Margaret Thatcher: Queen leads mourners at funeral

The Queen has led mourners in St Paul's Cathedral at the funeral of Baroness Thatcher, Britain's longest serving prime minister of modern times.

More than 2,000 dignitaries from around the world paid their last respect at the biggest such occasion since the Queen Mother's funeral in 2002.
Lady Thatcher's coffin was carried through streets lined by mourners and members of the three armed forces.
PM David Cameron said it was a "fitting tribute" to a major figure.
Four thousand police officers are on duty in central London, which saw large crowds along the route of her funeral procession, which was conducted with full military honours. There were reports of some protests but not the large demonstrations some had predicted.
The congregation at St Paul's included Lady Thatcher's family and all surviving British prime ministers, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Sir John Major, the current cabinet and surviving members of Lady Thatcher's governments,
There were tears, and occasional laughter, as the Bishop of London, Right Reverend Richard Chartres paid tribute to her forthright character in a simple service, which, at Lady Thatcher's personal request, did not include any eulogies.

"After the storm of a life led in the heat of political controversy, there is a great calm," said The Right Reverend Chartres.

"The storm of conflicting opinions centres on the Mrs Thatcher who became a symbolic figure - even an ism.
"Today the remains of the real Margaret Hilda Thatcher are here at her funeral service.
"Lying here, she is one of us, subject to the common destiny of all human beings."
The funeral service began with readings from the King James Bible by Mr Cameron and Lady Thatcher's granddaughter Amanda, with hymns chosen by the former prime minister.
A gun carriage drawn by six black horses carried Lady Thatcher to St Paul's, where a congregation of more than 2,300 guests gathered to pay their final respects.
'Beloved mother' Earlier the longest-serving British prime minister in modern times left Parliament for the last time as a hearse took her body from the crypt chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster to the start of the military procession at St Clement Danes in The Strand.
A white floral arrangement on top of the funeral bore a had-written card, from her children Carol and Sir Mark, reading: "Beloved mother, always in our hearts."
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, gave the blessing before the coffin was borne out of the cathedral and returned to a hearse which took it to the Royal Hospital Chelsea ahead of a private cremation at Mortlake Crematorium in south west London.
Lady Thatcher, who was Conservative Prime Minister from 1979 until 1990, died on 8 April, following a stroke, at the age of 87.
She was accorded a ceremonial funeral with military honours, one step down from a state funeral.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Prime Minister David Cameron said it would have been seen as extraordinary not to commemorate her life.
Asked about those who wanted to challenge his view of Lady Thatcher, the prime minister said: "Of course people have the right to disagree and take a different view.

"But when you're mourning the passing of an 87-year-old woman who was the first woman prime minister, who served for longer in the job than anyone for 150 years I think it's appropriate to show respect."
There were more than 50 guests associated with the Falkland Islands, including veterans from the 1982 conflict with Argentina, but Argentina's ambassador to London, Alicia Castro declined an invitation to attend.
Alan Southern, a former member of the Parachute Regiment who fought in the Falklands War, said: "Lady Thatcher was an absolutely wonderful lady. She loved the armed forces and she did so much for the country, she put the 'great' back in Great Britain."
Roads closed In total, two current heads of state, 11 serving prime ministers and 17 serving foreign ministers from around the world attended.
Notable absences were former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who could not attend due to ill health, and former US first lady Nancy Reagan, who was also unable to come.
Six police forces from outside London sent specialist officers to help with escorting foreign dignitaries.
Various roads along the route were closed from 07:30 BST, and Transport for London has advised drivers to avoid Westminster and the City of London. The roads are expected to be re-opened as soon as possible following the funeral.
There were union jacks on display, as well as flags from the US, Canada, Scotland, Poland and the Falkland Islands.

Wednesday's House of Commons sitting has been delayed until 14:30 BST, meaning the cancellation of Prime Minister's Questions, in order to allow MPs to attend - a move approved in a Commons vote on Tuesday.

