Holborn fire: Kingsway remains cordoned off as firefighters continue to tackle blaze

Part of a road in central London is still closed due to an electrical fire burning underneath the pavement.

Around 5,000 people had to be evacuated from nearby buildings after smoke was seen pouring out of an inspection cover on Kingsway, Holborn, on 1 April at around 12.30pm.

London Fire Brigade tweeted to inform commuters that part of the Kingsway was still cordoned off while firefighters tried to keep the fire contained.

A TfL spokesperson said: ''Due to the ongoing fire at Holborn local road closures are in place and customers are advised to check our real time travel feeds on Twitter and to check the TfL website for the latest travel information."

Onlookers described "crazy scenes" and "madness" as smoke rose so high in the air that it could be seen from the Shard skyscraper.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the fire has been contained but has been "technically difficult" to tackle.
Commuters have been tweeting about the disruption to travel this morning, while others are at work or at home without electricity.

Somerset House was still closed at 9.30am on 2 April, and Benedict Cumberbatch's appearance at Letters Live at the Freemasons' Hall was among the events called off on the evening on 1 April after the fire caused several power outages.

Performances of West End shows including Mamma Mia at the Novello,The Lion King at the Lyceum, Beautiful at the Aldwych,Play That Goes Wrong at the Duchess, Charlie and the Choloate Factory at Drury Lane, Woman in Black at the Fortune, and Gypsy at the Savoy were cancelled according to London Theatre Direct.
UK Power Networks told the BBC around 1,000 customers were currently affected by the power cuts and they had restored power to 2,000.
Apologising to customers Matt Rudling, from UK Power Networks, said: "The gas is still burning under there and until we can gain access to that particular area we won't understand what's caused it and what we can do."

Holborn fire: Kingsway remains cordoned off as firefighters continue to tackle blaze

Part of a road in central London is still closed due to an electrical fire burning underneath the pavement.

Around 5,000 people had to be evacuated from nearby buildings after smoke was seen pouring out of an inspection cover on Kingsway, Holborn, on 1 April at around 12.30pm.

London Fire Brigade tweeted to inform commuters that part of the Kingsway was still cordoned off while firefighters tried to keep the fire contained.

A TfL spokesperson said: ''Due to the ongoing fire at Holborn local road closures are in place and customers are advised to check our real time travel feeds on Twitter and to check the TfL website for the latest travel information."

Antarctica is alluring and forbidding

Their beady little eyes, squarish torsos and adorable waddling make penguins one of the main attractions for tourists who come to Antarctica. But far from the surface waters where they swim with seals and whales, deep in the oceans and across thousands of miles of frozen continent is another side of Antarctica that is both forbidding and mysterious.
It's in those places that scientists study the rapid melting of icebergs and global warming, look for clues about humanity's past that could help us see the future and even find forms of life that survive and thrive in extremely harsh conditions.
Over two weeks, an Associated Press team traveled to Antarctica with scientists who were looking for hints of pollution, studying rock formations and analyzing the worrisome melting of the ice along the western side of the continent. Along the way, the team encountered awe-inspiring glaciers and jagged craters, a Russian orthodox church that doubles as a beacon of light for incoming ships and even spent several days stranded in a nasty patch of fog, the kind of volatile weather that is practically a staple of any Antarctica visit.
This selection of photos provides a window into to some of the animals, landscapes and unique people who live and work in one of the world's most inhospitable yet important places.

Antarctica is alluring and forbidding

Their beady little eyes, squarish torsos and adorable waddling make penguins one of the main attractions for tourists who come to Antarctica. But far from the surface waters where they swim with seals and whales, deep in the oceans and across thousands of miles of frozen continent is another side of Antarctica that is both forbidding and mysterious.
It's in those places that scientists study the rapid melting of icebergs and global warming, look for clues about humanity's past that could help us see the future and even find forms of life that survive and thrive in extremely harsh conditions.
Over two weeks, an Associated Press team traveled to Antarctica with scientists who were looking for hints of pollution, studying rock formations and analyzing the worrisome melting of the ice along the western side of the continent. Along the way, the team encountered awe-inspiring glaciers and jagged craters, a Russian orthodox church that doubles as a beacon of light for incoming ships and even spent several days stranded in a nasty patch of fog, the kind of volatile weather that is practically a staple of any Antarctica visit.
This selection of photos provides a window into to some of the animals, landscapes and unique people who live and work in one of the world's most inhospitable yet important places.

Italy's top court overturns Amanda Knox conviction

 

 

In a final, stunning ruling, Italy's highest court on Friday overturned the convictions of American Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend in the sensational murder case of Knox's British roommate.

The six judges of the Court of Cassation announced their decision about 10:30 p.m. in Rome (5:30 p.m. ET). They began deliberating at noon after closing arguments by a lawyer for Raffaele Sollecito, Knox's boyfriend when 21-year-old Meredith Kercher was stabbed to death in late 2007.

