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The full scale of spending on private contractors by the UK’s biggest police force is laid bare today as the nation’s most senior officer is summoned by MPs to account for millions of pounds in wasted public money. A leaked list seen by The Mail on Sunday shows the Metropolitan Police has signed deals worth £3.5 billion with more than 300 companies, to supply everything from high-tech weaponry to sandwiches. The huge sums will be scrutinised when Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe appears before a powerful group of MPs on Tuesday, with Scotland Yard under pressure to save more than £500 million without losing officers from the streets. Mounting costs: The Metropolitan Police have been criticised for their spending including £500,00 going on cleaning up horse manure . Full details of the Met’s spending with private firms, spanning more than a decade and with some contracts ongoing, reveal the force is paying out: . Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: ‘This is the first time that we have received such a comprehensive list about the expenditure of a  police force. We will be exploring some of the expenditure with the Commissioner when he appears before the Committee on Tuesday.’ Joanne McCartney, chairwoman of the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee, said: ‘I think procurement at the Met does need to be looked at. We have raised issues with the Met’s spending on dog kennelling before. Its IT costs have been looked at before. ‘I think the budget needs to be tightened, otherwise it will mean fewer police officers being employed.’Jenny Jones, the deputy chair of the Police and Crime Committee, said: ‘Police officers tell me they see waste all the time at the Met. Aiming high: The force spent £21.1million on weapons and armour . They tell me it costs the Met £100 just to put a whiteboard up in their office. The police officers say they get angry because it means bobbies on the beat are cut back. There is waste at every level of the organisation.’ With national responsibility for counterterrorism and protecting VIPs as well as keeping Londoners safe, the Met currently has 31,548 officers, a further 2,738 police community support officers and another 20,000 civilian staff. Like other forces, it must cope with 20 per cent cuts to main Home Office funding, but the Met is yet to finalise how it will make savings totalling £548 million by 2015-16. The Met is behind schedule after the phone-hacking scandal led to the departure of three senior figures, including the Commissioner, while much of the past year was spent preparing for  the Olympics. However, although salaries account for a large proportion of bills, the Met cannot easily lose officers after London Mayor Boris Johnson made an election vow to protect police numbers. Frying squad: £920,000 went on 'bread and morning products' His Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Stephen Greenhalgh, has said that only about 500 posts will be cut and has promised to ‘sweat’ the assets and introduce ‘smarter procurement’ at an organisation he described as an ‘enormous beast’. Mr Greenhalgh told the Home Affairs Select Committee in September that he was ‘staggered’ by how much the force spends on IT. It also employs 802 in-house computer maintenance staff because counterterrorism officers are worried about the security risks of using outside external contractors. Mr Greenhalgh said the Met did  not need a ‘plethora of expensive buildings’ and spent a ‘staggering’ £200 million on running them. Last month, the force announced plans to sell its New Scotland  Yard headquarters, famous for its revolving sign, in an attempt to  save money. The reassuring presence of police stations across London is also under threat, with proposals to replace them with counters inside supermarkets and cafes. The full list of the Met’s 319 contracts with private companies, some dating back as far as 2003, suggest many more areas where the axe is likely to fall. According to the document, the total value of the listed deals is £3.5 billion. A third of this has gone on IT alone. The money spent on food and drink to be sold in canteens includes £920,000 on ‘bread and morning products’ and £148,000 on fruit squash. The outlay on weapons and armour included £3.2 million on Tasers, £7,000 on ‘grenade boxes’, £641,000 on ammunition for sniper rifles and £400,000 on Heckler & Koch pistols. A Met spokesman refused to say what its Recon Scout robots were used for on ‘security grounds’. The document also shows the force has spent more than £40,000 on storing evidence relating to their investigation into the death of Mr Litvinenko, who detectives say was killed with the poison polonium-210 in 2006. Fire power: The outlay on weapons and armour included £3.2 million on . Tasers (pictured), £7,000 on 'grenade boxes', £641,000 on ammunition for . sniper rifles and £400,000 on Heckler & Koch pistols . Among £13.7 million-worth of vehicles bought were a Volkswagen  Caravelle people carrier, 18 Ford Transit vans, mountain bikes, multi-vehicle transporters and six Jaguars. A Scotland Yard spokesman could not explain why it leased five electric cars for £64,000. In total, £10.9 million was spent on caring for animals – both those used by the force and those seized from the public. This included a £500,000-a-year deal with Balfour Beatty to remove manure from horse stables and dispose of it, and £1.3 million on ‘forage/bedding’. A further £22.6 million was spent on clothing, ranging from £151,876 for ‘embroidered inspector epaulettes’ to £46,134 on riot police balaclavas. Major contracts included £280 million to clean and maintain police buildings, £107 million to provide concessionary travel for officers and £220 million to repair the Met’s fleet of vehicles. Millions of pounds were also spent on fees for doctors who check on the health of suspects in custody. More unusual items of spending included £62,000 to improve oil storage at a bothy near Balmoral, £600,000 for ‘conflict management services’ and £358,696 to build a ‘temporary armoury’ in an ‘underground car park’. A spokesman for the Met declined to comment on individual contracts.  He insisted: ‘The Met gets best value for money through stringent procurement processes.’ A spokesman for the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime said: ‘The Mayor’s Office has put tough new processes in place to monitor spending, cut out waste and ensure more money goes towards frontline policing.’

£3.2m spent on Tasers with millions more on other weaponry . £920,000 on breakfast plus a further £148,000 on fruit squash . £50,000 on robots to search hostile environments even in darkness . £500,000 on clearing horse manure from stables and disposing of it . £1 billion on a ‘core’ IT contract with Capgemini, plus millions of pounds on software and upgrades. £10.9 million on animals, including £7 million to keep dangerous seized dogs in kennels and . £500,000 a year to clear horse manure from stables. £4.6 million on market research to find out what the public thinks about its services. £21.1 million on weapons and armour, including £50,000 on several of the ‘world’s first throwable robot’, which can reconnoitre hostile environments even in darkness. £9.4 million on food and drink for canteens, including £2.1 million on sandwiches and £900,000 on milk. £43,700 to store evidence linked to Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian spy killed in London by a radioactive poison.

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Chinese nationals have been banned from boarding Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space flights – in case they steal the rocket technology. Tycoons from China have been told they cannot be among the space tourists because of anti-espionage regulations in the US, from where the British firm’s first commercial flights are due to take off later this year. Ironically, the ban comes as Britain opens our doors to Chinese involvement in the nuclear and telecom industries and considers asking China to build the new high-speed rail network. Chinese nationals have been banned from boarding Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space flights . But because Virgin’s craft has a rocket engine, it is seen as potentially military technology by the US’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations. These rules, introduced in the Cold War, bar people from countries such as China, Iran and North Korea from having access to weapons technology. The restriction freezes out a huge market in China, where wealthy entrepreneurs are willing to pay the $250,000 (£151,000) ticket price for a space flight. Some 600 people worldwide have already put down deposits. ‘We have had calls from people in China but we have to tell them we can’t accept them if they only have a Chinese passport,’ said a Virgin Galactic salesman based in Hong Kong. ‘We advise them on how they can make themselves eligible for a space tour. For example, they can get another nationality’s passport or they can apply for a [US] Green Card.’ The maiden voyage is set to blast off from New Mexico this year, with Branson and his children on board . Some have successfully applied for Hong Kong passports, the salesman said, as the former British colony is exempt from the ban. Virgin Galactic has been holding talks with US regulators to ask for an exception to the rules, which also stop it launching flights outside the US. The maiden voyage is set to blast  off from New Mexico in the second half of this year, with Branson and his children Holly and Sam on board.

Nationals banned from boarding Virgin Galactic space flights - in case they steal the rocket technology . Ironically, the ban comes as Britain opens doors to Chinese involvement in the nuclear and telecom industries .

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(CNN) -- Reports of rapes, killings and other horrors are growing in the Central African Republic. Rights groups accuse security forces and militia gangs of torturing civilians as world leaders warn that the nation is on the verge of a genocide. Here's a quick primer to get you up to speed on the escalating situation. 1. First things first. Tell me about the Central African Republic . The tiny, landlocked nation in central Africa is home to about 5 million people. It declared independence from France in 1960, and has since been led by presidents or emperors. Some have been elected while others seized power by force. Despite vast resources, including gold, timber, diamonds and uranium, it's among the poorest nations in the world. The riches from the minerals don't trickle down to the population, fueling resentment. Lack of good governance does not help, either. 2. So what's going on with all the chaos? It started off as anti-government resentment. A coalition of rebels named Seleka ousted President Francois Bozize in March, the latest in a series of coups since the nation gained independence. They accused the president of reneging on a peace deal, and demanded that he step down. Months before his ouster, both sides had brokered a deal to form a unity government led by the president. But that deal fell apart as the rebel coalition pushed its way from the north toward the capital of Bangui, seizing towns along the way. Rebels infiltrated the capital in March, sending Bozize fleeing to Cameroon. 3. What happened after the president left? The nation plunged into complete chaos. Political turmoil raged. Looters hit the main cities. Violence became the order of the day. Aid agencies warned of a humanitarian crisis as fear of the rebels prevented critically injured patients from going to health facilities. An unknown number of people have been killed in remote rural areas that are too risky to access. More than 400,000 people have been internally displaced, according to the United Nations. That's nearly 10% of the population. 4. Who's in charge of the nation now? After the president fled, Seleka named its commander, Michel Djotodia, as the new leader. He took over and integrated some of the rebel fighters into the army, analysts say. 5. Was this the nation's first instance of instability? No. Political turmoil is nothing new for the Central African Republic. About a decade ago, Bozize led a coup that deposed his predecessor. Though he later won elections in 2005 and 2011, he did not have full control of the nation. Rebel groups ran amok for years, especially in rural areas. In fact, four of the nation's five presidents since independence have been ousted through unconstitutional means. 6. OK, the President left and the rebels got their wish. Why's the fighting ongoing? Some say say greed is a factor. Ousted government officials have long accused Seleka of going after the country's vast minerals. Then there's the reprisal aspect. When the president fled, the poorly-trained national army didn't stand a chance against the rebels. Rebels capitalized on the army's weakness and went on a rampage, human rights groups say. The list of horrors is endless: rape, torture, kidnappings, looting. To counter the attacks, vigilante groups formed. Reprisals led to more mayhem. The country descended into anarchy and the United Nations warned that "the seeds of a genocide are being sown." 7. What role does religion play in the tensions? Good question. Rights groups say Seleka is a predominantly Muslim coalition. As history has shown over and over, religious loyalties can breed contempt and escalate conflicts. In addition, the conflict has exposed years of marginalization and discrimination against the northern, predominantly Muslim population, the United Nations says. Left uncontrolled, militia groups are banding along religious lines. Most of the vigilante groups fighting back are Christian, leading to fears of a full-blown conflict between the country's Christians and Muslims. 8. All this is happening a world away. Why should I care? The Central African Republic is surrounded by countries struggling to emerge from years of conflict. South Sudan, Sudan's Darfur region, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad are barely stable. Any instability is sure to have ripple effects that'll be hard to ignore worldwide. CAR is also believed to be one of Joseph Kony's hideouts. The United States sent special forces to the region last year to help hunt down Kony, the brutal leader of the Lord Resistance Army. In a sign of a potentially expanded role, the Pentagon recently said it's considering sending aircraft to assault the Kony militia. The chaos not only risk destabilizing the region, they could complicate the Kony mission. 9. What's the current government doing? The current president has tried to distance himself by disbanding Seleka, Human Rights Watch says. Djotodia, the president, has denied assertions that his country is on the brink of a genocide. "I don't think there's a genocide, there's not even a religious war, all of this is made up, it's to manipulate, to manipulate the opinion of the international community," he told Reuters. He accused the former regime of fueling the rebellion. "They want to create a religious war by all means possible," he says. "That's what Bozize wants." 10. What is the international community doing? Though world leaders have warned of mass atrocities if nothing is done, the response has been limited. Last month, France pledged to send 1,000 more troops to add to the 400 it already has there. The current troops in the nation, it says, are there in a noncombat mission to protect French nationals and help secure the airport in the capital. An African Union force is already in the nation. The United Nations has suggested its peacekeeping force should eventually replace the African-led mission known, as MISCA. That potential force could number about 6,000 troops and 1,700 police personnel. Turning it into a U.N. peacekeeping operation would boost financial and logistical support.

A coalition of rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in March . The nation plunged into complete chaos . World response has been limited .

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A former escort and transsexual is hoping to find the man of her dreams this Valentine's Day having already bedded over 100 men in just two years on her search. Tiffany Davies, 23, was born male and says that despite her luck in the bedroom, she is struggling to bag a Valentine's date. Tiffany, from Birmingham, grew up as a boy called Niall. She says that she knew from the age of 12 that she was a transsexual after using the internet to search her symptoms. Tiffany Davies grew up as a boy called Niall (left) but knew from a young age she was transsexual, she has started taking female hormones and is due to have a full sex change and hopes this will help her find a man . Although Tiffany is yet to undergo a full sex change operation she has made progress on her journey thus far and says that she now receives plenty of male attention. Tiffany is an aspiring glamour model and feels that it is this self-confidence and appearance that has bagged her so many men in the past two years. However, despite proving popular with men Tiffany says that she will be spending February 14 alone. 'I'm desperate for a Valentine's date this year. I'll have a microwave ready meal for one but I want to be wined and dined like other women.' Tiffany added that she thinks she has a lot to offer a man as she puts a lot of effort into her appearance, she says unlike a lot of other women. 'I'm probably a lot more glamorous than most real women, I love doing my make-up, wearing fake eye lashes and curling my long brown hair. Tiffany has bedded over 100 men in the past two years but is on the hunt for a husband . Tiffany says she receives plenty of attention from men in bars and she says she thinks that this down to the fact that she makes a lot of effort with her appearance and is more glamorous than most women . Tiffany says that despite her success in the bedroom she will be spending Valentine's day alone this year . 'Jealous girls will sometimes laugh and stare at me in the street but I don't care, I know I look great and that's all that matters. 'I find men always shower me in compliments on nights out, they love my womanly frame and big bum.' Tiffany hopes that her by having a full sex change it will be easier for her to find a man . Tiffany is hoping to undergo a breast enlargement later this year, something she feels will help her bag a boyfriend. 'I can't wait to have big boobs, I feel that it will help me attract even more attention from men on nights out.' Tiffany says that her looks have become so convincing that a lot of the time men will approach her not realising she is transitioning. 'I love it when men don't realise I'm a transsexual, I do always tell them when they're chatting me up but often they won't even care that I still have all my male parts.' Tiffany has previously used her good looks to her advantage working as a professional escort which saw her take on many partners. 'I did escorting for a while and I have bedded around 100 men but I rarely do that any more.' Tiffany, who is currently unemployed, has high hopes of getting married one day and once her full gender transition is complete, she feels her luck in love will change. 'I want a husband who spoils me when I'm transitioned. 'I have no problem getting men into my bedroom but I find it hard holding down a relationship. 'The operation will be funded by the NHS but I have chosen to pay for my boob job myself when I save up enough money.' Her hormones have aided her transformation to become a woman, and as she watched her body change, she was over the moon to see her womanly shape appear. 'My frame is naturally small but instead of feeling like a nerdy boy with no shape, my bum has grown huge. 'I love my bum, especially when I'm out with friends, I always try and wear dresses that emphasise it. 'Men always compliment my figure, I'm so thankful to the hormone treatment as they make me feel so feminine.' Tiffany uses web cams to talk to men intimately online and says that she finds this a more convenient way to find possible dates. 'I often chat to men online as it's an easy way to meet new people and start new relationships. 'I'm hoping to meet the man of my dreams one day but I don't think I'll be going on a Valentine's Day date this year.'

Tiffany Davies, 23, was born a boy called Niall but is currently transitioning . She says men always approach her and women are jealous of her curves . But despite this Birmingham-born Tiffany hasn't secured a husband .

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By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 06:16 EST, 9 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:20 EST, 9 August 2013 . A Pakistani father has told how he faces death threats and has been driven into hiding - because of his 30ins moustache. Islamist extremists were so infuriated by Malik Amir Mohammad Khan Afridi's facial hair they kidnapped the businessman and held him in a cave for a month until he shaved. But despite his clash with the militants over his prized whiskers - said to signify virility and prosperity - the father-of-ten, from Peshawar, Pakistan, has now grown it back, vowing never to be bowed by the thugs again. Target: Mr Afridi has vowed not to remove his cherished moustache - despite death threats and kidnapping by Islamic extremists . Mr Afridi said: 'I don’t like smoking. I’m not fond of snuff, or drinking. This is the . only choice in my life. I’d even sacrifice food, but not the moustache. It’s my life. It’s not part of my life. It is my life. 'People give me a lot of respect. It’s my identity.' The moustache has been a passion of Mr Afridi's since he started growing it aged 22. He now spends 30 minutes a day . caressing and trimming the moustache. The costs of coconut oil and soap . used to maintain it comes to an eye-watering £100 a month. But despite the cost, the death threats, the constant fear of attack and having to spend long periods away from his family, it is all worth it, he insists. 'I feel happy. When it’s ordinary, no one gives me any attention. I got used to all the attention and I like it a lot.' Danger: The father-of-ten, 48, could now seek asylum to get away from the dangers posed by extremists opposed to his facial hair . Pride in his appearance: Mr Afridi, pictured visiting a barber shop in Peshawar, Pakistan, spends 30minutes a day tending to his flowing moustache . But Mr Afridi came to the attention of . militant group Lashkar-e-Islam, which controlled swathes of the Kyber . district of Parkistan, near the border with Afghanistan. The group was was trying to enforce a strict decree that moustaches and beards must be shaved or trimmed short. When he refused to pay protection money to the group, he was held prisoner in a cave until he shaved. Having just escaped with his life, Mr . Afridi began regrowing his moustache in what he thought was the . relative safe haven city of Peshawar. But he began receiving threats . again last year. He has now been forced to leave his family for long periods of time and move south to Faisalabad where he feels safer. Close shave: Mr Afridi was held in a cave for a month by militants who demanded he shave . Mr Afridi hopes his moustache could be a ticket for him and his family to flee the persecution. He told The Independent: 'I want to live, that is why I want to get out of Pakistan. 'My first choice would be an Islamic country such as Dubai. 'But I also willing to go to . countries such as the US, Canada or Britain. I would like to appeal to . the British government to help me.'

Malik Amir Mohammad Khan Afridi kidnapped by Islamists over his facial hair . Father of ten, from Peshawar, Pakistan, was held in a cave for a month . Terrorists threatened to kill him if he didn't shave . But the 48-year-old has vowed to stand firm against threats . He is seeking asylum and has now appealed to British government for help .

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By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 04:50 EST, 18 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:32 EST, 18 March 2014 . These amazing novelty cakes were modelled on characters from children's films and television adverts - and took up to a staggering 50 hours to bake and decorate. Ceramic designer Vicki Smith, 26, creates the spectacular 'super-cakes', featuring designs such as Finding Nemo, Betty Boop, the Corpse Bride and Wallace and Gromit, at her home in Flintshire, north Wales. She sketches an image of each cake design on to a board and chooses a variety of tin sizes to suit it - before baking around 15 to 20 smaller, individual cakes. Amazing: This incredible brown-and-yellow turtle cake, created by ceramic designer Vicki Smith, 26, scooped gold at the Cake International show in Manchester last year . A sponge bath: The stunning 'super-cakes' were modelled on characters from children's films and television adverts, such as Betty Boop (pictured) and Finding Nemo . Recreation: Ms Smith spent 40 hours baking and decorating this stunning Coca Cola polar bear cake, which won gold in the sculpted novelty cake category at the show . Not so simples: One of the Ms Smith's (right) most impressive creations is a sponge cake of baby meerkat, Oleg (left), from the Compare The Market television adverts . She then sandwiches the bits of cake . together using jam or butter cream, carefully carves them with a knife and finally . starts the lengthy process of decorating the entire cake. The talented designer has won a string of prizes for her work - with her cakes becoming so . popular she has even received messages of support from U.S. pastry chef and TV personality Duff . Goldman on Twitter. One of Ms Smith's most impressive creations is a detailed sponge cake featuring a baby meerkat named Oleg from the Compare The Market television adverts. The cake, which took 50 hours to create, scooped top prize in the . decorative exhibit category at Manchester’s Cake International show last year - while her stunning Coca Cola polar bear creation, which took 40 hours to make, won gold in the sculpted novelty cake category. Award-winning: The meerkat cake - featuring realistic brown fur and a babygro - scooped top prize in the decorative exhibit category at the international show last year . Colourful: Ms Smith's cakes have become so popular she has even received messages of support from U.S. chef Duff Goldman on Twitter. Above, her Finding Nemo cake . Detailed: This incredibly detailed bulldog cake (left) features wrinkles, a collar, a nose, ears and deep brown eyes. Right, the dog's yellow-stained teeth and pink gums . Talented: Ms Smith, who studied Art at college, started baking and decorating cakes in 2011 after she ordered a white cake for her boyfriend Lee Timmin's birthday . Familiar faces: Disappointed by the cake that . arrived, she created her own two-part HGV lorry cake. Above, her Wallace . and Gromit (left) and Corpse Bride (right) cakes . Vicki Smith has a successful - albeit, time-consuming - routine she follows for each of her spectacular novelty cakes. Firstly, she sketches an image of her chosen design on to a board, before selecting a variety of tin sizes to suit the cake. She . then bakes around 15 to 20 small cakes, sandwiches them together with . jam or butter cream and carefully carves them with a knife. Next, she covers the cake with butter cream to ensure there are no cracks or bumps, before either spraying the cake with pre-mixed colouring or icing it. She adds smaller features - such as her turtle cake's fins - using fondant icing or props. If the cake is tall, she fixes dowels in the middle of it to prevent it from collapsing. And her brown-and-yellow turtle cake . with fondant fins - dedicated to her grandmother, Bella, who died last . year aged of 91 - was . also awarded a top prize at the festival. 'The . idea for the meerkat . baby came after I finally had time to catch up on Coronation Street,' said Ms Smith, who spends at least 40 hours making each of her novelty . cakes. 'Compare the Meerkat sponsors the show and when I saw the new character, baby Oleg, I fell in love with him instantly. 'He . was so cute and I instantly wanted to design him for my next cake. He . took me 50 hours to make, it was such a long process. When I applied to . the Manchester’s Cake International, I was in the decorative exhibit . which means you can be much more adventurous with your designs. 'I . had already started a Coca Cola polar bear by then, but I had enough . time to enter my meerkat as well and I took gold for both of them.' She . added that her polar bear cake had even won praise from Coca Cola, . which tweeted her saying the furry white cub ‘looked good enough to . eat’. Ms Smith, who studied . Art at college, started baking and decorating cakes in 2011 after she . ordered a large white cake for her lorry driver boyfriend Lee Timmin's . 27th birthday. Disappointed . by the cake that arrived, she decided to give put her ceramic skills to . good use - and created her own two-part HGV lorry cake. But the designer said she had always had a 'keen eye' for detail - saying: 'My teachers were always impressed by my intricate detailing, especially in ceramics. Sea scene: The designer said she had always had a 'keen eye' for detail - saying: 'My teachers were always impressed by my intricate detailing' Above, a stingray cake . Music-inspired: 'At college, I really got to dabble in a lot of different arts,' she added. Above, a cake based on Electric Light Orchestra's Out Of The Blue album cover . 'Good enough to eat': Ms Smith's Coca Cola polar bear cake (right) pictured mid-creation, while a dog called Alfy (left) is produced out of grey, brown and black icing . 'I . have an art background as I have done art all my life. At college I . studied all types of different creative fields, where we looked at life . drawing and sketching to name a few - so I really got to dabble in a lot . of different arts.' Ms . Smith, who lives with her parents, said she could only design and bake . cakes on evenings because of her full-time job - meaning some of her . creations took several weeks to produce. 'Now that I make cakes I understand how . much time and money goes into it,' she said. 'Because I work full time . as well, I only get to do cakes now and then and can only do them at . night and it can literally take me all night which sometimes I can end . up resenting it because I am so tired. Standing tall: Ms Smith, who lives with her parents, spent weeks creating this impressive Disney-inspired masterpiece (left ) and custom-made wedding cake (right) Proud: Ms Smith, pictured with her turtle cake, said she could only design and bake cakes on evenings - meaning some of her creations took several weeks to produce . Close-up: 'Now that I make cakes I understand how much time and money goes into it,' she said. Above, a close-up of the ceramic designer's award-winning turtle cake . 'I . do all of my baking and decorating at home, my mum and dad want to make . me a little workshop in the garden with a kitchen and a little washing . and drying machine. 'At the moment it is a nightmare as my mum is so pristine and because I work through the night she wakes up to a really messy kitchen! I’m an artist so I am really messy anyway.' She added: 'Designing the cake can take weeks but the baking is done one week before to ensure freshness.' Ms Smith's next big project is part of . collaboration of bakers working on an installation of an edible Indian . jungle for this year's Cake and Bake show in Manchester. New project: Ms Smith's next big project is part of a collaboration of bakers working on an installation of an edible Indian jungle for this year's Cake and Bake show in Manchester. Right, the designer is pictured with her partner Lee Timmins, and, left, a close-up of her Corpse Bride wedding cake, featuring characters from the film . Her first ever cake: Ms Smith created this two-part HGV lorry cake - featuring a 'Lee 1' numberplate and a sponge model of Mr Timmins - for her partner's 27th birthday .

Vicki Smith, 26, creates cakes modelled on children's film characters and television adverts at home in Flintshire . Amazing designs include Finding Nemo, Betty Boop, the Corpse Bride, Wallace and Gromit and a Coca Cola bear . Ceramic designer has won awards for her cakes, which can take up to staggering 50 hours to bake and decorate .

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(CNN) -- Glasgow Rangers, one of European football's most famous clubs, must play in the fourth flight of their domestic league next season, Scottish Football League (SFL) clubs decided Friday. The 30 clubs were asked to vote on admitting the most successful club in their country to the SFL and in which division they should be placed. Cash-strapped Rangers went into administration earlier this year and a new company was formed to allow them to continue as a professional team. They were subsequently expelled from the Scottish Premier League (SPL) and had to turn to the lesser SFL for next season. Why Rangers' financial meltdown should worry European football . At a news conference at Glasgow's Hampden Park, it was announced that 25 of the 30 clubs had voted for Rangers to start the 2012-13 season in the SFL Third Division. "It has been a very, very important day for Scottish football," SFL chief executive David Longmuir told a press conference. "We have voted to willingly accept Rangers as an associate member of the SFL (29 out of 30 clubs in favor) "The only acceptable position will be to place Rangers FC into the Third Division from that start of this season, 2012/13. This decision followed a tried and tested process . "Today's decision has been one of the most difficult for all concerned but it has been taken in the best interest of sporting fairness, which is the fundamental principle of the SFL." But that decision is likely to have severe financial implications for Scottish football, which has struggled to attract the cash lavished on the English Premier League (EPL) south of the border. As one of its two great clubs, part of the famous "Old Firm" with Glasgow rivals Celtic, was facing up to years in the wilderness, the EPL sealed a sponsorship deal with Barclays Bank worth £40 million ($62.18 million). The three year deal is a near 50 per cent increase on the previous sums paid by Barclays and follows a month after the EPL improved a 70 per cent increase in the value of its domestic television rights to more than £3 billion ($4.67B) over three years to 2016. By contrast, the sponsorship and television deals for Scottish football are comparatively modest. A new five year television deal for the SPL, starting from the 2012-13 season, will bring in £80 million ($124.5m). Derby matches between Rangers and Celtic, who traditionally battle for the honors in the SPL, are the main attraction for Scottish football fans and armchair viewers. Reports have suggested that the new TV deal may even founder if a certain number of Old Firm matches cannot be guaranteed. Rangers have also been regulars in the European Champions League since its inception. They won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 and as recently as 2008 were runners-up in the UEFA Cup (Now Europa League). SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster and his Scottish Football Association counterpart Stewart Regan both lobbied for Rangers to be placed in the SFL Division One so they could secure a quick return to the top flight, but their pleas were ignored. Rangers went into administration on February 14 this year following court action from UK tax officials. Businessman Charles Green purchased the assets of the club for £5.5 million ($8.55m) and they were transferred into a new company in June. Several leading players have since left the 54-time Scottish champions, claiming their contracts were effectively annulled when the new company was founded. Reacting to the SFL decision, Green said: "We are grateful to be accepted as members of the SFL and accept their decision to vote us into Division 3. "This decision maintains the sporting integrity that clubs and fans across Scotland have been calling for but it also impacts massively on Scottish football as a whole and only time will tell what the consequences will be. "We are a football club and we just want to get back to playing football. Now is the time to move on and start afresh."

Rangers to play in Scottish fourth flight next season . Clubs from Scottish Football League voted on the issue Friday . Glasgow giants were liquidated at the end of last season . New company were expelled from the Scottish Premier League .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Van Jones defies environmentalist stereotypes. He's not the earthy-crunchy, Birkenstock-wearing type. Nor is he a contemporary and corporate version -- a hedge fund-fueled entrepreneur looking to make millions by building wind farms and solar-powered corporate headquarters. "We want to bring green jobs to people who don't have hope," says Van Jones, the president's "green jobs" chief. The new special adviser for "green jobs" -- those jobs that help reduce energy consumption and lessen environmental impact -- at the White House Council on Environmental Quality is in some ways like President Obama himself: an African-American community activist and organizer who has rocketed to the highest levels of government. Jones says it was death, of all things, that set him on his current career path as a green-jobs guru. In describing his turn from social activist to environmentalist, Jones recounted his experiences with young people in Oakland, California. "I got involved in this work because I got tired of going to funerals. I got tired of seeing young people without any hope," Jones told CNN. "I wanted them to have a better future. I said, 'Why don't we get these young people trained in green jobs so they can be a part of all these companies that are getting started?' " So Jones, a Yale Law School graduate and longtime community activist, started an organization called "Green For All" in Oakland. The mission was to figure out how to train underprivileged young people in green-jobs skills, such as installing solar panels and retrofitting houses to make them more energy efficient. Watch more on Van Jones' career » . "People talk about global warming. ... I want to cool the Earth down. I also want to calm the block down," said Jones. Jones' efforts earned him national recognition and grabbed the attention of Obama's advisers. Now, he is the president's pitchman for green jobs, helping to coordinate government agencies focused on delivering millions of green jobs to the ailing U.S. economy. "I see myself as the green-jobs handyman. My job is to make sure that the president's desire that we have literally millions of green jobs in our country actually turns into reality," said Jones. Yet even in places like Michigan, where unemployment is a whopping 15 percent -- well above the national average of 9.5 percent -- Jones understands there's skepticism about his message. CNN followed Jones on a recent visit to Lansing, Michigan, where he told attendees at a green-jobs conference that saving the planet and saving jobs can go hand in hand. "You say, 'Oh no, oh no -- you're gonna talk about the caulking gun. Oh no!' " Jones joked with the crowd. Critics, though, have serious concerns about the "green collar" agenda. They argue that those green jobs -- retrofitting homes to make them more energy-efficient, for instance -- will be mostly low-level and low-paying. Jones dismisses that. "You take somebody and maybe this summer they're putting up solar panels," Jones said. "Well guess what, this is a growing part of our economy -- the next summer they can be a manager, the next summer, maybe they can be an owner, an investor, an inventor." While Jones tries to spread his green message, he's also trying to practice what he preaches. That means taking public transportation, including a bus and train ride, to get to his office just across the street from the White House. He says those rides give him valuable opportunities to hear unvarnished views. Describing his work as a member of the executive branch, Jones said, "Everybody that comes talk to us, they've already got an agenda, they've got their game face on. [On] public transportation, people are themselves." As for who Jones is, he gave CNN a brief look at his new office at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. On the walls hang pictures of his heroes, each Jones described with a different strength. Basketball legend Michael Jordan: dedication and commitment. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali: fighting spirit. Finally, pointing to a picture above his desk, Jones' tone grew softer. "This is Bobby Kennedy the day before he was killed. In Watts, talking to some of the poorest people in California. And look at him. I mean, he's just present," Jones said, his eyes focused on Kennedy's image. "We want to bring green jobs to these kind of folks. We want to bring green jobs to people who don't have hope."

Van Jones says death set him on career path: "I got tired of going to funerals" He worked as a social activist before becoming "green-jobs" guru . He advises president on jobs that help cut energy use, don't harm environment . Jones: "I see myself as the green-jobs handyman"

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(CNN Student News) -- Record the CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Autism is a World when it airs commercial-free on Monday, March 31, 2008 from approximately 4:00-- 5:00 a.m. ET on CNN. (A short feature begins at 4:00 a.m. and precedes the program.) Program Overview . For years, Sue Rubin says she was "her own worst nightmare." Sue has autism, and until age 13, she was unable to communicate or control her unusual behavior. Now in her late twenties, Sue has become a disabled-rights advocate and a college student with a top IQ. In the Academy Award-nominated documentary Autism is a World, filmmaker Gerry Wurzburg and CNN take a rare look at autism through the words of a young woman who lives with it. Grade Levels: 9-12, college . Subject Areas: Health, Social Studies, Technology, Current Issues . Objectives: The CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Autism is a World and its corresponding discussion questions and activities challenge students to: . Curriculum Connections . Health . Standard 1. Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information . Level IV [Grade: 9-12] . Benchmark 5. Knows situations that require professional health services in the areas of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation . Standard 3. Understands the relationship of family health to individual health . Level IV [Grade: 9-12] . Benchmark 1. Understands methods to facilitate the transition from the role of a child to the role of an independent adult in the family . Standard 4. Knows how to maintain mental and emotional health . Level IV [Grade: 9-12] . Benchmark 2. Knows strategies for coping with and overcoming feelings of rejection, social isolation, and other forms of stress . Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990 . Social Studies . Standard VIII. Science, Technology and Society: Students will examine the relationships among science, technology and society. The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/) are published by the National Council for the Social Studies (http://ncss.org/). Discussion Questions . 1. How old is Sue Rubin? What type of disability does she have? What symptoms does she display? What is "mental retardation"? How does mental retardation differ from autism? Why do you think that Sue was thought to be mentally retarded when she was younger? What was her life like before she could communicate? How did she interpret sounds? How does Sue feel about having been perceived as retarded? 2. How does Sue say she learned to communicate? What type of device does she use to communicate? How did Sue's life change once she learned how to communicate? Based on what you've observed in the program, what gains has Sue made over the years in terms of managing her autistic behaviors? 3. How would you describe Sue's relationships with her parents and grandparents? What challenges did Sue's parents face when raising Sue during her early years? According to the program, what measures have Sue's parents taken to help foster their daughter's growth and development over the years? In the program, Sue states, "When I wasn't able to communicate, I was considered a non-person, but I was treated well -- intellectually, socially, culturally and personally." What do you think that she means? Why do you think that Sue considers herself lucky to have the family that she has? 4. Do you think that it is important for Sue to live independently? What types of personal, financial and governmental assistance does Sue need to live in her own home? What are Sue's greatest short-term and long-term concerns about maintaining her independent lifestyle? How would you describe Sue's relationships with the different members of her support team? What skills and attributes do you think that a person needs to have to work well with a non-verbal autistic person? 5. In what ways is Sue similar to people her age who are not autistic? Do you think that Sue has the same capacity to experience emotions as non-autistic people? Explain. How does Sue's disorder impact her ability to express emotions? 6. According to Dr. Margaret Bauman, what is autism, and what parts of the brain can it affect? According to the program, why did Sue respond so quickly to facilitated communication after having been "lost in autism" for 13 years? Why are plastic spoons important to Sue? Why does Sue like to run water over them? In the show, Sue states that solitude is her "best friend" and her "worst enemy." What do you think that she means? 7. What college does Sue attend? Why did she select this school? What challenges has she faced while at college? How do you think that these challenges compare to the ones that many non-autistic college students face? What is Sue's academic major? What type of work does she hope to do after she graduates? How does attending school impact Sue's ability to manage her autism? 8. To what audience did Sue deliver a speech about living with autism? Why do you think that writing the speech was an "arduous process" for Sue? Sue states that the goal of her speech was to "enlighten individuals to the potential of their own voices." What do you think that she means? Why do you think that Sue has chosen to pursue this goal? 9. Do you know someone that is autistic? How has autism impacted this person and the lives of his or her loved ones? What symptoms of autism does he or she have? How do these symptoms compare to the ones displayed by Sue? 10. Why did Sue decide to make this documentary? Why do you think that this documentary is titled Autism is a World? Based on what you now know about Sue and what it's like for her to live with autism, how would you describe Sue's character? What are her greatest strengths? 11. What are your thoughts and feelings regarding Autism is a World? What insights or lessons about autism did you learn as a result of watching this program? 12. Having watched Autism is a World, do you have any follow-up questions you'd like to ask Sue? Suggested Activities . 1. What are Autism Spectrum Disorders? Inform students that, though the field of autism research is continuing to evolve, much has been learned about the disorder since the mid-1940s, when Dr. Leo Kanner published his first paper identifying autistic children, and Dr. Hans Asperger described a milder form of autism that became known as Asperger syndrome. Autism is considered a "spectrum disorder" because the number and intensity of symptoms can greatly vary among those with autism. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which are also known as "pervasive developmental disorders," can often be detected by the age of three. ASD is an umbrella term that includes the following diagnoses: . Divide your students into five groups and assign each group a different ASD from the list above. Instruct each group to conduct research to learn about the symptoms, characteristics and differentiated diagnoses associated with its assigned disorder. Then, have groups prepare presentations of their findings that include a brief mock case study to illustrate how the disorders might manifest in a child. After the presentations, challenge students to identify the common traits associated with all autistic disorders. (All people with ASD have impaired communication, problems with social relationships and like to engage in repetitive motions.) Ask students: . Following the discussion, refer students back to Autism is a World to make a list of the symptoms and behaviors that Sue Rubin displayed during the program. Then ask students: Based on what you know about Ms. Rubin, where would you say that her disability falls within the spectrum of autistic disorders? 2. Treating Autism . Point out to students that, although autistic symptoms in children may lessen with age, autism is a lifelong disorder. There are various types of therapies available for treating autism, including behavior modification, sensory integration, medications and dietary interventions. However, because the nature and severity of autistic symptoms and behaviors can vary, no one approach works for every person. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, most professionals agree that early intervention is important and that most individuals with ASD respond well to highly structured, specialized programs. After you have shared this information, pair students and assign each pair one of the following ASD treatment approaches: . Biomedical Treatments . (CNN does not endorse any specific medication. The information provided here is meant as an overview of the types of medications sometimes prescribed.) Instruct each pair to investigate the philosophy, protocols and benefits and drawbacks associated with its treatment method. Have pairs deliver presentations of their findings. (If possible, have the students who are presenting behavior modification approaches demonstrate the techniques, and have the students who are speaking about medications and dietary interventions include graphics that depict how the treatments are thought to affect the different parts of the human body.) Following the presentations, pose the following questions for class discussion: . Extension: Have students draw upon thier research to create an informational brochure about ASD for parents and local mental health providers. Keywords . Sue Rubin, autism spectrum disorders, pervasive developmental disorder, mental retardation, non-verbal, disability, relationships, self-abusive behaviors, motor skills, emotions, learning, language, communication system, sensory integration, echolalia, independent living, HUD, support services, Whittier College, intelligence, neurobiology, Dr. Margaret Bauman, advocate, documentary E-mail to a friend .

Learn about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) Examine different treatment approaches for ASD . Create an informational brochure about ASD for parents and mental health providers .

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Baroness Doreen Lawrence was on hand to celebrate the UK's most extraordinary women at an awards ceremony earlier today. The campaigner was on the panel of judges alongside other women including Sandi Toksvig, Sue MacGregor, Esther Rantzen and Dame Tessa Jowell MP. The ladies sifted through several inspirational candidates for each section of the Women Of The Year awards and finally chose a range of suitable candidates, including an FGM campaigner, a Peshmerga (freedom fighter), charity founders and aid workers. Fahma Mohamed was awarded Outstanding Young Campaigner of the Year for her work raising awareness of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Britain. Baroness Doreen Lawrence was on hand to celebrate the UK's most extraordinary women at an awards ceremony earlier today. Here she is pictured with Fahma Mohamed (right), who was awarded Outstanding Young Campaigner of the Year for her work raising awareness of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Britain . In February, Fahma launched a petition to Michael Gove, former Secretary for Education, asking him to write to all schools reminding them of their duty to safeguard girls from (FGM). In less than a month, the petition had gathered more than 230,000 signatures and Fahma and other members of the youth-led charity Integrate were invited to come and discuss the topic in the houses of parliament. Following their meeting, Michael agreed to write to teachers at all schools, to make them aware of the issue. She also had a starring role in the play, My Normal Life that raises different issues surrounding violence against women and girls, . After receiving the award today, she said: 'There are so many women in the UK campaigning for what they believe in and it still hasn’t sunk in that the judges chose to give me this award. Fahma Mohamed (second left) winner of Women of the Year Good Housekeeping Outstanding Young Campaigner of the Year Award receives her award from Sandi Toksvig (left) Lindsay Lohan (second right) and Lindsay Nicholson (right) 'I’m excited to be named as one of the Women of the Year and to meet other campaigners at the Lunch. 'This award is for all the young people of Integrate Bristol who have worked so hard over the past five years - I feel it's acknowledging the importance of eradicating FGM and protecting the rights of girls all over the world.' Lindsay Lohan was on hand to open the event, which was attended by more than 450 inspirational women from across the country, including super motorbike racer Jenny Tinmouth, altruistic kidney donor Clare Bolitho and baker Sophie Ford, who set up ‘Baking a Smile’ that sends custom-made cakes to seriously ill children. Diana Nammi (left) receives the Barclays Women of the Year Award from Valerie Soranno Keating . They rubbed shoulders with celebrities including Lorraine Kelly, Kimberly Wyatt and Fern Britton. The main Woman Of The Year Award was given to Diana Nammi, who has dedicated her life to campaigning for women's rights. Originally from Kurdistan, Iran, where she fought as a Peshmerga for women’s rights and equality, Diana now lives in the UK and in 2002 she founded the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (IKWRO). Stars including Lorraine Kelly and Kimberly Wyatt were also at the event . It provides advice, training and counselling for women and girls from Middle Eastern and North African communities affected by “honour” based violence, forced marriage, FGM and domestic violence. Diana said: 'I am deeply touched and honoured to be recognised as one of the Women of the Year, in the company of such inspirational women. 'This will shine a light on the vital work that my wonderful team, IKWRO is doing; working with survivors of “honour” based violence to enable them to recognise that they are heroines, not victims and that all shame lies with the perpetrators.'

Doreen Lawrence was on the judging panel at the prestigious event . Fahma Mohamed was awarded Outstanding Young Campaigner of the Year . The teen petitioned the government to raise awareness of FGM in Britain .