The Metropolitan Police said it had been contacted by a small number of protesters to say they were planning action on the funeral route in protest at the impact of some of Lady Thatcher's policies while she was in power.
BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said although Monday's bomb attack at the Boston Marathon was not believed to have led to any significant changes in security for the funeral, it was expected that the police and public would be more vigilant.
Senior officers acknowledged they had a "difficult" balance to strike between allowing people to express their opinions and maintaining order, he added.
Lady Thatcher's union jack-draped coffin was placed in the Palace of Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft overnight on Tuesday.
The House of Commons speaker's chaplain kept vigil in the chapel through the night.
St Paul's has published a full funeral order of service.
 source:-BBC

 

Boston Marathon bombing: FBI reveals pressure cooker clues

Bombs that targeted the Boston Marathon on Monday may have been packed in pressure cookers, investigators say.

Images from a joint Homeland Security and FBI bulletin show the remains of a dark backpack, a detonation device and mangled pieces of metal.
Three people were killed and more than 170 injured when two bombs exploded near the finish line of Monday's race.
Those who died were an eight-year-old boy, a woman aged 29 and a postgraduate student from China.
The BBC's Paul Adams, in Boston, says vigils for the victims were held across the city on Tuesday night as Bostonians still wrestled with why anyone would want to attack their much-loved marathon.

President Barack Obama will travel to Boston on Thursday for a memorial.

'Someone knows'
FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers told a news conference that pieces of nylon had been recovered from the scene, along with fragments of ball bearings and nails that were "possibly contained in a pressure-cooker device".
He said they were being sent to the agency's laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, where experts would reconstruct the devices to determine their make-up and components.
He added: "The investigation is in its infancy. There are no claims of responsibility and the range of suspects and motives remains wide open."
Mr DesLauriers urged people to report anyone they had seen acting suspiciously.

"Someone knows who did this," he said.
Associated Press quoted a source close to the investigation as saying that the bombs consisted of explosives placed in 1.6-gallon pressure cookers, one with shards of metal and ball bearings, the other with nails.
The bombs were put into black bags and left on the ground, the source said.
Our correspondent says it has also been reported that a circuit board and battery pack - parts of a triggering mechanism - were also recovered.
Doctors treating the wounded say their injuries indicate that the bombs contained metal shards and other shrapnel. A number of victims have had limbs amputated.

Speaking at the same news conference, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said the Boston community would "recover and heal" from the attack.

"This is one community. We are all in this together," he said.
President Obama will address an interfaith service in Boston for the victims on Thursday morning.
The White House said Mr Obama had cancelled a planned trip to Kansas to speak.
Earlier, President Obama condemned the bombings as a terrorist act.
He said the attack was "heinous and cowardly" but stressed it was not yet known whether an organisation - either domestic or foreign - or a "malevolent individual" was responsible, nor what the motive might have been.
"Everything else at this point is speculation," he said.
"It will take time... but we will find whoever harmed our citizens and we will bring them to justice."

One of those who died has been named as eight-year-old Martin Richard, from the Dorchester area of Boston.
He was at the finishing line with his mother and sister, who were both seriously injured.
"They were looking in the crowd as the runners were coming to see if they could identify some of their friends when the bomb hit," Congressman Stephen Lynch, a friend of the Richard family, told Associated Press.
Flowers and tributes were being placed outside the family's home on Tuesday.
A second victim was named as Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant manager.
Her mother, Patty, shaking with emotion, told reporters that "you couldn't ask for a better daughter".

"Everybody who knew her loved her... she had a heart of gold. This doesn't make any sense."

