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By . Chris Paine . These stark pictures clearly show the ravages of poor Lola's body after her own owners starved her for six weeks. The animal's spine, ribs and leg bones are clearly visible after Jennifer Plater and Michael Knight's shocking display of ill treatment of the weimaraner breed. Plater, 39, and her 40-year-old partner failed to turn up at court to face joint charges of causing unnecessary suffering to their dog, but were found guilty in their absence. Lola, a weimaraner breed, was brought in by authorities after being starved for six weeks by her owners Jennifer Plater and Michael Knight - who have been convicted of animal cruelty . The animal's spine, ribs and leg bones are clearly visible, and she weighed just 15.5kg when she was brought in . Vet Angus McKenzie, who examined Lola on behalf of the RSPCA, rated her on an 0 - 5 body weight index emaciation scale at just 0.5 . Magistrates have now issued an arrest warrant for the pair, warning that they could face up to four months in jail for the offences. Tony Stock, prosecuting, said that the alarm had been raised after neighbours called in the RSPCA to investigate after becoming concerned about Lola's severe weight loss. He said: 'They said that they could see every bone in her body, she was so thin.' RSPCA Inspector Vicky McDonald was called to the house and seized the dog after finding that Lola was 'very emaciated' with her skeletal features visible. Speaking at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Court, Mr Stock added: 'When she lifted Lola into the Society's vehicle she was taken aback by how light Lola was and how easy it was to lift her.' Vet Angus McKenzie, who examined Lola on behalf of the charity, rated her on an 0 - 5 body weight index emaciation scale at just 0.5. He found the dog to be dehydrated and suffering as a result of being starved for 'at least six weeks or longer'. Lola's weight has increased her weight to 21.4kg from 15.5kg - a gain of 47.6 per cent - within six weeks of being taken into care . Lola was taken into the care of the RSPCA on December 14 weighing 15.5 kg. But by January 29, pointed out Mr Stock, she had increased her weight through normal feeding to 21.4 kg or a 47.6 per cent weight gain. The couple, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, face joint charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the pet by failing to investigate her weight loss and poor condition. They were also accused of failing in a duty of care to ensure they met the dog's needs for fresh drinking water. The dog has now been happily re-homed by the RSPCA.

Jennifer Plater and Michael Knight found guilty of animal cruelty . Couple starved Lola, a weimaraner breed of dog, for at least six weeks . Lola weighed 15.5kg when found and rated at 0.5 on 0-5 body weight index . Warrant issued for the pair's arrest as RSPCA finds Lola a new home .

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Lewis Hamilton’s victory was his seventh of the season, three more than Nico Rosberg and two more than the Briton secured during his championship year of 2008. He has now led 63 grands prix during his 143-race career, surpassing David Coulthard’s British record. Michael Schumacher’s all-time record is 142. Lewis Hamilton poses on the podium with his trophy and champagne after winning the Singapore Grand Prix . Singapore is one of the toughest tests on the calendar given the searing heat, humidity and the race’s length — yesterday’s reached the two-hour limit before the scheduled number of laps was completed — and it appeared to take its toll on the rookies. Daniil Kyvat, 19, asked to park his Toro Rosso after his drinks bottle failed before the race started, while McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen, 21, required medical attention for burns following an unexplained build-up of heat in his cockpit. He, too, was unable to take on liquids during the race and was seen with his arm raised in a bid to direct cool air down his back. ‘It was the hardest point I’ve ever earned,’ the Dane said after finishing 10th. Kevin Magnussen suffered burns on his back after his cockpit overheated at the Singapore Grand Prix . In the wake of Rosberg’s arm-waving retirement (right) on lap 13, and the conspiracy theories which followed the Italian Grand Prix, Lotus rather mischievously tweeted: ‘@nico_rosberg now wondering if anyone will notice if he joins the @MercedesAMGF1 crew for the next @LewisHamilton pit stop…’ Unsurprisingly, the Hamilton fans, adamant Mercedes have been conspiring against their man all season, were rather quiet on the social-media front yesterday. Nico Rosberg signals to the Mercedes crew as he retires from the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday . With Hamilton now leading the table, it’s worth recalling his four wins on the spin in Malaysia, Bahrain, China and Spain. On the 21 occasions a driver has won four straight races, they’ve gone on to take the title. Rosberg’s day got off to a bad start when the car chosen to show him off to the crowd — a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL — stalled with him on the back. Rosberg can't hide his frustration as he has to watch on from pit lane as Hamilton takes the title lead . The Singapore Grand Prix kept its unique record of seeing a safety car deployed at every race since its inception in 2008 after Sergio Perez’s front wing shattered across the track. The Singapore Grand Prix has created a record of deploying the safety car at every race since its inception .

Hamilton has surpassed David Coulthard's British record for leading races . Daniil Kyvat and Kevin Magnussen toil in the heat of Singapore . Lotus team tweet making mischief out of Nico Rosberg's misery .

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By . Luke Salkeld . A wife who secretly buried her dead husband under a garden rockery and continued to collect his benefits payments for four years was jailed yesterday. Rebekah Sturdey disposed of her husband Geoffrey's body on their isolated small holding - and pocketed over £70,000. The 56-year-old carried out the secret burial with two other women after he died aged 60 of a suspected heart attack. Cover-up: The body of Geoffrey Sturdey was hidden by his wife Rebekah on a remote farm in West Wales . Officials became suspicious after disability allowance and pension credits totalling £77,318 were paid in Mr Sturdey's name after he was last seen alive in 2008. A court heard Mrs Sturdey told investigators her husband had gone on a touring holiday around Europe. But checks revealed he had no valid passport and a £20,000 aerial and land search was launched by a specialist forensic team to find his body in a plot on the land near Tregaron, West Wales. Sturdey buried her husband with the help of his paid carer, Boqer-Ore Adie and Adie's daughter, Karmel. Prosecutor Huw Rees said Adie, 43, was paid in excess of £19,000 in income support and carers' allowance for looking after Mr Sturdey in the years after he died. The Department for Work and Pensions said after October 2008, when Mr Sturdey died, his wife and carer claimed £21,718 in disability living allowances, £9,415 in carer's allowance, £10,143 in income support and £36,041 in pension credits. Search: Sturdey was sentenced to 20 months for preventing the lawful and decent burial after police discovered the body at her home (pictured) Mr Rees said: 'He was buried in a rockery at twice the depth of a normal grave. 'The women later admitted the rockery was the easiest place to bury a body but it was what he wanted. 'His body was remarkably well-preserved and he was identified by his dental records. 'The women were originally arrested on suspicion of murder but tests showed he had died of natural causes. Avoided jail: Karmel Adie 25 admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of Geoffrey Sturdey and was given a nine month suspended sentence at Swansea Crown Court . 'He had a history of stroke and heart attacks.' The court heard it had been Mr Sturdey's wish to be buried on his land at the 20-acre farm. Swansea Crown Court heard Iranian-born Mrs Sturdey and her British-born husband had set up a religious community along with Adie and her two children. Mr Rees explained: 'Their home contained a large number of religious books. 'They were not part of any organised group but they studied the Bible, particularly the Old Testament and Adi had taught herself Hebrew. 'Mr Sturdey had chosen his own burial plot where he expected to be raised from the dead. 'The group expected Jesus's return to earth after his death.' Mrs Sturdey and Adie carried on being paid the benefits after his death in October 2008. Investigators found more than £6,000 cash in a sweet tin, and gold worth £50,000. Sturdey and Adie admitted fraud by failing to notify authorities they were in receipt of disability allowance and pension credits in Mr Sturdey's name. Their Beth Berin 'wildlife haven' and religious community was at the end of a remote track near the village of Llwynygroes, deep in the Welsh countryside. Warnings on the gate told hikers and walkers to keep away and the Ten Commandments were pinned up on a board at the entrance. Mrs Sturdey admitted conspiracy to prevent the lawful and decent burial of her husband. Adie and stepdaughter Karmel Adie, 25, admitted the same charge. Representing Sturdey, Christopher James said: 'She respected his wishes for his burial. They did not wish for a post mortem examination to be carried out. 'The burial was in accordance with their Biblical beliefs.' Mrs Sturdey and Adie were both given 20 months in prison. Karmel Adie was given a nine-month suspended sentence. Judge Keith Thomas described their crime as 'highly unusual and a unique set of circumstances'. He said: 'You took advantage of the sad death of Geoffrey Sturdey to conceal the fact he had passed away and deliberately continued to claim benefits. 'You were not entitled to that money. 'Whatever the motivation for burying him on the land without notifying the authorities, it gave you the opportunity to enrich yourself at the expense of the rest of us. 'You told a series of lies to fool the authorities. This was a calculated fraud.' Mr Sturdey's body has since been reburied under the rockery in accordance with his wishes.

Rebekah Sturdey hid her husband' Geoffrey's body on their small holding . The 56-year-old carried out the secret burial after he died of a heart attack . She pocketed £70,000 in benefits after he was last seen alive in 2008 . Was sentenced to 20 months in prison at Swansea Crown Court .

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(CNN) -- Jesse Owens' 1936 gold medal sold for $1,466,574 at auction Sunday, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for Olympic memorabilia. New owner Ron Burkle, a billionaire investor and co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, plans to use it for a future educational tour of historic pieces. This medal is considered one of the most important in Olympics history and is one of four Owens won at the 1936 games in Berlin, spoiling Adolf Hitler's planned showcase of Aryan superiority. Imagine the shock to Nazi Party elites when a black American, the son of a sharecropper and a grandson of slaves, stared down fascist propaganda, bested his rivals and took home four gold medals. Documentary explores Jesse Owens' life beyond victory . Hitler was furious, but tens of thousands of ordinary Germans cheered him on. Owens won the 100- and 200-meter sprints, the long jump and ran the opening leg for the winning 4x100-meter U.S. relay team. "It leaves one nearly speechless to behold this medal. It survives as one of the world's most poignant symbols of triumph," the vice president of SCP Auctions, Dan Imler, said in a statement. No one knows where the other three original medals are, the auction house said. Owens gave this medal to friend Bill "Bojangles" Robinson a few years after the Olympics, and the late entertainer's widow, Elaine Plaines-Robinson, sold the medal, the auction house said. The forgotten godfathers of black American sport . Owens never cashed in on his Olympic glory. Instead of earning a living from his extraordinary athleticism, he ended up opening a dry cleaning business and occasionally raced against horses at the behest of promoters. "People said it was degrading for an Olympic champion to run against a horse, but what was I supposed to do?" Owens once said, according to an ESPN.com article. "I had four gold medals, but you can't eat four gold medals." Owens eventually made a good living in public relations and as a public speaker. He died in 1980. Opinion: Haunting lesson of Nazi Olympics . CNN's Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

Jesse Owens' only remaining gold medal sells at auction for nearly $1.5 million . It's the highest price ever paid for Olympic memorabilia . New owner Ron Burkle, co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, plans to put in on tour . It is unclear what happened to Owens' three other medals .

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Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has described the violent clashes that left one Deportivo La Coruna fan dead and several people injured as 'disgusting' and said there is no place in football for the 'scum' responsible. Trouble erupted before Atletico's home Primera Division match with Depor on Sunday morning and resulted in the death of a man in his 40s. The man, who has not been named officially, was still alive when firefighters pulled him out of the Manzanares river near Atletico's home ground. Deportivo La Coruna and Atletico Madrid fans clash outside Vicente Calderon Stadium on Sunday . In a critical condition, he was taken to the San Carlos Clinic in Madrid by ambulance but died shortly after. 'A patient, a male in his 40s, arrived at the hospital with cardiac arrest and suffering from hypothermia. Despite lengthy attempts to resuscitate him, he could not recover from the cardiac arrest and died,' Isabel Diez, press officer at San Carlos Clinic, told Press Association Sport. 'We don't know the exact causes as only an autopsy can determine.' The running battles between rival 'ultras' - hardcore supporters - reportedly started around 9am in the vicinity of Atletico's Vicente Calderon stadium ahead of a match that began at midday local time (1100GMT). Rival fans were filmed throwing objects at each other on and near the road alongside the Manzanares river . The man was taken out of the river suffering head injuries, cardiac arrest and hypothermia, before dying . According to El Pais newspaper, 20 people have been arrested and more identified following the trouble which lasted for around an hour and was said to have involved up to 200 people. Among those injured, three were reportedly from stab wounds and a policeman was also hurt. Gil Marin said on his club's website: 'It's disgusting, that scum has no place in football. I only hope they identify those responsible and they can't repeat such deplorable acts as these.' The Atletico chief also distanced genuine football fans from the trouble, adding: 'This is a social issue linked to political thoughts because hooligans of Rayo are coupled with hooligans the Deportivo to fight with hooligans of Atletico Madrid. 'This isn't football, it has nothing to do with that. It's a disgrace and deplorable. We will listen to the police and authorities and decide what measures can be taken beyond those which have already been taken, which are many. 'If someone is able to identify who has done it, please report it, because it's very important that those responsible end up in prison. Also, let all the people of football join together to try and avoid a repeat of this tragedy.' Depor president Tino Fernandez echoed those thoughts, although he said he was not aware of the exact details of what had happened. Deportivo La Coruna fans raise their scarves during their match against Atletico Madrid on Sunday . Atletico's Arda Turan shapes to cross in his side's 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna . He said: 'It's tragic and horrendous news. Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased. We are at his family and friends' complete disposal to help them in any way we can.' Depor coach Victor Fernandez said after the match: 'It's one of the saddest days in Spanish football in recent years. They are reprehensible and despicable acts.' Spanish league authorities (the LFP) also condemned the trouble and had wanted the match - which was won 2-0 by Atletico - to be postponed but said it was not possible. The LFP also offered their condolences to the family of the man who died, as did the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). RFEF general secretary Jorge Perez also explained that, after only receiving information about the seriousness of the incidents just before kick-of, it was considered 'counter-productive' to postpone the match due to security reasons. He said in Marca: 'Eleven minutes before the start of Atletico Madrid-Deportivo, Victoriano Sanchez Arminio (president of the referee's committee) received a call from the LFP and another from the match referee. 'He spoke with a member of the RFEF and, with the stadium full and little time left, for reasons of security and public order it was decided that it could be counter-productive to suspend it.'

A 43-year-old Deportivo fan died after suffering head injuries . The man has been named as Francisco Javier Romero Taboada . Dozens of fans clashed outside Calderon stadium before Sunday's match . The man was rescued from Manzanares river but died at 2pm local time . Police said 20 people taken into custody and 100 troublemakers identified . Atletico president Enrique Cerezo condemned violence before man died .

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A Montana man who painstakingly gathered and reassembled parts of five $100 bills eaten by his golden retriever has been reimbursed by the U.S. Treasury for the 'mutt-ilated' currency. Wayne Klinkel of Helena, Montana received a $500 check earlier this week. His 12-year-old dog, Sundance, downed all but half of one of the bills in December. Taste for money: Sundance, the golden retriever known for eating five $100 bills, rejects the taste of this check his owner Wayne Klinkel received after painstakingly reassembling parts of five $100 bills eaten by the dog last year . Sundance snacked on the cash in the family vehicle while Klinkel and his wife ate at a restaurant. They were on a road trip to visit their daughter in Colorado. However, when they returned to the car the money - aside from the dollar bill - was gone. 'I thought 'You dumb SOB,'' Klinkel told the Helena Independent Record. 'I couldn't believe he did that.' Klinkel says he carefully picked through the dog's droppings to recover parts of the bills and his daughter recovered more when the snow melted armed with rubber gloves for the rest of the vacation. Expensive tastes: Sundance managed to scoff five $100 bills when his owner Wayne Klinkel left him in his car - leaving a $1 note which was amidst the cash . Knowing that paper doesn't digest, he managed to pick portions of the gobbled notes out of the dog's poop. 'I . pretty much recovered two fairly complete bills, and had some other . pieces,' Klinkel said. 'But it wasn't nearly enough there to do anything . with it.' His . daughter's husband later found more pieces of the $100 bills and Church . brought them to her parent's home next time she visited. After letting the money soak in dish soap for a week, Klinkel drained and rinsed the pieces and let them dry. Refund? This is one of the five pieced together notes Klinkel sent to the treasury, wrapped in plastic bags and retrieved from Sundance's bathroom visits . He . then pieced the bills back together like a puzzle, taped them up and . put each note in its own plastic bag, according to the Record. He . took the recovered notes to a local bank where tellers laughed heartily . at his ordeal then suggested he send the mutilated currency to the . Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, with a letter . explaining how the money came to be destroyed. The notes were then sent to the U.S. Treasury in April of this year with an explanation. 'Sundance is notorious for eating anything and everything, so right away I knew what happened.' Klinkel followed the pet around armed with rubber gloves for the rest of the family vacation. 'I . pretty much recovered two fairly complete bills, and had some other . pieces,' Klinkel said. 'But it wasn't nearly enough there to do anything . with it.' His daughter's husband later found more pieces. Vacation work: Klinkel closely guarded his pet's poop while on vacation so he could piece together the bits of bills that remained . After letting the money soak in dish soap for a week, Klinkel drained and rinsed the pieces and let them dry. He took the recovered notes to a local bank where tellers laughed heartily at his ordeal then suggested he send the mutilated currency to the Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, with a letter explaining how the money came to be destroyed. He got a receipt for the bills 10 days later, and didn’t hear from the Treasury until he received the check earlier this week. 'I gave Sundance a pat, showed it to him and told him not to eat it,' said Klinkel. He said there wasn’t any correspondence with the check, but the memo section in the bottom left read: 'MUT.CURR REFUND.' He said that he wasn't angry with his beloved pet. 'Sundance may have eaten my money, but what he took he gives back in unconditional love,' Klinkel said.

Man left $500 in $100 bills in the back of his car but his Golden Retriever ate them all . Spent the next few days waiting for the notes to pass through . Notes pieced back together and sent to U.S. Treasury . Check to place the entire amount arrived earlier this week .

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(CNN) -- Somali pirates demanded a $7 million ransom for a British couple kidnapped aboard their yacht last week, a British agency said Friday. The British government says it won't pay. "The government will not make substantive concessions for hostage takers, including the payments of ransom," the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said. Paul and Rachel Chandler, who were snatched last week from their yacht in the Indian Ocean, had been held aboard a Singaporean cargo ship hijacked by pirates. They have been moved to a hijacked Spanish ship that pirates have stocked with more supplies and armed men, a local journalist in contact with the pirates said Friday. The pirates moved them to the Spanish vessel after elders in the Somali town of Haradhere refused a pirate request to allow the Chandlers ashore, the journalist said. The journalist's identity is not being disclosed for security reasons. After hours of negotiation, the couple spoke with Rachel Chandler's brother, Stephen Collett, on Friday -- a phone conversation that was videotaped by CNN's British affiliate ITN. In the conversation, Rachel Chandler confirmed only that they had been moved from the Singaporean cargo ship, but not their current location, the network reported. "We're managing. They tell us that we're safe and that we shouldn't worry and that if we want anything, they will provide it in terms of food and, you know, water," an emotional Rachel Chandler told Collett. "They're very hospitable people, so don't worry. ... Physically we're fine; physically, we're healthy." Paul Chandler spoke slowly and carefully in the interview: . "Rachel and I are here. We are fine," he told Collett. "We know nothing here. It is nice to speak to you. I can only say we are well and that's as far as I can say." Collett read a message to the captors, asking them to release his sister and her husband to show "your compassionate nature." ITN reporter Angus Walker noted that Paul Chandler's tone sounded more strained than during their conversation Thursday, when he laughed at one point and sounded more relaxed. In their Thursday conversation, Chandler told ITN that men with guns had boarded the couple's yacht, demanding money and taking everything of value. Paul Chandler spoke later with the BBC's Somali Service, reportedly saying, "We are well and being looked after OK." He said they were being fed and "food is OK at the moment." The pirates abandoned the Chandlers' yacht, the 38-foot Lynn Rival, which the British Royal Navy found drifting in international waters Thursday. The Chandlers set off from the Seychelles islands on October 21 bound for Tanzania, according to their blog. A distress beacon was activated on October 23, according to naval officials. Britain's Foreign Office said it has been in close contact with the couple's family. Pirates have been very active off the east coast of Africa in the past several years, operating out of lawless Somalia. Two vessels were attacked the day after the Chandlers set sail. One of them -- a cargo ship -- was successfully boarded and seized off the Seychelles, while the other fought off its attackers near the Kenyan coast. Thursday, pirates attacked and boarded a Thai-flagged fishing vessel about 200 miles north of the Seychelles, according to the European Union Naval Force. Attacks in the region have significantly increased this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crimes. But successful attacks have gone down as a result of a strong presence of international monitors. The first nine months of this year has seen more pirate attacks than all of last year, the bureau reported October 21. From January 1 through September 30, pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks, compared with 293 in all of 2008, it said. More than half of this year's attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia. Out of those attacks, Somali pirates successfully hijacked 32 vessels and took 533 hostages. Eight people were wounded, four were killed and one is missing, the bureau said.

NEW: British government says it won't pay ransom . Pirates move kidnapped British couple to hijacked Spanish ship . Pirate source says ship has more men and weapons on board . British couple left Seychelles for Tanzania on October 21 .

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(CNN) -- Amnesty International has accused Hamas militants in Gaza of kidnapping, killing and torturing fellow Palestinians they accuse of spying for Israel, the organization announced Tuesday. Hamas supporters stand on the rubble of a building hit by an Israeli strike that killed Hamas' interior minister. According to Amnesty International, at least 24 Palestinian men -- most of them civilians -- were shot and killed by Hamas gunmen during the recent Israeli offensive aimed at crippling the Hamas leadership in Gaza. "Scores of others have been shot in the legs, kneecapped or inflicted with other injuries intended to cause permanent disability," the human rights organization said in a news release. Hamas leaders have publicly accused followers of its rival Palestinian political faction, Fatah, of spying for the Israelis during the conflict, and they have said many have been arrested for collaborating with the Jewish state. But they deny ordering any reprisal attacks against suspected spies, instead blaming rogue elements. The Israeli military offensive in Gaza was launched at the end of December and ended three weeks later, when Israeli forces withdrew under the terms of a cease-fire agreement. Amnesty said that the targets of "Hamas' deadly campaign" include prisoners who escaped from Gaza's central prison when Israeli forces bombed it in the initial days of the military conflict. Some prisoners injured in the Israeli bombing were "shot dead in the hospitals where they were receiving treatment," Amnesty said. "The perpetrators of these attacks did not conceal their weapons or keep a low profile, but, on the contrary, behaved in a carefree and confident -- almost ostentatious -- manner," it said. Other targets included former members of Palestinian Authority security forces and supporters of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. Fatah, which is based in the West Bank, has denied spying on Hamas. Fatah leaders have accused Hamas of rounding up at least 175 of their members in Gaza during the Israeli war and torturing them. The two Palestinian factions have been locked in a power struggle since Hamas won parliamentary elections in January 2006 and wrested Gaza from Fatah in violent clashes the following year. Abbas is a U.S. ally and regularly negotiates with Israel as the Palestinian leader, but he holds little sway in Gaza. Fatah supporters have been accused of helping the Israeli military conduct its campaign in Gaza, which targeted the Hamas leadership. Neighbors of Hamas Interior Minister Said Siam said they suspected Fatah supporters helped Israel pinpoint his location when they bombed his house on January 15. Siam was highest-ranking Hamas member killed in the Israeli offensive. Most of those suspected of spying for Israel have been abducted from their homes and then "dumped -- dead or injured -- in isolated areas," according to Amnesty International. During the Gaza conflict, medical officials at Gaza City's main medical facility, Shifa Hospital, said injuries they witnessed were consistent with people being shot in the kneecaps, elbows, hands or feet. Punishment shootings are a time-tested tactic used worldwide by guerrilla and militia groups, from Che Guevara in Cuba to the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland. They are meant not only to take revenge but also to send a message to others. Two self-described Fatah loyalists were found heavily bandaged at a Gaza City safe house during the recent conflict. One of their colleagues refused to say where or why they were injured, but they denied spying. "They shot him at close range with a pistol," he said of one man. "His bones are shattered. They shot him point-blank in the foot. ... This was done by Hamas people." The other man, he said, was struck on his legs with a metal construction bar. "Four people were beating him," he said. A Hamas security source told CNN the shootings occurred because renegade gunmen took the law into their own hands. Ehad al-Ghossain, Hamas' Interior Ministry spokesman, said there was no official order within Hamas to carry out such shootings. "That's not us," al-Ghossain said. "Maybe some families who had problems in the past just wanted to shoot these people." CNN's Karl Penhaul contributed to this report .

NEW: Some people shot as they lay in hospitals, Amnesty International says . Two dozen Palestinians killed by Hamas, rights group says . Hamas accused the victims of spying for Israel, group says . Hamas blames attacks on rogue elements .

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By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 08:54 EST, 30 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:07 EST, 30 May 2013 . Religious figure: Alan John Miller says he 'remembered' in 2004 that he was Jesus Christ . A former IT specialist who claims that he is Jesus Christ has attracted a following in his native Australia from as far afield as Britain and the U.S. Alan John Miller, 50, says that not only is he Jesus, but his girlfriend Mary Luck is Mary Magdalene, who according to the Bible was present at the crucifixion. In one recording he says: 'There's . probably a million people who say they're Jesus and most of them are in . asylums. 'But one of us has to be. How do I know I am? Because I remember . everything about my life.' Mr Miller has 'very clear memories' of his crucifixion 2,000 years ago, but claims that he only 'remembered' that he was Jesus in 2004. He explains on his Divine Truth website that he and 'other . Celestial Angels' tried to convey divine truth to an American man named James . Padgett between 1914-23 in New York. However, 'unfortunately, no-one really fully understood the message . that was given.' So Mr Miller and Mary Magdalene . 'found a way to return to earth to demonstrate these Truths', with '7 . soul pairs, or 14 people', to teach people themselves. Miller, a divorced father-of-two, said his first marriage broke down when he 'began to remember details' of the incarnation. Holy couple: Miller with Mary Luck, who believes that she is Mary Magdalene . Mr Miller now runs his Divine Truth church from his home near the small town of Kingaroy in the state of Queensland. He can attract up to 150 people to his sermons. Mr Miller and Miss Luck do not have conventional employment and their lifestyles appear to be funded by supporter donations though they say that followers are not pressed to give money. However, followers are encouraged to give money to them and British woman Louise 'Luli' Faver, 39, is a former neuroscientist who has given up her career to be closer to the couple. Following: Miller has attracted up to 150 people to his sermons . The Divine Truth website says: 'Luli does not have any other source of income aside from your donations and gifts, and she provides every service free-of-charge. Your donations in this section go directly towards Luli's living expenses. This allows Luli to do her voluntary work full-time.' Through DVDs, the internet and personal appearances AJ Miller is spreading his word globally. Another disciple, George Hamel, moved from California, leaving behind his wife and businesses so he can be closer to Mr Miller. Some 30 devoted followers have bought up much of the land surrounding Miller's compound, where he has been living since 2007.

Alan John Miller and his girlfriend claim to be Jesus and Mary Magdalene . Miller runs the Divine Truth church from Kingaroy, Queensland . A British neuroscientist has given up her job to move there .

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COCHABAMBA, Bolivia (CNN) -- A hundred years ago a Brazilian physician, Carlos Chagas, showed that monkeys were susceptible to a rare parasitic illness carried by a particular Latin American bug. A mother and baby visit a clinic in Bolivia to get tested for Chagas. Today an estimated 16 to 18 million people are infected with Chagas, as the disease is now known, and it claims some 50,000 lives each year. Yet most people have never heard of it. Chagas disease is exclusive to Latin America, and kills more people there than any other parasitic illness, including malaria. In Bolivia, an estimated one in five people are infected. So why is so little known about the disease? One crucial reason is that it only affects the poor. In the mud and thatch homes of rural villages and urban slums, bugs known locally as vinchuca, make their home in cracks in the walls and holes in the roofs. The bugs carry the parasite that causes chagas, in their saliva and their feces. Infection occurs when they bite, or if their are unknowingly eaten in uncooked food, or rubbed in the eye. Infected women can transfer chagas to their child during pregnancy, delivery or while breastfeeding. In its early stages, Chagas it is eminently treatable, but there are many problems. "Most people don't know they've been infected," says Dr. Tom Ellman, who works in Bolivia with humanitarian agency, Doctors Without Borders. He told CNN: "Many of them will drop down dead usually from heart problems cause by the disease 10, 20, 30 years after they've been infected and no one will know why." For Dr. Ellman, this lack of effective treatment is a symptom of a much sadder cause. "In terms of getting better treatment, you're not going to have the interest of pharmaceutical companies, who will only investigate new drugs if there is a market that is willing to buy them. "What we need now is more interest. We're still using drugs invented over forty years ago, that have huge numbers of side effects and take sixty or ninety days to work," he told CNN. Even after these extensive courses of anti-parasitic drugs, there is no definitive test to see if the patient has been cured. Doctors can only advise patients to return in two years. Dr. Ellman also has particular concerns for children over the unavailability of new drugs: "At the moment we have to cut adult doses of tablets into much smaller sizes for children which brings pricks of getting the dosage wrong and makes it much more complicated." Chagas can be detected via blood test. In the clinics where Doctors Without Borders work, they advise parents to have themselves and their children tested whenever they visit a clinic. But the challenge they face is vast. How to make a population wise to the threat of a disease that is already plaguing them, and that many have still never heard of. Tom Peck contributed to this report .

Chagas is a deadly disease that largely affects people in Latin America . An estimated 16 to 18 million people are infected with Chagas . The disease remains largely unknown, even where infection is rife . There have been no new drugs discovered in 40 years .

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By . Peter Allen . PUBLISHED: . 11:42 EST, 15 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:53 EST, 15 March 2013 . The mistress: French first lady Valerie Trierweiler was accused of 'embezzlement' because she is using taxpayers' money while not actually married . The French first lady was today accused of ‘embezzlement’ because she is using taxpayers’ money while not actually married. In a criminal case which places a question mark against President Francois Hollande’s decision to have a live-in-lover, Miss Trierweiler is described as nothing more than a ‘mistress’. Xavier Kemlin, a multi-millionaire Frenchman, insists that the 48-year-old magazine journalist ‘should not take advantage’ of public funds. He has filed the complaint at a criminal court in Saint-Etienne, in the Loire department of eastern France. It . states that the presidential couple ‘are neither married, nor civil . partners,’ and that ‘our taxes’ should not have to ‘house, feed, pay the . staff and travel of a woman with whom taxpayers have ‘no link in law’. Despite being an avowed Socialist, Mr . Trierweiler has become noted for her luxury lifestyle since moving into . the Elysee Palace last year. She not only has access to official homes, cars and planes, but also retains her own office and staff. Mr . Kemlin, a French taxpayer who lives in Switzerland, is furious at the . huge increases in charges being introduced by her husband’s government. They include a proposed 75 per cent top rate of income tax. Mr . Kemlin mocked Ms Trierweiler’s continued support for gay marriage, . while being nothing more than the girlfriend of a politician who has . never wed. He said the situation made France ‘the laughing stock of all head of state’ during visits around the world. Controversy: In a criminal case which places a question mark against the decision of President Francois Hollande (left) to have a live-in-lover, Miss Trierweiler (right) is described as nothing more than a 'mistress' Although Ms Trierweiler could . technically go to prison for the offence of embezzlement, Mr Kemlin said . his criminal was meant to highlight ‘the ambiguous relationship’ she . had with the president. Last . year it emerged that Ms Trierweiler was once the shared mistress of Mr . Hollande and married conservative minister, Patrick Devedjian – all . while she was still married to her second husband. Mr Hollande was at the time living with Segolene Royal, the mother of his four children and a senior Socialist politician in her own right. Miss Trierweiler, a former political affairs reporter who now writes arts pieces for Paris Match, is nicknamed ‘Valerie Rottweiler’ and ‘First Concubine’ by the French media because of her unpopularity. Last June, she sent a Twitter message encouraging voters to support a rival to Miss Royal in parliamentary elections. Miss Royal went on to lose the election and since then neither she, nor her four children with Mr Hollande, have spoken to Miss Trierweiler, accusing her of a ‘stab in the back’. The mutual loathing between Miss Royal and Miss Trierweiler is regularly highlighted.

Valerie Trierweiler is accused of being just Francois Hollande's 'mistress' Accusations made in criminal court complaint by millionaire Xavier Kemlin . He claims she makes France the 'laughing stock of all heads of state' Says tax shouldn't 'house, feed, fund woman with 'no legal link' to taxpayer .

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Prisoners in a new 'superjail' will have a choice of Christmas dinners costing taxpayers more than the food given to patients at nearby hospitals, it has emerged. Inmates at the £150million HMP Grampian, in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, will be tucking into chicken Balmoral and chocolate gateau on Christmas Day at a cost of £2.47 per prisoner. Patients in NHS Grampian hospitals have just 89p spent on them for a two-course meal on average - although it does rise to £2.17 on December 25. Inmates at the £150million HMP Grampian, in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, will be tucking into Chicken Balmoral and chocolate gateau on Christmas Day at a cost of £2.47 per prisoner . While taxpayers will pay £2.47 per prisoner per meal at the £150million HMP Grampian (pictured), patients in NHS Grampian hospitals will have just £2.17 spent on their Christmas meals . The difference in price has already been branded 'bizarre' by campaigners. Eben Wilson, of TaxpayerScotland, said: 'This bizarre revelation just shows us the level of control the state has on our money. 'Obviously, we would like to think that patients would be treated more favourably at Christmas than convicted criminals. 'It seems like it is the season of goodwill for some men and not others.' Prisoners were given menu sheets covering four days - Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and January 2. On December 25 they will have the choice of either chicken Balmoral or a mushroom, brie and hazelnut wellington for their main course. Their brightly coloured menus feature pictures of Father Christmas, holly, sheep and bells with space at the top for the prisoner to write in their name, number and which wing they live in. Inmates were also handed a wordsearch with movie titles to keep them occupied in their cells. For their Boxing Day meal, they can choose between a burger, a pizza, lasagne or curry. The New Year's Day selection features either a steak pie or a nut roast slice. For their Boxing Day meal (left), they can choose between a burger, a pizza, lasagne or curry. A menu for January 2 (right) features a kebab, fish cakes, ginger sponge  and macaroni cheese . The cost of hospital patients food on Christmas Day rises to £2.17 for the main meal of the day with patients offered the choice of four dishes, including turkey with trimmings. In the evening, a cold buffet style tea is provided for patients at a food cost of approximately £1.79 each. Peterhead councillor Alan Buchan, a vocal critic of the prison, said: 'Peterhead has six of ten of the most deprived areas of Aberdeenshire in it including the most deprived area. 'I have constituents who can't afford to switch on the heating never mind eat all this fancy food. 'Meanwhile, these prisoners get underfloor heating, football pitches, a gym and all the comforts of home. 'It's ridiculous that the poorest people are treated worse than criminals.' However, a prison source has revealed that some prisoners are complaining that sex offenders and violent criminals are getting the same treats as them. The source said: 'Lots of these guys inside are happy being locked up because they get three square meals a day and usually a better telly than at home. 'They know they have it better than if they were on the dole outside - they read the papers and know about the poverty in the UK. The latest revelation about life inside Scotland's newest prison comes just days after it was revealed that nearly 300 complaints had been made by inmates since it opened in March . Inmates were also handed a wordsearch with movie titles to keep them occupied in their cells . 'They wouldn't get chicken Balmoral on Christmas day if they were just getting benefits.' But Margaret Mitchell MSP, Tory justice spokesperson, defended the costs as 'reasonable'. She said: 'There could be many mitigating factors simply by the fact that ill people can't eat as much as those who are well. 'Prison has to be as much about rehabilitation as punishment and giving the prisoners the odd special day is a key part to reintegrating them into society.' A spokeswoman from the Scottish Prison Service said: 'All offenders are offered the same choices, these can vary depending on the establishment. 'The average cost per adult prisoner per day which is £2.47 per day - young offenders get slightly more at £2.75.' The latest revelation about life inside Scotland's newest prison comes just days after it was revealed that nearly 300 complaints had been made by inmates since it opened in March. Inmates have lodged complaints about food, laundry and even the gym facilities. The figures, released through Freedom of Information legislation, revealed how 292 complaints have been filed - an average of more than one a day.

