Fighters from Yemen's Houthi movement have reportedly crashed suicide boats into a Saudi warship, killing two people.
The Saudi state news agency, SPA, said the vessels hit the ship off the western coast of Yemen on Monday, causing an explosion that killed two crew members and injured three others.
A statement from the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, reported by the agency, said the Saudi frigate "came under attack from three suicide boats belonging to the Houthi militias".
The Houthi movement's official news channel, al-Masira, contradicted this, quoting a military source as saying the explosion was caused by a guided missile they fired.
Separately, the Houthis said they launched a ballistic missile at the coalition's base island of Zuqar, between Yemen and Eritrea, on Tuesday morning, also according to al-Masira.
It is not yet known if there were any casualties.
The Houthi movement - which champions Yemen's Zaidi Shia Muslim minority - is engaged in conflict with coalition troops and pro-government fighters, who are trying to advance northward to stop them taking control of Red Sea ports.
The conflict in Yemen began when the Shia Houthis, supported by former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and allies, seized the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, overthrowing Saudi-backed President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi's government.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Judy Garland's remains moved nearer to her family in Hollywood
Judy Garland's remains have been removed from her resting place in New York and taken to Hollywood.
The Wizard Of Oz star's body was exhumed - 48 years after her death - at the request of her family, including children Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft.
They wanted their mother to be closer to their homes in California.
The transfer from a crypt in New York's Ferncliff Cemetery to Hollywood Forever Cemetery was completed on Friday.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Victoria Varela explained: "When Judy Garland died, her affairs were controlled by her husband, Mickey Deans.
"Her children had no say in the matter of her burial, so this is at last their opportunity to do what they feel their mother would have wanted in the first place - to be united with her family in Hollywood."
Hollywood Forever Cemetery spokeswoman Noelle Berman said: "The move to Hollywood was made after many years of family consultations and deliberations.
"Ms Garland's three children now reside in Southern California and wished to have their mother resting near them."
The Wizard Of Oz star's body was exhumed - 48 years after her death - at the request of her family, including children Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft.
They wanted their mother to be closer to their homes in California.
The transfer from a crypt in New York's Ferncliff Cemetery to Hollywood Forever Cemetery was completed on Friday.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Victoria Varela explained: "When Judy Garland died, her affairs were controlled by her husband, Mickey Deans.
"Her children had no say in the matter of her burial, so this is at last their opportunity to do what they feel their mother would have wanted in the first place - to be united with her family in Hollywood."
Hollywood Forever Cemetery spokeswoman Noelle Berman said: "The move to Hollywood was made after many years of family consultations and deliberations.
"Ms Garland's three children now reside in Southern California and wished to have their mother resting near them."
Will the Queen welcome Donald Trump despite protests?
On dozens of occasions the Queen has opened up her home and extended the hand of hospitality to foreign heads of state.
It is always her name on the invitation of a state visit. After all how could any world leader turn down an opportunity to meet Her Majesty?
But she doesn't get to choose her latest guest - these visits always come at the request of the Government and Foreign Office.
They decide who is worthy of a full state visit and the latest invitation to President Trump is no different.
It will not be the first time that a guest of the Queen has raised a few eyebrows. There were protests during the visits of the Chinese and Saudi heads of state to London.
Names such Romania's President Nicolae Ceausescu, Russia's Vladimir Putin and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe are possibly all signatures the Queen would rather not have in her guest book.
:: Eight controversial state visits
The momentum behind the petition asking to scrap President Trump's state visit has still come as a surprise, with more than a million signatures claiming "it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen".
Does she see it that way? I doubt it. While the palace has so far stayed quiet about the visit, the Queen realises it is her duty to be friendly and welcoming to all of her guests, and that her hospitality is an important way in which she can serve our country.
She knows the quiet power the Royal Family has on the international stage; they are a secret weapon for the Government. An audience with the Queen is enough to make any world leader feel special.
Not every American president has received a full state visit but that's exactly what Mr Trump will experience.
