The bomb blast was so powerful it razed the British consulate to the ground

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At least 27 people have been killed and more than 400 injured in twin bomb attacks in the Turkish capital, Istanbul.

One of the bombs went off at the British consulate, the other at the London-based bank, HSBC.

The top British diplomat in the city, Consul-General Roger Short, was among at least 14 people killed at theconsulate.

The British Foreign Office also confirmed that another Briton, diplomatic staff member Lisa Hallworth, was among those who died.

The Turkish authorities say the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers, reportedly with links to al-Qaeda.

A man has called the semi-official Anatolia news agency to claim that al-Qaeda and the Turkish Islamic militant group IBDA-C had jointly carried out the attacks.

The bomb at the consulate was so big that buildings hundreds of metres away had their windows blown out.

The multi-storey building which housed the bank headquarters overlooked a crowded shopping centre, filled with people at the time the bomb went off.

The capital was thrown into chaos by the blasts. Traffic blocked ambulances as they tried to reach the wounded, and much of the city's phone network was cut off.

The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, condemned the attacks, and said there could be "no holding back" in confronting the "menace" of global terrorism.

The Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, is already on his way to Istanbul.

The United States has closed its consulate and warned its citizens to stay away from the area where the bombings took place.

US President George Bush said the bombers had shown "utter contempt" for human life.

The Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, said he would track down those responsible.

"Turkey will be like a fist [against the culprits]... The best response for us is to stay calm in the face of terrorism," he told journalists.

The bombs come less than a week after suicide bomb attacks against two synagogues in Istanbul in which 25 people died.

A group claiming to be linked to al-Qaeda has also claimed responsibility for those attacks, and warned that new attacks against the US and its allies are being planned.   

The Royal Family and locals have been shocked by the ferocity of the blaze

The Queen and the Duke of York have been helping to rescue priceless works from the royal residence, as 200 firefighters attempt to fight the flames.

One of the world's greatest collections of art is threatened by the flames and the Queen and the Duke of York have been helping to rescue priceless works from the royal residence.

The fire started at 1100 GMT in a private chapel on the first floor of the north-east wing and has caused damage which will cost millions to repair.

The fire brigade has not yet established how it started, but police have said they do not suspect arson.

The blaze spread quickly from the chapel, badly damaging St George's Hall, which is often used for banquets, and the state apartments.

It then moved north and took hold in the Brunswick Tower, which has been completely ruined.

The Duke of York - who was in the castle when the fire started - said the Queen was devastated by the damage.

He also told reporters he was horrified at how fast the blaze had spread.

"I heard the fire alarm and some two or three minutes later when I came out of the room I was in, you could see the smoke," he said.

Prince Andrew later joined the human chain removing valuable - and sometimes priceless - works of art from the castle before they were destroyed.

It is thought the bulk of the collection has now been saved, but the Royal Family and locals alike have been shocked by the ferocity of the blaze.

"Heartbreaking - it really is an absolute tragedy," said Berkshire Councillor, Roger Carter.

It took 250 firefighters 15 hours and 1.5 million gallons of water to put the blaze out.

One hundred rooms were damaged in the fire, which is thought to have been started by a spotlight shining on a curtain.

An intense public debate was sparked about whether the taxpayer should foot the repair bill, as the castle is owned by the British Government and not the Royal Family.

But the Queen agreed to meet 70% of the costs, and opened Buckingham Palace to the public to generate extra funds.

The ?0m restoration took five years and was completed in November 1997.