Inmates have been given a choice of Christmas dinners at HMP Grampian . Menus reveal they will tuck into chicken Balmoral and chocolate gateau . Cost to taxpayer of each dinner at the prison in Aberdeenshire will be £2.47 . But just £2.17 will be spent per meal on December 25 at a nearby hospital . Tax campaigners hit out at the price difference describing it as 'bizarre' Colourful prisoner menus feature pictures of Santa, holly, sheep and bells .

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London (CNN)British former pop star Gary Glitter on Friday was sentenced to 16 years in prison for child sex abuse offenses he committed more than three decades ago. Glitter, 70, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was convicted this month of one count of attempted rape of a girl under the age of 13, one count of having sex with a girl under the age of 13 and four counts of indecent assault against girls. He was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in London for the six offenses, committed against three victims between 1975 and 1980. There is no statute of limitations for such offenses in the UK. Glitter was known as a "glam rocker" in the 1970s for his flamboyant clothes and performing style. He sold 18 million records with hits such as "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am!)," "I Love You Love Me Love" and "Rock 'n' Roll." Detective Chief Inspector Michael Orchard of London's Metropolitan Police praised the courage of the abuse victims in coming forward to police. "Paul Gadd has shown himself to be a habitual sexual predator, who took advantage of the star status afforded to him by targeting young girls who trusted him and were in awe of his fame," Orchard said. "His lack of remorse and defense that the victims were lying make his crimes all the more indefensible." Glitter was the first person to be arrested under the police's Operation Yewtree, set up in 2012 in the wake of a flood of sexual abuse allegations against the late radio and TV star Jimmy Savile and others. Savile, who died in 2011 aged 84, was revealed after his death to have been one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders. British police say more than 200 victims -- between ages 5 and 75 -- have been identified. Glitter had been prosecuted previously on sex charges. In 1999, he admitted possessing child pornography and was jailed for four months. While living in Vietnam, he was convicted of sex offenses against young girls and jailed for nearly three years before being deported to England. Glitter is the latest celebrity to be accused or convicted of historic sex offenses. Last year celebrity publicist Max Clifford was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for assaults on girls, while Australian entertainer Rolf Harris was jailed for five years for indecent assaults against four girls.

Gary Glitter is sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted of child sex abuse . The former "glam rocker" has been prosecuted previously on sex abuse charges .

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By . Leon Watson . The original painting of the Chinese Girl, thought to be the most reproduced print in the world, was bought by billionaire British businessman and jeweller Laurence Graff for nearly £1million today. Mr Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds International, owns the Delaire Graff Estate near Stellenbosch, South Africa, where the picture will go on public display with the rest of his art collection. The jeweller, who in 2010 spent a staggering $46million (£30million) on a 24.78-carat rare pink diamond, paid £982,050 - nearly double its expected price - for the painting. Victoria Eaton of Bonhams in central London, adjusts Chinese Girl by the Russian artist Vladimir Tretchikoff . The work by Siberian-born artist Vladimir Tretchikoff was part of a sale of South African art at Bonhams auction house. Millions of reproductions of the picture, also known as the Green Lady because of the unusual blue-green skin tone of the subject, have been sold since it was painted in the 1950s. A Bonhams spokesman said: 'It's very exciting. Suddenly the market has decided they like what they can see with Tretchikoff.' Forbes magazine put Mr Graff’s net worth at $4.3billion (£2.8billion) this month, making him the eighth richest man in Britain and the 299th in the world. A self-made tycoon, Mr Graff grew up in the East End of London and dropped out of school at age 14 to become a jeweller's apprentice, the magazine said. The 74-year-old billionaire has more than 20 stores worldwide, including new outposts in Hong Kong, Gstaad and Dubai. The Sultan and Queen of Brunei, Oprah Winfrey and Donald Trump are listed as clients. Laurence Graff who bought the original Chinese Girl painting, pictured with a diamond . Chinese Girl is the most iconic work by Vladimir Tretchikoff and is said to be the most widely reproduced and recognisable picture in the world . The sum is the highest ever paid for a work by Tretchikoff, who was born in Russia in 1913 but emigrated to South Africa after the Second World War, working for a period as a propaganda artist for the British Ministry of Information. The familiar image of the woman, with her dark hair and bright red lips, has featured on T-shirts, mugs and posters. The picture, which has been described as one of the most important pop culture images in Britain, was inspired by Monika Sing-Lee, who modelled for Tretchikoff after he spotted her at work in her uncle’s launderette in Cape Town, South Africa. The Bonhams spokesman added: 'It's almost triple the £380,000 we sold his painting Lenka for last year. 'It shows he's beginning to close in on the other major figures on the South African art landscape, Irma Stern - whose picture Arab Priest we previously sold for £3million - and Pierneef.' Pierneef's work Landscape, Stellenbosch sold for £713,250 and Stern's painting Congolese Beauty for £541,250 at the Bonhams auction today. Tretchikoff, who painted with oils and watercolours, died in Cape Town in 2006 at the age of 92. His work was often regarded as 'kitsch' during his lifetime, but Tretchikoff hated this categorisation and insisted he was a serious artist. In 1991 he rejected a request to have his work on the front cover of a book on kitsch for this reason. Tretchikoff's other notable works include Weeping Rose, Blue Monday, and The Dying Swan, which featured the dancer Alicia Markova.

Laurence Graff paid nearly double the expected price for the painting . It will go on public display with the rest of his collection in South Africa .

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By . Sam Greenhill . PUBLISHED: . 18:22 EST, 7 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:34 EST, 8 March 2013 . The scene could hardly have been more romantic as Vicky Pryce linked arms with her husband Chris Huhne while the sun set over the Aegean. Yet as they posed as one big happy family for a wedding photograph in Greece, only Huhne could have known they were living one big fat lie. To his trusting family, he was playing the dutiful stepfather as he gave away Georgia – his wife’s elder daughter from her first marriage. Line-up: Vicky Pryce links arms with her husband Chris Huhne as a family photo is taken after the ceremony in Varkiza - the 'Athens Riviera' Unsuspecting? Vicky Pryce and Chris Huhne at the wedding in Greece in September 2009 . Little did any of them suspect that, back in Britain, he was cheating on his family with his bisexual mistress Carina Trimingham. His double life was to blow the family apart and set his scorned wife on a path of revenge that culminated in them both facing jail. But on that balmy evening in September 2009, shameless Huhne soaked up the acclaim as he basked in the role of a proud father of the bride at the ceremony in Varkiza – a posh suburb of the Greek capital known as the ‘Athens Riviera’. He led 33-year-old Georgia down the aisle at the pretty cliff-top chapel where she married Ed Beesley. Then Huhne lined up for photographs flanked by the bride and his wife Vicky, who looked happy and suntanned in a black and white African print dress and a pearl necklace. Ambitious Huhne once openly boasted that his nuclear family would make him ‘such a photogenic prime minister’. Stepfather of the bride: Huhne leads Georgia to her cliff-top marriage ceremony with Ed Beesley . On the floor: Pryce dances with an unknown guest while a jacketless Huhne is almost squeezed out of the picture (left). Ambitious Huhne once boasted his family would make him 'such a photogenic prime minister' Role: The fact that Huhne had been chosen to give away his stepdaughter at her wedding shows the extent of his betrayal . As the sun went down and the traditional Greek festivities got under way, Huhne shed his jacket and joined in with the knees-up alongside his laughing wife. He rolled up his sleeves in the heat of the evening and danced with his unsuspecting family on one of the happiest days of their lives. The extent of Huhne’s betrayal is clear by the fact that he had been chosen to give away his stepdaughter at her wedding. Facing jail: Vicky Pryce leaving court after she had been found guilty of perverting the course of justice . Partners: Chris Huhne arrives at court with Carina Trimingham last month . Georgia’s biological father, academic Gareth Pryce, split from her mother in the early 1980s before she met Huhne. Georgia later gave a statement about the pressure her mother was under at the time she took the points for Huhne after he was caught by a speed camera. She gave evidence in court for her mother at both trials.

Huhne played the dutiful stepfather when he gave Pryce's daughter away . But he was cheating on his family with mistress Carina Trimingham . Double life was to blow family apart and set his wife on path of revenge .

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(CNN) -- The United States and its allies are facing "an absolute defeat" against the Taliban in Afghanistan even if additional troops are sent, according to a message purportedly from the Taliban's elusive leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar. In a transcript of the message posted Wednesday on the Afghan jihadi online magazine Al-Somod, the Taliban leader purportedly says the "realities in Afghanistan are simple." "You and your allies are facing an absolute defeat, and nothing will change that even if you send more troops, no matter what your strategies are, because the logic of force will have no impact on the mujahedeen and you will never be able to control the Afghan people by physical force or by your satanic hypocrisy," the transcript says. CNN could not independently confirm the authenticity of the report, which appeared in Arabic and in Pashtun. The transcript continued: "Let it be known that your hostile policies have created a new world of enemies who will fight against you, and the earth is narrowing around you and you will always live the life of all bitterness and sorrow, because the policy of force and tyranny cannot and will not be accepted by anyone." The message comes days before President Obama is set to announce the U.S. troop strategy for Afghanistan. In a Tuesday speech, Obama will explain why the United States is in Afghanistan, its interests there and his decision-making process, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. The president ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in March. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, reportedly has called for up to 40,000 more to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the Taliban, the Islamic militia originally ousted by U.S. military action in 2001. There was no immediate response from Washington to the message. A previous message said to be from Omar was released in September, saying the fight against foreign forces "is approaching the edge of victory."

Message, purportedly from Taliban leader Mullah Omar, says U.S. faces defeat in Afghanistan . "Nothing will change that even if you send more troops," message says . Message posted on the Afghan jihadi online magazine Al-Somod . President Obama set to announce U.S. troop strategy for Afghanistan on Tuesday .

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By . Rachel Quigley . PUBLISHED: . 08:59 EST, 12 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:59 EST, 12 November 2012 . The hedge-fund playboy who hosted the fundraising dinner where Mitt Romney was secretly filmed making his '47 per cent' comments has fathered a love child with a New York woman, it was alleged today. Marc Leder, co-CEO of Sun Capital Partners, is said to have a ten-year-old daughter to a blonde woman in her forties who lives in Manhattan's exclusive Upper West Side, allegedly paid for by the 50-year-old. It was revealed in September that the divorced millionaire went 'off the rails' after he discovered his wife of 22 years had an affair with her 22-year-old tennis coach and started to throw debauched parties in the Hamptons. Plan: Marc Leder hosted the $50,000-a-plate fundraiser where Mr Romney made his much-criticised remarks in May. He has reportedly helped organise another fundraiser for the Republican campaign this Saturday . A source told the New York Post about his love child: 'Marc and the lady, a single working woman, have had a longtime on/off . affair and she became pregnant. 'There was a wrangle over money, but they . have reached a generous and amicable agreement for child support . through lawyers. 'Marc has also put the mother and his child up in an . apartment on West 57th Street.' During the 2012 presidential campaign, Leder was a huge Romney backer and defender of his role at Bain Capital. The May fundraiser where Romney was recorded saying that . 47 per cent of voters planning to back President Obama believed they . were 'entitled' to government support and considered themselves . 'victims', was held at his $3million Florida home. Comments: Mr Romney (seen here during the town hall debate with President Obama at Hofstra University in New York, on Tuesday) has since retracted the remarks . Leaked: Mother Jones, a liberal news magazine, says it obtained the footage from an anonymous person who attended the fundraiser . Bona fide: The Romney campaign did not dispute the authenticity of the video . Leder - who is worth an estimated . $400million - already has three children to his wife Lisa and they are said . to know about their half sister. He told the Post in a statement: 'I became the proud parent of a beautiful little girl last January with . my former girlfriend of a year. We maintain a close relationship, and . are committed to raising our daughter jointly.' This summer, the hedge fund manager . became known as the 'Hamptons' Hugh Hefner' due to the wild parties he . threw at a rented $500,000-a-month mansion. He bragged to his well-heeled guests that he would have a 'pool full of girls' at the parties . After the 47 per cent comments were made public, Leder had been telling potential donors that he . wanted to 'make the situation right' by raising more funds for the Romney . campaign before the election. Facts: Romney has statistics on his side when it comes to the 47 percent comment -- only 53 percent of Americans pay federal income tax after deductions and rebates . Watch video here .

Marc Leder hosted infamous fundraising dinner in May where Mitt Romney was secretly filmed disparaging Barack Obama's supporters . Was said to have thrown wild debaucherous parties in the Hamptons . Has a ten-month-old daughter with New York woman .

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(CNN) -- In anticipation of more flooding next week, residents of Fargo, North Dakota, began stacking sandbags Wednesday for the second time in just over two weeks along the banks of the Red River. A trucker relaxes April 1 on sandbag pallets in Fargo, North Dakota, which is preparing for more flooding. They hoped to fill 1 million, said Fargo spokeswoman Karena Lunday. "If we get a million, that will be a total of 4 million we've made since the flood started," she said. The first sandbag effort began about March 23. The Red River crested at nearly 41 feet at Fargo on March 28, breaking a record that had held since 1897, when the Red River reached 40.1 feet. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning Tuesday, predicting that melting snow -- and possibly rain -- will start to raise river levels on the Red River south of Oslo, Minnesota, this week. Lunday said forecasters expected the river to crest there between April 16-18, possibly reaching 35 feet on April 14. "I don't think people are as worried as they were the last time, but the possibility of getting up to 40 feet is a concern," Lunday told CNN. The Red River meanders along the border between North Dakota and Minnesota, so many other cities also were bracing for flooding.

Fargo spokeswoman says city has goal of filling 1 million more sandbags . "I don't think people are as worried" as they were in late March, she says . National Weather Service issued flood warning due to precipitation forecast .

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Andy Murray is known for his stern face and tough demeanor and it seems even a belly dancer can't raise a smile from the Wimbledon champion. Attending a players' dinner at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Murray looked unimpressed as the pretty woman pranced around him. Although he did turn to look at her at one point there was not even a flicker of a grin on his face. Andy Murray looks on as a belly dancer gyrates in front of him at the Dubai championships tennis party . The belly dancer was seen trying to talk to the former Wimbledon champion during the meal held for players . Murray looked bored as he attended the dinner in Dubai on Wednesday night . Murray, pictured drinking a glass of water, was not joined by fiancee Kim Sears at the event . The 27-year-old appeared to be there on his own as fiancee Kim Sears was nowhere in sight. Murray is in Dubai to take part in the championships and won his first-round tie against Luxembourg's Gilles Muller on Tuesday. Murray said of the victory: 'I made him work very hard on his service games. That was something I wanted to try to do from early on. 'The end of both sets I didn't serve so well but apart from that, I didn't give him any opportunities really.' On Wednesday, the Scot made short work of Joao Sousa once again to race into the quarter-finals of the tournament  with a 6-0, 6-2 win. Andy Murray was in cruise control as he beat Joao Sousa 6-0, 6-2 at the Dubai Duty Free Championship . Murray has raced into the competition's quarter-finals on Wednesday in under an hour . Last month. as Murray took on Czech player Tomas Berdych in the Australian Open semi final Miss Sears was seen calling him a, 'Czech Flash F***.' However, she poked fun at herself the next day when she rocked up to Andy's next game in a jumper which read: 'Parental Advisory, Explicit Content.' Murray later defended Sears' actions saying in an interview that she had been 'whipped up,' by the media storm surrounding his match. The day after being caught on camera swearing during one of Andy's tennis matches Kim was spotted wearing this parental advisory jumper . Murray said at the time: 'When there's a lot of tension surrounding something which you (the media) created, which you created, then it's completely normal.' He added: 'Even Tomas, who very rarely says anything on the court, there was tension there for him, as well. Yeah, in the heat of the moment you can say stuff that you regret. And, yeah, that's it.' It was recently confirmed that Murray and Kim have set the date for their wedding as April 11. They will wed in an intimate ceremony at Cromlix House, a hotel in Scotland owned by Murray himself.

Former Wimbledon champion was paid special attention by the dancer . The 27-year-old looked awkward as she danced around him at his table . Murray is participating in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships .

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By . Julian Robinson for MailOnline . These are the ambitious plans which suggest skyscrapers of the future may one day house an entire city. This 'Endless City' project would see a giant skyscraper as tall as The Shard in London, built with its own complete ecosystem featuring offices, shops and 'huge' parks. London is the proposed city for the mixed-use tower, which would include interlinking ramps connecting different sections of the structure to create a 'vertical city' housing thousands. Scroll down for video... Architects believe the 'Endless City' skyscraper, pictured in its design phase, would help create much-needed space in crowded city areas and feature its own 'ecosystem' Residents would be able to walk around intertwining ramps in the interior of the giant building, passing through shopping, commercial and residential areas in a so-called 'vertical city' Vast: The building would include many of the features that can be found in a city environment, including parking, green spaces and parks, shopping districts, housing and entertainment . The proposal has been drawn up by SURE Architecture, whose design has already won the SkyScrapers and SuperSkyScrapers Competition. The firm insists the building would be a great space-saver in dense cities which have previously spread outwards rather than upwards. Although the skyscraper is only at design phase, the company has earmarked a location close to the City of London - but it remains to be seen whether it will reach the construction stage. It is not yet clear exactly how tall the building would be, but early indications suggest it could top 300m - around the same as London's tallest skyscraper The Shard. The building would take up an area of 165,855 sq m. Residents would be able to walk up a series of interlinked ramps through vibrant streets, plazas, technological spaces and 'huge' parks in a 'complex and rich system like a real city' London is the proposed city for the mixed-use tower, which would feature huge interlinking ramps connecting different sections of the structure to create a 'vertical city' Early indications suggest the building, outlined in green, could tower as tall as 300m - around the same as London's tallest skyscraper the Shard, pictured to the left. Architects have earmarked land near the City of London . According to the company's report, the building's shape will 'maximize passive energy and reduce artificial light, cooling and heating needs'. The different levels, as well as having stunning views of the surrounding area, will feature plazas and communal spaces. Alina Valcarce, associate director of SURE Architecture, said: 'There is no break anymore, neither between street level and the skyscraper, nor between the skyscraper floors themselves. 'The goal of the design is to conceive an open building that is effective as it is inviting and a powerful symbol in all directions while being permeated by generosity and openness.' Structural support for the giant tower would be provided by six steel tubes, which would also contain the plumbing and electrical work for much of the building. View from above: Different areas of the building would be linked by a series of bridges and walkways helping to 'increase exchanges, communications and interactions'. It would include a raft of public spaces, entertainment zones and shopping areas to create a 'vertical city' Structural support for the giant tower would be provided by six steel tubes, which would also contain the plumbing and electrical work for much of the building . The company's report says that different areas of the building would be linked by a series of bridges and walkways helping to 'increase exchanges, communications and interactions. It would include a raft of public spaces, entertainment zones and shopping areas to create a 'vertical city'. Residents would be able to walk up a series of interlinked ramps through vibrant streets, plazas, technological spaces and 'huge' parks in a 'complex and rich system like a real city'. The company's report adds: 'The London Skyline, and this organic skyscraper as a part of it, will transform, evolve and grow continuously together.'

The 'Endless City' project would see a giant 300m skyscraper built in London with its own complete ecosystem . Building would consist of intertwining ramps leading through business, shopping, entertainment and residential areas . Includes plans for 'huge' parks and technology aimed at reducing environmental impact and increasing sustainability .

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By . Tim Finan . PUBLISHED: . 08:16 EST, 11 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:19 EST, 11 November 2013 . Another Calais politician has launched a scathing attack on Britain for its policy on immigration which he claims attracts hundreds of illegal immigrants to the French Channel coast as they attempt to sneak into Britain. Deputy mayor Philippe Mignonet, the man tasked with solving the problem in Calais, called UK policy on migrants 'grotesque and hypocritical'. 'Britain says we don't want immigrants but does nothing to prevent black economy employment yet two million people work on the black in Britain,' he said. Asylum seekers in the French port town of Calais where as many as 30 a day are successfully smuggling themselves to the UK . In an interview with the newspaper Manche Libre he said his town is having to cope with up to 400 migrants at any given time and that numbers will soon approach those counted before the closure of the Sangatte Red Cross Centre and 'The Jungle ' - a squalid camp where Afghan and Iraqi refugees stayed before heading for the UK. 'The Town is facing something which is . beyond its limits and which must be handled at highest national and . European levels ', said Monsieur Mignonet. An estimated 400 migrants are currently living in dilapidated buildings or camping out at Calais. Last month mayor Natacha Bouchart sparked controversy by using her Facebook page to appeal to citizens to report new squats to the police. Some seeking refuge in Britain have put up signs around a camp in Calais . She too blames UK policies for welcoming migrants who queue up at Calais to stowaway to Britain on ferries. Madame Bouchart also points the finger at British anarchists belonging to the No Borders group which allegedly aids migrants to find squats . It has now emerged that desperate migrants have even taken to diving into the sea in apparent bids to stow away on cross Channel ferries. Last month mayor Natacha Bouchart sparked controversy by using her Facebook page to appeal to citizens to report new squats to the police . Others are believed to have even attempted to  swim the impossible 25 miles to the UK, it has emerged. One man known to be Eritrean disappeared, believed drowned, and another was fished out of the harbour at midnight on October 10 dressed only in a pair of underpants. The destitute African had stashed his meager possessions in plastic bags tied to a belt around his waist and managed to swim across the harbour in freezing waters. Weeping at the loss of his companion the 41 year old man was taken to hospital and treated for hypothermia. His body temperature had dropped to 32 degrees Celsius. In August last year the body of an unidentified Asian woman believed to have tried to swim across the Channel to England was found on a beach near Calais. The woman in her thirties was wearing a wetsuit and had energy drinks on her and a compass around her neck. She is believed to have succumbed either to hypothermia in the water or to have fallen off a cliff. In 2009 a successful French film named Welcome featured the heroic story of a swimming teacher played by charismatic actor Vincent Lindon who took pity on a Kurdish migrant desperate to reach the UK to be with his girlfriend. The teacher taught the young man to swim long distances in his local swimming pool. The Kurdish swimmer braved freezing waters, oil tankers and ferries in mid Channel only to die of cold and exhaustion within a short distance of the Kent coast. Sangatte refugee camp near Calais was closed in a bid to stem the flow of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel into the UK. The camp covered roughly the same area as Heathrow airport and contained an ex-Eurotunnel building that was requisitioned by the French authorities in September 1999. Sangatte was designed to hold about 900 refugees, but the Red Cross said numbers peaked at about 2,000. The village of Sangatte, with a population of 800, was actually smaller than the camp. The camp was demolished on the orders of Nicolas Sarkozy 10 years ago when he was Minister of the Interior. Sarkozy went further in 2009 after he became President, ordering  the razing of 'the Jungle,' a giant squat camp near the ferry terminal where hundreds of Asian migrants were living in makeshift huts. Last year the new socialist government of France has given its blessing to the construction of the first of a cluster of officially approved 'mini Sangattes' close to the port of Calais. These will house migrants hoping to stow away in cross Channel ferries to Dover and settle down in the UK.

Deputy mayor of Calais Philippe Mignonet made the remarks . An estimated 400 migrants are currently living in dilapidated buildings or camping out in Calais . Last month mayor Natacha Bouchart appealed to citizens to report new squats to the police .

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By . James Chapman . David Cameron and George Osborne decided Theresa May ‘must not be promoted’ to the Foreign Office to stifle her leadership ambitions, it has been claimed. An official close to the Prime Minister was quoted as saying that a ‘central principle’ of the recent ministerial shake-up was that the Home Secretary must not advance further. Mr Cameron is said to want the Chancellor to succeed him when he stands down, probably halfway through the next Parliament if he wins the next election. Scroll down for video . Claims: Prime Minister David Cameron (left) and Chancellor George Osborne decided Home Secretary Theresa May (right) 'must not be promoted' to the Foreign Office to stifle her leadership ambitions, it has been claimed . But there is growing support for Mrs May, whose stock has risen even though she largely shuns the media and avoids the Westminster power games loved by many of her male colleagues. The Home Secretary recently overtook London Mayor Boris Johnson as the activists’ favourite to become the next Conservative leader. A poll also showed the Home Secretary is now the most popular member of the current Government. Mrs May, who has been hailed as ‘Britain’s Angela Merkel’ by her allies, would not countenance any sort of leadership challenge to the Prime Minister, and has repeatedly stressed her loyalty to him. Replacement? Mr Cameron is alleged to want Mr Osborne (pictured) to succeed him when he stands down . However, she is understood to regard Mr Johnson as ‘faintly ridiculous’ and is determined to prevent him becoming leader if the Tories lose the next election. Mrs May’s stock rose further following her extraordinary confrontation with police leaders earlier this year, which was hailed as one of the bravest political speeches of recent decades. Tory MPs expressed admiration for the Home Secretary’s declaration at the Police Federation conference that a string of scandals has left the very legitimacy of British policing under threat. Communities Secretary: There were also claims that Eric Pickles came 'within a whisker' of being sacked . Britain’s former ambassador to the US, Sir Christopher Meyer, said Mrs May had ‘echoes of Margaret Thatcher’ and had delivered ‘one of the most powerful, courageous and candid speeches by a Cabinet minister I have ever seen’. Mrs May’s ‘untouchable’ position in the Cabinet was bolstered when former Education Secretary Michael Gove came off worst in a public clash between the two over extremism. But although Mrs May – Britain’s longest-serving Home Secretary in more than 50 years – is said to have ambitions to become Foreign Secretary, the job was handed to former Defence Secretary Philip Hammond when William Hague decided to step aside to become leader of the Commons. ‘One of the central principles of the reshuffle was that Theresa must not be promoted,’ one official close to Mr Cameron told the Financial Times. A minister close to Mr Hammond said he was worried he had been deployed as a ‘block’ on Mrs May. But a senior Downing Street source said the suggestion the Prime Minister had snubbed Mrs May by giving the Foreign Office to another minister was ‘bizarre’, adding: ‘This claim is simply untrue. She is doing a brilliant job in one of the toughest and most important areas of Government. The idea she should have been moved is ridiculous.’ There were also claims that Communities Secretary Eric Pickles came ‘within a whisker’ of being sacked but Mr Cameron decided it would be ‘too much’ after demoting Mr Gove and sacking Environment Secretary Owen Paterson. Mr Pickles’ plight was helped by the fact he took the blame for a public row with Environment Agency boss Lord Smith during the winter floods, even though allies said Number Ten had suggested the minister attack him.

David Cameron decided Theresa May 'must not be promoted', says official . PM was reportedly trying to stifle Home Secretary's leadership ambitions . He is said to want George Osborne to succeed him when he stands down . Despite this, there is growing support for Mrs May, whose stock has risen . She is most popular member of current Government, according to a poll .

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Six months after his death, radio personality Casey Kasem has finally found a resting place. The former host of "American Top 40" was buried December 16 at Vestre Gravlund, a cemetery in Oslo, Norway, manager of cemetery administration Stein Olav Hohlen told CNN on Tuesday. But the burial has not calmed a long-running family feud. "This morning my family and I learned that my Dad's abusive wife Jean Thompson Kasem and their daughter Liberty conned a cemetery in Norway into burying my Dad there," his daughter Kerri Kasem said on her Facebook page. "Even with ALL the letters ... from my father's friends and family stating that he wanted to be buried in the UNITED STATES, the country in which he was born and raised, his wishes were, once again, ignored by his unfaithful wife." Jean Kasem could not be reached for comment. Kasem's adult children from his first marriage and his wife of more than 30 years battled in court in the months before Kasem died June 15 at age 82. Kerri Kasem was given a conservatorship over her father's health, which Jean Kasem subsequently fought in court, claiming his children were prematurely ending their father's life. Before Kasem's death, Jean Kasem removed her ailing husband from a care facility in Santa Monica, California, and took him to stay at the home of family friends in Washington state. After Kasem died, family members complained they didn't know where the body was located. Danny Deraney, the publicist for Kerri Kasem, said last summer that Jean Kasem removed her husband's body from a funeral home in Washington. On Monday, he said, "Clearly, the family is not happy and they understand that Jean can bury him wherever she wants, even if it is not what Casey wanted. But the kids are at peace knowing that they got their Dad's final moments." Kasem was already a popular disc jockey in Los Angeles when he became the host of "American Top 40" in 1970. The syndicated show, which counted down the 40 most popular songs in the United States based on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 music chart, began on just seven radio stations but quickly became a mainstay of thousands, all around the world. The show inspired imitators, including a television version, "America's Top 10," that Kasem hosted.

Fadio personality's wife, adult children have been battling in court . Kasem, who starred on "American Top 40," died June 15 at age 82 . He was buried December 16 in an Oslo, Norway, cemetery, an official says .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:54 EST, 10 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:10 EST, 10 January 2013 . A series of bombings in different parts of Pakistan have killed 115 people today, including 81 who died in a sectarian attack on a bustling billiard hall in the southwest city of Quetta. The blasts punctuated one of the deadliest days in recent years in Pakistan, where the government faces a bloody insurgency by Taliban militants in the northwest and Baluch militants in the southwest. The country is also home to many enemies of the U.S. that Washington has frequently targeted with drone attacks. A series of bombings in different parts of Pakistan have killed 115 people today. Local police try to restore calm in Quetta where the attack hit . People shift an injured victim of a second bomb explosion to a hospital in Quetta. It is believed the figure includes 81 who died in a sectarian attack on a bustling billiard hall in the southwest of the city . Police check the site of the blast. Today saw one of the deadliest days in recent years in Pakistan . A U.S. missile strike today killed five suspected militants in the seventh such attack in two weeks, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The billiard hall in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, was hit by twin blasts about five minutes apart this evening, killing 81 people and wounding more than 120 others, said senior police officer Zubair Mehmood. The billiard hall was located in an area dominated by Shiite Muslims, and most of the dead and wounded were from the minority sect, said another police officer, Mohammed Murtaza. Many of the people who rushed to the scene after the first blast and were hit by the second bomb, which caused the roof of the building to collapse, he said. Police officers, journalists and rescue workers who responded to the initial explosion were also among the dead, police said. People wheel a man who was injured by one of the bomb explosions, into a hospital in Quetta . An injured man is helped after the blast. Police officers, journalists and rescue workers who responded to the initial explosion were also among the dead, police said . The sectarian militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack to local journalists. One of the group's spokesmen, Bakar Saddiq, said the first blast was carried out by a suicide bomber and the second was a bomb planted in a car and detonated by remote control. Radical Sunnis groups often target Pakistan's Shiite minority, whom they believe hold heretical views and are not true Muslims. Earlier in the day, a bomb targeting paramilitary soldiers in a commercial area in Quetta killed 12 people and wounded more than 40 others, said Shakeel, the senior police officer. The United Baluch Army, a separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack on the soldiers in calls to local journalists. Elsewhere in Pakistan, a bomb in a crowded Sunni mosque in the northwest city of Mingora killed 22 people and wounded more than 70, said senior police officer Akhtar Hayyat. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Today, which saw the bloody attack in the southwest city of Quetta, has been one of the more deadly in recent years in the country . The government faces an insurgency by Taliban militants in the northwest and Baluch militants in the southwest . A U.S. missile strike today killed five . suspected militants in the seventh such attack in two weeks, Pakistani . intelligence officials said .

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Jonny Wilkinson appeared to confirm rumours that he will receive a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours by posting a thank you message on Twitter. England’s 2003 World Cup winning fly-half is expected to become ‘Sir Jonny’ when the list is published on Wednesday, in recognition of his charity work and services to rugby. He said to his 250,000 followers on Monday night: ‘So many more deserving amongst u who won't get recognition. To you I say thanks 4 the lessons in life. 4 the messages- u guys are incredible.’ Jonny Wilkinson (left) is expected to be named in the Queen's New Year's Honours list on Wednesday . Wilkinson fuelled speculation of a knighthood by posting a thank you message on his Twitter . Wilkinson scored England's winning drop goal in the 2003 rugby World Cup final against Australia . Wilkinson earned an OBE in 2004 and went on to win every major trophy before retiring in the summer. The No 10 has a reputation as one of sport’s most humble personalities, despite being capped 91 times by England during a 17-year career. He made his senior debut as a teenager for Newcastle Falcons in 1998 and hung up his boots after captaining Toulon, where he held bilingual team talks, to a Top 14 and Heineken Cup double. Out of the 2003 World Cup winning squad, only Sir Clive Woodward, the coach, has previously been knighted. Martin Johnson, the captain, was made a CBE in 2004. Wilkinson lifts the Heineken Cup trophy after completing a glorious double with Toulon . The former England fly-half started his career at Newcastle Falcons where he won the Premiership .

Jonny Wilkinson expected to be knighted in Queen's New Year's Honours . Former England fly-half took to Twitter to thank his supporters . He is expected to be knighted for services to rugby and charity work .