Boston University said the third person who died was a graduate student.
The Chinese consulate in New York confirmed that she was a Chinese national. "At the request of her family, the victim's personal information will not be disclosed," said a statement from the consulate.
She has been identified, however, by a Hong Kong TV channel which said she was from Shenyang in north-east China.
The university said she was with two friends watching the race near the finish line. One of the friends, named as Zhou Danling by Chinese TV, was said to be in a stable condition in hospital.
The consulate said it was providing "all necessary assistance" to the two families.
The first explosion went off close to the finish line at about 14:50 local time (18:50 GMT) on Monday.
Seconds later, as rescuers were rushing to help the injured, another explosion went off nearby.
Speaking at an earlier press conference, Mr DesLauriers moved to reassure the public, saying there was no longer any "known imminent physical threat" to Boston.
"We will go to the ends of the Earth to identify the subject or subjects who are responsible for this despicable crime, and we will do everything we can to bring them to justice," he said.
Police have asked the public to send in any videos or photographs they may have from the day.
The London Marathon - the next major international marathon - is to go ahead on Sunday, with police saying they have well-rehearsed security plans.
Organisers have said they will hold a 30-second silence at the start as a mark of respect.
 Source:-BBC

Pope Francis in plea for poor as inauguration Mass held

Watch key moments from the inauguration Mass

Pope Francis has inaugurated his papacy at a Mass in Rome, calling on global leaders and all the people of the world to defend the poor and the weak.

Up to 200,000 people attended the Mass in St Peter's Square.
His homily focused on protection - of the environment, children, the elderly and those in need, who he said were "often the last we think about".
Francis was elected by a conclave of cardinals last week to take over from Benedict XVI.
Benedict became the first pontiff in 600 years to abdicate last month. Citing his age, 85, he said he could no longer continue in the post.
Papal ring Pope Francis, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio and now the first pontiff from the Americas, has since his election called for a "Church for the poor" and has struck an informal and spontaneous tone.

His chosen name, Francis, honours St Francis of Assisi, the 13th-Century son of an aristocrat who spurned a life of luxury to live with and for the poor.

Pope Francis' homily at the Mass began by focusing on Joseph and his role as protector - of Mary, Jesus and the Church.
Francis, 76, expanded the image, referring to Francis of Assisi and saying that the role of protector was not just a Christian one.
He said: "It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world... It means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live.
"It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about."
Francis called on "all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life" to be protectors of creation.
"To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope," Francis said.
Without care for the environment and fellow humans, "the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened", he said.
"Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world."
Francis said the pope himself must be inspired by the lowly - "the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those who Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, those in prison".
Continue reading the main story

A new look Pope

 

Francis had begun the day by touring St Peter's Square in an open-topped Popemobile.

At one point he stepped down from the vehicle and approached the barriers to bless a disabled man.

Francis spent 20 minutes touring the square, waving to the pilgrims who flew flags and shouted: "Long live the Pope!"
Isaac Adroamabe from Uganda, said: "My first impression is that the Pope is very humble, and has taken the Church in his heart."
Seven-year-old Pietro Loretti, from Italy, said: "I like him because he loves the poor."
As the Mass began, Francis was presented with his papal pallium made of lambs' wool - symbolising his role as shepherd of his flock - and the fisherman's ring bearing the image of St Peter holding two keys.
With this, Francis officially began his office as the 266th pope.
Communion was distributed by some 500 priests throughout the crowd.
The Mass was co-celebrated by around 180 clergymen, including Adolfo Nicolas, the superior general of Pope Francis' Jesuit order.
The list of attendees also included Bartholomew, the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople.

Alistair Leithead says the crowd joined in during the prayers

He is the first Orthodox patriarch to attend a papal inauguration Mass since the two branches of Christianity split nearly 1,000 years ago.
The Pope later greeted the assembled dignitaries individually in St Peter's Basilica.
Hundreds of people also gathered in the early hours of Tuesday in Plaza de Mayor, the main square in Buenos Aires, to watch the Mass broadcast on giant screens set up outside the cathedral.
They erupted in joy as a call from the Pope, made an hour before his Mass, was played via loudspeakers.
He said: "My dear children, I know you're in the plaza. I know that you're making prayers. I need them very much."

