Syrian troops attack Hama

Alaa Shahine, Beirut

SYRIAN soldiers backed by tanks stormed the city of Hama yesterday, killing at least 62 people, Al Arabiya television reported.

Dozens of people were wounded, the television network said, citing human rights activists it didn't identify.

''They are firing at all directions,'' a witness identified only as Ahmed said in a live interview with Al Jazeera television. Sounds of gunfire and people screaming could be heard as he talked. Footage broadcast by Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya showed columns of black smoke billowing from the city.

UZINDUZI WA MAONESHO YA PICHA ZA BRAZIL JENGO LA AGA KHAN MALINDI (OLD DISPENSARY)

WAZIRI wa Habari Utamaduni Utalii na Michezo Abdillah Jihad Hassan akizinduwa maonesho ya Picha yalioandaliwa na Ubalozi wa Brazil Tanzania kusho Balozi wa Brazil Tanzania Francisco Luz, maonesho hayo yamefanyika jumba la Utamaduni la Aga Khan Malindi

Balozi wa Brazil Francisco Luz akitowa maelezo ya maonesho hayo ya picha zinazoelezea Brazil. kulia Waziri wa Habari Utamaduni Utalii na Michezo Abdillah Jihad.

BAADHI ya waalikwa wa uzinduzi wa maonesho ya picha wakimsikiliza mgeni rasmin akifunguwa maonesho hayo.

Picha kutoka kwa Othman Mapara.

FUTARI YA MABOGA IKIWA SOKONI MWANAKWEREKWE IKISUBIRI WALAJI RAMADHANI.

MOJA ya futari zinazopendwa katika visiwa vya Zanzibar maboga yakiwa katika soko la Mwanakwerekwe kwa ajili ya matumizi ya futari boga moja sokoni hapo linauzwa shilingi 1500/= na 3000/=

Watu 4 wapikwa risasi kwenye tamasha la George Clinton katika mji wa Cleveland

CLEVELAND — Police said four people were shot after a concert in a Cleveland park that was headlined by funk music legend George Clinton.

Cleveland Police Sgt. Sammy Morris said three males and one female were injured in the shooting, which occurred around 10 p.m. Saturday in the area of Luke Easter Park.

A report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper indicated two of the wounded were hospitalized in critical condition and the other two were stable.

Additional information about the victims was unavailable and police didn't immediately return calls by The Associated Press for details.

The report said thousands of people had gathered earlier for the eighth annual Unity in the Park festival featuring George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic.

Police said they had no description of the suspect and reported no one in custody.

Late Stab at Debt-limit Deal to Avert US Default

Norway police: Anders Behring Breivik had other targets

WASHINGTON — The U.S. should be ashamed that its laws would allow high-capacity gun clips used in the Norwegian massacre to be sold and shipped overseas, says a New York congresswoman seeking to restrict use of such clips. Read more>>

MASHINDANO YA KUTOKOMEZA MALARIA YAFANA DAR

Majaji wa mashindano hayo wakiwa makini kuhakikisha anapatika mshindi wa uhakika

Wanafunzi wa Jangwani wakionesha umahiri wao wa kuimba wimbo wa kutokomeza ugonjwa wa Malaria

Wanafunzi wa Shule ya Sekondari ya Wasichana ya Zanaki, wakiimba wimbo wa kuhamasisha watu kutokomeza Malaria katika mashindano hayo. wakati wa mashindano ya baadhi ya shule za sekondari za Mkoa wa Dar es salaam, katika Shule ya Sekondari ya Wasichana ya Jangwani, Dar es salaam. Mashindano hayo yaliandaliwa na mpango wa Kutokomeza Malaria nchini wa Zinduka. (PICHA ZOTE NA RICHARD MWAIKENDA)

Baby Jayden Amtembelea Prince Hudhaifa kwa kutimiza mienzi 4..!!!

Rock and roally kwenye flashi ya pamoja Bay Jay jay akiwa na Hudhaifa, siku ya kutimiza mienzi 4 tangu kuzaliwa kwake

  
Tusiwaangalie watoto jinsi wanavyokua tujiangalie sisi tunavyozeeka na 2011

Why the next elections may be held in 2013

Minister for Justice Mutula Kilonzo (pictured) advises that the elections law should be enacted by Parliament first before talking about the election date. William Oeri | Nation| File

The General Election could be held in 2013 contrary to the popularly held view that it will be in August next year.