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Employers should do more to help staff going through difficult divorces to stop them quitting and ending up on benefits, Iain Duncan Smith has said. The Work and Pensions Secretary warns that when people have problems in their private lives 'their work suffers', and after going on sick pay their employer eventually says 'bye bye'. He wants companies to follow a German model of 'trying to engage the worker' when they have personal problems which means they risk 'crashing out of work'. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith warns that staff suffering from stress stop going to work, and eventually the company says 'bye bye' Ministers warn that 60 per cent of people who leave work with mental health problems suffer from anxiety or depression. The government wants firms to take a more proactive approach to intervene in the lives of their staff. By supporting workers when they are going through a family break-up or other stressful period, they are more likely to stay in work and not fall into a life on benefits. Mr Duncan Smith said: 'What happens in private sector companies, particularly, is people suffer a problem, then their work suffers, they cease coming into work regularly, what happens is they go into their statutory sick pay and at the end of it the business sort of says "bye bye". A pilot scheme is working to offer people on benefits with mental health problems help earlier, to get them back into work sooner. Campaigners warn that the impact of family break-up on workers can last for a long time . Mr Duncan Smith told the Work and Pensions Select Committee: 'If you go to other countries like Germany and others they have a much more proactive process in trying to engage the worker at that point really, to find out what the problem is. 'Quite often they are really quite minor problems, they may be family problems, maybe there is family break up going on, or a hiatus or something that actually you can then deal with. 'They can be sent to some kind of help and support whether it is treatment if they are suffering some kind of mental health condition early on, stablilising them and keeping them in that job. 'So that is what we are now trying to focus our attention on is to get to people much earlier where they are work where they start to show indications of difficulty and start to get that treatment.' 'We would like to push companies even further to do more and we would like to support them to a greater degree', he added. Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, told The Telegraph: 'Iain Duncan Smith is undoubtedly correct in recognising that employers are often among the first people to discern the tell-tale signs of failing mental and emotional health and can play a valuable role in encouraging colleagues under strain to seek medical help. 'He describes this as more proactive approach, but it is still a reaction to a problem that has already begun to manifest itself. As a society we need to be proactive at an earlier stage still.'

Work and Pensions Secretary urges companies into intervene earlier . Workers going through family break-up risk going off on sick pay . Minister urges companies to help stop people 'crashing out of work'

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By . Mail Online Reporter . Almost 80 members of Congress are asking federal regulator to keep in-flight cell phone calls banned, calling the calls an outright hazard to a the safety of everyone on board. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has proposed allowing in-flight phone calls with modern technologies now able to deliver such mobile services. That proposal doesn't argue for or against the results of allowing calls, only the technical merits. Almost 80 members of Congress are asking federal regulator to keep in-flight cell phone calls banned, calling the calls an outright hazard to a the safety of everyone on board . Artstechnica reports that the proposal is being viewed as a way to 'lift outdated rules.' But Congressmen opposed to the change say there's more to consider than just the technical aspects. In a statement written Monday to the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, the Justice Department, and the Federal Communications Commission, the Congressmen detailed the many ways in which in-flight phone calls could be a hazard for passengers. 'The nature of an aircraft cabin would make it impossible for passengers to remove . themselves from loud or unwanted conversations and disputes, they wrote. 'Instead of . focusing on required safety-related tasks, flight attendants may be . forced to intervene in or mediate disputes between passengers on . appropriate content and volume of voice calls, thus distracting their . attention from other passengers and job responsibilities. Congressmen warn the calls could aggravate nearby passengers unable to keep from overhearing the conversations and exacerbate the already tense environment of a cramped airplane . 'Additionally, . when noise and distraction levels rise because of talking passengers, . the ability to hear important safety announcements, either from the . cockpit or cabin, will be impaired and crucial information may be . missed,' they concluded. Lawmakers also worry that phone calls could aggravate an already tense environment. 'Arguments in an aircraft cabin already start over mundane issues, like seat selection, reclining seats, and overhead bin space,' they wrote. 'And the volume and pervasiveness of voice communications would only serve to exacerbate and escalate these disputes.'

FCC proposal could allow in-flight calls calling bans 'outdated' 77 Congressmen have signed off on a statement criticizing the proposal saying the calls could lead to fights and intrude on passenger's limited personal space .

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By . Amanda Williams . Bosnian Sanel Sahbaz has been allowed to stay in Britain despite a string of convictions because his human rights would be violated if he were to return to his home country . A foreign criminal who used human rights laws to stay in Britain carried out a string of assaults on a woman while his deportation case was being considered, a court has heard. A hearing last August ruled that Bosnian Sanel Sahbaz could stay in Britain because his human rights would be violated if he were to return to his home country. But St Albans Crown Court has since heard that at that time, and then after his court victory, he was subjecting a woman in her 20s to assaults, false imprisonment and was making threats to kill her. Last month a jury at St Albans crown court found Sahbaz, 31, of Hertford, not guilty of raping the woman in a hotel room in Stevenage, between May 16 and May 21 2013. But the nine men and three women were unaware of his violent past or the fact that he had admitted offences of making threats to kill, false imprisonment, actual bodily harm and common assault against his latest victim carried out between July and October last year. On Friday Judge Marie Catterson said that she considered him a dangerous offender who posed a significant risk of harm to members of the public by violent offending. She jailed him for four years with an extended sentence of five years, which means he will be supervised by probation officers on his release if he remains in this country. She was told by prosecutor Will Noble that he has been served with a second deportation notice. The judge told Sahbaz: 'It is a matter for the authorities if you are deported.' But she said it was her understanding that it was usually the case if sentences of 12 months or longer were passed. Sahbaz arrived in Britain as an 11-year-old dependent of his refugee father in 1993. St Albans Crown Court has heard that at that time of his deportation trial, and then after his court victory, he was subjecting a woman in her 20s to assaults, false imprisonment and was making threats to kill her . He has a criminal record which goes back to 2001 and eight convictions for 28 offences - including theft, fraud, assault, damaging property, disorderly behaviour, racially abusive insulting words, failing to surrender, assaulting a constable. On 18 June 2009 he was jailed for a total of 4 years with a year's extension to his licence for causing actual bodily harm between 17 to 18 January 2009. Prosecutor Wayne Cleaver said at the previous hearing: 'The victim of the actual bodily harm was his landlord. 'He had intervened in a dispute between the defendant and his then girlfriend. He was punched to he ground and kicked unconscious.' He received concurrent sentences of 15 months for GBH on 27 June 2008 and affray on 9 June 2008. He was on licence from jail at the time he attacked the woman. Sahbaz faced automatic deportation after receiving the 4 year sentence, but was told he could stay indefinitely after he brought a legal challenge under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to private and family life. His barrister John Marchant said Sahbaz took 'full responsibility for his actions for which he apologises.' Last year, 200 offenders – including rapists and muggers – successfully . challenged their removal by citing Article 8 of Labour’s Human Rights . Act. A Somali rapist, who held a . knife to a pregnant woman’s throat as he assaulted her, is among the . many criminals who cannot be deported from Britain because of rules on a . right to family life. Mustafa Abdullahi (right), . 31, was jailed for ten years in 2007 after he threatened to kill his . ‘vulnerable’ victim and repeatedly raped her in her own home. He . was set to be deported on release and Home Office lawyers warned . immigration judges of his dangerous nature and a continued lack of . respect for the law. But . last December he was deemed to have a right to a family life under . Article 8 and released. Abdullahi does not have any children or a wife . in Britain, but his mother and siblings live here. Separately, last August it was revealed Sanel Sahbaz, . a foreign criminal jailed for . various violent attacks, had successfully . argued against deportation because it would violate his human rights. Sahbaz, . 30, a Bosnian who now lives in Hertford, came to Britain as a child in . 1993. Since 2005 he has committed a string of offences including common . assault, handling stolen goods, theft, public order offences and . assaulting police. He . qualified for automatic deportation after he was jailed for four years, . and the Home Office told him he would be sent home. But he was told he . can stay indefinitely after he brought a legal challenge under Article . 8. His lawyers argued . that if he was sent back to Bosnia it would separate him from his . parents, brother and cousin, who are also in Britain, which would breach . his rights. Learco Chindamo was . jailed indefinitely for knifing to death headmaster Philip Lawrence, a . father of four, 18 years ago outside St George's Roman Catholic School . in Maida Vale, west London, in 1995. The teacher went to help a . 13-year-old pupil who was being assaulted. The . former gang member was ordered to serve at least 12 years, but released . in July 2010 after claiming he was a reformed character. The . Government was prevented from deporting Chindamo to Italy, where he . lived as a child, after his lawyers argued it would breach his human . right to a family life. He . was freed and allowed to live in Britain, but returned to jail only . months later for breaching the terms of his parole. He has remained in . prison since but last week the Parole Board approved his release once . again.

Bosnian Sanel Sahbaz allowed to stay in Britain last August because his human rights would be violated if he were to return to his home country . But a court has heard he was assaulting a woman at the time of case . His criminal record dates back to 2001 with eight convictions for 28 offences . Sahbaz arrived in Britain as 11-year-old dependent of refugee father in 1993 .

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(CNN) -- Chinese golf prodigy Guan Tianlang will have another chance to shine at a top professional tournament after being invited to play in a PGA Tour event in New Orleans next week. The 14-year-old stunned the sporting world at last week's Masters when he not only made the halfway cut as the youngest player to ever enter the prestigious major, but also finished as the leading amateur. He will line up at the Zurich Classic, whose title sponsor was also involved with the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship he won last year to qualify for Augusta. "Guan's victory in Thailand in November and his historic achievement last week at Augusta National Golf Club are truly remarkable. We are excited to have him join us," Zurich CEO Martin Senn said Thursday. The tournament, won last year by Jason Dufner, is hosted by the Fore!Kids Foundation, which has raised almost $23 million for children since its inception in 1958. "Guan represents the aspirations of millions of young golfers and golf fans of all ages worldwide," its CEO Steve Worthy said. Dufner, who claimed the $1.15 million first prize last year when he beat Ernie Els in a playoff, is expected to defend his title in a field also including the South African, 2011 winner Bubba Watson, fellow major champion Keegan Bradley and world No. 3 Justin Rose. Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia was off the pace after making a quick trans-Atlantic crossing to appear at his home Spanish Open. The world No. 13, who tied for eighth at Augusta, was four shots behind the leaders after shooting par 72 in Thursday's opening round. Compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez, making his comeback after breaking a leg skiing last year, was in a tie for 112th after carding a rusty 76, to be in a group including former European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal. Veteran Chilean Felipe Aguilar shared the lead with 21-year-old Frenchman Gary Stal and Denmark's Morten Orum Madsen after they all shot 68.

Guan Tianlang accepts invitation to take part in PGA Tour event next week . Chinese 14-year-old will line up at TPC Louisiana in New Orleans Classic . He is the youngest player to compete at the Masters, and made the halfway cut . The $6.6 million tournament will include defending champion Jason Dufner .

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By . Allan Hall . Formula One legend Michael Schumacher lost vital time in the hours following his ski accident because doctors at the scene made crucial mistakes, it was claimed by a German magazine today. The detour his rescue helicopter made from Meribel where he fell to a local hospital allegedly made his condition worse because the trip to a specialist unit that would have taken 20 minutes in a direct flight ended up taking an hour. Stern magazine in Germany claimed the decision to take Schumacher, 45, to a clinic at Moutiers rather than straight away to the University of Grenoble Hospital - where he is currently in his 109th day of a medically induced coma - was a huge mistake. Stern claims to have a medical source in France for its page one exclusive tomorrow. The claims are similar to those made by former Formula One doctor Gary Hartstein a fortnight ago. 'Too optimistic': A German magazine claims doctors made Michael Schumacher's condition worse because they misdiagnosed the severity of his injuries which meant he didn't go straight to a specialist unit . It claimed that doctors at the scene . misdiagnosed the severity of the injuries of the motor racing giant. They were too 'optimistic,' said the magazine. This was perhaps because Schumacher was conscious and seemed to be in full control of his senses while he was on the slope where he smashed his head on to rocks. But later that night he underwent two emergency operations and, at one stage, doctors did not think he would last until morning. 'Lost time always further increases the risk for the patient in such cases,' said the magazine in a lengthy report about the accident he suffered on a ski-run on December 29 and its immediate aftermath. 'It is recognised in medical research that every minute counts in such a serious brain injury until the proper care can be accessed and for him that is the specialised section of the Grenoble clinic.' It said the time taken to land in . Moutiers to get the Formula One star intubated for a ventilator 'made . Schumacher`s condition rapidly worsen' during the next flight to . Grenoble and that such a procedure should have been carried out before . the helicopter lifted off from the slopes. Schumacher (pictured with wife Corinna) fell and cracked his head while skiing in Meribel in December . It . said his condition 'dramatically and rapidly' deteriorated on this . second flight, requiring more time at Grenoble for computer scans and . surgery than would otherwise have been the case. The Moutiers hospital says he became comatose on the flight and needed to be treated for the onward journey. The claims are similar to one made by Mr Hartstein, the former chief doctor of Formula One, who claimed Schumacher lost vital hours because he was airlifted to the 'wrong' hospital. He said earlier this month that he believes this decision could have majorly affected his chances of recovery. He told The Sun: 'You do not take patients with a suspected head injury to hospitals that do not have neuro-surgical capability.' Hartstein, who was F1 sport's chief doctor between 2005 and 2012, said he had learned of 'serious lapses of judgement' in Schumacher's care and that the world is witnessing the long goodbye of motorsport's legendary figure. Waiting: The Grenoble University Hospital, where Schumacher has been in an induced coma for three months . Hartstein says he had heard from 'usually . impeccable sources' to say that these lapses 'could, and almost . certainly did, worsen the outcome in Michael's case.' Stern also called into question the safety of helmets such as that used by Schumacher which split in two when he hit the hidden rock in snow on the fateful day of the accident. 'For accidents like this the protection of commercially available ski helmets is not sufficient by far', it said. 'Many winter sports enthusiasts weigh in on false security - but a fall from a height of 75 cm can destroy a helmet that accords with European specifications.' At the weekend, Sabine Kehm, his manager, told a German TV programme of the 'small steps' he is allegedly showing as doctors battle to bring him around from the coma. But halfway through his fourth month in such a state, there are many medical experts in the world who think that Schumacher may be in a 'waking coma' where he can open his eyes but do nothing else. The French high mountain police referred all calls to the local prefecture, where a spokesman said: 'The matter remains the subject of investigation, and it would not be appropriate to comment at this stage.' A Meribel Town Hall spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Stern magazine claims decision to take star to local hospital was mistake . Alleges medics were 'too optimistic' because he was initially conscious . Claims time taken to get him intubated 'made condition rapidly worsen' Says procedure should have been carried out on slopes where he fell . Detour meant 20-minute trip to a specialist unit ended up taking an hour .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 17:15 EST, 18 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:50 EST, 18 April 2013 . A Georgia police sergeant has been accused of pulling a gun on a teen customer ahead of him in a McDonald's drive-thru line after becoming enraged over the wait for food. Detective Sgt Scott Biumi, 48, of the DeKalb County Police Department, was arrested this week and charged with aggravated assault - a felony - after the incident at a McDonald's in Cummings. Forsyth County Sheriff's spokesman Courtney Spriggs said Biumi pointed a gun at 18-year-old Ryan Mash, who was in front of him on the drive-thru line waiting for his food at about 10:30pm on April 9. Scroll down for video . Threat: Police say that Detective Sgt Scott Biumi pulled a gun on a teen as he waited for his food at a McDonald's drive-thru . Suspect: Scott Biumi has been charged with aggravated assault in the incident . Surveillance footage from inside the . restaurant shows Biumi step between the man's car and the drive-thru . window and point a gun into the car as he leaned into the driver's . side window. Mr Mash told 11Alive: '[He] was yelling, "Stop holding up the drive thru line… You don’t know who you’re messing with and there’s some crazy people out there." 'And that’s when he pulled the gun on me and kept on yelling at me for about 30 more seconds. I was scared. I was very scared.' He added that he didn't know that his assailant was a police officer. Fright: Ryan Mash, 18, a high school senior, said he was 'scared, very scared,' by the incident . Mr Mash, who also works at the McDonald's, claimed he did not do or say anything to set off the irate man, who quickly drove off - without his food. But not before Mr Mash's friends in the car with him took down the license plate number. A police investigation led to Biumi - a 20-year-veteran of the DeKalb County Police Department. Spriggs says Biumi was booked into the Forsyth County jail on Wednesday, and released on $22,000 bond.. It is unclear if he has an attorney and Spriggs says a court date is scheduled for May 23. He has been suspended from the department with pay while the police department conducts an investigation, 11Alive reported. Scene of the crime: After allegedly pulling his gun on Mr Mash, Biumi sped off from the McDonald's without his food .

Detective Sgt Scott Biumi charged with aggravated assault . Victim Ryan Mash said he had no idea that the man who pulled the gun on him was a police officer .

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New York City is owed over $16 million in unpaid parking tickets issued to foreign diplomatic vehicles. Egypt is by far the worst offender owing a staggering $2 million in outstanding debt alone as of this summer, topping the list of more than 180 countries. Five countries owe more than $500,000 - Nigeria, Indonesia, Brazil, Morocco and Pakistan - according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Gotcha: A New York City traffic warden issues a ticket. The diplomatic community owe an incredible $16million in unpaid fines . As home to the UN headquarters in Manhattan as well as dozens of foreign consulates, New York City issues special license plates to the members of diplomatic community. While they are technically required to pay the fines, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations means they are protected from prosecution. The vast majority of the outstanding debt, . some $15.6 million, comes from tickets issued before 2002, when the city . launched a successful drive to stamp out parking violations. As home to the UN headquarters in Manhattan and dozens of foreign consulates, New York City issues many special license plates to the members of diplomatic community . A spokesman for the Egypt's UN Mission said he was unable to discuss the matter. When asked about the $894,000 in unpaid tickets owed by the NIgerian government, Tope Ade Elias-Fatile, senior counsellor and head of media at the country's mission to the U.N., told the Wall Street Journal: 'I don't know why I should be the one to talk.' The tiny South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, owes the least amount - a paltry $30. Total owed                      Summonses .

Egypt is the worst offender owing a staggering $2 million alone . Nigeria, Indonesia, Brazil, Morocco and Pakistan all owe more than $500,000 . Vast majority of the debt is from tickets issued before 2002 .

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'All-nighter': Moritz Erhardt, 21, had been working gruelling hours as an intern at an investment bank . A young student who died after working 'crazy hours' as an intern at a top investment bank said he felt 'pressurised' to succeed before his death. German student Moritz Erhardt collapsed in the shower at his student halls in east London just days before completing a grueling internship at Bank of America Merrill Lynch International investment bank division. Friends of the 21-year-old, who had recently completed a study abroad programme at the University of Michigan, claimed he had been forced to work through the night eight times in a two week period in an effort to secure long term work with the firm. But it has emerged that he always felt compelled to be the best, a competitive edge which, he admitted sometimes caused him 'severe injuries.' In an online portfolio Mr Erhadt told prospective employers that his upbringing taught him to always be driven to be good at everything. He wrote: 'I have grown up in family that expected me, in whatever respect, to excel in life. 'By implication, I felt somehow pressurizes [sic]. However I did not intend to blie my parents' expectations. 'Therefore I have become highly competitive and ambitious nature from early on. 'Already during my times in elementary school I began playing soccer as well as tennis, I engaged in track and field athletics, and I started ski racing. 'Sometimes I had a tendency to be over ambitious, which resulted in severe injuries. 'With respect to my performance in school, I was striving for excellence and trying to be the best all the time.' Reflecting on his intensive approach to his education he added: 'Over the last year, I have learned that complacency implies stagnancy.' Grueling internship: Friends of the 21-year-old claimed Mr Erhardt, pictured, had been forced to work through the night eight times in a two week period . The profile also shows that prior to . his seven week internship at Merrill Lynch, he had also completed . placements at KPMG Consulting, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank's . corporate finance division. Mr Erhadt had studied business administration as an exchange student at the University of Michigan before attending WHU Otto Beisheim School of Managment in Vallendar, Germany, according to the Evening Standard. Last night a representative for the Otto Beissheim School of Management business college where Mr Ergardt studied and from where he was due to graduate next year, called him 'a wonderful person.' Head of PR Peter Augstin said: 'We are all deeply shocked. He was a wonderful person and a dedicated student.  He will be sadly missed. We are still trying to come to terms with his death.' Body: The body of Moritz Erhardt, pictured with a friend, was discovered on Thursday evening . He was a regional leader of the Junge . Union, the youth organisation for the political pary of Christian . Democratic Union and also a regional champion tennis player who won . school awards in maths, English and French. The student had also visited Israel to try to 'understand' the Arab-Israel conflict and donated English book to Palestinian teenagers at an international school in Bethlehem. He as planning to apply to the MBA program at the Ross School of Business in Michigan and was also considering a graduate degree in public policy, foreign affairs or philosophy. Mr Erhadt was discovered by friends at Claredale House in Bethnal Green on Thursday, paramedics tried to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead at the scene, it is believed that he suffered from epilepsy and could have had a seizure. Speaking outside the student halls which are let to hundreds of interns each summer, one friend said he believed the long hours played a part in Mr Erhadt's tragic death. He said: 'He was working in investment banking and apparently he pulled eight all-nighters in two weeks. 'They get you working crazy hours and maybe it was just too much for him in the end.' Paid interns at the bank normally earn £45,000 ($70,550) a year pro rata - around £2,700 ($4,200) a month. Yesterday, internet forum users also said he had been working 'all-nighters' during his stay with the company. Many . banks are known to encourage their young students to work late into the . night and in the past there have been claims those keen to impress have . put in long hours with very little sleep. Superstar: Friends called Mr Erhardt, pictured center, the 'superstar' of the internship programme . On one site, called . wallstreetoasis.com, many posters insisted Mr Erhardt regularly worked . long hours and added: 'One of the best interns at BAML – three . all-nighters, didn't turn up, colleagues went to find him.' A fellow intern called Mr Erhardt 'the superstar' of the programme. He said: 'We typically work 15 hours a day or more and you would not find a harder worker than him. 'He seemed a lovely guy and was very popular with everyone. He was tipped for greatness.' Mr . Erhardt had been living in the Claredale House student accommodation . flats in Bethnal Green, East London. The apartments are rented out to . hundreds of interns during the summer months. A . friend from one of Mr Erhardt's classes said that he was such a . workaholic that he would turn in assignments early because he 'wanted to . be the best.' Work experience: Student Moritz Erhardt, pictured in front of St Paul's Cathedral, was working as an intern in London . Dedicated: Moritz Erhardt, pictured taking time out of work (left), was an ambitious 21-year-old . The female friend, who was in his strategy class at the Ross School of Management, also revealed that he was a 'night owl' who was used to staying up late studying. She said: 'He was always asking questions of the teachers to stay ahead of his work. He was always presenting his work early, handing in his projects ahead of time.' The friend added: 'He was just a hard worker. He wanted to be the best. 'I don't know what happened in that situation... maybe the situation got the better of him. 'He . would work very late in college, I don't know if that lifestyle was . hard for his body. He would stay up late at night and he was a night . owl. He liked to sleep in.' Another poster on the . wallstreetoasis.com site added: 'It is absolutely true – he was found . dead in the shower by his flatmate. Intern at BAML who went home at 6am . three days in a row.' On . Friday, staff at the Claredale complex issued a statement to residents, . part of which read: 'Some of you might be aware that the emergency . services were called to Claredale yesterday evening. 'The . reason for this is that we were made aware of an incident involving one . of our residents. Sadly the resident concerned had passed away. 'To . avoid any rumours or misinformation, we would like to inform you all . that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.' In recent years interns have told of working long hours at investment banks. Long hours: Mr Erhardt was near the end of his seven-week summer internship with Bank of America Merrill Lynch International in London when he died . One 20-year-old told London's Evening Standard in 2011 that 'you work whatever hours you're  asked to.' He added: 'Every intern's worst . nightmare is what's called "the Magic Roundabout" – which is when you . get a taxi to drive you home at 7am and then it waits for you while you . shower and change and then takes you back to the office.' Another . 24-year-old told the same newspaper: 'About 100 hours a week was the . minimum and the average was probably 110. I worked six-and-a-half days a . week.' Summer stay: Mr Erhardt, from Germany, had been staying at Claredale House in Bethnal Green, London, during his internship . A source at Merrill Lynch said Mr Erhardt had completed previous internships . at other investment banks but could not confirm or deny claims he had . worked exceptionally long hours. However he insisted staff are given both 'mentors' and 'buddies' when they join the firm and are monitored by staff from the human resources department. The source added Mr Erhardt was very well-liked by members of staff and there will now be a post mortem examination and inquest into his death. A statement from BAML said: 'We are deeply shocked and saddened by the news of Moritz Erhardt's death. 'He was popular amongst his peers and was a highly diligent intern at our company with a promising future. 'Our first thoughts are with his family and we send our condolences to them at this difficult time.'

Moritz Erhardt had been interning with investment bank Merrill Lynch . Erhardt, from Germany, was found dead in his East London flat last week . He said he felt pressured to be good at everything, a competitive streak which he admitted sometimes led to 'severe injuries' 21-year-old had pulled eight all-nighters in two weeks during his summer internship . He wrote 'I have learned that complacency implies stagnancy'

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A Russian convoy of trucks carrying tanks towards the Ukraine border has been seen returning without its cargo... fuelling fears that Vladimir Putin is already gathering his army in the country. The convoy of 13 military transporters had been carrying fearsome T-90 tanks and infantry vehicles through Russia's Rostov region towards the border. The following day, the same trucks were seen returning empty. The images are certain to alarm the West, which fears Putin's forces are placing fighters and heavy weaponry across the border into rebel-held regions of Ukraine. Scroll down for video . The military transport convoy, totalling 13 vehicles, was seen a few miles from the border . A T-90 tank being carried towards the Ukrainian border in a military transporter convoy . Many of the same transport vehicles were photographed driving away from the border the following day . The images are certain to alarm the West, which has accused Putin of supplying weaponry to rebels in Ukraine . The empty transporters photographed leaving the area days after they arrived with military equipment . The number plates of the trucks matched those of trucks spotted carrying equipment towards the border . The vehicles carrying tanks were seen heading in the direction of where Putin's 'humanitarian convoy' is located . All the vehicles' plates have the number 21 on them, indicating they are from the former North Caucasus Military District, now part of Russia's Southern Military District . Today the eastern city of Donetsk - once a staunch separatist stronghold - turned into a war zone as clashes between opposing forces intensified. Rebels were seen firing as they made their way through a car park, while in an area near the rebel headquarters building, residents fled when shelling began nearby. Shops closed early, and cars with gunmen inside sped through the streets, ignoring red traffic signals. A few hours earlier, fighting broke out in Makiyivka, a neighbourhood on the eastern edge of Donetsk that until Tuesday had not seen any combat. A resident of Makiyivka who gave his name as Svyatoslav said he had seen separatist fighters turning back an ambulance from the scene of the fighting, telling the crew there was no one left alive for them to treat. 'They're having to retreat, they're not able to stand their ground the way they want to,' he said of the rebels. The conflict has been plagued by accusations Russia is supplying troops and military equipment to the separatists across the border. Number plates on seven of the trucks seen today matched those seen carrying the tanks towards the border yesterday. All the plates also carry the number 21 on the right hand side, indicating they are from the former North Caucasus Military District, including strife-torn Chechnya and Dagestan, which is headquartered in Rostov-on-Don. It is now part of Russia's Southern Military District. The tanks and infantry fighting vehicles were seen 21 miles from the border and heading towards it. This is close to the frontier post where Russia's stalled 'humanitarian aid' convoy is holed up. A man repairs a broken window in his home in Khartsyzk, located about 24km from Donetsk . Residents wait inside a makeshift bomb shelter in Makiyivka as fighting breaks out across the town . Ukrainian forces today pressed on with their offensive in the east despite claims fleeing civilians have been killed . Kiev has refused so far to permit almost 300 trucks to enter its territory amid suspicions the vehicles - army lorries painted white - have a military purpose. Russia strongly denies this, arguing it is vital that the 2,000 tons of aid - including grain, sugar and baby food - is urgently needed in war-ravaged areas. The fighting in eastern Ukraine has taken a heavy human toll and has climbed today after a refugee convoy was hit by a rocket attack last night. Fifteen bodies have so far been removed from the scene - it is understood the convoy of buses and cars was packed with civilians fleeing heavy fighting between Ukrainian government forces and separatist rebels near Luhansk. Ukrainian government forces blame the attack on pro-Russian separatists they are battling in the area around the rebel-held city, while the rebels have denied responsibility. The United Nations says an estimated 2,086 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed in the four-month conflict. That figure has nearly doubled since the end of July, when Ukrainian forces stepped up their offensive and fighting started in urban areas. Luhansk has been largely cut off for weeks and is now in its 17th day without water and regular supplies of electricity which have hit mobile and landline phone connections. A statement issued by the press service of the Luhansk municipality painted a picture of misery and fear for its inhabitants. 'Overnight there was fresh shelling. The centre of the town has seriously suffered particularly near the central market ... As a result of the armed clashes civilians have been wounded and killed. There is further destruction (of buildings),' it said. 'Bread is being sold from vehicles, with big queues forming ... Interrupted supplies of food, medicines and fuel to Luhansk is a particularly acute problem.' Meanwhile, president Vladmir Putin is due to meet Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko next week for the first talks between the two in months. Government forces have pushed on with a punishing offensive designed to win back the east . A diplomatic solution would have to resolve a contradiction: with his troops advancing and victory possibly within reach, Poroshenko has little incentive to offer the kind of compromises that would allow Putin to achieve a face-saving deal. The offices of the Ukrainian and Russian presidents said both men would attend a meeting in the Belarus capital, Minsk, on Aug. 26, which is also to be attended by EU officials, and the leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan. Officially, the meeting concerns relations between the EU and a customs union involving Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, but Ukraine will top the agenda. The meeting will be the first between Putin and Poroshenko since a fleeting encounter in Normandy, France, in June at commemorations of the World War Two D-day landings. European officials say privately that they will keep up pressure on Putin to not support the rebels, but at the same time Ukraine has to be persuaded not to ruthlessly press home its advantage on the battlefield. That could humiliate the Kremlin and force it into an unpredictable reaction, officials say. The conflict, which began when street protests put a Western-leading leadership in power in Kiev against Moscow's wishes, has dragged relations between Russia and the West to their worst level since the end of the Cold War. It has also triggered a round of trade sanctions and retaliatory measures which are hurting fragile economies both in Russia and in European Union states. Russia annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea earlier this year. Since then, Kiev and its Western backers say Russia has been arming the anti-Kiev rebellion in Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine, an allegation that Moscow has denied. Ukrainian forces load a Grad multiple rocket launcher near the eastern city of Shchastya in Lugansk . Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists have been fighting in Lugansk for several days . Ukranian soldiers passing through the trenches dug to hold their position near Shchastya . Rubble sits beside a damaged building in Lysychansk, a city retaken by Ukrainian forces late last month . Refugees pictured crossing into Russia from Ukraine in Russia's Rostov region .

New pictures show empty transport convoy returning from the border . Same convoy was seen yesterday heading towards border carrying tanks . Images suggest Putin's forces are placing fighters and weapons in Ukraine . Putin and Ukrainian president due to talk next week for first time in months .

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was re-elected in the country's first presidential vote since its civil war broke out three years ago, state-run television reported Wednesday. Al-Assad received 88.7% of Tuesday's vote, the state media outlet said, in an election that took place only in areas controlled by the government. Rebels hold significant parts of the north and east of the country. Opposition groups and many Western countries have said the voting was rigged and that al-Assad's two little-known challengers -- Hassan al-Nouri, a businessman and former government minister, and Maher Hajjar, a lawmaker -- were just window dressing to give the undertaking a veneer of democracy. But the Syrian government has dismissed any criticism of the process. Al-Nouri received 4.3% of the vote, and Hajjar received 3.2%, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported, citing Parliament Speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Laham. The voting comes as war continues to rage in Syria. The United Nations estimates more than 100,000 people have been killed in the Middle Eastern nation since an uprising began in March 2011. That includes more fighting on Wednesday. The Local Coordination Committees in Syria, a network of opposition activists, reports on its Facebook page that at least 24 people were killed in violence nationwide, including eight in Aleppo province and six in and around Damascus. In a nod to this ongoing warfare, al-Assad urged people not to fire guns into the air as an "expression of our joy and enthusiasm" -- saying doing so threatens citizens' lives and dishonors Syrian troops on the frontlines. In a posting on the presidency's Facebook page, cited by SANA, al-Assad told citizens to voice their feelings about the vote "in a way that reflects our high morals and civilization as Syrians." Yet not everyone believed the election was worth celebrating -- or that it should have been held at all. The office of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had urged the Syrian government not to hold the election, warning it would "damage the political process and hamper the prospects for a political solution" to the civil war. The Islamic Front, one of the largest armed rebel groups, claimed the al-Assad government was blackmailing people to vote in what it called a fake election. The British Foreign Office said the vote would "be a grotesque parody of democracy," and the U.S. State Department said the al-Assad government took steps "to make it difficult if not impossible to have a fair and free election in Syria." The Syrian government said election monitors from the United States, the European Union or the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe wouldn't be present, but observers from some other countries would be. Syria isn't renowned for holding free and fair elections. When al-Assad came to power 14 years ago, he ran unopposed, securing more than 99% of the vote, according to state media. Seven years later, he won again with a similarly mountainous share of the vote. His father, Hafez al-Assad, ruled Syria with an iron fist for 29 years before he died in 2000. What to know about Bashar al-Assad .

Al-Assad acknowledges people's "joy" over result, tells them not to fire into the air . President Bashar al-Assad received 88.7% of Tuesday's presidential vote, state TV says . Syrian opposition, Western countries said the election wouldn't be free or fair . U.N. secretary general had urged Syria not to hold elections during war .