At the scene

James Robbins Diplomatic correspondent, in St Peter's Square

A smiling Pope Francis greets the faithful from an open-topped Popemobile. Pale-blue and white flags of his native Argentina bob above the heads of the crowd. One symbol of historic change.
Other hints of change - the style and length of this inaugural Mass. The new Pope shortened it. Still magnificent, but with some of the pomp deliberately stripped away. Instead of all his cardinals demonstrating obedience, just six represented them all.
Pope Francis said in his homily that his power, to be authentic, should be service to others - especially the poorest and the weakest in the world. The new Pope apparently hopes to repair the reputation of the Catholic Church by reviving basic Christian teaching.

Source:- BBC World

 

Syrians trade Khan al-Assal chemical weapons claims

The BBC's James Reynolds says there is scepticism about the claims

Syrian rebels and the government have accused each other of firing chemical weapons, reportedly killing at least 25 people in the north of the country. 

A Syrian minister said it was a "dangerous escalation" and the "first act" of a new rebel authority.
However, both a chemical weapons monitoring body and the US said there was no evidence they had been used.
Both sides say the attack happened in the Khan al-Assal region north of the second city, Aleppo.
The US says it is looking carefully at the allegations, while Russia has backed the Syrian government's claims.

If confirmed, it would be the first time chemical weapons have been used in the two-year Syrian conflict.

"Terrorists launched a missile containing chemical products into the region of Khan al-Assal in the province of Aleppo, killing 15 people, mainly civilians," Sana news agency said.
The government routinely refers to rebels as "terrorists".
State TV later said 25 people had died, while the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the figure at 26, including 16 soldiers.
Senior rebel and spokesman for the Higher Military Council in Aleppo Qassim Saadeddine said the government had carried out a chemical attack.
"We were hearing reports from early this morning about a regime attack on Khan al-Assal, and we believe they fired a Scud with chemical agents," he told Reuters news agency.
"Then suddenly we learned that the regime was turning these reports against us. The rebels were not behind this attack."
The Aleppo Media Centre, which is affiliated to the rebels, said there had been cases of "suffocation and poison'' among civilians in Khan al-Assal after a surface-to-surface missile was fired at the area.
It said this was "most likely" due to use of "poisonous gases" by government forces.

'Consequences'
Ahmet Uzumcu, director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said it was trying "to identify the symptoms which may be detected" in order to make an assessment.
He said he had no more information than what was in the media, Reuters reports.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US had "no evidence to substantiate" the allegation that chemical weapons had been used.
He repeated President Barack Obama's warning that any such use would bring "consequences" without being more specific.
Syria's Information Minister Omran al-Zoabi said that Turkey and Qatar, both of which support Syria's uprising, bore "legal, moral and political responsibility" for the attack, state TV reported.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly denied any links to the alleged use of chemical weapons.
"Turkey has never used chemical weapons and we do not have chemical weapons in our inventory. This is an activity that befits Syria only," the state-funded Anatolia news agency quotes him as saying.
"Syria has attacked and continues attacking its people with chemical weapons," he said.

'No dialogue'
Russia, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said it was "very seriously concerned by the fact that weapons of mass destruction are falling into the hands of the rebels".
This "elevates the confrontation in the country to a new level," a foreign ministry statement said.
The Syrian government itself has a large stockpile of chemical weapons, and there has been widespread international concern about their security and the possibility that they might be used.
In his first speech after being chosen by the Syrian opposition groups as prime minister of the rebel-held areas, Ghassan Hitto ruled out dialogue with the government.
"We confirm to our people that there is no place for dialogue with the Assad regime," he said in a speech to media and members of the opposition Syrian National Coalition in Istanbul.
Mr Hitto is a Damascus-born IT expert who has lived in the US for many years.
An estimated 70,000 people have been killed and one million have fled Syria since the uprising against President Assad began two years ago.

