EgyptAir hijack: Man held after using fake suicide belt

Image caption EgyptAir Flight MS181 hijacking suspect passes through airport security

An Egyptian hijacker who forced a domestic flight to land in Cyprus used a fake suicide belt, officials said.

His motives remain unclear but the Cypriot president said the incident was not terrorism-related.

Footage released by Egypt's interior ministry shows the man passing through several security checks at Alexandria's Borg El Arab airport.

The drama ended with all passengers released unhurt at Larnaca airport and the man giving himself up.

Hijacker jokes divide social media

How the hijacking unfolded

Image caption The suspect emerged from the plane and was later detained

Cypriot officials named the hijacker as Seif Eldin Mustafa and said he was "psychologically unstable".

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said Mustafa had initially asked to speak with his Cypriot ex-wife, who police brought to the airport, before making a series of "incoherent" demands.

Police in Cairo were questioning Mustafa's relatives, AP news agency reported.

Questions over security

Egypt's tourism ministry insisted all airport security measures had been "fully implemented" before EgyptAir Flight MS181 to Cairo took off.

CCTV footage released by the interior ministry shows Mustafa being frisked at two security checks and passing a slim bag through x-ray machines.

The BBC's Youssef Taha says Egypt has taken steps to improve airport security after Russian Metrojet Flight 9268 was blown up over Sinai last October.

They include an extra $1bn a year and a deal with British consultancy Control Risks to review procedures at Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh and Marsa Alam airports.

Despite this, our correspondent says checks remain inconsistent, with many VIPs and MPs refusing to be searched and airport and airline staff routinely bypassing full security screening.

Analysis - BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner

It is only some small comfort that the man who hijacked Egyptair flight MS181 was bluffing. The bulging white "suicide belt" with wires sticking out turned out to be a fake. 

It at least means that this time Egypt cannot be accused of letting someone smuggle explosives through airport security and on to an airliner as they did in October at Sharm El Sheikh airport, destroying a Russian passenger jet in mid-air.

But it still triggers a number of worrying questions about aviation security. 

How was it that a passenger, described by the Cypriot authorities as "mentally unstable" was able to carry enough materials through Alexandria airport to resemble a bomb? 

And what is to stop any future airline passenger, similarly unarmed, from pretending that he or she has a real device strapped to them?

For Egypt's battered tourism industry, which has yet to recover from the October airline bombing, this hijack is a further blow it can ill afford.

'Always a woman involved'

After a standoff lasting several hours, the hijacker walked down aircraft steps and surrendered to Cypriot security forces.

Shortly before that, several people were seen fleeing the aircraft, including one person, apparently a crew member, who climbed out of a cockpit window.

Other passengers had left the plane after appearing to have been released.

Earlier, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades had responded to a reporter's question about whether the hijacker was motivated by romance, by laughing and saying: "Always there is a woman involved."

Image caption A man believed to be the hijacker leaves the aircraft

Image caption Cypriot security services were waiting for him

EgyptAir said the Airbus A320 was carrying 56 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo, along with six crew and a security official. 

A statement from Egypt's civil aviation ministry said 26 foreign passengers were on board, including eight Americans, four Britons, four Dutch citizens, two Belgians, two Greeks, a French national, an Italian and a Syrian.

Larnaca airport, on the south coast of Cyprus, has been closed and scheduled flights diverted elsewhere.

Image caption A man was seen fleeing from a cockpit window shortly before the hijacker surrendered

Image caption Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades: "Always there is a woman involved"

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More on this storyrelated stories

Jokes about the EgyptAir hijacker divide social media

• 29 March 2016
 
• Europe

EgyptAir Flight MS181 hijacking suspect emerges from plane

• 29 March 2016
 
• Middle East

EgyptAir hijack: Cyprus president laughs off hijacking

• 29 March 2016
 
• Europe

Palmyra: Syria forces 'retake' Islamic State-held city

Image c

Syrian government forces have re-captured the ancient city of Palmyra from so-called Islamic State (IS), say state media and a monitoring group.

The Syrian army had been gaining ground for several days, supported by Russian air strikes. Military sources say the army now has "full control". 

IS seized the Unesco World Heritage site and modern town in May 2015.

Images released by the Syrian military on Saturday showed helicopters and tanks firing at positions in Palmyra. 