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Washington (CNN) -- A Marine shot and killed two of his fellow service members at a Virginia base Thursday night and then apparently killed himself, base officials said. The incident took place at Marine Corps Base Quantico. The shooter gunned down a man and a woman, the spokesmen said. All are Marines -- permanent personnel assigned to the officer candidate school. Authorities did not disclose a motive and were investigating the incident. The identities of the victims were not immediately disclosed as authorities worked to notify next of kin. "It's been a long night," Col David Maxwell, the base commander, said Friday. The incident shocked the military community. It comes as the Corps grieves over another tragedy: the deaths of seven U.S. Marines in a training exercise in Nevada on Monday. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel "was saddened to learn of the shootings at Marine Corps Base Quantico," Pentagon spokesman George Little said Friday. "This tragedy, as well as the tragedy in Nevada earlier this week, took the lives of Marines who volunteered to serve their nation. His heart and his prayers are with them and their families. He believes that the legendary strength of the United States Marine Corps will ensure that they are forever remembered," Little said. Base lockdown . Early Marine accounts said the notification of the shooting came late Thursday when authorities found one dead victim. Using a public address system, police announced a lockdown at the base and surrounded the building where the suspect was believed to be barricaded. They ordered everyone to stay in their homes, doors locked, they said. Authorities from the base and Prince William County, Virginia, surrounded the shooter, who was in a barracks not far from where the first shooting occurred. Law enforcement officials entered the barracks two hours later and discovered the shooter dead, apparently of a self-inflicted wound. The female victim was in the room with him, fatally shot. The lockdown ended early Friday, a few hours after it started. As dawn rose over the base, Maxwell told reporters that there were no barricades or a standoff but did not elaborate. The incident was confined to a single barracks at the candidate school. He said "quick" police reaction helped resolve the situation, first reported at 10:30 p.m. via an emergency call. Soon, security was heightened and a mass notification was issued throughout the base. Base restrictions were lifted a few hours later. Others in the officer candidate school were "accounted for and safe." "As we take care of our Marines and their families that are dealing with this tragedy, I'd also ask for the support of our neighbors, the community, and their thoughts and prayers as well for our Marines who have lost their comrades-in-arms," Maxwell said. Quantico, a historic hothouse of Marine ideas and training . Visitors to the base will see a grand statue: the Iwo Jima Monument. It gives all who enter pause about the important role the base has played training generations of Marines in forging military doctrine and fighting America's wars. The statue depicts the historic flag-raising on Mount Suribachi, on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, during the famous World War II battle there. The Quantico base, started during World War I, has been integral in training, education and forging military doctrine for America's battles. Early on, amphibious warfare was, the corps said, "conceived and perfected" there. The Marines there came up with the idea "of carrying troops from ship to shore by helicopter." Now, it's home to the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, which conducts experiments in modern warfare. "This is perhaps the only command whose mission touches the farthest reaches of the Corps; decisions made here impact Marines aboard ship, fighting in the Global War on Terrorism, on guard duty at embassies across the globe and reserve duty throughout the United States," the Marines said. Federal agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI, share training facilities there. The base also has a reputation across popular culture as a key national security training location. Jack Ryan, writer Tom Clancy's well-known character in novels and films, for example, took officer training there. CNN's Jason Hanna and Jake Carpenter contributed to this report.

The shooter gunned down a man and a woman, base officials said . The shooter then apparently killed himself, they said; all are Marines . The incident was reported Thursday night . Victims are personnel in the officer candidate school .

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(CNN) -- Brazil's president has offered asylum to an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning, state-run media reported Saturday. President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva was quoted by Brazil's official state news agency EBC as saying "I want to make an appeal to my friend Ahmadinejad ... and to the government of Iran to allow Brazil to take in the woman." Brazil recently participated in talks with Iran aimed at restarting negotiations about Iran's nuclear program. In May, Brazil helped broker a deal with Iran that would provide Tehran with enriched uranium for medical research. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted of adultery in 2006 and was originally sentenced to death by stoning. Iranian authorities say the sentence has been put on hold, but there have been no reports as to whether a new sentence has been imposed. The 43-year-old mother of two is reportedly still being held held in Tabriz prison. Iran's judiciary could reinstate her sentence of death by stoning, execute her by another means, or possibly even grant her a reprieve, according to human rights groups. Ashtiani's attorney, Mohammad Mostafaei, told CNN earlier this month that his client confessed to the crime after being subjected to 99 lashes. He said she later recanted the confession and denied any wrongdoing. Mostafaei has gone into hiding since last weekend after being interrogated by Iranian authorities, human rights groups say. Advocates and Mostafaei say his wife and brother-in-law are being held by Iranian authorities. A letter believed to be written by Mostafaei was posted on the Internet on Saturday, calling for the release of his relatives. The lawyer says he has cooperated with interrogators, and says his wife and brother-in-law are victims of of "hostage taking." Mostafaei said he and his family are innocent of any wrongdoing. The Guardian newspaper previously reported that Mostafaei's wife was arrested when they were unable to find him. CNN's Gena Somra contributed to this report.

Brazil's president offers asylum to Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani . Lawyer of woman says his wife is being unfairly held . Brazil's president has been involved in diplomatic talks with Iran in recent months . Iran says Ashtiani's stoning sentence was commuted, but no word on alternate sentence .

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By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 01:57 EST, 4 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:51 EST, 4 June 2013 . Government plans to overhaul legal aid threaten to destroy Britain's 'world renowned' system of fair justice, a former judge warned today. Sir Anthony Hooper, who retired as a Court . of Appeal judge last year, hit out at Ministry of Justice . reforms to cut £220million from the legal aid budget. Under the proposals, organisations would . compete for contracts by offering the lowest price, with companies like . logistics group the Stobart Group among those bidding. But Sir Anthony said this would deny defendants the long-held right to choose their solicitor and instead create a system where the quality of representation on offer would be vastly reduced. Chairman of the Bar Council, Maura McGowan (left), and retired judge Sir Anthony Hooper (right) have criticised plans to cut £220million from the legal aid system . Speaking on BBC4's Today Programme, Sir Anthony said: 'At the moment, solicitors compete on quality. 'In the new system, there will be no competition on quality because they will be randomly allocated. ‘The government says it is . replacing competition with something called Robust Quality Assurance – . which, quite frankly, just sounds like gobbledygook.’ In the case of people with disabilities, this . may result in a lawyer who doesn't have the right expertise for their . particular needs being selected, he told the BBC. Sir Anthony claimed the new system would see who firms of specialist law firms, such as those who help war veterans and the mentally ill, will simply 'disappear off the map'. He told the Law Society Gazette: ‘These proposals by the inaptly named justice secretary are fundamentally flawed and must be rejected in whole.’ He was speaking after the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has published its response to the reforms. The 150-page response said . price competitive tendering (PCT) promotes the 'lowest possible quality . of service' and will result in further changes to civil legal aid, . hitting society's most vulnerable people. 'Threat to justice': Under the proposals, organisations would compete for contracts by price, with companies such as logistics firm the Stobart Group bidding for work . Other changes will see criminal . defendants living in households with a disposable income of £37,500 or . more stopped from automatically accessing legal aid, while prisoners' rights to the support will also would be curbed. Maura McGowan QC, chairman of the Bar . Council, said: 'There is no avoiding the simple fact that these . proposals would move us from having a justice system which is admired . all over the world, to a system where price trumps all. 'PCT . may look as though it achieves short-term savings, but it is a blunt . instrument that will leave deep scars on our justice system for far . longer. 'Further cuts to the scope of . civil legal aid will limit access to justice for some of the most . vulnerable. That is a legacy of which no Government should be proud.' She added: 'The proposals simply do . not have a sufficient evidence base on which to attract support. We . believe that if these proposals are implemented as they stand, the . system will go very badly wrong. Once implemented, these measures cannot . be easily reversed.' Ms . McGowan QC said Justice Secretary Chris Grayling should achieve any . required reforms 'without destroying a world-renowned institution'. The Bar Council response said that the . proposals would destroy the livelihoods of many smaller solicitors' firms and the criminal defence Bar. Standing firm: Justice secretary Chris Grayling says the legal sector cannot be immune from government cuts and costs paid to lawyer should 'reflect this' Criminal legal aid costs taxpayers more than £1 billion every year and the proposals should cut the bill by £220 million. In April, reforms to the Legal Aid, . Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (Laspo) came into effect, . removing large areas of law from the scope of civil legal aid. Some . law firms estimated the reforms will reduce the number of people who . qualify for legal aid by 75 per cent, meaning around 200,000 fewer . cases, while barristers warned the cuts are the biggest to civil legal . aid since the system was introduced in 1949. In its response to the consultation, the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the body responsible for regulating barristers, said plans to pay legal aid lawyers the same amount for a 'guilty' or 'not guilty' plea could lead to defendants being pressurised into pleading guilty. It said cases where the defendant enters an initial guilty plea are typically shorter and so cheaper than trials to assess guilt. Setting the same fee for cases where a defendant pleads guilty and for longer trials may create an incentive for lawyers to encourage clients to plead guilty. Bar Standards Board chair Baroness Ruth Deech said: 'These reforms may endanger the ability of our legal system to guarantee everyone a fair trial. 'While we accept that the current austerity measures are a consequence of the financial climate, protecting the public, and ensuring criminal cases are dealt with fairly and justly, remain of the utmost importance.' Mr Grayling said: 'We have one of the best legal professions in the world. 'But at a time of major financial challenges, the legal sector cannot be excluded from the Government's commitment to getting better value for taxpayers' money. We believe costs paid to lawyers through legal aid should reflect this. 'Professional, qualified lawyers will be available, just as they are now, and contracts will only be awarded to lawyers who meet quality standards set by the profession. 'Wealthy defendants who can afford to pay for their own legal bills should do so. Our proposal is to introduce a threshold on Crown Court legal aid so that people earning around £100,000 a year are no longer automatically granted legal aid. 'We have one of the most expensive legal aid systems in the world, with about £1 billion a year spent just on criminal legal aid. 'These changes are about getting the best value for the taxpayer and will not in any way affect someone's right to a fair trial.'

Bar Council says £220m cuts would destroy 'world-renowned' legal system . Organisations would compete for contracts by offering the lowest price . Companies like logistics firm the Stobart Group among those bidding . Retired judge says plans would scrap right of defendants to choose lawyer .

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(CNN) -- Three men were sentenced to death Friday for the gang rapes of two women in the Indian city of Mumbai last year, public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said. The men -- Vijay Jadhav, Mohammad Qasim and Salim Ansari -- were sentenced to die under an amended Indian law that sets death as the maximum sentence if convicted of more than one sexual assault, according to Nikam. The three were found guilty of gang-raping a telephone operator a month before attacking a photojournalist in a deserted Mumbai mill in August. Five people, including a young boy, were involved in the photojournalist rape case, Nikam said. One of them has been sentenced to life in prison, while the youngest is facing a trial before a juvenile justice board. Those convicted can appeal their sentences to a higher court. Violent crimes against women have been in the spotlight in India since a 23-year-old woman was raped and beaten by several men on a bus in December 2012. The victim later died in a Singapore hospital. The shocking attack provoked outrage across India, leading to calls for improved safety and treatment of women. Since then, the Indian media have intensified their focus on rape cases. Attacks against foreign women have also been reported. The 2012 case prompted lawmakers to change statutes to fast-track the arrest and questioning of anyone implicated in a rape. INTERACTIVE: The girl whose rape changed a country .

The gang rapes took place in Mumbai . A December 2012 rape provoked outrage across India . The 2012 case prompted new statutes fast-tracking arrests in rape cases .

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Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down Friday and handed over power to the military, his nearly three decades of iron rule ended by a groundswell of popular protests that began January 25. In a somber, one-minute announcement on state television, Vice President Omar Suleiman announced Mubarak's resignation and said the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will "run the affairs of the country." As Suleiman spoke, deafening cheers erupted among tens of thousands of Egyptians who thronged the streets of Cairo. It was a moment they had sought throughout long, often tense days of demonstrations -- some of them violent -- that demanded Mubarak's departure. It was a moment that many in the Arab world's powerhouse nation had not dared contemplate. Chants of "Egypt is free!" and "God is great!" rose from the crowds, dizzy in the honeymoon of their success. Some waved Egyptian flags; others honked horns; still others set off fireworks as they savored the scene. Two major bridges over the Nile River resembled congested parking lots, and partiers packed streets throughout Cairo. The state-run Middle East News Agency said some people had passed out from joy and others had suffered heart attacks. "It was a sense of liberation for me, for every Egyptian," said opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei. "For the first time, Egypt has a chance to be democratic, to be free, to have a sense of dignity, of freedom. So it's amazing. It's just like something we never experienced in our lifetime." A source with close connections to Persian Gulf government leaders said Mubarak, 82, had fled to the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, his presidency finished as abruptly as it had started in 1981, when he ascended to power after the assassination of Anwar Sadat. The repercussions echoed far beyond Tahrir Square as the Swiss government moved Friday to freeze assets belonging to Mubarak and his family, said Norbert Baerlocher, a spokesman for the Swiss Embassy in Washington. In a speech to the nation Thursday night, Mubarak had indicated that he was delegating authority to Suleiman but made no mention of resigning. Disappointed crowds calling for his ouster grew in number Friday in Cairo and in other major cities. By Friday night, the protesters got what they were seeking. But amid the euphoria, ElBaradei sounded a note of caution. "We have challenges ahead of us," said the Nobel laureate, who some believe could emerge as Egypt's next leader. "I think we need to not worry about retribution. Mubarak needs to go, and we need to look forward." Amre Moussa, the Egyptian secretary-general of the Arab League, told CNN that the country should focus on instituting reforms and establishing democracy. Asked how long it would take for the government to lift the 30-year-old state-of-emergency laws, he said, "The sooner the better ... six, seven months." Asked whether he will run for office, Moussa demurred. "That is not an issue to discuss today," he said. "The time for such a question will come." Wael Ghonim, the Egyptian activist who became a reluctant hero of the revolution but has made clear that he has no interest in becoming a political leader, predicted that history books would describe Mubarak as a dictator. Ghonim -- a Google executive on leave from his job whose Facebook page is credited with triggering the uprising -- was seized by security forces and held for 10 days. His powerful television interview after his release Monday galvanized the protesters in Tahrir Square. He said he had felt certain that Mubarak would be forced out after a revolt in Tunisia forced that country's leader to step down in January, and he said he believed the Egyptian military could be trusted to respect the demands of the protesters. Many protesters had been calling for Egypt's army, which is respected within the country, to take over as interim caretaker. Friday night, they voiced optimism that the military would pave the way for free and fair elections. Throughout the uprising, the military both responded to the protesters and defended Mubarak's regime. It showed signs Thursday that it was assuming a greater role when the supreme council met without Mubarak, who was then still the supreme commander of the armed forces. Friday, it issued a communique stating that Egypt's emergency laws, used by Mubarak throughout his tenure as president to rule with an iron hand, would be lifted, but only when conditions allowed. After Mubarak stepped down, a military spokesman appeared on state television, expressing appreciation to the former president and saluting the "martyrs," an apparent reference to those who died in the protests. Human Rights Watch has documented more than 300 deaths since the uprising began January 25. Many of the pitched battles between security forces and Mubarak's foes unfolded in the same places that were scenes of jubilation Friday night. But Friday's revelry could not push aside the looming uncertainty over what will come next in the Arab world's most populous nation and how Egypt's revolution, which succeeded on the 32nd anniversary of Iran's, might affect the region. Events in Egypt may extendfar beyond the country's borders, Moussa said. "Winds of change are sweeping the Arab world and the Middle East," he said. In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama said the people of this key U.S. ally have made it clear that "nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day." He praised the Egyptian military for acting responsibly and said it now needs to help ensure a credible transition. Among other things, Egyptian authorities need to set about "protecting the rights of Egypt's citizens, lifting the emergency law, revising the constitution and other laws to make this change irreversible, and laying out a clear path to elections that are fair and free," Obama said. But two miles from the White House, at a meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, said that the United States had invested billions of dollars over the years "propping up that dictator" and has little to show for it. "Where do you think the money went? To a Swiss bank account," he said. "It contributed to our debt, billions and billions of dollars, and all we get is chaos from it and instability." A spokesman for Obama's predecessor said Friday that former President George W. Bush "congratulates the people of Egypt for taking an important and impressive first step toward freedom." But the U.S. government's applause for Egypt's step toward freedom and away from Mubarak differed markedly from its previous stance. At a joint news conference with Mubarak in April 2004 at Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, he offered support for his Egyptian counterpart. "Egypt is a strategic partner of the United States, and we value President Mubarak's years of effort on behalf of the peace and stability of the Middle East," Bush said. "President Mubarak can be confident in my friendship and America's partnership as he moves forward to realize the hopes of his people." Just where those hopes would lead was not clear in the heady hours after Mubarak's resignation. What was clear was that Mubarak's imposition of military rule broke with Egypt's 1971 constitution. The constitution allows for only two scenarios for a president to relinquish power. The first stipulates that if the president has to step aside temporarily, the vice president steps into the top role. That is what the regime briefly orchestrated Thursday. The constitution states further that, if the office of the president is vacated or the president becomes permanently disabled, the parliamentary speaker is to assume the role until new elections can be held. Those elections, in turn, must occur within 60 days. In opting for a third way, which put all power in the hands of the military, the regime in effect rendered the constitution inoperable. A high-ranking Egyptian military official said the army's command was discussing whether to dismiss Mubarak's government and parliament and when the next election would be held. But some analysts were sounding the alarm over the takeover by the military, which has suddenly become accountable for the nation. "Suleiman's statement is the clearest indication thus far that the military has carried out a coup led by Defense Minister Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi," analysts with Stratfor, a global intelligence company, said in a statement. "Egypt is returning to the 1952 model of ruling the state via a council of army officers," the statement said. "The question now is to what extent the military elite will share power with its civilian counterparts." Amnesty International warned that Mubarak's departure did not mean an end to the police state. "The repressive system that Egyptians have suffered under for three decades has not gone away and the state of emergency remains in place," said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's secretary general. "Those in power must grasp this opportunity to consign the systematic abuses of the past to history. Human rights reform must begin now." CNN's Amir Ahmed, Nic Robertson, Kurt Muller and Caroline Faraj contributed to this report.

NEW: Moussa says it could take 7 months before state-of-emergency laws can be lifted . U.S. has invested billions "propping up that dictator," Rep. Ron Paul says of Mubarak . Obama says the "transition must bring all of Egypt's voices to the table"

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Bassem, the husband of Mahassen Issa, who is facing court in Lebanon, has spoken of his heartbreak . The husband of the Australian woman charged in Lebanon with either adultery or bigamy has spoken out about his devastation at learning his wife had married another man before divorcing him. Bassem, a custom-made furniture designer from Sydney's west, said he and Mahassen Issa were married for 10 years before she went to Lebanon and began a relationship with Mohammad Awick. 'I love her so much, I'd do anything, why has she done this?' he told Daily Mail Australia. Bassem also expressed outrage that his wife had married another man before their divorce was finalised and had 'deserted our children'. 'She’s a devil. This lady, she’s a devil,' he said. Bassem acknowledged the couple had been having problems, saying that he had moved out of their home on April 13 and had begun divorce proceedings. But he denied her claims they had been separated since last September, saying they went on a holiday to Queensland together in February to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. His comments come as Ms Issa faces a Lebanese court after leaving her husband for a holiday with another man, Mohammad Awick. Ms Issa was due to return to Sydney last weekend but said she was contacted by police and informed that her passport had been flagged and she was not able to leave the country. Ms Issa said she had been charged with adultery, which is a criminal offence in Lebanon, and could face a six-month prison sentence. Her family insist that she has been charged with bigamy and have provided photographs to Daily Mail Australia that they claim show Ms Issa and Mr Awick at their wedding three weeks ago. Bassem posted side-by-side pictures on Facebook of Ms Issa with him (left) and with Mohammad Awick (right), whom he claims Ms Issa married in Lebanon three weeks ago . A photo from Mahassen Issa's second wedding to Mohammad Awick which happened three weeks ago, her family claim . Bassem (pictured here with the couple's two children) and Ms Issan were in the process of getting a divorce when she travelled to Lebanon . Bassem claims that his wife met Mohammad Awick, who lives in Lebanon, through the Internet, and has been talking to him since last year. 'I found out from the phone bill, she's been talking to him before. I don't know what's going on behind my back,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Bassem said his wife married Mr Awick in Lebanon three weeks ago despite his requests to divorce him first and do things properly. 'I found out from her brother. We told her and we told him, ''First divorce me and then do what you want''.' 'I'm still her husband here and she has married another man.' Bassem said that when he learnt his wife went through with the wedding, he sent his papers to Lebanon to inform them Ms Issa had committed bigamy. 'I sent all my papers to Lebanon saying "We're still married and you have to stop her". 'It's not up to me now. People say to me, "Why don't you drop the charges?" But if I drop the charges, the Lebanese government will charge her. 'I think that she should go to jail. She's been my wife for 10 years and she's a very good lady. But she needs a lesson that she needs to do the right thing. 'When she wakes up from this dream she will understand what she's done is wrong. She left everything. She left her family, she left her kids, she left her work, she left her friends.  For what? To be happy for a few weeks.' 'Now she's crying to make Australia feel sorry for her.' Bassem shared his heartbreak with friends on Facebook earlier this month, posting a picture of himself and Ms Issa alongside a picture of Ms Issa and Mr Awick, with the caption: 'Is it halal for a married women to get remarried while she is still married?' Bassem said he had been forced to stop work to care for the couple's two children and deal with the fall-out of the marriage breakdown. Mahassen Issa could face six months in a Lebanese jail for adultery after she went on holiday to Tripoli with her new boyfriend Mohammad Awick (left) Ms Issa says she been charged with adultery in Lebanon, but a family member claims these photos from her wedding day proved she was charged with bigamy . Ms Issa's family have disowned her for starting the relationship. Her brother, Ahmmad, has told Daily Mail Australia: 'We want nothing to do with her. She is a compulsive liar.' 'She's disregarded her kids and disregarded her family, and gone off and married someone she had only known for 48 hours,' Mr Issa said. Ms Issa's brother said the family had warned Ms Issa about marrying Mr Awick after her ex-husband registered their marriage in Lebanon. 'We tried to put a stop to it but she decided to proceed with her marriage in Lebanon...now it has backfired on her,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'She's not going to jail because of adultery, she's going to jail because she got married while she was still married. 'That's illegal everywhere, not just in Lebanon. All she's doing is crying out for Australia to help her. 'We told her not to get married three weeks ago, we told her she would get in trouble and look what happened,' he said. Ms Issa said she and her husband separated last September and that she and her new partner (pictured) have not done anything wrong . Ms Issa said she and Mr Awick have received threats and are fearful of what their futures hold . But Ms Issa protests her innocence, saying she and her estranged husband were in the middle of divorce proceedings in Australia. 'I came to Lebanon because I was going through a very messy divorce, I met my partner, we fell in love,' she told 9NEWS. 'I haven't broken any laws and I'm a victim of a jealous spouse's revenge plot.' Ms Issa who was born in Sydney and attended Wiley Park High School has two children, a six-year-old son and a nine-year-old daughter, and she said she fears not being able to return to them. 'The thought of not seeing my children again and my whole family disowning me, it's too much,' she told The Daily Telegraph. The children are currently being cared for by their father in Sydney's west. Ms Issa says she separated from her husband in September last year, though her husband claims they did not separate until April 2014. Ms Issa said she and Mr Awick have been receiving threats and she does not know who to turn to for assistance. 'The holiday that I thought would just be some time out has turned into a nightmare… we have done nothing wrong,' she told The Daily Telegraph. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that they were providing consular assistance to a woman trying to return from Lebanon to Australia.

Mahassen Issa, 29, is facing court in Tripoli. She claims she is charged with adultery, which is illegal in Lebanon, and separated from her husband . Her family claim she married her new boyfriend and is charged with bigamy . Her husband, Bassem, has spoken out about his devastation . Claims he urged her to divorce him before marrying Mr Awick and said she should go to jail for bigamy . In photos released by the family Mahassen Issa is seen embracing Mohammad Awick in an intimate wedding portrait .

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As if the eruption of Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano wasn't dramatic enough as it is, new footage has emerged which shows lava bubbling and boiling and shooting into the sky as the Northern Lights swirl above. The fissure eruption at Iceland’s active volcano is captured at close range by a helicopter which is flying perilously close to the crater. The first part of the video is a time-lapse animation of the aurora borealis, often referred to as the Northern Lights, swirling above the volcano. Green then red: The Northern Lights or aurora borealis are a beautiful sight, swirling above the volcano . Suddenly a red cloud issues from the volcano like a giant Roman candle as the coloured mists which swirl all around make it a truly ethereal sight. Then comes a dramatic a close-up view of lava fountains - filmed from a helicopter approximately 1km from the crater. The fiery red geysers leap into the sky showing nature at its most raw and powerful. Like a giant Roman candle, a massive plume of red smoke billows into the evening sky . Dramatic: Spumes of red hot lava shoot into the coloured mists of the sky above . Since August 16, a series of earthquakes in the area have created breaks in the Vatnajokull glacier, which is northeast of the volcano. The tremors created cracks in the glacier, allowing streams of lava to pour through. Although the area is remote and sparsely populated, hikers turn up in their droves in the summer and officials had to evacuate all tourists in the region following some intense seismic activity . Ready for your close up? A fiery red geyser of lava is propelled from the volcano . Savage beauty: A cameraman flying over Iceland's persistently active volcano filmed the fountains of lava shooting 70 metres into the air .

A helicopter near the Icelandic volcano captured the images and video . Photographer shows the moment lava shoots into the air . The aurora borealis fill the sky as the volcano erupts .

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By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 20:31 EST, 7 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:33 EST, 8 January 2013 . Drivers living in remote rural areas could receive a 5p a litre discount on the price they pay for petrol. The mid-term review suggested ministers want to extend a scheme to cut fuel duty in areas which have been worst hit by prices hitting £1.40 a litre or more. Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander has already introduced a 5p fuel duty discount in the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, and the Isles of Scilly. Countryside: Drivers living in remote rural areas could receive a 5p a litre discount on the price of petrol . But the mid-term review revealed the Government is to consider extending it to remote mainland areas, too, such as Cornwall, the Scottish Highlands and North Wales. ‘We will consider the case for extending the rural fuel discount scheme to remote mainland communities,’ the document said. A fuel duty discount can be introduced only if the Government can persuade the European Commission that it would not breach competition laws. Precedents have been set by the French island of Corsica and Portuguese and Greek islands, which already enjoy fuel tax discounts approved by Brussels. A Government source said: ‘The precedents are there in Greece and elsewhere. For the areas affected by these very high prices, it will be a significant cut.’ Another flagship transport policy signalled in the review, however, is causing significant splits within the Government. Helping hand: Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander has already introduced a 5p fuel duty discount in the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, and the Isles of Scilly . The Coalition document mentioned only forthcoming plans for ‘long-term investment in Britain’s transport infrastructure’. David Cameron is keen on plans to encourage private sector investment in the roads network by allowing them to charge tolls in return for building and running new motorways, trunk roads and lanes. Drivers who use motorways and trunk roads could also pay a higher level of road duty, while those who stick to B-roads and single-lane A-roads would get a cut. However, the Liberal Democrats – and Tory ministers in the Department for Transport – are understood to be cool on the proposal, arguing motorists are unlikely to welcome the idea of new tolls and charges. A senior Government source admitted it was unlikely that significant progress would be made before the next election in 2015. ‘Have you seen how long it takes to build a new road in this country?’ the source said.

Mid-term review suggests ministers want to extend scheme to cut fuel duty . 5p fuel duty discount already introduced in Northern Isles and Isles of Scilly . Precedents already set by French island of Corsica and Portuguese islands .

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Dwain Chambers, the old man of British sprinting, shocked his young rivals by beating them to the 100 metres crown at the Sainsbury's British Championships in Birmingham on Sunday. The 36-year-old clinched his fifth straight domestic title in 10.12 seconds, edging out Harry Aikines-Aryeetey by just 0.02secs at the Alexander Stadium. Favourite Chijindu Ujah was third in 10.18. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Dwain Chambers reveals his squatting work out . Experience beats youth: Dwain Chambers won his fifth straight British Championships 100m title . Champion: Chambers (rght) beats Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (left) and Chijindu Ujah (centre) on the line . Chambers' victory booked his place on the Great Britain team for August's European Championships in Zurich. He was ranked 10th in the country going into the weekend, though, and had to call on all his experience to hold back the tide of young talent, headed by Ujah, who ran 9.96 earlier this month. And the former drug cheat admitted his career could have been over had the race not gone to plan. 'It is just such a relief; there is a lot of young potential out there,' Chambers said. 'I was running for my life. Any one of those guys could have got me, everyone raises their intensity, so I knew I had to raise my performance too and fortunately I did it. 'I train with CJ (Ujah), so I know how . good he is in the second half of the race, so I just tried to stay . ahead of him. I put myself on the line knowing that, if I didn't do it . now, then that was it. Training partners: Chambers and Ujah know each other well but as Ujah said, 'experience won' 'Earlier in the season, things weren't going well and, if it didn't go well today, I knew it was done. I would have had to seriously review my situation.' Aikines-Aryeetey's second place also booked his spot for Zurich, with Ujah having to rely on the discretion of the selectors for the third spot. On his race, Ujah said: 'I came here to win, but unfortunately, it was a matter of putting three races together. I got cramp on the very first step (in the final) and experience won today.' James Dasaolu, who ran 9.91 here last year, missed the event this time around through injury and so could miss out on selection for the Europeans, having also failed to make England's Commonwealth Games team. Over the top: Chambers kept his composure to clock 10.12 seconds as favourite Ujah finished third . Representing: Chambers now qualifies for the European Championships in Zurich in August .

Chambers finished in 10.12 seconds at the Alexander Stadium . Harry Aikines-Aryeetey was second by just 0.02 seconds . Chambers and Aikines-Aryeetey qualify for the European Championships . Race favourite Chijindu Ujah came third in 10.18 seconds .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Male singers regularly photographed wearing a hat are usually covering up a receding hairline. Jason Aldean has had six Top 10 country singles. His new album, "Wide Open," is just out. But not Jason Aldean. He has a full head of hair, and wears a cowboy hat to signify his commitment to country music. The same is true for his well-fitting jeans and cowboy boots. It's a formula that seems to be working. The 32-year-old rising star has just notched his sixth Top 10 country single with "She's Country," the lead track off his third CD, "Wide Open" (Broken Bow). We caught up with the Georgia native in his dressing room before a recent sold-out show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, California. The following is an edited version of the interview. Jason Aldean: Definitely a cowboy hat in L.A. makes you stand out a little bit. CNN: It's a fashion statement in L.A. Aldean: It is! You've got to wear it with confidence, too. Watch Aldean talk about his new album » . CNN: Are you nervous about your new album? Aldean: I wouldn't say I'm nervous. If you have an album that you're kind of on the fence about, then yeah, you would be kind of a little nervous. CNN: Have you ever had one of those -- or if you had, would you admit it? Aldean: When we went in to record the second album (2007's "Relentless," which went gold), I think it was a good album, but I felt like I was under a lot of pressure recording that album -- more than the other two. You hear people talking about the sophomore slump and all that stuff, and so I think all that stuff sort of got to me after a while. Combined with being on the road 200 to 250 days [a year], I just didn't have that much fun recording it. I was exhausted. And so going into this third album, I just feel like mentally, I was back in the right place. CNN: As an artist, do you ever really think you got it right? Aldean: If at any point you're recording an album and you think it's the greatest thing that you've ever done, and you'll never be able to top it, then you should probably quit. Michael Jackson -- he made "Thriller," so I can see why he might have said, "I'm done." But even he kept making records. CNN: Were you a Michael Jackson fan growing up? Did you moonwalk as a kid? Aldean: Of course! I had my glove and everything. Used to wet my hair so it looked like a Jheri curl. (Cracks up) CNN: Who else did you listen to as a kid? Aldean: Guns N' Roses -- the '80s rock stuff. Then I was into John Mellencamp, and Bob Seger and a lot of the Southern rock stuff -- the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band. I listened to a lot of different kinds of music. CNN: Are you finding that the economy has affected ticket sales? Is it harder to sell out shows these days? Aldean: I think everybody has kind of seen a little bit of a hit. We're no different. We've tried to make it more affordable for people to come to a show with lower ticket prices [most of the time in the $20-40 range]. Maybe go in and play a show for less money than we would normally go in to play a show for, just so people can afford to come out and buy a ticket. I mean, you're looking at 200 bucks if you've got a wife and two kids -- and then by the time you come there and buy a couple of T-shirts, or some drinks or whatever, you're spending three, four hundred dollars, and right now, people are a little hesitant to do that. CNN: What do you consider an expensive ticket? Aldean: If Elvis was still around, I don't know if I'd pay 80 bucks to go see him. I surely would not pay 80 bucks to go see me! CNN: From a financial standpoint, touring is more important to an artist than selling records these days. Aldean: The music industry is so different now than it was even when I hit the scene in 2005. If you go to Wal-Mart and you want a song, you've got to buy the whole album for ten bucks -- or you can go to iTunes, and if you want a song, you can pay a dollar to get it. So in return, the record label is going to make less money, which is us making less money to pay them back. The way it works is the record label basically fronts the money for us to record an album. As the money comes back in off of that, they take that and repay the debt that we owe them. So if they're not making enough to repay that debt, they're not going to keep us employed on the label for very long. CNN: As an artist, do you worry about that? Aldean: Oh, absolutely. I think every artist worries about that. As a consumer, I think iTunes is a great thing. As an entertainer, not so much. I would much rather have somebody buy an album as a whole. Bad thing about purchasing singles -- if you have an artist you like and you keep doing that, there's not going to be music enough for you to go and get, because they're not going to have a deal anymore. But who knows? Record labels may one day be out all together, and people may be making their own music and selling it on their Web sites. CNN: That seems to benefit established artists more than up-and-coming ones. Aldean: Radio's really accepted us, and proven that they're really going to play my stuff as long as I give them something good to play. Fans are coming out to the show, so I mean what more could I ask for? My original plan when I got started in this deal was just to be able to make a good living for my family and play music. I've been able to do that, which is all I've ever wanted.

Jason Aldean riding high with new hit, "She's Country" Georgia native conscious of ticket prices, giving value . Aldean: "[I] would not pay 80 bucks to go see me!"