Analysis

 Jonathan Marcus BBC Diplomatic Correspondent

At this stage it is impossible to verify if a chemical weapon has been used in northern Syria or indeed who may have fired one. The government and the rebels both accuse each other.
Given Syria's extensive chemical weapons arsenal there have long been fears that either the government forces might use such weapons or that they might fall into the hands of Syrian opposition fighters. The exact status of Syria's arsenal which includes blister agents like mustard and persistent nerve agents like Sarin is unclear.
There have been periodic "scares" when Western intelligence agencies claimed to see activity at weapons depots, but so far there has been no hard evidence that chemical warheads have been delivered to the units that might fire them.
US President Barack Obama has made it clear that the use of such weapons would represent a "red line", which if crossed would lead to serious consequences.

Senate Democrats to drop assault weapon ban from gun bill

Harry Reid says an assault weapons ban would not attract the 60 votes needed to pass

US lawmakers will ditch a plan to ban assault weapons, all but killing off a key part of a gun control campaign prompted by a recent school massacre.

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said her proposal would be left out of the firearms control bill.
Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid made the decision, saying the proposal could not get enough votes.
An assault-type weapon was used in the December massacre that killed 26 at a primary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
The shooting shocked the US and revived efforts in Washington DC to prohibit such firearms.
But while polls show most Americans back an assault weapon ban, influential pro-gun lobby groups such as the National Rifle Association have pressed lawmakers to oppose such a move.
Taking away rights? Sen Feinstein said she might put forward the assault weapons proposal, similar to a previous one she sponsored that expired in 2004, as an amendment to the bill.
But she would need 60 votes from the 100-member Senate to succeed, a margin analysts say the amendment would be unlikely to reach.
"I very much regret it," Sen Feinstein said. "I tried my best."
The plan had only narrowly passed a Senate panel last week, underlining its poor chances of clearing the full chamber.
It was one of four gun control measures backed by the panel, including expanded background check requirements for people buying guns, harsher punishments for illegal gun trafficking, and more money for security at schools.
Meanwhile, the town of Newtown has seen a surge in applications for gun permits since the massacre at Sandy Hook primary school in which 20 schoolchildren and six teachers were murdered.
There have been 79 requests for gun permits in Newtown since the shooting on 14 December, police say, although the town has only issued about 130 licences annually in recent years.
A police official said people were worried about new regulations.
"A good percentage of people are making it clear they think their rights are going to be taken away,'' Robert Berkins told the Associated Press news agency.

Cyprus MPs reject EU-IMF bailout tax on bank depositors

The BBC's Mark Lowen says the controversial plans are in "total disarray"

Cyprus' parliament has rejected a controversial levy on bank deposits, proposed as part of an EU-IMF 10bn-euro (£8.7bn; $13bn) bailout package.

No MPs voted for the bill, with 36 voting against and 19 abstaining.
The finance ministry had modified the package, proposing an exemption for savers with smaller deposits, but opposition had remained fierce.
Thousands of protesters who had filled the streets outside parliament reacted with joy to the news of the vote.
EU finance ministers have warned that Cyprus' two biggest banks will collapse if the deal does not go through in some form.
However, there has been widespread outrage on the island at the prospect of ordinary savers being forced to pay a levy of 6.75%
The plan was changed to exempt savers with less than 20,000 euros (£17,000), with those over 100,000 euros charged at 9.9%, but this was not enough to placate critics.

Meanwhile, the UK ministry of defence said a plane carrying 1m euros was heading to Cyprus as a contingency measure to provide military personnel and their families with emergency loans.