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A man searching for his wallet inside a dumpster in North Highlands, California was scooped up by a trash truck and trapped inside the rear of it for three hours (file photo) A man searching for his wallet inside a dumpster in North Highlands, California was scooped up by a trash truck and trapped for three hours. He miraculously survived the terrifying ordeal by creating a coffin-like pocket with wooden planks in order to avoid getting crushed. Authorities said the man, who has not been named, could have been run over, killed or even squashed by a compacting blade in the incident on January 13. The man was stuck in the rear of the Atlas garbage truck, as it carried out pick-ups on its way to Yolo County Landfill last week,The Oroville Mercury Register reported. Yolo County Sheriff's Lt. Martin Torres said the man is lucky to be alive. Once the garbage truck arrived at the landfill, the driver saw the man crawl out of the trash pile and the driver of the bulldozer was alerted, said Torres. Luckily the truck was only half full of trash. If it had been filled to capacity a compacted blade would have been used at the bottom of the bin. In addition, garbage trucks can use pressure to compact trash, 'so he could have been squashed,' said Torres. The man was taken to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for complaints of back and neck pain. He suffered minor injuries from his unexpected trip. Scroll down for video . The man, who is not identified, was trapped in the rear of the Atlas trash truck, which was doing pick ups on its way to Yolo County Landfill (pictured) last week . Authorities said he is lucky to be alive. The man was taken to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento (above) for complaints of back and neck pain. He suffered from minor injuries . Torres said this is the first time he had heard of someone getting stuck in a garbage truck in his 27-year career. However, there have been other incidences involving the public getting trapped in garbage trucks. In 2013 an Arizona homeless woman was found in a garbage truck which collected and crushed up to ten loads of trash after she was dumped into it. Jessica Bunyar, 38, fell asleep in the dumpster when it was picked up by a Copper State Sanitation vehicle in Globe, Arizona. Bunyar was trapped inside the truck's compactor as it travelled for about one mile collecting rubbish bins. The driver only realized he had more than just garbage on board after making ten stops and compacting the load up to ten times. The woman survived the harrowing ordeal.

Man was searching for his wallet in a dumpster when he was scooped up . The garbage truck was en route to the Yolo County Landfill, California . The man created a 'coffin' of wooden planks to protect himself . He was later taken to hospital in Sacramento with back and neck pain .

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The Labour party is advertising for a £33,000 a year endorsement officer to forge new relationships with celebrities for Ed Miliband. The Labour leader is hiring the aide to show he is in touch with the people of Britain in the run up to the general election. A job advert on the Labour party's website says the candidate will need to 'deliver an effective General Election endorsements programme with specific focus on real people and celebrity endorsements.' Ed Miliband is advertising for a £33,000 a year endorsement officer to forge new relationships with celebrities. He is pictured here with Towie star Joey Essex at a party last December, which the reality star tweeted . The Sun reports that party chiefs hope the new employee will rekindle Tony Blair's 'Cool Britannia' and show Mr Miliband is 'in touch' with the public following a number of embarrassing photo opportunities. But Conservative vice-chairman Bob Neill told the paper: 'Poor Ed is so desperate for support he's now paying someone to find him friends.' In October Mr Miliband was pictured chatting with EastEnders' star Danny Dyer, rattling off detailed facts about the cast of the show. But he soon admitted he had not watched the show but had been reading about it online, leaving the actor bewildered. Then in November former Hear’Say singer Mylene Klass took the Labour leader to task in a heated TV debate, with viewers praising her for ‘doing a Paxman’ and ‘wiping the floor’ with him. Mr Miliband said the photo opportunity is ‘not where my talents lie' after being pictured struggling to eat a bacon sandwich . In April Essex took a second picture of himself with Mr Miliband and posted it on Twitter with the group shot, labelled ‘My selfie buddies’ - but the Labour leader appears awkward and only just made the photo . The pair clashed on ITV’s The Agenda, when Ms Klass criticised Mr Miliband’s controversial proposal for a mansion tax on homes worth more than £2million. The Labour leader has said previously that the photo opportunity is ‘not where my talents lie' after being pictured struggling to eat a bacon sandwich. He has also been mocked for posing wearing a feminist t-shirt and awkwardly giving money to a beggar in Manchester. In a boost for Mr Miliband in December last year Joey Essex took a selfie with the Labour leader at the British Military Awards and referred to the would-be prime minister as his ‘bezzie’, slang for best friend. Tory MP Bob Neill said: 'Poor Ed is so desperate for support he's now paying someone to find him friends' The 24-year-old, who tweets about vitally important matters such as having a bad hair day, has 2.98 million followers on Twitter. Mr Miliband has 365,000. In April Essex took a second picture of himself with Mr Miliband and posted it on Twitter with the group shot, labelled ‘My selfie buddies’. A Labour party source told The Sun: 'Labour, like all political parties, works with well-known figures who support our aims.'

Labour party are advertising for a £33,000 a year 'endorsement officer' Job role would require candidates to secure celebrity endorsements . Part of a push to show Ed Miliband is 'in touch' with British public . Senior Tory says Miliband 'so desperate for support he's paying for friends'

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Philadelphia (CNN) -- The National Football League attempted on Tuesday to dismiss more than 200 cases brought by nearly 4,200 retired players who said they were not warned of the dangers of head trauma. U.S. District Court Judge Anita Brody delayed a ruling on the request. "I will rule when I sort this out for myself," she said before adjourning the packed courtroom. The class-action lawsuit could determine the league's role in caring for players with football-related neurodegenerative diseases. The players accuse the NFL of "deliberately and fraudulently" concealing the dangers of head trauma, and are seeking damages, treatment and medical monitoring for neurological injuries they sustained during their careers. The suit alleges the league didn't do enough to warn players that they risked permanent brain damage if they played too soon after a concussion and that it hid evidence about the risks for decades. Brody listened intently and asked a series of questions of both camps' high-profile representation during the hearing. Former NFL player wants brain studied . Paul Clement, former U.S. solicitor general during the George W. Bush administration, represented the NFL. David Frederick, who has argued a number of Supreme Court cases, spoke for the retired player plaintiffs. High profile attorney Ted Wells, who's represented former Dick Cheney adviser I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, among others, was observing Tuesday's arguments. Wells is one of the lead trial attorneys who will be representing the NFL should this case go to trial. The collective bargaining agreements players signed with their respective teams also apply to the NFL, Clement argued, adding that players receive benefits. "This is an unusual industry," Clement said, adding that unlike most corporations, the union, clubs and league "are worried about players." "This is a case about workplace safety," he added. In contrast, Frederick argued passionately that the NFL does not have immunity in all cases, especially those players who played while collectively bargaining agreements were in limbo from 1987 to 1993. Moreover, the NFL actively concealed the risks associated with repetitive impacts to the head, he said. The league didn't do anything about the injuries because they "didn't cause bleeding or broken bones," he said. "The NFL had held itself out to be the guarantor of safety. ... When the NFL began to glorify and monetize violence on the field, its breached its duty of due care." A tale of two former NFL players and their brains . Last April, Alex Karras, the former Detroit Lions standout who starred in the 1980s sitcom "Webster," joined hundreds of former NFL players suing the league over concussion-related injuries. Karras, who also played the horse-punching Mongo in the 1974 movie "Blazing Saddles," served as lead plaintiff for what was then the 12th concussion-related complaint filed against the NFL by the Locks Law Firm in Philadelphia. Since then, the suits have been consolidated. He died in October following a battle with dementia, kidney disease, heart disease and stomach cancer. The suits claim that plaintiffs suffer from neurological problems after sustaining traumatic impacts to the head. Karras, for instance, "sustained repetitive traumatic impacts to his head and/or concussions on multiple occasions" during his NFL career, and "suffers from various neurological conditions and symptoms related to the multiple head traumas," according to the suit, filed before his death. Last year, Karras' wife and "Webster" co-star Susan Clark said his dementia "prevents him from doing everyday activities, such as driving, cooking, sports fishing, reading books and going to big events or traveling." "His constant complaint is dizziness -- the result of multiple concussions," she said in a statement. "What Alex wants is for the game of football to be made safer and allow players and their families to enjoy a healthier, happier retirement." Critics say players traded the risk of injury for gridiron glory, while the NFL asserts there's a shared risk in playing football. Former running back Dorsey Levens said Tuesday he knows a thing or two about "having my bell rung." "We didn't know better. It's plain and simple," said Levens, who played for Green Bay and Philadelphia. "We knew there'd be some aches and pains, some joints and some ligaments, that may be damaged, and we signed up for that, fine. ... Not being able to remember, I didn't sign up for that." NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told CNN at the time the suits were filed that, "any allegation that the NFL intentionally sought to mislead players has no merit." "It stands in contrast to the league's actions to better protect players and advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions," Aiello wrote in an e-mail. "The NFL has long made player safety a priority and continues to do so." NFL Players Association, Harvard planning $100 million player study . But, said players' attorney Gene Locks at the time, "(the NFL) had knowledge they didn't share with the players and didn't add the knowledge to the playing rules to protect players from head injuries. What we want is for the league to stand up and be counted, and examine everyone and provide medical benefits to everyone." In recent years, the NFL has attempted to strengthen rules that govern player conduct on the field, adding sideline medical staff -- unaffiliated with the teams -- in an effort to more independently evaluate injured players. In 2005, the league banned the practice of tackling a player by grabbing his shoulder pads, a move commonly referred to as a "horse-collar" tackle, after concluding it commonly resulted in injury. It also recently strengthened a 1979 rule that prohibits players from using their helmets to butt, or "spear" players during a tackle -- a rule that critics had often complained lacked official enforcement. Players such as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison have since faced hefty and repeated fines for helmet-first tackles. Others have called for added protections, however, following a series of high-profile incidents involving former players' health. In May 2011, scientists announced that an autopsy of the brain of former Chicago Bears safety David Duerson, 50, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, showed evidence of "moderately advanced" chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. NFL linebacker Junior Seau -- who also took his own life last May -- suffered from a neurodegenerative brain disease that can develop from concussions known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. CTE is a degenerative, dementia-like brain disease linked to repeated brain trauma. The disease has been found in the brains of 33 of 34 former NFL players, including Duerson, studied at the Boston University School of Medicine Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy as of last May. Their cases share a common thread -- repeated concussions, sub-concussive blows to the head, or both. Scan may detect signs of NFL players' brain disease . A brain with CTE is riddled with dense clumps of a protein called tau. Under a microscope, tau appears as brown tangles that look similar to dementia. But the cases of CTE have shown this progressive, dementia-like array in players well in advance of a typical dementia diagnosis, which typically occurs when people are in their 70s or 80s. Several NFL players, including LaMar Campbell and Thomas Jones, have said they want to donate their brains for research upon their deaths. So does Kevin Turner, a former fullback for Philadelphia and New England. Turner suffers from ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Turner believes the ALS results from blows to the head he received while in the NFL. He also wants to donate his spinal cord after he dies. Judge Brody did not indicate how long it would take for a final decision on whether or not the suit goes to trial. But Turner said he and others can't wait too long for a ruling. CNN's Sunny Hostin, Rachel Wells, Ashley Hayes, Jason Hanna, David Ariosto, Michael Martinez and Thom Patterson contributed to this report.

More than 4,000 former players say they weren't warned of head trauma dangers . A judge has delayed ruling on the NFL's request . The players want damages, treatment and medical monitoring . Researchers are making strides in the study of the brain disease CTE .

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North Carolina officer Josh Lefevers shot and killed James Allen, 74, just before midnight on Sunday morning . A North Carolina officer shot dead a 74-year-old man whose concerned family had called the police and asked to check on him. Officer Josh Lefevers arrived at the home of James Allen just before midnight on Sunday morning and announced he was entering the residence when Allen approached him with a handgun and refused to put it down, police said. Lefevers then shot and killed him. The officer first went to Allen's home around 10pm after relatives called the Gastonia police for a welfare check but there was no answer at the door, according to the Gaston Gazette. Officials called nearby hospitals but could not locate Allen. Neighbors said they hadn't seen him since Friday, and his car was parked at home. Allen had just recently undergone a medical procedure and his family was concerned for his well-being. Police then called the local emergency services and fire department to assist with what they believed was a possible death inside the house. After another knock went unanswered the fire department helped Lefevers enter through the back door of Allen's home. Gastonia Police Chief Robert Helton said officers were concerned Allen was inside and 'in need of emergency assistance.' Lefevers announced he was entering the house and then saw Allen pointing the gun at him, Helton said. Lefevers was hired by the department in 2012 and serves on the patrol division. Lefevers first knocked on Allen's door (pictured) at 10pm but there was no answer. Police then contacted the fire department to help them enter the house because they feared Allen might need 'emergency assistance'

Officer Josh Lefevers killed James Allen . Allen was allegedly pointing a handgun at the officer and refused to put it down . Lefevers first checked on Allen at 10pm last night but no answer at door . Police feared Allen needed emergency assistance, called fire department . Lefevers entered house through back door and announced his presence . He is currently on administrative leave and shooting is being investigated .

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An Australian man is one of five people who died following a fire at a nightclub in Cambodia's north-western tourist hotspot of Siem Reap. Tom Ricketson, 32, was killed when a blaze broke out at the Hip Hop nightclub at about 3am local time on Tuesday due to an electrical fault. Provincial police chief Sort Nady said the club had no windows and just one door, making it impossible for the victims to escape. Scroll down for video . Tom Ricketson, 32, was killed when a blaze broke out at the Hip Hop nightclub at about 6am AEDT on Tuesday due to an electrical fault . Three Cambodian women and a local man also died in the blaze due to suffocation, police say. Mr Ricketson worked with disabled children in Sydney and had been travelling through south east Asia for a few weeks. His family took to Facebook in the hours after his death to post heartfelt tributes. 'He was an ever kind, sweet, loving and patient man, and talking to him in recent weeks it was clear that these traits had only deepened with all that he had seen and experienced,' his sister Ella said. 'We as a family are all grieving, but we are still completely shocked and finding it hard to believe that our boy could be gone. 'Tonight my family's world was shattered in a way that we all dread more than anything else.' The 32-year-old, pictured here in Siem Reap, worked with disabled children in Australia and had been travelling through south east Asia for a few weeks . Tom, pictured here in Phnom Penh, has been described by family as a kind, sweet, loving and patient man . Mr Ricketson spent 10 days with his uncle James Ricketson in Cambodia's capital city, Phnom Penh, prior to his death. 'Tom is no longer with us - other than in our heats and our memories,' James said. 'Tom was a sweet, gentle, kind, loving and generous young man whose shyness hid a gold mine of generosity towards his fellow human beings. 'Tom revealed this aspect of himself to me recently in Phnom Penh when he came with me to visit a very poor community and was so moved by their plight that he was thinking about what he could do to help alleviate the worst aspects of the poverty these people experienced.' Police have notified the Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh and are contining to investigate. The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to Mr Ricketson's family. Police said the Hip Hop nightclub had no windows and just one door, making it impossible for the victims to escape. Three Cambodian women and a local man also died in the fire . Police have notified the Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh and are contining to investigate.

Tom Ricketson, 32, was killed when a blaze broke out at the Hip Hop nightclub in Siem Reap on Tuesday morning . Three local women and a man also died in the blaze due to suffocation . Police say the nightclub had no windows and just one door . Mr Ricketson worked with disabled children in Australia and had been travelling through south east Asia for a few weeks . His family have described him as a 'kind, sweet, loving and patient man'

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At its peak, in the early 1990s, Muslim references were relatively common in rap songs, but over the past decade these have all but vanished from the genre. Graphs have revealedl that references to Islamic culture in rap lyrics have been steadily dropping since the early 2000s, and are now a sixth of what they were during a peak between 1990 and 1995. At the same time, the graphs reveal that lyrics about Jesus and Christianity have been rising. Graphs from RapStats reveal that references to Islamic culture in rap lyrics are steadily dropping, and are now a sixth of what they were during a peak in 1990. At the same time, the graphs reveal that lyrics about Jesus and Christianity have been rising. The trend was identified by Vocativ’s Adam Raymond. During comparisons, he discovered that references to the word ‘Islam’ once occupied around 0.00245 per cent of songs - it now sits at 0.00037 per cent. ‘Muslim’ lyrics peaked in 1993 at 0.00156 per cent, and is now 0.0007 per cent. The word ‘Christianity’ peaked in 1988 on 0.00035 per cent of songs, before vanishing completely during 1992 and 1993 and between 2004 and 2005. It is now referred to in 0.00012 per cent of lyrics. The Five Percent nation - sometimes referred to as Nation of Gods and Earths - was created by Clarence Smith in 1964. Mr Smith is a former member of the Nation of Islam, which is a religious movement designed to improve the condition of African Americans in the US. The Five-Percenters get their name from the idea that only five per cent of humanity known the truth about existence and are 'poor righteous teachers' trying to tell the rest of the world the truth. In April, Jay-Z was photographed at the Barclay's Center wearing a medallion symbolising the Five Percent Nation. It is widely reportef that one of the core tenets of the Five Percent Nation is that white people are 'wicked and inferior' to black men. Meanwhile, the word ‘Christian’ has been rising since 1995, up from 0.008 per cent to 0.00253 per cent. Mr Raymond also compared Jesus’ versus ‘Muhammad.’ Between 1988 and 1992, the references were at similar levels, after which ‘Jesus’ soared and ‘Muhammad’ stayed constant. Mr Raymond explained that Muslim rappers affiliated, or who identified with Islamic group Five Percent Nation were at a high during the 1990s - and this may explain the peaks. Rappers linked with Islam, either through this group or as practicing members of the religion, include Nas, Mos Def and Q-Tip. In Common and Q-Tip’s 1996 song The Remedy, taken from Get on the Bus soundtrack, Q-Tip raps: ‘To the human beings with taste, sight, touch, smell and sound. 'Let's deem it profound! And prioritise this cause it was Allah's wish.’ While in Nas’ 1999 Ghetto Prisoners, he raps: ‘Curse the day of they birth confused, who's to be praised? The mighty dollar - or almighty Allah.’ And in Common’s G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition) featuring Cee-Lo from 1997, lyrics address both Islam and Christianity: ‘Koran and the Bible, to me they all vital. Muslim rappers affiliated, or who identified with Islamic group Five Percent Nation were at a high during the 1990s - and this may explain the peak. Rappers linked with Islam, either through this group or as practicing members of the religion, include Nas (pictured left), Mos Def and Q-Tip (pictured right) Between 1988 and 1992, the references to 'Jesus' and 'Muhammad' were at similar frequencies, after which ‘Jesus’ soared and ‘Muhammad’ stayed constant . ‘And got truth within 'em, gotta read them boys. ‘You just can't skim 'em, different branches of belief, but one root that stem 'em, but people of the venom try to trim 'em . ‘And use religion as an emblem, when it should be a natural way of life . ‘Who am I or they to say to whom you pray ain't right. There is also a notable decline in Islamic references in the early 2000s, which may have been caused by the negativity around the religion caused by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. ‘That's who got you doin right and got you this far, . ‘Whether you say ‘in Jesus name’ or ‘Al hum du'Allah’ However, as Mr Raymond points out, many of these rappers are older now and don’t appeal to ‘hip-hop’s young fan base.’ There is also a notable decline in references in the early 2000s, which may have been caused by the negativity around the religion caused by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He said: 'In the decade after 9/11, America’s views toward Islam plummeted. 'Meanwhile, Christianity is viewed much more positively than Islam. Simply put, Jesus is a much easier sell than Muhammad.'

Graphs reveal that references to the word ‘Islam’ is at an all-time low . While ‘Christianity’ and Christian terms have been rising since 1998 . RapStats tracks lyrics used in songs classified as hip hop and rap . The trend was identified by Vocativ’s Adam Raymond . He links changes to a decline in Muslim rappers and September 11 attacks .

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A Southern California father and his girlfriend have been found guilty of torture and child abuse for starving two of his children and beating a third. A San Bernardino County jury convicted 30-year-old Erik Austin Flores and 23-year-old Mariah Rita Sugg, of Hesperia, Wednesday. Each faces 20 years to life in prison when they're sentenced January 8. Abusive: Erik Austin Flores, 30, and Mariah Rita Sugg, 23 (left), have been convicted of torture and willful cruelty to a child with possibility of injury or death for staving and beating the man's three children (right) Prosecutors say the 4-year-old and 5-year-old children suffered permanent height loss because of their malnutrition and resembled concentration camp survivors and zombies when they were found and taken in by authorities earlier this year. Their 7-year-old brother, who did not starve because he was fed breakfast and lunch at school, testified that Sugg would beat him and his siblings, make them do exercises for hours and make them stand in the corner for entire days. According to a news release from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Erik Flores’ children were removed from their custody June 6 by social workers acting on a tip from employees at the Marinello School of Beauty in Victorville. The staff at the beauty school noticed that the couple’s kids looked emaciated when they were brought to the school on May 16, according to testimony. The Good Samaritans compared two of Flores’ kids to ‘concentration camp’ survivors and ‘zombies,’ describing them as rail-thin and listless. All the while, authorities say Flores and Sugg were receiving food stamps. Emaciated: Flores' children, ages 4, 5 and 7, were removed from their home in June after Good Samaritans noticed the youngest two resembled 'concentration camp survivors.' Both children (pictured) suffered from a permanent loss of height as a result of starvation . Prosecutors say Flores and Sugg denied the toddlers food even while receiving food stamps . Dr. Mark Massi, a forensic pediatrician from Loma Linda University Medical Center, testified that both children suffered great bodily injury as a result of long-term starvation. Flores’ 4-year-old daughter would have died soon had she not been hospitalized, Massi testified. Both children suffered from a permanent loss of height as a result of starvation, according to Massi. He also said the girl’s development was arrested as a result of starvation. At age 4, the girl could barely talk and was not toilet trained. Prosecutors also argued that Flores had sexually abused the little girl in 2012 and 2014 based on injuries to her genitals caused by what Dr Massi described as blunt-force penetration. The 30-year-old father of three was not charged with sexual assault of his daughter due to insufficient evidence. Grave accusation: Prosecutors also argued that Flores (right) had sexually abused the little girl in 2012 and 2014 based on injuries to her genitals . Deputy District Attorney David Foy told the jury that Mariah Sugg made her boyfriend's 7-year-old son perform push-ups, sit-ups and run in place for hours, and if the child showed signs of slowing down, the woman would hit him in the head with a belt. The 7-year-old testified that Sugg only allowed him to eat small portions of food in between chores and endless exercise routines, reported the Victorville Daily Enterprise. According to Foy, Sugg would give the boy a small piece of a corn dog and then eat the rest of it herself. On Wednesday, a jury panel found Flores and Sugg each guilty of three counts of torture and three counts of willful cruelty to a child with possibility of injury or death. ‘I am so grateful that the jury took care to find justice for these children,’ David Foy said.

Erik Austin Flores, 30, and Mariah Rita Sugg, 23, have been convicted of torture and willful cruelty to a child with possibility of injury or death . Flores' children, ages 4, 5 and 7, were removed from their home in June after Good Samaritans noticed two of them looked emaciated . A forensic pediatrician testified Flores' 4-year-old daughter would have died soon had she not been hospitalized . Both children suffered from a permanent loss of height as a result of starvation . Sugg beat the three children with a belt, made them do exercises for hours and stand in the corner for entire days .

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By . Louise Eccles . ‘Fairly brutal sexual conduct’ has become ‘reasonably normal in St Helenian life’, a startling charity report has claimed. The Lucy Faithfull Foundation found puberty was widely regarded as a marker for young ‘girls’ availability’, rather than the age of consent on the British-owned island. The Mail revealed yesterday how a shocking report which was never made public by the British government found St Helena was rife with child sexual abuse, domestic violence and sexual exploitation. Scroll down for video . Culture: A report by the Lucy Faithful Foundation revealed that in the British territory of St Helena, 'society is generally tolerant of sexual assault' Now, we can reveal further details from the startling report into child sexual abuse on the British overseas territory, which is home to 3,800 people. The charity said the least charitable interpretation of the situation would be that ‘the society is generically tolerant of sexual assault, except of the most gross kind, and that the parameters of what was acceptable had been shifted’. They uncovered a ‘casual form of prostitution’, with women and teenage girls traded in return for food and consumer goods. Meanwhile, the Salvation Army and the Human Rights Office told them that ‘domestic violence was endemic’ on the island. Many older women had suffered a practice known as ‘downing’ in their childhood, when they were raped on the way to school. As a result of their own experiences, some did not recognise that grooming and abuse of their own children was a crime, but instead potentially ‘flattering’, if it was non-violent. Commissioned by DFID, two experts at the charity interviewed more than 50 St Helena residents including police officers, diplomats, school children, social workers and hospital staff. They also investigated Ascension Island, home to a Royal Air Force station and 900 residents, a two-day boat ride from St Helena. The report found evidence of the ‘grooming of children for sex’, particularly on Ascension Island’s bars, where alcohol was used as a ‘disabling narcotic’. It found young, male workers from the US air base preyed on young girls, saying: ‘The disinhibiting effects of alcohol, and being away from home, community and parental scrutiny meant that some of them considered local girls ‘fair game.’ Territory: On the island, one of the most remote in the world, some residents were involved in a 'casual form of prostitution' where women were exchange for food and consumer goods . The charity made 28 recommendations, including the removal of trial by jury for sexual offences on St Helena, claiming locals ‘appeared ‘extremely reluctant to convict alleged perpetrators of sexual abuses unless the perpetrator himself is hated by the community’ and that victims were often viewed as ‘slags’. It also called for urgent improvements to residential facilities for children and adults with disabilities to ‘avoid a public scandal’. Charity workers were shown a ‘home made padded cell’ for children who became upset or ‘difficult’, which had only just been taken out of use, at the insistence of a new social services manager. The buildings where children with physical and learning difficulties were housed were ‘terribly run down and extremely depressing’, while staff were forced to use their own wages to buy enough food for residents. One unit was used as a ‘dumping ground of sorts’, where residents included a distressed sixteen-year-old being bottle-fed and a woman in her sixties ‘in the final stages of multiple sclerosis’. A source who used to live on the island said: ‘What I saw happening on the island is absolutely appalling. ‘It reminds me very much of what happened on Pitcairn.’ Changes: The charity recommended that the island remove trial  by jury for sexual offences, because fellow residents were 'extremely reluctant' to convict alleged perpetrators of abuse . Hazel Wilmot, owner of the Consulate Hotel in Jamestown, St Helena, who moved to the island in 2008 from Botswana, said that the island had taken great strides to clamp down on sexual offenders in recent months. She said: ‘Five years ago I could not believe the total lack of empathy, the total lack of regard for sexual abuse victims. Everyone knew it happened. ‘Sexual abuse became part and parcel of island culture. There was a sense that ‘we know we have a problem but why don’t the expats go home and leave us to our island ways’. ‘Well, now the silence has been broken and it is time it was no longer accepted. ‘We are strengthening our police, we are strengthening our investigations, our laws, our child protection. The island is changing quickly and for the better.’ But she echoed concerns that Britain’s plans to build a £250million airport on the island would attract international paedophiles if it became known as an easy target for child sex abuse. The airport, which opens in 2016, will end centuries of isolation for the island, which is a five-day boat ride from Cape Town. She said: ‘We are sending out the message that sex tourists are not welcome on St Helena. ‘We don’t want to give the impression that here is another Thailand, that there is a culture of acceptance for abuse.’ She added: ‘We had a problem and we are dealing with it. We are playing catch-up.’ The island is mostly funded by British taxpayers . More than 90 per cent of public expenditure on St Helena is funded by British taxpayers. One of the most remote islands in the world, the island has few natural resources and no sustainable economy. As a result, thousands of St Helenians live and work in the UK, South Africa or the Falklands. The 3,800 inhabitants left on the island receive almost £20million a year to ensure the ‘reasonable needs’ of the population are met. The South Atlantic island, 1,200 miles from the African coast, was uninhabited until it was discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, and for centuries was only used as a stopover for ships, due to its extreme isolation. Britain colonised the island in 1659 and brought slaves from South Asia and Africa. It remains British-owned. Survival on the volcanic island has always been a struggle for its settlers and it now suffers from a steadily declining population as more people leave to find work. At the end of 2012, the population was 3,800, down from 4,200 in 2008. In 2011, Andrew Mitchell, the then-Secretary of State for International Development, said building an airport on the island was crucial to ‘end five centuries of isolation for this UK overseas territory’ and help it to achieve ‘financial self-sustainability and an end to UK budgetary aid’. He said: ‘Continued sea access as the only way to get to and from St Helena would consign the island to a bleak future of further emigration and economic decline.’ French emperor Napolean was famously exiled there in 1815 by the British and died in a prison on the island.

Charity found puberty was regarded as a 'marker' for 'girls' availability' Revealed that 'fairly brutal sexual conduct' has become 'reasonably normal' They uncovered a 'casual form of prostitution' in the overseas territory . Women suffered 'downing', where they were raped on the way to school . Salvation Army said domestic violence on the island is 'endemic'

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New arrivals: Between 500 and 1,000 U.S. Marines are to be stationed permanently in Darwin . Australia is set to become home to hundreds of U.S. Marines - as America moves its servicemen to a military base on the northern tip of the country. In a bid to combat China's increase in global military and financial power, between 500 to 1,000 officers are to form a permanent U.S. military presence at a barracks outside Darwin. U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to formally reveal the plans - which will further anchor American influence in Asia but have prompted fears the area could become a target for terrorists - during a visit to the city next week. The U.S. currently only has a limited deployment in its long-standing ally, including the Pine Gap Joint Defence Facility spy station near Alice Springs, which has coordinated air strikes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The move represents a potentially significant geo-strategic shift, which is said to have been under consideration for some years as Washington looks to boost its Pacific Command. A new base will not be built in the city, instead the marines will use the existing Robertson Barracks nearby. It is currently home to 4,500 Australian soldiers and will need to be expanded to cater for the US Marines, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. In a speech to a national security workshop today, Australian defence minister Stephen Smith said: 'This would potentially see more ship visits, more visiting aircraft and more training and exercising through northern Australia. It would also include the pre-positioning of United States equipment in Australia.' U.S. Marines are already based at Okinawa in Japan, and on Guam, a U.S. territory 1,500 miles north of Papua New Guinea, as America's chief combat force in the Pacific theatre. The new plan would intensify the 60 year military alliance between the two countries. Analysts said the move was largely a response to the rise of China, which is boosting its military spending and capabilities. China is also becoming increasingly assertive on the high seas, where it claims sovereignty over essentially all of the South China Sea, a key global trading route. Professor Geoffrey Garrett, chief executive of the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, said the U.S. strategy had two elements. He said: 'China looms very large for both Australia and the US. New home: Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory with a population of 127,500 . 'The first concerns strengthening America's alliances and friendships in the region as an insurance policy that China's until now very peaceful rise changes course. Capital city of Northern Territory . Population of 127,500 . Least populous of all Australia's capital cities . Proximity to Asia makes it important gateway . Enjoys a tropical climate, with a wet and a dry season . Had to be rebuilt after Japanese air raids during World War II . City was also devastated by Cyclone Tracy in 1974 . 'The second is trying to build a regional economic architecture for the Asia-Pacific. 'That will be based on the market principles of America and Australia that China over time will have powerful incentives to join. 'Even if this entails domestic reforms it has been unwilling to undertake up until now.' Asked about the U.S. potentially stationing troops in Australia, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Beijing had noted the reports. He said: 'We hope that bilateral co-operation between relevant countries will be conducive to peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.' But despite the fears, Andrew Shearer, director of studies at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, said the move was 'not all about China'. He added: 'Everyone draws the China connection but it's as much to do with the rise of India as well. It's not all about defence, but to be able to conduct disaster relief, counter piracy and keep shipping lanes free.' Located: The U.S. has military bases around the world, as depicted in this graphic .

500-1,000 officers to form permanent presence outside Darwin . More ships and aircraft to visit - but no new barracks built . Beijing: 'Bilateral co-operation should be conducive to peace'

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By . Hayley Peterson and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:55 EST, 25 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:55 EST, 25 July 2013 . Federal authorities have launched a major investigation into the handling of at least two alleged rapes at the University of Southern California after students filed a 107-page complaint. The U.S. Department of Education has opened a Title IX sex discrimination investigation into allegations made by more than a dozen USC students who claimed the school did not take appropriate action after reporting sexual abuse to college officials, which violated their civil rights, according to ABC News. One of the more shocking cases involved a woman who was allegedly told by campus police that her rape report was groundless because the assailant did not orgasm. 'Because he stopped, it was not rape,' the student was allegedly told by a Department of Public Safety detective, according to the complaint. 'Even though his penis penetrated your vagina, because he stopped, it was not a crime.' The complaint says the woman's case was consequently not referred to the Los Angeles Police Department. Tucker Reed, 23, who is a theater major at USC, says her ex-boyfriend raped her in December 2010. When she took her claims to university officials in December 2012, she said her case was not properly investigated . Ariella Mostov said officials ignored her claims that she was sexually assaulted and that afterwards, she was forced to attend classes with the suspect for an entire semester . Several students behind the complaint held a press conference earlier this week to talk about their cases. 'The process made me feel raped a second time,' said Tucker Reed, 23, who is a theater major at USC. Reed says her ex-boyfriend raped her in December 2010. When she took her claims to university officials in December 2012, she said her case was not properly investigated and that it was eventually dismissed. She says she had presented detectives with evidence of the assault, including a recording in which her alleged attacker admitted to the crime. Another student, Ariella Mostov, 21, said . officials ignored her claims that she was sexually assaulted and that . afterwards, she was forced attend classes with the suspect for an entire . semester. University of Southern California students hold a press conference on a federal complaint accusing the school of ignoring or mishandling dozens of sexual assault cases . 'USC was unwilling to make any accommodations for me,' she said, her voice shaking with emotion. 'I was outraged.' When another student went to the school's Department of Public Safety to report a sexual assault at a fraternity event, an officer told her and a friend that women should not 'go out, get drunk and expect not to get raped,' according to the complaint. The federal investigation is the latest in a series of inquiries into whether colleges are complying with the guidelines of Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. Similar complaints have been filed against other schools around the nation, including Occidental College, UC Berkeley, Dartmouth, Swarthmore and Yale. Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.

The U.S. Department of Education is investigating at least two alleged rapes at the University of Southern California after students filed a complaint . More than a dozen USC students accused the school of allegedly mishandling sexual assault and rape cases . In one case, a young woman said campus police dismissed her rape report because the attacker did not orgasm . Another student said after the school dismissed her report of sexual assault, she was forced to attend class with her alleged attacker . Tucker Reed, 23, claims her case was ignored even though she provided a recording of her alleged attacker confessing to the crime .

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By . Darren Boyle . A rescued dog has swapped the shelter for the spotlight after becoming an internet sensation on social media site, Instagram. Whether she’s snoozing happily in a hoodie or smiling playfully for the camera, the loveable Jack Russell cross has managed to capture the hearts of doting dog fans the world over. With over 300,000 followers, seven-year-old Ginny is one of the most popular dogs on the internet and now receives bundles of fan mail every month. Ginny the Jack Russell has more than 30,000 followers on Instagram seeking the latest updates on her life . Seven-year-old Ginny was rescued by her owner Chelsea Hope-England from a dog's home in Oxfordshire . The small dog suffered from a terrible skin condition which caused her to lose most of her fur . But life wasn’t always this good for the cute canine, who after being adopted from a local dogs home, suddenly developed a a severe skin allergy that caused her to lose most of her fur. Luckily, Oxfordshire based owner Chelsea Hope-England recognised Ginny’s potential managed to nurse the dog back to health. After coming across an Instagram account dedicated entirely to a small Malteste dog, Ms Hope was inspired to set up a page for her own beloved pet, but had no idea it would become so popular. She said: 'Ginny likes sleeping and not wasting precious energy unless it’s to walk to her food bowl, so getting a photo is no problem at all. 'She also really loves the attention she gets after a photo has been taken so it’s easy for me to capture her shenanigans. 'Clothes don’t seem to bother her one bit, she’s always had clothes, because not long after I adopted Ginny she had a severe skin allergy and eczema, so she lost a lot of her fur and while we waited for it to grow back and for the medication to help her, she wore coats and jumpers so she didn’t get cold. 'She’s a bundle of lazy, although she can at times be energetic, always willing to eat and very happy 99 per cent of the time.' Ms Hope-England said she opened up the Instagram account for Ginny after seeing another dog-based account . Ginny, pictured, poses with a range of cuddly toys, clothes and dog toys for her legion of internet-based fans . On the odd occasion, Ginny is photographed involved in some normal dog-like activities such as walking . Ms Hope-England said: 'She’s happiest when she’s being hugged and for the other 1 per cent of the time she’s grumpy because I won’t let her have any more treats. 'I love to bath her, which is definitely not something Ginny likes, her fur gets so incredibly fluffy afterwards. 'About three years ago I found an account where she mostly posted photos of her adorable maltese dog, which inspired me to make an entire page for Ginny because I am obsessed with her and to be honest she has a far more interesting life than I do. 'The community on Instagram is amazing, Ginny regularly receives lovely letters, drawings, accessories, treats and was once even given a skateboard. 'I’ve kept it all and Ginny now has her own little shrine of herself close to her bed with drawings people have done for her.' Ms Hope-England said: 'I am obsessed with her and to be honest she has a far more interesting life than I do'

Ginny the Jack Russell was rescued by her owner Chelsea Hope-England . The small dog was in a home and suffering from bad eczema and fur loss . Ms Hope-England nursed the adorable little dog back to full health . She then opened an Instagram account for Ginny which has 30,000 followers . Ms Hope-England said that Ginny's life is far more interesting than her own .

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Crystal Palace and Sunderland are among the clubs monitoring Senegal international midfielder Stephane Badji. The 24-year-old impressed scouts during his country’s 1-0 victory over Egypt in Cairo on Saturday and is keen on a move to England. The 6ft 3ins versatile midfielder was part of Senegal’s Olympic squad in 2012 and plays for Brann in Norway but is understood to have a £600,000 release clause in his contract which has alerted Premier League clubs looking for a bargain. Stephane Badji (left) is believed to have a £600,000 release clause in his contract at Norwegian club Brann . The 6ft 3ins midfielder (left) has made two appearances for the Senegal national team .

Stephane Badji impressed during Sengal's 1-0 win over Egypt on Saturday . The midfielder currently plies his trade for Brann in Norway . The 24-year-old is believed to have a £600,000 release clause .

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(CNN) -- As recently as six years ago, it was conventional wisdom among lawyers, legislators and policy advocates that the states had no role in setting immigration policy. Since then, there has been a federalist revolution of historic proportions. One-third of the states now mandate that some employers enroll in the federal employment verification program, E-Verify. Seven states require it of all but the smallest employers. Five have enacted policing laws similar to Arizona's SB 1070 that allow local police to inquire about the immigration status of people they stop for other reasons who they suspect are in the country illegally. No wonder the Supreme Court is weighing in, hearing arguments this week on the Justice Department's challenge to SB 1070. Refereeing turf battles between Washington and the states is one of the court's first responsibilities. But something is troubling. The court is considering and will eventually rule on one very particular, polarizing state stratagem. That doesn't come across as impartial refereeing. Whatever the outcome, it will feel like judges making policy -- either endorsing or outlawing police questions about immigration status. If the justices are going to encourage federalism, I'd like to see them encourage it more evenhandedly, opening the way to a broader array of state initiatives, including those that go beyond enforcement. Those who want Washington to make immigration policy have a hundred years of history and a raft of persuasive arguments on their side. The Constitution reserves some powers for Congress: naturalization and, by extension, determining who and how many immigrants we admit. Federal law carves out other areas, including most worksite enforcement. And sheer practicality argues for one national policy on the border. But after five years of federal paralysis, with Washington still unable to act to fix the immigration system, it's understandable that states have been taking matters into their own hands. The laws have come in waves: One state tries something, others follow. The first waves were all enforcement measures: voters and lawmakers trying anything to get control, first by regulating landlords, then limiting hiring, then using local police and even public school teachers to inquire about people's immigration status. But recently, a handful of states have tried to go beyond enforcement. Utah pioneered the new path. Three-part legislation passed in spring 2011 combined an Arizona-like policing measure with a state-run guest worker program to bring in legal workers from Mexico, plus an initiative to grant work permits to unauthorized immigrants already living and working in Utah. This year, lawmakers in five other states as different as Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Vermont and California floated similar worker authorization bills. Legislators in many states express interest in guest worker programs. It's not just immigrant rights advocates who are driving the measures -- many are backed by surprising coalitions. In some instances, business is engaged. Even in the downturn, farmers, nonfarm seasonal employers and other industries that rely on physical labor need immigrants to do jobs for which there are few willing and able Americans. In some states, the sponsors are pragmatic conservatives. Republican state Sen. Curt Bramble of Utah is as eager as Arizona's enforcement-minded sheriffs to get control of illegal immigration. But Bramble believes it will take a combination of enforcement and realism about the unauthorized population. "Most aren't going home," he says, "no matter what we do. And the states are stuck with the costs. We have to educate, medicate and incarcerate them. But we can't let them work. It's the biggest unfunded mandate in history." What's different in the states is that this kind of pragmatism can break through, and lawmakers aren't afraid to try experiments, even unlikely bipartisan experiments like Utah's worker authorization program. The problem for Utah is that the Obama administration, determined to limit states' rights and keep the lid on state immigration enforcement, hasn't let the state implement any of its initiatives. Unlike states pursuing enforcement alone, states seeking to combine enforcement with other measures can't simply take matters into their own hands. A state-run guest worker program can't bring legal workers across the border without cooperation from federal authorities. And without permission from Washington, a state-run worker authorization initiative would leave employers and employees dangerously vulnerable to federal immigration enforcement. The result is a dramatic asymmetry in the experiments in immigration policy being conducted in the laboratories of democracy. It's no accident that the Supreme Court, which many observers see as inclined to encourage state initiatives, is about to consider the merits of yet another enforcement measure. How do we get off this narrow path? How do we break the logjam where Congress is paralyzed, creative state lawmakers are stymied and the only people implementing new immigration policy are those seeking to use draconian enforcement to drive immigrants out of the United States -- a theory known as attrition through enforcement? Personally, I hope the Supreme Court will strike down the Arizona law and put the responsibility back on Congress' shoulders. But if it doesn't -- if the justices decide to empower the states -- I hope they and the administration will open the door as widely as possible, with the court ruling broadly to free the states, and the administration cooperating with some constructive state experiments. As many state lawmakers are starting to grasp, the best antidote to illegal immigration is a legal immigration system that works. Let them experiment -- as freely as possible. Over time, their experimentation just may point the way for Congress. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tamar Jacoby .

Tamar Jacoby: In recent years many states have taken issue of immigration into their own hands . She says when Supreme Court rules on SB 1070 it will be making a judgment on federalism . She says states that have tried pragmatic approaches run up against federal immigration law . Jacoby: SB 1070 should fall, but if not, ruling should let states experiment on immigration policy .