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(CNN) -- When Matthew Kabonero and Daniel Ndahiro first met at a high school just outside of Kampala, they immediately became firm friends. Years later, their friendship would serve as the foundation for starting one of Uganda's first digital advertising companies -- Camouflage Media. The firm provides digital screens for corporate clients which can be seen in Kampala's supermarkets, shops and corporate lobbies. It also offers social media services by managing companies' online presence and growing their fan base. "Advertising in general was an area of interest" says Matthew Kabonero. "The idea to make it digital was because of the missed opportunity we saw in areas where static adverts were not effective enough to gather interest, for example at waiting areas of an office reception. "You can only look at a poster for so long," he says. Kabonero and Ndahiro both studied business administration, but were quick to jump on the opportunity they saw in making advertising go digital in Uganda. They gathered funds from family and launched their venture. "With print, you have to print newspapers every day, but with digital advertising it's just a matter of changing the content that you have and distributing it online, so the expense of having to go through the printing is minimized," says Kabonero. The company now employs seven people and is breaking even, but they hope to start making a profit in the next six months. They have already gained patronage from one of the country's most profitable banks, Standard Chartered, as well as MTN, a large telecom company. The young entrepreneurs admit it wasn't all plain sailing though -- early challenges included difficulties in coordinating teams which were deployed across Uganda, and meeting deadlines. But Kabonero and Ndahiro insist that solving problems helped them learn, and grow a stronger business. "What sets us apart from our competitors in the market is that we also create content for them. So we've gone a step further" says Ndahiro. When it comes opportunities for entrepreneurs in Uganda, both think are great: "Many markets out there are saturated," says Kabonero, "however when you come to Uganda you'll find that many businesses that exist in other areas don't exist in Uganda, so that's an opportunity that exists." The team want to expand their business to the country's classrooms by providing interactive digital solutions for teachers, and they also want to take their screens outdoors: "We envision starting a digital revolution in Uganda and, who knows, perhaps in other parts of Africa as well. It would be a dream come true." concludes Kabonero. Read more: Africa's techies hop aboard the StartupBus . Read more: Hey kids, beware...You now have to bury your parents' phones to hide a bad grade . Read more: He started in his teens with just $14. Now he's a 21-year-old paper bag king .

Two young entrepreneurs are making advertising go digital in Uganda . Their start-up, Camouflage Media, provides digital screens for the country's supermarkets, offices and lobbies . The company has already gained patronage from the country's most profitable bank and biggest telecom company .

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A former school bus driver in Virginia has been charged with assault for allegedly inappropriately touching a 13-year-old special needs student as he strapped her in a safety seat. Bus surveillance footage from May 8 appears to show Johnnie Miller, 66, fondling the girl as he straps her into her bus safety contraption. When school officials confronted Miller about the alleged sexual assault he told them his actions were 'just a little tickle game' he plays with the girl. The Washington Post reports that Miller drives students to and from the Key Center, a special education campus in Springfield, Virginia. Charged: School Bus driver Johnnie Miller allegedly inappropriately touched a 13-year-old special needs student when he strapped her in a bus safety seat . Police began investigating Miller after a school bus supervisor was concerned with the way Miller was strapping the girl into the seat on May 6. After reviewing surveillance footage, Fairfax County School Investigators told police that the girl appears to be yelling during her interaction with MIller. When the bus attendant comes to check on why the girl is screaming, surveillance footage shows Miller yanking his hand away from the girl so the bus supervisor does not see his 'touching'. Miller has been charged with both assault and battery, . NBC Washington reports that Miller retired on May 30 following the alleged assault. Miller, who lives in Fredericksburg, had been a driver since 1991 and he is due in court later this month. The MailOnline tried contacting the Key Center but no one was available for comment. Special needs school: Johnnie Miller drove a school bus route with students from the Key Center, a special education campus in Springfield, Virginia .

Johnnie Miller, 66, has been charged with assault for allegedly fondling a 13-year-old special needs student as he strapped her in her safety seat . After a bus attendant reported Miller for inappropriate touching, school officials reviewed bus surveillance tapes . When school officials confronted Miller about the alleged sexual assault he told them his actions were 'just a little tickle game' he plays with the girl . Miller retired on May 30, less than a month after the reported incidents .

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By . Adrian Durham . Follow @@talkSPORTDrive . MAN CITY MUST DOMINATE IN EUROPE TO KEEP SHEIKH MANSOUR SATISFIEDJOSE MOURINHO HAS WRECKED ASHLEY COLE'S ENGLAND CAREER . Let me highlight three young English players who ended the Premier League season on a high, and who I would love to see build on that next season. Firstly, Carl Jenkinson at Arsenal. He poked home his first goal for the Gunners at Norwich and then charged towards the travelling fans to celebrate like it meant the world to him – probably because it did. He’s an Arsenal fan, from a family of Arsenal fans and having met him and talked to him I can confirm it is genuine – this kid is a Gooner through and through. If he wasn’t playing for them, he’d have been in the away end at Carrow Road. Boyhood dream: Lifelong Arsenal fan Carl Jenkinson scored his first goal for the club in the 2-0 win over Norwich on Sunday . What a moment: Jenkinson has supported Arsenal all his life and realised a dream by scoring in a Gunners' shirt . It must have been so frustrating for Carl to watch Bacary Sagna picked ahead of him week in week out last season. Especially when you see the England squad and realise another right-back is needed. I’m a big fan of Carl Jenkinson, I think he has the talent that can be developed and turn him into a top full-back for club and country. From an England fan’s point of view, I hope Sagna leaves Arsenal this summer – he’s being linked with Manchester City. England need Carl Jenkinson to blossom at the Emirates sooner rather than later. And how lucky are the Gunners fans? They have one of their own playing for them, and caring about the results and performances as much as they do. Whoever you support, you’d all love a player like that in your team. First choice: Bacary Sagna has played ahead of Jenkinson in Arsenal's defence this season . Secondly, Dwight Gayle. As a Posh fan, I watched him at Peterborough United and even though he was only with the club a few months, and we were relegated in that time, it was obvious he had the ability to go higher. Crystal Palace paid £6m for him - and in all honesty it was probably too much - but the critics couldn’t stop banging on and on about that transfer fee. Especially when it emerged Ian Holloway didn’t really know how to get the best out of him, and Gayle then got injured. He scored Palace’s goal of the season – a stunning strike to win a Christmas fixture at Aston Villa – but I always got the impression Tony Pulis felt Gayle was too much of a risk while Palace were still fighting for survival. Top form: Dwight Gayle has shown he can handle the pressure in the Premier League with a number of goals for Crystal Palace . Curled: Gayle fires home a free-kick to score his second goal for Palace in the 2-2 draw at Fulham on Sunday . Allowed to play a part with Palace safe, Gayle flourished. He didn’t just score goals, he took up positions, he made runs, he outwitted defenders. His finishing was fantastic. He started only eight Premier League games for Palace this season, but ended up top scorer for the club. That’s some achievement for a player who was playing in the sixth tier with Bishops Stortford two years ago. There is speculation Gayle will be sold by Tony Pulis this summer. I hope the manager has seen enough to challenge himself to turn Gayle into an international striker. To be honest I would have been happier seeing Gayle on Roy Hodgson’s World Cup standby list ahead of Andy Carroll. On call: Dwight Gayle should be ahead of West Ham's Andy Carroll on England's stand-by list for the World Cup . Thirdly, another player who I felt was ahead of Carroll for England recognition: Sunderland’s Connor Wickham. For so many reasons he should have been on Roy Hodgson’s standby list. He ended the season strongly, making a major contribution to Sunderland’s incredible survival run. But he has also represented England at several age levels, including 17 games for the Under-21s and he has tournament experience at that level as well. His brilliant form at the right time should have been rewarded with a place on standby for the World Cup, and that would also be a way for Roy to tell young players if they do the business at junior England levels, that will be recognised at senior level. Leaving Wickham out makes me wonder if the Under-21s are worthwhile. Wickham needs to bring consistency over the course of a season in the Premier League. I’m hoping he achieves that in 2014-15. Fine season: Connor Wickham has been instrumental in Sunderland's Great Escape from the Premier League relegation zone .

Jenkinson's goal at Norwich shows how much he loves Arsenal . Gayle has shown he can cut it at top level with goals for Crystal Palace . Wickham should have been above Andy Carroll on World Cup standby list .

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A cancer doctor treating five-year-old Ashya King admitted the only treatment available on the NHS would leave him with life-long disabilities, his parents revealed yesterday. Brett and Naghmeh King were told conventional radiotherapy would leave their son with ‘special needs’ which could be avoided if he received pioneering treatment abroad. Despite that admission, NHS doctors insisted they would go ahead with normal radiotherapy and threatened to have the horrified couple’s parental rights removed if they questioned the decision, the family said. Scroll down for video . Anguish: Brett (left) and Naghmeh King (centre) say a cancer doctor treating their five-year-old son Ashya (right) admitted to them that the only treatment available on the NHS would leave him with life-long disabilities . Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Mr and Mrs King said they were forced to take their desperately ill son on the run across Europe to protect him from the devastating side effects of the NHS treatment. The family’s plight shocked the world when the couple were arrested for child cruelty and thrown in jail while Ashya was kept under armed guard, alone in a Spanish hospital. His brothers and sisters were banned from seeing him, and his parents said he was left ‘crying like a wounded animal through the night’ in his single bed ward. Now reunited, the family has secured his treatment in a private clinic and say the proton beam therapy – and their love – has already produced improvements in his health. Agony: Mr and Mrs King said they were forced to take their desperately ill son on the run across Europe to protect him from the devastating side effects of the NHS treatment . Father: Mr King, 51, (pictured with his son) said he asked about proton beam therapy as an alternative several times, but was told it offered no benefits over normal radiotherapy . In a moving and shocking interview serialised this week in the Mail, they tell how: . · Ashya’s initial operation to remove his brain tumour left him ‘like a vegetable with his eyes open’ · His parents had to hold his eyelids shut to allow him to sleep . · His suffering was so shocking his mother questioned if it was right to keep him alive . · Doctors said conventional radiotherapy would cause hearing and growth problems and leave him with special needs . · Medics said the NHS would not fund proton beam therapy despite it offering a better quality of life . · The couple was told the NHS only considered ‘survival’ in cancer funding decisions, not the potentially devastating side effects . Mr and Mrs King faced every parent’s nightmare when Ashya was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour after suffering a series of mystery symptoms. He was admitted to Southampton General Hospital for brain surgery and initially the couple were confident doctors were doing everything possible to save their son. Mrs King, 45, was arrested as she tried to get into an ambulance to accompany her five-year-old son to hospital . But the family’s own research into his condition led them to question the doctors’ insistence that he needed high doses of radiotherapy which would risk massive damage to healthy brain tissue. Mr King, 51, said he asked about proton beam therapy as an alternative several times, but was told it offered no benefits over normal radiotherapy. One doctor was said to have told him: ‘If you continue with these questions your rights to make decisions about Ashya will be taken away from you. ‘We will apply to the family court to have your parental rights removed and then we will give him any treatment we want.’ Mr King, a property developer from Southsea, Hampshire, said he then asked a radiologist at the hospital and was told cancer treatment decisions were taken on the basis of ‘survival rates’, not the patient’s quality of life afterwards. The radiologist told him: ‘If you’re asking me about quality of life, proton is superior. ‘With radiotherapy, your son will get secondary tumours, have hearing problems, growth problems and special needs for the rest of his life. ‘Children pay a heavy price for survival under normal radiotherapy.’ Faced with such a grim forecast for their child’s future, Mr and Mrs King said they felt they had no option but to take Ashya to Prague for treatment. When doctors discovered the boy was gone they contacted police, who issued a European arrest warrant for the couple. Two days later the parents were arrested in Spain as they prepared to sell their holiday home to fund Ashya’s treatment. Mrs King, 45, was arrested as she tried to get into an ambulance to accompany her five-year-old son to hospital and heard police questioning their instructions. Improvements: Now reunited, the family has secured his treatment in a private clinic and say the proton beam therapy – and their love – has already produced improvements in his health . One officer was overheard saying: ‘What sort of world do we live in where you take a sick child away from his mother?’ Mr and Mrs King were arrested and thrown into cells in one of Spain’s most notorious prisons for three nights, while Ashya was kept alone and isolated hundreds of miles away. The outcry over the family’s plight led to criticism that police and prosecutors had been too heavy-handed in issuing the European arrest warrant, which was eventually withdrawn. Public anger also prompted a nationwide fundraising effort as people rallied to help the family. Mr King described the emotional moment he was reunited with Ashya, saying: ‘I was hugging him. I could feel the pain inside him. Desperation: Mr King with his son in a video the family made explaining why they had taken Ashya from hospital . Treatment: Mr and Mrs King, seen leaving a police station in Malaga for an extradition court hearing, were arrested and thrown into cells in one of Spain’s most notorious prisons for three nights . ‘I said, “Ashya I’m here now. I’m never going to leave you. I’m so sorry for what happened but we’re here. We’re going to be together forever. You don’t have to cry any more.’ Ashya has now begun treatment and the NHS has agreed to pay for his proton beam therapy in the Czech Republic, meaning public donations can be used to help other children. Doctors in Prague say his type of brain tumour has a 70 to 80 per cent survival rate and hope he will make a full recovery. While delighted by his progress, his parents said their enforced separation had ‘scarred’ the five-year-old, who now howls in protest if either of them steps away from his bedside. Reunited: Asyha is accompanied by his parents as he arrives at the Motol Hospital in Prague . Treatment: Ashya has now begun treatment and the NHS has agreed to pay for his proton beam therapy in the Czech Republic, meaning public donations can be used to help other children . Southampton General Hospital has denied that its doctors ever threatened to seek a court order to remove the Kings’ rights to make decisions about Ashya’s care. It has defended its decision to recommend standard radiotherapy and chemotherapy and said its treatment plan for Ashya complied with NHS best practice guidelines for cancer care. Despite repeated efforts, nobody at Southampton General Hospital was available for comment last night.

Parents told conventional radiotheraphy would leave son with 'special needs' NHS doctors 'threatened to have couple's parental rights removed' Brett and Naghmeh King say they were forced to take Ashya, 5, on the run . Family has now secured Ashya's treatment in a private clinic . They say proton beam therapy has already improved Ashya's health .

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The wife of Michael Schumacher claims the seven-times Formula One world champion is slowly improving after spending six months in a coma following head injuries sustained in a skiing accident. Nearly four weeks ago Schumacher was transferred from a hospital in Grenoble, where he had been cared for since the end of December, to the University Hospital in Lausanne closer to his home. The 45-year-old is currently undergoing what was described at the time as 'a long phase of rehabilitation'. Hope: Michael Schumacher and wife Corinna pose while on holiday in Northern Italy . Looking forward: Corinna Schumacher says her husband's condition is slowly improving . Hopeful: Corinna . Schumacher (left) made her first public appearance this week since Michael's accident . This has allowed wife Corinna to make her first public appearance this week since her husband was involved in the accident in the French Alpine resort of Meribel. Speaking to German women's magazine, Neue Post, Corinna was quoted as saying: 'It's getting better, slowly certainly, but in any case it's improving.' VIDEO Schumacher's medical data stolen .

Schumacher spent six months in a coma after ski accident in December . 45-year-old is currently being treated in Lausanne, Switzerland .

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It's the last place on Earth you would want to play football. But in 1915, while staring death in the face, British troops from the London Irish Rifles passed this ball between them as they courageously charged across No Man's Land under heavy fire. The tattered brown ball ended up in German trenches following the successful but bloody attack at the Battle of Loos - and a century later it has been valued at £15,000 on the Antiques Roadshow. Incredible: This ball was kicked across No Man's Land by British soldiers under heavy machine-gun and mortar fire during the Battle of Loos in the First World War . The ball was one of six that soldiers had planned to dribble across the battlefield in a show of British bravado - and utter madness. But the night before the offensive their commanding officer rumbled them - and shot five of the balls rendering them useless. The one that survived belonged to Sergeant Frank Edwards who hid it from his commanding officer by stuffing it up his tunic moments before going into battle. He booted the ball into No Man's Land where men from the London Irish Rifles fanned out like a line of forwards - passing it between themselves while being bombarded with mortar and machine-gun fire. Hid the ball: Sergeant Frank Edwards, right, with one of his brothers, and pictured with London Irish Rifles . Sergeant Edwards was shot and wounded, and after bouncing into German trenches, the ball was later found wedged in barbed wire and taken back to headquarters. The ball is on display at the London Irish Rifles Association museum but has been lent to Sergeant Edwards' granddaughter, Sue Harris, who took it to the Antiques Roadshow's First World War special programme to be broadcast this Sunday. Mrs Harris also presents expert Graham Lay with a bronze statue of her grandfather dressed in uniform holding the ball along with a watercolour painting of the extraordinary charge. Post-battle: British troops returning from the line after the Battle of Loos, pictured in Belgium in 1915 . Proud: Graham Lay Antiques Roadshow specialist with Frank's granddaughter, Sue Harris. Mr Lay values the ball at between £10,000 and £15,000 and tells Mrs Harris: 'You haven't just got a football here, the football is testament to the bravery, the courage and the morale of your grandfather.' The Battle of Loos took place on September 25, 1915. The Battle of Loos was the largest British offensive mounted in 1915 on the Western Front during World War I. The first British use of poison gas occurred and the battle was the first mass engagement of New Army units. Date: September 25 – October 14 1915. Location: Loos, France . British commanders: Field Marshal Douglas Haig and Field Marshal Sir John French. British casualties: 50,000 casualties (with at least 20,000 deaths). German casualties: Approximately 25,000. Bloodiest day: On September 28 around 8,000 British troops were killed in the space of four hours during an attack on well-defended German positions. The regiment's football team hatched their plan to dribble six balls across No Man's Land as they thought it would help distract them from the deadly mission while also shocking the enemy. Sergeant Edwards is said to have dribbled the ball 20 yards before he was shot in the thigh. One of his footballing comrades applied a tourniquet to the wound which saved his life. The injury ended his war and he was discharged from the London Irish Rifles in 1919 and joined the Military Foot Police. But his name went down in army folklore and he was known as the 'footballer of Loos'. A pub in his home town of Twickenham, south west London, was named The Rifleman in his honour. Mrs Harris said: 'I knew my grandfather until I was ten, he lived with us.. He was a kind man, tall and upright but he never talked to me about the war or to my mother but we knew the story. 'I think he was feeling absolute terror. I think he thought about blocking that out by kicking the ball with his pals. 'I was very possessive of my grandfather, he was the footballer of Loos.' Iconic: Photo from the 1923 London Irish Old comrades dinner showing the historic ball . The ball was previously displayed at the regimental museum in Camberwell, south east London, until 50 years ago. After that it languished in a container in the sergeant's mess at the museum for the next five decades and in 2011 resurfaced in a decrepit state and in danger of perishing into a pile of dust. Conservation experts were called in and after painstaking restoration, the ball was returned to its former glory. Tribute: A bronze statue of Francis 'Frank' Edwards posed during the football match at the Battle of Loos . Corageous: A painting from the football match that occurred at the Battle of Loos . The 1st Battalion of the London Irish Rifles was sent to the Western Front in May 1915 and took part in the first major British offensive of the war in September. During the ball's restoration, Nigel Wilkinson, vice-chairman of the London Irish Rifles Regimental Association, explained: 'The London Irish had a first class football team and they were keen to score a goal in Jerry's front line trenches. 'One of the platoon commanders thought this was a bad idea and just before the whistles blew for the attack he went round puncturing all those that he could find.' Ruins: French soldiers near a wrecked church in Loos following the end of the battle in October 1915 . Daniel Radcliffe (left) charge and Richard Dormer across No Man's Land in reenactment of the Battle of Loos while filming ITV's My Boy Jack - a film about Rudyard Kipling and his son during the First World War .

Courageous act of British bravado took place at the Battle of Loos in 1915 . London Irish Rifles hatched mad plan to kick ball across No Man's Land . Was supposed to distract them from deadly mission and shock the Germans . The ball ended up in German trench and a century later is valued at £15,000 . The unbelievable story will feature on the Antiques Roadshow on Sunday .

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By . Bianca London . Kate Moss has graced the cover of Vogue 33 times but now she's gone behind the scenes by becoming a contributing fashion editor for the magazine. British Vogue today unveiled the 40-year-old model's first shoot for the fashion bible in all its glossy glory. The shoot, which features in the March issue, is called Cause . Célèbre and is inspired by the devil-may-care glamour of cult seventies . band Destroy All Monsters. It's here! The Vogue March issue, which Kate Moss styled a shoot for, has landed in all its glossy glory . Bringing four fashion legends together, the shoot features model Daria Werbowy, is styled by . Kate and is photographed by duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Speaking about the shoot, Ella Alexander of Vogue.co.uk, writes: 'Working with cover girl Werbowy and long-time friends and collaborators Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Moss creates a hazily beautiful world - with a healthy splash of the rock'n'roll cool that you would expect from the world's most photographed supermodel.' In her Editor's letter, Alexandra Shulman writes: 'Kate Moss, surely one of the most famous free spirits of our age, has styled her first fashion shoot for us. 'Case Célèbre is - possibly unsurprisingly - a homage to renegade rock style. Rock 'n' roll: Bringing three fashion legends together, the shoot features model Daria Werbowy, styled by Kate and photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott . 'From gathering the initial moodboard to talking me through the rail of clothes in the Vogue fashion room and adjusting the accessories on Daria Werbowy, Kate took on the complete role of fashion editor - although perhaps not every editor takes her model out partying on the first night of the shoot!'. When Vogue announced the new role last October they promised Moss would bring her decades of experience in the industry to fashion shoots and 'work with her choice of photographers and models'. At the time, Alexandra Shulman, said: 'I am absolutely delighted that Kate . is going to work with us in this new role. 'Her . undoubtedly brilliant sense of style, depth of fashion knowledge and . understanding of what makes a wonderful image will be exciting to see on . the pages of British Vogue. I am really looking forward to working with . her on ideas.' Cover girl: The model has appeared on the front of Vogue 33 times during her career . Natural career development: The model will bring her years of experience on fashion shoots to her role . Sarah Doukas, founder of Storm Models who represent Moss, added: 'We are absolutely thrilled at Kate's appointment. 'This . is a natural development in her remarkable career. Bringing her unique . sense of style and  creative sensibility to Vogue is the perfect fit. She is the definitive Vogue cover girl.' She may have just hit the big 4-0 but Kate Moss clearly isn't letting her age get in the way of her career if her recent projects are anything to go by. The . editorial role adds another string to Moss's bow after it was also . announced that she will once again collaborate with Topshop. The . Croydon-born model last worked with the High Street brand between . 2007-2010 and will now design a new collection to be sold in 40 . countries in 2014. The . blonde - who last month celebrated her milestone birthday with an . epic week-long celebration - was also unveiled as the face of Alexander . McQueen's SS14 campaign, Rimmel's SS14 campaign, as well as the pre-SS14campaign for Liu J. Busy year ahead: Kate Moss, pictured with Sir Philip Green, has also announced she will design a new collection for Topshop . She's STILL got it! Kate Moss, who turned 40 this month, has been unveiled as the face of Alexander McQueen's SS14 campaign . Party girl: Kate totters out of her 40th birthday bash at the exclusive 34 restaurant . See the full shoot in the March issue of VOGUE, on sale Thursday 6th February .

Supermodel's first stylist shoot for Vogue appears in the March issue . Was announced as contributing fashion editor last October . Styled Daria Werbowy, who was shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott . Editor Alexandra Shulman said Kate took on 'complete role of editor'

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Barbie dolls are often coming under fire for being an unrealistic portrayal of real women. Last week graphic artist Eddi Aguirre caused a stir online by digitally altering an image of the perfect blonde to illustrate what an unmade-up version might look like, warts and all. Gone was the smooth skin, silky hair and bright white Barbie smile, instead this hyperreal version - published with the tagline 'no one is perfect' - featured under eye bags, yellow teeth, braces, blotchy skin and frizzy hair. Now one company has claimed that Aguirre's image went too far and have responded with their own rather more gentle idea of what our favourite dolls might look like without the warpaint. Artist Nickolay Lamm has revelaed what dolls would look really like without make-up following the hyperreal Barbie image that was released last week . Lamm took pictures of the dolls then removed the lipstick, eyeshadow and blusher in a computer image manipulation programme . Lamm says: '(The original picture) got me thinking: is this what Barbie would really look like without make-up? Ken is a pretty good looking doll. So, surely Barbie without make-up can't be too different.' Artist Nickolay Lamm has given Barbie, as well as her friends Bratz and Sindy, a digital make under that reveals a pretty, natural, girl next door look that is a far cry from the original frazzled Barbie. The idea is to prove that these ladies - like most girls - don't really need cosmetics to enhance their looks. Lamm, working with website MyVoucherCodes.co.uk after the site saw a huge spike in ‘Barbie discounts’ searches last week, took pictures of the original dolls then removed the lipstick, eyeshadow and blusher in a computer image manipulation programme. Lamm explains: 'I decided to see what Barbie (and other dolls) really looked like without makeup. '(The . original picture) got me thinking: is this what Barbie would really . look like without make-up? Ken is a pretty good looking doll. So, surely . Barbie without make-up can't be too different. 'Sure enough, Barbie still looks pretty, even au naturel.' 'The . real Barbie without make-up brings up a new point: if Barbie can look . good without makeup, why doesn't Mattel make dolls with a more natural . look?' 'The real Barbie without make-up brings up a new point: if Barbie can look good without makeup, why doesn't Mattel make dolls with a more natural look?' Lamm's conclusion is that the dolls do not really need to wear cosmetics to enhance their looks . Since her inception in 1959, Barbie - with her perky breasts, flaxen hair, and tiny proportions - has been blamed . for instilling a negative body-image in young girls. According to The . Washington Post, Sleepover Barbie even came with a bathroom scale. Many responses to Aguirre's 'natural' Barbie have been negative, however. 'A doll with an incredibly sick look? Like she's got an awful hangover or renal failure? Which child would . want it?' wrote one commenter. 'I . didn't know "natural" meant you looked like you've been up all night . and you smoke crack,' wrote another. And: 'I think I just saw Ken . running away in horror!' One . woman, named Raven, added: 'I fail to see what's wrong with admiring . beauty. Even if it's the beauty of a Barbie. Why do we need to destroy . something that has been an icon for generations? Because some people . feel inadequate in comparison? Stop comparing yourself. Don't blame her.' Eddi Aguirre's picture of Barbie looking less than perfect caused a stir online last week with some critics saying that she looked like she was suffering with liver failure . Fran Walfish, a child and family therapist based in Beverly Hills, told Yahoo: 'It's human nature for people to build up iconic figures and then tear them down. 'We . idealize public figures because we want something to aspire to but our . standards are impossibly high. And when these icons inevitably misstep, . we feel disappointed and angry that our hopes have been dashed.' She . added: 'Barbie with braces and acne looks very much like the type of . women and girls who come into my practice. Perhaps this new image is a . good thing.'

Artist Eddi Aguirre created a picture of a hyperreal Barbie last week . The image included greasy skin, under eye circles and frizzy hair . His work drew criticism for going too far and making Barbie look ill . Artist Nickolay Lamm has responded with a more gentle makeunder . He says his images illustrate dolls' natural beauty . Calls for Mattel to manufacture more natural looking dolls .

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By . Meghan Keneally and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 18:47 EST, 7 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:16 EST, 11 March 2013 . The former head of transportation . security says a new policy that allows small knives on commercial planes . doesn't go far enough, and should include weapons such as 'battle axes' and 'machetes.' Kip Hawley, the former chief of the . Transportation Security Administration, said anything that wouldn't be . able to harm an aircraft's functionality should be allowed on board. 'In retrospect, I should have done . the same thing,' Hawley told CNN of the rule, which has caused widespread . confusion and outrage, especially among the families of . victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Kip Hawley, the former chief of TSA, says a new policy that allows small knives on commercial planes doesn't go far enough, and should include weapons such as 'battle axes' and 'machetes' New rules: Flight attendants are balking at the new changes that will lift a number of prohibited items and allow travelers to carry on small knives on board . Remaining restrictions: TSA officials hope that by keeping some banned it will instill less fear in flyers . 'They ought to let everything on that . is sharp and pointy,' Hawley said. 'Battle axes, machetes ... bring . anything you want that is pointy and sharp because while you may be able . to commit an act of violence, you will not be able to take over the . plane. It is as simple as that.' Hawley added, 'So my position would . be, bravo on the 2.6 inch knife. But why not take it all the way and . then really clean up the checkpoint where officers are focusing on bombs . and toxins, which are things that can destroy an airplane. And it would . smooth the process, cost less money, and be better security.' The TSA's announcement of the new policy has upset many families who lost loved ones in the 9/11 terror attacks. 'I'm really horrified and I would say . the majority of 9/11 family members are really shocked by it,' said . Sally Regenhard, the mother of firefighter Christian Regenhard who died . trying to save people in the World Trade Center. The TSA said effective April 25, it . would allow small knives with blades that are 2.36 inches or less in . length and less than 1/2 inch wide. Explaining why axes and machetes . wouldn't do harm on an airplane, Hawley said, 'What are you going to do . when you get on board with a battle ax? Are you pull out your battle ax . and say, "I'm taking over the airplane?" You may be able to cut one or . two people, but pretty soon you would be down in the aisle and the . battle ax would be used on you.' Tragic: Sally Regenhard stand at a September 11 Memorial event with a picture of her firefighter son Christian. She is one of the many family members of victims who is outraged at the new TSA changes . He added, 'You can commit acts of violence on an aircraft with what is allowed now. With a Coke can, a key, a ruler, and some duct tape, you can make a 12-inch razor-sharp sword. And every eighth-grader would be able to do that.' Ms Regenhard told MailOnline about a recent flight she took to Los Angeles where the security screener stopped her because she had a small container of yogurt onto a flight. 'Yogurt's more dangerous than a pen knife and a golf club!' she said. 'I am vehemently against anyone bringing a pen knife. I don't think there is another 9/11 family who doesn't get on a plane with a lot of trepidation and fear. 'I always think of 9/11. I always think "Is there someone on here who is going to be here who is going to be a terrorist?"' Another relative, Debra Burlingame, says small pocketknives can be just as lethal as the box cutters that are still banned. Ms Burlingame's brother was the pilot of the hijacked plane that crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The hijackers wielded box cutters. The families of victims are not the only ones who are upset: the former colleagues of victims are as well. Specific: The TSA says that the changes reflect the findings of their recent review of security measures . Exemptions: Only certain bats are allowed but many think it is premature to allow any at all . The Association of Professional . Flight attendants 'categorically rejects a proposal to allow knives of . any kind in the cabin,' and they don't understand why 'such a momentous . decision' was made without any consultation. As . for some of the larger items that they will now allow, like the sports . equipment, increases 'the potential for passengers getting hit with . these items during boarding and deplaning. It's a recipe for disaster,' said the APFA representative. 'This is part of an overall Risk-Based . Security approach, which allows Transportation Security officers to . better focus their efforts on finding higher-threat items such as . explosives,' he said. Hawley said he understands and respects their opposition, 'but from a security strategy point of view this is absolutely the right decision.' 'The air marshals and the flight attendants have legitimate concerns, certainly, for their own safety, but the threat of taking over a plane with a small, sharp instrument is zero,' Hawley said. 'You cannot necessarily prevent violence on an airplane, but that is not the TSA's mission. TSA's mission is to prevent a successful, catastrophic terrorist attack, and you cannot get a successful, catastrophic terrorist attack with a small knife or a Wiffle ball bat.' Travelers will now be allowed to bring . golf clubs, ski poles and even small knives on planes with them since . aviation officials have announced significant security changes. Other items that will be allowed on . board again as part of a passenger's carry-on luggage include billiard . cues, ski poles, hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks. Items that had been prohibited like razors, box cutters or knives with a fixed blade are still not allowed on board. The restrictions about liquids are . still in place as well, meaning that anything under 3-ounces must be . declared at the security checkpoint. Loosening the reins: TSA officials have changed their stance on certain banned objects which will now be allowed on planes starting on April 25 . No longer a threat? Billiard cues and lacrosse sticks will be allowed on board now . The . Flight Attendants Union Coalition, which represents nearly 90,000 flight . attendants from carriers across the country, called the decision a . 'poor and shortsighted decision' by the TSA. 'As the last line of defense in the cabin . and key aviation partners, we believe that these proposed changes will . further endanger the lives of all flight attendants and the passengers . we work so hard to keep safe and secure,' the coalition said in a . statement. TSA spokesman David Castelveter said the . decision was made to bring U.S. regulations more in line with . International Civil Aviation Organization standards and would also help . provide a better experience for travelers. Castelveter said the TSA has implemented a . number of safety measures including reinforced cockpit doors, allowing . some pilots to be armed and federal air marshals on board airplanes. He . said those measures would help ensure safety of the passengers and crew. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE .

TSA announced a new policy this week to allow small knives onto commercial planes starting in April . Parents of 9/11 victims say they are outraged by the new policy . The Association of Professional Flight attendants blasted 'poor and shortsighted decision'

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Why would an award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and single mother want to tack reality TV star onto her long list of accomplishments? Kandi Burruss says she is happy to join the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" cast. For Kandi Burruss, the newest member of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, the answer is simple: "I was a fan last year. I love the show." The second season of Bravo's hit show is set to premier on Thursday with Burruss replacing cast member DeShawn Snow. Burruss is well-known in the music industry as a former member of the platinum-selling R&B girl group Xscape and co-writer of such hits as Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills" and TLC's "No Scrubs," for which she won a Grammy. The Atlanta native almost ended up on another reality show with former group mate and writing partner Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, who is the fiancée of rapper T.I. and now stars on BET's "Tiny & Toya" alongside Antonia "Toya" Carter, the ex-wife of Lil' Wayne. The deal for that show didn't work out and Burruss said she was more than happy to sign on with Bravo's wildly successful southern edition of the "Housewives" franchise, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent African-American women in the ATL. Burruss was already friendly with cast mate Lisa Wu Hartwell, whom she met through their mutual friend Cottle. Having watched the show -- which last season enraptured viewers with a mix of constant infighting, lavish lifestyles and a healthy dose of drama -- Burruss said she was more concerned with being thrust into the public eye than she was with getting along with the cast. "The only thing that made me hesitant about wanting to be a part of the show is the fact that people are so critical of the show," she said. "Just dealing with people on the outside judging you. That part is going to be something that I am going to have to get used to." The artist has already had to get acclimated to people smearing her personal life on the Internet. Watch Burruss discuss her time on the show » . Newly engaged to a father of six children, Burruss has watched him get attacked in blogs and is protective of the man who she said even her mother isn't thrilled about her marrying. "[The show] has been very, very stressful on the relationship," she said. "I guess [people] couldn't find anything bad [to say] about me, so they wanted to go in on my fiancé." Her caring nature and laid-back personality make Burruss special in the industry, said rapper Rick Ross. "She's a very humble person, maybe one of the most humble people among the biggest songwriters in the industry," said Ross, who collaborated with Burruss on a track for a new solo album she has in the works. "It's good to be around the greats and she most definitely is one of the greatest in the industry." Her home music studio attests to that. The walls are covered with gold and platinum records for her work with several high-profile artists including Alicia Keys, *NSYNC, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Being part of a girl group helped prepare her for the drama of dealing with the other housewives' personalities, Burruss said, though she admitted clashing with outspoken cast mate NeNe Leakes during filming. "I was a fan of hers last year," Burruss said. "All that wild and crazy stuff she says to people, when you're watching it, it's funny, it's hilarious... but when it's directed at you, it's not funny anymore." Burruss got along better with aspiring singer Kim Zolciak, who Burruss will assist in achieving her dream of breaking into the industry. Last season, fans of the show -- and some of the other housewives -- slammed Zolciak for her less-than-stellar voice. "Everybody loves to hate on Kim. But what I have to say is that Kim is actually cooler in person than she came off on the show," said Burruss, who in 1999 won top songwriter of the year from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. "I wanted to help her out because I love helping the underdog." The busy artist said she has no idea if she will be invited back for another season. Appearing on the show, which Burruss said is not scripted, was fun, but she is busy with an upcoming album and with caring for her daughter, Riley, she said. She doubts she will be addicted to appearing on reality TV like she is addicted to music, Burruss said. "It's just another way for people to get to know you and hopefully they see me in a good light," she said. "You always hope that it doesn't backfire."

