least seven Pakistani soldiers have also been killed.
Many of the drone strikes in Afghanistan occur in remote regions and are not generally reported but Taliban commanders say their fighters are being increasingly targeted.
The air strikes come as relations between the two traditionally hostile neighbours improve, following the election of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last year.
Video:Pakistan Ex-Premier Warns Over IS
Each country accuses the other of sheltering fighters who also fight on behalf of their government.
Pakistan says it is in favour of potential peace talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban and diplomats are said to be hoping Pakistan can pressure those Taliban with bases in its country to negotiate.
However, Pakistan says it wants Afghanistan to take action against Pakistani Taliban operating from bases with Afghanistan.
France Plane Crash: 150 Die As Jet 'Disintegrates'
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A rescue helicopter has landed at the site of the Germanwings air disaster in the French Alps to find the plane "disintegrated" and no survivors.
The Airbus A320 with 150 people on board came down in a mountainous region, at an altitude of around 6,500ft, between Barcelonnette and Digne.
After taking off at 9.55am (8.55am UK time), a distress signal was issued for flight 4U 9525 at 10.47am (9.47am UK time) after it found itself in an "abnormal situation" on its route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf.
:: Follow live updates on the crash
France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls said a helicopter had managed to land near the crash site but found no survivors.
Video:Aerial Images of The Scene
Gilbert Sauvan, of the local council, told Les Echos newspaper: "The plane is disintegrated. The largest debris is the size of a car."
France's President Francois Hollande said: "It's a tragedy on our soil."
Spain's Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, said 45 of those on board are thought to be Spanish. Germanwings said there were 67 Germans on board.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was "deeply shaken" by news of the crash, her spokesman said.
French Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said debris from the crash had been found at an altitude of 2,000 metres.
Video:Crash Rescue: First Moving Pictures
He added that he expected "an extremely long and extremely difficult" search and rescue operation because of the area's remoteness.
Emergency workers were not expected to reach the scene for several hours.
Eric Ciotti, the head of the regional council, said search-and-rescue teams were on the way to the crash site at Meolans-Revels.
Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft plummeted from 40,000ft to 6,200ft in less than eight minutes before it crashed.
French aviation authorities said that the plane, operated by Lufthansa's budget airline, did not issue a distress call and that air traffic controllers had raised the alarm.
1/19
Gallery: Rescue Teams And Relatives Wait After Plane Crash
French Police and Gendarmerie Alpine rescue units gather on a field as they prepare to reach the crash site of an Airbus A320, near Seyne-les-Alpes, in the French Alps
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve (R) and his advisors arrive by helicopter on a field near the crash site
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The plane, en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, crashed in a remote snowy area of the French Alps on Tuesday and all 150 on board were feared dead
]]>
Aerial view of the crash site area. Pic: Dauphine Libere
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People arrive at a holding area for friends and relatives of passengers at Dusseldorf International Airport
]]>
Aviation journalist Anthony Davis said: "The log suggests it went straight down at a significant rate, up to 5,000 feet per minute at one point, which suggests it happened in a matter of seconds.
"It is unlikely the passengers on board would have known anything about this. As far as I am aware that the pilots did not send a typical distress call, a squawk of 770.
"They simply said emergency, emergency."
A total of 144 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew were on board the 24-year-old plane. A spokeswoman for the German town of Haltern said there was reason to believe the passengers included 16 pupils and two teachers from one school.
Two babies were also among the passengers.
Video:Relatives Arrive At Dusseldorf
Germanwings chief executive Thomas Winkelmann told a news conference the pilot had more than 10 years experience, including more than 6,000 flight hours on A320s.
He said the firm would do everything possible to establish the cause of the crash.
The owner of a campground near the crash site, Pierre Polizzi, said he heard the aircraft making strange noises just before it crashed.
"I heard a series of loud noises in the air," he said.
"There are often fighter jets flying over, so I thought it sounded just like that. I looked outside, but I couldn't see any fighter planes.
Video:Airbus A320 In Detail
"The noise I heard was long - like eight seconds - as if the plane was going more slowly than a military plane speed. There was another long noise after about 30 seconds."
Weather conditions were calm at the time the plane came down and Mr Valls said the causes of the crash were not yet known.
He said he had activated the ministerial crisis cell to help coordinate the aftermath of the crash. He added that he had sent Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to the site.
Reports suggest debris at the crash site is not scattered, indicating there had been no mid-air explosion, and US officials say they do not believe terrorism was involved.
Lufthansa wrote on its Twitter page: "We must confirm to our deepest regret that Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Düsseldorf has suffered an accident over the French Alps.
Video:Crash Plane Flight Path Radar
"Everyone at Germanwings and Lufthansa is deeply shocked and saddened by these events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the passengers and crew members."
German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a tweet: "Our thoughts are with those who have to go through the worry that their relatives may be among the victims."
Captain Mike Vivian, former Head of Flight Operations at the Civil Aviation Authority, told Sky News the A320 had a relatively good safety record.
"Germanwings is a very competent company given it is owned by the main German flag-carrier and it flies basically short-haul routes," he said.
"The Airbus A320 is a successful aeroplane and has been around for over 20 years.