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By . David Kent . Blackpool winger Tom Ince is close to becoming Hull's third signing of the summer after turning down a move to Inter Milan. Ince is meeting Tigers officials for the first time on Tuesday with a view to completing his switch to the Barclays Premier League. The 22-year-old England Under-21 winger met Inter chiefs in Italy last month to discuss a possible move but decided his future was in England. On the move: Tom Ince is set to sing for Hull City . International honours: Ince represented the England U21s earlier this summer . Despite . Ince being out of contract at Bloomfield Road, he is under 23 so . Blackpool will be due compensation when he makes his next move. Hull . boss Steve Bruce completed the permanent signing of Tottenham . midfielder Jake Livermore last month and has also landed Robert . Snodgrass from Norwich for a reported £7million fee.

Tom Ince close to becoming Hull's third summer signing . Ince turned down the chance to join Inter Milan . Hull have also signed Robert Snodgrass and Jake Livermore .

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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Paramedics were called to Lindsay Lohan's Los Angeles hotel room when she did not wake up from a nap Friday morning, but the actress "is fine," her publicist said. Lohan joked about the incident in a Twitter posting early Saturday: . "Note to self.. After working 85 hours in 4 days, and being up all night shooting, be very aware that you might pass out from exhaustion & 7 paramedics MIGHT show up @ your door.... Hopefully theyre cute. Otherwise it would be a real let down." Lohan, 25, was simply sleeping after working "a grueling schedule the past few days," publicist Steve Honig said. She is in the middle of filming the Lifetime movie "Liz & Dick" in which she portrays legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor. LiLo's maybe co-star, porn actor James Deen . "She was on set last night at 7 p.m. and worked through the night until 8 a.m. this morning," Honig said. "She took a nap before shooting her final scene. Producers were concerned when she did not come out of her room and called paramedics as a precaution." Paramedics determined Lohan "is fine, but did suffer some exhaustion and dehydration." Contrary to some media reports, she was not taken to a hospital, he said. "She is resting now and is hoping to be back on set later this afternoon," he said. The scare came a week after Lohan was involved in a car crash that sent her to a hospital emergency room. Lohan has spent several stints in substance abuse rehab, jail and home confinement in the past five years. Her professional life has gotten back on track in recent months and her supervised probation, stemming from two drunken driving convictions, has been lifted. Lohan's lengthy legal history . CNN's Jack Hannah and Carolyn Sung contributed to this report.

NEW: Lohan jokes about the incident on Twitter . Lohan was napping after "a grueling schedule the past few days," her publicist says . "Liz & Dick" producers call 911 when she didn't return to the set . She "is fine, but did suffer some exhaustion and dehydration," publicist says .

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By . Paul Donnelley . A Conservative MP ignored Foreign Office advice on travelling to Ecuador and paid the price – she had her purse stolen after a thief slashed her rucksack. Tracey Crouch, the MP for Chatham and Aylesford in Kent, flew out to the Latin American country - notorious for muggings and pickpockets - on Tuesday this week to take part in a charity climb up the 19,347ft-high Cotapaxi volcano to raise cash for the Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes. On her first day Miss Crouch went for a stroll in in the old town of the capital city Quito, rucksack on her back and a local thief relieved her of her purse. Home and away... Tracey Crouch Mp in more familiar surroundings beneath Big Ben and with a friend in Ecuador where she was mugged on her first day . Miss Crouch ignored security advice to avoid the old town and to wear her rucksack on her front. She tweeted: ‘First day in Ecuador ruined by someone slashing my rucksack with knife & stealing purse. Not a good start’ adding on her blog: ‘We started day with an hour stroll from hotel to British Embassy where the Ambassador was kind enough to meet us all and give us an insight into Ecuador, their political and military structures and how Britain trades with them. ‘Afterwards we went to the charming Old Town where unfortunately my rucksack was slashed and my purse was taken, without me or anyone in the group noticing. ‘Am trying to put a brave face on but am now without rucksack and credit cards for rest of trip!’ Miss Crouch is in Ecuador with six injured soldiers and fellow MPs John Mann (Lab) and Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem). They are due to start the climb next week. Climb ev'ry mountain: Tracey Crouch MP's twitter account reveals her bravado at travelling to Ecuador and her anger/disappointment when she got there . Tracey Crouch, David Cameron and Ffion Hague await a speech from Ffion's husband William Hague, the Foreign Secretary . Muggings and pick pocketing are common. In Quito, take particular care in ‘La Carolina’ and ‘El Ejido’ parks, the districts of ‘La Mariscal’, ‘La Floresta’ and ‘La Marin’, the old town including the central bus station, and ‘El Panecillo’ hill. Don’t wear expensive jewellery when walking around and watch your bags on public transport. Wear your rucksack on the front of your body. Where possible, don’t store anything under your seat or in the overhead storage. Keep your passport and money on you at all times. Take care of your belongings in restaurants or cafes and watch out for thieves. Criminals sometimes squirt liquids (ketchup, mustard, water, etc.) on you and then steal your bag while ‘helping’ to clean you up. Other methods of distraction include requests for assistance, staged fights and pushing or shoving. Don’t resist a robbery. Armed robbery is a constant hazard throughout Ecuador, but especially in Quito, Guayaquil and in remote areas. A British national was shot dead in February 2009 in Pedernales, in Manabi province, while undertaking conservation work. The FCO advise against all but essential travel to several parts of the country. Road conditions are variable. Heavy rains and mudslides often close or wash away roads, which can cause significant delays and accidents.Serious accidents are very common, mainly due to careless driving, speeding and badly maintained vehicles. Ecuador has one of the highest rates of road accidents in Latin America.

Tracey Crouch wore rucksack on back instead of front and had it slashed . MP is in Ecuador for charity mountain hike with MPs and wounded soldiers . Raising money for Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes .

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By . Margot Peppers . PUBLISHED: . 14:03 EST, 10 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:03 EST, 11 December 2013 . Some say that in relationships, opposites attract, but new research has found that that might not be the case. According to an analysis of eHarmony's Compatibility Matching System, similarity is actually the key to a long-lasting relationship, even though people with opposite personalities may find themselves attracted to each other at first. The study of thousands of couples looked at patterns that made their relationships successful and found that while opposites attract initially, ultimately they 'attack' each other. Head-to-head: According to an analysis of eHarmony's Compatibility Matching System, similarity is actually the key to a long-lasting relationships, even though opposites may be attracted to each other at first . According to the study, opposites 'only attract for a short time', drawn at first to each other's intriguing an exciting differences. But ultimately, those differences come between them, leading to frustration and animosity. A submissive person might be attracted to someone who is dominant, for instance, but 'it could be better for two highly dominant people to be together,' says the study. 'While they may occasionally clash, they'll do so as equals and ultimately the relationship will be healthier.' 'While two dominants may occasionally clash, they'll do so as equals and ultimately the relationship will be healthier' Similarly, an introverted person may be drawn to an extrovert, because the extrovert's confidence makes the beginning stages of a relationship less stressful for an introvert. Nevertheless, the couple's differing social patterns - like the fact the extroverts thrive in big groups, whereas introverts are content with smaller groups - are likely to eventually cause tension in the relationship. Rather than pair up with someone with an opposite personality, singletons should seek out compatibility if they really want the relationship to endure.

An analysis of eHarmony's Compatibility Matching System found that like personalities are actually key to a long-lasting relationship .

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By . Jonathan Block . A church in Mississippi has released stunning video from a security camera showing a massive tornado ripping through its playground on April 28, destroying nearly everything in its path, except a slide. A series of twisters devastated several states in the Southeastern United States late last month, killing at least 35 and leaving behind millions of dollars in devastation. 'It really kinda brought things back, seeing it a week later,' Brad Bullock, technical director for St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi, told NBC News. Scroll down for video . A view of the playground at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi just minutes before a massive tornado hit on April 28. As winds begin to whip up, the camera goes from color to black and white . In the midst of the tornado's highest winds, the playground is barely visible . 'The building was really damaged,' Bullock added. 'About 50 percent of the front of the building is gone.' After the tornado that struck Tupelo, many church members were left without power and some, unfortunately, lost their homes. As the tornado begins to subside, the massive damage caused by it becomes evident . The aftermath of the twister shows nearly ever piece of playground equipment is destroyed, except for the slide in the background. 'A lot of folks are displaced,' Bullock said. 'Right now you can’t even see the houses. This is a neighborhood that has huge beautiful oak trees that survived the 1936 tornado and a lot of those are gone.' As the cleanup continues, Bullock is optimistic that the church will open its doors to worshipers again. 'We have a pastor that went through Katrina so he has experience in this,' he said. 'We’re looking from 18 months to 2 years to reopen. We have people out there now looking to assess the damage.'

Tornado on April 28 heavily damaged St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi . Video taken from church security camera shows the fury of the tornado over several minutes . At least 35 people died in series of twisters that hit southern states in late April .

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By . Emma Glanfield . An 'out of control' passenger forced a London-bound Virgin Atlantic flight to make a U-turn back to Hong Kong this morning. Flight VS201, which was destined for London's Heathrow, was forced to turn back to Hong Kong International Airport after the 26-year-old man, identified only as 'Robert', became disruptive. The flight had been in the air for just over an hour-and-a-half when the passenger 'lost control and didn't follow instructions from staff'. Scroll down for video . Flight VS201, an Airbus A340 destined for London's Heathrow, was forced to turn back to Hong Kong International Airport after the 26-year-old man, identified only as 'Robert', became disruptive (file picture) Once the plane returned to the airport, the man was arrested and sent to hospital, authorities said. 'The foreign man called Robert, who is 26 years old, lost control on board and didn't follow instructions from staff on the flight,' a police spokesman told AFP. 'He was shouting... When the flight returned to Hong Kong, the man was arrested for violating aviation security ordinance and was sent to Princess Margaret Hospital,' he added. A Hong Kong airport authority spokeswoman said the plane, an Airbus A340, had departed at midnight. One passenger, who claimed to be on board the disrupted flight, said the man had to be restrained with belts during the incident. Katie Wong wrote on Facebook: 'He just gone out of control (sic). Talk loud and walking ard. Actually he touched my shouter (sic) and go intimidated at the aisle when the captain announced we're diverting the flight. A flight radar map shows the plane's flight path (in dark blue) and how it made a U-turn just 90 minutes after departing Hong Kong International Airport at midnight. The 'disruptive' man was arrested once it re-landed . 'The crew ended up put him down temporarily with an injection (we guess) and tied him up with belts.' Virgin Atlantic confirmed the flight had to turn back to Hong Kong after about 90 minutes, but was unable to confirm whether flight attendants had to restrain the man. A spokesman said: 'Virgin Atlantic can confirm that due to a disruptive passenger flight VS201 to London Heathrow returned to Hong Kong and was met by authorities on arrival. 'Virgin Atlantic does not tolerate disruptive behaviour by passengers on-board and the safety and welfare of our passengers and crew is the airline's top priority.' Katie Wong, believed to be a passenger on Flight VS201, said the man was 'out of control' and had to be tied up with belts by the crew in the process of being restrained. He was later taken to hospital after being arrested . Passenger left stranded by the incident were put up in hotels in Hong Kong and will fly out again on this evening. 'The rest of the passengers were provided with accommodation before they depart tonight,' a Hong Kong-based Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said. Police said this morning that the man had not yet been charged. Authorities were unable to confirm whether he was still in hospital and what treatment he had received.

Flight VS201 had to make U-turn just 90 minutes after departing Hong Kong . 26-year-old man, known only as 'Robert', became 'out of control' on flight . He was arrested for violating aviation security ordinance once plane landed . Passenger claims the man was 'tied up with belts' during restraint by crew .

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By . Will Stewart . var twitterVia = 'MailOnline'; . DM.has('shareLinkTop', 'shareLinks', { . 'id': '2267748', . 'title': 'Search is on for Russia\'s \u00A350billion of \'missing\' gold but it might be at the bottom of world\'s deepest lake...', . 'url': 'http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267748/Search-Russias-50billion-missing-gold-worlds-deepest-lake.html', . 'eTwitterStatus': ' http://bit.ly/Wpa8OA via @' + twitterVia, . 'articleChannelFollowButton': 'MailOnline', . 'isChannel': false, . 'placement': 'top', . 'anchor': 'tl' }); . 34 . View comments . Fresh attempts are to be made to find the 'missing' gold of the last Tsar of Russia, believed to in Siberia . Fresh attempts are to be made to find the 'missing' gold of the last Tsar of Russia - worth 'up to £50 billion' at today's prices - which is believed to be stashed or lost in Siberia. Some 95 years after Nicholas the Second and his family were shot by a firing squad loyal to Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, six sites have been identified where the royal treasure may be located. Two of them are in the world's deepest lake and another is in a region notorious for its gulag prison camps during the Stalin era. Gold from the Russian Imperial state was moved eastward during the First World War and initially held in Kazan on the Volga River. 'One of Britain's most legendary spies, Sidney Reilly, and the colourful, womanising diplomat, Robert Bruce Lockhart, who with his lover Baroness Moura Budberg, Russia's 'Mata Hari', was accused of plotting to assassinate Lenin, were directly involved in this operation to prevent the gold falling into Communist hands,' said the Siberian Times. The bed-hopping baroness - who also slept with writers HG Wells and Maxim Gorky - was the great great aunt of deputy prime minister Nick Clegg. After the Reds seized power in the capital, Petrograd, now St Petersburg, the anti-Communists moved it by train into Siberia. Here it was under the control of Admiral Alexander Kolchak, who led the White Russian forces loyal to the royal family during the civil war which engulfed the country from 1918-20. Certainly some of the treasure was used to buy arms to use against Lenin's forces, but historians are divided over how much was later grabbed by the Communists. Doubts also remain on the quantity of Tsarist gold sneaked abroad or hidden or lost in Siberia . Some 95 years after Nicholas the Second (seated second from left) and his family were shot by a firing squad loyal to Bolshevik leader . Vladimir Lenin, six sites have been identified where the royal treasure . may be located . British spy Sidney Reilly was said to be involved in stopping the gold fall into the hands of Communists . Baroness Moura Budberg, the great great aunt of Nick Clegg is said to be involved in the affair . Diplomat Robert Bruce Lockhart was also said to be involved in the plan to protect the gold . 'Groups of intrepid searchers have not given up hope of finding this treasure, convinced that it never fell into the hands of the Soviet authorities, and hoping this will be the lucky year for the royal gold rush,' said The Siberian Times. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the fallen House of Romanov. 'I am convinced that at least some of the tsar's gold remains in Siberia and I continue to hunt for it,' said a researcher working at two of the suspected sites where the Romanov bullion is hidden. 'I will not divulge the locations I am searching but modern technology makes it more likely than ever before to be able to find the gold stashed beneath the surface.' A Mir-2 mini-submarine in 2010 located allegedly 'shiny metal objects' some 1,300 feet below the surface of Lake Baikal in an area close to where a train carrying gold was rumoured to have crashed are the time of Kolchak's arrest and execution by the Soviet authorities in 1920. More dives are expected for bullion at this site, but another theory is that White troops carrying gold tried crossing ice bound Baikal - the world's deepest lake - in winter but perished on  as temperatures slumped to minus 60C. After the Reds (pictured) seized power in the capital, Petrograd, now St Petersburg, the anti-Communists moved the gold by train into Siberia . When the ice melted in spring, the gold sank to the bottom of the lake. Other theories link stashes of the the 1,600 tons of gold to two sites in Omsk, where Kolchak had his headquarters. One is in labyrinthine passages under the city, another close to a nearby village, Zakhlamino. A further possible site is in the former gulag region of Krasnoyarsk, where a mysterious graveyard of some 500 White soldiers is alleged to have been found. Local folklore suggests the forces stashed the gold shortly before they were slaughtered. Meanwhile author Valery Kurnosov believes MI6 has information on a separate collection of gold and treasures from a tsarist-era bank close to Kazan. A British secret agent called Roger Gariel was involved in a joint operation in 1928 involving the Soviet government and Western figures to find the gold in a forest near the city. The operation failed and the Soviet government later continued the hunt but never found it, he said. Historian Oleg Budnitskii, of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has disputed the value of the 'Kolchak Gold' inherited from Imperial Russia, saying it was worth £3 billion maximum. He also claims none remains hidden, arguing it was all accounted for. A further possible site is in the former . gulag region of Krasnoyarsk, where a mysterious graveyard of some 500 . White soldiers is alleged to have been found. Rumour has it soldiers stashed the gold before they died .

Six sites identified as places where the royal treasure may be located . British spy and a British diplomat said to be involved in its disappearance . 'Missing' gold of the last Tsar worth 'up to £50 billion' at today's prices .

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Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City have made enquiries for St Etienne teenager Rayan Souici. The France Under 17 international plays as a defensive midfielder and models himself on Paul Pogba. And the three Premier League sides look determined to go head to head in a bid to snap up his signature in January. Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are chasing St Etienne wonderkid Rayan Souici (left) The 16-year-old (right) has attracted interest from a host of European clubs, including Monaco . The 16-year-old said: 'I have a model that I admire every day, it's Paul Pogba. 'Before my matches, I watch videos of him, he really is an exceptional player.' Souici reportedly received an offer from Monaco recently but turned them down in order to push through a move to the Premier League. Souici, a defensive midfielder, has admitted he models himself on fellow Frenchman Paul Pogba (left)

Rayan Souici of St Etienne is wanted by a host of Premier League clubs . Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City have all made enquiries . The 16-year-old plays as a defensive midfielder for France Under 17s . Souici has admitted he models himself on French star Paul Pogba .

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(CNN) -- It's been described as one of the greatest Victorian gothic horror stories of all time. Two ships with 129 men on board and fitted with the latest technology, vanish with barely a trace left behind. One hundred and sixty years of searching -- one attempt as recent as last month -- have failed to find "HMS Erebus" and her sister ship, the somewhat appropriately named "HMS Terror" -- the two vessels lost in the Arctic. In 1845 British Royal Navy captain Sir John Franklin set out with some of the finest sailors of the time on a mission to map the Northwest Passage. Franklin's expedition wasn't the first to the region, but it is the most infamous. "Why did this fail when all the others didn't," asks author William Battersby. "There was something jinxed about the expedition." Battersby is one of many to be transfixed by the mystery of Franklin's last voyage. "We love adventure stories, of derring-do, win against all odds, but in this story they don't and we still don't know why." The environment of the Northwest Passage is unforgiving. The landscape is vast and deserted, comparable only to Jupiter's moons. The winters are unrelenting and bleak. Franklin's men were faced with particularly brutally harsh temperatures and blizzards when they reached the region. Despite the ships being reinforced with steel and holding three years worth or provisions, it appears the environment got the better of the crew. "Man proposes, God disposes," says Bob Headland from the Scott Polar Research Institute, who regularly visits the region. '"And the ice gods are a fickle lot." The disappearance of the Erebus and the Terror has prompted the longest search mission in history: Although there have been numerous attempts to find the ships, there has been no sign of them. Ryan Harris from Parks Canada led the most recent mission to try to locate the shipwrecks. Last month, his crews spent hours scouring the ocean floor, searching waters up to 50 meters deep. "It's an incredible story. It's got shipwrecks, the remoteness of the Arctic, putting the might of English industrialism against Mother Nature," says Harris. Since 1997 Parks Canada has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attempting to locate the "Erebus" and "Terror." The tale of the Franklin expedition has enthralled Canadians -- the wreckage has the dubious honor of being the only national historic site in Canada that hasn't been found yet. "Once Franklin received his orders that sealed his fate," Harris explains. "In directing them south-west into ultimately the Victoria Strait it took them to the ice choke point. Once they fell into the clutch of that area, their fate was sealed. There's not much wildlife there and it is isolated." The last known account of the "Erebus" and "Terror" came in 1848. A rock cairn with a message on it indicated that the harsh conditions had already claimed their first lives, with only 105 men left alive. Franklin was one of the first casualties of his own expedition. That same year the men abandoned their ships, archaeologists believing they began making their way south in a desperate bid to find food. However the harsh environment supported little, and with few animals to hunt and over 100 men to feed, the chance of survival was low. It's been suggested that the men may have resorted to cannibalism in their last-ditch efforts to survive. "There were far too many men to live off the environment. What man plans and what nature allows are two different things," says Headland. Archaeologists have relied heavily upon oral Inuit history to try to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Based on their accounts it is thought some of the men lived for another three or four years after abandoning ship. But questions remain over exactly what happened to them. In 160 years only two skeletons and three perfectly preserved bodies have been uncovered. It is likely diseases such as scurvy claimed many lives but Battersby believes it may have been the ships themselves that killed the sailors. His theory is that the men succumbed to lead poisoning derived from the internal pipe system used to melt ice into drinking water. It's hoped the discovery of the ships will provide answers. '"There's a charm to the story," acknowledges Harris. "By solving a mystery it takes the allure away." But having said that, Harris is determined the search will go on until the "Erebus" and the "Terror" are found. Parks Canada insists that their searches have not been futile and they'll continue to gather information to help with future efforts. "I hope we're the last," says Harris. But after 160 years it's possible that this tale may be frozen in time forever. "These are the last of the ghost ships," says Battersby. "It is the world's biggest ghost story."

In 1845 Sir John Franklin and 129 men set out on a mission to map the Northwest Passage . 160 years of searching have failed to find the lost ships "HMS Erebus" and "HMS Terror" The last known account of the expedition was in 1848 .

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Boston (CNN) -- They could not say for certain who shot their loved ones in brutal gangland-style "hits," but a series of witnesses captivated the courtroom -- and drove two jurors to tears -- Thursday as prosecution testimony continued in the federal trial of reputed Boston mob leader James "Whitey" Bulger. One witnesses, 63-year-old Diane Sussman de Tennen, alternated between bouts of crying and attempts to smile as she recounted the night she was in a car that suddenly was riddled by bullets, leaving her then-boyfriend a quadriplegic for the remaining three decades of his life. "I remember hearing this noise -- a continuous stream of noise of gunfire, (like) rocks being thrown...it just was nonstop ... in retrospect it was a machine gun," she said, describing the night she and her boyfriend were riding home with another man, Michael Milano, after her birthday celebration at a Boston bar. When it was over, Sussman de Tennen recalled Thursday, her boyfriend was "covered in blood and broken glass, eyes glazed over ... (he) let out a groan." Sussman de Tennen said she reached over Milano, who was collapsed on the steering wheel, and laid on the horn until a taxi driver pulled over and called an ambulance. She learned only later that Milano was dead. "The police told me that they were concerned for my safety because they thought I might be a target because whoever the people who machine-gunned down the car probably didn't want me as a witness," she said. Bulger is charged in the deaths of 19 people during the nearly two decades that prosecutors say he was the head of the Irish mob in Boston. He is also charged with extortion, racketeering and money laundering. The trial, now in its second week, has included prosecution testimony from a former hitman and Bulger colleague who testified that he and Bulger together carried out 11 killings. That witness, John Martorano, included in his testimony details about Milano's killing, with Martorano saying he and his associates sprayed Milano's car with bullets thinking it was a gang rival target. Jurors heard from Milano's brother, Donald Milano who immediately began crying and asked to pause questioning while apologizing to the judge profusely. The night before his death, Michael had been at Donald's place showing off his new car, his brother testified. "He was very proud of it." Donald Milano said he heard on the radio the next day that his brother had been killed, and called home to verify . Donald Milano was in court Monday when Martorano testified about shooting at Milano's car. Another witness, Deborah Scully, was stone-faced when she testified about the 1973 killing of her companion, William O'Brien. She was nine months pregnant with their child when he was shot and killed, she said, and she was unable to attend the funeral because she had given birth by then. Martorano earlier testified that he, Bulger, and their associates were involved in the killing of O'Brien. An elderly, wisecracking Ralph DeMasi, fresh out of jail after serving 21 years for conspiracy to rob an armored card, testified that he barely survived the night O'Brien was shot. He told the jury he was getting "bad vibrations" about a car that was trailing the two of them after they had met at a bar with a man described earlier in Martorano's testimony as a Bulger associate. "I told Billy keep your eye on rear or side mirror and he said, "Aw Ralph, ain't nobody gonna hurt us," DeMasi remembered. Then, DeMasi said, that trailing car sped up and a torrent of bullets came from it. He was hit eight times, DeMasi said, pointing out to the jury exactly where. But none of that emotional and colorful testimony put Bulger behind the trigger. When defense attorneys questioned Sussman de Tennen about who was behind the shooting she survived, she replied, "What I say would only be speculation ... in my mind I do know, but that's for me." In the afternoon, the jury heard from Martorano's former bookmaker, Charles G. Raso, who testified that he paid "rent" to Bulger and his associates, including Martorano, in the amount of $1,000 a month for "law enforcement expenses," as the gang called it. Raso was originally business partners with a man named Joe Notorangeli, who the Winter Hill gang gunned down in 1973, according to Martorano's previous testimony. Raso skipped town after the murder of his partner, saying that "I felt in fear of my own life" and later returned when his brother indicated to him that "it wasn't me they were interested in." Shortly after returning to Boston, Raso said, he was "asked" to team up with Bulger, Martorano and the gang, an offer Raso said he had "no choice" but to accept. Jurors are expected to hear testimony Friday on Bulger's alleged "informant" file, a document the prosecution claims proves that he was protected by the FBI for providing information. According to previous testimony, it was a rogue FBI agent now jailed who tipped Bulger off to his 1995 indictment, a tip that allowed him to go into hiding for 16 years before he was captured in California with his girlfriend in 2011.

Witnesses in the "Whitey" Bulger trial relive shootings that left relatives, friends dead . Testimony was emotional, two jurors were in tears . A witness remembers her boyfriend "covered in blood and broken glass, eyes glazed over" Reputed Boston mob leader Bulger is charged in 19 killings .

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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 11:30 EST, 22 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:30 EST, 22 August 2013 . Lawsuit: Nancy Silberkleit, 59, of Archie Comics, claims Sam Levitin turned against her for rejecting his 'unwanted and improper sexual advances' A comic book chief executive accused of harassing staff two years ago is now suing her liaison to the company and friend of 40 years over alleged sexual advances. Nancy Silberkleit, 59, co-CEO of Archie Comics, which is based in Mamaroneck, New York, claims Sam Levitin, 73, turned against her for rejecting his ‘unwanted and improper sexual advances’. But Mr Levitin alleges in return that Mrs Silberkleit is ‘unstable’ and ‘will greatly damage the business’ if she remains in a position of power, reported the New York Daily News. He also claims she even once plotted to make Betty and Veronica - the love interests of the comic book’s main character Archie Andrews - more provocative, according to court documents. The long-running feud began last year when former schoolteacher Mrs Silberkleit - who took over the co-CEO position from her late husband Michael - made Mr Levitin her liaison. She needed his help as a ‘go-between’ in a court battle with Archie Comics Productions and her fellow CEO, Jon Goldwater - who wanted to fire her, reported the Daily News. They had alleged she was often unreasonable and would explode into tantrums - such as once surging into a meeting, shouting about male genitalia and storming back out again. But their relationship broke down last winter when he turned on her for rejecting his sexual advances, according to court papers filed at Westchester Surrogate’s Court in White Plains, New York. Popular series: Mr Levitin claims Mrs Silberkleit even once plotted to make Betty and Veronica - the love interests of the comic books' main character Archie Andrews - more provocative, court documents said . Headquarters: Archie Comics Productions is based at these offices (pictured) in Mamaroneck, New York . Mr Levitin threatened her and asked if she was intending to get breast implants, Mrs Silberkleit claimed, adding that he once warned her: ‘Mess with me, lady, (and) you’re playing with fire’. He admitted telling her she was ‘playing with fire’ when talking about rebranding the traditional characters of Betty and Veronica - but denied calling her ‘lady’, reported the Daily News. ‘Nancy is incapable of working with anyone,’ Mr Levitin said in an affidavit. ‘She lacks functional communication skills and has an unstable temperament.’ Mr Levitin and his lawyer did not return a request for comment, ACP said it was ‘not a party in the litigation’ and Mrs Silberkleit’s lawyer said the allegations against his client were ‘just not true.’ Gay wedding: Life With Archie #16 issue last year featured for the first time a same-sex wedding . The hit comic, which was first published in 1941 in 'Pep Comics', has sold more than 1.5billion and is published in a dozen foreign languages. The Life With Archie series - a spin-off from the original - follows the lives of the Riverdale High School students as they enter their 20s. In the original series, the characters were at high school and the comic itself is aimed at 16 or 17-year-olds, although many fans continue to read it into their 20s. In 2010, the Life With Archie series was revived as a magazine-sized comic devoted to stories that grew out of the main character's wedding to his high school sweethearts Veronica and Betty. Archie marries both in parallel universes, so readers get to enjoy two different storylines. One issue last year featured for the first time a controversial same-sex wedding between characters Kevin Keller and Clay Walker.

Co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit, 59, claims Sam Levitin, 73, turned against her . But Levitin alleges she's 'unstable' and could 'greatly damage business' She needed Levitin as a 'go-between' in court battle with Archie Comics . Alleges company and her fellow CEO Jon Goldwater wanted to fire her . Then relationship between Levitin and Silberkleit broke down last year .

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A University of Georgia student whose body was found in a creek close to her home last month had taken her own life. Rebecca Elaine Greene died from hypothermia and severe intoxication of Benadryl, the chief medical officer ruled yesterday. The 22-year-old is said to have fallen into the cold stream on November 19 after intentionally taking a large quantity of diphenhydramine. Loss: Chemistry student Rebecca Greene, right, was found dead in a creek in November . Search: Rebecca with her boyfriend, who reported her missing and had been trying to find her when the body was discovered . Miss Greene was reported missing by her boyfriend, who has not been named, on the morning she was found, after she failed to come home on Monday night. The student, who was described as an environmental advocate, had sent him a text message at about 5.30pm saying she planned to walk or take the bus home, according to Red and Black. When his texts and calls to her went unanswered he contacted her parents at 11.30pm and went door to door asking neighbors if they had seen or heard anything. Her body was found by investigators who traced her through her cell phone. An officer found her body in the creek and bicycle on the bank, not far from the house she shared with two friends, Fox 5 reported. Police said early on that they didn't suspect foul play, but the results of her death have only just been revealed. Evidence: Police found Rebecca's bike on the creek bank after her boyfriend reported her missing . Investigation: Officers search the area where Rebecca was found. It was later ruled that the 22-year-old had taken her own life . Missed: Rebecca pictured at a University of Georgia football match earlier this year . Miss Greene's face and head had not been covered by water in the creek and she did not drown, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. 'According to Dr. Sperry, the death . occurred when Miss Greene inadvertently fell in to a cold stream after . intentionally consuming very large quantities of diphenhydramine,' spokeswoman Sherry Lang told the Atlanta Constitution-Journal. 'The university expresses its sorrow at the loss of life, particularly a young life,' university president Jere Morehead said in a statement about Miss Greene, who loved horses and travel. Green: Rebecca was a keen horse rider and environmental advocate .

22-year-old found dead last month took her own life, medical officer rules . Rebecca Greene was reported missing by boyfriend after she failed to come home . For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 .

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By . Hugo Gye . A mother is furious after she was ordered to leave a cinema showing a 15-rated film because she had her baby daughter with her. Sam Ross was told she was 'breaking the law' by taking her baby to raunchy comedy Bad Neighbours - even though the 11-week-old girl is too young to understand any film. The cinema now says that she should never have been sold a ticket, as age limits are strictly enforced even for infants. Anger: Sam Ross was thrown out of the Vue cinema in Cambridge along with her 11-week-old daughter . The 30-year-old mother of two had gone to the Vue cinema in Cambridge with a friend, and both had bought tickets but were asked to leave before the film started. 'It was totally humiliating, we were escorted out,' Ms Ross said. 'I was really looking forward to watching the movie and catching up with a friend. 'As a new parent I don't get out that often and it can be difficult to find things you can do with friends. 'We were told we were breaking the law and that it was a criminal offence. It felt like we were being discriminated against. It's never been a problem before.' The pair were eventually given a refund for their tickets, but only after a 'long, infuriating' conversation with the cinema's manager. Raunchy: Bad Neighbours, starring Zac Efron, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, is a 15-rated comedy . Bad Neighbours is a 15-rated film about young parents, played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, who are trapped in a feud with Zac Efron, playing the leader of a fraternity which has moved in next door to them. The film features repeated swear words, sexual innuendo and violent slapstick humour. However, Ms Ross insisted that there was no reason why she should not have taken her infant daughter to the screening. 'At just 11 weeks old my daughter is totally oblivious to what's going on, she would have just gone off to sleep,' she said. 'It was a comedy not a violent film. 'If she was screaming and interrupting everyone I would totally understand and would never stay in the cinema, but she was completely fine. There were only six other people in the whole room.' A spokesman for Vue cinemas said that small children were only allowed in to U, PG and 12A-rated films, in accordance with official guidelines. 'On this particular occasion the customer should have been advised that babies are not permitted into 15 certificate films and declined the sale,' he said. 'Vue Entertainment apologises for any inconvenience caused and we are taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again in future.' An editor at parenting website Mumsnet said that it was normal for mothers to take small children to films which they cannot understand. 'The cinema can be a great place for a new mum and a small baby as most tiny babies are unaffected by the noise and sleep throughout the film,' Emilie Carrington said. 'It can feel great to get out of the house and do something "grown up". However, many Mumsnetters recommend going to screenings designated for mums with babies.'

Sam Ross, 30, took her baby daughter to a screening of Bad Neighbours . Staff at Vue cinema in Cambridge sold her a ticket but then told her to leave . She says the newborn would just have slept through the whole film .

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(CNN) -- The son of an infamous CIA double agent who is himself accused of spying was released from jail Friday in Portland, Oregon, pending trial after a federal judge ruled he did not pose a flight risk. Nathaniel Nicholson, son of an infamous CIA double agent, faces his own spying charges. Judge Anna J. Brown ordered that Nathaniel Nicholson, 24, can be freed provided he stay with family, not leave Oregon without permission from authorities and wear a GPS monitoring device. Brown also ordered that he not have any contact with his father, the admitted spy Harold James "Jim" Nicholson. The elder Nicholson pleaded guilty in 1997 to spying for Russia and is the highest ranking CIA officer ever to be sentenced for espionage. While serving a 23-year prison sentence, prosecutors allege, Jim Nicholson, 58, restarted his career as a double agent and enlisted his son Nathaniel in his efforts to collect money owed to him by the Russian spy services and to sell more secrets. Both father and son were charged in January with acting as agents of a foreign government, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. They have pleaded not guilty. Court appointed lawyers representing the men did not return CNN's calls for comment . According to the indictment, Nathaniel Nicholson made trips to California, Mexico, Peru and Cyprus, where he met with Russian government representatives who gave him payments totaling over $35,000 in cash. At his father's request, Nathaniel Nicholson allegedly shared the money with his sister and grandparents. Nathaniel Nicholson had complained to his father that he and his sister were short of money to pay for college, prosecutors said. Jim Nicholson told his son that his alleged spying activities "were 'risky' but not 'illegal,'" the indictment said. According to court testimony, Nathaniel Nicholson, who is a former U.S. Army paratrooper, initially told authorities that he had traveled overseas to visit "a battle buddy." The FBI agents informed Nicholson that lying to them was a federal crime and offered him a "mulligan," or a chance to change his story, according to the agent's testimony. At that point, FBI special agent John Cooney testified, Nicholson became more "forthcoming" about his meetings with Russians. If convicted, Jim and Nathaniel Nicholson could face up to 20 years in jail.

Nathaniel Nicholson, son of a CIA double agent, faces spying charges . A Portland, Oregon, judge releases him from jail, pending trial . His father, Jim Nicholson, pleaded guilty in 1997 to spying for Russia . While in prison, father allegedly enlisted son to help continue spy services .

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Roma captain Francesco Totti set a new Serie A scoring record on Saturday as his side demolished Cesena 5-1. Two early goals from the 35-year-old striker saw him reach a total of 211 goals for Roma, which means he has scored more goals for one club than any other player in Serie A history. His tally sees him surpass the previous record of 210 set by the prolific Swedish striker Gunnar Nordahl who played for AC Milan in the 1950s. "It's what I've always wanted, to wear this shirt and beat one record after another," said Totti, AFP reported. "I've overtaken Nordahl and I'm proud of that. Now I'm aiming for Altafini," he added, AFP reported. Brazilian Jose Altafini is the joint third highest scorer (along with Giuseppe Meazza) in Serie A history with 216 goals. Totti's early brace and a goal from Fabio Borini put Roma 3-0 up with only eight minutes played. Juan and Miralem Pjanic added further goals in the second half after CM Eder had pulled a goal back for Cesena on the hour mark. The win lifts Roma to sixth -- although Napoli will overtake them again if they win at Siena on Sunday -- and boosts their chances of qualifying for European football next season. Cesena, however, remain mired in trouble hovering just above the foot of the table in 18th place with 15 points. Juventus' 2-0 win over Atalanta sees them maintain their advantage at the top of Serie A over their nearest rivals AC Milan (who play Novara on Sunday) and Udinese (who host Catania). Stephan Lichtsteiner opened the scoring after 55 minutes before substitute Emanuele Giaccherini made sure of the three points nine minutes from the final whistle. Meanwhile in La Liga, Espanyol moved up to fifth place with a 3-0 win over struggling Granada on Saturday. Jose Baena headed home their first goal from a set piece in the 26th minute before Joan Verdu doubled the lead from the penalty spot moments before halftime. The home side didn't kill off a spirited Granada until ten minutes from time when Portuguese substitute Rui Fonte scored from close range to seal the three points. Getafe enjoyed a 2-1 away to Racing Santander with goals from Jaime Gavilan (26th minute) and Nicolas Miku (83rd minute) after Christian Stuani had given the home side the lead in the 14th minute. Atletico Madrid's long wait for an away win in the league is over after an emphatic 4-0 win at Real Sociedad. Radamel Falcao scored a hat-trick with Adrian netting Atletico's other goal. The Seville derby between Real Betis and Sevilla ended with honors even. A superb free kick from Benat gave the home side the lead in 26th minute, but Alvaro Negredo leveled the scores before half-time with a header. Sevilla had to play the final quarter of the match with 10-men after defender Federico Fazio was sent off, but clung on for the draw. In Sunday's fixtures, Barcelona travel to Malaga while Real Madrid host Athletic Bilbao. Third-place Valencia are away to Osasuna. Fourth-place Levante take on bottom-of-the-table Real Zaragoza.

Francesco Totti scores 210th and 211th goals for Roma to set Serie A scoring record . Juventus beat Atalanta 2-0 to maintain grip on top spot . Espanyol beat Granada 3-0; Atletico Madrid thump Real Sociedad 4-0 .

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Lilly is a staggering 17ft long and is expected to grow to 20ft . She shares the Rice family's home and eats a rabbit every three weeks . By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 05:48 EST, 23 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:10 EST, 23 August 2012 . Most families admit they could do with a bit more space around the house. But spare a thought for the Rice family who share their home with a 17-foot-long albino python. Lilly, who lives with her owners in a three bedroom detached house in Guyhirn, Cambridgeshire, has been measured, held and even lined up against the family’s ford focus - which she is bigger than by more than a nose. Kim, Peter and Chloe Rice with Lily the 17-foot-long albino python who shares their three bedroom detached house . Owners Pete, 49, Kim, 45, and . 16-year-old daughter Chloe proudly show off their huge pet beast who . lives both in their home and outdoors. 'Lilly has a wonderful personality,' said Kim. 'She is very placid and is so laid back that children love her. Lilly is much less trouble to keep than my two dogs to be honest. We can let her wonder around the garden, particularly on the grass on a hot day, which she loves. 'But we do need to make sure she is watched at all times. If she wondered off she would give someone the fright of their lives.' The Rice family have been keeping snakes for the last 25 years, after Pete bought his first one. Teenage Chloe is so snake obsessed that since finishing her GCSE¿s at school she has enrolled in the Milton Animal College to study reptile keeping . The white and yellow snake has been measured, held and even lined up against the family's ford focus- which she is bigger than by more than a nose . Since Lilly¿s growth has increased to epic proportions the family have had to build a ten-foot-long and six-foot wide heated tank for Lilly to sleep inside . Since then they have fallen in love with snakes so much that Kim has recently decided to open a snake shop so others can enjoy snake keeping. When they first bought Lilly as a baby, little did they know that she could possibly grow into Britain’s biggest pet. Since Lilly’s growth has increased to epic proportions the family have had to build a ten-foot-long and six-foot wide heated tank for Lilly to sleep inside. 'We bought Lilly when she was a baby,' said Kim. 'She is seven years-old now which means she is still growing. We think one day she will reach about 20-foot-long. 'She eats about one rabbit every three weeks and does spend a lot of time sleeping. Lilly gets so hungry she eats a rabbit once every three weeks and spends a lot of time sleeping . Chloe proudly show off their huge pet beast both in their home and outdoors . Lilly will keep on growing and the family expect her to reach a staggering 20ft . 'Chloe and Lilly are best friends and they have been since Chloe was nine - they’ve grown up together.' Teenage Chloe is so snake obsessed that since finishing her GCSE’s at school she has enrolled in the Milton Animal College to study reptile keeping. One day she hopes to be the head keeper at a large zoo. 'Lilly is a great pet because she is so different from the dogs and cats my friends have,” said Chloe. 'Lilly is also fun to play around with and is very gentle as well. One day I hope I can care for more giant animals like her.'

Lilly is a staggering 17ft long and is expected to grow to 20ft . She shares the Rice family's home and eats a rabbit every three weeks .

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Stalking along the backstreets and failing miserably to blend into the background, the sight of this emerald-coloured stray has caused uproar in a Black Sea resort town. Locals in Varna, Bulgaria, assumed the cat was the victim of a cruel prank by vandals and set up a Facebook group called 'Punishment to the the perpetrator of this criminal act'. But it has now been revealed that the cat has developed a green hue because it usually sleeps on an abandoned heap of synthetic green paint in a garage. Scroll down for video . Green with envy: The sight of this stray roaming the backstreets in Varna, Bulgaria has caused uproar . Feline jealous? A video has appeared on which shows the emerald-green feline playing with a ginger cat . This has been backed up by reports which say the stray cat becomes more green each day. A video has appeared on YouTube which shows the feline playing with a ginger cat, whose marmalade-coloured coat stands in stark contrast to the bright-green fur. Varna is a popular tourist destination as it is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. The RSPCA has warned that dyeing or painting animals for cosmetic reasons could have 'potentially fatal consequences'. Eye-catching: Locals in the Black Sea resort town assumed the cat was the victim of a prank by vandals . But it has been revealed that the cat usually sleeps on an abandoned heap of synthetic green paint . This has been backed up by reports which say the stray cat becomes more green each day . Blending in: Varna is a popular tourist destination as it is the largest seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast . Locals set up a Facebook group called 'Punishment to the the perpetrator of this criminal act' They were calling for vandals to be taken to court and punished for the act of animal cruelty . The RSPCA has warned that dyeing or painting animals for cosmetic reasons could have 'potentially fatal consequences'

A bright green cat has been seen roaming the streets in Varna, Bulgaria . Many assumed the stray was the victim of a cruel prank by vandals . But the cat actually sleeps on a heap of synthetic green paint in a garage .

