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US court restores NFL ‘lockout’

The row could delay the start of the 2011 season, which is due to kick off in September

A US appeals court has put a “lockout” imposed National Football League (NFL) team owners back into effect, throwing the league into chaos.

The decision came hours after players had returned to work, after a judge on Monday granted players a temporary injunction to end the lockout.

The dispute began seven weeks ago after talks over collective bargaining rights and revenues broke down.

The latest upset comes amid the draft, in which the 32 teams pick new players.

The annual draft will continue over the weekend, but the college players chosen may find they cannot properly start their new careers with their new clubs.

NFL team owners imposed the lockout, which is threatening the 2011 season, last month, the first labour stoppage in the sport since 1987.

Before the latest ruling reimposing the lockout, many American football players had returned to their teams on Friday to meet their coaches and start training.

But the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals in St Louis granted the league’s request for a temporary stay of the injunction issued on Monday that ended the lockout.

The ruling will give the court time to consider the league’s request for an appeal against that injunction.

Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who lifted the lockout, had said it was “inflicting irreparable harm” on the players.

The main sticking point in the dispute between the players and the teams is how to distribute the league’s $9bn (£5.5bn) in annual revenues.

Players for the NFL’s 32 teams currently receive 60% of the revenues, something the clubs’ owners see as too generous.

The NFL takes $1.3bn for costs but it says these have risen steeply since the previous deal was struck in 2006 and it now wants to take $2.3bn, which would mean less money for the players.

The players, whose careers are often cut short by injury, claim they deserve a bigger cut of the $9bn generated annually by the NFL.

The talks also covered wages, drug testing, pension benefits, and plans to increase the number of regular-season games from 16 to 18.

No team activities have taken place since the end of the 2010 season – at a time of year when spring and summer camps generally allow coaches to work with the players in readiness for the start of the 2011 season in September.

Meanwhile, attention has focused on the draft, which will continue through the weekend.

The team with the worst record from the previous season selects first in the draft, with the second-worst team choosing second, and continuing through the teams. There are seven rounds of selections.

First pick on Thursday was Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton, selected by the Carolina Panthers.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

VIDEO: Five Minutes With: Hayley Westenra

New Zealand opera star Hayley Westenra talks to Matthew Stadlen about getting her first recording deal at 13, missing teenage parties, the importance of nerves and her grief at seeing her hometown of Christchurch destroyed in the recent earthquake.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

‘Tesco protest’ suspects hunted

Images of some of the suspects hunted by police

Images on Avon and Somerset Police site

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A series of CCTV images have been issued of suspects being hunted after protests turned violent in Bristol.

Police made 30 arrests following the clashes in the Stokes Croft area in the early hours of Friday.

Officers and protesters were injured during a second demonstration in a week against the opening of a Tesco store in the area.

Images of more than 80 people have been issued by Avon and Somerset Police following the violence.

Rocks, bottles and other missiles were thrown during the protests, which had started peacefully in Cheltenham Road, at about 2000 BST on Thursday.

Police said they were determined to identify as many people involved as possible and bring them to justice.

Assistant Chief Constable Rod Hansen said “we cannot do it all alone”.

“So I am appealing to the community, to all the residents, and traders and other people whose lives have been severely disrupted, whose property may have been damaged and whose personal safety may have been put at risk by the violence: help us bring those responsible to justice.

“”I would urge people to study these photographs, and if you think you know who any of these people are, and where they might be, please contact us.”

On Friday morning, police raided a property in the road which led to a roof-top stand-off with protesters.

The road was closed while the raid took place, before being re-opened.

A week ago, the Tesco Express store in the street was damaged during an earlier protest after another raid on a squat.

Police said last week’s operation was carried out because they feared the newly-opened branch was to be petrol bombed.

The store has been at the centre of a campaign against its opening, but Tesco insists the majority of locals have condemned the violence and said there was strong support for the store.