Kandi Burruss is the newest member of Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta" An accomplished singer/songwriter/producer, she was a fan last season . Burruss confirms she and cast mate NeNe Leakes didn't get along . The single mother hopes fans will see her in "a good light"

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(CNN) -- A Saudi court on Wednesday sentenced a man who caused uproar by bragging about his sex life on television to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes, according to Ministry of Information officials. Mazen Abdul Jawad talked openly about his sex life on the controversial show. Mazen Abdul Jawad, a 32-year-old airline employee and divorced father of four, spoke openly about his sexual escapades, his love of sex and losing his virginity at age 14. He made the comments on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, which aired the interview a few months ago. Saudi authorities shut down LBC offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after airing the interview on an episode of its popular show "A Thick Red Line." Jawad was arrested shortly after the program aired and charged with violating Saudi Arabia's crime of publicizing vice. On the program, Jawad is also shown in his bedroom, where he holds sexual aids up to the camera. The room is decorated with Mickey Mouse and stuffed bears in sexually suggestive positions. The cameras gave audiences a glimpse of the room's nightclub-like chandeliers mixed with seafood-shaped wall sconces, perfume bottles and a book in Arabic, "101 Questions About Sex," that Jawad calls his "reference." Jawad, wearing a red shirt, explained that he put his phone number and details about his car -- a red Mini Cooper -- on his mobile phone's Bluetooth. He says women usually call him to ask if the car is for sale but, he boasts, "some go out with me that same night." The episode ended with him cruising the streets of Jeddah in his car looking for women. The show that aired Jawad's story is as popular as it is controversial in the Middle East. It tackles taboos sometimes never discussed in public. In one instance, a guest admitted he put up his children for sale and tried to justify why he continued to look for the highest bidder even though his kids were begging him to change his mind. Most guests wear sunglasses, wigs and strange clothing to disguise their identities as their lives can be endangered for talking about such taboo subjects. Surprisingly, Jawad did not disguise his identity on the program. Watch report on the uproar over the broadcast » . The episode caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia, where sharia, or Islamic law, is practiced. Pre-marital sex is illegal, and unrelated men and women are not permitted to mingle. The segment in question has been posted on the video-sharing site YouTube since its initial broadcast last month, and has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Speaking about promiscuous acts "is a violation of the sharia regulations on the one hand and against Saudi customs on the other," police spokesman Suleiman Al-Mutawae told Arab News, an English-language daily newspaper in Saudi Arabia. Before Jawad's detention, Arab News reported that he initiated a damage-control campaign, apologized for his comments and was considering filing a complaint against the show's producers for presenting him "in the worst possible manner by taking two hours of footage and condensing it down to a minutes-long segment." Jawad's lawyer could not be reached for comment. The ministry officials spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity.

Mazen Abdul Jawad, divorced father of 4, spoke openly about sex escapades . Saudi authorities shut down LBC offices in Jeddah and Riyadh over broadcast . Episode caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia .

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By . Ryan Gorman . and Fay Strang . PUBLISHED: . 04:57 EST, 25 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:47 EST, 25 February 2014 . Actor Bill Murray has paid tribute to Harold Ramis following news he has passed away at the age of 69 after a long illness. Speaking to Time Magazine Murray, who famously starred with Ramis in Ghostbusters, said: ‘Harold Ramis and I together did the National Lampoon Show together off Broadway, Meatballs, Stripes, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day. He concluded his tribute to Ramis, who died from complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, saying: ‘He earned his keep on this planet. God bless him.’ Outpouring: Bill Murray (L) paid tribute to Harold Ramis (R) on Monday after he died aged 69 . Earned his keep: Murray (L) who worked with Ramis on numerous occasions, praised his work . Their fellow co-star Dan Ackroyd, who both co-wrote and appeared in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 tweeted: 'Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my brilliant, gifted, funny friend, co-writer/performer and teacher Harold Ramis. May he now get the answers he was always seeking.’ Ernie Hudson, who played Winston in Ghostbusters, told TMZ: ‘I just heard when I got off the plane. I guess I am kind of speechless. There’s nothing really to say other than that he was a great man and it’s a great loss. He was a great director , producer, writer, actor and he did it all. 'Harold was the glue man. There wouldn’t have been a Ghostbusters without Harold. He pulled it together. I know I probably wouldn’t be in the business had I not had the chance to work with Harold at that time of my career. He taught me a lot, not overtly trying to teach me, just by example, watching him work and how he dealt with things.’ Billy Crystal tweeted: 'Sad to hear my friend Harold Ramis . passed away. A brilliant, funny, actor and director. A wonderful husband . and dad. Big loss to us all.' 'Was honored to have gotten to work . with Harold Ramis, the Buddha of Comedy. Brilliant, humble, radiant. We've lost an icon,' tweeted Rainn Wilson. Loss of a legend: Harold Ramis wrote and directed 'Caddyshack' and 'Stripes,' and had writing credits in 'Meatballs' and 'National Lampoon's Vacation,' to name a few . Ramis recently directed several episodes of NBC's 'The Office,' Wilson co-starred in the show as the neurotic Dwight Schrute. 'Harold Ramis. Funny, gracious, kind hearted. A joy to have known you,' tweeted 'Office' star Steve Carell. 'Harold Ramis was a brilliant, . shining example for every comedy writer hoping to achieve excellence the . field.  He will be sorely missed,' Seth MacFarlane tweeted. 'If . you're my age and got into comedy, Harold Ramis was one of the reasons. Life is fast and over too soon,' tweeted Zach Braff. Popular: Dan Aykroyd (centre), who also stars in Ghostbusters, joined in the tributes to his one-time co-star . Fond memories: The actors starred together on numerous occasions, including in Stripes . Stars of his movies also shared their grief. 'Very, . very sad to hear that Harold Ramis has died. He was a lovely man and I . loved working with him. RIP,' tweeted Eliazbeth Hurley, she starred in . the Ramis-written 2000 film 'Bedazzled.' 'No . no not Harold Ramis. Worked for him years ago. He was the real deal. Growing up, his work changed my life. He will be missed,' tweeted John . Favreau. Ramis was one of . Tinseltown's most successful filmmakers in the 1980’s and 90’s – . starring in 'Ghostbusters' and writing credits on classics such as . ‘Animal House,’ ‘Caddyshack,’ ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation,’ ‘Stripes,’ ‘Groundhog Day’ and ‘Analyze This.’ 'Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my brilliant, gifted, funny friend, co-writer/performer and teacher Harold Ramis. May he now get the answers he was always seeking' - Dan Akroyd . 'Sad to hear my friend Harold Ramis passed away. A brilliant, funny, actor and director. A wonderful husband and dad. Big loss to us all' - Billy Crystal . 'Harold Ramis. Funny, gracious, kind hearted. A joy to have known you' - Steve Carell . How many will always remember him: Ramis as Dr Spengler on the set of 'Ghostbusters' 'Was honored to have gotten to work with Harold Ramis, the Buddha of Comedy. Brilliant, humble, radiant. We've lost an icon' - Rainn Wilson . 'Very, very sad to hear that Harold Ramis has died. He was a lovely man and I loved working with him. RIP' - Eliazbeth Hurley . 'Today is a sad day. RIP Harold' - Rick Moranis . 'No no not Harold Ramis. Worked for him years ago. He was the real deal. Growing up, his work changed my life. He will be missed' - Jon Favreau . 'Harold Ramis was a brilliant, shining example for every comedy writer hoping to achieve excellence in the field.  He will be sorely missed' - Seth MacFarlane . 'So sad to hear about Harold Ramis.  One of the all time greats' - Seth Meyers . 'I collect spores, molds, and fungus' - condolences to the family and friends of the great Harold Ramis' - Jimmy Kimmel . 'REST IN PEACE Harold Ramis: a continued source of everything funny' Henry Winkler . 'So sad to lose Harold Ramis. Ghostbuster, Groundhog, and Moe Green. A funny and very nice man. Rest in peace, Harold' - Fred Willard . 'If a Twinkie represents amount of grief I feel when someone dies, Harold Ramis' death would be a Twinkie 35 feet long weighing 600 pounds' - Patton Oswalt . 'So sad about Harold Ramis. Comedy legend. And a lovely man' - Rashida Jones . 'Very sad to hear that we lost Harold Ramis. Exceptionally talented, exceptionally kind' - Julianne Moore . 'So sorry to hear about the death of Harold Ramis, a comedy master. Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and more' - Steve Martin . 'So sad to hear about Harold Ramis. Comedy lost a big one' - Robert Brooks . 'Egon was my favorite Ghostbuster. Feels like we lost one of the Beatles' Jason Reitman . 'Harold Ramis. Ugh. this movie. This movie was EVERYTHING #STRIPES' - Martha Plimpton . 'Stunned and saddened to hear of the death of Harold Ramis. A comedy hero...' - Stephen Fry . 'So sad about Harold Ramis. His work changed my life and inspired me and made me want to do what I do. Very nice man and a good neighbor too' - Tom Arnold . 'Sad to hear brilliant comedian, writer & director Harold Ramis has passed. A giant talent & extremely nice man. RIP' - Pee-wee Herman . The . Chicago native died from complications of autoimmune inflammatory . vasculitis – which swells the blood vessels - surrounded by family just . before 1.00am, his wife Erica told the Chicago Tribune. Ramis’ health began going downhill in 2010 when complications of the . autoimmune disease arose from an infection. The condition was so severe . he had to learn how to walk all over again, a family spokesperson told . the paper. He never fully recovered, and finally lost his battle with the disease. In memorial: The small tribute left for Harold Ramis outside the Tribeca fire house where the 'Ghostbusters' movie was filmed . His final major directorial job: Ramis pictured on the set of 'Year One' with actors Jack Black (center) and Michael Cera (left) The beloved filmmaker was known for his over the top comedies with an uncommon touch. His . off-beat, but cerebral and self-aware characters brought tears of . laughter and sadness to millions. His movies are the soundtrack to many . childhoods that eventually grew into happy hours. Ramis' first major film was the raucous 1978 John Belushi comedy 'Animal . House,' which made the latter a household name and still inspires jokes . among college students decades later. Belushi was one of three future . Hollywood stars Ramis worked with in the 1970's at Second City - Bill . Murray and Dan Akroyd were also lighting rooms up with their humor as . Ramis played the willing straight man. Shot to fame: Ramis rose to stardom as Dr Spengler in 'Ghostbusters' while alongside (left to right) Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray . 'I stopped being the zany... I learned that my thing was lobbing in great lines here and there, which would score big and keep me there on the stage,' Ramis told the Tribune years ago. That theme continued for the rest of his acting career, as he spent it either writing the punchlines for others, directing or playing the straight man. His first acting role came in 'Stripes,' a movie he wrote for Murray. But he shot to stardom starring as the geeky, science-obsessed Dr. Egon Spengler in both 'Ghostbusters' movies. Ramis never had more than bit parts after his run as Spengler was through, but his film writing legacy spans generations. He wrote and directed 1980's 'Caddyshack,' cementing both he and Mrray's place in Hollywood. They would make several more films together. 'In 1993 Harold Ramis called me & told me his 2 rules of directing comedy: '1. Hire Bill Murray 2. Turn on camera,' filmmaker Dan Mirvish tweeted upon hearing of Ramis' death. Ramis' seemingly struck gold with every film script he churned out, from 'Meatballs' to 'National Lampoon's Vacation,' which launched a string of sequels and Chevy Chase's film career. The parade of hits continued with 'Caddyshack 2,' the critically acclaimed 'Groundhog Day,' 'Analyze This' and sequel 'Analyze That.' His last acting role came as the . father to Seth Rogen's character in 2009's 'Knocked Up.' Rogen has often . said Ramis is one of the reasons he began doing comedy. 'His . work is the reason why so many of us got into comedy,' 'Knocked Up' director Judd Apatow told the Tribune. 'We grew up on 'Second City TV' and 'Ghostbusters,' 'Vacation,' 'Animal House,' 'Stripes,' 'Meatballs,' he literally made every single one of our favorite movies.' Multi-talented: Ramis didn't just write and star in film, he was also known for directing .

Bill Murray joined Hollywood stars Dan Akroyd, Billy Crystal, Steve Carell in the outpouring of grief over Harold Ramis' death . The talented comedy hero died at 69 just before 1:00am Monday after succumbing to an autoimmune disease . He starred in Ghostbusters and wrote classics such as Animal House, Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, Analyze This and Stripes .

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A New York man has been curbed from committing an outrageous transgression: running in Central Park at 4:30am. The jogger, self-described entrepreneur, author and worldwide connector Peter Shankman, was duly given a ticket as he and a running partner entered mile two of his scheduled 10-mile run on Thursday, training for an upcoming triathlon. The NYPD officer who witnessed Shankman's early-morning workout informed him that 'the people's park' does not open until 6am and issued him with a summons. Keen jogger: Peter Shankman flagrantly flouted the Central Park opening hours by jogging too early in the morning . 'Note - Running in the park. Not "performing sex acts for crack," or "laying down explosive charges," but "running.” Because apparently, a 215 pound man running through Central Park at just over a 9:10 pace is a threat to Manhattan,' wrote Shankman on his Facebook page. Shankman says he saw no signs or warnings at 63rd Street and Central Park West where he entered displaying the park's opening hours which, for any keen joggers, are 6am until 1am. Dutiful: A dedicated police officer apprised Shankman of his misdemeanor and issued him with a ticket that could cost him $1,000 . As a busy father, husband and jack-of-all-trades ('marketer, NASA adviser, TEDx speaker') Shankman says that if he didn't get his 10 miles in early, he'd never fit training in. Shankman must now to go court in May to fight his ticket, and says he could be fined up to $1,000. He suspects that the ticket was written to meet end-of-month quotas. Running rage: Shankman will have to attend court in May to fight the summons . Have a laugh: Shankman has maintained his sense of humor, tweeting yesterday, 'It's almost 9am, and the good news is that I haven't been given a summons for anything so far this morning' 'A "hey, buddy, the park doesn't open until six, you need to run on the sidewalk outside" from the police officer wouldn't have sufficed?' he wrote on Facebook. 'Apparently not, since he made it clear that his boss was in the car with him, so he had to write me up.' Shankman says he understands that the law is in place to prevent people staying in the park too late or sleeping on the benches, but that he entered early to work out. 'The last 12 years have really been about getting the city healthy, you know. No smoking in bars, no trans fats, and here I was, I was running, I was exercising, trying to lose a few more pounds before this race,' he told Pix 11. 'Thank god I wasn't holding a Big Gulp.'

Peter Shankman was training for an upcoming triathlon at 4:30am when a police officer told him to stop running . The officer informed him that Central Park does not open until 6am . Shankman offered to leave the park but the officer issued him with a summons . He will have to attend court in May and could be fined up to $1,000 . Shankman has maintained his sense of humor, saying, 'At least I wasn't holding a Big Gulp'

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A fighter jet crashed in north-west India hitting a man riding a motorcycle, who miraculously survived. Loon Singh, 26, was riding to a village outside Barmer in Rajasthan to hand out invitations to his wedding when the incident took place. The plane, an Indian Air Force MiG-27 fighter jet, crashed into a field just after 3pm, and a part of the jet landed on Mr Singh. Lucky escape: Loon Singh, 26, was riding his motorcycle outside Barmer, Rajasthan to hand out invitations to his wedding when a part of the MiG-27 fighter jet landed on him . Mr Singh suffered minor burns and a fractured hand, but no serious injuries, NDTV reports. The pilot of the MiG-27 ejected before the crash, the Indian Air Force have said. The jet had been on a routine flight from Jodhpur to Uttarlai air base north of Barmer, and the Air Force have launched an inquiry into the crash. No harm done: The Indian Air Force MiG-27 fighter jet crashed into a field, but as the pilot had catapulted himself to safety, there were no casualties . The MiG-27 is a ground-attack aircraft originally build and designed in the 1970s by the Soviet Union, but is now only used in India, Sri Lanka and Khazakhstan. In February 2010, India temporarily grounded its 150-strong fleet after a crash in Siliguri, West Bengal. The Indian Air Force have said they plan to retire the MiG-27 by 2017.

MiG-27 crashed in western India and part of jet hit a motorcyclist . Loon Singh was delivering his wedding invitations when he was hit . He suffered burns and a fractured hand, but no serious injuries .

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A leading professor has called on Australian policy makers to shorten the full time working week to 35 hours so parents have more time to spend with their young children. Dr Lyn Craig, who works as a researcher at the University of NSW, has spent the last decade looking at the patterns of people's lifestyles in Australia. She has now released new research detailing the amount of time mums and dads spend working, looking after young children and carrying out household chores in comparison to those in the US, Denmark, France and Germany. Scroll down for video . Mums and dads in Australia notch up more hours in paid and unpaid work . They also spend more time on childcare and doing household chores . Dr Craig told Daily Mail Australia that the current situation is 'unsustainable' and the government needs to shorten the number of full-time hours parents work because stress levels are 'extraordinary'. Dr Craig's research found that Australian mums and dads with young children under the age of four had a paid and unpaid heavier workload, she told Daily Mail Australia. Australian fathers with young children spent 10.51 hours a day on paid and unpaid work, reports the Sydney Morning Herald, in comparison with French fathers who had the easiest workload at an average of 8.5 hours a day. Dr Craig told Daily Mail Australia: 'Parents in Australia work long hours but the gender gap is quite extreme. New research compared data with the US, Denmark, France and Germany . Professor Lyn Craig calls the current situation 'unsustainable' 'Men do a high number of paid hours and they do a lot more than French and Danish men. With that women are doing so much more paid and unpaid work. 'Australian fathers also do a lot of childcare, but if we want men to do more in the home then the workforce hours need to go down.' The research shows Australian men are equal highest with Danish men on how much time they use to look after their young children. Dr Craig said she was also worried about how stretched households are becoming. She added: 'Paid and unpaid work are necessary to making society work. 'Childcare costs are going up and parents are spending more hours than ever with their children, the kids need more attention and spending more hours with your children is becoming more normal. 'Childcare needs to be more accessible and a subsided system would be sufficient. 'Mums and dads have to run out to get their children and there is anxiety of the deadlines if they are late and that stress is extraordinary, the current system is unsustainable.'

Mums and dads in Australia notch up more hours in paid and unpaid work . They also spend more time on childcare and doing household chores . New research compared data with the US, Denmark, France and Germany . Professor Lyn Craig calls the current situation 'unsustainable' She is calling on policy makers to make full time hours to 35 per week . She says working parents in Australia are facing 'extraordinary' stress levels .

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Natasha Simmonds: Her family say doctors did not take the 16-year-old seriously and failed to spot her brain tumour, despite seeing her 24 times in the last years of her life . A teenage girl died after medics failed to spot that she had a brain tumour – despite seeing her 24 times in the last year of her life. Natasha Simmonds, 16, was treated by 13 doctors but none of them ordered a crucial MRI scan until it was  too late. Her mother, Sarah Simmonds, claims that three months before her daughter died, one A&E doctor accused her of ‘putting the symptoms on’ and refused to give her a scan because they were reserved for ‘life and death’ situations. Natasha, who was studying for a career in childcare, complained of headaches, numbness in her limbs, back pains, vomiting and problems with her eyesight. But the paediatrician in charge of her care dismissed the symptoms as migraines. Natasha died on January 24, eight days after the tumour was finally discovered. It had twisted around her brain and spine. Last night, Natasha’s grieving twin, Fiona, accused the health service of ignoring her sister’s complaints. ‘She was seen by so many people and none of them took her seriously,’ she said. An inquest heard that Natasha, from Radstock in Somerset, had been attending hospital since 2008 and her condition got much worse in 2010. She was referred to associate specialist paediatrician Colin Downie at Bath’s Royal United Hospital in February 2012, who said she had migraines. Because Natasha seemed to improve between each episode of ill-health, he said her symptoms were not serious enough for an MRI. In the 11 months that followed, Natasha saw four paediatric doctors, six GPs and three A&E doctors, all of whom failed to diagnose the cancer. Dr Downie finally ordered an MRI in November, nine months after he first saw the teenager, but the scan did not take place until January and the results were delivered only eight days before Natasha died. The scan showed a rare cancer – a disseminated oligodendroglioma-like leptomeningeal tumour. Grief: Natasha's mother Sarah, centre,said that one doctor accused her of 'putting the symptoms on', while twin sister Fiona, right, accused the health service of ignoring complaints made by the tragic 16-year-old, pictured left . Dr Downie told the inquest he regretted not asking for the scan to be carried out urgently. Natasha was admitted to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol and  had two emergency operations on her brain and spine. She died on January 24, from lung damage caused by the cancer. At the inquest on September 19, Avon coroner Maria Voisin recorded a narrative verdict, concluding that Natasha had died from natural causes. She said there was no need to make a formal recommendation for changes at the hospital. But yesterday Mrs Simmonds, 47, told the Mail: ‘We’ll never know what would have happened if she’d been given an MRI scan when we first asked for one. ‘At the very least she wouldn’t have died so suddenly and so frightened. Patient: Natasha was referred to paediatrician Colin Downie at Bath's Royal United Hospital, pictured, who said she had migraines . Emergency: Natasha was admitted to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, pictured, and had two emergency operations on her brain and spine. She died on January 24, from lung damage caused by the cancer . ‘We were so shocked. We’d been told for so long that it was migraines, we never thought it could have been cancer. She knew she was really sick and before her second operation she begged me to take her home so she could die. She spent the last few days of her life terrified.’ Mrs Simmonds, who works as a GP receptionist and is separated from Natasha’s father, Ken, added: ‘She was a beautiful person, unique and one of a kind. I just can’t believe she has gone. ‘I trusted in the medical profession and I feel so angry and let down. I’ve been told lessons have been learned but that doesn’t help when it’s your child that has died.’ A spokesman for the Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust said: ‘In the next few weeks many of the clinicians who looked after Natasha will be meeting to discuss this sad case and ensure that any opportunities for learning are not missed.’

Natasha Simmonds was seen by doctors 24 times before she died . Teenager complained of headaches, back pain and eyesight problems . Paediatrician dismissed 16-year-old's symptoms as migraines . Natasha died eight days after her tumour was finally discovered . Family accuse NHS of not taking Natasha's complaints seriously .

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By . Rebecca Evans . PUBLISHED: . 15:14 EST, 30 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:15 EST, 30 November 2012 . Family reunion: Jennifer Jones will be reunited with her children . Four children at the centre of an international tug-of-love battle will be reunited with their mother. Briton Jennifer Jones went on the run with the youngsters during a bitter custody battle with their Spanish soldier father. The English language teacher vanished in October after losing an Appeal Court ruling to prevent them being returned to Spain. But 30 hours later she was arrested after being found 50 miles from her home in Gwent, south Wales. Her two youngest children Eva, 10, and David, eight were immediately returned to their father Lieutenant Colonel Tomas Palacin Cambra in Majorca, where her eldest child Sara, 16, had remained. But in a dramatic twist it emerged that Jessica, 14, and Tomas, 12, refused to go and sought legal advice in a bid to remain in Britain. They have been in local authority care since then. In a bid to strengthen their case, the Jones family released a series of letters and cards suggesting that the children were scared of their father. Last night, a High Court judge ruled that the two children could be returned to Miss Jones, 46, albeit temporarily. Sitting in the Family Division, Mrs Justice Theis said that the future of Jessica and Tomas needed further consideration. But she said the youngsters, who she has met, could return to their mother while litigation continued, having spent more than a month in care. She said: ‘Both children continue to express strong wishes to remain with their mother.’ After the ruling, Miss Jones, who will collect her children this, said: ‘I’m so very pleased but there’s a long way to go yet. ‘I love my children so much.’ The judge’s decision is the latest stage in a long-running dispute between the children’s divorced parents. From left David, Eva, Tomas, Sarah and Jessica Palacin Jones. Mother Jennifer Jones went on the run with four of her children. She was arrested 30 hours later and her two youngest children, Eva and David, were returned to their father in Spain . Spanish courts granted Colonel Cambra custody of the children after his 12 year marriage to Miss Jones ended in 2008. In June, four of their five children came to stay with Miss Jones for a summer holiday but did not return. They started schools whilst their mother launched a legal battle to keep them in the UK. But in October, the Family Division of the High Court ruled the children should be returned to their father. After this failed to happen, High Court judge Mr Justice Roderic Wood made a public appeal for their whereabouts and ruled that the children should be taken from her home by police and social services. But when they arrived, Miss Jones, her partner John Williams, a builder, 48, and the four children had packed up and gone. Dramatic twist: It emerged that Jessica and Tomas refused to go back to Spain to join their father (left). The Jones family released a series of letters and cards suggesting that they were scared of their father . After this, Colonel Cambra, 52, flew to . Wales with his eldest daughter to collect all of the children but only . returned with two of them. He has since accused his former wife of turning their children against him as this is not the first time his wife has abducted their children. He has vowed to keep on fighting to keep his children together. Colonel Cambra wants Mrs Justice Theis to enforce the Spanish court ruling but Miss Jones says the enforcement process should be ‘stayed’, claiming the children do not want to go back to Spain and should be in her care permanently. The judge says it is too early to consider a ‘stay’ and is still considering the ‘question of enforcement’. In a bid to strengthen their case, the Jones family released a series of letters (pictured) Pictured is part of the letter sent by Jessica to the judge in which she says she is scared of her father . Miss Jones met Colonel Cambra when he was a young soldier while she was teaching English in Spain. They were married in 1996 and lived in the Canary Islands and Ibiza but frequently returned to Llanelli to stay with Ms Jones’s family. The hearing will continue in mid-December.

Jennifer Jones ran away with children to stop them being returned to Spain . She was arrested after being found 50miles from her home in south Wales . Two youngest children were returned to their father where eldest one was . Spanish courts granted father custody after 12 year marriage ended in 2008 . He accused wife of turning children against him and vows to keep fighting .

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(CNN) -- The human rights activist who entered the 55th day of a hunger strike in Bahrain on Tuesday may not survive the ordeal, his daughter told CNN. Abdulhadi al-Khawaja "is entering a critical phase, where his life is at stake," his daughter, Maryam al-Khawaja said. She said two doctors accompanied her father at all times Monday night, and he was being moved Tuesday to a different prison that has medical equipment he needs. The move is because of fears that he may go into a coma at any time, as his blood sugar and blood pressure have further dropped, she said. On Tuesday, the attending physician at the Correction and Rehabilitation Center recommended that he be transferred to the Public Security Fort for constant medical observation and care, a spokeswoman for the government's Information Affairs Authority said. The Interior Ministry's general inspector said Tuesday that "all policies and procedures of the prison facilities in Bahrain meet international human rights standards and all detainees have consistent and reliable access to professional medical care," according to a statement from Maj. Gen. Tariq H. Al Hasan, a spokesman for the ministry. Al Khawaja's medical condition "is under constant surveillance" and he is provided with daily medical care, al-Hasan said in the statement. On 30 March, he was found to have low blood pressure and was taken to Bahrain Defense Force Hospital, where he was treated and returned to Jau Prison the following day, it said. Records showed that Al Khawaja had lost about 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and had a low hemoglobin level, though not critically low. It said he was taking fluids, mineral supplements, glucose and juice on a daily basis. The activist, who was arrested last April for his role in anti-government demonstrations that swept through his country in February and March, has been on a hunger strike for eight weeks to protest his life prison term. In June, al-Khawaja and seven other Shiite opposition activists were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the country's Sunni royal family. They were sentenced to life in prison. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights, a nonprofit human rights group started by al-Khawaja and for which his daughter works, has appealed for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds. His life is in danger, Maryam al-Khawaja said, "and getting to a situation where there might be an unrepairable damage to his physical well-being, if he survives." Maryam al-Khawaja said he and 13 other detained leaders had their cases taken Monday to the Court of Cassation, where lawyers requested that they be released pending a court decision. The judge refused the request and announced that the decision will be read on April 23, she said. "We urge the government to take into consideration the deteriorating health condition of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja that cannot wait until the court's decision," she said. "Any damage to the health of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja is the responsibility of the Bahraini government." UK Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt met with officials in Bahrain on Tuesday to discuss progress on reform and human rights issues, the Foreign Office said in a statement. "We hope that the steps taken so far by the Bahraini government will provide the basis for further reform and will help prevent future abuses from being committed," Burt said. "Reports of ongoing violence and street protests in Bahrain make clear this is (a) long-term process and more needs to be done." Rights group Amnesty International called Friday for al-Khawaja's immediate and unconditional release. Phillip Luther, its Middle East and North Africa director, said in a statement: "The Bahraini authorities have made pledges that they would release people who were imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression, but the continued imprisonment of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja demonstrates that they are not serious about fulfilling such promises." The rights group considers al-Khawaja a "prisoner of conscience, detained solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression," and says he began his hunger strike in February to protest his sentence. Last week, the United Nations issued a statement expressing concern about "the health of human rights defenders who are on hunger strikes in protest against their imprisonment for participating in last year's mass demonstrations." The state-run Bahrain News Agency published a statement Tuesday from the Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development in response to a critical report by another rights group, Human Rights Watch, that said Bahrain had not lived up to its commitments on reform. The ministry dismissed the criticism as rash, saying that the Human Rights Watch report "had ignored the positive developments in the country and the continuation of the reform process," and that it was committed to the protection of human rights. Demonstrations in Bahrain failed to gain the traction of other Arab Spring uprisings after a crackdown by authorities in the island state, backed by troops from nearby Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In November of last year, Bahrain's Independent Commission of Inquiry issued a report critical of authorities' reactions to the protests, which began in February 2011, spurred by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. The independent commission, set up by Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, found that between February and April of last year, 35 people were killed in unrest there. Demonstrators and Bahraini authorities have continued to clash in recent months, with the opposition accusing the government of using heavy-handed tactics. CNN's Samira Said and Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.

Bahrain must do more to ensure reform and prevent abuses, UK Foreign Office says . The daughter of hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja says his life is at stake . He has been on a hunger strike for nearly 8 weeks and may drop into a coma, she says . He and 7 others were found guilty of a plot to overthrow royal family .

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Lego has been voted the world's most powerful brand toppling car manufacturer Ferrari from the top spot and seeing off challenges from other heavyweight companies such as Rolex. The success of last year's Lego Movie, which was praised by critics and made almost half a billion dollars worldwide, helped to ease it into the number one spot. The stop-motion style of the film also helped spawn countless online Lego parodies of famous events, making the toy 'an artistic medium in its own right', according to analysts Brand Finance. Scroll down for video . Danish toy Lego has been voted the world's most powerful brand thanks in large part to the success of last year's Lego Movie, which was well received critically and made nearly half a billion dollars at the box office . Lego took the number one spot for its appeal to both genders, its ability to cross cultural boundaries, and its ability to inspire adults as well as children (pictured, Lego art on display in Brussels) The toy saw off competition from super-brands such as Red Bull, Coca Cola, Nike and Unilever - which owns companies such as Flora, PG Tips, Persil and Comfort. Brand Finance impressed with Lego's ability to appeal to both genders, cross cultural borders, and to inspire adults as well as children. 1) Lego . 2) PWC . 3) Red Bull . 4) Unilever . 5) McKinsey . 6) Burberry . 7) Rolex . 8) L’Oreal . 9) Coca-Cola . 10) Ferrari . 11) Nike . 12) Walt Disney . For the survey, each company was given a rating based on the health of their finances, how recognisable they were, and how customers felt about them. This data was then used to give each company a letter rating from AAA+ to D, with only 12 companies awarded the top accolade. Consumer brands such as L'Oreal, Burberry, and Walt Disney made up ten of the top 12. However business management firm PricewaterhouseCoopers took second, while consultancy company McKinsey came in fifth. Brand Finance CEO David Haigh said: 'Lego's appeal spans generations; as well as the creative freedom it gives children, the brand appeals to the nostalgia of adults. 'It generally avoids gendered marketing - by appealing to boys and girls equally Lego maximises the size of its target demographic. 'That approach also pleases parents, as concerns mount over the effect toys may have on the outlook and ambitions of children, and girls in particular. 'However this year's particularly strong performance is thanks to the Lego Movie. 'The film was both a critical and commercial success providing not just immediate revenue but also an unrivalled marketing tool. Ferrari slipped from the top spot into eight place after another Formula 1 season without a win, and following the departure of chairman Luca Di Montezemolo (pictured) Lego saw off competition from branding heavyweights such as Nike, Rolex, Coca-Cola and Unilever - which owns companies such as Flora and Persil . 'Amateur versions of the film's stop-motion technique have proliferated online to the extent that Lego could be described as an artistic medium in its own right.' He added that Ferrari had dropped from first place to eight after another Formula 1 season without a win, and due to the departure of chairman Luca di Montezemolo. The annual Brand Finance report also looked at the world's most valuable brands which is headed by Apple, as it was last year, along with Samsung, Google and Microsoft.

Danish toymaker took top spot from Ferrari - which dropped to eight place . Success of Lego Movie and ability to appeal to both genders behind rise . Finished ahead of brand super-powers such as Coca-Cola and Nike .