Many at high levels of government and influential coalition politicians are of the view that the new Constitution preserves the term of the current MPs until January 15, 2013, exactly five years after the current Parliament was sworn in on January 15, 2008.

Those pushing for the March 2013 date cite Article 262(10) of the Constitution which says that this Parliament must serve its full term. It says: “The National Assembly existing immediately before the effective date shall continue as the National Assembly for the purposes of this Constitution for its unexpired term.”

For them, having been sworn in on January 15, 2008, the five-year term ends on January 15, 2013. Therefore, they argue, the poll would be held 60 days after January 15, 2013 which would be March 15, 2013. Read more >>

JK AKUTANA NA MSHAURI WA KATIBU MKUU WA UN, PROF SACHS

Rais Dr.Jakaya Kikwete akimkaribisha Ikulu, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs mshauri maalum wa Katibu mkuu wa Umoja wa mataifa jijini Dar es Salaam leo(picha na Freddy Maro)

Muda unayoyoma Marekani

Kushoto,Wengi Kiongozi Harry Reid, Rais Obama, na kulia House Spika John Boehner.

Rais wa Marekani Barack Obama anakutana na wanachama wakuu wa chama cha Demoratic kushughulikia pendekezo jipya, katika jitihada za kufikia maafikiano na kuepusha janga la kushindwa kulipa deni la nchi hiyo

Wanachama wa republican pia wanasema wamo katika mazungumzo muhimu na wana imani ya kufikia makubaliano. Mabaraza yote ya wawakilishi na seneti ambayo yanaongozwa na vyama hasimu, yamepinga mapendekezo yaliyowasilishwa. Rais Obama anaetaka kuumaliza mjadala huo wa deni la nchi hiyo, hapo jana, alisisitiza mwito wake

Marekani ina mpaka saa sita usiku Jumanne, kufikia makubaliano ya kupandisha kiwango cha deni la nchi hiyo, la sivyo itashindwa kulipa madeni yake, hali itakayoweza kuathiri vibaya uchumi duniani.

Mwandishi: Maryam Abdalla/afp rtr cnn dwtv, Mhariri:Martin, Prema

Angelina Jolie in Bosnia for film festival

Angelina Jolie and Bred Pitt 

Angelina Jolie and Bred Pitt arrive on the red carpet during the final night of the 17th Sarajevo film festival in Sarajevo in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on Saturday, July 30,2011. 

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have arrived in Bosnia's capital to take part in the closing ceremony of the eight-day Sarajevo Film Festival. Festival organizers said Saturday the actress will be receiving a special award during the surprise visit. 

Jolie visited Bosnia last year several times as UNHCR ambassador and drew attention to the plight of 117,000 people who haven't able to return to their homes even though the Bosnia war ended 15 years ago

Man United waibamiza timu ya Barcelona bao 2-1 nchini Marekani..!!!

By BOB CASS

Manchester United completed their five-match pre-season programme in the United States by settling on old score even though a 'friendly' victory over their European Cup conquerors hardly rates as a momentous one.

Michael Owen's 76th minute winner, his third on the tour, which followed a Nani opener and an equaliser from Thiago maintained United's one hundred per cent record, scoring 20 goals and conceding three.

United, roasted in the Champions League final nine weeks ago, could hardly have been less accustomed to playing in such furnace-like conditions on an evening when the temperature inside the magnificent FedEx Stadium on the outskirts of America's capital city was the kind of lure that is the stuff of package holidays in Spain.

Goalpoacher supreme: Owen beats Valdes for United's winner

After a day when the thermometer rose to above a hundred degrees, a drop of five degrees by kick-off time offered meagre comfort. But any expectation of football played at an ambling pace was quickly dispelled by the game's quite obvious competitive edge.

If United burned with revenge for their 3-1 defeat at Wembley, Barca were clearly in no mood to roll over judging from the way the pressed their opponents whenever they had possession and tackled fiercely enough for Jonathan dos Santos to receive a yellow card for toppling Ashley Young on the half-hour.

Crunching: Young buckles under Dos Santos's challenge

But the Spanish club were without a trio of their Cup-winning heroes Lionel Messi, Xavier Mascherano and Dani Alves - and it showed.

Not that United were at full strength either. Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up provided the United manager with an opportunity to test the calibre of first-team aspirants such as Jonny

Evans, Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck and he must have been happy with their contribution.

The response of the 81,000 strong American crowd (their fifth record attendance on the trip) to any incident underlined the fact that, not only was there growing enthusiasm for the sport but also an awareness of its finer points.