The date of the footage could not be independently verified.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said there was still gunfire in the eastern part of the city, but the bulk of the IS force had pulled out and retreated further east.

In a statement released on Saturday, Russia's defence ministry said the strikes hit 158 IS targets killing more than 100 militants.

Destruction of ancient sites

When IS seized the city it destroyed archaeological sites, drawing global outrage. Two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers were left in ruins.

The jihadist group, which has also demolished several pre-Islamic sites in neighbouring Iraq, believes that such structures are idolatrous.

The prospect of the city's liberation was welcomed by Unesco, the UN's cultural agency, which has described the destruction of Palmyra as a war crime.

The head of Syria's antiquities authority, Mamoun Abdelkarim, promised to repair as much of the damage as possible as a "message against terrorism".

Ancient city of Palmyra

• Unesco World Heritage site
• Site contains monumental ruins of great city, once one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world
• Art and architecture, from the 1st and 2nd centuries, combine Greco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences
• More than 1,000 columns, a Roman aqueduct and a formidable necropolis of more than 500 tombs made up the archaeological site
• More than 150,000 tourists visited Palmyra every year before the Syrian conflict

Teachers threaten strikes over excessive workload

Image caption The NUT conference supported warnings over the "perfect storm" on workload

Teachers are threatening strike action in their campaign against excessive workload.

The National Union of Teachers' annual conference has called for "sustained strike action" to back schools challenging a long hours culture.

The union says teachers' workload is "intolerable and getting worse".

The Department for Education said rather than threatening "unnecessary strike action" the NUT should "work constructively" on a solution.

As the NUT conference in Brighton voted to campaign over the "workload crisis", the Education Secretary Nicky Morgan announced proposals to tackle excessive working hours for teachers in England.

Stopping 'fads'

These plans call for schools not to adopt "emerging fads" which can mean "excessive marking" for teachers and unnecessary data collection.

It also warns against schools encouraging excessive "gold plating" approaches to marking.

The government's workload plan would require head teachers to take more account of the impact of marking on teachers' time and to prevent "unreasonable demands".

It also calls for adequate planning time when changes are being introduced in schools.

"Nothing is more damaging to the profession than wasting the passion and expertise of teachers and school leaders on unnecessary tasks," said Mrs Morgan.

She said the proposals would address the three biggest concerns about workload - marking, planning and data collection.

The NUT welcomed Mrs Morgan's reports on tackling workload.

But the teachers' union conference backed calls for "sustained strike action" in support of schools seeking improvements in workload.

'Perfect storm'

The NUT conference supported warnings over the "perfect storm" on workload, which delegates said had been exacerbated by teacher shortages and rising pupil numbers.

Delegates said teachers were now working 65 to 70 hours per week in term time.

And they argued that it was one of the most common reasons for teachers leaving the profession.

Image caption Teachers say they often work 70 hours a week

Laura Fisher from Wakefield said excessive workload was damaging the ability of teachers to teach. She said the message she wanted to send to the education secretary was "let me get on with my job".

Sheila Caffrey from Bristol said that the six words that were most likely to raise teachers' stress levels were: "You only work until three o'clock."

Kenneth Rustidge, from the union's executive, said excessive workload had become a major disincentive to people who might have entered teaching.

The conference backed calls for more teachers, lower class sizes, less teaching time and more time for planning.

NUT leader Christine Blower said: "Teachers speak of having no life outside of school, nor time for family and friends. 

"We are not talking about having to stay a little bit later of an evening, but of workloads that keep teachers working into the night and at weekends."

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "It's a shame the NUT has chosen to threaten more unnecessary strike action rather than working constructively with the government to address teachers' concerns. 

"Today's announcement of new steps to reduce unnecessary workload shows what can be achieved when we work together.

"As set out in our White Paper we are determined to continue with our vision to ensure every single child has the best possible education, as well as raising the status of the profession. It would be refreshing to see the NUT doing likewise."

Eurostar 'not expecting further service delays' following power failure

Eurostar has said it is not expecting further disruption on Saturday after passengers faced long delays due to a power failure.

Travellers at London's St Pancras station complained of long queues after a train from Paris and one from London were cancelled on Friday.

Passengers using the Eurotunnel car service at Folkestone also faced delays before and after check-in.

It followed warnings to leave time for stepped-up security checks.