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill insists he is over the spat with head coach Joe Philbin and is fully focussed on Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders at Wembley. Tannehill was unhappy with a lack of support from Philbin, who hinted that the quarterback may be benched after Miami were beaten 34-15 by the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday. Miami Dolphins quarterbacks Matt Moore, right, and Ryan Tannehill, left, during a training session on Friday . But the 26-year-old is now looking ahead to this weekend’s game in London against the Raiders, where he will retain his place as the starting quarterback. ‘It’s done,’ Tannehill said after practice on Friday. ‘It’s something we faced during the week, and it’s done. Now we’re just getting ready to play. I’m excited to be here in London.’ ‘We talked, and we’re good,’ the quarterback added. ‘We’re on the same page and, like I said, we’re getting ready for this game. Dolphins linebacker Philip Wheeler, centre, listens as coach Joe Philbin, right, calls a play for a walkthrough . The Dolphins landed in England on Friday morning after an overnight flight from the United States. Miami practiced at Saracens’ Allianz Park on Friday having spent the early part of their week preparing back home. The Dolphins will feature in their second International Series game at Wembley having played in the inaugural contest against the New York Giants in 2007 - a game they lost 13-10. Miami Dolphins players walk through plays watched by head coach Joe Philbin at Allianz Park . After beating the New England Patriots in their opening game of the season, Miami have lost their previous two contests against the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs and will be looking to bounce back at Wembley against a winless Raiders team. Defensive end Cameron Wake backed Tannehill to lead Miami to victory at Wembley this weekend after touching down in England. He said: ‘We know who our guy is - Ryan is our guy. He will be starting this weekend and we are 100 per cent behind him.’ Wake added: ‘It will definitely be exciting. These are two teams desperately looking for a win. Before we came here (to England) we got a good preparation in and I’m excited by this new opportunity.’ Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill prepares to throw a pass during a training session at Allianz Park . Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill speaks during a press conference on Friday . Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin speaks during a press conference at Allianz Park in London .

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill insists he is over the spat with head coach Joe Philbin . Tannehill was unhappy with a lack of support from Philbin after Miami were beaten 34-15 by the Kansas City Chiefs . The 26-year-old looking ahead to London game against the Raiders as he will retain his place as the starting quarterback .

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By . Kate Lyons . A Brisbane internet tycoon who turned informant for the FBI and was instrumental in shutting down America's online poker industry is set to avoid more jail time. Daniel Tzvetkoff, 30, was arrested in Las Vegas in 2010 for illegally processing more than $US1 billion for online poker companies through his company Intabill. The business whiz, who had been making $3 million a week, faced a 76-year jail term for the crimes and served four months in jail before turning informant for the FBI and providing information that helped to shut down some of the biggest online poker companies in the U.S. including PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. Daniel Tvetkoff, 30, from Brisbane was facing a jail term of up to 76 years for processing more than $1 billion for online poker companies in the U.S. Tzvetkoff was released from prison after informing on the poker companies and returned to Australia where he is living with his wife Nicole and two children – a four-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. Now it seems as though his time as a grass for the FBI will keep him from serving any more jail time, with a probation report recommending that he receive a sentence of between six and 12 months imprisonment. His lawyer, Robert Goldstein, is arguing that the four months his client has already served in jail is sufficient. 'For a first-time offender who has never before experienced prison, four-plus months inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn constitutes a harsh and significant punishment,' Mr Goldstein wrote in his sentencing submission, reported the Courier Mail. Tzvetkoff pictured with his now-wife Nicole (left) at a costume in Las Vegas . Daniel, right, poses with his business partner, attorney Sam Sciacca, in 2008 on the day he was named in Business Weekly Review's Young Rich List. His online payment processing system saw his personal wealth soar to an estimated $80 million . 'The reality is that even one day in those type of conditions can be exceedingly harsh punishment for a first-time offender like Mr Tzvetkoff.' Tzvetkoff struck a lucrative, though legally dubious, deal with online poker companies after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed in the U.S. in 2005. The act made it illegal to move money online for bets on any 'sporting event or contest or game of chance'. Tzvetkoff and his business partner Sam Sciacca provided brokerage services to online poker companies and Tzvetkoff was soon earning a reported $3 million a week. He was arrested in 2010 for his part in the racket. At the time of his arrest Tzvetkoff also had a reported personal debt of $143 million, which meant he was being sought by mob figures as well as police. After four months in jail, Tzvetkoff handed over 90,000 documents from Intabill to prosecutors, which helped shut down some of the biggest online poker companies in the U.S. including PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. High flyers: From left to right, Michael Hui, one of Intabill's money men, Daniel and Curtis Pope stand proudly in front of Daniel's newly acquired private jet .

Daniel Tzvetkoff was making $3 million a week processing money for illegal online poker companies . The 30-year-old Brisbane man was arrested in 2010 in Las Vegas . He faced a sentence of up to 76 years, but after four months in jail became an informant for the FBI . He is currently living in Australia and may not have to return to prison .

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(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama claimed a significant victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday, telling supporters "we are hungry for change." Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, celebrate his South Carolina win. The Illinois senator earned more than twice the vote that rival Sen. Hillary Clinton did, 55 percent to 27 percent, unofficial returns showed. Former Sen. John Edwards was third with 18 percent. "Tonight, the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of Iowa was just an illusion were told a different story by the good people of South Carolina," Obama said to supporters Saturday. Watch a recap of Obama's big win » . A win in South Carolina was considered crucial for Obama, who won Iowa but finished second to Clinton in New Hampshire and Nevada. See what the results mean » . "I did not travel around this state over the last year and see a white South Carolina or a black South Carolina. I saw South Carolina," he said. "The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders," Obama said. "It's not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is not about black versus white. "It's about the past versus the future." Watch Obama speech . With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Obama had 55 percent of the vote. Clinton was second with 27 percent, followed by Edwards, with 18 percent. Obama's victory capped a heated contest in South Carolina, the first Democratic primary in the South and the first with a largely African-American electorate. Obama, who is hoping to become the the nation's first African-American president, did well with black voters, who made up about half of Saturday's electorate, according to exit polls. Black voters supported the Illinois senator by a margin of more than 4-to-1 over his nearest rival, exit polls indicate. Among white voters, Obama took about a quarter of the vote, with Clinton and Edwards roughly splitting the remainder, according to exit polls. Clinton congratulated Obama and said she was excited to move forward to the Super Tuesday contests on February 5. "Millions and millions of Americans are going to have the chance to have their voices heard and their votes counted," she told supporters at Tennessee State University. Watch Clinton speak to supporters » . Edwards also looked ahead to the next contests. "Now the three of us move on to February 5, where millions of Americans will cast their vote and help shape the future of this party and help shape the future of America," he said. Watch Edwards rally supporters » . "Our campaign from the very beginning has been about one central thing, and that is to give voice to the millions of Americans who have absolutely no voice in this democracy." Clinton beat Obama only among elderly voters, according to exit polls. Among voters 65 and older, Clinton beat Obama 40 to 32 percent. But Obama handily defeated Clinton in every other bracket, and overall garnered 58 percent of the vote among 18 to 64-year-olds while 23 percent of those voters picked Clinton. And half of those polled said both candidates shared blame for the rancor between the two camps. Of those who said one of the contenders was more to blame than the other, 21 percent blamed Clinton, and 6 percent said Obama. "It's fairly obvious it's not going to be over February 5," Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said. Edwards was born in South Carolina and won the state's primary four years ago, when he was making his first bid for the White House. See voters head to the polls in South Carolina » . Edwards had touted his native status, and as the Clinton and Obama camps have squabbled, Edwards continued to talk about the issues and suggests he's the only adult in the field. Watch Edwards reach out to voters » . "I'm keeping moving no matter what, but I feel good about how things are moving right now here today," Edwards told reporters Saturday morning. "I feel there's a lot of energy behind my campaign." On January 15, Edwards pledged, "I'm in this for the long haul. We're continuing to accumulate delegates. There's actually a very narrow margin between Sen. Obama, Sen. Clinton and myself on delegates." The state Democratic party estimated that more than 530,000 Democrats turned out for Saturday's primary, as compared with 445,000 voters who showed up to vote last weekend in the state's Republican primary. The Democratic numbers topped the GOP turnout for the first time since 1992, when 445,000 Republicans turned out to renominate President George H.W. Bush. Obama attracted more than 290,000 votes -- nearly matching the total turnout of the 2004 Democratic primary. "This is an enormous turnout," CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin said. "Democrats are wildly motivated in this election." As South Carolina's Democratic primary voters went to the polls Saturday, almost half of them had made up their minds more than a month ago, according to exit polls. In the 2004 primary, nearly a quarter decided either the day of the primary or in the three days prior who they would support, but this year, only 10 percent of this year's voters waited until Saturday to choose. Another 10 percent decided only in the last three days, and 32 percent decided in the last month. Forty-seven percent made up their minds at least a month ago, more than double the percentage of 2004. The early exit polls were taken from a sampling of 1,269 voters statewide. Following a rough campaign between Clinton and Obama, the two camps toned down the rhetoric in the past two days, returning to the issues and concentrating their firepower on the Republicans rather than on each other. "I think they [the Republicans] should be gracious and just say, "We have messed this thing up so much we are just going to quit and ... we shouldn't be re-elected,' but I don't think that is what they are going to do," Clinton said. South Carolina is the last big test for the Democrats before Super Tuesday, February 5, when nearly two dozen states will hold either primaries or caucuses -- including such delegate-rich states as California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois. Florida holds its primary on Tuesday but no Democratic delegates are being awarded there because the national party is penalizing the state for moving its primary up earlier in the year. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Paul Steinhauser, Bill Schneider, Peter Hamby, Alexander Mooney, Suzanne Malveaux and Jessica Yellin contributed to this report.

NEW: Blowout win for Obama in South Carolina . Clinton finishes ahead of Edwards, CNN projects . 47 percent decided on vote at least a month ago, exit polls indicate . Edwards: "I feel good about how things are moving right now"

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By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 13:31 EST, 5 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:19 EST, 6 October 2012 . Police have issued video images of two robbers who threatened Post Office workers at knife point. The men, brandishing a knife and machete, forced one man to lie on the floor while a woman tending the till was forced to hand over cash. The attack happened at around 8.10pm on Friday August 24 at the High Crompton Post Office, Thornham Road, Oldham, near Manchester. The machete-wielding robber threatened the woman on the Post Office til while wearing a balaclava with tights over the top . The terrifying ordeal, which left both victims psychologically affected, was captured on the Post Office CCTV. The knife-wielding robbers are still at large and police have released the footage and are appealing for any witnesses or anyone who recognises the men to come forward. The footage shows the men arriving and leaving in a black Ford Focus. Police said the machete-wielding man is around 5ft 7-8 and of medium build. He was wearing a black three-quarter length coat with a white design on the . upper left sleeve. His face was covered with tights over a . balaclava. It happened around 8.10pm on Friday 24 August at the High Crompton Post Office, Thornham Road, Oldham, near Manchester . The woman was forced with the machete inches from her to hand over money from the til . Police have issued CCTV images of robbers who threatened shop workers at knife point . The woman was forced to hand over money from the til while being threatened with a machete by one of the robbers . The other man was around 6 ft, of large build and was wearing a red hoody with white writing on the . front. He also had tights over his head. He was carrying the large knife. Detective Constable Emily Palmer, of Oldham CID, said: 'Anyone viewing . the CCTV images will share our dismay at the level of violence metered . out by these robbers. 'Anyone going to work in a local shop should never be subjected to this . kind of ordeal but I can reassure the victims that we are confident that . we will catch up with these offenders . The second shop assistant was threatened by another knife-wielding man and forced to lie on the floor . 'I would ask people to take a good close look at the CCTV pictures and let us know if you recognise these males.' Anyone with information is asked to call Oldham CID on 0161 856 8951 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Raid happened on August 24 at a Post Office in Oldham, near Manchester . Shop workers left psychologically affected by the raid . Police appeal to anyone who may recognise the men to come forward .

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(CNN) -- Algerian troops ended a hostage crisis at a remote gas facility Saturday with one last, bloody assault, Algerian and Western officials said, after three days of chaos and confusion left dozens dead and fanned fears of a new terror front in Africa. At least 23 hostages and 32 "terrorists" were killed around the sprawling facility in eastern Algeria's desert, the Algerian interior ministry said Saturday. Some 685 Algerian workers and 107 foreigners have been freed, it said. It is not clear just how many people are still unaccounted for. A senior U.S. official said two Americans were among that number. The saga closed after a "final" assault, which itself contributed to the deaths of seven hostages and 11 militants, according to Algerian state media reports. An Algerian Radio report did not specify the nationalities of those killed. CNN is unable to verify the state media figures on the deaths. Afterward, Algeria's military continued to clear mines planted by militants, the official Algerian Press Service reported, citing the country's state-owned oil and gas company. "While the site is still dangerous and there may be explosives that will need to be dealt with, the terrorist incident is now over," said British Prime Minister David Cameron, citing his conversation with his Algerian counterpart. The militant siege caught the world's attention as it ensnared citizens from several nations and dragged on for days. Algerian authorities said they believe the attack was revenge for allowing France to use Algerian airspace for an offensive against Islamist militants in neighboring Mali. Whatever the rationale, the scale and gore of the terror has stirred world leaders to press for action beyond Algeria, especially with Islamic extremists asserting themselves more and more in recent weeks. "Let me be clear: There is no justification for taking innocent life in this way," Cameron said. "Our determination is stronger than ever to work with allies ... around the world to root out and defeat this terrorist scourge and those who encourage it." British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Algerian authorities "certainly worked very hard to try to save the lives of people from other countries. I think it's actually too early to pass judgment on (the Algerian military operation)." U.S. President Barack Obama said his administration would work with other countries to "combat the scourge of terrorism in the region, which has claimed too many innocent lives. This attack is another reminder of the threat posed by al Qaeda and other violent extremist groups in North Africa." In a statement, Obama said the United States will work with Algeria to prevent future such incidents. Crisis highlights pressure, potential on Algeria . Algerian special forces moved in because the terrorists wanted to flee for Mali -- apparently to pressure France and others who have recently intervened in that country -- Algerian state TV reported Saturday. The Islamic extremists also planned to blow up the gas installation, a threat that initially prompted Algeria to halt its military operation. The location was rigged to explode, with mines planted throughout, according to the senior U.S. official. Algeria's status as Africa's largest natural gas producer, and as a major supplier of the product to Europe, heightens its importance to other nations and businesses who want to invest there. Yet that interest is coupled with pressure to make sure foreign nationals, and their business ventures, are safe. The targeted plant in In Amenas, which is just 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the Libyan border, is run by Algeria's state oil company, in cooperation with foreign firms such as Norway's Statoil and Britain's BP. Saturday's last push there follows another one two days earlier, which spurred criticism from some countries that Algeria had unnecessarily endangered hostages' lives. British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said Britain was still pressing the Algerian government for full details, while confirming the Saturday assault resulted in more deaths. He called the loss of life "appalling and unacceptable," laying blame solely on the terrorists. Like Cameron, Norwegian foreign ministry spokesman Svein Michelsen confirmed that the Algerian military offensive was over, but did not offer further details. Nations scramble to account for missing . The overall death toll could rise, Algerian state TV reports, as authorities are still combing the area. Amid the uncertainty, individual nations are scrambling to find out what happened to their citizens. It is not clear how many hostages were seized by the Islamist militants in the first place. Five Norwegians are missing while "eight are now safe," Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said. Five British nationals and one UK resident are missing or feared dead in Algeria, Hague told reporters. This is in addition to one Briton, whose death was previously announced. Colombia's president said a citizen was presumed dead. The Scottish government said eight of its residents are safe. There are no known French hostages unaccounted for, a Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Saturday. Three French nationals who were at the site are safe, the foreign ministry has said. One man -- identified as Yann Desjeux -- died after telling the French newspaper Sud Ouest on Thursday that he and 34 other hostages of nine different nationalities were well-treated. Of the BP employees, 14 are safe, and four BP employees are still missing in Algeria, BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley said. At least one American, identified as Frederick Buttaccio, is among the dead, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. The senior U.S. official told CNN that six freed Americans left Algeria and one remained. One Romanian lost his life, a spokeswoman for the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNN on Saturday. Four other Romanians were freed. And there are 14 Japanese unaccounted for, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said. Malaysia's state-run news agency reported Thursday that two of its citizens were held captive. Dramatic tales of escape from terror . When the crisis began Wednesday, militants gathered the Westerners into a group and tied them up, survivors said. The kidnappers wielded AK-47 rifles and put explosive-laden vests on some hostages, according to a U.S. State Department official. Some survivors described their harrowing escapes by rigging up disguises, sneaking to safety with locals, and in at least one case, running for his life with plastic explosives strapped around his neck. That man was Stephen McFaul, who -- according to his brother Brian -- was among a group of hostages who had been blindfolded, gagged and then packed into five Jeeps on Thursday, during Algerian forces' first offensive. An explosion "wiped out" four of the vehicles, while McFaul's vehicle crashed. He was able to get out and, eventually, contact his family. "I haven't seen my mother move as fast in all my life, and my mother smile as much, hugging each other," Brian McFaul of Belfast, Northern Ireland, said upon his family hearing his brother was safe. "... You couldn't describe the feeling." Al Qaeda-linked group offered prisoner-hostage exchange . A spokesman for Moktar Belmoktar, a longtime jihadist who leads the Brigade of the Masked Ones -- a militant group associated with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb -- reportedly offered to free U.S. hostages in exchange for two prisoners. Behind the group claiming responsibility for the attack and kidnappings, he is known for seizing hostages and has long been targeted by French counterterrorism forces. The prisoners are Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, who orchestrated the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman jailed in the United States on terrorism charges, the spokesman said in an interview with a private Mauritanian news agency. Nuland rejected the offer, restating U.S. policy of not negotiating with terrorists. Opinion: Algeria situation is a wake-up call for the U.S. CNN's Barbara Starr, Per Nyberg, Dan Rivers, Greg Botelho, Tricia Escobedo, Josh Rubin, Joe Sutton, Mitra Mobasherat, Saskya Vandoorne, Laura Perez Maestro, Saad Abedine, Elise Labott and Tim Lister contributed to this report, as did journalists Peter Taggart from Belfast and Said Ben Ali from Algiers.

Two Americans unaccounted for, senior U.S. official says . Obama says "scourge of terrorism" must be fought . Algerian state news: At least 55 people, including hostages and militants, have died . The militants targeted an eastern Algerian gas facility where many foreigners workers .

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Suddenly, the title race is back on. Events at the Stadium of Light and St Mary’s over the weekend were separated by 20 hours and 300 miles, but what they did was bring the Premier League protagonists closer together. Chelsea were as good as champions last week, unbeaten in 12 and having dropped points just twice all season. There was, as is the norm these days, talk of bookmakers already settling bets on Jose Mourinho’s men claiming May’s crown – and this in November. Sergio Aguero sees his shot stopped by Southampton keeper Ben Foster . Aguero (centre) celebrates Yaya Toure's goal with Samir Nasri (left) as Manchester City beat Southampton 3-0 . Diego Costa will miss Chelsea's game with Tottenham against on Wednesday due to a one-game suspension . Didier Drogba is closed down by several Sunderland players as lines up a shot at goal . Dec 3: Tottenham (H) Dec 6: Newcastle (A) Dec 13: Hull (H) Dec 22: Stoke (A) Dec 26: West Ham (H) Dec 28: Southampton (A) Jan 1: Tottenham (A) * Premier League fixtures only . Dec 3: Sunderland (A) Dec 6: Everton (H) Dec 13: Leicester (A) Dec 20: Crystal Palace (H) Dec 26: West Brom (A) Dec 28: Burnley (H) Jan 1: Sunderland (H) *Premier League fixtures only . Tottenham (H) – Chelsea win 2-1 . Newcastle (A) – Draw 1-1 . Hull (H) – Chelsea win 2-0 . Stoke (A) – Chelsea win 0-1 . West Ham (H) – Chelsea win 3-1 . Southampton (A) – Draw 1-1 . Tottenham (A) – Draw 2-2 . Points on December 1: 33pts . Points on January 1: 48pts . Sunderland (A) – City win 0-1 . Everton (H) – City win 2-1 . Leicester (A) – City win 0-2 . Crystal Palace (H) – City win 3-0 . West Brom (A) – City win 0-2 . Burnley (H) – City win 4-0 . Sunderland (H) – City win 3-0 . Points on December 1: 27pts . Points on January 1: 48pts . Autumn champions, yes, but as we welcome winter there was a chilly reminder for the Blues that resistance resides within the chasing pack. Gus Poyet and Sunderland were the first team to record a clean sheet against the west Londoners during Saturday’s stalemate, thus providing the rest of the league with a blueprint of how to combat their offensive force. Afterwards, Mourinho bemoaned the time afforded to opposite number Poyet to devise a strategy to shut out his side. ‘While they were in bed on Tuesday night we were getting back at 5am from Germany. They have had all week to work on their plan,’ he sounded. But as Jose will know all too well, December offers little reprieve. Six matches are to be negotiated before the dawn of 2015. It is a mammoth month which can reshape the complexion of a title contest. And, on the evidence of their 3-0 triumph at Southampton, champions Manchester City are in no mood to surrender their crown before the turkey has even been carved. Indeed, come Christmas they could well be back on top of the tree. Six points now separate the Blues and City as we prepare to hurtle through the festive season. Manuel Pellegrini and Jose Mourinho (right) know the festive period could be crucial in the title race . VIDEO We're still league leaders - Mourinho . Gary Cahill is wrestled to the ground by John O'Shea during Chelsea's 0-0 draw with Sunderland . Costa tangles with O'Shea in one of several clashes between the pair during Saturday's clash . Samir Nasri (left) has impressed on is return to action for Manchester CIty in recent weeks . Frank Lampard scores Manchester City's second goal in the 3-0 win over Southampton . Come the end of New Year’s Day both Chelsea and City would have contested 21 top-flight points – January’s table will tell us a lot about the destiny of this year’s trophy. Before this weekend is out Chelsea will have faced Spurs and Newcastle, taking on the former without suspended talisman Diego Costa. He was part of the side which toiled at Sunderland, the Spaniard looking off the pace and out of sorts before picking up his fifth booking of the campaign. One match it may be, but perhaps a precedent has been set of how to foil Mourinho's men. The likes of Hull, Stoke and West Ham – who they face over Christmas – will almost certainly adopt the gameplan which proved so effective on Wearside. City, meanwhile, will look at their fixtures with a sense of anticipation. Four of the bottom seven – Leicester, Crystal Palace, West Brom and Burnley – could well represent the 12 points of Christmas for Manuel Pellegrini’s side. And, in Sergio Aguero, they boast the league’s best player. Aguero is mobbed by his team-mates after he scores the winning goal in the win over Bayern Munich . Chelsea were stifled by Sunderland - giving home to other Premier League clubs that they can be stopped . His first task on Wednesday night is to succeed where Costa and Chelsea failed, and that is by penetrating Sunderland’s defiant defence. But City, you feel, are gathering momentum. Three wins on the spin – including their come-from-behind triumph against Bayern Munich – has seen them hit top gear as we speed towards the festive frenzy. Suddenly, the title race is back on.

Both teams will play seven games over the festive period and come the close of play on January 1 they may both be level on 48 points . Chelsea face difficult games away to Spurs, Southampton and Newcastle . Manchester City take on four of the bottom seven in the same period . Click here to see all Premier League fixtures .

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Nogales, Mexico (CNN) -- Inside a Mexican jail, Yanira Maldonado wept. A devout Mormon, the Arizona mother of seven said Wednesday she's been turning to scripture to survive ever since authorities falsely accused her of drug smuggling last week. "Reading the scriptures, reading the Book of Mormon, praying, fasting," Maldonado told CNN. "And all the support that I've been getting from my family, my husband, my children, and everybody out there reaching out to help." A judge is weighing whether to set Maldonado free after authorities accused her of drug smuggling and alleged they found 12 pounds of marijuana under her bus seat. Maldonado maintained her innocence Wednesday. "I'm a good mom. I love the gospel. I'm LDS. And we work hard to have what we have," she said. "You know, we're not rich, but we're very honest and we always do our best to help other people." The Mexican military officials who arrested Maldonado haven't made their case yet in court. The soldiers were scheduled to appear Wednesday, but didn't show, according to a defense attorney. Hearings in the case are set to continue Friday. Maldonado's family denies the charges and says they're optimistic the case against her is crumbling. "We have high hopes," Anna Soto, Maldonado's daughter, told CNN on Wednesday. "So I'm just looking forward to that. Hopefully, Friday, I'm praying that she will be home and be set free." It's a situation Maldonado said she never imagined when she boarded a bus last week to head back to the United States after attending her aunt's funeral in Mexico. "I was at the checkpoint. They asked us to get off bus. And they were checking for drugs or I don't know what else," she said. "And they say they found something under my seat. But I never saw anything. They didn't show me anything. It was just amazing all that, what they did." Fearing for her life . Earlier this week, Maldonado's cuffed hands gripped a metal bar as a truck carrying her to testify barreled down the street. One thought went through her mind, she told CNN, crying as she recalled her fear that the fast-moving Mexican police convoy would crash. "I'm not a killer. I'm not a criminal. I'm just here by mistake because people are not doing their work," she said. "This is not right. I need to be back with my family. I need to be out of here. I need help." Since her arrest, Maldonado said her views toward the country where she was born have changed drastically. Asked before by friends about going south of the border, Maldonado never thought twice when she gave advice. "I used to tell people, 'Come to Mexico. It's not true what they're saying. I go every year to visit my family. ... I come, I drive myself, nothing happens.' ... Look what's happening to me now. I cannot say that anymore," Maldonado told CNN. "I don't want anybody to go through this." If she's released from prison, Maldonado says she's not sure whether she'll ever return to Mexico. From a bus seat to a jail cell . Mexican authorities arrested Maldonado last Wednesday as she and her husband, Gary, were on their way back to Arizona. Gary Maldonado said he believes Mexican soldiers at the checkpoint wanted a bribe. A Mexican state official also told CNN it appears that Maldonado was framed. Another daughter, Brenda Pedraza, called the arrest "outrageous." Her mother was recently by her side, she said, cradling her newborn granddaughter. "She's just a wonderful mom and a wonderful grandma and she would never jeopardize her life to lose this, to lose her family," she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday. The family relies on Maldonado and misses her, Pedraza said. "I still need her, you know, being a new mom. I still need her advice, her guidance. We've heard that the minimum is 10 years. Ten years is a whole lifespan. We don't have that time, 10 years, to be separated," Pedraza said, choking back tears. "Please, to the officials in Mexico, please do your part and really investigate, because I know my mom has nothing to do with those illegal drugs." After testifying in court on Tuesday, Gary Maldonado told CNN affiliate KTVK that he was feeling optimistic. "We're hoping for the best outcome. ... We don't think they have a case," he said. The Mexican Embassy in Washington said in a statement that a preliminary decision from the judge was expected soon. Questions about arrest . A Sonora state official with extensive knowledge of the case told CNN there are questions about the arrest. "Can you imagine?" asked the official, who was not authorized to speak to the media and did not want to be named. "A passenger by himself or herself would have been unable to carry almost six kilos of marijuana onto a bus without being noticed. She must've been framed." A regional office of Mexico's Defense Ministry said troops conducting a routine investigation stopped the bus Maldonado was riding in and and found 12.5 pounds (5.7 kilograms) of a substance that appeared to be marijuana under her seat. Troops turned the case over to the Mexican attorney general's office, the defense ministry said. Maldonado is being housed in a women's prison in Nogales while authorities decide her fate. The Sonora state division of the attorney general's office said the investigation is ongoing and declined to provide additional information. Her husband was told by authorities that regardless of his wife's guilt or innocence, he would have to pay $5,000 to secure her freedom, the family said. He was able to cobble together the money but then was told it was too late. His wife had been transferred to another jail. U.S. officials monitoring the case . Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, is monitoring the case, his office said. The State Department has also been in touch with the family. "The U.S. Consulate in Nogales is monitoring the case closely," State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki told reporters on Wednesday. "They are in regular contact with Ms. Maldonado and her family, and her legal counsel, and they're working to schedule another visit with her. The last time we were able to visit with her was May 24." The State Department estimates that several thousand U.S. citizens are arrested in Mexico each year. But it's unclear exactly how many U.S. citizens have been detained in Mexico, the State Department said. "We don't have the exact breakdown for Mexico, and the embassy would not have that information either," said Elizabeth A. Finan, a spokeswoman for the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affiairs. "However, I can say millions of U.S. citizens travel to Mexico each year, and most have uneventful trips. Arrests happen every day, as you might expect with such a high volume of visitors." Some arrests go unreported to U.S. officials, and sometimes arrested individuals do not request consular assistance, Finan wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "Arrest cases are not uncommon in Mexico," she said, "and our consular officers work hard to assist all U.S. citizens who come to us for help." 'Blind mules' unknowingly ferry drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border . Former Marine released from Mexican prison . CNN's Rafael Romo reported from Nogales, Mexico. CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet wrote the story in Atlanta. CNN's Christine Theodorou, Mariano Castillo, Paul Courson, Lateef Mungin and Rene Hernandez contributed to this report.

An Arizona mom accused of drug smuggling says she is innocent . Daughter to Mexican officials: "Please do your part and really investigate" A Mexican judge is weighing the case against the Mormon mother of seven . Maldonado was on her way back from a funeral when authorities arrested her .

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Bullying is in our schools, and now it's online. Why do kids do it? What can be done to put an end to it? Don't miss an "AC360°" special report in collaboration with Cartoon Network: "Stop Bullying: Speak Up," starting Monday night at 10 ET on CNN. (Parenting.com) -- An estimated 25 percent are -- and the signs can be tricky for parents to detect. That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics has developed a new policy that recommends doctors discuss bullying during checkups. Parenting.com: Handling elementary school social struggles . "A kid who is being picked on has often been told, 'Don't you dare tell anyone!' But when he's given permission to talk by a more neutral adult, he'll readily share his experiences," notes Robert Sege, M.D., chief of ambulatory pediatrics at Boston Medical Center. Parenting.com: 8 discipline mistakes parents make . "And sometimes the symptoms of bullying appear to parents like something else. I see moms all the time who bring their child in because he's been doing poorly in school and can't seem to focus. They think it could be an attention disorder when the child is actually being picked on." Tell us how your child has been affected by bullies . More red flags: . Changes in behavior -- your kid becomes moody, withdrawn, spacey, jumpy, anxious . Physical ailments such as stomachaches and bad dreams, or unexplained bruises and torn clothes . Parenting.com: Getting through to a moody tween . An inexplicable drop in grades or a sudden reluctance to go to school . Need help? Check out Stop Bullying Now -- it's a site designed to help both parents and kids cope with big, bad meanies. Try a FREE TRIAL issue of Parenting Magazine - CLICK HERE! Copyright 2010 The Parenting Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

One-fourth of all children are bullied . Red flags include changes in behavior, physical ailments and a drop in grades . The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends doctors discuss bullying during checkups .

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By . Joel Christie . The tactical response team that staged a major operation in order to capture mass murder suspect Ron Haskell have praised the sole survivor of the shooting as the reason they were able to arrest him. Cassidy Stay, 15, is believed to have played dead as her mother, father and four siblings were allegedly executed by Hasking at their home in Spring, Texas. She reportedly lost a finger protecting herself from a bullet, which grazed her head, and called police as soon as Haskell left, warning them he was en route to her grandparents house. 'First of all and foremost the 15 year old girl is a hero, by all means,' Harris County Precinct 4 Assistant Chief Mark Herman told KHOU. Stand off: Harris County tactical response corner Ron Haskell using an armored vehicle known as 'The Bear' Haskell had lead police on a 20-minute car chase, with three hours of negotiations then taking place as he sat in his car in this cul-de-sac . Strong: Authorities say it was thr quick-thinking of 15-year-old sole survivor Cassidy Stay that ensured they caught Haskell . Ron Haskell talks on the phone with police as they attempt to persuade him to surrender . The operation was huge and included countless police units. After three hours, Haskell finally surrendered . 'Had she (Cassidy) not verbally articulated to us who he is and where he's going, he would have committed more murders. 'No doubt in my mind.' Following the phone call, Deputies were stationed on Anvil Drive - where Cassidy had said her grandparents live - three minutes before Haskell arrived, looking for his ex-wife, Cassidy's aunt. Following a 20 minute car chase, Haskell was cornered in a cul de sac. A Harris County tactical response team took over with a truck they call 'The bBear', which pinned down Haskell's using another truck, military MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected), at the rear. Negotiations then began, lasting three hours. 'So we sort of had him trapped where we had him, to where we could force him to talk to us and negotiate with us,' said Sgt. Lonnie Tullos, who headed the operation. A bomb robot took water to Haskell, and a second cell phone was also delivered to his car after his went flat. Haskell, who at times held a gun to his head, eventually surrendered. 'Our main function is the preservation of life, and that's all life,' said Coleman. 'To try to get this remedy done in as peaceable a fashion as we can, I think we accomplished the mission the best way we could.' 'The guys are highly trained and dedicated and very patient. 'And using all the tactics we had learned, it just went in our favor because we took our time.' Cassidy Stay, 15 (center) is believed to have played while her parents and four siblings layed dead around her . Police closed the street and evacuated residents . SWAT teams assemble in Spring, Texas, not sure what Ron Haskell would do . The quiet suburban street became the scene of a major police operation following the shootings on Wednesday . Cassidy Stay was released from Children’s Memorial Hermann Friday afternoon in good condition and is expected to make a full recovery. Statement from Children’s Memorial Hermann said: 'As a hospital team, we were honored to be able to help care for this brave young woman at her critical time of need. The entire staff at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital has been profoundly touched by Cassidy’s resilient spirit, inner strength, and hopeful heart during this time of indescribable shock and grief.' Also on Friday, the Associated Press reported that Haskell, a graduate of a suburban Anchorage high school, was voted both class clown and homecoming king . Ronald Lee Haskell Jr. lived in Alaska until 2004. He attended Chugiak High School and was part of a tight-knit Mormon community in Eagle River, about 10 miles north of Anchorage. Drew Nevitt attended the same Mormon church as Haskell and says Haskell was an older peer he looked up to. Nevitt says Haskell was just 'a funny, red-headed, freckled guy with a good personality'.

Harris County tactical response team credited Cassidy Stay, 15, as the reason they successfully caught Ron Hasking on Wednesday . Cassidy is believed to have played dead while her parents and four siblings were allegedly killed by Hasking . She then called police and told them he was en route to her grandparents . Police used two armored vehicles to trap Hasking . They negotiated with him for three hours . He finally surrendered .