Getting shirty: Rooney tussles with Dos SantosSaturday, July 30, 2011, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The thousands wearing United shirts throw up their hands in despair when Wayne Rooney wasted a great chance of giving his side a tenth minute lead, shooting wide from eight yards.

But the disappointment turned to delight when Nani scored in the 22nd minute. The Portuguese winger, timing his run perfectly to beat the Barca offside trap, raced on to Danny Welbeck's precision pass and shoot through Victor Valdes's legs.

On the mark: Nani put United ahead

United clearly bossed the first half but all their good work would have come to nothing had Ibrahim Afellay been more accurate in the 36th minute but the Dutchman was so off target with his shot it almost hit a corner flag.

Ferguson brought on Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen and Chris Smalling for Anderson, Rooney and Patrice Evra for the second half, underlining that the real purpose of the game was to hone the match fitness of as many players as possible while adhering to the United tradition of showing a distinct aversion to losing.

Gabriel Obertain replaced Young in the 62nd and four minutes later was involved in a great United move which ended with Valdes making a great diving save to deny Wellbeck.

Transfixed: Anderson can't take his eyes off the ball

If the Barca fans felt they were cheated by the absence of much of their team's Wembley magic, their wishes were granted by two examples of skill - one which should have produced a goal and another which did.

David De Gea just managed to get a hand to the ball to foil Thiago after a superb chip by Iniesta in the 66th minute.

But four minutes later United's new keeper was beaten all ends up when Thiago's viciously swerving shot flew into the top left hand corner.

Hands on: De Gea thwarts Alcantara

It took United six minutes to restore their advantage with a goal from Owen that was a throw-back from his glory days with Liverpool and England.

The 31-year-old striker strode on to a neat pass from Cleverley and beat Valdes with a delicate chip over the diving keeper.

But Owen will rue missing a sitter right on the 90th minute when he somehow contrived to shoot over the bar from six yards out with only Valdes to beat.

Wajumbe wa chama cha Democrat na wa Republican wamekubaliana kutoa tarehe ya mwisho usiku wa manane kwa ajili ya mpango wa madeni

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) speaks during a joint news conference with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)(L) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) (R) on the Republican Filibuster of Reid's debt plan on Capitol Hill in Washington July 29, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Yuri Gripas

Unyamwezini ndani ya Washington DC Native Deen -- Ramadan is Here

SWAHILIVILLA INAWATAKIA RAMADHAN NJEEMA KWA WOTE UMATI MUHAMMAD MUHAMMED S.A.W ...PEACE

HII NDIO BIRIYANI HALISI

Pilau, mchuzi wa kuku, chuzi nyama, samaki wakupaka, chapati, mandazi, katlesi, mishkaki, Mkate wa ufuta, kwa wanaozitambua chila. Na hii ndio biriayani halisi uliyopikwa na mkongwe mzowefu.

Anti saadie Haji Yussuf. Hapa Washington Dc. Yeye anapika nyinyi mnapakuwa kazi kwenu wakaazi wa mjini hapa. Kwa sherehe sherehe za mwisho wa mwaka huu, wasiliana nasi kwa njia ya simu ....No' (301-273-3078)

Email: kijiko12@hotmail.com

Juicyteefa' CommandoYosso akiwa kwenye sherehe ya Rafiki Yake!

Ndani ya Kitchen Near You African Cuisene Juicyteefa' akishehereke siku ya kuzaliwa  kwa rafiki wa baba yake, jana July 29,2011 ndani ya Kitchen Near You iliyokuwepo mita ya kavurugeni miondoke Hyattsville Maryland.

Juicyteefa akipata flash kutoka kwa web editor wa libeneke laswahilivilla Ebou Shatry! jana ijumaa ndani ya  Kitchen Near You.

Caribbean Airlines plane crashes in Guyana, 163 survive

A Boeing 737-800 overshot the runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Saturday, July, 30, 2011. (Kaieteur News Guyana)

Updated: Sat Jul. 30 2011 11:26:50

The Associated Press

GEORGETOWN, Guyana — A Caribbean Airlines jet from New York touched down on rainy runway, then slid through a chain-link fence and broke apart just short of a ravine on Saturday in Guyana. Miraculously there were no immediate reports of death among the 163 people aboard, despite several dozens of injuries.

Passengers aboard Flight 523 said they had begun to applaud the pilot's landing in the South American country when suddenly things went wrong.