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By . Steph Cockroft . Vandals ironically daubed graffiti on a £650,000 Banksy mural - just hours before a wealthy philanthropist paid to stop the iconic artwork being removed. The elusive artist, whose identity is a jealously-guarded secret, painted three 1950s-style spies on the side of a £300,000 semi-detached house in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in April this year. But this week, vandals scratched a name into one of the spies' sunglasses, before messily scribbling it out. Vandals attacked one of Banksy's pieces of street art in Cheltenham by scribbling on one of the character's sunglasses - just hours before a millionaire stepped in to stop it being removed from the wall . The artwork featuring three spies, which is inspired by the town's GCHQ, . was painted on the side of a semi-detached house by the elusive artist . in April this year- and soon became the subject of an ownership war . Banksy made his name as an artist through his graffiti art, which he creates in secret, usually in public places. The vandalism came just hours before a millionaire stepped in to ensure the artwork stayed in place for the community. After the piece was created, the GCHQ-inspired artwork became the centre of an ownership war. Both the community and an art collector wanted to buy the piece from the homeowner. An art . collector offered to buy it from the homeowner and have it scraped off . the wall but the community wanted the painting to stay put . To abate the row, Cheltenham Borough Council issued a temporary notice to stop anyone undertaking any work to the listed property, which would include removing the painting. But . just hours before the notice ran out, Hekmat Kaveh stepped . in and offered the homeowner an undisclosed fee to leave the artwork in . place for the community. Mr . Kaveh said: 'Having spoken to many people over the last few weeks, and . reading many comments on social media, I have concluded that there is a . very strong feeling about this work. 'It . seems that Cheltenham generally is in support of, not only retaining . the Banksy in the town, but in its current location, where it was . clearly intended to be.' Hekmat Kaveh offered the homeowner an undisclosed sum to keep the painting in place just hours before a temporary notice put in place by Cheltenham Borough Council - which stopped anyone . doing any work to the listed building - expired . The move has been welcomed by the Save the Banksy Group, who had raised £115,000 towards buying the work. Group leader Angela de Souza said: 'I am sure the whole town extend their gratitude to Mr Kaveh for stepping in like this to prevent the loss of this artwork.' The move is still subject to receiving agreement from council planners, listed building authorities, the Highways Agency and Cheltenham Borough Council - but most have already expressed support. Speaking about the vandalism, Cheltenham’s . own street artist Dice67 - who previously put a layer of protective paint over the . work to stop the piece being defaced - said: 'It’s never nice to see someone defacing street art. 'But . at the end of the day, when you go out and paint on the street, that is . what happens sometimes. That is the nature of the game.'

The elusive artist painted a mural on side of a house in Cheltenham in April . Art expert wanted to buy mural from homeowner but public wanted it to stay . Council issued temporary notice to stop mural being removed from property . But vandals attacked the GCHQ-inspired piece by scribbling a name on it . Hours later, a millionaire paid the homeowner to stop mural being removed .

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(CNN) -- Over 28,000 Liverpool fans marked the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in a special memorial service at Anfield on Wednesday. Liverpool supporters at the Kop end paid their respects in an emotional afternoon at Anfield. A total of 96 supporters died on April 15, 1989 before the FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium, the worst-ever tragedy in English sporting history. To commemorate the anniversary, the city of Liverpool came to a standstill at 3.06 pm (1406 GMT) with the bells of the two cathedrals and its civic buildings ringing out in memory of those fans who lost their lives. On Anfield's famous Kop, 96 candles were lit while commemorations took place at Hillsborough and also in Nottingham. Watch fans mark Hillsborough » . Members of the current Liverpool team stood somberly as hymns were played before a roll call of the dead was read out. Club legend Kenny Dalglish, who was Liverpool manager at the time of the disaster, then read a short prayer. The mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotherham, who was at the game 20 years ago, helped organize the emotional memorial. "Hillsborough affected so many lives, not just on Merseyside but across the whole of the UK," he said. "I attended the match 20 years ago and the passing years do not diminish the importance and the poignancy of this occasion." Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, whose 10-year-old cousin Jon-Paul Gilhooley was the youngest victim of the tragedy, spoke of his feelings this week. "Time has gone by, but the scars will never ever be healed and the fans will never ever forget. So you can always rely on our supporters to be there for you when you need them." The Liverpool fans died in a crush which started just before the kick-off as the gate at the Leppings Lane End was opened with terrible consequences. The match started but when the scale of the tragedy became clear, it was swiftly abandoned at 3.06 pm. In the immediate aftermath, the British government commissioned Lord Justice Taylor to conduct an inquiry which would have a far-reaching impact on football. Taylor was deeply critical of the police operation at Hillsborough, but his most significant recommendations were the removal of perimeter fencing and the creation of all-seater stadia. His report also cleared Liverpool fans of blame for the tragedy after lurid tabloid headlines provoked revulsion on Merseyside. Prime minister Gordon Brown paid reference to the controversy in an interview released on Liverpool's official television channel. "It was wrong for people to blame, as some did, Liverpool fans on that day," he said. "That's probably what matters most -- that people understood that the behavior of Liverpool fans in helping each other was magnificent. "Let's never forget the fans who cruelly lost their lives on a day when we know the people of Liverpool were trying to help each other," he added. However, the people of Liverpool are still angry and bitter at the lack of justice for those who died -- and that frustration surfaced when Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport took to the stand to address the crowd. As Burnham spoke, the crowd rose as one to sing "Justice for the 96". The Kop chant boomed around the stadium and Burnham, an Everton fan, was left in no doubt about the strength of feeling over the lack of accountability from officialdom over the tragedy. Fittingly, the ceremony was concluded with Gerry Marsden leading the fans in singing Liverpool anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

A special memorial has marked the 20th anniversary of Hillsborough tragedy . 96 Liverpool supporters died in crush at the Leppings Lane End of the stadium . The Taylor Report into the deaths led to all-seater grounds in English football .

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Mansfield boss Paul Cox knows his side will be in the cross-hairs of a Concord Rangers side chasing an FA Cup giant-killing on Tuesday night. The non-league outfit, currently 15th in the Conference South, travel to Field Mill for their rearranged first-round clash after the original tie was postponed nine days ago. The Stags are enduring a tough campaign, winning none of their last nine League Two fixtures, and Cox knows the minnows will travel to Nottinghamshire sniffing an upset. Mansfield face non-League minnows Concord Rangers, but have been struggling for form in League Two . Mansfield boss Paul Cox is wary that if his team are not prepared they could face an FA Cup giant killing . Hereford United 2-1 Newcastle United (third round replay, 1972) Norwich City 0-1 Luton Town (fourth round, 2013) West Bromwich 2-4 Woking (third round, 1991) Sutton United 2-1 Coventry City (third round, 1989) Kidderminster Harriers 2-1 Birmingham City (third round, 1994) Yeovil Town 2-1 Sunderland (fourth-round, 1949) 'We have to earn the right to play,' he told the club's official website. 'They'll probably be looking at us and our recent form and probably saying 'this is a game we want to get our teeth into'. 'As we've seen in the FA Cup, there's been a number of giant-killings. Any one who underestimates clubs in the lower leagues and non-league football can come up against an almighty shock. 'We want to go as far as we can in it [the FA Cup]. It's something that, in previous years, we have created great memories.' League One Doncaster will also be aiming to avoid a shock when they make the journey to Weston-Super-Mare, also of the Conference South. The original first-round tie was called off just 20 minutes before kick-off last weekend due to a waterlogged pitch so Rovers will make the long journey for the second time. The South Yorkshire side will be big favourites to advance to a second-round clash with boss Paul Dickov's former club Oldham and defender Reece Wabara knows what to expect. 'We have to be realistic and expect to win,' he said. 'We know what we have to do. Doncaster Rovers boss Paul Dickov exits the pitch after their match was postponed at Weston-super-Mare . 'It's the FA Cup, anything can happen, it will be their cup final, they will all be up for it so we will be well prepared. We know they will come flying out of the blocks.' In the pick of the first-round replays, League Two Dagenham travel to Conference Premier Southport, with the winner paired up with Eastleigh in the second round. AFC Telford host Conference South Basingstoke while York travel to AFC Wimbledon. Sheffield United will hope it will be what they do on the pitch that makes the news as they host fellow League One outfit Crewe while Walsall visit League Two high-fliers Shrewsbury. Rochdale host League Two Northampton at Spotland while Notts County face a tricky test at Accrington.

Non-League Concord Rangers travel to Mansfield for FA Cup first round . Stags manager Paul Cox is aware of the dangers of FA Cup complacency . Mansfield have won none of their last nine League Two fixtures this season .

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New York (CNN) -- A 47-year-old man was arrested Sunday in the death of a 73-year-old woman who was set on fire in the elevator of her Brooklyn apartment building, telling police the woman owed him $2,000, New York police said. Jerome Isaac faces charges of first-degree and second-degree murder, along with arson, police said in a statement. The victim was identified as Deloris Gillespie. Isaac also lives in Brooklyn, but does not live at the address where the incident took place, police said in a statement. Isaac told police Gillespie owed him $2,000 for work he claims he did for her, said NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne. He turned himself in to police overnight or early Sunday morning, he said. Neighbors said the woman was returning home to her fifth-floor apartment in Prospect Heights after a grocery store trip Saturday. A preliminary investigation showed the man was standing outside the elevator on the fifth floor and attacked the woman as she was attempting to exit, authorities said. The incident was caught on surveillance cameras inside and outside the elevator, and police have the videotapes, Browne said. Authorities believe Isaac initially sprayed the woman with a flammable liquid, presumably gasoline, and continued to spray her as he followed her back into the elevator, Browne said. The woman was first sprayed in the face, he said. Then, using "one of those long lighters that you would use for a grill, he lit a Molotov cocktail and used the burning leg on top of that to ignite her body," Browne said. The suspect stepped out of the elevator, threw the Molotov cocktail inside, then returned again to spray more liquid on the woman as she burned, he said. "This is as bad as it gets," Browne told CNN's Don Lemon. Authorities responding to a 911 call of a fire found the woman's body inside the elevator. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the police statement. Residents told CNN affiliate WCBS they heard screams and saw smoke -- and realized a woman was on fire inside the elevator. "Myself and someone from the sixth floor went down knocking to get people out. Knocking on doors telling people 'There's a fire, get out, get out," a resident named John told the station. He did not want to give his last name. Neighbor Carmen Martinez told the station the victim had lived in the building since the 1980s. "She used to give toys and gifts to kids all the time," Martinez told the station. "From everything we hear ... she was just this sweet 73-year-old woman," Browne said. Photos that police released of the attacker show a man dressed in dark blue clothes, white gloves, with a dust mask on his head and carrying a container on his back. The photos were released during the search for a suspect, Browne said. Isaac lived about 10 minutes away from Gillespie's apartment building, Brown said. After the incident, he apparently returned home and ignited the door to his own apartment, he said. He was concerned he had burned himself in the second incident, although no one else was injured, Browne said. He then hid out on a rooftop for a while and fell asleep, later going into a police station "reeking of gasoline" and telling officers he was responsible for a fire. During questioning, Browne said, he implicated himself in Gillespie's death. It was not clear whether Isaac had retained an attorney. CNN's Maria P. White and Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.

NEW: "This is as bad as it gets," police official says . NEW: Jerome Isaac came to police station "reeking of gasoline," police say . The suspect says the victim owed him $2,000 . The victim is identified as Deloris Gillespie, 73 .

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Beijing, China (CNN) -- Early in the morning on March 23, Zheng Minsheng walked in front of an elementary school in Fujian province. Wielding a knife, he attacked the students who happened to be around, killing eight and wounding several others. Authorities said Zheng, 42, carried out the attack because he was frustrated at "failures in his romantic life," according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Whatever his real motive was, the senseless killing, reported widely by the Chinese media, shocked the nation. Zheng was tried, sentenced to death and executed on April 28. If Chinese authorities thought Zheng's execution would deter similar attacks, they were wrong. The day he was executed, a knife-wielding man attacked elementary school students in southern Guangdong province, wounding 16 students and a teacher. The attacker was later subdued by the police, and no one died. The next day, a man in Jiangsu province barged into a kindergarten and stabbed 31 people, including 28 students, two teachers and one security guard. "It was too horrible to imagine," one eyewitness told local reporters. "I saw blood everywhere." Police apprehended the suspect, 47-year-old Xu Yuyuan. Then, on April 30, a man barged into a village school in Shandong province, carrying a hammer and a can of gasoline. Wang Yonglai, a local farmer, attacked preschool students with the hammer, causing head injuries. He then set himself on fire and died. According to a Xinhua report, the local farmer went berserk after the local police told him that the family house he had just built using 110,000 yuan (US$16,110) of family savings had to be torn down because it had been built on farmland, which is illegal in China. It was the third such school attack in three days. The spate of school attacks is prompting public anger. "What is going on with these people?" Wen Jia, a father of a pre-schooler in Beijing, asked CNN. "Why take their frustrations on defenseless children? We need better security in schools, but we also need to take care of the mentally ill." On Friday, the Ministry of Education on its website issued an urgent circular ordering kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools to beef up security and restrict strangers from entering the campuses. The ministry instructed schools across the country to hire security guards, install security facilities and ensure that pupils are escorted home. Schools are also urged to teach pupils to how to protect themselves. Guns are strictly controlled in China, but until recently possession of large knives were not. Chinese authorities have recently issued a regulation requiring people to register with their national ID cards when they buy knives longer that 15 centimeters. Other measures are being put in place. In Jiangsu province, local police have helped schools set up "campus security team" composed of 70 security guards with batons and pepper spray. Police in Beijing have distributed "forks", long poles with semi-circular prongs that security guards could use to fight assailants. In Changsha, capital of central Hunan province, parents formed vigilante teams to patrol local elementary schools. This series of school attacks are blamed on people with personal grievances or suffering from mental illness. Says Ding Xueliang, a sociology professor in Hong Kong: "The Chinese society has generated enormous pressure on individuals and some of those individuals have perhaps had emotional and psychological problems. They want to cause general attention from the population and attacking kids perhaps is the best way from their perspective of achieving this objective." These recent incidents are covered extensively in the local media and on the Internet, prompting concerns over copycat violence. Says sociologist Ding Xueliang: "With the mass media (reports), particularly on the Internet, more individuals are likely to copy such practice, if the Chinese government does not do things quickly and effectively." For the terrified pupils and worried parents, the solutions are not coming quickly enough.

Recent spate of attacks at schools in China has prompted public anger . China intensifies security at schools, issues new knife purchase rules . Series of attacks blamed on people with grievances, mental illness .

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By . Laura Williamson . He might have been ‘held together by tape’, but that did not stop Greg Rutherford adding the Commonwealth title to his Olympic long jump gold on Wednesday. This was the one he really wanted, after all; the title that Rutherford felt he needed to silence all those who have unfairly labelled his achievement on ‘Super Saturday’ two years ago as ‘lucky’. That is why he had been talking about these Games since winning at London 2012 and why he has overcome the ruptured hamstring that nearly forced him to quit athletics, 36 pain-killing injections and a damaged left knee to pursue his dream of winning in Glasgow. Beaming: Team England's Greg Rutherford is all smiles as he holds up his gold medal for winning the long jump . Commonwealth champion: Rutherford won the long jump final with a leap of 8.20m on Wednesday evening . Punch the air: The 27-year-old celebrates on day seven of the Commonwealth Games after his win is confirmed . Even on Tuesday Rutherford’s therapist, Andy Burke, had to drive up from London to treat his left hamstring. ‘This is one of the best feelings of my life,’ said Rutherford, who won a silver medal four years ago in Delhi. ‘People are always going to write you off. The Olympics came as a shock to some people, but I had been working so hard for that moment in London. ‘This year I have probably been working beyond hard to make sure that I could win a major title again. ‘I considered quitting at one point with my hamstring, so the fact I have managed to win a major championship is just amazing.’ Even in the minutes before his victory on Wednesday, BBC pundit Michael Johnson’s criticism that Rutherford ‘had a little bit of a chip on his shoulder’ prompted British 200m runner James Ellington to spring to Rutherford’s defence. Johnson ‘just slates our athletes’, Ellington wrote on Twitter. ‘There’s being honest and being disrespectful.’ But Rutherford’s performance demanded respect last night. His winning distance was 11cm down on his leading jump in London and 31cm less than the new British record he set earlier this year, but the manner of his victory was deeply impressive. Quite the collection: Rutherford adds the Commonwealth title to his Olympic gold medal from London 2012 . Leading the charge: Rutherford won gold for England despite having his sleep disturbed in the athletes' village . Podia potential: Rutherford collects his medal flanked by the silver and bronze medallists, Zarck Visser, left, and Rushwakl Samaai, right, both of South Africa . Rutherford really thrived on the crowd’s warm reception in an arena where his great-grandfather, Jock, played football for England 106 years ago. The 27-year-old responded to South African Zarck Visser taking the lead by jumping 8.20m in the third round, earning the right to parade around Hampden Park with a St George’s cross. It was only the second time Jerusalem has played in this stadium this week, following Dan Greaves’s victory in the F42/44 discus. England needed another gold medal in track and field after winning five silvers on Tuesday night and their Olympic champion — the only one of the ‘Super Saturday’ trio to compete in Glasgow — duly provided it. However, a heptathlete called Jessica also won a medal as Rutherford triumphed. With Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill missing these championships after giving birth to her son, Reggie, earlier this month, it fell to Jessica Taylor to continue England’s proud tradition in the women’s multi-sport event. The 26-year-old won bronze and set a new personal best of 5,826 points. Taylor, who is trained by Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s coach Mike Holmes, was third going into the final event, the 800m, and made sure she finished ahead of Jamaican Salcia Slack to clinch the bronze medal behind champion Brianne Theisen-Eaton of Canada. Record-breaker: Kirani James strolled to victory in the 400m and set a new Commonwealth fastest time . There was disappointment, however, for Martyn Rooney in the men’s 400m final. The 27-year-old seemed to go off too slowly, leaving himself far too much to do in the final straight as he finished fourth. Kirani James, 21, added Grenada’s first Commonwealth gold to his Olympic title by beating Iwan Thomas’s 16-year-old Games record with a winning time of 44.24sec. VIDEO Commonwealth Games: Day 7 review .

Rutherford was part of 'Super Saturday' when he won gold at London 2012 . He matched that achievement by coasting to victory in Glasgow . He comfortably qualified for Wednesday's final with a jump of 8.05m . This was despite having his sleep disrupted by 'ignorant athletes' Rutherford has overcome a ruptured hamstring that made him nearly quit . On Tuesday his therapist Andy Burke had to travel to Glasgow to treat him .

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By . Ryan Kisiel . PUBLISHED: . 18:40 EST, 18 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:06 EST, 19 October 2013 . Threat: Primary school teacher Sangita Naik told seven-year-old's she would 'bury them in the woods' if they did not behave . A primary school teacher has been suspended after she allegedly warned pupils she would ‘bury them in the woods’ if they did not behave. Sangita Naik is also said to have threatened the class of mainly seven-year-olds that she would ‘put them in the boot of her car’ before placing them in a hole in the ground. The remark is said to have been made to the whole of Mrs Naik’s Year 3 class when children were being noisy during lessons last week. Mrs Naik, who only started at the . primary school in September, is currently suspended while senior staff . carry out an investigation. Kerri . Oehme, 33, reported the incident after her seven-year-old daughter, . Neve, came home upset. She said: ‘I am all for strict teachers as in my . opinion they get more done with the children they are teaching. ‘It . is one thing to be strict, but making threats to pupils that leave them . in fear is not on – it is disgusting. I think Mrs Naik took it too far . with what she said – it was intimidation.’ Mrs . Oehme, a mother-of-three, said she thoroughly questioned her daughter . before realising the remarks were not made in a light-hearted manner. She added: ‘Even if this had been a joke, I certainly can’t see the funny side. ‘If . Neve had gone into school and told her teachers that I had uttered . those words at home, social services would have been round to my house . in a flash.’ Another parent, Stacey Knibbs, said her daughter Ashlee, aged seven, had come home crying.Mrs Knibbs, 31, who works as a trainee carer, said: ‘ . They . were told: “If you don’t behave, I will bundle you into the boot of my . car and take you into the woods, dig a hole and bury you in it”. ‘I don’t know if they were playing up at the time but there is no excuse for what was said in there. Shock: (L-R) Stacey Knibbs with daughter Ashlee and Neve Oehme with her mother Kerri Oehme, who reported the incident after her seven-year-old daughter came home upset . ‘Ashlee loved school, she loved her teachers and even after she split her head open last year, she was keen to be back. 'But since this happened, she had been coming up for excuses not to go to school, claiming she is ill but I know it it because she was left frightened.’ Kingsmoor Academy in Harlow, Essex, lists as one of its codes of good practice ‘magnificent manners’ and claims to offer a ‘warm, welcoming, caring and secure environment’. Parents say the school’s head Pat Hunt claimed the comments were not meant to be taken seriously. But Mrs Naik, who is married and in her late 30s, has been suspended. Kingsmoor Academy, which has 193 pupils, was granted academy status last year. A school spokesman said: ‘A member of staff at Kingsmoor Academy has been suspended following allegations made against that individual. ‘We take any allegations very  seriously and an investigation is under way.’

Sangita Naik said to have threatened the class of mainly seven-year-olds . She allegedly also said she would 'put them in the boot of her car' Parents complained after their children came home in a distressed state . The teacher is currently suspended pending an investigation .

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By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 04:10 EST, 6 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:44 EST, 6 April 2013 . The police and FA are investigating a youth football team over claims managers and coaches repeatedly subbed a nine-year-old boy because he is Asian. Fehnez Khan, of Solihull, claims her son was taken off and substituted on race grounds during a match while playing for Knowle Juniors. The Birmingham FA is investigating the claims, which have been strenuously denied by the club, established in 1926. Investigation: The police and FA are investigating a youth football team over claims managers and coaches repeatedly subbed a nine-year-old boy - because he is Asian . Angry: Fehnez Khan, of Solihull, claims her son was taken off and substituted on race grounds during a match while playing for Knowle Juniors . Police were called in by the Khans following a touchline verbal exchange between the boy's older brother Mohysn, 22, and other parents. Mrs Khan, who has asked for her little boy's name to be withheld, said 'My son is devastated and upset. He was substituted more than any other child. Angry: Police were called in by the Khans following a touchline verbal exchange between the boy's older brother Mohysn, 22, and other parents . 'I want an apology to my son and a refund of the £160 subs I paid because the club did not benefit him.' Members of the Khan family and club . representatives have now attended a meeting overseen by police officers . at Shirley Police Station. The claims are being investigated by the FA, while police say they hope to 'resolve this locally'. Knowle Juniors, who are in the Warwickshire League, which runs 22 teams, denies the race claims. A spokesman said 'We are very upset . by these allegations. We have taken statements from nine parents, . including those of an Asian player. 'They have all said this is a football, not racial, issue. 'The . manager has had so much support from parents. Mrs Khan wants the . manager and assistant removed. There is no way that is going to happen.' Mrs Khan claims her boy, a club member for two years, has been criticised and forced to sit on the subs bench. The police station meeting on March 20th has done nothing to calm troubled waters, she said. 'The . club are in denial. The club's child welfare officer said he found . nothing substantiated, but no-one spoke to me or my son.' Knowle FC recently received Community Club Charter status from the FA - an acknowledgement of its good work in the area. Investigation: The Birmingham FA is investigating the claims, which have been strenuously denied by the club, established in 1926 . The club said Mrs Khan's son was not the only player to be subbed. 'There are two other children who have got less game time' said the spokesman. 'One of our major concerns is the effect . this is having on the child. He is confused, makes mistakes and, when . we say something, now sees it as us getting at him.' A Birmingham County FA official said 'We have received a complaint and are currently investigating it.' A spokesman for West Midlands Police said 'We are aware of the situation and hope to resolve this locally.'

Mother claims her son . was taken off and substituted on race grounds . Boy, 9, has played for Knowle Juniors for two years . The club said boy was not the only player to be subbed . Knowle Juniors: 'This is a football, not racial, issue'

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(CNN) -- Time is running out for a British grandmother facing execution for drug trafficking in Indonesia, after her second appeal was rejected. Lindsay June Sandiford, 56, was convicted in January of smuggling what officials said was cocaine worth an estimated $2.6 million after she was stopped by customs officials at Ngurah Rai International airport in Bali in May last year. Sandiford, from northeast England, was found to have blocks of cocaine weighing 4.7 kilograms (10.4 pounds) in her suitcase when she arrived on the island on a Thai Airways flight, the court heard during her original trial. She received the death sentence despite the fact prosecutors only requested a 15-year prison term. A subsequent appeal against the sentence handed down by Denpasar District Court was thrown out by the Denpasar High Court in April -- a decision that has now been upheld by the country's Supreme Court, according to the official Antara news agency. "Her appeal was rejected," presiding Judge Artidjo Alkostar said late Thursday, according to Antara. Three other defendants in the case received jail sentences of six years, four years and a year respectively. Cooperation . A lawyer representing Sandiford expressed disappointment at the decision. "We're very disappointed by the Supreme Court's rejection of her appeal. Lindsay was only a courier and a collaborator and cooperated with the police," Fadillah Agus told CNN Friday. "They were able to arrest the other suspects with her help so she should've gotten the lightest sentence," he added. "The other suspects got off with lighter sentences. We are disappointed but we have to honor the court's decision. "We have two options, a judicial review or seeking clemency from the president. But I have to discuss this first with Lindsay and see what step we should take." He revealed he last spoke to Sandiford, who remains in prison in Bali, over a month ago. According to Agus, she was keeping herself busy and socializing more with other inmates and prison officials. Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, meanwhile, is seeking confirmation of the decision. "We are aware of unconfirmed reports that the decision of the Indonesian Supreme Court has been announced. We are seeking confirmation of the decision from the Indonesian Supreme Court," a Foreign Office spokesman told Britain's Press Association. "We will continue to provide consular assistance to Lindsay Sandiford and her family at this difficult time." Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has strict laws against drug trafficking. Severe punishment . The head of Bali's Customs and Excise Agency monitoring division, Made Wijaya, warned at the time of her arrest that Sandiford could likely face execution if convicted. "The main reason is because narcotics can massively endanger the young and, thus, whoever is caught with drugs should be severely punished. If three people can consume one gram of cocaine, then this operation has potentially saved up to 14,000 lives," he said. Indonesia has carried out 22 executions since 1998 -- 14 for murder, 5 for narcotics crimes and 3 for terrorism, according to the Lowy Institute for International Policy. Five of the 22 people executed were foreigners; all five were executed for drugs crimes. According to Lowy, one plea for clemency has succeeded in a capital case since 1990, out of a total of at least 36 pleas. CNN's Kathy Quiano in Jakarta contributed to this report.

Supreme Court upholds death penalty against Sandiford for drug trafficking . Briton convicted of smuggling cocaine worth an estimated $2.6 million in Bali . Lawyer "disappointed" with result of appeal, says Sandiford "was only a courier" Two possible options: A judicial review or seeking clemency from president .

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(CNN) -- Is this Manchester City's "David Beckham moment?" When Yaya Toure's agent announced his client was unhappy because the English Premier League champion's bosses failed to wish him happy birthday, social media went into meltdown. The 31-year-old, who earns a reported $370,000 a week, has been ridiculed after his agent revealed Toure was left upset by the lack of congratulations afforded to him. According to the player's agent, Toure was barely acknowledged by the club's owners when the squad arrived in the United Arab Emirates last week to celebrate their Premier League title triumph. "None of them shook his hand on his birthday. It's really sick," his agent Dmitri Seluk told the BBC. But according to one PR expert, it's a case of a Premier League player wanting to have his cake and eat it; a case of professional footballers losing all touch with reality. "I think it's a classic way of player trying to take control of club," Phil Hall, whose clients have included City, told CNN. "He wants to be king of dressing room and fawned over. "This is where it often goes wrong. It's the same as what happened with Beckham at Manchester United. "In a few months, he was gone. The same happened with Eric Cantona. "Jose Mourinho has dealt similarly with other players. When a player sees himself as bigger than the club, then it's time to part company." It's unlikely Toure's behavior would have been tolerated at Manchester United under former manager Alex Ferguson. The Scot ruled Old Trafford with an iron fist and anyone who dared to challenge his authority was promptly shown the door. In his autobiography, Ferguson describes how Beckham, a global brand, had to leave after a heated exchange following a defeat by Arsenal in 2003. Beckham suffered a cut to his head after Ferguson kicked a boot at him following a dressing-room argument -- a moment which signaled the end of their relationship. "The minute a Manchester United player thought he was bigger than the manager he had to go," Ferguson wrote in his book. "David thought he was bigger than Alex Ferguson. It doesn't matter whether it's Alex Ferguson or Pete the Plumber. The authority is what counts." While Beckham's brand was scarcely tarnished, Toure -- who signed a new four-year contract with City just 11 months ago -- could find himself in a far more problematic situation. His agent said the midfielder could leave City if he is not showed enough "respect" -- and the Ivory Coast star tweeted that he would make an announcement after the upcoming World Cup in Brazil. "Man City is not respecting the player -- how can he be motivated to play for that team?" Seluk told Sky Sports News. "If they don't want Toure then he can leave at any moment. Many clubs would be interested in him." According to Hall, the player's latest outburst is a sign that "the tail is trying to wag the dog." "It's going to be very difficult for Yaya at Manchester City now," added Hall. "When you do something like this then people start using it against you in different circumstances. "Next time, when he fails to play because he's got a minor injury, people will start to doubt his commitment again and say, 'Oh, that's Yaya.' "If he did have a problem then he should have dealt with it quietly. He now looks a bit sad." Toure is not the first player to find himself embarrassed by his alleged excessive demands. Hall cites an example of one player who, having lost money on his property empire, demanded his club pay up the shortfall. Another, who had accrued large gambling debts, urged his club to pay off his creditors because it was having a negative impact on his performances. It's that type of high maintenance which has helped give footballers a bad name, according to Hall. "Players need to understand that they are major brands," he added. "I can't believe they don't employ specialist employers and just rely on their agent or friend. They need to understand they're working in the corporate world and not in Sunday League. "Effectively, Toure has devalued himself already. Potential suitors will think they can acquire him on the cheap and it may do damage to his signing-on fee." No cake -- but plenty of food for thought.

Yaya Toure's brand "left damaged" by outburst says PR expert . Agent says Manchester City midfielder is upset by lack of birthday celebrations . His future at Premier League's top club is in jeopardy according to Phil Hall . Public take dim view of such behavior from highly-paid sport stars .

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With Christmas just around the corner, Munchkin the Shih Tzu has got into the festive spirit and gone sledding. The 8lb dog, who has found internet fame wearing a comical teddy bear suit, took to the slopes in San Bernadino near Los Angeles, California. Kitted out in Christmas attire, Munchkin is seen sledding down the slopes in a small wooden sleigh. Scroll down for video . With Christmas just around the corner, Munchkin the Shih Tzu has got into the festive spirit and gone sledding . The dog, who has found internet fame wearing a comical teddy bear suit, took to the slopes in San Bernadino near Los Angeles, California . But although her tongue is out in her previous videos - including a spin on a treadmill -  in this clip she does not seem too enthused by the festive fun. She looks straight ahead as she travels down the snow and then stares into the camera when it stops. She then looks to the side in a unimpressed fashion as if to say, 'Get me out of this thing!' Kitted out in Christmas attire, the 8lb dog is seen sledding down the slopes in a small wooden sleigh . But although her tongue is out in her previous videos - including a spin on a treadmill - she does not seem too impressed by the festive fun . Munchkin belongs to Cindy Roth from California. Roth crafted the fluffy ensemble for her tiny 14-inch-tall puppy out of a plush toy. To make the costume, Roth measured Munchkin and selected an appropriately sized toy. She also picked a teddy with matching sandy-colored fur. She then cut the face, feet and back out of the soft bear and removed all of the stuffing except for the arms. Forget form-fitting Lycra - Munchkin the Shih Tzu ensures all eyes are on her down at the gym with her adorable bear outfit . Cunning disguise: Roth crafted the fluffy ensemble for her tiny 14-inch-tall puppy out of a plush toy . To finish, Roth inserted Munchkin's front arms into the teddy's legs. Munchkin appears to have a penchant for dressing up and another photo shows her modeling a party hat, complete with pink feather trim. Her novel antics have secured her a burgeoning fan base and her YouTube channel boasts more than three million hits.

The 8lb dog has found internet fame wearing a comical teddy bear suit . Took to the slopes in San Bernadino near Los Angeles, California .

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Police have confirmed that a 16-year-old and a 36-year-old who died after a van collided with a milk tanker in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty were travelling on a school camp from Queensland. The driver of the van 36-year-old Andre Vogel died at the scene along with 16-year-old passenger Gabriel Runge. Seven other Australians were injured in the crash and were taken to Rotorua Hospital. The two teachers and seven students from Noosa Pengari Steiner School had been in New Zealand for approximately one week. Mr Runge described himself as an Outdoor Education Coordinator on his Linkedin profile. Scroll down for video . 16-year-old Gabriel Runge died when the van he was travelling in collided with a milk lorry in New Zealand . Gabriel Runge was killed during a school camp trip to New Zealand. The group were supposed to fly back to Australia on Sunday . 36-year-old Andre Vogel was driving the van when the crash occurred. He was an Outodoor Education Coordinator at Noosa's Pengari Steiner School . Principal Allen Kloeden from Noosa's Pengari Steiner School, said the group of Class 10 students were on a seven-day outdoor education hiking trip. He said the principal of Tauranga Steiner School in New Zealand immediately offered her support and visited the wounded in hospital. The principal said that the school has been giving support to students since the accident happened. 'Since receiving this news, a team of staff members have been activating support, gathering information, counselling and care for everyone involved,' he said. Yesterday the group had walked the Tongariro Crossing and were making their way back towards Rotorua when the crash happened. They were due to return to Australia on Sunday. The van carrying two adults and seven teenagers. who were all tourists from Queensland, was travelling toward Rotoroa when it collided with the milk tanker travelling in the other direction . The van was travelling toward Rotorua when it collided with the milk tanker travelling in the other direction. The crash happened on State Highway 5  at Reporoa near Settlers Rd, between Rotorua and Taupo about 4pm yesterday. A 16-year-old boy was flown to Waikato Hospital in a critical condition and six other passengers were taken to Rotorua Hospital but have now been released. A female in her 40s is in a serious but stable condition. Police said the immediate families in Australia have been contacted. The driver of the milk tanker, who is in his 60s, was taken to Rotorua Hospital and has since been discharged. The offices of the Australian High Commission, NZ, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, and the Australian Consulate-General, Auckland, are all providing assistance to families of all involved. The crash happened at the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand . The crash happened on State Highway 5 at Reporoa near Settlers Rd, between Rotorua and Taupo about 4.30pm yesterday . Senior Sergeant Malcolm Collins told Stuff.co.nz that police were hoping to get a better picture of what caused the crash today and said they will have more details this afternoon. 'The investigation team is back at work and getting into it today, there should be more information later today,' Collins said. Three fire crews attended the scene and are believed to have stayed for over two hours. Police said some victims of the crash had to be cut out of the van. Local resident Torian Reihana told the New Zealand Herald that she heard the crash from where she was working nearby. 'We just heard all this screeching, then a big bang when the van and truck collided,' she said. 'When we got down to the road there was already about 60 people who had gathered around the crash and were trying to help the injured people.' 'One woman told me she was driving behind the van and [tanker] when they crashed and said metal was flying everywhere.' According to the local, the van was completely destroyed and it was lucky people actually managed to survive. The road was closed due to the enormity of the crash however it reopened about 10pm last night. Dairy co-operative Fonterra confirmed one of its milk tankers was involved. The company extended sympathies to the families of the victims. Correction: It had previously been reported that the driver of the van was 60-years-old. He was 36-year-old.

Two Australians have died in a collision in New Zealand . The group was on a school camp from Noosa Pengari Steiner School . The van they were travelling in collided with a milk tanker in the Bay of Plenty . 36-year-old driver Andrew Vogel and 16-year-old Gabriel Runge died at the scene . They were travelling in a van carrying two adults and seven teenagers, all tourists from Queensland . The group was on a 7-day hiking trip . They were due to return to Australia on Sunday . Another 16-year-old boy was flown to Waikato Hospital . Six other passengers were taken to Rotorua Hospital but have now been released . A female in her 40s is in a serious condition . The driver of the tanker has been released from hospital .

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By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:01 EST, 19 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:43 EST, 19 June 2013 . A man accused of setting up a fake Facebook profile to lure a 15-year-old girl to her death pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder and kidnapping charges. Kyle Dube, 20, of Orono, entered the pleas during his arraignment at the Penobscot Judicial Center. Defense lawyer Stephen Smith requested a psychological evaluation for Dube to determine if he is competent to stand trial. The 20-year-old suspect was returned to jail after the brief court appearance, which was attended by the slain teen's mother, who sat in the front row dressed in a yellow T-shirt with her daughter's picture and clutched the girl's stuffed teddy bear in her hands. Kyle Dube, 20, who faces one count each of kidnapping and murder in the death of Nichole Cable, told Superior Court Justice Ann Murray that he understood the charges against him when he entered the two pleas . Denial of guilt: Kyle Dube, 20, of Orono, Maine, seen here in June last year,  pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering Nichole Cable, right, who was last seen on May 12, 2013 . Disastrous plot: Kyle Dube, pictured in court this week, used a Facebook account to lure Nichole Cable from her home and kidnap her. He planned to stage a rescue so he could look like a hero . The presiding judge has yet to set a trial date. If convicted of kidnapping and murder, Dube would face between 25 years and life in prison, Bangor Daily News reported. If acquitted by reason of insanity, . Dube would be committed to a psychiatric institution until he is deemed . not to be a risk to society. Dube is accused of creating a phony . Facebook account and using it to set up a meeting with Nichole Cable, of . Glenburn, before killing her and hiding her body on May 12. Awaiting his fate: Dube could face 25 years to life if convicted of the charges, or he could be sent to a psychiatric institution if acquitted by reason of insanity . Police say Dube told others that he'd . intended to abduct Nichole and later come to her rescue. Her remains . were found in nearby Old Town eight days after she disappeared. Nichole was reported missing May 13 . by her mother, who said she had left the night before to meet a friend . at the end of their road but hadn't returned. Dube told others that he bound . Nichole and put her in the back of his father's pickup truck and that he . later discovered she was dead, authorities said. An autopsy determined she died from asphyxiation. Dozens of law enforcement officers, . using aircraft and dogs, and hundreds of civilian volunteers spent days . searching for Nichole, whose body was found the night of May 20. About 300 people turned out for her funeral.A man who staged the kidnapping and rescue of a 15-year-old girl so he could look like a hero . but ended up killing her . tried to kiss and grope her the night before she disappeared, according to court documents. According to court documents released . earlier this month, Dube had allegedly tried to kiss and grope Cable the . night before she vanished. The affidavit included text messages . in which Cable tells her boyfriend that she tried pushing Dube off her, . but he wouldn't stop and ended up leaving a bite mark on her. The 'Missing' poster circulated by the authorities prior to finding Nichole's body on May 20th . Mr Dube was indicted in late May on . charges of murder and kidnapping in the death of 15-year-old Nichole . Cable, whose body was found in a wooded area of Old Town this month a . week after she went missing. In . an affidavit released after Dube was indicted, Detective Thomas . Pickering outlined the scenario leading to the high school sophomore's . death. He wrote that . Dube told his brother that he used Facebook to trick her into going out . of her house in Glenburn, not far from Old Town, while he waited in the . woods wearing a ski mask. When Nichole came along, the . 20-year-old Dube jumped out and snatched her, duct-taped her and put her . in the back of his father's pickup truck, the affidavit said. Dube . later discovered that she was dead, so he dumped her body and covered it . with branches, it said. The affidavit doesn't go into details . about how Nichole was duct-taped, and the cause of her death is still . being determined by the medical examiner's office. Dube told his brother that he 'intended to kidnap Nichole and hide her; that he would later find her . and be the hero,' Pickering wrote. Dube's attorney, Stephen Smith, had argued for the affidavit to be withheld, citing threats . against Dube in jail, concerns about whether he could get a fair trial . and fears for the privacy of his relatives. Nichole was reported missing on May 13 . by her mother, who said she had left the night before to meet a friend . at the end of the driveway but hadn't returned. Heartbroken: Nichole's mother released a heart-breaking plea to her captor for her safe return . Police interviewed a friend of . Nichole's named Bryan Butterfield, who said somebody had set up a fake . Facebook account in his name and he suspected Dube. Butterfield told . detectives that Dube wanted to have sex with Nichole but that she had . rejected his advances, the affidavit said. Investigators determined that Nichole . had frequent contact with the fake Butterfield on Facebook and that the . person posing as Butterfield repeatedly requested to meet with her . before she agreed to meet with him at the end of her road to get some . marijuana the night she went missing, the affidavit said. Police asked Facebook officials to . produce records to identify the owner of the fake Butterfield account, . which was traced to Dube and his parents' home in Orono. When a detective interviewed Dube's . girlfriend, Sarah Mersinger, she reported that Dube told her where he . left Nichole's body. Dube's brother, Dustin Dube, then told police what . he knew. Dozens of law enforcement officers, . using aircraft and dogs, and hundreds of civilian volunteers had spent . days searching for Nichole, whose body was found on the night of May 20. About 300 people turned out for her funeral.