British pageantry at its finest: the dust sheets are pulled off the gold carriages, the state banquet cutlery is polished.
The ultimate in keeping up appearances, even if hundreds of thousands of your subjects would rather this latest guest had stayed at home.
It is always her name on the invitation of a state visit. After all how could any world leader turn down an opportunity to meet Her Majesty?
But she doesn't get to choose her latest guest - these visits always come at the request of the Government and Foreign Office.
They decide who is worthy of a full state visit and the latest invitation to President Trump is no different.
It will not be the first time that a guest of the Queen has raised a few eyebrows. There were protests during the visits of the Chinese and Saudi heads of state to London.
Names such Romania's President Nicolae Ceausescu, Russia's Vladimir Putin and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe are possibly all signatures the Queen would rather not have in her guest book.
:: Eight controversial state visits
The momentum behind the petition asking to scrap President Trump's state visit has still come as a surprise, with more than a million signatures claiming "it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen".
Does she see it that way? I doubt it. While the palace has so far stayed quiet about the visit, the Queen realises it is her duty to be friendly and welcoming to all of her guests, and that her hospitality is an important way in which she can serve our country.
She knows the quiet power the Royal Family has on the international stage; they are a secret weapon for the Government. An audience with the Queen is enough to make any world leader feel special.
Not every American president has received a full state visit but that's exactly what Mr Trump will experience.
British pageantry at its finest: the dust sheets are pulled off the gold carriages, the state banquet cutlery is polished.
The ultimate in keeping up appearances, even if hundreds of thousands of your subjects would rather this latest guest had stayed at home.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Six teenagers found dead after garden party in Germany
Police are investigating if six teenagers found dead after a garden party in Germany were poisoned by carbon monoxide.
The five young men and one young woman were found on Sunday morning by the owner of a garden shed, who wondered why his son and daughter - both among the victims - had not returned from the party.
Police in Arnstein, Bavaria, said the victims were all aged 18 or 19.
They said in a statement: "It remains unclear what led to the death of the six people, but there were no indications of any violent crime."
There was a wood-burning stove in the shed, prompting detectives to investigate the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Local police spokesman Bjorn Schmitt told the Bild newspaper the group had turned on the stove "so it is a possibility, but there are others".
He said post-mortem examinations should provide more information on the cause of the deaths.
The five young men and one young woman were found on Sunday morning by the owner of a garden shed, who wondered why his son and daughter - both among the victims - had not returned from the party.
Police in Arnstein, Bavaria, said the victims were all aged 18 or 19.
They said in a statement: "It remains unclear what led to the death of the six people, but there were no indications of any violent crime."
There was a wood-burning stove in the shed, prompting detectives to investigate the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Local police spokesman Bjorn Schmitt told the Bild newspaper the group had turned on the stove "so it is a possibility, but there are others".
He said post-mortem examinations should provide more information on the cause of the deaths.
Protests planned in UK as opposition mounts over Trump travel ban
Protests are planned across the UK today in response to US President Donald Trump's travel ban on people from certain countries.
Protests are planned to start from 6pm in London, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Swansea.
There have also been calls for Theresa May to cancel an upcoming state visit to the UK by Mr Trump, with a UK online petition gaining more than 900,000 signatures.
There has been outrage around the world over the President's executive order to temporarily ban refugees and citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries from coming to the US.
The "extreme vetting" measure means no visas are being issued for 90 days to migrants or visitors from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
:: Trump team says travel ban 'a massive success'
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Breath test could be cancer lifesaver
A simple breath test could be the key to achieving earlier diagnosis of two deadly cancers.
A trial of more than 300 patients demonstrated the test can identify stomach and oesophageal cancers with 85% accuracy by picking up on levels of acids and chemicals.
Both types of cancer are often diagnosed late and have poor survival rates.
Scientists hope detecting the cancers earlier will lead to more effective treatment and help save lives.