Thursday night’s demonstration began as a “good-spirited event” attended by about eight neighbourhood beat officers determined to keep things peaceful, police said, .

“But the crowd grew, from around 250 or so protesters earlier in the evening to more than 400,” a spokesman said.

But there were claims officers contributed to the problems.

Police at scene of Friday morning's raid in Cheltenham Road

On Friday morning, officers raided a property believed to be “directly connected” to the disorder

One protester, 39-year-old Richard Ayres, said: “I received three blows to my legs and a blow to my head for which I have received hospital treatment.”

He said he was “flabbergasted” about the way officers had conducted themselves.

Chris D’Agorne, who lives in Bristol and works for the BBC, said: “I got trapped between the police and the protesters who were throwing bins, glass bottles and bricks.

“Occasionally police officers would come out of the line to strike protesters, but they were targeted and would then have to fall back.”

A spokesman said a number of officers had sustained injuries during the violence.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “It’s very sad that a handful of individuals have once again turned against police and the local community.

“[The violence] in Stokes Croft and beyond underlines that this is not an anti-Tesco protest – our store is not even open.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Briton dies in Morocco explosion

Scene of an explosion at the Argana cafe in Marrakesh

The bombing took place in a major tourist location

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A British man was among the 15 people who died in a bomb attack on a cafe in Marrakesh, Morocco on Friday, the Foreign Office has said.

He is believed to have been in his 50s and from the south-east of England.

The Foreign Office is not yet officially confirming his identity but say that next of kin have been informed and the family has been given consulate assistance.

No group has so far said it carried out the attack in the major tourist spot.

The Foreign Office is advising Britons to stay away from the area of the attack.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

‘Paradise’

US space tourist Dennis Tito celebrates after his landing near the town of Arkalyk in Kazakhstan on 6 May 2001

Dennis Tito’s jubilant return to Earth: “I just came back from paradise!”

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Ten years ago, US multi-millionaire Dennis Tito became the world’s first-ever space tourist.

He is said to have paid $20m for his eight days in space.

Mr Tito blasted off on 28 April 2001, but only after a struggle to get anyone to take him – the US space agency Nasa refused on the grounds that he was not a trained astronaut, so it was the Russians who facilitated the trip.

To date, only six people have followed in his footsteps – paying for a ticket to orbit in space.

“I am one of the happiest humans alive ”

But 10 years on, the lure of making space tourism more accessible to the masses is just as strong.

Virgin Galactic hopes to take fare-paying passengers into space in around two years time, and a Russian company has even announced plans for a hotel in space.

On the tenth anniversary of the flight, Dennis Tito reflected on his eight-day holiday in space for BBC World Service.

Dennis Tito

There was absolutely no fear. I was so excited and so were my crew mates.

We were going to be in space, and we thought of nothing else, but the success of that mission.

Watch: Dennis Tito arrives at the International Space Station

So there was absolutely no apprehension – it was just a really good, euphoric feeling that finally the day had come.

It was not a shuttle, it was a space capsule; we were literally elbow-to-elbow.

The countdown began, and it went on schedule to the second.

It was a little surprising when lift-off occurred – I thought it would be much more rigorous; you could barely feel it, and you could not hear it.

When I witnessed a launch from the outside, even a mile away, there was a huge sound.

But we heard nothing of that within the space craft.

As we lifted off and the fuel began to burn, the vehicle accelerated and it kept on accelerating, and then you felt just a gradual build up of G-forces.

Eight minutes and 50 seconds later, you experience your last of the three-gs, and then zero-gs when the engine shuts down – that is the most spectacular moment of the entire flight.

At burn out you become weightless; there are pencils that are hung from strings in the cabin, and at orbit insertion, those pencils start to just float.

“It was a sense of completeness – from then on, everything is a bonus”

And then looking to my right, out of the window, I could see the blackness of space, I could see Earth, and the curvature of Earth, and the sight of Earth from space was just spectacular.

I cannot ever duplicate that euphoric feeling that I had at that moment.