Police patrols at airports and railway stations and enhanced border checks have been in place since jihadists struckin Brussels on Tuesday.

Two million Britons are expected to go abroad over the four-day weekend. Eurostar was anticipating 22,000 people would use its trains to travel out of the UK on Good Friday. 

'Useless'

One Eurostar passenger at St Pancras, Megan Eaves, tweeted pictures of the queue, saying: "Eurostar Q to end of concourse & snaking out around back door. If you're travelling from London tonight, be early!"

Others complained of a lack of information. 

Ben Crossland tweeted: "Total chaos from @EurostarUK at St Pancras. Held in a pen and nobody knows what's going on. Useless!"

A Eurostar spokeswoman said an earlier power failure had caused two train cancellations. 

"The passengers on those trains are being accommodated on other services or they can opt to exchange their ticket," she said. 

She added that speed restrictions around Paris were causing further delays.

But she stressed it was "the busiest day of Easter" for Eurostar and delays had reduced gradually throughout the day. 

BBC Travel

BBC Weather

On Friday afternoon, Eurotunnel reported hold-ups before and after check-in of between an hour and an hour and a half. 

At London's airports, more than 950,000 passengers were set to depart from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton.

Meanwhile, an estimated six million Britons were expected to make trips within the UK, with the RAC warning that the most congested stretches of road were likely to include the M5 south from Almondsbury towards Exeter, the M6 north from the West Midlands towards Lancashire and all sections of the M25.

The motoring group warned drivers to expect "heavy traffic and jams on major routes".

Rail passengers have been advised to check for alterations to their journey because a number of lines are suspended as Network Rail carries out more than 450 individual improvement projects.

• There are no Southern or Gatwick Express services from London Victoria because of major work in Battersea, south London. Southern services to the airport will be available from London Bridge, and Thameslink trains will run from London Blackfriars
• The West Coast Main Line is closed around Stafford, meaning many services will be diverted via Stoke with increased journey times
• On the East Coast, one of the two lines south of Peterborough will be closed - resulting in changes to services on Saturday and Sunday
• Heathrow Express trains will depart only every 30 minutes, because of Crossrail works

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne said he was "acutely conscious" that many people wanted to use the railway over Easter, but it was a good time to carry out work on the network because there would be fewer passengers than normal over the four-day period.

Forecasters predict changeable weather over the weekend. A band of heavy rain and strong winds is expected to move from west to east across the country on Saturday with the chance of some snow over high ground in Scotland. 

The Met Office said latest indications were that the strongest gusts, up to 60mph in exposed areas, were more likely across south Wales and southern and eastern parts of England, with north Wales and northern England less likely to be affected. 

It said those travelling should "be aware of the possibility of localised low levels of disruption to Easter travel plans and other holiday activities".

Abroad, Spain will be the most popular destination for an Easter break, with the Canary Islands in particular seeing large numbers of British holidaymakers, Abta said.

1916 Easter Rising: Dublin march commemorates rebel leaders

Image caption The Lost Leaders march commemorated the Irish rebel leaders who were executed days after the failed rebellion

Several thousand people have marched in Dublin to commemorate 1916 Easter Rising leaders, who were executed by British troops after the rebellion.

The procession began at Kilmainham Gaol, where 14 rebels were imprisoned and then shot dead. It ended at Arbour Hill cemetery, where they are buried.

Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams addressed the Lost Leaders march and the party asked participants to come in period dress.

Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness also attended.

The 1916 Easter Rising was an ill-fated, six-day rebellion against British rule in Ireland but many historians view it the event that transformed Irish republicanism, and led to the eventual creation of an independent Republic of Ireland. 

More than 480 people were killed during the Easter Rising, over half of them civilians.

Read more on the 1916 Easter Rising

Addressing the crowd at Arbour Hill cemetery, Mr Adams paid tribute to the 1916 rebels, saying "a few hundred poorly equipped Irish men and women took on the might of the largest empire the world had ever seen".

'Historic opportunity'

He said the 1916 proclamation of independence "remains the mission statement for Irish republicans today".

The Sinn Féin leader said the centenary of the Easter Rising was "an historic opportunity to look realistically towards ending partition and sectarianism and division" and to "see how we can make the united, independent Ireland envisaged in 1916 a reality".

Mr Adams added that a united Ireland "means the unity of the people of this island, including those who see themselves as British".