Kyle Dube, 20, of . Orono, pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and murdering  Nichole Cable . He had created a fake Facebook account to gain her trust, prosecutors say . He wanted to 'stage kidnapping and rescue so he could look like a hero'

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First, a health warning: anyone eating breakfast should skip to the sports section. In January of this year a group of doctors in Amsterdam published a study using 'friendly bacteria' in the most extreme way possible. They were treating a group of patients with an infection caused by a bacterium called Clostridium difficile (C.diff) - which grows when your normal bowel bacteria are wiped out by antibiotics. It can cause severe diarrhoea and even death. Ironically the treatment of C.diff infections is usually another strong course of antibiotics, but instead the Dutch group used the ultimate probiotic: a faecal transplantation. The power of porridge: Dr Christoffer van Tulleken ate oats every day for six weeks to assess the impact on his gut bacteria . That's right: they took donor faeces from healthy volunteers (screened for every imaginable disease) and infused it via a tube into the patients' small intestines. The treatment was so effective that the trial was stopped early. It was a small trial, and not without flaws, but it should prompt research in an area of medicine where we are only just beginning to understand our ignorance: the bacteria living inside us. You are more bacteria than you are human: for every one of your cells, you have at least ten bacteria and most of them live in your gut. For every one of your human genes, you have 200 bacterial genes. These bacteria living inside you are called your microbiome and they're not parasites; without them you would die. We have outsourced some of our most vital functions to the bugs living in us and their influence extends beyond mere digestion; they help us extract up to 30  per cent of our calories from food, especially during early life, so they're essential for brain development. They protect us from harmful bacteria, help metabolise drugs, control inflammation and absorb essential nutrients. The bacteria in fat people even seem better able to absorb calories than those found in thin people. Every month more and more functions are found, but the one most of us have heard of is their role as having the largest immune function in the body. It's now thought maternal bacteria can cross the placenta, so even before birth a mother's microbiome directly influences her baby's. Anyone who's watched a birth knows it's not a clean process and babies often start to swallow bacteria from their mothers even as they are being born. When in the gut, those bacteria start to educate the immune system. One disadvantage of having a Caesarean may be that it prevents this exposure to these vital bugs. Modern changes in how mothers, babies and children are exposed to bacteria may be one reason for a rise in asthma, allergies and other conditions. The effect of unnecessary antibiotics on the development of this delicate system is not fully understood, but is likely to be detrimental. Ludicrous: The idea that there could be one simple drink with one simple bug in it that could make us all feel better is farcical . I'm an infectious diseases doctor, so I'm normally interested in destroying 'bad' bacteria, but for the BBC2 programme Trust Me I'm A Doctor, I found out more about the 'friendly' ones that you have probably heard about through the vague, comforting science of 'probiotic' or 'live' yoghurt adverts. A daily dose of these friendly bacteria is claimed to have a wide range of health benefits, but you may find it hard to buy anything called 'probiotic' any more because the European Union has decreed something can only be called a probiotic if it has a proven health benefit - and the criteria are very strict. There is evidence that taking probiotics with particular species of bacteria in them will help in specific situations (such as infectious gastroenteritis, diarrhoea associated with taking antibiotics, or irritable bowel syndrome). Even for an expert, knowing what to take can be very hard. Dr James Kinross is a surgeon at Imperial College London and is doing some of the most exciting research in this area. I met him for the programme and he summed it up by saying: 'If you're well it doesn't seem like they'll make you any better.' But he uses probiotics when there's a problem. Some research shows that, in a large enough dose, bacteria can make it through the harsh conditions of your stomach acid to the large intestine where they can live more easily, so it's plausible they could have a benefit. But, once there, it must compete with thousands of other species in a  complex ecosystem. James compares the microbiome  (the bacteria living in you) to a vast rainforest. He says taking a probiotic to make it 'generally healthier' is like tinkering with the red squirrel population in Surrey and expecting it to have a beneficial effect on the Peruvian jungle - it's possible we know more about the Peruvian rainforest than we do about our own insides. We each have thousands of different species in our bowels, and everyone has their own unique ecosystem. The idea there would be one simple drink with one simple bug in it that could make us all feel better is surely a bit ludicrous. What we do know is the fat and sugar found in some probiotic preparations can have negative health effects. Ironically, this may be because of the effect fat and sugar have on gut bacteria. Luckily, you don't need to worry about finding precisely the right dosage and species of bacteria that's right for you. There's a much simpler, cheaper treatment: porridge. 'The fat and sugar found in some probiotic preparations can have negative health effects.' We've long known high-fibre foods, including oats and green leafy vegetables, have many beneficial effects on health. But, even as a doctor, my understanding of why fibre is good for you was incomplete. I had a vague feeling that roughage worked by cleaning you out, sort of like a brush, and thus got rid of toxins. While this isn't completely untrue it's probably more to do with good bacteria in your gut being able to thrive on the indigestible sugars in fibre. The sugars act as 'prebiotics' - a prebiotic is any substance in food which causes a health benefit by affecting gut bacteria (another term the EU are strict about using, as it implies a proven health benefit). But I wanted to put this to the test, so I went for two weeks with no oats and then six weeks eating more oats than even the man with the caber on the oat packet seems to (a treat for me as I usually have two huge cold lumps of salty porridge per day). I then sent stool samples to Karen Scott at the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen (the experience gave me new sympathy with patients I ask to send in a stool sample: not easy or dignified to collect . . . again, apologies if you're reading this over breakfast). Karen is interested in the effect of diet on the health of gut bacteria and, appropriately for her lab in Scotland, the main food she studies is oats. Karen did a genetic analysis of bacteria in my stool sample each week: as the diet went on the species changed. Some died out, others massively expanded their numbers. The importance of fibre: Fresh green veg and oats have many beneficial effects on health, especially, as Dr van Tulleken's experiment showed, because they feed gut bacteria . I felt great, but in larger studies Karen found these changes improve the ecology of the system immensely. To extend the rainforest analogy: if swigging a yoghurt drink is throwing a few seeds into the forest, significantly altering your diet is like changing the soil and the weather: get it right and the good stuff will flourish. Once fed, bacteria can perform all their functions and release beneficial compounds into your blood stream. These have wide-ranging effects from the lining of your gut to your heart and bloodstream. For most of us, it's the prebiotics in the food we eat which has the major effect on the health of your gut and the bacteria in it. The reason food may be good or bad for you is because it changes the populations of bacteria and the chemicals they produce. So while James Kinross and other groups continue to probe the frontiers of your inner universe with the most advanced molecular techniques known to man, I leave you with a conclusion that would have your grandmother saying I told you so: eat more porridge oats. Christoffer van Tulleken is an infectious diseases doctor at University College London Hospitals, and an MRC research fellow at University College London. Trust Me I'm A Doctor is on BBC2 on Thursday at 8pm. He also presents  Operation Ouch every Monday 530pm CBBC.Contact him on Twitter @DoctorChrisVT .

The bacteria living inside you are essential to your immune system . 'Probiotic' drinks, full of bacteria, claim to have a range of health benefits . But even the experts aren't entirely sure how helpful these yoghurts are . Dr van Tulleken decided to see how effective the fibre in oats is . After six weeks of eating tons of porridge, the results were compelling .

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By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 09:41 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:31 EST, 24 February 2014 . The mother of a five-month-old boy whose life was saved when his aunt performed CPR on the side of a highway revealed today that she is pregnant. Paolo Vargas learned that she is three months along at the weekend after having her son Sebastian last year. She said on Monday: 'Sebastian will be a big brother.' Ms Vargas suffered a shock last week when Sebastian stopped breathing while being driven by her sister Pamela Rauseo. Ms Rauseo was taking five-month-old Sebastian home from a hospital appointment on Thursday when she realized that something was desperately wrong with her nephew who has suffered respiratory problems since being born prematurely. Scroll down for video . Paolo Vargas discovered she was pregnant again after her five-month-old son Sebastian's life was saved by her sister Pamela Rauseo last week when the baby stopped breathing . Pamela Rauseo, 37, (pictured right) relived the dramatic moment today when she saved the life of her sister Paola's (left) five-month-old son who stopped breathing in his car seat . Pamela Rauseo performs CPR on her five-month-old nephew Sebastian last week by the side of a Miami highway after the baby stopped breathing in his car seat . Ms Rauseo said today: 'We were in the . car, I was driving and when he stopped crying, I really had a strong . feeling that something was off.' 'He was sleeping but he looked pale and when I touched him - his body, his hands - I got so nervous I couldn't dial 911. 'I got out of the car and I started screaming for help...Then I got down on my knees and started performing CPR on him and luckily after a while he responded.' Other drivers, along with a police officer and two firefighters who were also stuck in traffic, rushed to help. Fellow driver, Miami Herald photographer Al Diaz, snapped a picture of the roadside emergency. After seeing the dramatic photo of herself bent over and resuscitating her nephew, Ms Rauseo said: 'The images showed me how terrifying it really seemed.' Paolo Vargas and her five-month-old son Sebastian who is undergoing tests for respiratory problems in Miami today . The five-month-old boy was saved by his aunt last week and is currently being treated in hospital . Other drivers called paramedics who were able to fight their way through the standstill traffic to reach the aunt and nephew, before transferring them to University of Miami hospital. Ms Rauseo appeared with Sebastian's mother Paola Vargas on GMA on Monday where Ms Vargas spoke of her gratitude towards her sister. Struggling to contain her tears, Ms Vargas, a nurse, said: 'I get emotional just thinking about it. He was purple.' Ms Vargas said that her sister and Sebastian have always shared a special bond after Ms Rauseo designed her new nephew's nursery. The new mother said that Sebastian is currently undergoing tests at University of Miami Hospital and that the family should find out more about his respiratory problems today. Baby Sebastian, pictured with his parents, was born prematurely last year with respiratory problems . Little Sebastian after the harrowing ordeal on Thursday afternoon along the Dolphin Expressway in Miami, Florida . Speaking on MailOnline last week, Ms Rauseo said: 'I was driving along the 836 Dolphin Expressway and he was crying. He's always crying. Even when the car is moving, he's constantly crying.' Ms Rauseo works as an interior designer and runs Round321, a company dedicated to designing innovative and unique pieces for parents and children. Her company crafted Sebastian’s nursery and she regularly babysits Sebastian when his mother is at work. When Sebastian stopped crying and fell quiet in the back of the car, his aunt Pamela Rauseo knew something was wrong . Heroes: Police officer Amauris Bastidas holds baby Sebastian close, as driver Lucila Godoy, right, comforts the baby's aunt, Pamela Rauseo . Emergency: Pamela Rauseo performs CPR on her baby nephew after he stopped breathing in her car .

Five-month-old Sebastian stopped breathing while in aunt's car on a Miami highway last Thursday . His aunt Pamela Rauseo said today: 'I had a really strong feeling something was off' Sebastian's mother Paola Vargas revealed today she is three months' pregnant .

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A mall Santa and his elf have been fired after they turned away a seven-year-old girl with autism because she was there with her service dog, Pup-Cake. Abcde Santos, whose name is pronounced 'Ab-Suh-Dee', her family and the dog waited in line for 30 minutes to see Santa at The Shops in Mission Viejo, California on Sunday. But as she neared St Nick, he turned her away. 'To her dismay, Santa was afraid of her service dog,' family friend Julie Miller wrote in a statement on the dog's Facebook page. Turned away: Abcde Santos and Pup-Cake (pictured at Halloween) were turned away by Santa, who was scared of the dog, her family said. After they explained he was a service dog, he claimed he had allergies . Miller explained that they believe Pup-Cake, who is a pit bull, was turned away because of 'what we can only assume is the influence of BSL (breed specific legislation)'. 'Those dogs eat people,' the Santa said, according to the family. The family offered to remove Pup-Cake from the building so that Abcde could speak to him or even wave at him from afar, but Santa refused. They explained that Pup-Cake was a trained service dog and was lawfully allowed to be there. Santa then claimed that he had allergies and turned them away, Miller explained on the Facebook page. Heartbroken: The family shared this image showing Abcde sobbing after not being allowed to meet Santa . Best friends: As her service dog, Pup-Cake recognizes when Abcde is becoming distressed . Together: Pup-Cake joined the family in 2009 and they have seen a marked difference in Abcde since . 'For an autistic child to wait in line for 30 minutes, that's an accomplishment in itself,' Miller said. 'Santa still refused to see the child; sending her away heartbroken leaving a family to comfort a child instead of celebrating her accomplishments.' She added that Pup-Cake is a small pit bull who has received Canine Good Citizen training as well as socialization, obedience and public access training. The Santa, whose real name is unknown, and his elf were hired by the mall through an outside agency, The Noerr Programs. Following uproar online, the mall said they would be replacing the Santa 'with one that is more compassionate to our guests' needs.' They were fired on Monday. Scene: They were turned away from the Santa at The Shops at Mission Viejo in Southern California (pictured) but the mall has now fired Santa and his elf and has apologized to the family . 'We look forward to welcoming back the Santos family and Pup-Cake for a special Santa experience,' the mall added. The family, who are declining interviews, wants people to know about the Americans with Disabilities Act, which bans discrimination against people with service dogs, Miller told the OC Register. 'They want people to get educated not about autism or pit bulls, but about the disabilities act so that little girls like Abcde won't go and see Santa and end up crying,' Miller said.

Abcde Santos, Pup-Cake and her family waited in line for 30 minutes to meet Santa at a mall in Mission Viejo, California on Sunday . But Santa was scared of Pup-Cake, a pit bull, and refused to meet the girl and would not even allow her to see him on her own . When the family explained the dog was a service dog and lawfully allowed to be there, Santa claimed he had allergies . The mall has since apologized and fired Santa and his elf .

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By . Lydia Warren for MailOnline . A baby delivered by emergency cesarean section after his mother suffered a brain hemorrhage just six months into her pregnancy is preparing to head home after more than a month in hospital. Brayden Ellison weighed just 3 pounds 6 ounces when he was delivered in Tarzana, California on July 21 - and family members have called him a 'miracle', KTLA reported. But his mother, 21-year-old Kayla Katler, did not survive. At six months pregnant, she had gone to the doctor with a bad headache and when it did not improve days later, she was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered she had a 3mm blood clot. Loss: Kayla Katler, left, died when she was six months pregnant with her son Brayden. The baby boy was delivered by emergency Cesarean section and is now going home with his dad Derek Ellison, right . Shock: Kayla, pictured with Ellison, suffered a seizure after developing a blood clot in her brain . She suffered a deadly seizure, forcing doctors to act quickly to save her unborn son. Her sudden death has shocked family and friends, who said she was active and healthy. 'I have my moments of, "Why me?"' her boyfriend Derek Ellison told NBC. '"Why would we be brought together just to be ripped apart?" I went into this looking forward to raising a son with Kayla and in one minute I became a single father.' But he said the overwhelming support he has received from the community has helped immensely. Strangers and friends have donated diapers, clothing, car seats and baby furniture through a Facebook page, Support Baby Brayden Ellison. Kayla's cousin Nicki Ciancio posted that the young mother-to-be had not even had time to have a baby shower before her sudden death - and strangers were soon donating gifts, she said. Strength to strength: Brayden was just three pounds six ounces when he was born, left, but he is becoming healthier by the day and is now ready to go home after six months in the hospital . Loved: Strangers have donated diapers, clothes and toys to the tot after hearing about his story . Ever since the boy was born, Ellison has visited him in the NICU at Tarzana Providence Medical Center, and on Tuesday, he will be taking the little boy home. 'With the support system I have, there's not a lot to be afraid of,' he told KTLA. But the day is bittersweet for other family members. 'It's really sad to know that she's not the one bringing him home,' Kayla's mother Christy Katler said. 'That's the way it’s supposed to be.' Ellison said he is learning to cope with the death of his beloved girlfriend, whom he met a year ago, one day at a time. He has taken some solace in knowing her organs were donated. The family has set up a Gofundme page to cover Brayden's medical expenses and college fund. See below for video .

Kayla Katler, 21, was six months pregnant when doctors discovered she had a blood clot and she suffered a deadly seizure . Her son Brayden was born by emergency C-section and survived . After six weeks, he is healthy enough to go home with dad, Derek Ellison . He said he has been overwhelmed by support from strangers and friends .

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One firm profiting is London-based consultancy Adam Smith International . By . James Chapman, Gerri Peev and Neil Sears . PUBLISHED: . 16:41 EST, 16 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:14 EST, 17 September 2012 . Probe: International Development Secretary Justine Greening has launched an emergency audit following revelations that 'poverty barons' are making millions in consultancy fees from the foreign aid budget . An emergency audit was opened last night into  revelations that ‘poverty barons’ are making millions in consultancy fees from the foreign aid budget. Nearly £500million was paid out last year to firms that work on Third World programmes. Some give their directors seven-figure salaries. The probe was launched by Justine Greening, who was appointed International Development Secretary against her will in David Cameron’s Cabinet reshuffle this month. Miss Greening, who is an accountant . by training, has demanded a rapid explanation of apparently extravagant . spending and is said to be going through the Department for . International Development’s budget ‘line by line’. ‘Justine . will be sure to bring an accountant’s eye to DfID and will be looking . extremely closely at every single area of spend to ensure value for . money for the British taxpayer,’ said one source. ‘She has ordered a full report on all the issues that have been raised on her desk by the end of the month.’ One of the firms to profit from the . ring-fenced aid budget is Adam Smith International. The London-based . consultancy, which promotes the free market in poor countries, has . received contracts worth tens of millions of pounds in a single year. Its . work includes building schools in Pakistan, developing the free market . in Nepal and reforming the tax system in Afghanistan. Peter . Young, a director of both ASI and its parent company Amphion Group, . made more than £1million in 2010. He receives a salary of £250,000 and . paid himself a dividend of £800,000 two years ago. Defending . his payout to the Mail, he said it was a one-off dividend accumulated . over many years, adding: ‘I don’t think it’s particularly helpful to . take pot-shots at success.’ Mr Young, who lives in Tunbridge . Wells, Kent, said: ‘For a very modest outlay the tax revenue of the . Afghanistan government has gone up to £2billion. ‘I don’t know if you think it would be better to hand the few million it cost to do that to the people in Afghanistan? ‘When people think about aid they think about just handing out money to people, but it’s more complicated than that. ‘There . was one occasion where we were paid out a substantive amount in . dividends that represented profits from a number of years. William Morrison: £1m dividend . Andrew Kuhn: Paid £125,000 . Peter Young: £800,000 payout . Amitabh Shivaastava: £1m . William Morrison: The 41-year-old Bristol University graduate has worked on economic reform in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India and helped set up the post-war government in Iraq. His basic pay at Adam Smith International is around £150,000 but two years ago he took a dividend from the consultancy of more than £1million. He lives in upmarket Lewes in East Sussex. Andrew Kuhn: An economist, he has worked in the Palestinian West Bank but is currently in charge of Adam Smith’s work in Afghanistan. He also banked a dividend of more than £1million two years ago and is on a basic salary of around £125,000. Home is a flat in fashionable Earls Court in central London. Peter Young: As head of strategy and operations for Adam Smith, Mr Young, 53, boasts expertise in ‘resource allocation’. He is on £150,000 a year and claimed an £800,000 dividend in 2010. He has a luxury home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Amitabh Shrivastava: . The 43-year-old has toured 25 of the world’s most impoverished . countries, including Rwanda and Sierra Leone, and boasts particular . expertise in ‘making markets work for the poor’. His annual salary is also in the £125,000 range, again boosted by a £1million-plus dividend two years ago. He lives in affluent Wimbledon in south-west London, but was yesterday working in Afghanistan. He declined to comment. ‘But . our company makes relatively modest profits for doing a very . difficult and challenging job in very difficult and dangerous places. ‘Do . you think no one should make a profit out of that sort of activity? It’s like saying no one should make a profit out of the medical sector, . or judicial system.’ William Morrison, the managing director of ASI, received a salary and dividends worth £1.3million in 2010. Directors of the firm are on an average of £125,000 each, while contractors earn up to £850 a day. A fellow director of Mr Young and his colleagues at ASI is former Tory defence secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, whose party takes a stern line on wasteful foreign aid. Yesterday, Sir Malcolm, 66, did not respond to a request for comment. In need: Nearly £500million of taxpayers' money was paid out last year to firms that work on Third World programmes. Some pay their directors seven-figure salaries . Another firm which was paid around £6million from DfID last year is a subsidiary of the Marie Stopes abortion rights charity. It . carried out work in India, Africa and Nepal. Its highest paid director . was on £233,000 – £80,000 more than the Prime Minister. The highest paid director at another consultancy, Maxwell Stamp, doubled their salary and is now on £326,000. Good intentions: But is Britain's aid budget falling into the wrong hands? The firm raked in £16.4million for its work on legal services in Bangladesh and discouraging child marriage in Ethiopia. Foreign organisations have also cashed in. Washington-based Search for Common Ground took nearly £4million for providing support to the ‘electoral cycle’ in Sierre Leone. The Clinton Foundation has also taken a slice of a £200million contract to advise on forestry while consultancies in Uganda and India are also winning contracts. David Cameron has pledged to increase the aid budget to 0.7 per cent of national income of GDP by 2014. That would see DfID’s budget rise from around £8billion to more than £12billion. That pledge has yet to be enshrined in law and Miss Greening’s appointment could make it less likely that it will be fulfilled. The growth of the budget has angered Tory right-wingers who believe taxpayers’ money should be spent on helping cash-strapped families at home who are struggling with the recession. Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Ministers have insisted that they need more money to help the world’s poorest, but taxpayers will be appalled that hundreds of millions of pounds is being channelled to pricey consultancy firms. ‘Sometimes external expertise can be useful, but systematically spending these vast sums on consultants looks like a very bad deal for the taxpayer.’ By Daily Mail Reporter . Gratitude: Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee described Britain's £280million a year as 'a peanut in our total development exercises' Britain is spending millions building a foreign aid headquarters in New Delhi, even though our annual aid handout to India of £280million is expected to stop in 2015. The massive aid bill came into question after it was pointed out to ministers that booming India is so rich it now runs its own space exploration programme and dishes out foreign aid itself amounting to £2billion a year. India even said it neither wanted nor needed the cash, with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee describing Britain’s £280million a year as ‘a peanut in our total development exercises’. But despite the row, and the imminent demise of British aid to India, the Government is now spending a fortune on the new base. Opening next month, the HQ will sprawl over 40,000sq ft – the size of a hypermarket – and will incorporate 18 meeting rooms and 280 desks. The furniture bill alone will be £400,000. A spokesman for the Department for International Development said the offices were being shared with the British High Commission and would save money for taxpayers in the long run, despite the high start-up costs. He added: ‘The struggle to squeeze our staff and High Commission officials into one building meant more compact furniture had to be bought.’ Last year the DfID spent £900,000 on hotels – many of them five star – and spent some of its £280million budget for India on payouts including £20million to two consultancies so they can advise India on how to run its health service.

Probe launched by International Development Secretary Justine Greening . 'Poverty barons' making millions in consultancy fees from the aid budget . Nearly £500m paid last year to firms working on Third World programmes . PM pledge to increase aid budget to 0.7% of national income of GDP by 2014 . TaxPayers' Alliance: 'Looks like a very bad deal for the taxpayer' Tory right-wingers say money should be spent to help the needy at home . One firm profiting is London-based consultancy Adam Smith International .

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By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 08:14 EST, 21 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:17 EST, 21 May 2013 . A giant meteor was probably responsible for wiping out the woolly mammoth, scientists believe. It has long been thought that hunting was the cause of the creatures’ extinction, but researchers have now revised their opinion. They believe a huge meteor smashing through the Earth's atmosphere broke up into ten million tonnes of fiery fragments, scattering over four continents. These fragments are thought to have released toxic gas which poisoned the air and blacked out the sun, causing temperatures to plummet, plants to die and landscapes to alter forever. The woolly mammoth was probably wiped out by rapid climate change caused by a meteor striking the Earth, not by overhunting as previously believed . Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that this caused the extinction, countering previous theories that the spread of human settlements and aggressive hunting was to blame. After the impact, some animal species, like humans, adapted by either moving away, downsizing to adapt to the resources around them, or simply changed their way of life to cope. But other species, including the woolly mammoth which roamed throughout Europe, parts of Asia and North America in vast numbers, did not adapt and were wiped out in a generation. The research says the impact changed the course of the Earth's history forever. According to anthropologist and geology professor Kenneth Tankersley, the change from booming population to total extinction happened 'within a lifetime'. The University of Cincinnati professor said: ‘Imagine living in a time when you look outside and there are elephants walking around Cincinnati. ‘But by the time you are at the end of your years there are no more elephants. It happens within your lifetime.’ Working with scientists all over the world, the team found evidence of burnt out fragments of carbon - called spherules - in sites on four continents, and all dating back 12,800 years. A meteor is thought to have stuck the Earth 12,800 years ago releasing toxic gases into the air and temporarily blocking out the sun causing temperatures to plummet . They examined the bedrock dating back to the ice age in 20 archaeological sites in the world which date back to this formative period in the Earth's history. The timing matches the known dates of the last woolly mammoths to roam the planet, along with other ice age creatures like the sabre tooth tiger. A meteorite hitting the Earth's surface or simply breaking up as it passed through the atmosphere, would cause a sudden and drastic change in the weather. Professor Tankersley said: ‘This likely cause climate change and climate change forced this scenario. You can move, downsize or you can go extinct. ‘Humans at the time were just as resourceful and intelligent as we are today. With mammoth off the dinner table, humans were forced to adapt which they did to great success.’ He added that the lessons learned from that time could apply to today as the Earth again goes through a period of ‘rapid and profound’ climate change. He said: ‘It's a reminder of how fragile we are. Imagine an explosion that happened today that went across four continents. ‘The human species would go on. But it would be different. It would be a game changer.’

A meteor hitting the Earth 12,800 years ago released toxic gases into the air and blocked out the sun causing temperatures to plummet and plants to die . Some species managed to adapt but the woolly mammoth died out .

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Harry Redknapp believes England could win Euro 2016 and insists 'we might as well all give up' if tournament victory eludes the Three Lions next year. Roy Hodgson's side could not progress beyond the 2014 World Cup group stages, but Redknapp believes it should be a different story next summer in France with the current crop of young players at England's disposal. 'There are some really talented players and Roy's squad for the Euros is going to the best we've had for some time,' the former QPR and Tottenham manager told talkSPORT. Former QPR manager Harry Redknapp believes England are capable of winning Euro 2016 . He said Roy Hodgson's squad ought to give up if they don't as it is the best chance England will get . He singled out Liverpool duo Daniel Sturridge (left) and Raheem Sterling (right) as important individuals . 'If we don't win the Euros we ought to give up because it's the best opportunity we're going to have. It's a really good group at the moment.' Redknapp, who stepped down as QPR boss earlier this month, singled out the likes of Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, Harry Kane and Ross Barkley for special praise and believes they could help England claim their first piece of major silverware since the 1966 World Cup. He added: 'England has got three or four young players emerging now in time for Euro 2016. Roy will have a team that can really compete. 'I would be disappointed if we don't at least get to the semi-finals and then I could see us having a real go at winning it.' The candid interview also saw Redknapp describe his 2012 tax evasion court case as 'absolute nonsense', claim that Tottenham's board had 'blown the chance' to sign Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois, refer to Joey Barton as 'high-maintenance' and also criticise Adel Taarabt. Ross Barkley (left) was added to that list, as was Harry Kane (right), who will be in Roy Hodgson's next squad . The 67-year-old Redknapp also described his 2012 tax evasion court case as 'absolute nonsense'

Harry Redknapp believes England are capable of winning Euro 2016 . The former QPR manager says Roy Hodgson's squad is talented enough . He said England ought to give up if they don't win the competition . The 67-year-old singled out Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, Harry Kane and Ross Barkley as particularly important talents for England success . Redknapp also described his tax evasion case as 'absolute nonsense'

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By . Ted Thornhill . A wedding photographer is celebrating after this amazing image of the Tokyo skyline landed him the title of landscape photographer of the year. Kevin Mullins, 40, captured the stunning shot from the top of the city's 2,142ft (653m) high Sky Tree Tower. And while he normally spends his time taking photos of couples on their big day Mr Mullins showed he's no slouch when it comes to picturing cities. Mesmerising: Photographer Kevin Mullins' award-winning picture of the Tokyo skyline . He entered the picture into The Societies' Landscape Photographer of the Year award and beat thousands to the prize. Mr Mullins, from Malmesbury, Wiltshire, picked up the award at an awards party attended by 500 people in London. He said: ‘We went up there in the afternoon, waiting for dusk to get the right light. Haunting: Chris Blaser's photo of a mist-covered landscape which was a shortlisted entry in the SWPP Landscape Photographer of the Year 2013 awards . ‘There was rain and clouds and it was a great opportunity and I managed to get the right shot. ‘I am more of a social photographer, doing weddings and portraits but I thought I would enter into the competition. ‘There were around 13,000 entrants in the various categories and when I was told I was down to the final six or seven I was pleased. Glowing praise: Krisztian Sipos' photo of Gyurufu in Hungary, which was a shortlisted entry . ‘I didn't think I had a chance so I was shocked when I won.’ More than 13,000 people took part in The Societies' annual competition, with Kevin picking up a trophy and £1,000 in equipment. The Societies is the largest professional body of photographers in the UK. Shortlisted entry: Dave Wall's stunning photo of Venice . Prize night: Colin Jones from the Society of Wedding And Portrait Photographers (left) and award winning photographer Kevin Mullins, who beat 13,000 entries to claim the top accolade of landscape photographer of the year .

Kevin Mullins captured the stunning shot from the city's Sky Tree Tower which is 2,142ft tall .

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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 07:49 EST, 31 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:48 EST, 31 December 2012 . If politics is showbusiness for ugly people, these are the A-listers who became screen stars in the last 12 months - and not always for the right reasons. This year might have seen the Leveson report published, police and crime commissioners elected and the eurozone crisis grinding on. But for most people the year in politics will be best remembered for the omnishambles budget, a certain top Tory caught on a zip-wire and Nadine Dorries' campaign bus rolling into the I'm A Celebrity jungle. Here we count down the 10 most memorable political videos of 2012, proving that the people running the country are as hapless as the rest of us. 10. David Cameron and Boris Johnson throw some shapes . With . the world looking on, London 2012 organisers decided to wind up the . Olympics with a reunion of the Spice Girls singing atop a fleet of black . cabs. But that was not the . most excruciating moment. Oh no. The honour goes to the Prime Minister . and Mayor of London for taking joint gold for Olympic Dad Dancing. 9. Andrew Mitchell's 'long and frustrating day' We may never find out what Andrew Mitchell really said to police on that fateful September night when he was told he could not ride his bike through the gates of Downing Street. Forced to quit as Chief Whip over claims he called police 'f****** plebs' he has seized on CCTV footage which appears to contradict the official police log of the incident. But far more entertaining was his public apology for the cameras in September, including his claim that he had had a 'long and frustrating day' which it later emerged involved lunch at one of Westminster's most expensive curry houses. 8. David Cameron's pasty omnishambles . You know things are bad for the government when spin doctors decide footage of the PM playing badminton is the best distraction. Sadly David Cameron's prowess with a shuttlecock failed to deflect attention from the Budget omnishambles, which proposed hiking VAT on hot pasties. With Labour MPs posing awkwardly in bakeries to capitalise on the growing public backlash, the Premier was challenged to say when he last ate one of Cornwall's finest. His answer in March soon unraveled, when it turned out the shop in Leeds had shut down two years earlier. 7. Ed Miliband asks: 'Is that a lady or a man?' Allies of the Labour leader say he is the right man for the job because he can identify with the average voter. But in March Ed Miliband was unable to identify even the gender of a member of the audience at a Q&A session. Even the beard was not a big enough clue. 6. 'Is this some sort of joke?' Jeremy Paxman mauls Chloe Smith . Newsnight interviews are tricksy affairs for ministers at the best of times. But when junior Treasury minister Chloe Smith was sent on in June to explain yet another u-turn she knew nothing about, Paxo took no prisoners. She coughed and spluttered her way through the grilling over the surprise announcement that a 3p rise in fuel duty would not now go ahead, but Westminster insiders agreed she had been like a lamb to the slaughter while the Chancellor dined in Downing Street. She was shunted to the Cabinet Office in September's reshuffle. 5. Nadine Dorries finds reality TV hard to swallow . Conservative MP Nadine Dorries claimed her decision in October to swap Westminster for the I'm A Celebrity jungle would give her chance to discuss hot topics like lowering the abortion limit in front of an audience of millions. Instead the Mid Bedfordshire MP was seen eating camel toe in a Bushtucker Trial against Helen Flanagan from Corrie. The first celeb to be kicked out in a public vote, Ms Dorries was then suspended from the Tory party and has still not been let back in. 4. 60,000 Paralympics fans tell George Osborne what they think of him . The Chancellor always predicted he would become unpopular as the cuts started to bite. But he probably did not expect the public to voice their disapproval as he gave out medals at the Paralympic Games in August. Surprisingly, Mr Osborne appears to laugh, almost as if he is enjoying it. 3. Boris Johnson's high wire act goes wrong . The Mayor of London became the undisputed non-sporting star of London 2012 - from trying his hand at sitting volleyball to taking a ride in a cable car with Arnold Schwarzenegger. But it was the moment a pre-Olympics stunt on a zipwire went wrong for which he will be best remembered, making him an internet hit around the world. Amazingly, the flag-waving, whiff-whaff-playing Old Etonian was later named Britain's most respected politician. 2. Nick Clegg's apology hits the charts . There was a time when Nick Clegg was more popular in the polls than Churchill. Then effigies of the Lib Dem leader were burnt in the street and dog's mess was pushed through his letter box. So what does a politician in trouble in the polls do? Record a video message apologising for promising not to increase tuition fees, which is then remixed by satirical website The Poke, before agreeing to its release to raise funds for a children's hospital. It reached 143 in the charts in September. All together now.... 1. Jeremy Hunt's Olympic clanger . Whose idea was it to start the greatest show on earth with nationwide bell-ringing anyway? Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt kicked off the London Olympics in July with a magnificent display of campanology, only slightly hampered by the sight of his ringer flying off and hitting a woman in the crowd on board HMS Belfast. It is even better in slow motion.

Forget the Leveson Inquiry and the eurozone crisis, the last 12 months in politics are best remembered for the howlers . From Olympic standard dad dancing to Bushtucker trials, we chart the funniest political clips of 2012 . But which politician's hilarious clanger will be Number 1?

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Thousands of drivers were trapped since Thursday in a huge traffic jam on a major freeway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg, caused by heavy snowfall. At its worst point the line of trucks stretched 150 miles, starting in the Moscow region and ending in the Tver region. The Emergencies ministry dispatched some 175 rescuers and 100 snow-clearing vehicles in response to the heavy snowfall on the M-10. Scroll down for video . No end in sight: The line of vehicles stretched back 150 miles between Moscow and Tver . Desolate: Some drivers had to endure three days on the snowy stretch . Winter: The jam was caused by heavy snowfall between Moscow and St Petersburg . By early Monday morning local time, the traffic had recovered, authorities said adding that the vehicles are now moving at their normal speed, reports rt.com. The ministry said authorities had provided trapped drivers with hot food, shelter, medical help and fuel. But according to local media, which managed to speak to drivers, some of them had rather different experiences, saying that they didn't get any help. Clearing: Around a hundred snow-clearing vehicles were deployed to get the roads moving . Fed up: Many drivers were critical of the reaction by emergency services . Delay: The site of the jam, which stretched from Moscow to Tver on the M-10 motorway . Though, other motorists reportedly saw rescuers handing out hot drinks and sandwiches near the city of Tver. Some drivers were reported to have run out of fuel as they continued to run their engines for heat to endure the sub-zero conditions. Russian roads are notoriously badly maintained and were neglected during the Soviet era, when infrastructure suffered at the expense of Cold War defence spending.

Drivers faced three days in freezing cold as tailbacks stretched 150 miles . Russian authorities scramble rescuers and snowploughs . But many drivers say they got no help at all during ordeal .

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(CNN) -- Virgin America topped the latest airline satisfaction rankings from Consumer Reports, the first time the 6-year-old airline has appeared on the list. The airline was lauded for its seating, in-flight entertainment and baggage handling, even though it charges $25 for the first and second checked bags. "While other airlines on the list like Southwest and JetBlue have done a very good job of satisfying fliers, Virgin America is a cut above in the eyes of our readers," said Amanda Walker, a Consumer Reports senior editor, in a statement. Although Virgin America has been around since 2007, this is the first time the magazine survey received enough reader responses to include the carrier in the ratings. Virgin America scored an 89 on Consumer Reports' 100-point scale. Spirit Airlines ranked at the bottom of the list for its check-in, cabin service and seating. It also received 50 out of 100, one of the lowest scores for any company the consumer organization has ever rated, Consumer Reports reported. Airlines collect $6 billion in baggage fees . After top-scorer Virgin America, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways, which both scored an 85, rated highly for their check-in ease, cabin-crew service and baggage handling. Southwest allows two free checked bags, and JetBlue allows one. JetBlue outshone Southwest in the categories of in-flight entertainment and seating comfort. JetBlue and Southwest came in first and second place, respectively, in a recent J.D. Power & Associates survey of airline passenger satisfaction. Virgin America was not mentioned in that ranking. Consumer Reports bases its airline ratings on a survey of 16,663 subscribers conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Survey respondents were asked to rate their airlines' check-in process, cabin service, cabin cleanliness, seating, in-flight entertainment and baggage handling. And the most satisfying airline is ... The full report is available to subscribers online at ConsumerReports.org and in the July issue of Consumer Reports magazine. An online preview is available to non-subscribers.

Consumer Reports readers give high marks to Virgin America . Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways also did well in the magazine's airline rankings . Fee-driven Spirit Airlines didn't rate well with readers .

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(CNN) -- The family that robs banks together stays together. That's what southeastern Texas authorities allege about a father, son and daughter, tying them to a pair of bank robberies in that state and possibly five others in their native Oregon. Now, weeks after those heists occurred, the three suspects are in the Fort Bend County Jail. In a press release issued Friday, the Fort Bend County, Texas, Sheriff's Office identified the three as 50-year-old Ronald Scott Catt, his 20-year-old son Hayden Scott Catt and his 18-year-old daughter Abigail "Abby" Catt. Before their arrests, authorities concluded they'd seen the father and son before -- in disguise -- in surveillance video shot October 1 in and around the 1st Community Credit Union in Katy. The footage shows a younger man with a fake mustache and an older one in a painter's mask, with both wearing dark sunglasses, hats and orange traffic vests that had an "X" on the back. Other images, released by local authorities to media, showed the two suspects pointing small guns inside the bank and emptying cash out of a vault. After that robbery, detectives went to a Home Depot near the sheriff's office and found the distinctive orange vests. They followed up a short time later by going to another Home Depot about 14 miles north in Katy, near where detectives found stolen license plates between the October 1 robbery and one in August in nearby Harris County. The two male suspects in the latter robbery wore painter outfits and masks. "While viewing videotapes at the checkout counters, they identified Hayden and Abby Catt purchasing the vests with their father's debit card," the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said. "Ronald Catt was later identified purchasing a painter's mask." Ronald and Hayden Scott Catt were arrested November 9 at a Katy apartment and subsequently were ordered held on $140,000 bail. Abigail Catt -- who police say was the getaway driver in the October 1 bank heist -- was taken into custody later that day, with her bond set at $100,000. Following interviews with the suspects, Fort Bend detectives notified authorities in Oregon -- where the Catt family is originally from -- as they "believe the suspects may be connected to five bank robbery cases in the Portland ... area," the sheriff's office said.

Two men in vests -- one in a fake mustache, another in a painter's mask -- rob a bank . Police say they are father and son, and allege a daughter drove the getaway car . Detectives: The family bought the distinctive orange traffic vests at a nearby Home Depot . Authorities believe the family may be responsible for 7 bank robberies, 5 in Oregon .

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(CNN) -- The family of a woman who died three years ago wants to know whether she is the victim of a suspect accused of locking up four people in a Philadelphia basement. Maxine Lee, who died in 2008 in Norfolk, Virginia. was a roommate of Linda Weston, the accused ringleader of a group charged with locking up four mentally disabled adults in an apartment's boiler room. "I want police to re-open this. I do," her sister, Tracey Lee, told CNN. Lee said her family believes she died under suspicious circumstances. The suspects are charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, unlawful restraint, criminal trespass, and conspiracy. The alleged victims were discovered severely malnourished, without food, and left with buckets to go to the bathroom. A landlord discovered them and called police. Maxine Lee died after disappearing several years earlier. She had last worked as a security guard after jobs with the post office and the IRS, her family told CNN. Her relatives didn't know what happened to her until they got a call in November 2008 from Virginia police saying Maxine was dead. She rushed to Norfolk from Philadelphia to get whatever information she could from police. "I was surprised that they weren't at all supportive," Lee said. Lee said police told her they couldn't find Weston or another man who had been in the apartment. When she asked about whether they had any of her sister's belongings, she said police "printed me a map to find her house on my own." "I felt like I was a reporter trying to find out what happened," Lee added. Lee says she was taken to identify her sister's body. "Her hair was falling out," she said. She was told her sister died of acute bacterial meningitis with a contributing factor of malnutrition. Her manner of death is listed as "natural causes." Tracey Lee says her family was devastated. She was frustrated police said they couldn't find the people living with her sister. When she heard Weston's name in connection with the bruised, malnourished, allegedly mistreated disabled woman and three men imprisoned in a basement, she immediately recognized the name. "I said 'it can't be. It can't be.' I was distraught," Lee said. After hearing about Weston's charges, Tracey Lee wonders whether her sister could be another possible victim of Weston's. "I think she played a role (in her sister's death). "Maxine probably went days without water. And if she was so sick, why didn't she take her to the ER?" she said. Norfolk Police tell CNN they're looking at Maxine Lee's case again but haven't formally re-opened it. Philadelphia police spokesman Lt. Ray Evers says they're aware of Maxine Lee's death and her connection to Weston. They've set up a task force to investigate every aspect of the Philadelphia case, looking for more people who might have been victimized by Weston and her co-defendants. Investigators found about 50 different identification cards among Weston's belongings. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told CNN on Monday that Weston had IDs for about 50 people in her possession: "Social Security information, power of attorney information, those kinds of things." "We're looking at everything," Evers said. 'Are these people dead, alive?" He says they have to track down each person and look for any connections to Weston and her three co-defendants. Police say Weston's motive may have been befriending needy victims and eventually ripping off their Social Security checks. The case continued to develop Friday when CNN uncovered new information that shows the Philadelphia case was not the first time Weston has drawn scrutiny for possible Social Security fraud. The Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General confirmed to CNN that it investigated Weston in 2009 for continuing to collect benefits for her roommate, Maxine Lee, after she died of acute meningitis. When the administration finally cut off benefits, Weston appeared at a Philadelphia office seeking to have the benefits reinstated, the Office of Inspector General said in a statement to CNN. The money -- totaling less then $3,000 -- was repaid to the Social Security Administration, the inspector general said. The acknowledgment by the inspector general's office has raised questions about why the Social Security Administration allowed Weston, a convicted murderer, to serve as a "representative payee" for a Social Security recipient. Under Social Security Administration policy, certain individuals convicted of criminal offenses are prohibited from serving as representative payees. The Social Security Administration is reviewing its handling of Weston. After initially asking for questions for comment in writing from CNN, a spokeswoman for the administration declined to provide details of the Weston case, including whether Weston was the representative payee for any of the people found in captivity in Philadelphia. "We are very concerned about this situation. As this is an ongoing investigation, we can't provide you any details at this time," spokeswoman Kia Green said. As for Tracey Lee and her mother, they plan to attend Monday's first public court appearance for Weston and the three other defendants in Philadelphia. "I plan on getting up early and sitting in the first row, " Mary Lee said. CNN's Mike Ahlers and Sarah Hoye contributed to this report.

Maxine Lee, 39, died in 2008 in Norfolk, Virginia . She was a roommate of Linda Weston, the alleged ringleader of a group of suspects . The group is charged with locking up four mentally disabled adults in an apartment's boiler room .