The test is also expected to reduce the need for unpleasant endoscopy examinations that require a flexible telescope to be inserted into the stomach via the throat.
Around 6,682 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer in the UK every year, with 4,576 dying from the disease.
:: Drugs cocktail 'creates all-out assault' on cancer
:: Doctors hail 'spectacular' cancer breakthrough
For oesophageal cancer, around 8,919 people are diagnosed and 7,790 die.
For the new study breath samples were collected from 335 patients at three London hospitals.
Of these, 163 had been diagnosed with oesophageal or stomach cancer while 172 were shown to be cancer-free after undergoing endoscopy tests.
In each breath sample, levels of butyric, pentanoic and hexanoic acids, and the chemicals butanal, and decanal were measured.
Professor George Hanna, head of the research trial, told Sky News he hoped the simple breath test would be used in the future to detect "the likelihood of multiple cancers".
Dr Sheraz Markar, one of the researchers from Imperial College London, said: "At present the only way to diagnose oesophageal cancer or stomach cancer is with endoscopy.
"This method is expensive, invasive and has some risk of complications.
"A breath test could be used as a non-invasive, first-line test to reduce the number of unnecessary endoscopies. In the longer term this could also mean earlier diagnosis and treatment, and better survival."
The results of the study, presented at the European Cancer Congress meeting in Amsterdam, showed that the test was both good at identifying those patients who had cancer, and unlikely to produce a false diagnosis.
Over the next three years, the researchers plan to run a larger trial including patients not yet diagnosed with cancer.
The team is also working on breath tests for other types of cancer, such as those affecting the bowel and pancreas.
A trial of more than 300 patients demonstrated the test can identify stomach and oesophageal cancers with 85% accuracy by picking up on levels of acids and chemicals.
Both types of cancer are often diagnosed late and have poor survival rates.
Scientists hope detecting the cancers earlier will lead to more effective treatment and help save lives.
The test is also expected to reduce the need for unpleasant endoscopy examinations that require a flexible telescope to be inserted into the stomach via the throat.
Around 6,682 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer in the UK every year, with 4,576 dying from the disease.
:: Drugs cocktail 'creates all-out assault' on cancer
:: Doctors hail 'spectacular' cancer breakthrough
For oesophageal cancer, around 8,919 people are diagnosed and 7,790 die.
For the new study breath samples were collected from 335 patients at three London hospitals.
Of these, 163 had been diagnosed with oesophageal or stomach cancer while 172 were shown to be cancer-free after undergoing endoscopy tests.
In each breath sample, levels of butyric, pentanoic and hexanoic acids, and the chemicals butanal, and decanal were measured.
Professor George Hanna, head of the research trial, told Sky News he hoped the simple breath test would be used in the future to detect "the likelihood of multiple cancers".
Dr Sheraz Markar, one of the researchers from Imperial College London, said: "At present the only way to diagnose oesophageal cancer or stomach cancer is with endoscopy.
"This method is expensive, invasive and has some risk of complications.
"A breath test could be used as a non-invasive, first-line test to reduce the number of unnecessary endoscopies. In the longer term this could also mean earlier diagnosis and treatment, and better survival."
The results of the study, presented at the European Cancer Congress meeting in Amsterdam, showed that the test was both good at identifying those patients who had cancer, and unlikely to produce a false diagnosis.
Over the next three years, the researchers plan to run a larger trial including patients not yet diagnosed with cancer.
The team is also working on breath tests for other types of cancer, such as those affecting the bowel and pancreas.
Six dead in 'barbaric' mosque shooting in Canada
Six people have been killed after gunmen opened fire in a mosque in Quebec City, Canada, during evening prayers.
Police said a further eight people were wounded in the attack which the mosque's president, Mohamed Yangui, described as "barbaric"
A witness said up to three gunmen started shooting inside the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre, where around 50 people had gathered.
Another witness said a heavily armed police tactical squad was seen entering the mosque.
Those killed were said to be aged between 35 and 70 years old.