"That is why Irish governments must pursue every avenue to promote all-Ireland co-operation and to build relationships between all our people," he said. 

"This must include genuine efforts to outreach to the unionists on the basis of equality."

Friday's march included re-enactments performed by members of the Cabra Historical Society.

Relatives of the 1916 rebel leaders and a number of marching bands were also invited.

The event took place ahead of the main government-organised commemorations this weekend.

The main focus of the official events will be a military parade - the largest in the history of the Republic of Ireland - which will will pass through the streets of the Irish capital on Sunday.

Brussels attacks: Suspect's DNA at Paris attack sites

Image caption Laachraoui was only known by the alias Soufiane Kayal until this week

Belgian officials have named the second suicide bomber in Tuesday's attack at Brussels airport as Najim Zaachraoui, and said that his DNA was found at sites of the November Paris attacks.

The news came as three people were arrested in Brussels in connection with the attacks.

Prosecutors said the arrests were linked to a raid in Paris on Thursday, where an attack was apparently foiled.

Other suspects have been arrested in Belgium, Germany and France. 

Thirty-one people died in bombings at Brussels airport and a metro station.

More about the attacks

Why have jihadists targeted Belgium?

Why Brussels warning signs were missed

From Paris to Brussels: Why the attacks are linked

What we know so far

Victims and survivors

So-called Islamic State (IS) has said it carried out both the Brussels and Paris attacks.

What Belgian prosecutors said about Laachraoui:

• Left DNA on a piece of cloth at the Bataclan and on an explosive device at the Stade de France in November
• DNA also found in a flat in Brussels and a house in Auvelais in southern Belgium, both used by the Paris bombers
• Until this week, known only as Soufiane Kayal 

Image caption Police have been conducting operations in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek

Brahim el-Bakraoui has already been named as one of the perpetrators of the airport attack, which left 11 people dead. A third remains unidentified.

In the same statement, the prosecutor's office said three more arrests were made in the Forest, St Gilles and Schaerbeek districts of Brussels on Friday.

In the most recent raid, a man carrying a backpack was shot in Schaerbeek district after refusing to obey police orders, media say. Controlled explosions were carried out.

An area near Meiser square was sealed off by heavily armed police and military vehicles. 

The operation has now finished and the cordon has been lifted.

Schaerbeek mayor Bernard Clerfayt said a man had been arrested and shot in the leg.

'Je suis Bruxellois'

US Secretary of State John Kerry, visiting Brussels, said that IS would be destroyed.

Image caption John Kerry: "We will not rest until we have eliminated your nihilistic beliefs... from the face of this earth"

Standing alongside Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, he expressed his condolences and solidarity with Belgium, declaring "Je suis Bruxellois". 

The Western alliance would continue its fight to destroy IS, Mr Kerry said. 

"We will not be intimidated. We will not be deterred."

Image caption Police secured the area round the apartment raided in Argenteuil

Recent arrests

• Brussels: Six detained in the Schaerbeek and Jette districts, and the city centre on Thursday. Three more held on Friday in Forest, St Giles and Schaerbeek. 

• Paris: Reda Kriket, 34, arrested in Paris' north-western Argenteuil suburb, alleged to be in the "advanced stage" of plotting an attack. 2015 Brussels court conviction for IS recruitment, along with Paris attacks ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud. 

• Germany: Two suspected jihadists detained in Dusseldorf and Giessen areas on Wednesday and Thursday - both with suspected links to one of the Brussels bombers, Der Spiegel reports, and one with suspicious text messages on his mobile phone referencing Brussels. 

More details of those killed in the Brussels attacks have been released. Nationals of 40 countries were caught up in the attacks. 

Among the deaths confirmed so far:

• Three Dutch citizens, including two who were dual American nationals
• One Briton, David Dixon
• One Chinese national 

The Brussels bombings continue to have political repercussions, with questions surrounding the issue of whether more could have been done to prevent them. 

Image caption Brahim el-Bakraoui was arrested in Gaziantep on the Turkey-Syria border

Turkey has said it arrested and deported one of the bombers, Brahim el-Bakraoui, last June, warning Belgium he was a "foreign fighter" - but the message was "ignored". 

The Belgian interior and justice ministers said they had offered their resignations but the prime minister refused to accept them. 

Bakraoui's brother, Khalid, struck at Maelbeek metro station, where 20 people died.