The Boeing 737-800 apparently overshot the 7,400-foot (2,200-meter) runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport and barely missed a 200-foot (60-meter) ravine that could have resulted in dozens of fatalities, said President Bharrat Jagdeo, who came to the crash site before dawn. Read more>>

FC Barcelona wakifanya mazowezi jana July 29, 2011 ndani ya FedEx Field

Timu FC Barcelonaya leo hii kucheza mchezo wa kirafiki dhidi ya timu Manchester United Mabingwa wa Uingereza katika kiwanja cha FedEx Field Stadium Maryland.

Mechi hiyo ya kickoff uliopangwa kucheza mida ya 7:00 pm, kwa wale wapenzi wa mpira wa miguu, Bongo Real na timu ya Unyarugusu, Habari ndio hiyo leo Jumamosi Julai,30,2011.. Usikose kuona uhondo huo 

Angali video ya FC Barcelona wakifanya mazowezi jana July 29, 2011 ndani ya FedEx Field.

Bajeti ya Marekani imekwama...!!!

Na BBC Yetu

Mjadala kati ya wanasiasa, kuhusu bajeti, na jinsi ya kuzidisha kiwango cha mkopo wa serikali ya Marekani ungali umekwama.

Ufumbuzi unatakiwa ufikiwe kabla ya Jumaane, ambapo Wizara ya Fedha itaanza kupungukiwa na fedha za kulipia matumizi ya serikali.

Ijumaa usiku, baraza la wawakilishi, ambalo wabunge wake wengi ni kutoka chama cha Republican, lilipitisha mswada kuzidisha kiwango cha mkopo na kupunguza matumizi ya serikali, lakini mswada huo ulikataliwa na baraza la Senate, lenye wajumbe wengi wa chama cha Democrat.

Hali ya uhasama na mashindano imetanda Washington huku Jumaane inakaribia.

Wanasiasa bado wanavutana wakati wanahitaji kupatana ili kuepuka wasi-wasi na pengine matafaruku katika uchumi wa Marekani, ikiwa muafaka haukufikiwa kabla ya tarehe ya mwisho, yaani tarehe mbili Agosti.

Mswada uliopendekezwa na wabunge wa chama cha upinzani cha Republican Ijumaa, katika baraza la wawakilishi, ulizimwa katika baraza la Senate, ambako wajumbe wa chama cha Democrat sasa wanashindana na upinzani, na wanajaribu kusukuma mbele pendekezo lao wenyewe.

Lakini mswada huo piya, uliopendekezwa na kiranja wa chama cha Democrat, Harry Reid, unafanyiwa kazi ili ukubalike kwa wengi.

Vikao kati ya wanasiasa vitaendelea weekendi nzima na huenda makubaliano yakafikiwa dakika ya mwisho, na hatimaye kuwatuliza raia na masoko.

Mhe. Anne Makinda atembelea Ubalozi wa Uk Leo

Spika wa Bunge Mhe. Anne Makinda akisaini kitabu cha wageni mara baada ya kutembelea Ubalozi wa Tanzania nchini Uingereza. Pembeni ni Naibu Balozi wa Tanzania Nchini Uingereza Mhe. Chabaka Kilumanga aliyemkaribisha Mhe. Spika Ubalozini. Picha na Owen Mwandumbya wa Bunge

Spika wa Bunge Mhe. Anne Makinda akiangalia picha mbalimbali za Mabalozi wa Tanzania waliowahi kuhudumia Ubalozi wetu tangu Uhuru nchini Uingereza zilivyopambwa katika ngazi za kuingia Ubalozini hapo mara baada ya kutembelea Ubalozi huo Leo. Anaemuongoza kuingia ni Naibu Balozi wa Tanzania Nchini Uingereza Mhe. Chabaka Kilumanga. Picha na Owen Mwandumbya wa Bunge

Spika wa Bunge Mhe. Anne Makinda akiwa katika picha ya Pamoja na Naibu Balozi wa Tanzania Nchini Uingereza Mhe. Chabaka Kilumanga mara baada ya kutembelea Ubalozi wa Tanzania nchini Uingereza. Pembeni ni mjumbe wa kamati ya Mambo ya Nje, Ulinzi na Usalama ya Bunge Mhe. Beatrice Shelukindo aliyekuwa ameambatana na Mhe. Spika. Picha na Owen Mwandumbya wa Bunge