For me it was a 40-year goal. Often achieving a major goal in life occurs slowly, but this was instant – it was just at that precise moment.

It was once we got out of the space suit that we were able to float around and experience weightlessness.

It is really extraordinary, because there is nowhere on earth that we – or any of our ancestors in the entire history of evolution – experience that.

It was a wonderful experience; the feeling of floating is just unbelievable. Moving around is not difficult and you learn very quickly.

When we were on the International Space Station we had more room – you would push off from one area, very gently, and you would fly to another area.

It was like flying, and that was a lot of fun!

A blue and white part of Earth against the blackness of space. Photo taken from the space shuttle Atlantis in May 2010

Dennis Tito said he could not duplicate the feeling of seeing Earth from space for the first time

It took two days of orbiting the Earth, 16 orbits a day, before we caught up with the station.

There were three crew members who were there for about two months as part of the long-term crew, so they don’t see many human beings, and they welcomed us with open arms.

I think we have a much better view of the Earth from the International Space Station.

The port hole that we would actually look out at the earth was through the floor, so I was always looking at earth.

Then we had some port holes that looked out to the side, and we could see the edges of the Earth – so we had two different kinds of views.

We would go from one to the other, and I would spend most of the 45 minutes – which is half of one orbit – and be either videotaping the view, or just sitting for 45 minutes, peering out, listening to opera, and just enjoying the experience.

The images are vivid in my mind. I continue to enjoy it every day!

It went very quickly and probably the most disappointing thing for me was after a total of eight days in space, I had to return to Earth.

I would have happily stayed up there for months!

For me, there was very little transition from the space flight to Earth.

Within 48 hours I was actually back to my running – I ran a couple of miles.

With Nasa, there was a strong feeling that my flight shouldn’t take place. And I think it’s somewhat understandable, it was the first truly private space flight.

And I think that they were concerned, number one, about me being a private citizen; and number two, that my age may not have qualified me.

They had probably some reason to be concerned.

I hope that tens of thousands of people can experience what I experienced, for 5% of the cost.

Dennis Tito in Beverly Hills, California in 2009

“I continue to enjoy it every day”: Dennis Tito 10 years on

I believe there will be a time, it may take 10 or 20 years, where the cost for flying in orbit might be as low as a million dollars in today’s money.

A million dollars is certainly a lot of money, but there are many millionaires in the world today, and I know people that would spend their last penny to have this experience.

I often thought that if I did spend my last penny, I could live on social security for the rest of my life and still be happy, because I’d achieved what I wanted to achieve.

It was a sense of completeness – from then on, everything is a bonus. And the last 10 years, everything since then, has been just extra.

And I think I am one of the happiest humans alive because of that.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Herbal medicine regulations start

New regulations mean many herbal remedies will no longer be available over the counter

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New European Union rules come into force today banning hundreds of traditional herbal remedies.

The EU law aims to protect consumers from possible damaging side-effects of over-the-counter herbal medicines.

For the first time, new regulations will allow only long-established and quality-controlled medicines to be sold.

But both herbal remedy practitioners and manufacturers fear they could be forced out of business.

To date, the industry has been covered by the 1968 Medicines Act, drawn up when only a handful of herbal remedies were available and the number of herbal practitioners was very small.

But surveys show that around a quarter of all adults in the UK have used a herbal medicine in the past two years, mostly bought over the counter in health food shops and pharmacies.

The regulations will cover widely used products such as echinacea, St John’s Wort and valerian, as well as traditional Chinese and Indian medicines.

Herbal remedies that have been approved for sale under the new regulations will come with this logo

But safety concerns have focused on the powerful effects of some herbal remedies, as well as the way they interact with conventional drugs.

For example, St John’s Wort can interfere with the contraceptive pill, while ginkgo and ginseng are known to have a similar effect to the blood-thinning drug warfarin.

From now on only products that have been assessed by the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will be allowed to go on sale.