The money is to be used for British personnel and their families if cash machines and debit cards stop working.
'Against the interests of Cyprus' Several MPs during the parliament debate on Tuesday evening denounced the proposed plan as "blackmail".
President Nicos Anastasiades had urged all parties to back the bailout, saying Cyprus will be bankrupt if the deal does not go ahead.
But he also said earlier on Tuesday that MPs were likely to reject the levy, despite the modifications.
"They feel and they think it's unjust and that it is against the interests of Cyprus at large. But I have to admit that it was something which was not expected by the troika and by our friends, the Eurogroup."
He has called an emergency meeting of political party leaders on Wednesday morning to discuss the way forward.
The president of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, emphasised on Monday that no other eurozone country would be forced to impose such a levy.
The Cyprus central bank chief, Panicos Demetriades, has warned that scrapping the tax on small savers would scupper the plan to raise 5.8bn euros in total from bank deposits. He also predicted account holders could suddenly withdraw 10% or more of the total in Cypriot banks if the levy was imposed.

Fearing a run on accounts, Cyprus has shut its banks until at least Thursday. The local stock exchange also remains closed.
Cyprus' banks were badly exposed to Greece, which has itself been the recipient of two huge bailouts.
Russian anger Mr Demetriades said that he favoured imposing the levy only on deposits larger than 100,000 euros, with eurozone finance ministers also suggesting such a move.
Instead, they argue that wealthier savers should pay the levy at a higher rate - losing more than 15% of their investments, correspondents say.
However, many of those larger deposits are held by Russians, and Russian leaders have already reacted angrily to the Cypriot levy - on Monday President Vladimir Putin called it "unfair, unprofessional and dangerous".

Of the estimated 68bn euros in total held in Cypriot bank accounts about 40% belongs to foreigners - most of them thought to be Russians.

The government fears a higher levy on these larger deposits would prompt many large investors to withdraw from the island and would effectively destroy its financial sector.
Russia has also said it may reconsider the terms of a 2.5bn-euro loan it made to Cyprus in 2011, which was separate from the proposed eurozone bailout.
Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris arrived in Moscow on Tuesday to see if the repayment on that loan could be delayed until 2020, and whether the interest rate could be reduced.
Officials said he would also be looking for "further investment" in his country, correspondents report, with some speculating this might mean Russian access to Cyprus' large undeveloped gas deposits.
The BBC's Mark Lowen in Nicosia says it now appears that a proxy battle of sorts is taking place over Cyprus: on the one side the EU is pushing for a lighter burden on lower savers and, on the other, Russia is angry because its wealthy nationals would be taxed hard in Cyprus.
Meanwhile, the tiny Cypriot economy's future hangs in the balance.

Levy basics

• Depositors with 20,000 - 100,000 euros deposited must pay 6.75%
• Those with more than 100,000 in their accounts must pay 9.9%
• Depositors will be compensated with the equivalent amount in shares in their banks
• The levy is a one-off measure
• Eurozone wants Cyprus to get 5.8bn euros from deposits, in exchange for a 10bn-euro EU/IMF loan
• Total of about 68bn euros on deposit in Cypriot banks, foreigners hold about 40% - most of them Russians

 

Source:- BBC News

Baghdad hit by deadly blasts on invasion anniversary

Ben Brown in Baghdad: "An anniversary drenched in blood"

Up to 60 people have been killed in a series of car and suicide bombings mainly in Shia areas in and around Iraq's capital, Baghdad, officials say.

The co-ordinated attacks targeted markets, restaurants, bus stops and day labourers during the morning rush hour.
Iraq's deadliest day in six months came on the 10th anniversary of the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Violence has decreased in Iraq since the peak of the insurgency in 2006 and 2007, but bombings are still common.
Sunni Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda have vowed to step up attacks on Shia targets and state officials this year in an attempt to provoke sectarian conflict and weaken the Shia-led government.

In a sign of concern over the security situation, the cabinet announced that it was delaying elections scheduled for 20 April in the provinces of Anbar and Nineveh by up to six months.