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By . Kerry Mcqueeney . Last updated at 5:24 PM on 26th January 2012 . Tragic: Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 . A former Metropolitan Police chief has given evidence at a French inquiry into the death of Princess Diana to answer allegations that he suppressed evidence in the investigation into the crash that killed her. Lord Paul Condon, the Met's commissioner between 1993 and 2000, said he - along with former assistant commissioner Sir David Veness - voluntarily offered to provide witness evidence to the French Juge d'Instruction. The pair have long faced accusations from former Harrods boss Mohamed al Fayed, whose son Dodi also died in the August 1997 Paris crash, that they deliberately withheld evidence from the French investigation into their deaths. Both men went to the inquiry to explain why they failed to disclose the existence of a note in which Diana predicted her own death. Lord Condon said: 'Sir David and I volunteered to go to Paris as witnesses to help the French authorities explore and then bring to a conclusion these repeated complaints made by Mr al Fayed. 'We trust that our evidence was helpful, and we both sincerely hope that for all concerned, including Mr al Fayed, some closure can be finally brought to this tragic case.' In 2009 a French inquiry into the investigation into Diana’s death heavily criticised the French authorities and the French state was ordered to pay almost £5,000 in compensation to Mr al Fayed. Judges found there were problems in establishing that Henri Paul, the couple’s chauffeur who also died, was drunk at the time of the accident and a mix-up with his post-mortem examination and blood tests created unnecessary delays. The new French inquiry is being led by Judge Gerard Caddeo, Mr al Fayed said. Mr al Fayed’s claims that evidence was withheld centre around a letter - dubbed the Mishcon note - which was written by Diana’s divorce lawyer Lord Mishcon after an October 1995 meeting outlining her fears that there was a plot to kill her in a car crash. Witnesses: Both Lord Condon (left) and Sir David Veness (right) said they hoped their evidence would help bring about some closure of the case . Crash scene: The underpass in Paris where Diana, Dodi and their chauffeur Henri Paul were killed in the 1997 accident . Grief: Former Harrods boss Mohamed al Fayed (left) has always said he believed there had been cover-up surrounding the death of Diana and his son Dodi (right) In his statement issued yesterday Mr . al Fayed said: 'His (Judge Caddeo’s) interviews of Lord Condon and Mr . Veness are the beginning of a thorough investigation by the French . authorities into why Lord Mishcon’s letter was not provided to the . initial French inquiry. 'As . the father of Dodi and a good friend of the princess, I trust that the . outcome of these French investigations will be that those who are guilty . will be properly punished.' Lord Mishcon passed on the letter to police in confidence following a meeting with Lord Condon after the Princess’s death. Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, produced a note from the princess making very similar allegations . It . was only when Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, produced a note from . the princess making very similar allegations in the Daily Mirror in . October 2003 that the police agreed to hand the letter over and that . December it was sent to the coroner investigating the princess’s death. 'Removing or concealing evidence' which could 'facilitate the discovery of a crime' is punishable by up to five years in France. Mr al Fayed has always said he believed there had been a cover up. A source close to the French inquiry told The Express: 'Mr al Fayed has always maintained that the evidence of Lord Mishcon has been concealed from the British coroner and the French authorities. 'It is his belief that the police  officers sat on it for six years until they were forced to disclose it following the revelations of Diana's butler Paul Burrell. 'Ever since the evidence of the note was revealed by Mr al Fayed has pressed the French authorities to investigate those responsible for its suppression.' At the UK inquest into the deaths, Mr al Fayed implicated many establishment figures in the plot to kill or cover up the murder of the couple.

Lord Condon and Sir David Veness voluntarily go to France to be witnesses . Pair faced repeated complaints by Mohamed al Fayed they deliberately 'withheld evidence'

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When customers order a coffee from this Starbucks, employees are not allowed to write their names on the cup or top up their loyalty points. It may go against the day-to-day operations seen in most of the coffee chain's stores around the world - but this one is in the CIA's headquarters. The nine baristas who work at the cafe in the heart of the forest compound in Langley, Virginia, are given thorough background checks, are frequently taken through security briefings and are led out of work every day by agency 'minders'. Covert coffee: The CIA's Starbucks is located deep in the heart of their headquarters in Langley, Virginia. It is referred to as 'Store Number 1' on the receipts but customers have given it the nickname 'Stealthy Starbucks' The venue is known as Store Number 1 on the receipts, but its loyal customers have given it the nickname 'Stealthy Starbucks'. Because of the facility's security it is believed to be one of the busiest stores in the world, according to The Washington Post. Many cannot leave during the working day to simply grab a cappuccino or a muffin, which means the queues often stretch down the hallway. One agent, who was annoyed at the time it takes to get a beverage, is said to have once whispered to someone at the back of the line: 'What have you done for your country today.' A food services supervisor, who wanted to create a more relaxed atmosphere, tried to get customers to start writing their names on cups. But the change in policy quickly made the agents feel uncomfortable. He said: 'They could use the alias "Polly-O string cheese" for all I care. But giving any name at all was making people — you know, the undercover agents — feel very uncomfortable. It just didn't work for this location.' It also has to be staffed 24 hours a day for agents working in different time zones or in the middle of an operation. According to employees, this means that sugary Frappuccinos and double espressos are popular orders at night, while vanilla latte and lemon pound cake are frequently ordered during the day. But, when they get home, they cannot boast where they work only saying it is in a 'federal building'. There are no reward cards as agents fear the data could fall into the wrong hands and undermine their security - or even identify them. Hidden identity: When customers order their drinks, their names are not written on the cups. A food supervisor considered the idea to speed up lines, but it quickly made agents feel 'uncomfortable' Like many others around the globe, the shop is the site of many job interviews. 'Coffee goes well with those conversations,' one officer said. For example, the chief of the team that tracked down Osama Bin Laden recruited a key deputy for the effort at the Starbucks. The manager of the store is reportedly trying to humanize the store, creating a more relaxed environment for those who work there. Many of the federal employees sit in windowless offices for long periods of time and cannot even check their phones during a break - they have to leave them in their car for security.

Cafe is deep inside the agency's Langley, Virginia, forest compound . Is referred to as 'Store Number 1' on customers' receipts . However agents working in the building call it the 'Stealthy Starbucks' Baristas are given security briefings on a regular basis . Staff are also escorted by agency 'minders' when they leave work . Double espressos and sugary Frappuccinos are said to be popular orders .

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By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 04:04 EST, 9 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:35 EST, 9 November 2012 . A pub refused to serve soldiers as they celebrated their return from fighting in Afghanistan in a parade through the town. Staff at The Bull in Romford, Essex, told stunned troops that they were ‘not allowed to serve squaddies’ when the troops tried to order a round after their homecoming march through the town on Tuesday. The astonishing ban was imposed on the 600-strong 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, who have lost 16 men in Afghanistan, on the day they paraded through town to mark the end of its final tour of the war-torn country. Won't serve squaddies: At the end of the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment parade through Romford on Tuesday (pictured) marking the end of its final tour of Afghanistan, troops were refused bar service at The Bull in the town's market place . The soldiers’ proud families and friends had joined thousands of locals and officials to cheer and salute them in the high-profile Remembrance Day week event. The tough mechanised infantry unit, famously known as The Vikings, has just been awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Havering. Outraged Denise Coe, whose son serves in the regiment, criticised the pub in the town’s Market Place, for the sensational snub. Mrs Coe, of Romford, said: ‘I think it was absolutely disgusting and they should all be ashamed. ‘What is the point of them having the . Freedom of the Borough when the soldiers can’t even go to get a drink . in a pub in the town?’ Christine . Clark, 70, from Romford, was with her grandson, who is in the regiment, . and five of his mates, who had also marched in the stirring ceremony. Sensational snub: Staff at The Bull (pictured) told troops that they were 'not allowed to serve squaddies,' shocking locals and soldiers alike but a spokesman for the pub later apologised and said it was a mistake . Salute to soldiers: Famously known as The Vikings, the battalion has just been awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Havering . She said: ‘There were about 15 soldiers just standing outside the bar and they told us that they wouldn’t serve them. ‘When we went in to the pub they told my grandson and his friends that they “are not allowed to serve squaddies”. ‘When my daughter asked if she could buy the drink for them, they told her that “they are not allowed in”. ‘She insisted: “I felt so embarrassed”. ‘Romford . is my grandson’s hometown and he wanted to take his friends to the pub . to get a drink and they wouldn’t even serve them.’ A spokesman for The Bull, which dates back to 1890, admitted that soldiers had been banned from the big historic pub. What's the point? A mother of one of the celebrating troops (pictured) said it was 'absolutely disgusting' and that the pub should be ashamed . He . said: ‘This was a mistake. We absolutely welcome the armed forces into . The Bull and we apologise for any offence caused to the soldiers. ‘We are talking to the team members involved and clarifying that we welcome the armed forces into the pub.’ Some family and friends were also upset when their spot to watch the parade was blocked by officials. The parade was due to start at . 12.30pm and many of the soldiers’ loved ones had gathered early to get a . good position but just 10 minutes before the start they claim that . Havering Council’s special guests were directed to stand in front of . them, blocking their view. Sheila Munroe said she had travelled especially from Southend to Romford to support her son and the rest of the regiment. End of fighting: Troops stand proud in the parade as part of the 600-strong battalion that lost 16 men who were killed while on duty in the war-torn country . Tragically killed: In the latest stint in Helmand Province, Cpl Alex Guy was killed while fighting the Taliban on June 15 . Her mother Ellen Fowell, 88, of Barking, also went with her to cheer on the troops. Ms Munroe said: ‘My mum is in a wheelchair so we got there early just so we could get a good spot.‘It was terrible when these VIPs just came and stood in front of us. ‘She could hardly see anything and all they seemed to be doing was standing and laughing as the parade went on. ‘I was disgusted with the whole thing. ‘The day before we were in Ipswich and we were treated with so much respect. ‘We were expecting the same treatment in Romford but we just didn’t get it.’ A Havering Council spokesman apologised for the blunder last night. He said: ‘We are very sorry if anyone’s view was blocked. ‘We discussed the set-up with the Royal Anglian regiment, including where to place the VIPs. ‘There were thousands of people in Romford to cheer the soldiers home and it was a great day to show our town’s pride in the work that they do.’ Cpl Alex Guy, from the unit, was tragically killed in action fighting the Taliban on June 15 during its latest stint of duty in Helmand Province.

Staff at The Bull refused to serve troops on Tuesday after their homecoming march in Romford, Essex . The 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment held the parade to celebrate the end of their final tour to Afghanistan . Sixteen of their troops had been killed while on duty . The pub apologised for the incident and said it 'was a mistake'

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:42 EST, 22 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:43 EST, 22 November 2013 . Graham Cooper evaded justice for 30 years before being jailed when a victim discovered he had been chosen to run a leg in the Olympic torch relay . A paedophile who evaded justice for 30 years has finally been jailed after his victim discovered he had been chosen to run a leg in the London 2012 Olympic torch relay. The sudden fame enjoyed by Graham Cooper ‘incensed’ a woman who had suffered sex attacks at his hands as a girl from the ages of ten to 13 in the early 1980s. A previous complaint that she made about the 69-year-old was not pursued by police, but after seeing him basking in the glory of the Olympics torch relay she contacted officers again. Cooper, a grandfather from New Romney, Kent, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault on a girl aged under 14 and one count of indecency with a child. A jury at Canterbury Crown Court last month convicted him of indecent assault, but cleared him of an alleged rape and two more indecent assaults. Cooper was regarded as an upstanding pillar of the small community of Aldington, where he was known for his charity work and regular attendance at church. His wife of 40 years, Sylvia, nominated him to become an Olympic torchbearer as reward for his years of working in the neighbourhood and raising money for good causes. But after he carried the torch in South Kent in July last year, his victim heard about his achievement in the media. She called police again about the abuse she suffered three decades earlier. Jailing him for three years, Judge Adele Williams said the abuse Cooper committed had a ‘profound and long-lasting’ impact on the victim who has had to undergo counselling and therapy. The judge said Cooper had a ‘total lack of insight’ over what he had done to the woman, adding: ‘She tried to complain to the police but that was not pursued. ‘But when she saw in the press that you had been chosen as an Olympic torchbearer in 2012 because of your good work and good standing in the community, she was rightly incensed and went to the police again.’ Cooper, who showed no emotion as sentence was passed, was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders register. Both orders will last ten years.Peter Alcock, defending, asked the judge to take into account Cooper’s age, the historic nature of the offences and his health problems. Cooper's wife, Sylvia, nominated him to become an Olympic torchbearer ahead of the opening ceremony . He said an immediate jail term would be ‘more onerous’ for Cooper now than it would have been 30 years ago. Mr Alcock said Cooper had ‘lived a life with many positives’ and that good character references had been provided by community figures, including his vicar. ‘As well as the character references illustrating the many positives, there is also that he was nominated and then chosen to be a torchbearer during the Olympics, and that was a matter in the trial,’ Mr Alcock added. ‘The complainant said that was what led her to come forward. He knows the wrong he has done in those years and the quality of the understanding of his problems is a question for further work.’ Cooper had the support of his wife and many friends, some of whom attended court to see him sentenced, Mr Alcock said.

Sudden fame enjoyed by Graham Cooper 'incensed' one of his victims . Previous complaint to police had not been pursued, but she contacted again . Grandfather Cooper, from Kent, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault on a girl aged under 14 and one count of indecency with a child .

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By . Nick Pisa . Last updated at 4:36 PM on 12th October 2011 . Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi will be fighting for his political life tomorrow when he speaks to MPs ahead of a crucial confidence vote. Berlusconi, 75, is currently involved in four trials - including one for having sex with an underage prostitute - and will attempt to rally MPs and reassure them he is still capable of running the country, which is teetering on the edge of a financial meltdown. In-party squabbling between members of his ruling right-wing coalition meant that many failed to turn up for a crucial vote on the state of the country's public accounts earlier this week - a vote that Berlusconi lost. No way out? Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi will be fighting for his political life tomorrow when he speaks to MPs ahead of a crucial confidence vote . Berlusconi will speak to parliament in Rome at 11am on Thursday morning - just 24 hours after Italy's president Giorgio Napolitano called for ''credible answers' from the country's government. The confidence vote will take place on Friday and, if he loses, Berlusconi - whose reputation has come under scrutiny following revelations of his sordid 'bunga bunga' sex parties - will have no option but to resign. This would mean a general election ahead of the scheduled 2013 ballot. Following the defeat in the Italian lower house earlier this week there were chants from opposition benches of 'resign, resign' and even some of his own allies were questioning whether he could still remain in power after such a public humiliation which dominated TV and newspaper headlines. Put up or shut up: The confidence vote will take place on Friday and, if he loses, Berlusconi will have no option but to resign . A front page editorial in La Repubblica newspaper headlined 'The Duty of Resigning' said that the defeat for Berlusconi in the vote was a 'devastating and defining politically' for him and his centre right coalition. However, Berlusconi remained upbeat . with sources saying he was confident of carrying the confidence vote - . one of several he has faced in his political career - and that he would . be stressing in his speech how it was 'irresponsible' of the opposition . to try and topple the government when the country is facing an economic . crisis. Fabrizio Cicchitto, . leader of Berlusconi's People of Freedom party in parliament, said: . 'The prime minister will address the House on Thursday and will then ask . for their confidence on Friday. 'The vote is the only way of measuring the relationship between Government and parliament. 'The . opposition are making a mistake if they think the loss earlier this . week was a sign of no confidence in the Government - there is a . difference between a vote of confidence and a no confidence vote.' Political . commentators say the chances of Berlusconi losing the vote are slim as . he and party whips will ensure the 30 or so MPs missing from the vote . earlier this week are in attendance. Nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug (left) and escort girl Patrizia D'Addario have been named in connection with . sex parties allegedly held by Berlusconi . Opposition leader Pier Luigi Bersani, . of the Democratic Left, said: 'This is the 53rd vote of confidence that . has been called and it is now becoming a joke - the only clear position . is his resignation.' Italy - the third largest economy in the Eurozone - has a debt of more than £1trillion or 120 per cent of its GDP. Despite . introducing a belt tightening 53billion euro austerity package earlier . this summer there are fears the country is heading the same way as . neighbour Greece. Financial . ratings agencies and commentators say the lack of strong leadership . from Berlusconi and the internal squabbling indicate that he is not . strong enough to carry through policies and reforms to save the . country's economy. Besides . the underage sex case which resumes next month, he is also on trial for . corruption and abuse of office and one commentator said he was spending . more time 'talking to his lawyers then governing and should be talking . more to Jean-Claude Trichet the head of the European Bank.'

The 75-year-old will speak to MPs tomorrow ahead of confidence vote on Friday . If he loses, Berlusconi will almost certainly have to quit .

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Babysitter Jay Miller, pictured, has been jailed for 30 months for beating a toddler in his care . A babysitter who battered a toddler so badly his thumb and fingerprints were left on the child's face, has been jailed for 30 months. Jay Miller, 21, broke the two-year-old's arm, held her by her ears and hit her head while the youngster's mother was out of the house, Cardiff Crown Court heard. A judge told Miller that the 'emotional impact' on the little girl he attacked could not be measured. The bruises and arm fracture - caused by pulling and twisting, according to doctors - were sustained while the little girl's mother was attending a hospital appointment and on another was out at a JobCentre meeting. The mother said Miller told her, 'they'll blame me - I'm going to prison' when she called an ambulance. Her mother claimed she had heard him muttering 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry' while her granddaughter was being put in plaster. Miller, from Barry, South Wales, had denied one charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm and four of actual bodily harm. He claimed the spiral fracture happened by her falling off a bed. And he said the bruising had happened a couple of days before when she slipped down a grass bank and into a wall after he allowed her out of her pram while taking her for a walk. Miller told Cardiff Crown Court: 'I have got a bit of a temper but it is not as bad as everybody is making out.' Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett accused him of losing his patience when the child either didn't use her potty or would not eat food he had prepared for her. Cardiff Crown Court, pictured, heard how Jay Miller battered a toddler so badly his fingerprints were left on the child's face . Expert witnesses Dr Stephen Chapman, from Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Dr Paul Davies, who works at the University Hospital of Wales, said a spiral fracture would be 'unique' and a case for the record books if it was caused simply by falling from a bed. Defence lawyer Kevin Seal told the court: 'He still protests his innocence and he faces jail with trepidation.' Recorder Jonathan Furness told Miller: 'There are profound implications for the child and mother and the emotional impact of the case cannot be measured.'

Jay Miller broke two-year-old's arm, held her by ears and hit her head, a court heard . Doctors say bruises and arm fracture were caused by pulling and twisting . Injuries were sustained while girl's mother was out of the house, court told . Miller denied charge of grievous bodily harm and four charges of actual bodily harm . But he was later convicted and jailed for 30 months at Cardiff Crown Court .

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(CNN)On the pitch David Ginola was renowned for his poise and elegance. But in his pitch to unseat Sepp Blatter and become the next president of FIFA, those qualities lasted about as long as the glossy montage to announce his candidacy. In public relations terms, this was not a roaring success. Suspicions had been raised by news the former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham player's bid for soccer's top job was being funded by a well-known bookmaker with a self-confessed penchant for outrageous publicity stunts. The revelation that Ginola was being paid £250,000 ($379,000) for his involvement -- with another £100,000 earmarked for the football legend's "security" -- allied to his sketchiness when fielding questions about world football's governing body and the detail of his campaign, did little to dampen the skepticism. "I'm here today to talk about love. I'm here to share some of the most powerful emotions any of us have experienced," was the 47-year-old's impassioned opening gambit. "That is what football means to me, you and the billions of fans across the planet. That's why we're so disappointed when we talk about some of the problems with the way our game is being run. "It's time to change that. It's time to reboot football." Ginola briefly touched on a few key themes of his campaign; complete financial transparency as well as more funding for grassroots soccer and the women's game. But his bid to "reboot football" could fall at the first hurdle unless he can persuade five FIFA football associations to back him before the end of January and validate his candidacy. His campaign team also have some work to do in "rebooting" Ginola's knowledge of football politics it would seem. Quizzed on the issue of third party ownership of clubs, or challenged to name some of FIFA's executive committee members, he was unable to offer any tangible answers. "We are just at the beginning of the journey," he replied. "There are a few issues I will have to deal with and I think we are going to get to it in the next few days." Even if Ginola attracts the five backers he needs, he must then face the seemingly insurmountable task of toppling current incumbent Blatter. FIFA's president is in the 17th year of his reign and enjoys overwhelming support from the majority of organization's 209 members, despite persistent allegations of corruption surrounding the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Ginola is undeterred though, insisting he didn't want to "fight against the man himself" but that a positive campaign would strike a chord with football fans all over the globe. "There is no room for doubt in football," Ginola said. "If we cannot remove all suspicion or doubt there cannot be trust. "I want FIFA to be seen as an example all around the world. It's the most popular game and it must set an example for everyone on earth. "There are three things that are very important to me: transparency, democracy and equality." If Ginola's fee raised eyebrows, they were arched ever more at the request for fans to back their support with cold, hard cash; his team estimating that £2.3 million ($3.4m) will be required to run a full and proper crusade for office. Betting company Paddy Power kick-started the funding for the project and its pedigree when it comes to publicity stunts prompted many people to dismiss Ginola's bid as its latest attempt to grab column inches. In 2010 they offered odds on which animal would be driven to extinction first by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and last year promised "money back if he walks" relating to the trial of disgraced South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius. "We've been known for some mischievous activity around the world," Paddy Power, son of one the company's founders and its marketing spokesman, explained. "This is not that. This is for real. "What we bring is maybe the muscle to get the ball rolling, but this is going to be crowd funded and hopefully the fans will get behind it and join the team. "We've provided the platform, now it's up to us to stand back and hand it over to the fans to make it happen." Also part of the "Team Ginola" launch was David Larkin, a sports lawyer, who told CNN the move was revolutionary in terms of FIFA's presidential race as it mapped out exactly where the funds would be apportioned. "If you live in the real world, you have to pay bills," he said of Paddy Power's involvement. "We're going to be honest and tell you what we're paying to who -- nobody else is doing that. "The irony is that so far the David Ginola campaign is the only one to do so and that has brought criticism. We have real transparency and real democracy at play here." Ginola vowed to flesh out the detail of his campaign in the coming days and weeks as his team sets its sights on lobbying for those five required votes. But amid the soaring rhetoric and 'Yes we can' mentality there was still an air of distrust in the media pack relating to Paddy Power's role. Journalist Owen Gibson, who writes for The Guardian newspaper, told CNN: "Personally I'm deeply uneasy about the Paddy Power connection. "It's toxic because they are well known for their stunts and getting into the news in any way they can. It's a win-win for them -- they get plenty of PR, and it's a win for David because he gets his fee. "The danger is for those people who do want to see a genuine alternative; on the plus side we're getting these issues debated, and talking about how things might change. "On the flip side you've got the practical obstacles of getting five nominations by end of the month and the cynicism that will be generated by the fact it's backed by a major bookmaker with a reputation for controversy and stunts." Gibson, who thought some of the questions directed at Ginola with the aim of tripping him up were "unfair," said it was highly unlikely the Frenchman's bid would represent a real challenge to Blatter. "Slim to none would be a good way of summing up Ginola's chances," he said. "If Paddy Power were running the book it'd be interesting to see what odds they'd give you on him getting a nomination let alone winning the thing. "Jerome Champagne (an independent candidate) has been going for a year and is struggling to get over that hurdle. That's going to be a huge task for them in three weeks to get the required nominations." But Ginola's optimism refused to waver as he conducted round after round of media interviews, bedecked in a sharp, blue suit. "It is a serious challenge and I do care," Ginola told CNN. "I think it is brave to embrace this challenge. I knew there would be tough questions." On the involvement of Paddy Power he said: "Bookmakers are in the game and today thanks to them we have this opportunity to launch this campaign." "David Ginola is perfect man to front the bid," Larkin added. "This a real footballer raising his hand in a brave fashion saying 'I'm willing to represent the fans.' "It's a political game. No-one has more charisma, more charm or the people skills that David Ginola has. "If we didn't think we had a real shot at getting five nominations we wouldn't waste anyone's time. We respect the fans' time -- they've got better things to do than deal with stunts."

David Ginola launches his bid to become president of FIFA in London . Former footballer says he wants to "reboot football" and rebuild trust . Ginola is being for his involvement paid by a well-known bookmaker . He must secure five nominations from FIFA members by January 29 .

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By . William Turvill . PUBLISHED: . 04:21 EST, 14 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:00 EST, 14 December 2013 . Shamed Reverend Paul Flowers is reportedly set to leave Britain and join a strict Christian group in the United States just weeks after allegations of his shocking drug abuse came to light. The Co-Operative Bank chairman, who was apparently caught buying and using illegal drugs just days after he was grilled by MPs on the Treasury Select Committee over the bank's disastrous performance, will accept an invitation from the Mennonites once a police probe into drug allegations is concluded. The group has close ties with the Amish religion, which is a sub-set of the Mennonite church. A source said the group will 'not tolerate a lifestyle of drugs and sex'. Scroll down for video . Reverend Paul Flowers is set to leave the UK and join a strict Christian group in the United States . Dubbed the Crystal Methodist, Rev Flowers, 63, was caught on an undercover video discussing the cocaine and . crystal meth he allegedly wanted. He was arrested shortly after the recording was released in connection with a drugs supply investigation. The Daily Mirror reports that the Mennonite group are willing to forgive Flowers, 63, for his previous sins and accept him into their group. A source told the paper: 'He thinks this opportunity will give him the perfect chance to get back his God away from the limelight. 'The Mennonites are very religious and have a strong moral code and will expect him to behave himself. They . will not tolerate a lifestyle of drugs and sex but they are prepared to . forgive him his previous sins and open their community up to him.' Amish people, usually based in North America, live a modest life without technology, and generally live on farms in segregated communities. Because they shun modern technology, the people can often be seen riding in horse-drawn carriages in their traditional and modest dress. The group Flowers is joining has ties with the Amish religion, (members pictured) which is a subset of the Mennonite church . Although Flowers may not be living in an Amish community, the Mennonites will 'not tolerate a lifestyle of drugs and sex' The Mennonites are a strict Christian group founded in the 1500s in Europe. There are thought to be around 50 sub-set groups in the United States, including the Amish religion. In 2012, there were nearly two million Mennonites worldwide. Although they are mostly associated with the United States, Mennonites can also be found in Canada, Ethiopia, India and several other countries around the world. Mennonites generally believe in pacifism and helping communities. They take pride in volunteering to help others, and are particularly active in helping people who have seen their houses or possessions ruined by natural disaster. Flowers has not been seen at his church-owned home in Bradford, West Yorkshire, since the allegations of drug taking emerged last month. He has also been suspended from taking worship. A series of damning text messages were also released to The Mail on Sunday, showing that Flowers was allegedly using hard drugs in the days surrounding a crucial testimony to the Treasury Committee on November 6. He was suspended by both the church and the Labour Party following allegations that he bought and used illegal drugs. He has apologised over claims involving crystal meth, crack cocaine and ketamine. The Co-Operative Bank have launched an inquiry into Flowers, who earned £132,000 a year as chairman. The minister stepped down from his role . as Co-Op chairman in June and questions have since been asked about . his competence in the role. A recording emerged last month in which Methodist minister Flowers is seen allegedly buying illegal drugs . A series of damning text messages were also released to The Mail on Sunday, showing that Flowers was allegedly using hard drugs in the days surrounding a crucial testimony to the Treasury Committee in November . He has also been engulfed in allegations . of gay sex, questions over his expenses claims at a . drug charity and drink-driving. It also emerged he had resigned as a Labour councillor after adult material was discovered on his computer. Flowers . has been a Methodist minister for 40 years and formerly chaired drugs . charity Lifeline, whose motto is: 'Telling the Truth About Drugs.'

Disgraced Co-Operative Bank chairman will accept invitation from Mennonites when police probe into drug allegations is concluded . The Amish religion is a sub-set of the Mennonite church . According to source, the sect will 'not tolerate a lifestyle of drugs and sex'

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A witness gave evidence for an hour before anyone realised she was not speaking English. Judge Nicholas Madge (pictured) was eventually told she was speaking Krio, an African Creole variant . A woman gave evidence in a rape trial for an hour before anyone realised she was not speaking English. She was testifying against a preacher who allegedly raped her and sexually assaulted her schoolgirl daughter after claiming she had been ‘cursed’ by witchcraft. Barristers asked the witness to speak more slowly and stand further from the microphone so the jury could understand her, blaming her accent and the courtroom’s ‘acoustics’. But finally court clerk Christiana Kyemenu-Caiquo realised the problem – the witness was not speaking English at all, but Krio, an African Creole variant that is native to Sierra Leone. Miss Kyemenu-Caiquo, who also hails from Sierra Leone, told Judge Nicholas Madge about the unfortunate situation about an hour into yesterday’s proceedings. In desperation, the judge swore the clerk in to interpret for the 38-year-old witness, and a new clerk was found to replace her on the bench. But the interpreter was barely used as the witness – who cannot be named for legal reasons – repeated the words ‘I can’t remember’ in response to almost every question. Gilbert Deya, 61, a Kenyan preacher who runs Gilbert Deya Ministries, is charged with four counts of rape, one of attempted rape, two of sexual assault and one of battery. His church, said to have a UK membership of 36,000, is run from a large unit on an industrial estate on the edge of Peckham, south-east London. The witness, who is originally from Freetown, Sierra Leone, claims to have been the subject of Deya’s abuse for up to eight years. But after numerous complaints during her evidence that the woman could not be understood, the judge appointed Miss Kyemenu-Caiquo to help. He told jurors: ‘Although not a standard interpretation … we are actually going to use Chrissy as something a bit like an interpreter.’ Miss Kyemenu-Caiquo then swore the standard interpreters’ oath and joined the witness in the box. A woman gave evidence at Inner London Crown Court (pictured) for more than an hour before anyone realised she was not speaking English . Inner London Crown Court has heard that Deya’s alleged victim had come to Britain from Sierra Leone in 2003 and visited his church in Peckham in January 2006. Krio is spoken by about 97 per cent of the population of Sierra Leone and unites a number of different ethnic groups in the West African nation. The language is native to the Sierra Leone Creole people, a community of about 300,000 descendants of freed slaves from the West Indies, United States and Britain. It is believed to date back to the 17th and 18th centuries when an English-based ‘pidgin’ language emerged to facilitate the coastal trade between Europeans and Africans. However, English is Sierra Leone’s official language and despite its common use, Krio has no official status in the country. She came under Deya’s influence when she was convinced by her friends he was the only man who could cure voices in her head that were preventing her from sleeping, the court has been told. But he kept the woman as a sex slave in a small room at one of his churches – forcing her to have an abortion when she became pregnant, it is alleged. The court has heard that the first rape happened in late 2006 or early 2007 when Deya may have drugged the victim’s cup of tea before attacking her. The preacher, of Peckham, later sexually assaulted her daughter by groping her breasts, the court was told. He denies all charges. A spokesman from Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service said the witness had been speaking a form of English ‘with an extremely strong accent’ that made it hard for the court to understand. The spokesman added: ‘As a result, she was asked to repeat phrases and sentences … Even then it was difficult to understand. Gilbert Deya, pictured centre, is on trial at Inner London Crown Court charged with sexual offences . ‘The court clerk is also from Sierra Leone and could understand everything the witness said so it was agreed that the clerk would take the interpreter’s oath and assist. ‘She did not translate what the witness said but, when necessary, repeated in clear English those passages which could not be understood.’ Krio is spoken by about 97 per cent of Sierra Leone’s population and is native to the Creole people – descendants of freed slaves from the West Indies, United States and Britain. It is believed to date back to an English-based pidgin language that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Witness was giving evidence in the trial of African Preacher Gilbert Deya . Lawyers at Inner London Crown Court repeatedly told her to speak slower . She gave evidence for an hour in distinctive Creole native to Sierra Leone . Lawyers blamed her accent and 'acoustics' of the courtroom for being unable to understand her . Court clerk Christiana Kyemenu-Caiquo, also from Sierra Leone, then revealed witness had not been speaking English at all . She was then asked to act as an intermediary for the 38-year-old witness .

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Atheists tend to be more intelligent than religious people, according to a US study. Researchers found that those with high IQs had greater self-control and were able to do more for themselves - so did not need the benefits that religion provides. They also have better self esteem and built more supportive relationships, the study authors said. New evidence: A study has concluded that religious people are less intelligent than non-believers . The conclusions were the result of a review of 63 scientific studies about religion and intelligence dating between 1928 and last year. In 53 of these there was a ‘reliable negative relation between intelligence and religiosity’. In just 10 was that relationship positive. Even among children, the more intelligent a child was the more probable it was that they would shun the church. In old age the same trend persisted as well, the research showed. The University of Rochester psychologists behind the study defined religion as involvement in some or all parts of a belief. They defined intelligence as the ‘ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience’. In their conclusions, they said: ‘Most extant explanations (of a negative relation) share one central theme - the premise that religious beliefs are irrational, not anchored in science, not testable and, therefore, unappealing to intelligent people who ‘know better’. ‘Intelligent people typically spend more time in school - a form of self-regulation that may yield long-term benefits. ‘More intelligent people getting higher level jobs and better employment and higher salary may lead to higher self-esteem, and encourage personal control beliefs.’ Study co-author Jordan Silberman, a graduate student of neuroeconomics at the University of Rochester, said: ‘Intelligence may lead to greater self-control ability, self-esteem, perceived control over life events, and supportive relationships, obviating some of the benefits that religion sometimes provides.’ Detailed: The research analysed 63 surveys comparing intelligence levels and religious beliefs between 1928 and 2012 . Research from the UK last week showed another drawback to being religious, or at least Christian - you lose out in the race for top jobs. Official figures show nearly one in four people who have no religious belief now live in homes headed by someone with a senior executive job or a place in one of the professions. But well under a fifth of Christians are employed in the best-paid and most influential jobs or are married to someone who is, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The last census, carried out in March 2011, showed a fall in the number of people that call themselves Christian in the UK. Christian numbers in England and Wales, including children, fell by 4.1 million in a decade to 33.2 million. However there was a 45 per cent rise over the same 10 years in numbers who say they have no religion, to 14.1 million.

Research found those with higher IQs more likely to dismiss religion . Another drawback to being religious, or at least Christian is losing out on top jobs .

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By . Alex Horlock and Liz Thomas . PUBLISHED: . 08:37 EST, 3 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:43 EST, 4 October 2012 . Viewers of BBC Breakfast got a rather rude awakening yesterday after a foul-mouthed comment was broadcast by mistake. BBC One’s morning show took on a . distinctly post-watershed air when business reporter Steph McGovern . turned the air blue – not realising her microphone was switched on. During an item about musicals, host Susanna Reid welcomed conductor John . Wilson to the studio, showing a clip of his orchestra before wishing . him a ‘good beautiful morning’. Scroll down for video . Grovelling: Susannah Reid and Charlie Stayt were forced to make an on-air apology after swearing was heard earlier . Caught out: Business reporter Steph McGovern can be heard making the on air gaffe after finishing her slot . But 1.5million viewers also heard a . disembodied voice exclaiming: ‘What the **** is that?’ It is thought that Miss McGovern’s microphone had accidentally been left on after her earlier appearance on screen. The presenters carried on interviewing Mr Wilson. But Susanna later apologised for the 'unfortunate' language and blamed a microphone not being turned off for the blunder. She said: 'Now a little earlier on in the programme we realise that there was a technical error and a microphone may have been open and unfortunate language may have been broadcast in the programme. 'If you heard that this morning we do make an apology for that. Unfortunately people who presume that their microphone is closed may talk a little bit more freely than they should. 'So apologies if you were offended by that and we are just going to look into correcting that technical problem and make sure that it doesn’t happen again.' The foul-mouthed outburst became a popular talking point online as users sent messages about the slip on Twitter. Over to you: McGovern finished her piece and handed back over to Stayt and Reid . Unaware: Susannah Reid continued to introduce her guest when the profanity was blurted out . The BBC said a microphone had been left on outside the studio which picked up the four-letter word. A spokeswoman said: 'During the programme this morning, we accidentally played out not-for-broadcast audio containing an audible swear word. The error was caused by a radio microphone inadvertently being left on outside our studio. 'Our presenters apologised on air as soon as the mistake was identified and we are reviewing our procedures accordingly.' The show has previously had to apologise for broadcasting swear words when an uncensored tape of actor Christian Bale letting fly with a torrent of abuse was mistakenly aired. Dame Helen Mirren and film director Nicolas Winding Refn have also used bad language on the programme. Apologetic: Reid (right) later apologised for the mishap on air . VIDEO: Hear the unfortunate on-air slip-up **Contains strong language** .

Business reporter Steph McGovern said: 'What the **** is that?'

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Thrifty consumers with an eye for a bargain can score a pair of jeans for as little as seven dollars. Australia’s leading retailers such as Big W, Kmart and Target have all engaged in a mighty battle to offer the cheapest denim at rock-bottom prices. But how are these three major discount giants able to make and sell jeans so cheaply? Scroll down for video . Daily Mail Australia reporter Cindy Tran put the cheap jeans to the test. Pictured from left to right: Kmart Classic Jeans $7, Target Everyday Jeans $10 and Big W Emerson Jeans $7 . A Target Spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that customers can buy a pair of jeans 'safe in the knowledge that they've been produced in an ethically sustainable manner'. 'Our $10 jeans are produced by a single factory in China, which has been audited to meet all our ethical sourcing requirements around worker pay, safety and conditions,' he said. 'Placing large order volumes with a single factory means the supplier benefits from economies of scale, and can give our customers a great quality product at a terrific price, without compromising Target’s ethical sourcing standards.' Kmart's classic jeans are on special for $7 after a price drop from $8 on July 13th 2014 . Big W's Emerson jeans $7 offer a slight kick at the ankle, yet fitted through the hip and thigh . Target were the most expensive of the three retailers, with a price tag of $10 . Daily Mail Australia contacted Kmart and Big W for comment but they have not yet responded. Fashion expert Stephanie Cunningham, from Sydney, told Daily Mail Australia that the seven dollar jeans are of low quality and a representation of wasteful 'fast fashion'. 'They will not last long and you get what you pay for,' she said. 'The idea of ‘fast fashion’ is that the product will only last a short amount of time, sending you back to buy their cheap jeans over and over again. 'In the long run you may end up spending more money on lots of cheap jeans, compared to buying two pairs of more expensive high quality jeans. 'If the jeans are made in Australia, they are more likely to be a higher price due to higher wages, but it is also easier to monitor quality. Overseas, it varies greatly, depending on company standards.' Daily Mail reporter Cindy Tran found the Kmart Classic Jeans $7 offered the perfect fit and were the most comfortable to wear . Daily Mail reporter Cindy Tran found Target's Everyday jeans $10 offered a good fit and a versatile style that work any time of the year . Daily Mail reporter Cindy Tran found Big W's Emerson jeans $7 fitted from the waist to the knees before breaking into a slight flare for a balanced, feminine profile . Fashion designer Betty Tran, from Western Australia, told Daily Mail Australia that consumers should do more research. 'People need to be careful about the quality because you don't know if it's going to damage your health,' she said. 'We don't know what's going through in the process and how the dye is being treated. 'I know it's hard to find things made in Australia but if dye starts coming off after you soak your clothes in a bucket of water - you know it's not really good for you. 'It's important that consumers be active and ask questions from their retailers and know where they're made from before purchasing.' Every woman needs that perfect-fitting pair of jeans and it goes without saying that being comfortable in your jeans is the most important thing. But when it comes to cheap jeans costing from $7, which pair should you settle on? Daily Mail Australia reporter Cindy Tran put the cheap jeans to the test. Kmart Classic Jeans $7 . Kmart ticked all the boxes and were the best pair of jeans out of all three retailers. I was surprised at how amazing they felt. They offer the perfect fit and sit well from my waist down to my legs. They're probably by far one of the most comfortable jeans I've ever worn and it made my legs look and feel slim plus the material was gentle on the skin. They're definitely a pair that would go well with everything and a must-have for your wardrobe. Target Everyday Jeans $10 . Target were the most expensive and offer a good fit and a versatile style that work any time of the year. I did find them a bit tight around my knees because they sit so snugly around my legs. But you can't go wrong with a pair of $10 jeans and they got my vote for the best coloured denim out of the three. Big W Emerson Jeans $7 . Big W's jeans were my least favourite. They fit from the waist to the knees then break into a slight flare for a balanced, feminine profile, which is great for that chic 70s look. But they made my legs look and feel wider. A Current Affair tested the durability of all three jeans by putting them through 10 cycles in the washing machine. Look Smart Alteration tailor Rabie Mtanos, from Bondi Junction, told A Current Affair that a slight colour fade and some shrinkage was found on the Big W pair. Target jeans shrunk a lot more but kept their colour the best. While the Kmart pair had obvious results - they faded slightly, as well as shrinking after 10 washes. Oxfam spokeswoman Kelly Dent told Daily Mail Australia that consumers need to ask themselves whether workers are paid enough to produce garments this cheap. ‘It’s concerning to see garments at such a low price. It’s not the prices that we should be worried about but it’s whether these companies are respecting workers' rights, conditions and their safety,' she told Daily Mail Australia. ‘If you look at a country like Cambodia, 33 percent of their workers are malnourished because they’re not paid enough to live on and can’t eat properly. ‘I’m not talking about an extravagant lifestyle but how can these workers afford a roof over their head, nutrient foods, as well as small savings for weddings, funerals and even a holiday. ‘It doesn’t necessarily mean that when we pay $80 for a pair of jeans that workers are paid more but when it comes to $7, the chances of exploitation do increase.’ Kmart ticked all the boxes for the best and cheapest pair of jeans out of all three retailers, according to Daily Mail Australia reporter Cindy Tran . Target Australia has published a list of its supplier factories in Bangladesh to ensure transparency and safe working conditions in its overseas supplier factories . Big W's Emerson Jeans offers a great chic 70s look, with a slight flare for a balanced, feminine profile, according to Daily Mail Australia reporter Cindy Tran . Ms Dent said the minimum wage in Cambodia is $100 per month but the living wage is $450. ‘Just recently, there was a striking protest from these garment workers who wanted an increase to $170 per month but it’s still not enough to live on. ‘Consumers who ask themselves “can I make a difference?” need to know that they should never doubt if they can make an impact on people because companies do listen.' K-mart, Big W and Target have signed up to the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety to ensure that all garment factories in Bangladesh are safe. The accord was established in 2013 after the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed in April last year, killing more than 1100 workers. ‘These are all small steps and they lead to results but more needs to be done,’ Ms Dent said. The Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety was established in 2013 after the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed last year, killing more than 1100 workers . K-mart, Big W and Target have signed up to the accord to ensure transparency and safe working conditions in its overseas supplier factories . Target Australia has also released a statement that the list will ensure transparency and safe working conditions in its overseas supplier factories. Target Managing Director Stuart Machin said supply chain transparency was key to Target’s commitment to improving working conditions and safety standards in Bangladesh and other sourcing countries. ‘We have a responsibility to ensure that everyone who works for our business, whether directly or indirectly is safe in their workplace,’ Mr Machin said. ‘This is also a key concern for our customers who want to know that the products they purchase from Target are sourced and produced ethically.’ Target was one of the first Australian retailers to sign the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, and also one of the first Australian retailers to publicly commit to publishing details of its factory suppliers. ‘We hope that our presence in Bangladesh and other developing countries can be a catalyst for improving the lives of workers,’ Mr Machin said.