Manufacturers will have to prove that their products have been made to strict standards and contain a consistent and clearly marked dose.

And to count as a traditional medicine, products must have been in use for the past 30 years, including 15 years within the EU.

They will also only be approved for minor ailments like coughs and colds, muscular aches and pains, or sleep problems.

Remedies already on sale will be allowed to stay on the shelves until they reach their expiry date.

Richard Woodfield, head of herbal medicine policy at the MHRA, says so far there have been 211 applications, of which 105 have been granted registration.

“We’re very concerned that patients appreciate they must be very careful when they take these medicines and ideally should talk to their doctor or pharmacist”

Prof Jayne Lawrence Royal Pharmaceutical Society

“Crucially, this EU directive and the registration scheme puts consumers in the driving seat so they can identify that a product meets assured standards on safety, quality and information about safe use.

“Safety speaks for itself, but quality means, are they using the right part of the plant? Is it free from contamination? Is the claimed shelf life suitable?

“Product information will include possible side effects and interactions with other drugs, but above all it must make very clear that it is based on traditional use.”

And that is a key point for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which believes the new regime is a step forward in improving safety and quality.

But Prof Jayne Lawrence, chief science adviser to the society, says there are still some concerns about herbal products.

“They certainly haven’t been tested on the same basis as a conventional medicine and some of these compounds are very potent.

“Patients might not realise that in some cases they should not take other medicines with them, or if they’re going for surgery they should tell their doctors they are taking these particular medicines because there may be complications.

“So we’re very concerned that patients appreciate they must be very careful when they take these medicines and, ideally, should talk to their doctor or pharmacist.”

The manufacturers of herbal remedies have had seven years to prepare for the new rules after the European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products was introduced in 2004.

These regulations apply to over-the-counter sales, which form the bulk of herbal remedies sold in the UK.

But some manufacturers and herbal practitioners have expressed concern, arguing the new rules are too onerous for many small producers.

Michael McIntyre, chairman of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicines Practitioners Association, says there will be a significant impact on herbal medicine practitioners and their suppliers, but admits the rules do need bringing up to date.

“Products that go on the market now will definitely do what it says on the bottle, while we didn’t know how good they were in the past.

“But registration is expensive so perhaps there may be fewer products on the market and a smaller range.

“It’s difficult to argue that the market should stay as it is, without any regulation, but how many businesses will pack up and walk away? I can’t say.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Britons mark wedding with parties

Revellers will watch the royal wedding on giant screens up and down the UK

Royal wedding watchers across the UK are hanging out the bunting as more than 5,000 street parties are held.

PM David Cameron will attend a party in Downing Street, where cupcakes baked by his wife Samantha will be served.

And St Andrews, the Fife town where Prince William and Kate Middleton met, will host 1,500 people for a breakfast.

The scenes will be replicated in streets, squares, pubs and churches across the UK, including the bride’s home village of Bucklebury, Berkshire.

A wedding breakfast is being held in the hamlet of Chapel Row where the Middletons live, and Bucklebury Farm Park is staging a day of celebrations culminating in a proms-style fanfare.

The wedding will be broadcast live on big screens in various cities and towns, including in Southampton, where people have been encouraged to dress in patriotic red, white and blue.

Hundreds of revellers will hold a fancy dress party on the restored £39m Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

Timetable (BST) on 29 April1015 – The groom and Prince Harry arrive at Westminster Abbey1051 – The bride, and her father, leave the Goring Hotel for the abbey1100 – The marriage service begins1230 – The bride’s carriage procession arrives at Buckingham Palace1325 – The Queen and the bride and groom appear on the balcony1330 – Fly past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial FlightScotland: Breakfast for 1,500 London: Final frantic touches Wales: Anglesey leads celebrations Bucklebury: Fever pitch in Kate’s village

In Cornwall, which has strong ties with the Prince of Wales, there were 30 applications for road closures so festivities could be held.

Gloucester Cathedral will show the wedding on a giant screen, and parties are planned in the city and nearby Cheltenham.