Spika wa Bunge Mhe. Anne Makinda akiwa katika picha ya Pamoja na Naibu Balozi wa Tanzania Nchini Uingereza Mhe. Chabaka Kilumanga pamoja na watumishi wote wa Ubalozi wetu nchini Uingereza mara baada ya kutembelea Ubalozi wetu Uingereza. Picha na Owen Mwandumbya wa Bunge

Kate joins the party on the Royal Yacht Britannia on the eve of another big wedding... as Zara and Mike enjoy one last kiss

By DEBORAH ARTHURS, EMILY ALLEN, REBECCA ENGLISH and REBECCA EVANS

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stole the show last night as they boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia for a pre-wedding cocktail party ahead of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall's wedding.

They were among scores of guests invited on board the vessel for drinks ahead of the couple's big day today.

The newlyweds looked a picture of happiness as they mingled with guests and family members - including Prince Harry and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

Zara and England Rugby star Mike did not hold back expressing their clear affection for each other, posing for one last kiss in front of well-wishers following their wedding rehearsal at Edinburgh's Canonbury Kirk yesterday.

  

Happy: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge laugh as they leave the Royal Yacht Britannia following a pre-wedding cocktail party hosted by Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall


Zara Phillips laughs as she enjoys a cocktail party on board the Royal Yacht Britannia with fiancé Mike Tindall

 

Zara flashes some leg as she negotiates the steps on board the yacht before being guided down by fiancé Mike Tindall who looked smart in a blue suit and cream tie

Zara, who arrived at the rehearsal wearing flip-flops, jeans and a hoodie, swiftly transformed herself in a £500 tie-dye silk dress from the U.S. label Alice and Olivia for the evening celebration - although it did reveal a white mark where he bikini top had been.

Once on board the yacht, she was spotted laughing and joking with friends - many of whom were rugby player friends of her fiancé.

The couple were also joined by the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Zara's brother Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn - and of course the bride's mother Princess Anne and her father Captain Mark Phillips.

Guests were photographed in dinner suits and evening suits sipping pink champagne as the sun set over Edinburgh.

Princess Beatrice looked stunning in a purple dress and belt, while Princess Eugenie opted for a red number.

All aboard: Prince William and Kate, with Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice in red and purple with the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Bea's boyfriend Dave Clark (centre)

 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge make their way off the yacht with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Prince Harry and the Countess of Wessex

All smiles: The Royals leave the yacht with the girls gripping the bannister as they made their way down the steps

The Duchess of Cambridge looked striking in a bright green dress which she teamed with black heels.

The yacht, permanently moored in the historic port of Leith, served the Queen for 44 years - although she did not attend the festivities.

During that time Britannia carried the monarch and the Royal Family on 968 official voyages, from the remotest of the South Seas to the deepest divides of Antarctica.

Zara's parents honeymooned on the ship, cruising the West Indies in 1973. During the pre-wedding rehearsal Zara - the Queen's eldest granddaughter - was joined by Zara's father, Captain Mark

Phillips, and his second wife, Sandy Pflueger, and Zara's brother Peter Phillips.

Earlier, the bride had spent the day putting her own final touches in place.She spent the afternoon with sister-in-law Autumn Phillips at The Balmoral hotel where she is staying in Edinburgh's city centre ahead of the wedding ceremony.

The event was the second night of drinking for many guests who had arrived in the Scottish city on Thursday, partying at the city's Tigerlily Hotel.

When the bar closed, the group headed downstairs to the hotel club, Lulu, where they declined VIP treatment and mingled with other revellers.

Spokesman David Johnston said: ‘They said they’d be perfectly happy just to have a couple of tables and were happy mixing with the rest of the crowd.’

The group drank Veuve Clicquot champagne and caipirinha cocktails as well as Grey Goose vodka with coke, lemonade, soda and Red Bull, and happily posed for pictures with other revellers.

They left at 2.45am. By 11am, 30-year-old Zara was back on the bubbly in the Bollinger Bar of the city’s £500-a-night Balmoral Hotel.

 

Party time: Zara looked elegant in a stunning £500 tie-dye one-shouldered dress from U.S. label Alice + Olivia as she supped on a glass of pink champagne

Mingling: Zara is hugged by a friend as friends and family enjoy drinks in the sunshine

 

Princess Anne laughs with motor racing legend Jackie Stewart whilst Prince Harry catches up with his brother Prince William and his new sister-in-law

 

Affectionate: Zara Phillips rests her arm on her fiancé's shoulder and then around his waist whilst the couple mingle with guests ahead of their big day today

Unlike the other royal bride, Kate Middleton, who spent her last day as a single woman enjoying a formal lunch at Clarence House with her family, Zara was knocking back £95-a-bottle Laurent Perrier Brut Rose champagne with her mates and ordering rounds of sarnies.