Some of the wounded suffered serious injuries and have been taken to different hospitals across the city.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement: "We condemn this terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge. It is heart-wrenching to see such senseless violence.
""Diversity is our strength and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear."
He added: "We will make every effort to apprehend the perpetrators of this act and all acts of intolerance."
Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume said: "No person should have to pay with their life for their race, their colour, their sexual orientation or their religious beliefs."
Mr Yangui, who was not inside the mosque when the shooting happened, said he got frantic calls from people at evening prayers.
"We are sad for the families," he said.
Police said two people had been arrested - one at the scene, and another in nearby d'Orleans, Quebec.
Zebida Bendjeddou, who left the mosque earlier on Sunday evening, said the centre had received threats.
"In June, they'd put a pig's head in front of the mosque. But we thought: 'Oh, they're isolated events'. We didn't take it seriously. But tonight, those isolated events, they take on a different scope," she said.
The shooting comes amid protests worldwide over President Donald Trump's travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries from entering the US.
Police in New York are increasing patrols at mosques in the city following the Quebex shooting.
"Our prayers tonight are with the people of Quebec City as they deal with a terrible attack on a mosque. We must stand together," tweeted New York City Mayor Bill Blasio.
"To my fellow New Yorkers who are Muslim: New York City will protect you. The NYPD will protect you. We will fight all hatred and bias."
He has attacked Mr Trump's ban as a move which "runs contrary to the values of our city, and the values of the United States".
Incidents of Islamophobia have increased in Quebec in recent years amid a political debate over banning the niqab, or Muslim face covering.
In 2013 police launched an investigation after a mosque in the Saguenay region of Quebec was splattered with what was believed to be pig blood.
In the neighbouring province of Ontario, a mosque was set on fire in 2015, a day after an attack by gunmen and suicide bombers in Paris.
Police said a further eight people were wounded in the attack which the mosque's president, Mohamed Yangui, described as "barbaric"
A witness said up to three gunmen started shooting inside the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre, where around 50 people had gathered.
Another witness said a heavily armed police tactical squad was seen entering the mosque.
Those killed were said to be aged between 35 and 70 years old.
Some of the wounded suffered serious injuries and have been taken to different hospitals across the city.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement: "We condemn this terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge. It is heart-wrenching to see such senseless violence.
""Diversity is our strength and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear."
He added: "We will make every effort to apprehend the perpetrators of this act and all acts of intolerance."
Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume said: "No person should have to pay with their life for their race, their colour, their sexual orientation or their religious beliefs."
Mr Yangui, who was not inside the mosque when the shooting happened, said he got frantic calls from people at evening prayers.
"We are sad for the families," he said.
Police said two people had been arrested - one at the scene, and another in nearby d'Orleans, Quebec.
Zebida Bendjeddou, who left the mosque earlier on Sunday evening, said the centre had received threats.
"In June, they'd put a pig's head in front of the mosque. But we thought: 'Oh, they're isolated events'. We didn't take it seriously. But tonight, those isolated events, they take on a different scope," she said.
The shooting comes amid protests worldwide over President Donald Trump's travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries from entering the US.
Police in New York are increasing patrols at mosques in the city following the Quebex shooting.
"Our prayers tonight are with the people of Quebec City as they deal with a terrible attack on a mosque. We must stand together," tweeted New York City Mayor Bill Blasio.
"To my fellow New Yorkers who are Muslim: New York City will protect you. The NYPD will protect you. We will fight all hatred and bias."
He has attacked Mr Trump's ban as a move which "runs contrary to the values of our city, and the values of the United States".
Incidents of Islamophobia have increased in Quebec in recent years amid a political debate over banning the niqab, or Muslim face covering.
In 2013 police launched an investigation after a mosque in the Saguenay region of Quebec was splattered with what was believed to be pig blood.
In the neighbouring province of Ontario, a mosque was set on fire in 2015, a day after an attack by gunmen and suicide bombers in Paris.
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