In Tetbury, residents have been encouraged to bring picnics, while in Eastbourne, East Sussex, hundreds are expected to flock around a huge screen in Princes Park.

There will be 16 street parties held in Edinburgh, including one in Broughton Street for 250 guests.

In Leeds, where Kate Middleton’s father Michael was born, celebrations will take place across the city, and York is staging a fancy dress competition and high tea.

Sheffield is planning a number of street parties, with the focus in the city centre at Devonshire Green.

Organisers of a royal wedding street celebration in Marple, Cheshire, on the other hand, have been planning their event since Christmas.

The Marple Bridge Association in Cheshire has been planning its town centre party since Christmas, and has sold 800 tickets.

Almost 250 street parties will be held across Wales, with Cardiff leading the way with more than 50.

On Anglesey, where the couple will live, thousands will watch the ceremony on a giant TV screen at the island’s agricultural showground.

Whilst in Londonderry in Northern Ireland, fans will dress in full wedding attire for royal breakfasts in community centres.

And in London, RAF colleagues of Prince William who could not make it to Westminster Abbey will stage a fly-past, and mosques are holding several events billed as “a day of joy for all of us”.

But in Edinburgh, there is expected to be a protest, and a large unofficial party in Glasgow has been criticised by the local council.

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This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Many heads ‘attacked by parents’

Survey respondents reported being punched and kicked

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As many as one in 10 head teachers has been physically assaulted by a pupil’s parent or carer, a survey by the NAHT school leaders’ union suggests.

Incidents reported by the 1,362 heads surveyed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland included being punched, spat on, kicked, head butted, bitten and sexually assaulted.

Twice as many reported being victimised on social networking websites.

The government said attacks on teachers were “completely unacceptable”.

About 1,300 of the NAHT’s 28,000 members in primary and secondary schools took part in the survey.

One respondent described a “serious kicking attack” that left its victim “badly bruised” and with “difficulty walking for a couple of days”.

Another said a table had been thrown at them. There was one case where a head teacher said a parent had tried to run them over in a car park. And one description read: “Punched in the face, bitten, kicked, spat at, hand down T-shirt to grab breasts, hair pulled.”

Almost 75% of respondents said they had suffered verbal abuse or threats from a parent in the past five years, and 86% said parents’ behaviour towards teachers had worsened.

National Association of Head Teachers general secretary Russell Hobby said: “School leaders often have to make difficult decisions about discipline, exclusions, holidays and the distribution of limited budgets.

“Many come under unacceptable pressure designed to effect undue influence on them. All are dedicated to doing what is best for the children in their care. Some pay a high personal cost for this dedication.”

But he also said “the vast majority of families” were “a pleasure to work with”.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “Violence against staff by parents or pupils is completely unacceptable. A physical assault against a teacher is a criminal offence and we support schools in working with the police to take firm action where needed.”

The report comes about a week after a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, in which about a quarter of those surveyed said they had been bullied by another member of staff.

Among the teachers who felt they had been bullied, 50% said it was by a senior member of staff, compared with 25% by pupils and 23% by parents.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The royal World Wide Wedding

By Iain Mackenzie

Google’s “doodle” featured a carriage progressing from Westminster Abbey to a fairytale castle

The marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton was an event for the internet age.

Great traditions of state were celebrated by the modern institutions of the web.

Facebook, Twitter, Google and YouTube were all given over to the royal wedding.

And, like the streets around Westminster Abbey, cyberspace was buzzing with talk of the big day.

Leading the online celebrations was the British monarchy’s own royal wedding website.

Visitors were directed to the official Clarence House Twitter feed, the royal Flickr photo account, and the wedding “event” page on Facebook.