Australia’s leading retailers such as Big W, Kmart and Target have all engaged in a mighty war battle to offer jeans from $7 . Daily Mail Australia put the cheap jeans to the test and voted Kmart as the best pair of jeans from the three retailers . But an Oxfam spokeswoman said consumers need to ask themselves if workers are paid enough to produce garments this cheap . The Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety was established in 2013 to ensure that all garment factories in Bangladesh are safe . All three retail giants have signed up to the accord .

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John Carver insists boardroom intervention did not play a part in the U-turn which has seen cancer-survivor Jonas Gutierrez return to Newcastle’s first-team squad. The head coach said last week that the 31-year-old was not ready to play Barclays Premier League football having been given the all-clear from testicular for the second time in November. Gutierrez responded to those comments by declaring earlier this week that it was down to the club’s board – owner Mike Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley – as to whether he played again. Jonas Gutierrez (right) will return to the Newcastle first team again after overcoming testicular cancer . John Carver revealed on Thursday that the winger will be involved when Aston Villa visit St James’ Park . The winger’s situation is complicated by a clause in his contract – which expires in the summer – stating that eight appearances this season triggers a one-year extension. Newcastle allowed him to return to Argentina earlier this month for talks with former club Velez Sarsfield, only for those to break down at the last minute. But now the Magpies say Gutierrez is fit enough to rejoin the senior set-up and will take his place on the bench for the first time in 15 months when they entertain Aston Villa on Saturday. ‘I know all the rumours have been out there about whether it’s Mike or Lee’s decision, but let me tell you, and let me put the record straight, I’ve had no conversations with either of them about Jonas, because I’m the one who picks the team,’ said Carver when pressed on Gutierrez’s claims. ‘I will be the one who decides if he is ready for it, and he is ready to go on the bench now. ‘He was just assuming that (the board were responsible). I don’t know why he said what he did but we’ve had the conversation now and I’ve put the record straight. Gutierrez in training with Newcastle on Thursday in preparation for their weekend match with Aston Villa . Newcastle's manager insisted the board have no say when it comes to picking the team . ‘He obviously thinks that they’re making the decision, but it’s me, it’s my decision and it was a decision based on football alone.’ Politics aside, Gutierrez will be afforded an emotional welcome should he emerge from the bench. And Carver believes his presence can lift a team whose season is in danger of petering out. ‘Listen, I’m telling you now, when we announce the team at the weekend and our fans hear that Jonas is on the bench, can you imagine the feeling in the stadium?’ he said. ‘There is going to be a feel-good factor.’ Carver added: ‘To actually come back and play in the Premier League again would be magnificent. He’s had a hard fight. Gutierrez, pictured here in August 2013, has not played for Newcastle since the 2013-14 season . Carver takes a training session ahead of the visit of Tim Sherwood's Aston Villa on Saturday . ‘When I first saw him (in December) I was really concerned, but I suppose that’s natural because he has come from a serious illness. ‘Over the weeks he has got fitter and stronger. Yesterday, more than any other, I have seen the old Jonas Gutierrez, and that was the first time I’ve seen that.’ Gutierrez will almost certainly be released by United at the end of the season, seven years after signing from Real Mallorca. But Carver has not closed the door on a new deal. ‘He’s been fighting his illness and also fighting for his career. In those terms it’s an important time for him,’ he said. ‘How long has he got left? Three months? So every opportunity he gets he’ll want to prove a point. Whether that is to us about getting a new contract, or whether it’s to go somewhere else. ‘That determination could be what drives him forward, but it could also help us.’

Jonas Gutierrez will be on the bench against Aston Villa on Saturday . The Argentine has been out for 15 months with testicular cancer . Gutierrez claimed the board decided whether he would play or not . John Carver had said Gutierrez was not ready for Premier League football . Carver insisted the board have no say in picking the team .

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Seven Hong Kong police officers have been arrested for assault over an alleged case of police brutality at pro-democracy protests last month which shocked residents of the Chinese territory. Footage of the alleged assault, taken by a TV crew at the city's main protest site in Admiralty on October 15, was widely disseminated online, sparking an outcry from the public, politicians and rights groups. It appeared to show officers leading the man to a dark corner, where he was laid on the ground and repeatedly kicked and punched while others stood around, keeping watch. The alleged victim was identified as Ken Tsang, a member of the Civic Party political group. He is also a social worker and a member of the 1,200 member election committee that chooses Hong Kong's leader. Photos were subsequently released by the Civic Party showing Tsang with a bruised face and welts on his back. In a statement Wednesday announcing the arrests, police addressed criticism they had taken too long to act, saying they had not delayed the handling of the case. The statement said Tsang had failed to show up to an identification parade Wednesday. Police hold Mong Kok . The announcement came as police and protesters again faced off in the Mong Kok district Wednesday evening, hours after authorities cleared barricades and tents from a demonstration camp and arrested prominent pro-democracy activists. The clearances, which began Tuesday, were carried out in accordance with court injunctions obtained by local business interests, following complaints that the protests have disrupted commercial life in the city. In a major operation Wednesday morning, police and bailiffs had worked to reopen a major road which had been occupied to varying extents since pro-democracy protests erupted nearly two months ago. But as day turned into evening -- and many Hong Kong residents left work -- the bustling commercial district once again filled with thousands of people, some of them protesters and others curious onlookers. Some activists yelled: "We want to take back the streets!" as they faced off with police and sought to stir up the crowds. As the atmosphere heated up, Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung called on demonstrators not to reoccupy protest sites, according to public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong. Police said 159 people had been arrested for various offenses at the Mong Kok protest site since Tuesday, when authorities began their push to clear the Mong Kok site. Charges have included resisting police, illegal assembly, possession of weapons and attacking police, according to Alice Tam of the Police Public Relations Branch. Civil disobedience . Joshua Wong, the 18-year-old founder of the student activist group Scholarism, was among a number of protest leaders arrested Wednesday as the demonstration camp was cleared. He was scheduled to appear in Kowloon City Court Thursday morning, according to Scholarism's social media accounts. Also detained were student leaders Lester Shum and Jason Szeto, according to Hong Kong Federation of Students spokeswoman Yvonne Leung. Prior to his arrest, Shum, the deputy secretary general of the student federation, told CNN he urged protesters to remain on the streets until they were arrested. "We will still conduct our civil disobedience action until the last second," he said. Lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Leung Kwok-hung, commonly known as "Long Hair," was among those arrested during confrontations in Mong Kok a day earlier, his office confirmed. In the wake of the Mong Kok clearance, the Hong Kong Federation of Students said it may target government buildings to build pressure against the government. "I think we have made it very clear that if they [the police] continue the violent way of clearing up the place, we will have further actions," Leung told RTHK. "The further actions include a possibility of some escalations pointed at government-related buildings or some of the government-related departments." Universal suffrage . Pro-democracy protesters have occupied camps in parts of the city for nearly two months, including a main protest site outside government buildings in Admiralty on Hong Kong Island. Seeking universal suffrage, they want to be able to nominate candidates for the election of the city's chief executive in 2017. Instead, China's National People's Congress has said they'll be able to vote only for candidates from a shortlist approved by a pro-Beijing committee. Currently, the chief executive is elected by a specially appointed 1,200-member election committee. At the peak of the protests in early October, tens of thousands of people were on the streets at three locations. But numbers have dwindled as the protests have continued, and recent local polling suggests support has dipped. In a random survey of 513 people conducted by the University of Hong Kong, 83% said pro-democracy protesters should cease their occupation of major roads in Hong Kong, while just 13% said the protests should continue. Since the pro-democracy protests began on September 28, 421 people have been injured, including 79 women, the Hong Kong Information Services Department said. Who's who in the Hong Kong protests?

Seven Hong Kong police officers are arrested for an alleged assault on a protester . Footage of the alleged assault, in which the man was kicked and punched, caused outrage . Authorities cleared a major pro-democracy protest site in Mong Kok Wednesday . But hours after the road reopened, protesters took to the streets threatening to reoccupy .

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(REAL SIMPLE) -- If you were to ask my friends back in high school, they would probably say I was one of the lucky ones. I had a face most people at least considered attractive, maybe even beautiful. And for much of my life I had an hourglass figure. Asha Bandele wrote "Something Like Beautiful: One Single Mother's Story," 'The Prisoner's Wife" and "Daughter." But as 40 approached and my figure, um, filled out, I would look in the mirror and no longer see myself as sexy. Then one night that changed. I was at a meeting in a small town with a group of young women who were reading from my most recent book, a memoir that discussed my history of depression and surviving abuse. After the gathering ended, one of the women approached me. She told me that while she was growing up, she had been told to shut up so often she just did it automatically. It felt good to hear someone give voice to how she felt inside, she said. We talked about all the things that kept us silent and shut down. She promised to speak out more from that day on. As she walked away, something came over me: I felt ignited, energized...yes, beautiful. Real Simple: 34 low-cost, make-you-smile ideas . And the more I thought about that woman and our conversation, the more I realized that it wasn't just those instances of bonding or appreciation at public readings that triggered my inner glow; it was my own solitary engagement with language. What makes you feel beautiful? Writing requires us to take the world on more slowly, to notice its harshness as well as its richness. Writing reduces the chaos in my mind. As the gospel song says, it orders my steps and makes me feel in control of myself and therefore appreciative of the world. Real Simple: Keep your mind and body in top condition . Women don't get enough credit for the amount of self we invest in our work. In the last year, watching some of the most talented women I know being laid off has been tough. Knowing that the work they loved -- whether in finance, real estate, or writing -- may be gone forever has been downright devastating, and their grief over this loss is boundless. "I feel like nothing, like I just want to disappear," said one brilliant friend. "Losing my job is like the worst breakup I've ever been through," said another. In the midst of this carnage, I've clung ever tighter to my work -- not so much to the money-making part of it, which ebbs and flows (mostly ebbs, lately), but to the basic joy I've always taken in words; that at least doesn't go anywhere. Real Simple: How to worry less . For so long I had measured my beauty (and, really, my worth) by my dress size. And, hey, I would love, I mean love, to be a size 6 again. Still, every time I give a lecture or teach a workshop and touch someone -- or write a page and reach a deeper part of myself -- I feel so useful and relevant. It translates to a more profound feeling of beauty than the rush I once got from someone admiring my breast size. I like superficial praise as much as the next person, but at 40 the love finally had to go deeper, didn't it? Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Author notes how many women are emotionally devastated by job loss . Asha Bandele used to measure beauty, self worth by her dress size . Now she's realized her own solitary writing makes her feel beautiful . And says touching others through her words is a more profound beauty .

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By . Chris Kitching . Holidaymakers are being warned to ease up on the accelerator if they’re driving in Spain this summer, or risk facing tougher penalties for speeding. The popular tourist hotspot has introduced harsh new driving laws, fining motorists up to £325 on the spot for going just 1km per hour over the speed limit. And for motorists caught committing serious speeding offences, the increased fines could now set them back almost £500, warns holiday rental company Europcar. Spain's tough new penalties for speeding could catch holidaymakers by surprise . The top speed on Spain’s motorways and dual carriageways have been raised to 130kmph from 120kmph. But speeds on residential roads have been reduced from 30kmph to just 20kmph, with limits of 50kmph on urban roads. In addition to fines, UK motorists have been warned they risk losing points on their licence for any driving offences committed within continental Europe. Higher fines in Spain or other countries may catch visitors by surprise as European nations get tougher on out-of-country drivers. Open road: The top speed on Spain's motorways is being raised to 130kmph this summer . Brits who will be hiring a car while they are abroad are encouraged to brush up on local driving laws before they leave home. Spain and France are two countries where motorists could face on-the-spot fines. In France, there have been reports of drivers being taken to local cash points if they don’t have enough cash to pay the fine. Police in Spain and other European countries could order offenders to pay a fine on the side of the road . Ken McCall, Managing Director of Europcar UK Group, said: ‘Whichever country you are visiting, don’t get caught out by assuming that foreigners will be exempt from the law. ‘Make sure you do your homework before arriving at your destination so that you remember the trip for all the right reasons.’ Proper planning should also include a travel kit, containing warning triangles, a visibility vest and other essentials, in case of a breakdown. The advice comes as the AA prepares for its busiest month of the year. More than half of all breakdowns recorded by the AA happen during the summer and the average cost of a breakdown in Europe is £612, according to a survey conducted by AA and Populus. France, Ireland, Germany, Spain and Belgium are the most common destinations for a breakdown to occur. The usual problems are engine trouble or the car not starting, followed by flat or damaged tyres, faulty batteries or a collision. Be prepared: A car travel kit, including hazard triangles, is legally required in some countries . Edmund King, AA President, said: ‘August is the peak holiday season for road trips when many families and friends embark on long journeys to Europe in their cars. ‘There are more cars on the road than other times of the year and temperatures are higher than usual, making overheating an issue.’ He added: ‘Many don’t realise that breaking down while driving on European roads can add over £600 to the cost of the holiday. ‘Before heading off, motorists should ensure that they have prepared their vehicles for the journey.’

New laws introduced in May raise the fine for serious offences to £500 . Higher fines in continental Europe may catch visiting motorists by surprise . AA encourages travellers to pack a car travel kit in case of emergency .

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On the front line at 13: Stories about Private Sidney Lewis appeared in newspapers at the time but were not corroborated until now . A 13-year-old boy who ran away to join up fought on the front line in the First World War until his mother sent his birth certificate to the War Office and pleaded that he should be sent home. Sidney Lewis, who has been recognised as Britain's youngest soldier to serve in the Great War, enlisted with the East Surrey Regiment in August 1915, five months after his 12th birthday, and was fighting on the Somme by the age of 13. But within weeks he was ordered home to his mother, Fanny Lewis, in Tooting, south London, after she told officials he was too young to fight and should be sent back. Stories about the child fighting on the frontline were printed in papers at the time, but they were never corroborated until now. This weekend the Imperial War Museum in London declared Private Lewis the youngest authenticated fighting soldier after examining papers provided by his only son, Colin. The bundle included Sidney's birth certificate and letters from the War Office to his mother promising he would be sent home immediately. One telegram sent to Sidney's mother Fanny from the officer in charge of records at the Machine Gun Corps on 24 August 1916 read: 'Madam, your application on behalf of your son, and birth certificate, have been forwarded here by the War Office. 'I have to inform you that action has been taken and the lad will be discharged with all possible speed.' And a letter sent to Mrs Lewis the day before from the War Office's director of recruiting said: 'With reference to your letter relative to your son, Private SG Lewis, Machine Gun Corps, I am directed to inform you that telegraphic instructions have been issued that he is to be at once with drawn from the firing line and sent home for discharge. 'On arrival in this country he will be discharged from the Army forthwith.' It is believed Sidney, who is said to have had the physique of an older man, tricked enlisting officers into letting him sign up.  He underwent six months of training before being sent to France to fight. He was awarded the Victory Medal and . the British War Medal for his service in the Great War, in which he was . deployed to France with the 106th Machine Gun Company and saw active . service including six weeks fighting in the Battle of Somme. Sidney's son Colin Lewis told the Sunday Times that Sidney's mother 'ruled the roost at home'. He said: 'He told me he fought in the Battle of the Somme but I thought he was telling fibs because he was so  young.' The War Office wrote to Mrs Lewis to say her son would be 'at once withdrawn from the firing line' Colin Lewis, 80, with a picture of his father in uniform and, right, with his parents Sidney and Ivy in 1946 . Anthony Richards, of the Imperial War Museum (IWM), said: 'This is certainly the youngest First World War soldier that we hold documents for in IWM’s archives. 'His story is quite phenomenal; not . only did he enlist at the age of 12 and fight on the Somme at the age of . 13, but he returned to service at the end of the First World War and . worked in bomb disposal during the Second World War. 'He was obviously a very tenacious man and undeterred by his early experiences.' Sidney, one of eight children whose father was a hospital nurse, was among thousands of boys . thought to have tricked enlisting officers into letting them sign up, . but the youngest known to have done so. Sidney Lewis' birth certificate shows he was born in March 1903 and thus was only 12 when he enlisted . Author Richard van Emden, who wrote Boy Soliders Of The Great War, said Sidney signed up in the summer holidays of 1915, at a time when many boys signed up, unaware of how bloody it the war would be.  Few, however, saw active combat. Sidney fought in the Battle of . Delville Wood, scene of some of the most ferocious fighting in the . Battle of the Somme, which left around 500,000 men wounded or killed. It was after six weeks at the frontline that he was plucked from the . trenches and sent home to his mother. His brother-in-law Sidney Bardell, 94, said: 'I'm told he more or less ran away from home to enlist.' But he could not explain why it took Sidney's mother a year to contact the War Office. 'The lad will be discharged with all possible speed': A telegram sent to Mrs Lewis by the Machine Gun Corps . Irrepressible: Sidney Lewis, seen here on holiday with his wife Ivy in c.1946 went on to join the police force . Despite being sent home, the irrepressible Sidney went on to re-enlist in 1918 and served in Austria with the army of occupation after the Armistice.  He later joined the police force and worked in bomb disposal during the Second World War. His son said his father was 'a forthright fellow' who continued to ignore authority throughout his life until he died at the age of 63 in 1969. Pte Lewis' story will be one of thousands told in a new IWM website, Lives Of The First World War, which will tell the story of those who served at home and abroad. The website will go live in February.

Sidney Lewis was 12 when he enlisted with East Surrey Regiment in 1915 . Youngster from Tooting, south London, was fighting in the Somme at 13 . His worried mother Fanny wrote to the War Office with his birth certificate . Sidney was sent home but worked in bomb disposal in Second World War . He later joined the police and ran a Sussex pub before dying in 1969 at 63 .

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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal believes the club's academy will maintain its production line for the first team. This season Paddy McNair (19), Tyler Blackett (20), Tom Thorpe (21), and Jesse Lingard (22) have made Premier League debuts while 19-year-old forward James Wilson has been given a more prominent role. Injuries have helped advance the cause of some of those players but Van Gaal is hopeful they will continue their progress and be followed by others. Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal believes the club's academy will maintain its production line . Both Tyler Blackett (left) and Paddy McNair (right) have made their Premier League debuts this season . Jesse Lingard (right, pictured in pre-season) has also made his league bow for the Reds . Near-neighbours City have just opened their multi-million pound training complex and academy in east Manchester in an attempt to produce more homegrown players but Van Gaal is confident United's youth programme will still create future stars. The club have a rich history of producing young talent, with the Busby Babes in the 1950s and the Fergie Fledglings - including the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and the Neville brothers - in the 1990s. 'It should deliver talents for the first team because the youth education is built for that reason,' he told MUTV. 'I hope that I can take benefit of it as a manager. 'I think we have shown at Manchester United that we have belief in young talent and we give them also the chance to show themselves in the first team.' United are renowned for Eric Harrison's Class of '92 to turn out the likes of David Beckham and Paul Scholes .

Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair made Premier League debuts this year . Jesse Lingard has also got his first taste of league action . Louis van Gaal hopes that the academy can continue in earnest .

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By . Simon Tomlinson . Japanese fishermen have finished killing some of the 250 dolphins trapped in what activists say was the biggest round-up they have witnessed in the last four years. Sea Shepherd, best known for its anti-whaling activities, said the fishermen first selected 52 dolphins to keep alive for sale to aquariums and other customers. They included a rare albino calf worth millions whose mother it reports may have committed suicide after being torn apart from her baby in the brutal separation process in Taiji. Speculation has been rife ever since Sea Shepherd volunteers witnessed her diving under water then failing to resurface with the rest of the pod. Experts say dolphins have been known to commit suicide in captivity after becoming distressed and confused at their conditions. Scroll down for videos . Did she kill herself? There is speculation that the mother of this albino dolphin trapped by Japanese fishermen in a cove has committed suicide after being torn apart from her baby . The pod of dolphins being held captive in the cove on the coast of Japan . Harsh conditions: These poles are deployed above the water, and then the fishermen hit a flange on the top of the poles with a hammer, creating a cacophony that drives the dolphins back out to sea . In several cases, the creatures repeatedly slammed their head against sides of a pool - or simply stopped coming up for air. Writing on its website, Sea Shepherd said: 'There is widespread speculation that the mother of the albino calf committed suicide after her baby was violently taken from her. 'Our volunteer Cove Guardians documented and witnessed the grieving mother repeatedly spy-hopping, looking for her calf, before lowering herself into the water, never to resurface. 'Dolphins are highly intelligent, socially complex beings who form close bonds with their family, and the trade for captivity regularly rips through these bonds in Taiji.' The theory has been taken up by Ric O' Barry, a former dolphin trainer . who is convinced the mother took her own life as a result of the ordeal. Annual process: The fishing crew are pictured transferring several dolphins into the 250-strong pod . Rounded up: The dolphins were forced to wait in the pen for 19 hours until the holding reached critical mass . As conscious breathers, he said dolphins can choose not to take their next breath. Mr O'Barry, who founded the Dolphin Project, told The Dodo: 'People don't believe me, but dolphins do it all the time. 'Captivity is extremely stressful and there is nothing more stressful to a dolphin than taking away its calf.' The fishermen reportedly hid the baby dolphin under a tarpaulin and transferred it to Taiji Whale Museum. Assistant Director Tetsuo Kirihata said: 'Albinos stand out and tend to be targeted by predators. 'She must have been protected by her mother and her mates. We will take good care of her.' Tradition: Each year the fishermen capture and kill a huge amount of dolphins, putting the population at risk . One of the crusaders from Sea Sheperd, who hope to bring the dolphin's plight to light (left). The fishermen preparing their nets to capture the next pod of dolphins (right) The albino dolphin is one of the rarest from this current batch of captured bottlenoses . Mr . Barry - who used to train Dolphins for the TV series Flipper - became . an activist in the 1970s after being left traumatised when one of the show's stars, Kathy, died in . his arms. He has always asserted that she had committed suicide by refusing to breathe after spending years in captivity. There . have been previous cases of suspected dolphin suicides, the largest of . which occurred in 2007 when 152 striped dolphins washed up on the coast . of southern Iran. Locals who . battled to save them by taking them back out to sea were distraught . when the dolphins refused and persistently re-beached themselves to die. A year later, one expert theorised that the deaths of 26 dolphins on a beach in Cornwall have been a mass suicide. The animals had died after inhaling debris and mud that clogged their insides. Heavy machinery: Fishermen hoist a dolphin out of the sea, on its way to either lifetime captivity or death . Speaking . at the time, Veterinary wildlife pathologist Vic Simpson said: 'On the . face of it, it looks like some sort of mass suicide - but the question . is why? 'The dolphins had . swallowed and inhaled big chunks of mud from the estuary. Their lungs . and stomachs were full of it. That is very bizarre indeed. 'We have seen strandings on beaches, sometimes with five to seven dolphins - but never on a scale like this.' However, other experts are far more sceptical. Dr . Ann Weaver, who studies dolphins in Tampa Bay, believes suicide is a . uniquely human notion, although she did acknowledge that animals can get . depressed. She said: 'I think everything they are designed to be is to keep on keeping on. 'So . I think suicide is the curse of the human consciousness, but not other . consciousnesses, she told told the Huffington Post in 2010. Of . the rest of the 250 dolphins trapped in the Japanese cove, about 40 were killed, . one became stuck in a net and drowned and the others were released, Sea . Shepherd said. A video . released Tuesday by Sea Shepherd shows dozens of fishermen on boats . surveying the dolphins after they were confined to a cove with nets. Divers can be seen holding the dolphins selected for sale and guiding them to nets hanging off the boats. Boat: 'Banger boats' use poles and flanges to make unpleasant sounds, driving the dolphins to specific places . Preparation: Fishermen and trainers unload the orange nets yesterday - just 24 hours before decision day . (Left) the fishermen are for the most part, a selection of fishermen from the Ishana Fishermen's Union. (Right) one of the dolphin fences inside the cove that allows the fishermen to stand watch . While . other dolphins have been killed since the hunting season began in . September, Sea Shepherd said the 250 herded into the cove last Friday . was the largest group it has seen since it began monitoring the hunt. The . annual hunt in the village of Taiji received high-profile criticism . when U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy tweeted last weekend that . she was deeply concerned about the practice. The fishermen say the hunt is part of their tradition and call foreign critics who eat other kinds of meat hypocritical. A . Japanese government spokesman defended the annual dolphin hunt on . Monday, saying it is carried out in accordance with the law. The hunt was the subject of the Academy Award-winning 2009 film The Cove. The dolphins will be uncomfortably oblivious of the impending doom some of them will suffer at the hands of the fishermen. They are captured around four to five at a time until enough of them are collected for 'selection' Treatment: The fishermen brutally kill the dolphins they do not set free or capture using a sharp spike or spear . Cramped: The cove does not provide much space for the dolphins to swim, forcing them to huddle up in groups .

250 dolphins being held captive, waiting for slaughter by spike or captivity . The hunting process was documented in the Oscar winning film 'The Cove' Albino bottlenose dolphins are the rarest and are captured and sold . Experts say dolphins have been known to commit suicide in captivity after becoming distressed .

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(CNN) -- When Vanessa Hudgens' naked photos hit the Internet, the "High School Musical" star quickly apologized. But sending nude or seminude pictures, a phenomenon known as sexting, is a fast-growing trend among teens. Phillip Alpert is a registered sex offender as a result of sending a nude photograph of his 16-year-old girlfriend. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy, a private nonprofit group whose mission is to protect children, and CosmoGirl.com, surveyed nearly 1,300 teens about sex and technology. The result: 1 in 5 teens say they've sexted even though the majority know it could be a crime. Phillip Alpert found out the hard way. He had just turned 18 when he sent a naked photo of his 16-year-old girlfriend, a photo she had taken and sent him, to dozens of her friends and family after an argument. The high school sweethearts had been dating for almost 2½ years. "It was a stupid thing I did because I was upset and tired and it was the middle of the night and I was an immature kid," says Alpert. Orlando, Florida, police didn't see it that way. Alpert was arrested and charged with sending child pornography, a felony to which he pleaded no contest but was later convicted. He was sentenced to five years probation and required by Florida law to register as a sex offender. "You will find me on the registered sex offender list next to people who have raped children, molested kids, things like that, because I sent child pornography," says Alpert in disbelief, explaining, "You think child pornography, you think 6-year-old, 3-year-old little kids who can't think for themselves, who are taken advantage of. That really wasn't the case." Alpert's attorney Larry Walters agrees and he's fighting to get Alpert removed from Florida's sex offender registry. The law lags behind the technology, he says. "Sexting is treated as child pornography in almost every state and it catches teens completely offguard because this is a fairly natural and normal thing for them to do. It is surprising to us as parents, but for teens it's part of their culture." In many states, like Florida, if a person is convicted of a crime against children, it automatically triggers registration to the sex offender registry. Thirty-eight states include juvenile sex offenders in their sex offender registries. Alaska, Florida and Maine will register juveniles only if they are tried as adults. Indiana registers juveniles age 14 and older. South Dakota registers juveniles age 15 and older. Most states allow public access to sex offender registries via the Internet and anyone with a computer can locate registered sex offenders in their neighborhoods. Watch a report on the 'sexting' trend and how police are now getting involved » . A number of states have elected not to provide Internet access to registries; Florida is not one of them. There is no hiding for Alpert, whose neighbors, he says, all know. "I am a sex offender. If you type my name into the search engine online, you will find me." As sexting incidents pop up around the country, prosecutors are trying to come to terms with how these cases should be handled. George Skumanick Jr., a district attorney from Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, took a novel approach when 20 students from Tunkhannock High School were caught allegedly sexting. He gave them a choice: probation and re-education classes or be charged with sexual abuse of a minor. "An adult would go to prison for this," says Skumanick, adding, "If you take the photo, you've committed a crime. If you send the photo, you've committed a different crime, but essentially the same crime." Critics, however, say child pornography laws on the possession or dissemination of graphic images were never meant to apply to teen sexting and that these teenagers usually have no criminal intent when they send pictures to each other. amFIX: Should teens be prosecuted for "sexting"? Fifteen-year-old Marissa Miller of northeastern Pennsylvania was 12 when she and a friend snapped themselves wearing training bras. "I wasn't trying to be sexual," she says, "I was having fun with my friends at a sleepover, taking pictures, dancing to music." The picture recently surfaced on a student's cell phone and Marissa's mom, MaryJo Miller, was contacted by Skumanick. "He told me that he had a full nude photo of my daughter," says MaryJo Miller, who calls the picture innocent. Rather than force her daughter to take the classes, which would have required she write a report explaining why what she did was wrong, Miller and two other families ­-- with the help of the ACLU -- are suing the district attorney to stop him from filing charges. "We believe she was the victim and that she did nothing wrong," says Miller. "How can I ask her to compromise her values and write this essay, when she didn't do anything?" Although the district attorney maintains the program is voluntary, the letter he sent to parents notes, "Charges will be filed against those who do not participate." Seventeen of the 20 students caught in the sexting incidents have completed the 14 hours of classes. Skumanick won't comment on the Miller case, but says, "You can't call committing a crime fun or a prank. If you do that, you can rob a bank because you think it's fun." In the majority of sexting cases, it's usually girls sending pictures to boys, who then send them to their friends. Though teens may think it's funny and a way to flirt or even seek revenge after a breakup, there can be dangerous consequences. Last year, Jessica Logan, a Cincinnati, Ohio, teen, hanged herself after her nude photo, meant for her boyfriend, was sent to teenagers at several high schools. For months after, her father says, she was the subject of ridicule and taunts. "Everyone knew about that photo," Bert Logan says. "She could not live it down." On July 3, his wife found her. "She had been getting dressed to go out. The curling iron was still warm. It was so unexpected," Logan says. "I heard my wife scream, I ran up to Jessie's room, but it was too late." No charges had been filed against Jessica's 19-year-old boyfriend, who disseminated the photo, nor had the school taken any action, Logan says. He says he and his wife want to warn parents and students of the dangers of sexting. The Logans are fighting to raise awareness nationally and to advocate for laws that address sexting and cyber-bullying. As for Alpert, life is not easy as a registered sex offender, a label he will carry until the age of 43. He's been kicked out of college, he cannot travel out of the county without making prior arrangements with his probation officer, he has lost many friends and is having trouble finding a job because of his status as a convicted felon. He says he feels terrible about sending the photo of his ex-girlfriend, especially since they were once so close. At the same time, Alpert says, "I'm being punished for the rest of my life for something that took two minutes or less to do." Says attorney Walters, "Some judges have the good sense and reasonableness to treat this as a social problem and others are more zealous in their efforts to put everybody away and I think it's time as a society that we step back a little bit and avoid this temptation to lock up our children."

Phillip Alpert, now a registered sex offender, sent pictures of his 16-year-old girlfriend . Marissa Miller was 12 when she took cell phone photos of herself in a bra . Her mother, MaryJo, is suing the DA to prevent him from filing charges . Jessica Logan committed suicide after her nude photo was sent to several teens .

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A new high-tech 'mirror' means shoppers need no longer try clothes on - because it shows the latest garments on a digital scan of your body. The virtual wardrobe will save time by using a motion-capture camera to produce a realistic 3D image of each customer as they stand in front of the 6ft 6in screen. The computer even selects a range of clothing and accessories it believes will suit the shopper's shape and size, and presents them on the display. Scroll down for video . The new high-tech 'mirror' means shoppers need no longer try clothes on - because it shows the latest garments on a digital scan of your body . The device, hailed as 'every woman's dream invention', uses Microsoft's motion sensing technology, Kinect 3D . Shoppers can then use a simple wave of their hand to choose which ones they wish to 'try on', and instantly see what it looks like. The system - available in High Street shops this summer - is so advanced it can show how clothes hang from the shoulders and cling to the body. The device, hailed as 'every woman's dream invention', uses Microsoft's motion sensing technology, Kinect 3D. The technology brings to life the 1995 film Clueless, in which Alicia Silverstone's character Cher used a computer to help her decide what to wear. The virtual wardrobe was unveiled at The Microsoft Apartment in Covent Garden, London, today. It will be used at pop-up stores on the High Street and at airports this summer, and will be available to buy for home use by 2016. Customers can share the images with family and friends through social networking sites to gauge their opinion before buying . Eoghan O'Sullivan, from augmented reality firm Von Bismark, said: 'The interactive mirror shows people how an item of clothing, handbag, or accessory might look on them. 'It works by motion capture, allowing it to immediately identify a woman's size and shape. 'The software then tells the garment how to sit on the body - whether that's how a dress hangs off the shoulders, or how a pair of trousers hang off the hips.' Customers can share the images with family and friends through social networking sites to gauge their opinion before buying. Rahul Sood, from Microsoft, said:'The relationship between design and technology is becoming ever more important when applied to modern fashion startups. For keen fashionista, the mirror will be available to buy for home use by 2016 . The computer even selects a range of clothing and accessories it believes will suit the shopper's shape and size, and presents them on the display . 'This system takes depth data from the moving Kinect camera, in real time, to create highest quality, geometrically accurate 3D models. 'Gesture control and skeletal tracking enables an exciting shopping experience. 'We believe this will come to revolutionise the UK shopping experience on the High Street for women and men.' Office worker Rebecca Hughes, 28, from Brighton, East Sussex, said the new device was 'every woman's dream invention'. She added: 'Going clothes shopping can be an extremely time-consuming and stressful experience. 'It can be a nightmare traipsing from shop to shop, trying to find an outfit that fits and looks stylish at the same time. 'Standing in changing rooms trying on dress after dress for hours on end can be soul-destroying. 'To be able to stand in front of a 'virtual mirror' that chooses clothes for you and immediately shows you how you look in them is fantastic. 'This has to be every woman's dream invention.'

Virtual wardrobe means shoppers need no longer try clothes on . Shows the latest garments on a digital scan of your body . Uses motion-capture camera to produce a realistic 3D image . Will be used at pop-up stores on the High Street and at airports from this summer .

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A white supremacist who appeared in court with a swastika carved into his forehead died after a suicide attempt in prison. Keith Luke, 28, was found unresponsive by corrections officers in his cell on Saturday, the Brockton Enterprise reported. Luke was taken to University of Massachusetts Hospital in Worcester and placed on life support but was pronounced dead on Monday shortly after midday. Luke appeared in court in May 2009 with a swastika carved into his forehead. The white supremacist committed suicide in prison this weekend . The cause of death was not released but a source told The Brockton Enterprise that Luke committed suicide. Luke . was sentenced to life in prison last May for the murders of 20-year-old woman Selma Goncalves and 72-year-old Arlindo Goncalves, along with the brutal rape and attempted murder of a second woman. The neo-nazi had previously attempted . suicide three other times, the Enterprise reports. He overdosed in his jail cell twice and . received surgery for a self-inflicted throat wound in April 2010. He had also carved a swastika into his forehead with a staple. Luke gunned down Selma . Goncalves, 20, and Arlindo Goncalves, 72, who are not related, and shot another woman five times after he had brutally raped her .

Keith Luke, 28, was pronounced dead on Monday at University of Massachusetts hospital . He was serving life for murder of woman, 20, and 72-year-old man along with brutal rape and attempted murder of another woman . The white supremacist's victims were all of Cape Verdean descent .

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Luke Batty's father told ambulance workers to let him die after he killed his 11-year-old son at a Victorian cricket oval during a custody visit. Greg Anderson was covered with blood and holding a knife when he lunged at emergency services workers called to the Tyabb oval on February 12, an inquest into Luke's death has heard. The 54-year-old was shot by police and said 'let me die' as paramedics attempted to treat him, the Victorian Coroners Court heard on Monday. Scroll down for video . Greg Anderson, 56, killed his son Luke Batty, 11, on the Tyabb oval in Victoria on February 12 . Mr Anderson and Luke were practising in the cricket nets, 'substantially on their own', when the attack happened, but it was witnessed by an eight-year-old boy, the inquest heard . Mr Anderson and Luke were practising in the cricket nets, 'substantially on their own', when the attack happened, but it was witnessed by an eight-year-old boy, the inquest heard. Luke died after Mr Anderson struck him with a cricket bat and attacked him with a knife. The boy saw Mr Anderson raise the bat over his right shoulder but did not see it connect with Luke. Luke died after Mr Anderson struck him with a cricket bat and attacked him with a knife during a custody visit . He ran and told his father, who called paramedics. When emergency services workers arrived they saw Mr Anderson kneeling by Luke. At first they thought he was helping him, the inquest heard. When ambulance workers tried to approach Luke, Mr Anderson said 'he's in heaven now'. Mr Anderson died in hospital from gunshot wounds and self-inflicted knife wounds. The inquest heard that in the months before he killed his son, Mr Anderson once held up a knife while talking to Luke and said: 'This could be the one to end it all.' Luke reported the incident to police and a child protection officer, but told them that he loved his father and was not in fear of him, the inquest heard. Luke's mother, Rosie Batty, said she had always wanted her son to have a relationship with his father. 'For me it's really important a child should know his father,' she told the inquest. 'Greg was really loving and keen to be involved in Luke's life. 'But I said to myself this is a journey, I'll keep doing things that feel right until they didn't feel right anymore.' Ms Batty said she changed her mind in April 2013 when Luke revealed his father had shown him the knife while Anderson prayed in his car. 'I was so alarmed I knew I could no longer support his relationship with his father,' Ms Batty said. Mr Anderson's contact with Luke was restricted by an intervention order from May 2012, but that was changed to block access to his son in April 2013. An inquest into Luke's death has heard Mr Anderson begged Ambulance workers to 'let him die' Counsel assisting the inquest, Rachel Ellyard, said the order was changed again in July 2013 to allow Mr Anderson access to Luke at football and cricket matches on the weekend. Ms Ellyard said Mr Anderson was technically in breach of that order by seeing Luke at cricket training on a weekday. The inquest heard Ms Batty was not told Mr Anderson had failed to appear in court on charges of assault and not answering bail. She learned that Anderson's housemate sought and was granted an intervention order in January this year through media reports. Ms Batty said when she saw Mr Anderson at the cricket oval on the night of Luke's death it occurred to her to call the police, but she decided not to. When ambulance workers tried to approach Luke, Mr Anderson said 'he's in heaven now' Luke's mother Rosie Batty (pictured) said she had always wanted her son to have a relationship with his father . She said she had previously had unpleasant situations trying to get the police involved at the cricket club. Ms Batty said she didn't trust the situation, and previous attempts had been traumatic, stressful and unpredictable. She said she thought: 'This will be the third time I've tried to get this man arrested in front of Luke and his friends at that bloody oval.' The police had Anderson's address, so she thought it would be better if they arrested him there, discretely, Ms Batty told the inquest. Ms Ellyard said key issues to be explored during the inquest included the assessments of Mr Anderson made by police and the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the supervision orders dictating Mr Anderson's contact with Luke. The information sharing between Ms Batty, the DHS and police, and any changes DHS and police have made to their procedures since Luke's murder, would also be investigated. More broadly, Ms Ellyard said the inquest would look into whether there were any signs Anderson had the potential for violence towards Luke and whether they could have been acted on. *Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

Greg Anderson, 56, was shot by police after lunging at emergency workers . Mr Anderson killed his 11-year-old son, Luke Batty, with a cricket bat and knife on a Victorian cricket oval on February 12 . He begged paramedics to 'let him die' and told them his son 'was in heaven' An inquest heard Mr Anderson threatened Luke's life months before the murder . Mother, Rosie Batty, wanted Luke to have a relationship with father .

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A woman with tiny size two feet has finally learned to wear high heels - after taking lessons in how to walk. Angela Belassie, 36, had resigned herself to a life of flat footwear because she walked 'like John Wayne' - the legendary cowboy actor with an awkward walk - in high heels and would frequently topple over. But she then underwent a course of treatment with clinical orthologist Martin Bell, who specialises in correcting postural problems. Angela Belassie, who has size two feet, has had to have walking lessons to stop her falling over every time she wore high heels . After analysing her gait and posture on a special ‘runway’, he prescribed a series of exercises to strengthen her core muscles and correct her stride. Now Angela, who runs her own PR company, is proudly strutting around in five-inch stilettos. She said: 'Beforehand my walk was clunky and not very elegant, but after the sessions it was amazing, my husband noticed the difference straight away. 'I have always wanted to wear heels, especially when I went to weddings. Now I wear heels more frequently and even on a daily occurrence, where as before it was special occasions only.' Angela constantly struggled in oversized, padded heels but felt she had to wear them to formal occasions to 'look the part' Angela, from Stapleton, Bristol, has never been able to find suitable shoes and if she did wear heels they were too big and had to be padded out. However, the tiny length of her feet meant she struggled to balance. 'At a size two, I struggled to find a pair of shoes to fit me or the weddings I had to go to - in one shop alone I tried on 10 pairs,' she said. 'In the end, I settled for a pair of plain black sling backs, with both toe and heel stoppers. Their simple style suited each outfit I wore. 'Whereas I may have looked the part, I certainly didn’t walk it. My gait was not that dissimilar to John Wayne. And on my own wedding day I was not so much walked up the aisle, as supported along the way. 'I had resigned myself to a life in flat shoes, with heels only making a very brief outing only at weddings, before changing into comfy shoes as soon as possible.' Angela has never been able to find suitable shoes and if she did wear heels they were too big and had to be padded out. However, the tiny length of her feet meant she struggled to balance, until now . Angela Also used the extra inches to boost her petite 5ft stature, but was constantly compared to actor John Wayne when she walked . Her tiny feet meant most heels were too big, and she resorted to either filling them with extra insoles or ultimately, sending them back . Angela first met Martin at a networking event in Bristol where he suggested she come along for some help. Martin has worked with Olympians and Paralympians to help overcome recurring injuries and improve their performance. The clinical orthotist has already helped hundreds of women by teaching them to stand and use their leg muscles properly and 'fight' what their body has become used to. His unique course - ‘Perfectly Poised’ - takes place in his offices in the suburb of Clifton, Bristol. It involves filming his client walking in her heels and then playing back the footage to analyse her walk. Martin, who trained her to walk, has worked with Olympians and Paralympians to help overcome recurring injuries and improve their performance . Angela Belassie's size two foot (right) compared to a size 9 man's foot . He examines the way in which each girl uses their legs and back when walking, picking out subtle hints with their posture that could help alleviate their pain. He then gives them exercises to help strengthen any weak muscles and improve their walk. 'I’d been given exercises by a physiotherapist in the past to treat runner’s knee,' Angela said. 'Back then I preferred to cut short my running days rather than carry them out but this time I was spurred on by vanity and the desire to wear such pretty shoes. 'They not only gave me the appearance of being taller, but also slimmer. 'One of Martin’s workouts included the "dog poo shuffle", which involved rubbing my foot on the floor with force as if cleaning mess off it. 'My bemused husband also looked on as I walked past him on my tiptoes - backwards. But I slowly developed the "tightrope walk" and moved more elegantly as a result. 'Following my final session, Martin played the before and after video and I was amazed by the difference.' Angela was also put in touch with Tom Reader, who set up Pretty Small Shoes to offer fashionable footwear starting from a child’s size 13. His partner Jiyeon Yeom, 41, also just a size two, was the inspiration behind the business. Tom said: 'The percentage of women with small size feet, which are below size three, is therefore now very low and at around just two to three per cent of adults. 'Mainstream manufacturers do not find it economically viable to make shoes in those sizes and those who do still use styles which have hardly changed since the 1990s.'