Accompanied by, among others, her sister-in-law Autumn Phillips, Sky sports presenter Di Dougherty and television presenter Natalie Pinkham, an old flame of Prince Harry, she spent three hours in the bar and left not long before her wedding rehearsal.

Asked by her friends if she was going to take it easy on the day before her wedding, she laughed and exclaimed ‘no!’ Zara described herself as being ‘nervous but excited and happy’ and revealed that she and Tindall had been texting each other throughout the day.

  

Recycling: Kate wore the same green Diane Von Furstenberg dress she had worn to a reception during the couple's trip to Los Angeles earlier this month

Looking noticeably thinner courtesy of an intensive pre-wedding health kick, she chatted openly about her final plans for the big day.

Asked about her hair, she said ‘nobody would be bothered’ about it but asked some of her friends to help her get ready on the day.

She revealed how the reception, which will be held courtesy of the Queen at Holyroodhouse Palace, would last until 2am and each table setting had a mini-cake placed next to it for each of her 300 guests to take home as a ‘favour’.

Rehearsing all the important bits: Zara and husband to be Mike Tindall share a kiss in front of the crowds at their wedding rehearsal

 

All smiles: Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall looked happy as they arrived at Canongate Kirk for their wedding rehearsal ahead of their wedding ceremony

Support: Crowds of well-wishers gathered to cheer the couple as they emerged from their chauffeur-driven Jaguar

When Autumn married Zara's brother Peter in a lavish ceremony three years ago, Zara played the role of brccidesmaid, wearing a strapless, green Vera Wang gown for the occasion.

While little is known as yet of the details of the nuptials, it is likely that Zara will have asked Autumn to return the favour.

The couple will exchange their vows in Edinburgh's Canongate Kirk in front of their families and friends in a private ceremony.

The reception will be held a stone's throw from the church, in the palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish home of the Queen, who has offered the use of Holyrood house to her granddaughter as a wedding gift.

Lothian and Borders Police have been working with the palace and the city council to ensure the smooth running of the wedding.

Superintendent Ivor Marshall, the commander responsible for security arrangements, said the event is expected to attract significant public interest, despite being a private affair.

Dressed down: Zara and Mike Tindall leave the church after their wedding rehearsal - Zara opting for jeans a hoodie

He said the church's location, near the Scottish Parliament on the busy tourist hub of the Royal Mile presented unique challenges. While some roads will be closed, businesses will remain open.

He added: 'The police planning unit is well versed in assisting in the organisation of high-profile and large-scale events in Edinburgh, including the recent Royal Week, the Papal visit last year and the festival.

Therefore we will be drawing on that experience to keep policing costs to a minimum and ensure it's an enjoyable day for the couple, their guests and the public.'

Officers have surrounded the kirk since yesterday and barriers line the Royal Mile in anticipation of the crowds.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will join Zara's parents, the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, at the wedding.

Standing on ceremony: Police guard the gates of Canongate Kirk as preparations are made for Mike and Zara's wedding

Anne's second marriage to Timothy Laurence was the last Scottish royal wedding, taking place in 1992 at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral.

Also believed to be attending are the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, or the Duke and Duchess of 

Rothesay as they are known in Scotland; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; Prince Harry; and the Duke of York and his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Tindall is likely to have invited some of England's best-known rugby players who are colleagues and friends.

The event, in contrast to the recent wedding of William and Kate, will be private, and the doors will be closed to the media and public.

The wedding may be small in comparison to the scale of the last royal wedding, which was watched by an audience of 2billion internationally, but it has nonetheless been welcomed by Scotland's tourism bosses.

Mike Cantlay, who chairs tourism agency VisitScotland, said: 'The wedding represents an absolutely wonderful showcase, not only for Edinburgh but for the whole of Scotland.

'The Royal Family and Scotland have enjoyed a relationship for hundreds of years, and tourism has become a natural partner.

Latest visitor figures from VisitScotland for the Holyrood House, Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Yacht Britannia, Glamis Castle and Balmoral Castle suggest a surge of interest in the Royal Family.