Video:Hollande: Crash A Terrible Tragedy
"It surprises me, that this aircraft flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, would have been at low altitude because nobody goes low in the Alps unless you are landing at Zurich or Geneva.
"So something catastrophic has either taken place or there has been a major emergency. If it was the second it would probably have been preceded or consistent with a radio call."
More follows...
Video:No Indication Of Terror Attack
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France Plane Crash: 150 Die As Jet 'Disintegrates'
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
A rescue helicopter has landed at the site of the Germanwings air disaster in the French Alps to find the plane "disintegrated" and no survivors.
The Airbus A320 with 150 people on board came down in a mountainous region, at an altitude of around 6,500ft, between Barcelonnette and Digne.
After taking off at 9.55am (8.55am UK time), a distress signal was issued for flight 4U 9525 at 10.47am (9.47am UK time) after it found itself in an "abnormal situation" on its route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf.
:: Follow live updates on the crash
France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls said a helicopter had managed to land near the crash site but found no survivors.
Video:Aerial Images of The Scene
Gilbert Sauvan, of the local council, told Les Echos newspaper: "The plane is disintegrated. The largest debris is the size of a car."
France's President Francois Hollande said: "It's a tragedy on our soil."
Spain's Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, said 45 of those on board are thought to be Spanish. Germanwings said there were 67 Germans on board.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was "deeply shaken" by news of the crash, her spokesman said.
French Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said debris from the crash had been found at an altitude of 2,000 metres.
Video:Crash Rescue: First Moving Pictures
He added that he expected "an extremely long and extremely difficult" search and rescue operation because of the area's remoteness.
Emergency workers were not expected to reach the scene for several hours.
Eric Ciotti, the head of the regional council, said search-and-rescue teams were on the way to the crash site at Meolans-Revels.
Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft plummeted from 40,000ft to 6,200ft in less than eight minutes before it crashed.
French aviation authorities said that the plane, operated by Lufthansa's budget airline, did not issue a distress call and that air traffic controllers had raised the alarm.
1/19
Gallery: Rescue Teams And Relatives Wait After Plane Crash
French Police and Gendarmerie Alpine rescue units gather on a field as they prepare to reach the crash site of an Airbus A320, near Seyne-les-Alpes, in the French Alps
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve (R) and his advisors arrive by helicopter on a field near the crash site
]]>
The plane, en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, crashed in a remote snowy area of the French Alps on Tuesday and all 150 on board were feared dead
]]>
Aerial view of the crash site area. Pic: Dauphine Libere
]]>
People arrive at a holding area for friends and relatives of passengers at Dusseldorf International Airport
]]>
Aviation journalist Anthony Davis said: "The log suggests it went straight down at a significant rate, up to 5,000 feet per minute at one point, which suggests it happened in a matter of seconds.
"It is unlikely the passengers on board would have known anything about this. As far as I am aware that the pilots did not send a typical distress call, a squawk of 770.
"They simply said emergency, emergency."
A total of 144 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew were on board the 24-year-old plane. A spokeswoman for the German town of Haltern said there was reason to believe the passengers included 16 pupils and two teachers from one school.
Two babies were also among the passengers.
Video:Relatives Arrive At Dusseldorf
Germanwings chief executive Thomas Winkelmann told a news conference the pilot had more than 10 years experience, including more than 6,000 flight hours on A320s.
He said the firm would do everything possible to establish the cause of the crash.
The owner of a campground near the crash site, Pierre Polizzi, said he heard the aircraft making strange noises just before it crashed.
"I heard a series of loud noises in the air," he said.
"There are often fighter jets flying over, so I thought it sounded just like that. I looked outside, but I couldn't see any fighter planes.
Video:Airbus A320 In Detail
"The noise I heard was long - like eight seconds - as if the plane was going more slowly than a military plane speed. There was another long noise after about 30 seconds."
Weather conditions were calm at the time the plane came down and Mr Valls said the causes of the crash were not yet known.
He said he had activated the ministerial crisis cell to help coordinate the aftermath of the crash. He added that he had sent Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to the site.
Reports suggest debris at the crash site is not scattered, indicating there had been no mid-air explosion, and US officials say they do not believe terrorism was involved.
Lufthansa wrote on its Twitter page: "We must confirm to our deepest regret that Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Düsseldorf has suffered an accident over the French Alps.
Video:Crash Plane Flight Path Radar
"Everyone at Germanwings and Lufthansa is deeply shocked and saddened by these events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the passengers and crew members."
German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a tweet: "Our thoughts are with those who have to go through the worry that their relatives may be among the victims."
Captain Mike Vivian, former Head of Flight Operations at the Civil Aviation Authority, told Sky News the A320 had a relatively good safety record.
"Germanwings is a very competent company given it is owned by the main German flag-carrier and it flies basically short-haul routes," he said.
"The Airbus A320 is a successful aeroplane and has been around for over 20 years.
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"It surprises me, that this aircraft flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, would have been at low altitude because nobody goes low in the Alps unless you are landing at Zurich or Geneva.
"So something catastrophic has either taken place or there has been a major emergency. If it was the second it would probably have been preceded or consistent with a radio call."
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