Throughout the ceremony, @ClarenceHouse tweeted updates:

“The Archbishop of Canterbury begins the solemnization of the marriage #rw2011”

“The Fanfare plays! Congratulations to The Duke and The Duchess of Cambridge! You can use our hashtag #rw2011 to send a message #royalwedding”

Clarence House gave regular updates on its official Twitter feed

“The view of the couple arriving at Buckingham Palace from where we are based #rw2011 http://twitpic.com/4qxlhn“

“The Duke and The Duchess of Cambridge appear on the balcony #rw2011”

“Find out about the food being eaten at the lunchtime wedding reception http://bit.ly/jUHKup #rw2011″

Talk of the wedding dominated Twitter, not just in the UK, but around the world.

Twitter users shared their thoughts using a variety of hashtags, including #royalwedding and #rw11

The micro blogging site’s top “trending topics” globally were all royal-themed.

RoyalWedding#rw11casamentoreal (Spanish for Royal wedding)QILF (best not to ask!)William and KateSarah Burton (dress designer)Grace Kelly (Princess Grace of Monaco)Westminster AbbeyRutter (John Rutter – composer of “This is the day which the Lord hath made”)Anglican

While blogs and social networking sites provided users with a way of sharing their thoughts on the royal wedding, the internet also allowed people to watch the ceremony.

ABC News was one of many broadcasters streaming the wedding to mobile devices

YouTube’s live feed brought the BBC’s pictures to a global online audience through the “Royal Channel”.

It was the video sharing site’s 23rd most-visited channel of the day, but trailed behind America’s Next Top Model and Top Gear.

The BBC website, which also streamed the occasion, at one point experienced technical issues caused by “the sheer weight of traffic”.

Many TV broadcasters also live streamed the wedding to mobile devices, including smartphones and tablet PCs.

The world’s largest social networking site, Facebook was quick to extract wedding statistics from its more than 500 million users.

Some of the more choice nuggets of information include:

David and Victoria Beckham with Facebook statistics

David Beckham was mentioned in 9,000 Facebook status updates within 20 minutes of his arrival. Victoria Beckham managed just over 5,000

684,399 status updates mentioned the royal wedding over a four hour period – roughly 47 per second.2,274 users checked-in at Westminster Abbey using Facebook’s “Places” feature.A Facebook page dedicated to “Princess Beatrice’s Ridiculous Royal Wedding Hat” gained over 4,000 fans.

Measuring the scale of a global media event is notoriously difficult.

The number of TV viewers has been estimated at around two billion. In reality, that is little more than an educated guess.

Global web traffic was 39% above normal during the wedding according to Akamai

Quantifying the popularity of a topic on particular sites, such as Facebook and Twitter is possible.

However, it is difficult to gauge the impact on the internet overall.

At the height of the wedding, global web traffic, as measured by Akamai, was 39% higher than normal.

Although there is no firm evidence that this was due to the wedding, the United Kingdom was listed as a hot spot, with the country accounting for 11% of online activity.

Such was the mood of global celebration that not even the notorious “Great firewall of China” was set to filter out information about William and Kate’s nuptials.

The story, along with a picture of the bride and groom, topped the news page of the country’s most popular search engine, Baidu.

The Guardian newspaper offered two versions of its website – one for royalists, the other for republicans

Brits seeking a wedding-free news source had to look closer to home.

Refuge was to be found on the website of the Guardian Newspaper.

Visitors to the publication’s homepage were presented with the option of a “royalist” version, complete with blanket coverage, or a “republican” version, devoid of the merest mention of William, Kate or Tara Palmer Tomkinson’s hat.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Tornado video – first clip courtesy Chris England/Crimson Tide Productions

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President Barack Obama is to visit storm-ravaged communities in Alabama as south-eastern US states face up to the aftermath of devastating storms.

At least 297 people are known to have died from tornadoes that ripped through a swathe of states, 204 in Alabama.

Mr Obama will visit Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where a twister thought to be a mile wide ploughed through the city.

He has pledged government support for storm-hit communities, with federal aid money being sent to Alabama.

Deaths and widespread devastation are also reported in Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Virginia.

On Thursday the president hailed rescue workers and said he stood with every American affected by the “catastrophic” storms.