Angela, 36, would fall over every time she walked in heels . Clinical orthologist Martin Bell helped her master walking in heels . He specialises in correcting postural problems and helps Olympians .

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Most scuba divers want to stay as far away from the gaping jaws of crocodiles as possible, but a pair of British photographers got close enough to one beast's teeth to be its dentists. Nick Robertson-Brown, 62, and his wife Caroline, 41, took close-up pictures of Niño the crocodile in December 2014 at Jardines de la Reina, Cuba. Taken just inches from the jaws of the reptile, the photographs show the stunning beauty of the three-metre deadly predator, whose name means little boy in Spanish. Scroll down for video . Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown took close-up pictures of Niño, an American crocodile, on a trip to Jardines de la Reina, Cuba . The photographers, from Manchester, were careful not to startle the animal when getting close enough to capture the details of its teeth . The pair, from Manchester, England, were accompanied on their journey by guide Gustavo, who made calls to Niño on a trip through the government-protected mangrove forest. The American crocodile then swam out of the trees to see them - allowing the Robertson-Browns to capture the extraordinary pictures. Avalon Cuban Diving Centers' guides have been working with Niño since he was very small, so he is now quite used to photographers getting close. The photographers, who were outfitted in scuba gear, were able to stand in shallow water during the encounter as they shot photos of the animal as it waded among the sea plants of its natural habitat. The husband and wife team, who have been working together for 12 years as dive instructors and underwater photographers, said that the shallow water proved a challenging environment. 'The sediment very easy to stir up, so it was hard to get into position to get shots, without disturbing the croc,' the pair said on their Facebook page. Avalon Cuban Diving Centers regularly take trips out to the mangrove swamps to see crocodiles, who have been exposed to photographers since an early age . Only 700 divers per year are allowed to go to Jardines de la Reina, which is seven hours by bus and a six-hour boat ride from capital Havana . While the water was in danger of becoming murky, the stunning images show detailed images of Niño's snout as it cut through the swamp. Mr Robertson-Brown said: 'We got into the water with the croc and got so close his teeth were almost touching our camera housings. Though Niño is used to attention, the British snappers were wary of being snapped at suddenly by the scaly swimmer. 'It is a wild animal, so you have to be very careful, moving slowly and smoothly in the water so as not to startle or scare the croc.' The Robertson-Browns were worried that the sediment in the shallow water would make their pictures murky and limit the detail of the croc . Guide Gustavo helped lure the crocodile over to the photographers in scuba gear so that they could capture the amazing images of Niño . 'Whilst we never felt in danger, as the croc was moving in a very easy going way, it is still an amazing, adrenalin-filled experience,' Mr Robertson-Brown said. Only 700 divers are permitted to go each year to Jardines de la Reina, a national park that is a seven-hour bus ride and additional six-hour boat ride from Havana. Mr Robertson-Brown, who has also photographed fish, sharks and manatees, called the experience was 'well worth it' because of the 'pristine reefs and amazing animal encounters.' The pair said the Cuban expedition, during which they met Argentinean footballing legend Diego Maradona and photographed giant feral rats called jutías, was 'one of our most productive trips ever'. Mr Robertson-Brown said that he and his wife never felt in danger during the crocodile shoot, but added that it was 'still an amazing, adrenalin filled experience' The Robertson-Browns said the trip, during which they also photographed giant rats called jutías and met Diego Maradona, was one of their most productive . The Jardines de la Reina, is home to a wide variety of marine vegetation and wildlife, including sharks and giant groupers that can weigh up to 400 pounds . Jardines de la Reina, which means Gardens of the Queen in Spanish and were named by Christopher Columbus, is a roughly 675 square mile coral reef system about 60 miles off of Cuba's southern coast, according to Diver Magazine. The 250-island archipelago includes portions of reef and mangrove swamp that house animals including sharks, goliath groupers that can weigh up to 400 pounds, loggerhead turtles and American crocodiles such as Niño. American crocodiles, which live in the Caribbean from southern Florida to the north coast of South America, are listed as vulnerable by Red List. While the animal's skin is legally traded from some farms in Cuba, illegal hunters also target the crocodile for its hide. The American crocodile, which is labeled as vulnerable by conservationist group Red List, is illegally hunted for its thick scaly hide . The Robertson-Browns rode around the mangrove swamp in a small boat driven by guide Gustavo, allowing them to capture images both in and out of the water . Niño is an American crocodile, which are widely distributed across the Caribean, largely in shallow waters such as those in Jardines de la Reina .

Nick Robertson-Brown, 62, and wife Caroline, 41, captured pictures of American crocodile Niño . Pair from Manchester travelled to Jardines de la Reina, Cuba, where only 700 divers are allowed per year . Guide Gustavo helped lure the crocodile, which has been exposed to photographers from an early age .

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(CNN) -- A Tennessee juror's laudatory Facebook message to a medical examiner during a murder trial could nullify the jury's conviction of William Darelle Smith, the state's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The high court did not immediately throw out the first-degree murder conviction of Smith, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2010. But in concluding the trial judge erred upon learning of the juror's social networking communication with a key prosecution witness, state justices unanimously decided a new trial may be necessary unless the state proves the juror shouldn't have been disqualified. "If, for any reason, the trial court is unable to conduct a full and fair hearing with regard to juror (Glenn Scott) Mitchell's improper extrajudicial communication with Dr. Lewis, then the trial court shall grant Mr. Smith a new trial," the Supreme Court ruled, referring to the juror by name, as well as Dr. Adele Lewis, the medical examiner who testified. The Davidson County, Tennessee, District Attorney's Office did not have an immediate reaction Wednesday to the ruling. Smith's public defender declined to comment. A county grand jury indicted Smith in the death of Zurisaday Villanueva, whose body was found June 4, 2007, off a Nashville road along with two .9 millimeter shell casings. The two had been living together, according to court documents. Smith went on trial in March 2010. After the jury was set, jurors were told by the judge they "should not talk with any witnesses, defendants or attorneys involved in this case." Testimony followed, including from Smith's cousin, who said the defendant told her a pistol "went off" while he and Villanueva were arguing and again when Smith was trying to move Villanueva's body. The prosecution also presented evidence indicating Villanueva's blood was in an automobile driven by Smith and owned by his father. The second-to-last person to testify for the prosecution was Lewis, a Vanderbilt-trained assistant medical examiner. She conducted an autopsy on Villanueva and classified her death as a homicide, saying Villanueva was shot in the chest and the back of the head. The next day, about an hour after the jury began deliberating on Smith's fate, Lewis e-mailed presiding Judge Seth Norman that she had been contacted via Facebook by a juror who was an acquaintance. "A-dele!!" the juror wrote, according to the e-mail included in the state Supreme Court ruling. "I thought you did a great job today on the witness stand. ... I was in the jury ... not sure if you recognized me or not!! You really explained things so great!!" Lewis responded by saying she thought she recognized the juror, then warned of "a risk of a mistrial if that gets out." The juror wrote back that he was aware of the risk, saying he hadn't mentioned he knew Lewis. The first time the juror-witness communication came up in official court proceedings was after the verdict was delivered, but before sentencing. That's when public defender Mike Engle asked if the court asked the juror about the exchange, to which the judge replied, "No, I'm satisfied with the communication that I have gotten with Dr. Lewis with regard to this matter." Smith later asked for a new trial, in part because the defense wasn't allowed to question the juror. The trial court ruled against him, as did a state appeals court that characterized the Facebook communication as "mere interactions" and noted it is up to the court to decide if a juror is impartial. The state Supreme Court's ruling on Wednesday overruled those decisions. Stressing that "the public's confidence in the fairness of the system" requires that all jurors be held "accountable to the highest standards of conduct," the justices said the trial court should have taken "steps to assure that the juror has not been exposed to extraneous information or has not been improperly influenced." In Smith's trial, this could have been addressed at a hearing at that time or a "full-scale investigation," the court said. Neither occurred, leading the state Supreme Court to send the case back to the trial court for a hearing on the Facebook communication and the jurors' impartiality. Conversations between jurors and people involved in a case have long been forbidden in state law. But the court admits that technology -- including the Internet, which allows jurors to conduct research and more readily communicate -- has complicated matters. "Even though technology has made it easier for jurors to communicate with third parties and has made these communications more difficult to detect, our pre-Internet precedents provide appropriate (guidelines)," the ruling states. The state court also said trial courts need to "give jurors specific, understandable instructions that prohibit extrajudicial communications with third parties and the use of technology to obtain facts that have not been presented as evidence." "Trial courts should clearly prohibit jurors' use of devices such as smartphones and tablet computers to access social media websites or applications to discuss, communicate, or research anything about the trial," the court said. CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

William Darelle Smith went on trial in 2010 for first-degree murder . A doctor who did the victim's autopsy testified, then was contacted by a juror . The trial judge didn't order a hearing into that interaction; high court says he erred . State Supreme Court orders such a hearing, which could lead to a new trial .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 14:36 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:08 EST, 28 January 2014 . Another state now has a bill to consider about bringing firing squads back as an option for prisoners on death row. Lawmakers in Missouri are the latest to debate the issue as they try to come up with a solution in response to the dwindling supplies of lethal injection drugs. The squads are not the only relics from a more gruesome past that are under consideration, as electrocutions and gas chambers have also been suggested. Most states abandoned those execution methods more than a generation ago in a bid to make capital punishment more palatable to the public and to a judicial system worried about inflicting cruel and unusual punishments that violate the Constitution. Modern day firing squad: This is the execution chamber at Utah State Prison where a firing squad lines up and kills the seated prisoner . But to some elected officials, the drug shortages and recent legal challenges are beginning to make lethal injection seem too vulnerable to complications. 'This isn't an attempt to time-warp back into the 1850s or the wild, wild West or anything like that,' said Missouri state Rep. Rick Brattin, who this month proposed making firing squads an option for executions. 'It's just that I foresee a problem, and I'm trying to come up with a solution that will be the most humane yet most economical for our state.' Brattin, a Republican, said questions about the injection drugs are sure to end up in court, delaying executions and forcing states to examine alternatives. It's not fair, he said, for relatives of murder victims to wait years, even decades, to see justice served while lawmakers and judges debate execution methods. Missouri's attorney general and a state lawmaker have raised the notion of rebuilding the state's gas chamber. Earlier this month, a Wyoming lawmaker offered a bill allowing the firing squad. What remains: Four of the bullet holes from the killing of Ronnie Lee Gardner on June 18, 2010 are seen in the wood of the Utah state prison's firing squad contraption . And a Virginia lawmaker wants to make electrocution an option if lethal-injection drugs aren't available. If adopted, those measures could return states to the more harrowing imagery of previous decades, when inmates were hanged, electrocuted or shot to death by marksmen. States began moving to lethal injection in the 1980s in the belief that powerful sedatives and heart-stopping drugs would replace the violent spectacles with a more clinical affair while limiting, if not eliminating, an inmate's pain. 'This isn't an attempt to time-warp back into the 1850s or the wild, wild West or anything like that,' said Missouri state Rep. Rick Brattin . The total number of U.S. executions has declined in recent years — from a peak of 98 in 1999 to 39 last year. Some states have turned away from the death penalty entirely. Many have cases tied up in court. And those that carry on with executions find them increasingly difficult to conduct because of the scarcity of drugs and doubts about how well they work. In recent years, European drug makers have stopped selling the lethal chemicals to prisons because they do not want their products used to kill. At least two recent executions are also raising concerns about the drugs' effectiveness. Last week, Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire took 26 minutes to die by injection, gasping repeatedly as he lay on a gurney with his mouth opening and closing. And on Jan.uary 9, Oklahoma inmate Michael Lee Wilson's final words were, 'I feel my whole body burning.' Missouri threw out its three-drug lethal injection procedure after it could no longer obtain the drugs. State officials altered the method in 2012 to use propofol, which was found in the system of pop star Michael Jackson after he died of an overdose in 2009. The anti-death penalty European Union threatened to impose export limits on propofol if it were used in an execution, jeopardizing the supply of a common anesthetic needed by hospitals across the nation. In October, Governor Jay Nixon stayed the execution of serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin and ordered the Missouri Department of Corrections to find a new drug. Days later, the state announced it had switched to a form of pentobarbital made by a compounding pharmacy. Like other states, Missouri has refused to divulge where the drug comes from or who makes it. Running into problems: A number of states have had problems securing the chemicals used in lethal injections so Burns said that he thought firing squads- like those used in Utah- were the next most humane option . Missouri has carried out two executions using pentobarbital — Franklin in November and Allen Nicklasson in December. Neither inmate showed outward signs of suffering, but the secrecy of the process resulted in a lawsuit and a legislative inquiry. Michael Campbell, assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said some lawmakers simply don't believe convicted murderers deserve any mercy. 'Many of these politicians are trying to tap into a more populist theme that those who do terrible things deserve to have terrible things happen to them,' Campbell said. Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C., cautioned that there could be a backlash. Reverting back: Bruce Burns, a Republican state senator in Wyoming, said that if the chemicals used in lethal injections are not available, the state should use firing squads . 'These ideas would jeopardize the death penalty because, I think, the public reaction would be revulsion, at least from many quarters,' Dieter said. Some states already provide alternatives to lethal injection. Condemned prisoners may choose the electric chair in eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. An inmate named Robert Gleason Jr. was the most recent to die by electrocution, in Virginia in January 2013. Arizona, Missouri and Wyoming allow for gas-chamber executions. Missouri no longer has a gas chamber, but Attorney General Chris Koster, a Democrat, and Missouri state Sen. Kurt Schaefer, a Republican, last year suggested possibility rebuilding one. So far, there is no bill to do so. Delaware, New Hampshire and Washington state still allow inmates to choose hanging. The last hanging in the U.S. was Billy Bailey in Delaware in 1996. Two prisoners in Washington state have chosen to be hanged since the 1990s — Westley Allan Dodd in 1993 and Charles Rodman Campbell in 1994. Firing squads typically consisting of five sharpshooters with rifles, one of which is loaded with a blank so the shooters do not know for sure who fired the fatal bullet. They have been used mostly for military executions. Since the end of the Civil War, there have been three civilian firing squad executions in the U.S., all in Utah. Gary Gilmore uttered his famous final words, 'Let's do it' on Jan. 18, 1977, before his execution, which ended what amounted to a 17-year national moratorium on the death penalty. Convicted killers John Albert Taylor in 1996 and Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010 were also put to death by firing squad. Utah is phasing out its use, but the firing squad remains an option there for inmates sentenced prior to May 3, 2004. Oklahoma maintains the firing squad as an option, but only if lethal injection and electrocution are deemed unconstitutional. In Wyoming, Republican state senator Bruce Burns said death by firing squad would be far less expensive than building a gas chamber. Wyoming has only one inmate on death row, 68-year-old convicted killer Dale Wayne Eaton. The state has not executed anyone in 22 years. Jackson Miller, a Republican in the Virginia House of Delegates, is sponsoring a bill that would allow for electrocution if lethal injection drugs are not available. Miller said he would prefer that the state have easy access to the drugs needed for lethal injections. 'But I also believe that the process of the justice system needs to be fulfilled.'

Missouri state representative Rick Brattin has proposed the move to allow firing squads . The state's attorney general already suggest rebuilding gas chambers . A Wyoming state senator said firing squads would be less expensive . Comes as many states are having problems getting the rare chemicals needed to perform lethal injections . Utah has an operating firing squad room used to kill death row inmates .

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With their razor-sharp cheekbones, flawless skin and perfectly make-up, Cara Delevingne, Kendall Jenner and Gisele Bundchen are among the world's most genetically-blessed. For those less fortunate in the looks department, a new app promises to give you supermodel features at the touch of a button. YouCam Makeup lets its users virtually transform into their favourite model by tweaking their features to match the globe's most famous runway stars. Scroll down for video . A new app promises to give you supermodel looks at the touch of a button. FEMAIL's Olivia Foster, left, before, tested out YouCam Makeup and was transformed into Cara Delevingne, right . The app gives users a makeover to look like their favourite fashion week models, such as Cara Delevingne . The app, which has been unveiled to tie in with New York Fashion Week, analysed the world's top models' make-up preferences and picked the looks deemed trendiest for Spring. FEMAIL put the app to the test and Olivia Foster transformed herself into Cara Delevingne, channelling the IT girl's statement brows, scarlet lips and signature smokey eyes. Bianca London opted for a Kendall Jenner makeover and was given defined chocolate brown eyes and a more contoured look - but ended up looking more like an avatar than the in-demand model. Users can also opt to be transformed into Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen and America's Next Top Model host, Tyra Banks. Bianca London (left, before) tested the Kendall Jenner look but was less than impressed with the outcome . Users can attempt to emulate Kendall Jenner, the world's most in-demand model, using the app . Bianca, left, also tested out Tyra Banks' beauty look, right, which creators deem to be one of the trendiest . Speaking about the app, a spokesperson said: 'NYC Fashion Week is expected to feature more fashion friendly technology than ever before this year, and YouCam Make-up perfectly illustrates how technology is transforming fashion and style. 'We can now experiment with an unlimited number of make-up looks in seconds - this is smart and empowering, the very essence of what fashion is all about.' Downloaded more than eight million times since its launch last summer, YouCam Makeup harnesses the latest facial detection and skin analysis technology to apply realistic cosmetic looks on selfies and other photos. The app features a complete set of true-to-life make-up effects, including eye shadow palettes, mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, blush and foundation. Olivia, also attempted to emulate the golden skin and bright blue eyes of Brazilian supermodel Gisele, right .

YouCam makeup app lets you emulate supermodels' beauty looks . Launched for fashion week to showcase spring's biggest beauty trends . FEMAIL tested the app - but weren't too impressed .

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By . Snejana Farberov . PUBLISHED: . 12:09 EST, 28 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:23 EST, 28 December 2013 . Who said money doesn't grow on trees? Marvine Rosales-Martinez, 27, who came upon a winning lottery ticket while blowing leaves at his landscaping job last fall, was finally allowed to collect his $1million prize this week. Rosales-Martinez, of Hicksville, Long island, was among five lucky winners who were handed oversize checks by the New York Lottery officials Friday. Rosales-Martinez chose to take his prize in a lump sum. After taxes, he will walk away with $515,612. Seeing green: Marvine Rosales-Martinez, 27, who found a winning scratch-off card while blowing leaves at his landscaping job last fall, was allowed to collect his $1million prize this week . The 27-year-old man, who only recently got married, said that in November 2012, he was doing yard work at a client's home in Bayville when he spotted a 'Win $1,000 a Week or Life' scratch-off ticket in a pile of soggy leaves. 'I still don't know what made me pick it up,’ he told the New York Post. Rosales-Martinez took the ticket home and dried it off before heading to a local New York Lottery office, where it was confirmed that he was in possession of a winning ticket. However, before the landscaper could rake in the greenbacks, the lottery conducted a year-long investigation to make sure that the ticket was real, and that the person who had originally purchased it would not contest Martinez's claim. 'A standard and thorough internal security investigation found no reason to believe that the ticket wasn’t rightfully the property of Mr. Martinez,' a spokesman for the New York State Gaming Commission said. 'There was no ­report of theft or of a ticket being misplaced.' The winner's mother, Maria Martinez, admitted to the New York Daily News that she had told her son to throw out the waterlogged scratch-off card when he found it, but now she is glad he didn't heed her advice. Small fortune: Rosales-Martinez (left) and fellow winner Isai Cortez were presented with oversize prize checks for $1million, but after taxes they will take home just over $500,000 . Rosales-Martinez forgot all about his find. Then about three weeks ago, he got a call saying that he will be allowed to collect the prize. The 27-year-old did not tell him wife, Miriam Benitez, about the ticket until Friday, when reporters rang their doorbell. The humble landscaper, a recent immigrant from El Salvador, said that his windfall would not change the way he lives, adding that he will continue working six days a week. He plans to send some of his prize money to his family back home, help out his mother, buy a house and use a portion of it to take his new wife on a honeymoon to Miami.

Marvine Rosales-Martinez, 27, found a 'Win $1,000 a Week for Life' scratch-off card at a client's house in Bayville, New York, in November 2012 . New York Lottery investigated for a year before allowing Rosales-Martinez to collect his prize . He chose to take a lump sum, which after taxes amount to $515,612 .

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Test Match Sofa, the alternative cricket commentary which operates from central London not from Test venues, has this week been described as a 'predator' that needs to be 'nailed' and 'swept offline'. Here ANDREW MILLER, the editor of The Cricketer magazine, who owns TestMatchSofa.com, hits back at those allegations... Earlier this year, one of the oldest voices in cricket took a leap of faith and jumped into bed with one of the newest. The Cricketer magazine, established in 1921 by Pelham Warner, saw in Test Match Sofa, an irreverent online cricket commentary service established in Tooting in 2009 by Daniel Norcross, a spark of innovative potential that it simply could not afford to pass up. The tie-up was never going to be to everyone’s taste, but like two inter-joining circles on a Venn diagram, that was never really the point. In a print media market that seems to be shrinking as quickly as broadband speeds are rising, innovation is vital if you want to stay afloat. England expects: Alastair Cook (second, left) takes evasive action from a shot by Ajinkya Rahane of India 'A' during the final day of England's first warm-up match . Test . Match Sofa is an online broadcaster providing cricket ball-by-ball commentary for . all England test matches and selected One Day Internationals. The . station is available worldwide serving as alternative commentary to . the BBC's Test Match Special which is only available in the UK. The station began broadcasting from . the Tooting Bec home of one of the station's creators, Daniel . Norcross, but moved to a rented house in Nunhead, also in South . London, in August 2010. In January 2011, Test Match Sofa moved to an . undisclosed location, believed to be somewhere in central London. Listeners interact with the show's commentators through . Twitter, with this interaction often influencing the agenda. Follow Test Match Sofa on Twitter @TestMatchSofa . The Cricketer saw in Test Match Sofa a . cult following of young, technologically savvy cricket fans – a . demographic that it might not have attracted by any other means. In . return the Sofa was offered shelter and status, and a chance for that . seed of a concept to germinate. At a stroke, each had doubled their . potential audience, and shored up the other’s foundations. It was, and . remains, a win-win scenario. We . expected resistance to our venture, and it duly arrived – though not . from the quarters we had imagined. The ECB, recognising that we were not . breaching any rights, ceased correspondence on the subject back in May, . ahead of England’s Test series against West Indies. Test Match Special, . on the other hand, have taken the Sofa’s existence as a personal slight . – culminating in a declaration on Wednesday that it needed to be . 'nailed' and 'swept offline'. We're flattered by TMS’s attention, but baffled by their hostility. At what point in that magnificent programme's evolution did the promotion of cricket become a zero-sum game? To complain, as they do, that Test Match Sofa is a 'predator' that pays nothing for rights and gives nothing in return is a sad parody of the public access position the BBC once held dear. After a summer in which rain, the Olympics and the Tour de France combined to squeeze cricket to the margins of public interest, surely the game needs as many people as possible to make as much noise on its behalf as is feasible. Anyone who believes otherwise might also argue against letting schoolkids enter for free on the fifth day of a Test. The Sofa does not profess to fill the void by any means, but it provides a start. Through the use of Twitter (@testmatchsofa), every listener is offered a voice that, as often as not, will help dictate the narrative of the day’s play. In so doing, we aim to cement the enjoyment of a new breed of cricket listener – ones who, like those who will doubtless enter their blog comments below – want a conversation with their commentators, not a lecture. Different audience: The Test Match Sofa crew pose up . Surely, if any BBC institution could still be relied upon to uphold the company's Reithian principles it should be TMS, the voice of cricket for more than half a century and, let's be frank about this, the very reason why Norcross and his colleagues were inspired to establish the Sofa in the first place. Without exception, the Sofa team venerates TMS. Every one of the enthusiastic amateurs who give up their own time to watch cricket in a windowless studio do so because their youths were misspent with radios under their pillows and Wisdens in their stockings. Window to the world: Members of the BBC Radio Test Match Special team in the commentary box at Lord's with the window cut out on the far right. Front row, from left, Henry Blofeld, Jonathan Agnew and scorer Bill Frindall. Back row from left, producer Peter Baxter, assistant producer Shilpa Patel, Vic Marks, Mike Selvey, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Colin Croft and Tony Cozier . Test Match Special (known as TMS) provides ball-by-ball coverage of most Test cricket, One Day International, and Twenty20 matches and tournaments involving England. It is, rightly, considered by most cricket lovers THE place to listen to coverage of England matches. BBC Radio was the first broadcaster to cover every ball of a Test match. TMS is broadcast on Radio 4 long wave (198 LW). At times of cricket matches, the normal BBC Radio 4 schedule continues on its FM frequencies, while longwave is taken over by the cricket. This has sparked controversy with some Radio 4 listeners unable to change frequencies. The shipping forecast is, however, retained. TMS can also be heard via the Internet. TMS's coverage of England's tour to India had been under threat over fees demanded by the Indian board to broadcast from the grounds. However, TMS producer Adam Mountford revealed on Twitter on Thursday that a deal had finally been reached. 'We are pleased to confirm that Test Match Special will broadcast England's cricket tour of India from the grounds,' he said. Follow Adam Mountford on Twitter @tmsproducer . Jonathan Agnew and Christopher . Martin-Jenkins remain two of the greatest broadcasters of any . generation. But as a homogenized TMS leans more and more on ex-pros and . multi-sports specialists to fill the vacancies that crop up in the . course of time, one wonders where the next John Arlotts and Brian . Johnstons will appear to infuse cricket commentary with the whimsy and . digressions of old? I’d suggest, right now, the Sofa is the likelier of . the breeding grounds. And yet, TMS is still the undisputed master of the airwaves. Earlier this year, the question was put to me, rhetorically, what would happen if the BBC chose to stop broadcasting from the grounds and tried to do it off the telly? On account of the India access row, we might be about to find out … and I think the answer has come as a greater surprise to the BBC. Peter Baxter, the former TMS producer, understood the value of his product (and by extension the rights that the BBC pay) when in 1999, he demanded that a special window be cut in the middle of the enormous sheet of glass covering the front of the new Lord’s media centre. Quite rightly, he wanted to be able to dangle his effects mike into the crowd to provide total aural immersion to TMS’s legions of listeners. That sense of being there is priceless – it’s the hum of contented silence that tells you you’ve twiddled your long-wave radio to the right frequency – and it’s something that the BCCI, rarely slow to spot a changing trend, have recognised. Radio rights per se are irrelevant in the internet age. You can no sooner stop Test Match Sofa from commenting on the action than demand silence while fans watch it in the pub. The true value lies in being able to call it from the ground. Remarkably, it has taken the Sofa’s existence to remind TMS quite how important they are. Andrew Miller is editor of The . Cricketer magazine, who own TestMatchSofa.com . After reading the Cricketer on Thursday, Test Match Special presenter Jonathan Agnew tweeted: 'I've never read such hypocrisy & assumed knowledge as that spouted by the once great Cricketer magazine today. I won't be reading it again.' England's Twenty20 captain and former Sportsmail columnist Stuart Broad also weighed in to the argument, saying: 'Don't read the media Aggers... What have I told you!! Can only bring negativity to your world!'

We're no predator and no threat, Test Match Sofa hits back at BBC . Andrew Miller left baffled by hostility from Beeb . TMS anchor Agnew responds by threatening never to read magazine again . England T20 captain Broad supports Agnew in row .

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(CNN) -- The body of a fugitive U.S. marshal has been found in the city of Juarez, Mexico, according to the U.S. Marshals Service -- the latest discovery in a wave of violence that has gripped towns along the U.S.-Mexican border in recent months. The body of Deputy Marshal Vincent Bustamante was found Wednesday in Juarez, Mexico. The body of Deputy Marshal Vincent Bustamante -- who faced federal charges of stealing weapons and other government property -- was found in Juarez on Wednesday, said Marshals Service spokesman Jeff Carter. Bustamante appeared to have been shot in the back of the head, a federal law enforcement source said. Chihuahua state police said the body had multiple wounds to the head -- apparently consistent with an execution-style shooting, according to Edgar Roman, a reporter with XHIJ television in Juarez. Watch where the U.S. Marshal's body was found » . Bustamante, 48, was charged with stealing U.S. government property including Glock and Ruger handguns, a shotgun and a pair of binoculars, according to court documents. According to the federal source, who was not authorized to speak about details of the case and asked not to be named, a pawnshop owner became suspicious when Bustamante attempted to pawn a shotgun and called the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The source said Bustamante would buy back items he had pawned on his pay days and return them. Bustamante's attorney, Mike Torres, said a warrant was issued for Bustamante's arrest after he failed to appear at a court hearing last week. He said Bustamante was a 17-year veteran of the marshals and a former El Paso Police officer who lived in El Paso with his wife and two children. "He was a familiar face around the federal courthouse here," Torres said. "I'm very shocked by this and very saddened. "He had a lot of friends and a lot of people that cared about him." Carter said Bustamante was on administrative leave from the marshals and had been required to turn in his gun and badge. He said Bustamante had not been in Mexico on marshals business and that all of the weapons he was charged with stealing had been recovered. Carter said Bustamante was on "modified status" with the marshals, meaning he had been required to turn in his gun and badge outside of his official work hours. "What I can tell you is that the U.S. Marshals Service is saddened by the death of Deputy Bustamante and our thoughts and prayers are with his family," he said. Carter said U.S. marshals are working with the FBI and Mexican authorities to investigate the death. He said an autopsy will be conducted in Mexico, and another may be conducted once Bustamante's body is returned to the United States. Juarez, which sits across the border from El Paso, Texas, has become one of the major battlegrounds as drug cartels fight both each other and Mexican authorities. The conflict has made violence increasingly common in Juarez, Tijuana and other Mexican border towns. More than 400 deaths in the region have been attributed to the fighting this year. CNN's Anderson Cooper, Emily Robards and Devon Sayers contributed to this report.

Marshal's body found in border town of Juarez, Mexico . U.S. Marshals Service has no comment on cause of death . Marshal had been accused of theft of public property, service spokesman says .

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By . Shari Miller . PUBLISHED: . 08:02 EST, 16 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:13 EST, 16 August 2013 . Wedding plans: Brian Frain is facing jail for bigamy, but says he wants to marry for a third time to Donna Darwent . A bigamist facing jail, after it was revealed he was married to two women at the same time, says he can’t wait to serve his sentence - so that he is free to marry again. Brian Frain, 36, was rumbled by first wife Anne-Marie Sim when she saw pictures of his second wedding - to Margaret Meredith - on Facebook, seven years after they separated. He claimed that he had married for a second time, because he thought the marriage was automatically voided as they were separated. But even after he was arrested and prosecuted, Frain, from Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire, claims to have fallen in love again. He adds that he can’t wait to marry third wife, mum-of-four Donna Darwent, 33, despite still waiting for his divorces to be finalised. Frain said: 'I will take my punishment, because I know when I come out of prison, I will be with the love of my life. 'I have done the crime, so I have to take the punishment. 'I have held my hands up from day one. I did do it, but I did not do it deliberately. 'I assumed that after seven years apart, the marriage was void. 'I have since learned that it costs £45 and you may have to wait a couple of years if you do not get the person’s consent.' He added: 'Donna has made me grow up a lot. She has helped me through my ups and downs and made me a better person.' Frain married Anne-Marie Sim at Tameside Register Office, Dukinfield, Manchester, in June 1999 after a two-month whirlwind romance. They separated after two months and she moved to Scotland. Five years later she attempted to get in touch with Frain to seek a divorce as she wanted to re-marry. She contacted solicitors and hired a firm to track him down, but they couldn’t locate him. Eventually, . Mrs Frain turned detective herself and hunted him down through Facebook . - where she saw the wedding pictures of his marriage in September 2009 . to Margaret Louise Meredith, whom he had met two years earlier. Waiting for the wedding: Brian Frain, pictured with his new partner, Donna Darwent, must serve a sentence for bigamy before he can marry again . Brian Frain (right) arrives outside Tameside Magistrates court, where he was convicted of bigamy . Frain and Margaret had twins, and then married at the same register office where he had married Anne-Marie, ten years earlier. He told Thameside Magistrates’ Court that he had informed his second wife he had been married before, but the district judge said he did not believe him and accused him of deceiving Margaret Louise. A statement written by Ms Meredith was also read out to the court, which said: . 'Although I had been married before, I was under the impression that . this was Brian’s first marriage. 'The wedding went well. I truly believed that I was his first wife. This has obviously affected me.' Frain's second wife Margaret Louise Meredith . The case was adjourned for sentencing on September 12. Frain admitted he had affairs during his relationship with his second wife and decided to leave her. He said: 'I broke away from Margaret and started a relationship with Donna.' He said he experienced problems with access to the twins born from their relationship. Brian claimed: 'I cut all ties. That is why we moved to Cleethorpes. 'The first I knew there was a problem was in March when I was arrested at Cleethorpes Police Station. 'I am quite nervous. It could mean prison, but I want to move on and once it is all over I plan to marry Donna. 'I regret all that has happened. I have had to cut all ties with my second wife, which means losing the twins. 'But they are going to grow up and know their own minds and make their own decisions when they are older. 'So long as they know I have not abandoned them and what I did was for the best.' He said the strain had taken its toll on the relationship between him and Donna and both have been prescribed anti-depressants. Donna said: 'When this is done with we hope to pick up where we left off and get our lives back. 'I always said I would never marry. But I have never been settled before and never met my perfect partner. 'Then Brian came along and he has changed completely. My kids love him to bits. They see him as their father. I am committed enough to marry him.' Already taken: Brian Frain had not divorced his first wife when he married Margaret Louise Meredith in 2009 . Impact: In a statement read to the court, Margaret Meredith spoke of how her husband's bigamy affected her . Frain added: 'I let everyone know to be very careful and think about what they are doing and not rush into anything. 'Make sure you know your partner and discuss what you both want, otherwise it could be a lot of heartache and trouble, particularly if there are children.' Frain said he is finally getting a divorce from his first wife and has sought legal advice. Tameside Register Office in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester. Frain used the site for both weddings .

Brian Frain, 36, is facing a jail sentence for marrying Margaret Louise Meredith when he was still married to first wife, Anne-Marie Sim . Now he claims to want to marry for third time to Donna Darwent, 33, but must wait for divorces and has to serve his sentence . Frain was rumbled when his first wife found pictures of his second wedding in 2009 on Facebook . He thought marriage was over as they separated seven years before .

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By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:33 EST, 27 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:11 EST, 28 October 2012 . The latest peace bid in Syria appeared to have failed last night as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad renewed their attack on major cities, killing at least eight people and injuring hundreds more. The violence came on the second day of a truce called by Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN and Arab League peace envoy, to mark the Muslim Eid  al-Adha holiday. Opposition activists in the capital Damascus, second city Aleppo and the eastern city of Deir al-Zor, said the Syrian army started firing into residential areas at 7am. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says eight people were killed in an airstrike in the Damascus suburb of Arbeen. Heavy machine gun fire could also be heard along the Turkey-Syria border. Some 32,000 Syrians are believed to have died since the uprising began in March last year. Ongoing fight: At least five people were killed and 32 wounded in a car bomb attack in southern Damascus . Destroyed: Local people in the Daf El Shok area in southern Damascus . look at the damage to their neighbourhood from a car bomb . The unraveling of the cease-fire marked the latest setback to ending Syria's civil war through diplomacy. Foreign military intervention is unlikely, raising the grim prospect of a drawn-out war of attrition between President Bashar Assad and those trying to topple him. The proposed four-day truce during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha had been a long shot from the start since international mediator Brahimi failed to get solid commitments from all combatants. Fighting dropped off in the first hours of the cease-fire Friday, but by the end of the day, activists said 151 people had been killed in bombings and shootings, a standard daily toll in Syria. In the remote eastern town of Deir el-Zour, assailants detonated a car bomb near a military police compound, then opened fire at those rushing to the scene, killing a total of eight people and causing extensive damage, the Observatory said. Syrian media denied there were casualties. The attack bore the hallmarks of Jabhat al-Nusra, a radical rebel-allied Islamic group that has rejected the cease-fire. The Syrian air force also bombed rebel positions Saturday during a fierce battle for control over the main road linking Aleppo, Syria's largest city, with the capital, activists said. Earlier this month, rebels seized Maaret al-Numan, a town along the highway and besieged a nearby military base, disrupting regime supplies to embattled Aleppo. The Syrian air force has responded with sustained bombing raids on area villages. By nightfall Saturday, at least 49 people had been killed across Syria, including 16 Syrian soldiers, activists said. The Observatory reported deadly regime shelling and sniper attacks in several locations, while Syrian state-media said rebels ambushed a number of military positions. Under attack: Free Syrian Army members take cover after a tank attack in the streets Aleppo on Tuesday . Military analyst Joe Holliday said neither side has an incentive to halt fighting, noting that rebels have disrupted regime supply routes to the northern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. "The regime can't accept the current military status quo without a fight and the rebels have no reason to since they believe they have the momentum," said Holliday, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of War in Washington. Brahimi's spokesman declined comment on the apparent failure of his initiative. It's not clear what Brahimi's next move could be, since the international community is divided over the Syria conflict that erupted 19 months ago. Assad allies Russia and China have shielded the regime against harsher U.N. Security Council sanctions, while the rebels' foreign backers have shied away from military intervention. The U.S., meanwhile, is averse to sending strategic weapons to help the rebels break the battlefield stalemate, fearing they will fall into the hands of militant Islamists, who are increasingly active in rebel ranks. The al-Qaida-inspired Jabhat al-Nusra, for example, is believed to be on the front lines in Aleppo and near Maaret al-Numan. When Brahimi, the U.N.-Arab League envoy, first floated the idea of a holiday truce, he did not say what his long-term plan was. Anti-government: A woman curses Bashar Al Ashad after her family member was injured at a frontline hospital in Aleppo . Even a temporary reduction in violence during such a truce would not have been a springboard for talks between Assad and the opposition on ending the war. Syria's opposition says it will only negotiate if Assad resigns, a step the Syrian leader has refused to take. Some said Brahimi's initiative allowed a paralyzed international community to show briefly that it was doing something to try to end the war that has claimed more than 35,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands. Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Doha Center said the truce at least "provides the illusion of movement, that something is being done, that the international community is still trying to find a solution." Syrian state media accused the rebels of breaking the truce from the start. Yesterday, Lebanese broadcaster LBC TV said journalist Fidaa Itani, one of its employees covering Syria's civil war, was detained by the rebels and is being held in the town of Azaz near the Turkish border. The station quoted a local rebel leader in Azaz, Abu Ibrahim, as saying that rebels suspected Itani after he filmed many videos of rebels operations in Aleppo. Itani's Lebanese cell phone was closed when The Associated Press tried to reach him. The area also was the site of the May kidnapping of 11 Shiite Lebanese pilgrims who were on their way home from Iran. Two have been released while rebels say they will hold the others until Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, apologizes to the Syrian people for supporting Assad.

Violence came on the second day of a . truce called by Lakhdar Brahimi . Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says eight people were killed in an airstrike in the Damascus suburb of Arbeen .

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Michelle Obama's fringe was the subject of debate on Twitter after she appeared to have trouble keeping it out of her eyes while giving a speech. The First Lady had a blunt fringe - or bangs as they say in the U.S. - cut in January earlier this year. But in May she reverted to her longer, side-swept look after the President spoofed the look in some Photoshopped pictures shown during his annual speech at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in April. And today as she gave a speech at the G8 summit in Belfast, the First Lady went for a softer look with flicks reminiscent of Farrah Fawcett in the 70s. Scroll down for video . Fringegate: Michelle Obama's new longer 'bangs', as they are called in the U.S., may look softer - but viewers said it annoyed them when it constantly fell into her eyes . Trendy: The look, debuted by Michelle today at the G8 summit in Belfast, was reminiscent of Farrah Fawcett in the 70s - but it didn't win her many fans in cyberspace . And it was her growing locks that got cyberspace talking while she gave the televised speech in Belfast today. One user, Sue Crossan (@scrossannz), wrote on Twitter: 'Watching Michelle Obama's speech in Belfast. Impressive but I wish she would get her fringe sorted out. #badhairday.' Another user called Brennan McKeag (@brennanmckeag) added: 'Michelle Obama's fringe annoyed me the whole way through her speech, why didn't she just sweep it off her face!?' Nessa O'Mahoney (@Nessao) tweeted: 'Michelle Obama is a terrific speaker this morning. Inspirational. Why do I desperately want to give her a hair clip?' Got the message: At an event just a few hours later, her hair was more firmly cast out of her eyeline . Much better: Earlier in the day (left), her bangs were astray but the fringe was cast in place for a visit to The Gaiety Theatre in Dublin on Monday evening (right) The speech saw the First lady urge around 2,000 schoolchildren, university students and graduates to step outside their comfort zones, challenge the status quo and help create a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Mrs Obama spoke for 10 minutes before her husband took to the stage, and was introduced by 16-year-old schoolgirl Hannah Nelson, who spoke of her desire to see greater stability in Northern Ireland. She later flew to Dublin with daughters Malia, 14, and Sasha, 12. Disheveled: The errant hair caught the attention of members of the audience . Fringe whinge: These Twitter uses lashed out at Michelle's unruly fringe during her speech today . Bang on trend? Left, Michelle's longer, 70s style fringe that riled Twitter users today in Belfast. Right, the original fringe that garnered endless attention in a portrait released by the White House in February this year . No stragglers: A neat side-swept look in March 2011, left, and right, and a shorter look in June later the same year . Feeling quiffy? LLeft, a swept-back style from December 2011, and right, a little quiff in May the same year .

First Lady had blunt fringe cut in January this year . President Obama lampooned her haircut at White House speech in April . Michelle changed 'bangs' back to her former side-swept look in May . But today as she spoke at G8 summit the fringe constantly fell into her eyes . One Twitter user asked why the First Lady didn't sweep it off her face . Another said they wanted to 'give her a hair clip' But some hit back saying, 'Stop focusing on looks. She was there to speak'

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