"I am tremendously relieved and grateful for the decision of the Supreme Court of Italy," the 27-year-old Knox said in a statement from her home in Seattle. "The knowledge of my innocence has given me strength in the darkest times of this ordeal."

She thanked everyone who supported her. "Your kindness has sustained me."

Her Italian lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said she "was crying because she was so happy" when he called to deliver the news.

Late Friday night, Knox, surrounded by family, delivered another short statement. "You saved my life. ...I'm so grateful to have my life back," she said tearfully.

She went on to describe Kercher as a friend: "She deserved so much in this life. I... I'm the lucky one."

Knox's mother, Edda Mallas, said the family needed "time to digest" the news.

The ruling, which struck down last year's guilty verdicts by a Florence appeals court, brings the eight-year case to a close. The judges concluded that the evidence did not support a conviction, and they declined to order another trial. Their reasoning will be released within 90 days.

Knox and Sollecito had served four years in Italian prisons before a lower court overturned their convictions and set them free in 2011. But the Cassation Court reversed that decision in 2013 and sent the case to the lower Florence court.

Knox had consistently maintained her innocence and did not return to Italy for the final hearing. Her Italian lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said she was "very worried" in the days before the ruling, and vowed to never willingly return to Italy if the conviction was upheld.

USA TODAY

Lawyer for Knox's ex-boyfriend makes final court appeal

Sollecito's lawyer made a final appeal to the court Friday, saying there were "colossal" errors in the Florence appeals court verdict.

In her two-hour argument, Giulia Bongiorno compared Sollecito to Forrest Gump, the naive, dim-witted-but-earnest fictional hero of the book and 1994 movie starring Tom Hanks.

"He is an innocent who became wrapped up in spectacular and gigantic events that, like Forrest Gump, he did not fully realize," she said, saying her client was "was watching cartoons" at home when Kercher was killed.
Amanda Knox was convicted in 2009 for the murder of her housemate, Meredith Kercher, in Perugia, Umbria, Italy, where they were both students. She served four years of a 26-year sentence before the murder conviction was overturned in October 2011. Now she is working to move on with her life. (Photo: Scott Eklund, Red Box Pictures, for USA TODAY)
 

Italy's top court overturns Amanda Knox conviction

 

 

In a final, stunning ruling, Italy's highest court on Friday overturned the convictions of American Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend in the sensational murder case of Knox's British roommate.

The six judges of the Court of Cassation announced their decision about 10:30 p.m. in Rome (5:30 p.m. ET). They began deliberating at noon after closing arguments by a lawyer for Raffaele Sollecito, Knox's boyfriend when 21-year-old Meredith Kercher was stabbed to death in late 2007.

"I am tremendously relieved and grateful for the decision of the Supreme Court of Italy," the 27-year-old Knox said in a statement from her home in Seattle. "The knowledge of my innocence has given me strength in the darkest times of this ordeal."

She thanked everyone who supported her. "Your kindness has sustained me."

Her Italian lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said she "was crying because she was so happy" when he called to deliver the news.

Late Friday night, Knox, surrounded by family, delivered another short statement. "You saved my life. ...I'm so grateful to have my life back," she said tearfully.

She went on to describe Kercher as a friend: "She deserved so much in this life. I... I'm the lucky one."

Knox's mother, Edda Mallas, said the family needed "time to digest" the news.

The ruling, which struck down last year's guilty verdicts by a Florence appeals court, brings the eight-year case to a close. The judges concluded that the evidence did not support a conviction, and they declined to order another trial. Their reasoning will be released within 90 days.

Knox and Sollecito had served four years in Italian prisons before a lower court overturned their convictions and set them free in 2011. But the Cassation Court reversed that decision in 2013 and sent the case to the lower Florence court.

Knox had consistently maintained her innocence and did not return to Italy for the final hearing. Her Italian lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said she was "very worried" in the days before the ruling, and vowed to never willingly return to Italy if the conviction was upheld.

USA TODAY

Lawyer for Knox's ex-boyfriend makes final court appeal

Sollecito's lawyer made a final appeal to the court Friday, saying there were "colossal" errors in the Florence appeals court verdict.

In her two-hour argument, Giulia Bongiorno compared Sollecito to Forrest Gump, the naive, dim-witted-but-earnest fictional hero of the book and 1994 movie starring Tom Hanks.

"He is an innocent who became wrapped up in spectacular and gigantic events that, like Forrest Gump, he did not fully realize," she said, saying her client was "was watching cartoons" at home when Kercher was killed.
Amanda Knox was convicted in 2009 for the murder of her housemate, Meredith Kercher, in Perugia, Umbria, Italy, where they were both students. She served four years of a 26-year sentence before the murder conviction was overturned in October 2011. Now she is working to move on with her life. (Photo: Scott Eklund, Red Box Pictures, for USA TODAY)