A state of emergency has been declared in seven states, and federal aid money is being sent to Alabama.

Speaking at a news conference at the White House, Mr Obama said: “The loss of life has been heartbreaking, especially in Alabama.

“In a matter of hours, these deadly tornadoes, some of the worst we have seen in decades, took mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbours, even entire communities.

Confirmed deaths by stateAlabama: 210Mississippi: 33Tennessee: 33Georgia: 15Virginia: 5Kentucky: 1

Source: Associated Press, BBC reporting

In pictures: Deadly US storms

“In many places the damage to homes and businesses is nothing short of catastrophic,” he said.

The president said he would travel to Alabama to meet those leading the emergency response and families who are “reeling from the disaster”.

“I want every American who has been affected by this disaster to know that the federal government will do everything we can to help you recover, and we will stand with you as you rebuild,” he said.

The US National Weather Service has reports of nearly 300 tornadoes since the storms began on Friday, more than 150 of them on Wednesday alone.

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has said some of the tornadoes on Wednesday may have been more than a mile (1.6 km) wide with wind speeds over 200 mph (320 km/h).

“These were the most intense super-cell thunderstorms that I think anybody who was out there forecasting has ever seen,” Greg Carbin of the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

In Alabama, as many as one million people were without power on Thursday, as emergency workers and 2,000 soldiers scoured the wreckage for survivors.

“We can’t control when or where a terrible storm may strike, but we can control how we respond to it,” Mr Obama said.

Many people were picking through the remains of destroyed homes.

President Obama: “The loss of life has been heartbreaking, especially in Alabama”

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley said he expected the death toll to rise as more bodies were discovered.

The number of deaths from the recent series of tornadoes is the greatest in the US since 1974, when an sequence of twisters claimed 315 lives in 13 US states.

One of the worst-hit towns was Tuscaloosa, which was struck by a massive tornado some experts say could have been an EF5, the strongest category of tornado.

Mayor Walter Maddox said after an aerial tour that it had torn a streak of “utter destruction”.

“We have neighbourhoods that have been basically removed from the map,” he said.

The city’s emergency building was one of those destroyed, AP reported.

One Tuscaloosa resident, Angela Smith, whose neighbour was killed, told Reuters: “I made it. I got in a closet, put a pillow over my face and held on for dear life because it started sucking me up.”

Louise Lear with the latest on the US tornados

Storms lash southern US

Another town, Hackleburg, was reported to be “90% destroyed”.

The mayor of Birmingham, William Bell said “whole neighbourhoods of housing, just completely gone. Churches, gone. Businesses, gone… [it] seems like a bomb has been dropped”.

More than 25 people died in Phil Campbell, a town of about 1,000 in north-west Alabama.

Jerry Mays, the town’s mayor, said the tornado that destroyed the town’s grocery store and medical clinic was a half-mile wide and travelled for about 20 miles (32 km).

“We’ve lost everything. Let’s just say it like it is,” Mr Mays said.

“I’m afraid we might have some suicides because of this,” he added.

The storms forced the Tennessee Valley Authority to close three nuclear reactors at a power plant in Alabama. Hundreds of thousands of homes have lost power as a result.

Mississippi reported 33 deaths on Tuesday and Wednesday. In Smithville, Mississippi, many buildings were ripped open, including a church, the city hall and the post office.

At least 14 people have been killed in Georgia and five in Virginia.

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This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Category: news

US court restores NFL ‘lockout’

VIDEO: Five Minutes With: Hayley Westenra

‘Tesco protest’ suspects hunted

Briton dies in Morocco explosion

‘Paradise’

Herbal medicine regulations start

Britons mark wedding with parties

Many heads ‘attacked by parents’

The royal World Wide Wedding

Uganda riots over Besigye arrest

Hume from home

Marriage and money

Balcony kisses seal royal wedding

Chinese human rights lawyer freed

Obama shocked by tornado damage