Political crisis Police sources told the BBC that more than 150 people were also injured in Tuesday's violence, which are reported to have included at least 15 car bombings as well as several roadside bombings and shootings.
Most of the attacks took place in predominantly Shia districts of Baghdad over a period of about two hours during the morning rush hour.
The first occurred at around 08:00 (05:00 GMT), when a bomb exploded outside a restaurant in the eastern district of Mashtal, killing four people and damaging several cars, according to the Associated Press.
Minutes later, two day labourers were killed by a roadside bomb planted where they gather every day hoping to pick up work in New Baghdad, a neighbouring area just to the south.
In the north-eastern district of Sadr City, five people died when a bomb was detonated beside a police patrol, and three commuters were killed by a device stuck to the underside of a minibus in which they were travelling, AP reported.
Another two people were killed by a blast on a commercial street in the area.
"I was driving my taxi and suddenly I felt my car rocked. Smoke was all around. I saw two bodies on the ground," Ali Radi, a taxi driver who was in Sadr City at the time of one of the attacks, told the Reuters news agency.

"People were running and shouting everywhere."

The deadliest of Tuesday's attacks appeared to have taken place near the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the eastern district of Qahira. Seven people were killed there and another 21 wounded, officials said.
Another six people died and 15 were hurt when a bomb exploded outside a restaurant close to a main entrance to the heavily-fortified Green Zone, which houses government offices and the embassies of several countries. A plume of black smoke was seen over the capital afterwards.
Attacks were also reported in the Shia districts of Husseiniya, Zafaraniya, Shula and Utafiya, as well as the Sunni district of Tarmiya.
A mortar shell landed near a clinic in the town of Taji, north of Baghdad, killing two people, while a suicide bomber targeted a bus stop in Iskandariya, south of the capital, killing five people, AP said.
Police also said three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had been set off and weapons fired in the northern province of Kirkuk.
The attacks came amid heightened security in Baghdad, which saw new checkpoints set up and key roads closed, the AFP news agency reported. Soldiers and police were searching government vehicles which would usually be allowed to pass uninspected, it added.
Tuesday is believed to have been the deadliest day in Iraq since 9 September last year, when 76 people were killed in a wave of attacks, some of which targeted the security forces.

 The first blast occurred outside a restaurant in the eastern district of Mashtal
The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says no group has said it was behind Tuesday's violence, but the Islamic State of Iraq, a militant umbrella group that includes al-Qaeda in Iraq, has in recent months stepped up its attempts to revive the insurgency.
Such co-ordinated attacks are not unusual, but it is assumed that the timing may have been chosen to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the invasion, our correspondent adds.
It comes at a time of deep political crisis in the country, with the Prime Minister Nouri Maliki sharply at odds with a wide range of political forces, including the Kurds, most of the Sunni groups, and many factions within his own Shia community.

Analysis

Jim Muir BBC News, Baghdad

Ten years on from the start of the campaign that overthrew Saddam Hussein and destroyed the country's military, security and political structures, Iraq's future as a unified state is hanging in the balance.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is sharply at odds with the Kurds, who have their own autonomous region in the north. Sunni areas in the west of the country are in revolt against Mr Maliki's government.
The prime minister, who's from the majority Shia community, is nearing the end of his second term. Parliament has ruled that leaders can only have two terms of office, but Mr Maliki is clearly determined to stay in power, and is counting on the courts to overrule parliament. His opponents, who accuse him of dictatorial tendencies, insist there can be no solution to the current crisis while he's still there.

Iraq's day of violence

• Bomb explodes outside a popular restaurant in Baghdad's Mashtal neighborhood
• Two killed when a roadside bomb hits a gathering point for day labourers in the New Baghdad area
• A car bomb explodes in a busy Baghdad market
• Three car bombs kill at least 10 in the capital's Shia district of Sadr City
• Seven killed in car bombing near the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Baghdad's eastern Qahira neighbourhood
• Another goes off near the entrance to the heavily-fortified Green Zone
• Suicide bomber in a truck attacks a police base in a Shia town south of Baghdad
• Another blows himself up inside a restaurant to target a police major in the northern city of Mosul
• (Source: Reuters/AP)

Source:- BBC News