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(CNN) -- For astronaut Jose Hernandez, his first space flight, scheduled to be aboard the space shuttle Discovery, marks a remarkable journey from the farm fields of California to the skies. Astronaut Jose Hernandez is an American-born son of immigrants from Michoacan, Mexico. Hernandez, an American-born son of immigrants from Michoacan, Mexico, is getting plenty of attention at home and abroad for his journey from working the fields to operating some of the most advanced mechanics on the space shuttle. Mexican President Felipe Calderon called the 47-year-old astronaut over the weekend to congratulate him. A transcript of the entire conversation was promptly posted online by the Mexican government. Hernandez is also reaching out to fans through Twitter, where he posts updates under the name "@Astro--Jose." "I come from a very humble family and what I would call a typical migrant farm working family," Hernandez said in a NASA interview. As a child, Hernandez's family split their time between Mexico and California, where they worked as migrant farm workers. During the school year his parents emphasized his education, but on the weekends Hernandez would help the family, he said in the interview, posted on the NASA Web site. Growing up in Stockton, California, it was Hernandez's job as the youngest child to hold up the rabbit ear antennas on the family's television set in order to get the best reception while everyone watched the Apollo missions. "Now I kid around with my family saying that, you know, it was through osmosis that I became an astronaut because I was closest to the whole situation," Hernandez told NASA. The real catalyst for his dream to become an astronaut, however, came when Franklin Chang-Diaz, became the first Latin American astronaut in 1981. "There was a lot of parallels and that's when I challenged myself. I said, "Hey, if Franklin can do it, why can't I do it?" Hernandez said in the interview. Hernandez earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering, and before joining NASA worked on a number of high-tech projects, including an X-ray laser to be deployed in space, a digital mammography system and the disposal of excess nuclear material in Russia, his official biography states. According to NASA, there are nine Hispanics currently in the astronaut program, and 13 total in the program's history. Astronaut Danny Olivas, also of Mexican descent, will also fly on Discovery's upcoming 13-day mission. The scheduled launch of Discovery on Tuesday was scrubbed twice, once because of weather and then hours later because of of mechanical issues involving a drain valve. NASA did not announce a new launch schedule.

Astronaut Jose Hernandez is an American-born son of Mexican immigrants . Jose Hernandez scheduled to be aboard the space shuttle Discovery . "I come from ... a typical migrant farm working family," Hernandez said . Mexican President called the 47-year-old astronaut to congratulate him .

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Washington (CNN) -- Justice Clarence Thomas is marking his two decades on the Supreme Court in his characteristic low-key manner. His former law clerks are organizing a reunion, a chance for him to get back in touch with his "kids," as he calls many of the young lawyers who served the prestigious one-year job under him. He is prepared for the court's new term, having spent the summer as he always does, touring the country in his 40-foot-motor home, with his wife Virginia alongside. And there was a recent teaching stint at the University of Nebraska, where he remains a big Cornhuskers football fan, although he was never a student there. All seems good for the 63-year-old jurist, a sharp contrast to the tumultuous weeks of his October 1991 confirmation hearings. The nationally televised drama delved deeply and embarrassingly into his private life, a spectacle that helped usher in an escalating focus on the federal courts -- and the often nasty politics that play out to this day. "Like the Robert Bork confirmation hearings before them, the Thomas hearings were built on the flames of ideological fights," said Thomas Goldstein, a prominent appellate attorney and founder of Scotusblog.com. "He was regarded as extremely conservative, which he is, and liberal progressives were really very bent on trying to block him from getting on the Supreme Court. They failed initially and then, when the Anita Hill allegations came out, the whole process exploded." For an institution that values continuity and experience, Justice Thomas now enjoys a professional renaissance of sorts, becoming a key behind-the-scenes force on the right-leaning bench. "There are obviously some who agree with the mark that he's left and others who disagree," said Gregory Garre, a former U.S. solicitor general who has argued several cases before Thomas and the court. "But I think one thing is certain, and that is that he has left an important mark on the law." _______________ . Sources close to him say the memories of his wrenching Senate confirmation in October 1991 are not forgotten by any means, but the experience, they say, has given him a greater appreciation of the unique role he now occupies. The Pin Point, Georgia, native was nominated to the high court by President George H.W. Bush to replace an icon -- Justice Thurgood Marshall. There were concerns raised by both Republicans and Democrats over whether Thomas would become the ideological opposite of the civil rights legend, since he had barely a year of judicial experience before being tapped for the Supreme Court. Many people may not remember there were actually two Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Thomas. The first session went pretty much to form, and with little judicial record to go on, lawmakers found little about which to criticize the nominee. Then Anita Hill stepped forward. She was a lawyer who had been hired by Thomas to work in the Education Department and later at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which he headed in the Reagan years. She claimed Thomas made sexually suggestive comments on the job, which Hill considered sexual harassment. In stunning nationally televised testimony, the poised Hill offered lurid details and called Thomas' alleged actions "behavior that is unbefitting an individual who will be a member of the court." Many senators offered both sympathy and skepticism to both Hill and Thomas. He received the final word, telling the committee, "This is a circus. It's a national disgrace. It is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves." He was confirmed 52-48, the narrowest margin for a high court pick in a century. _____________ . For most Americans, Thomas slipped into virtual anonymity after he took his judicial oath. He shuns interviews and rarely speaks during arguments. In fact, he has gone five years without speaking when cases are presented in the public sessions. That concerns some private lawyers, including those who count Thomas among their friends. "I wish, candidly, he would ask the lawyers questions, just to give us an opportunity to at least say something about him," said Carter Phillips, who has argued 72 cases before the high court. "Because there almost invariably are issues in argument that are not briefed in the case, so you feel as though, in one sense, an important participant is kind of marching on a parallel path that's completely removed from your efforts and advocacy." But those close to the justice say you don't know the real Clarence Thomas. "Justice Thomas is known as being quiet and taciturn, and hasn't asked a question in years," said Carrie Severino, a 2007 law clerk who remains close to him. "He's actually an incredibly ... great storyteller. He could talk for hours very easily. If you do get into a conversation with him, it's normally a very long and engaging process." Behind the closed marble hallways of the court, Thomas is well known for his booming voice, hearty laugh, and friendly manner. Colleagues say they are amazed he seems to know every one of the several hundred employees by their names, as well as their families and their problems. He shatters the mold in many ways, and is especially close friends on the court with Justice Stephen Breyer, whose views are considered liberal. The two can often be spotted on the bench whispering in each other's ears, sharing an occasional laugh. "There are a lot of people who don't like the fact that he breaks their expectations," Severino said. "They expect him as an African-American to be toeing the liberal line, and he's his own man. You know, he's his own man among conservatives. He's not following Justice Scalia, he's not following Chief Justice Roberts. He's going to do his own thing. And the people who might expect him to follow their lead are going to be disappointed." Doing his own thing has often meant Thomas is a lone dissenter in cases big and small, in issues ranging from state-federal authority to executive immunity and government regulation. The consistency of his conservative views has earned him a quietly influential power base among his colleagues, which only recently has begun to attract public notice. "In several of the most important areas of constitutional law, Thomas has emerged as an intellectual leader of the Supreme Court," wrote CNN Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin, in an essay for The New Yorker. "Since the arrival of Chief Justice John Roberts in 2005, and Justice Samuel Alito in 2006, the court has moved to the right when it comes to the free-speech rights of corporations, the rights of gun owners, and potentially, the powers of the federal government; in each of these areas, the majority has followed where Thomas been leading for a decade or more. Rarely has a Supreme Court justice enjoyed such broad or significant vindication." But criticism -- personal and professional -- has not gone away. The latest complaints: calls from liberal lawmakers and advocacy groups for Thomas to pull out of deciding a monumental appeal over President Obama's signature accomplishment, health care reform. Twenty Democratic lawmakers on Thursday formally asked the Justice Department to investigate the justice's appearances before conservative groups, and his failure over the years to publicly disclose about $700,000 of his wife's income, as required under federal law. "To believe that Justice Thomas didn't know how to fill out a basic disclosure form is absurd," said Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-New York, on behalf of her colleagues. "I cannot determine guilt or innocence, but I can request that the government do our due diligence in investigating a situation that strikes me, and many members of Congress, as suspicious." But even liberal activists say there may be little to force Thomas himself to pull out. "It's really almost entirely self-enforced," said Doug Kendall, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center. "So recusal motions, if there is one filed in his case, go directly to Justice Thomas. And there's really no process for his colleagues or anyone to second-guess the decision whether he should recuse or not. So it really is his decision." Many colleagues wonder whether going his own path in life has been worth it for Thomas. Sources close to him say he admits being concerned about his legacy, but more interested in doing his job as he sees fit, and ultimately being comfortable with the result. Writing in his 2007 autobiography, the justice said his life was "the story of an ordinary man to whom extraordinary things happened. Putting it down on paper forced me to suffer old hurts, endure old pains, and revisit old doubts. ... Rightly or wrongly, I have an abiding faith that my story will be important to someone."

Justice's former law clerks are arranging a reunion of his "kids" He is enjoying a professional renaissance of sorts on the right-leaning court . He is known for not asking questions from the bench and for going his own way . "Thomas has emerged as an intellectual leader," says CNN Senior Legal Analyst Toobin .

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(CNN) -- A truck-bomb explosion has killed at least 13 people in the capital of Afghanistan's Logar province, a provincial spokesman said. The attack Saturday night killed four civilians and several militants, including members of the Pakistani Taliban and an affiliated group, said Din Mohammad Darwis, the spokesman. It happened in Pul e Alam, in central Afghanistan.

A truck-bomb attack has killed 13 people . It happened in central Afghanistan .

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By . Associated Press . The Libyan militant accused of masterminding the deadly Benghazi attacks that have become a flashpoint in U.S. politics pleaded not guilty to conspiracy Saturday in a federal courtroom in Washington. In a 10-minute hearing held amid tight security, Ahmed Abu Khattala spoke just two words, both in Arabic. He replied 'yes' when asked to swear to tell the truth and 'no' when asked if he was having trouble understanding the proceeding. A grand jury indictment handed up . under seal Thursday says Abu Khattala took part in a conspiracy to . provide material support and resources to terrorists in the 2012 attacks . that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The government said it soon would file more charges against Abu Khattala. During his initial court appearance, . Abu Khattala listened via headphones to a translation of the . proceedings. He wore a two-piece black track suit, had a beard and long . curly hair, both mostly gray, and kept his hands, which were not . handcuffed, behind his back. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . In custody: Ahmed Abu Khatalla, pictured, was in federal law enforcement custody . Appearance: Abu Khattala, depicted in this courtroom sketch, made his initial court appearance on Saturday amid tight security . Departure: The motorcade transporting Abu Khattala leaves the federal U.S. District Court Saturday after Khattala pleaded not guilty to conspiracy at his first appearance in federal court in the U.S. Not guilty: Abu Khattala's lawyer, Michele Peterson, entered the not guilty plea . He . looked impassively at U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola for most of . the hearing. Abu Khattala's court-appointed lawyer, Michele Peterson, . entered the not guilty plea. Facciola . ordered the defendant's continued detention, but Facciola did not say . where Abu Khattala would be held. The . U.S. Marshals Service said it had taken custody of Abu Khattalah, who . now was confined to a detention facility in the capital region, ending a . harried day for the Libyan. U.S. special forces captured Abu Khattala in Libya two weeks ago. Officials had been questioning Abu Khattala aboard a Navy ship that transported him to the United States. Abu Khattala was flown by military helicopter from the ship to a National Park Service landing pad in the city's Anacostia neighborhood, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the transfer publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Keeping guard: U.S. Marshals are seen outside the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse on Saturday . Protection: U.S. Federal Marshals patrol outside the U.S. federal courthouse in Washington on Saturday . A criminal complaint filed last year that was unsealed after his capture charges him with terror-related crimes, including killing a person during an attack on a federal facility, a crime that can be punishable by death. The prosecution in a courthouse in the nation's capital reflects the Obama administration's stated position of trying suspected terrorists in the American criminal justice system even as Republicans call for Abu Khattala and others to be held at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Critics say suspected terrorists don't deserve the legal protections afforded by the American court. The Obama administration considers the civilian justice system fairer and more efficient. The violence on the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon quickly became a political flashpoint. Republicans accused the White House, as the 2012 presidential election neared, of intentionally misleading the public about what prompted the attacks. The White House accused Republicans of politicizing a national tragedy. Abu Khattala was a prominent figure in Benghazi's circles of extremists. He was popular among young radicals and lived openly in the eastern Libyan city, spotted at cafes and other public places, even after the Obama administration publicly named him as a suspect. He is accused of being a member of the Ansar al-Shariah group, the powerful Islamic militia that the U.S. believes was behind the attack. He acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press in January that he was present during the storming of the U.S. mission in Benghazi. But he denied involvement in the attack, saying he was trying to organize a rescue of trapped people. Angry: A protester reacts as the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames in this September 11, 2012 file photo . Attack: The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames on September 11, 2012 . In the attack, gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and stormed the mission, with many waving the black banners of Ansar al-Shariah, a powerful Islamic militia. The compound's main building was set ablaze. Ambassador Chris Stevens suffocated to death inside and another American was shot dead. Later in the evening, gunmen attacked and shelled a safe house, killing two more Americans. At the time, several witnesses said they saw Abu Khattala directing fighters at the site. No evidence has emerged that Abu Khattala was involved in the later attack on the safe house. An anonymous law enforcement official told the New York Times that 'brutal' conditions in Libya slowed down the investigation. 'We were dealing with one of the most non-permissive environments at the time, and our guys were able to put together a case,' the source said. 'We have plenty of evidence to convict this guy,' the source told the Times. 'Now it’s just a matter of getting him to the courthouse.' Abu Khattala is one of just a few cases in which the administration has captured a suspected terrorist overseas and interrogated him for intelligence purposes before bringing him to federal court to face charges. Those cases include Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who was arrested in Jordan in March 2013 and turned over to U.S. agents. A jury in New York City convicted him in March of conspiring to kill Americans.

Ahmed Abu Khattala faces criminal charges in the deaths of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans from the attack on Sept. 11, 2012 . Abu Khattala was in federal law enforcement custody, the U.S. attorney's office said Saturday . U.S. special forces captured Abu Khattala in Libya two weeks ago and had been questioning him aboard a Navy dock ship that brought him . A newly unsealed criminal complaint . accuses Abu Khattala of killing a person during an attack on a federal . facility, providing federal support to . terrorists resulting in death, and using a firearm in a crime of . violence . A prominent figure in . Benghazi's circles of extremists who was popular among young radicals, . he acknowledged in January that . he was present during the storming of the U.S. mission in Benghazi but denied involvement in the attack . At the time, several witnesses said they saw Abu Khattala directing fighters at the site .

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Police have released video footage of the moment a teenager endangered the lives of a Florida law enforcement helicopter crew by shining a laser light at them. The clip shows a green laser blinding Alert 2, a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, for several seconds. The teen was then filmed by the helicopter walking around the swimming pool of a residence in Longwood and dashing to the front of the property as the helicopter hovers close by. Police said the flight crew reported a green laser light flashing through their cockpit on Saturday as they flew at around 800 feet. Patrol: Footage shows the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office helicopter flying at around 800 feet . Danger: Then a laser light, circled, flashes several times through the cockpit . Bright: The laser shines several times right into the helicopter's camera . The crew then homed in on the person responsible using Forward Looking Infrared. They directed deputies on the ground to the residence of suspect Trevor Ragno, 19, and he was arrested outside it. A police statement said: ‘Shining a light into an aircraft creates a glare on the windscreen and generates a temporary flash of blindness, similar to a camera flash. Tracked: The police helicopter found the suspect standing by an indoor swimming pool at a house in Longwood . On the run: The suspect, Trevor Ragno, then dashed round the side and out to the front of the residence . ‘It is highly dangerous for pilots and flight crew who can experience blurred vision or become disoriented. ‘At the time of Saturday night’s laser strikes, Alert 2 was flying at approximately 800 feet. The FBI Task Force and FAA were also notified of the incident.’ It added: ‘Ragno was transported to the John E. Polk Correctional Facility and charged with a felony for pointing a laser light at a pilot and culpable negligence. ‘He posted the $1,100 bond Sunday morning and was released from the facility.’

Clip shows a laser blinding a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office helicopter . Footage shows a green light hitting the aircraft at 800 feet up . The crew found the person suspected of shining the light using infrared .

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CLARKSDALE, Mississippi (CNN) -- Pat Davis was just 10 years old when two black men came into his father's barbecue joint in the heart of the Mississippi Delta in 1947. A huge fuss ensued, with four racists shouting every name in the book. Pat Davis operates Abe's BBQ. His father was a Lebanese immigrant in Mississippi and defied segregation. "My daddy went over to their table and said, 'These are people who want to eat just like you want to eat. You don't bother them. You leave them alone,' " Davis says, the incident seared in his mind six decades later. "They told Daddy he could lose his business by letting black people come in." It's not unusual to find a barbecue restaurant in the South where the ribs are so good you want to run home and kiss your mom. But it's a rare find to discover the South's main delicacy cooked up by Lebanese immigrants in Mississippi, who defied segregation and who've been doing it since 1924. Welcome to Abe's BBQ, a living testament to good eats and to good people, where civil rights were put to the test and won. In the end, racism took a back seat to slow-cooked pit barbecue. Today, Abe's remains one of the oldest restaurants in Mississippi. Step inside, view photos of Abe's » . It's named after founder Abraham Davis, who arrived in Mississippi from Lebanon in 1913 when he was 13 years old. Abe's sits at The Crossroads, the landmark spot at Highways 49 and 61 in Clarksdale where legend has it that blues king Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil. Two giant guitars jut into the sky marking the spot where the deal went down. You might be pausing here. Lebanese in Mississippi? Defying segregation? Sounds like something out of William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County. As you sit down with a platter of ribs this Labor Day weekend, this is one barbecue story you might enjoy over cole slaw, baked beans and beer. The town of Clarksdale is located about 70 miles southwest of Memphis, Tennessee, with a population of about 20,000 people. It was once known as the "Golden Buckle in the Cotton Belt," complete with Lebanese, Italian, Chinese and Jewish immigrants along with local blacks and white plantation owners. Much of the immigrant population has moved on. The town these days is perhaps best known for the Delta Blues Museum and for the nearby Ground Zero Blues Club, co-owned by actor Morgan Freeman. Blues purists may point you around the corner to Red's juke joint, a ramshackle place where raw Delta blues oozes from the walls. On this night, Eli Paperboy Reed and the True Loves brought the house down. But it's Abe's that has stood the test of time. Abraham Davis started his pit barbecue as the Bungalow Inn in 1924. It moved to its current location around 1936, and Pat Davis renamed it after his father in 1960. Davis says being an immigrant -- or in his case, the son of immigrants -- gives one a better respect for all people. "It was a humbling feeling, and we knew how the blacks must've felt," he says. "Being Lebanese, my parents weren't truly accepted as first-class citizens when they first got here." Andrew Clark, a 58-year-old African-American, worked at Abe's from 1962 to 1990, beginning when he was 16. He says Abe's is a symbol of great barbecue and a shrine to the civil rights struggle. "They didn't see us as colored. They saw us customers," Clark says. "It didn't matter whether you were white or black ... I never seen them turn down anyone." Sometimes he'd hear racist comments from white customers. When that happened, Pat Davis always stepped in. "The whole family is really, really great people," Clark says. "This place really has good roots to it." Pat Davis refers to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as a prophet, "because any time you change things for the better, you've got to come from God." He says change didn't come easy. Many of the local blacks, he says, didn't want his family to be harmed, so they often followed segregation laws. It was when blacks from out of town came that things began to change. "They would come through the front and inside," he says. "My daddy never refused anyone no matter what color, race or religion. That's my philosophy as well." He says his father, who always carried a Bible written in Arabic, was "just doing the right thing." A hand-painted mural on the wall of Abe's depicts a pig with a fiddle in his hand, a pork sandwich and beer at his side. The hog is grinning from ear to ear, much like Abe's faithful customers over the years. "He's satisfied even though he's eating one of his kinfolks," Davis says with a chuckle. If you're in Clarksdale but not in the mood for barbecue (something's wrong with you, if so), then you'll want to head just up the road to an even more authentic Lebanese restaurant. Rest Haven dishes out kibbe, grape leaves and a host of other Lebanese delicacies, along with traditional American cuisine. Chafik Chamoun, a first generation Lebanese-American, established Rest Haven in 1954. Like Abe's, Chamoun says he has always welcomed people of all races. He peddled wares to black workers on plantations when he arrived in the United States, and learned to see past skin color at an early age. "I made a living with the black people all my life," he says. "I never refused one of them." "Most people tell me how glad they are that I serve them, that my business is here," says Chamoun, 75. I pause and tell Davis and Chamoun that stories like theirs aren't celebrated enough in Mississippi, that "all we hear about is bad sh--" coming from these parts. The men burst into laughter. They nod with approval. They say their message is one of love, honor and respect. And, oh yeah, one more thing: Great food.

One of the oldest restaurants in Mississippi defied segregation . Abe's BBQ in Clarksdale was founded by Lebanese immigrant Abraham Davis . "We knew how the blacks must've felt," says son Pat Davis . Long-time worker: Abe's is symbol of great barbecue and the civil rights struggle .

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Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- Spain has suspended the sale of police riot-control equipment to Venezuela due to instability there, two Spanish government officials said Friday. Weeks of protests against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro have left more than 30 people dead, more than 500 injured and more than 2,000 people detained, Amnesty International said in a report released this week. Spain's provisional suspension of the riot-control gear sales was quietly agreed to last month by a government commission that includes the ministries of foreign affairs, defense, interior and commerce, said the officials, who declined to be named because they are not authorized to publicly speak about the decision. The suspension was first reported by Spain's El Pais newspaper. Spain authorized the sale of $2.6 million euros ($3.5 million) in riot-control equipment to Venezuela last year, the Economy ministry reported. Spain's inter-ministerial government commission routinely reviews sales of military weapons and other sensitive material like police riot-control equipment, and takes into consideration "the internal stability of the nation destined" to receive the equipment, said one of the government officials. The other official said it's not the first time Spain has suspended the sale of riot control gear to Venezuela. It was also done when long-serving Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez -- Maduro's predecessor -- was in power. Among those killed in the protests was a dual Spanish-Venezuelan citizen, Wilder Carballo Amayo, who died last February from a gunshot wound to the head, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. Spain, like many other nations and international agencies, has urged the Venezuelan government and opposition forces to seek a solution through dialogue. The Venezuelan Embassy in Madrid answered a phone call from CNN but declined to comment immediately on the suspension of sales of crowd control equipment. Amnesty International's president in Spain, Esteban Beltran, told reporters this week, "In our opinion, if human rights are not placed at the top of the political agenda in Venezuela, then Venezuela risks entering a spiral of violence that would lead to even more human rights abuses and violations."

30 have died in protests against the government of Venezuela . Among those killed in the protests was a dual Spanish-Venezuelan citizen . Official: It's not the first time Spain has suspended riot control gear to the country .

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(CNN) -- Pakistan said Saturday it will reassess its relationship with the United States, NATO and the International Security Assistance Force in the wake of a deadly attack by NATO forces on two military checkpoints inside Pakistani territory, marking a major setback in worsening U.S.-Pakistan relations. "The prime minister will take the Parliament into confidence on the whole range of measures regarding matters relating to Pakistan's future cooperation with US/NATO/ISAF, in the near future," Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's office said in a statement. The attack by NATO helicopters killed 24 soldiers and wounded 13 others in Mohmand Agency, one of seven districts in the volatile region bordering Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign ministry and military said in a statement. "It's a huge incident," Syed Masood Kausar, governor of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told reporters in Islamabad. Many of the wounded were in critical condition, military officials said. The officials did not want to be identified because they are not allowed to talk to the news media. A spokesman for the NATO-led ISAF, Gen. Carsten Jacobson, said close air support had been called in during an operation with Afghan national security forces and ISAF in the rugged border area in the east of Pakistan, where the border is not always clear. "A technical situation developed on the ground that caused the force to call for close air support and it is this close air support that highly likely caused the soldiers that perished on the Pakistani side," he told CNN. He said he could not discuss casualty numbers, since "they can only come at the moment from the Pakistani side." "This incident has my highest personal attention and my commitment to thoroughly investigate it to determine the facts," U.S. Marine Gen. John R. Allen, NATO's commander in Afghanistan, said Saturday. He also offered his "sincere and personal heartfelt condolences" to the families of any Pakistan Security Forces members killed or injured. In a joint statement, the U.S. State and Defense departments said they are monitoring the reports and issued their condolences. The departments' secretaries, Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta respectively, said they support NATO's plan to investigate. "In their contacts, these U.S. diplomatic and military leaders each stressed -- in addition to their sympathies and a commitment to review the circumstances of the incident -- the importance of the U.S.-Pakistani partnership, which serves the mutual interests of our people," the statement said. Panetta shares Allen's regret for any loss of life, said Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby. The spokesman for the Pakistan military, Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, condemned the strike. "There is absolutely no justification for this unprovoked and indiscriminate attack," Abbas told CNN. "There is no confusion about the locations of these check posts. They are well inside the border, they are clearly marked and NATO has their location on their maps." Abbas rejected any NATO claim that NATO aircraft were pursuing insurgents who were crossing into Pakistan. "There are no more safe havens in Mohmand. We have cleared them. They would have nowhere to hide," he said. He told CNN there had been "no militant activity, to the best of our knowledge," in the area at the time, and that the border posts targeted were old and marked, and were supposed to be identified on the maps of NATO pilots operating near the border. Two of the dead were officers, he said. "Let's wait for an investigation," he said. "Only then, the real truth will come out. But, on the face of it, we have lost 24 of our soldiers and officers, which is highly tragic and is not acceptable." He cited similar incidents in the past for having resulted in "a great resentment" toward the NATO forces. After a meeting Saturday of the Defense Committee of the Cabinet, the prime minister's office released a statement condemning the attack and saying it had "gravely dented the fundamental basis of Pakistan's cooperation with NATO/ISAF against militancy and terror." The committee added that it decided to ask the United States to vacate the Shamsi Airbase within 15 days. The base, in southwest Pakistan, is reportedly used for CIA drone strikes. A similar demand was made in June, when Pakistan's defense minister called for the United States to leave the airbase used to launch drone attacks against Taliban and al Qaeda targets on the border with Afghanistan, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported then. "We have told them (the U.S. officials) to leave the airbase," Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar told reporters about Shamsi Airbase in Balochistan, APP reported. Mukhtar added that trust between the United States and Pakistan had eroded in the aftermath of the May 2 killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. special forces acting inside the town of Abbottabad, Pakistan, without Islamabad's knowledge or permission. But the Americans never left, according to embassy sources in Islamabad and Pakistani military officials. In a statement, Gilani said he "strongly condemned the NATO/ISAF attack on the Pakistani" checkpoint. The matter is being taken up by the Foreign Ministry "in the strongest possible terms" with NATO and the United States, the statement from his office said. U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, said: "I regret the loss of life of any Pakistani servicemen, and pledge that the United States will work closely with Pakistan to investigate this incident." In response to the attack, Pakistan closed NATO's two supply routes into Afghanistan, Pakistani military and intelligence officials said. NATO trucks have used the routes, in Khyber Agency and Balochistan, to supply U.S. and international forces fighting in Afghanistan. About 50 containers and trucks carrying supplies for NATO were stopped at the town of Jamrud in Khyber Agency on Saturday morning, said Jamil Khan, a senior government official in Khyber Agency, bordering Afghanistan. They were ordered to turn back toward Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, he said. A second route from Pakistan into Afghanistan, the Chaman border crossing in Balochistan province, had been open to NATO supply trucks earlier Saturday but was shut in the afternoon, the military and intelligence officials said. Roughly 40% of nonlethal NATO supplies and fuel go through Pakistan, with hundreds of supply trucks using the two routes into Afghanistan. In addition, the spokesman for the government of Balochistan, Kamran Asad, said the provincial government had banned the entry of NATO supplies. About 130,000 troops are deployed in Afghanistan with ISAF, 90,000 of them American, according to NATO figures. Pakistani politicians responded angrily to the incident in Mohmand. "This is the time to be united as a nation and to punch NATO with a fist," said Ahmed Khan Bahadur, a provincial lawmaker from the Awami National Party, the ruling party of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. "NATO could never dare if we were united." Former international cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who heads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, said it was time for Pakistan to pull out of the U.S.-led "war on terror." The incident could be the deadliest for Pakistani soldiers involving NATO since a U.S. airstrike in June 2008, which Pakistan said killed 11 of its forces who were cooperating with the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. That airstrike, also in Mohmand Agency, prompted the government in Islamabad to summon the U.S. ambassador and lodge an official protest. NATO's Allen had met Thursday with the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani military said. "The visiting dignitary remained with him for some time and discussed measures concerning coordination, communication and procedures between Pakistan army, ISAF and Afghan army, aimed at enhancing border control on both sides," a Pakistani military statement said. U.S. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with Kayani on Saturday to express his condolences, according to Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan. "He noted the immediate investigation by ISAF to determine what happened," Lapan said. CNN's Barbara Starr, Reza Sayah and Nasir Habib in Islamabad contributed to this report.

NEW: The U.S. State and Defense departments say they are monitoring the reports . ISAF spokesman says it is "highly likely" close air support caused the deaths . Pakistan's prime minister calls an emergency meeting of services chiefs . Pakistan closes NATO supply routes across the border to Afghanistan .

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HANOVER, Germany (CNN) -- Archaeologists have found more than 600 relics from a huge battle between a Roman army and Barbarians in the third century, long after historians believed Rome had given up control of northern Germany. Some of the artifacts are so well preserved that the scientists can already retrace some of the battle lines. "We have to write our history books new, because what we thought was that the activities of the Romans ended at nine or 10 (years) after Christ," said Lutz Stratmann, science minister for the German state of Lower Saxony. "Now we know that it must be 200 or 250 after that." For weeks, archeologist Petra Loenne and her team have been searching this area with metal detectors, pulling hundreds of ancient Roman weapons out of the ground. They paint a picture of a highly organized, technologically superior Roman army beset by Germanic tribes in a forest about 80 km (50 miles) south of the modern city of Hanover. The hillside battlefield was discovered by relic-hunters illegally searching for souvenirs of more recent wars near the town of Kalefeld-Oldenrode. One of them brought some of the items he found to Loenne, who works for the local government. The artifacts are so well preserved that the scientists can already retrace some of the battle lines. Watch how the battlefield discovery could re-write history » . "We believe the Germans ambushed the Romans here, but the legions quickly fired back with catapults and archers -- and then it came to a massive man-on-man onslaught," Loenne said. The items unearthed so far include an axe, still sharp after nearly 1,800 years; horseshoes; shovels; spearheads; and dozens of arrowheads for a Scorpio, a cross between a catapult and a crossbow -- the ancient equivalent of artillery. "With a very high speed, on a very long distance -- about 300 meters -- you can hit targets precisely," said Henning Hassman, of Hanover's archeological institute. Researchers say the evidence suggests the tribesmen lured the Romans into the forest to keep them from making full use of those long-range weapons and draw them into hand-to-hand combat, outside of the formations the imperial troops had mastered. However, they believe the Romans ultimately prevailed. Other relics include coins depicting the late second-century Roman emperor Commodus, depicted in the Oscar-winning Hollywood epic "Gladiator" -- a film that opens with a scene of battle against a barbarian horde that scientists say appears to be largely accurate. And Loenne said her team may have only begun to scratch the surface of the forest. "We hope we might find fortifications and if we are lucky, maybe even battlefield graveyards," she said.

Relics found from battle between Romans, Barbarians in third century . Historians had thought Rome had given up control of northern Germany by then . Battlefield found by relic-hunters illegally searching for souvenirs of recent wars .

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With the exception of Kim Kardashian, most women would be wary of letting their boyfriends or husbands serve as their personal stylists for the day - let alone a week - but that is exactly what one writer did. After learning that her boyfriend Luke Winkie disliked her favorite pair of black shorts, Kelsey Lawrence, 25, from Austin, Texas, was inspired to give him complete control of her closet, allowing him to dress her without any limitations for an entire work week. 'I thought I had red-blooded, heterosexual dudes mostly figured out as far as what they think girls look most attractive in because I’ve spent a few years as an observant young female,' she wrote in an essay for xoJane. 'I was curious to put this to the test. What would he pick out for me?' Scroll down for video . Total trust: Kelsey Lawrence (left), a writer from Austin, Texas, let her boyfriend Luke Winkie (right) dress her for an entire work week in whatever he thought she looked most attractive in . Monday: Kelsey, 25, was 'pleasantly surprised' by Luke's first outfit choice (pictured), which mixed color and prints . The rules were simple. Luke, who knew nothing about women's fashion, had to pick out Kelsey's outfits based solely on what he found her most attractive in. For his first day of styling his girlfriend, Luke chose an A-line, forest green skirt from Madewell, a loose, black H&M t-shirt and a leopard print cardigan from Goodwill. Black stockings and black ankle boots completed Kelsey's look. Kelsey noted that she was 'pleasantly surprised' that Luke was mixing colors and prints, and more importantly the outfit earned 'approving stares' at her suburban office. She even got a few compliments in the break room. The next day Luke dressed her in a stomach-baring, polka dot L.A. Gear shirt, a pair of grey and white tie dye Levi's and a denim jacket. While the eclectic ensemble made Kelsey embarrassed to go to work, her worries were unfounded. Tuesday: Kelsey said she was embarrassed to go to work in this stomach-baring outfit that Luke put together, but she later received a genuine compliment on her new look from one of her female co-workers . Wednesday:  Luke's next look was somewhat of a dud because Kelsey was wary of wearing these old boot cut jeans from Aéropostale . Not only did a co-worker love her pants, she went on to tell Kelsey that she noticed 'something new was going on' with her. 'I am simultaneously flattered and also now uncertain of anything I’ve worn ever,' Kelsey wrote. 'The outfits I’ve worn the past two days have garnered more compliments than any look I’ve put together for the last month.' For the third day of her experiment, Luke opted for a casual look, putting Kelsey in 'very old' old pair of bootcut Aéropostale jeans, his baggy New Order t-shirt and a herringbone hooded coat. The entire look made her feel frumpy and 'mad unattractive', and she was shocked to learn that Luke wasn't a fan of the form-fitting leggings she usually wore. The following day, Luke stuck with some of Kelsey's favorite wardrobe items and dressed her in a black Stone Cold Steve Austin Christmas sweatshirt and her high-waisted black jeans from H&M. Kelsey explained that the playful outfit made her realize she hasn't been dressing like herself lately, noting that she has been 'very safe' when choosing her looks. Thursday: For day four, Luke picked out some of Kelsey's favorite wardrobe staples - a Stone cold Steve Austin Sweatshirt and high-waited jeans from H&M . Friday: On the last day of Kelsey's experiment, Luke dressed her in an eclectic outfit, which featured a football jersey, a fur coat and a shocking yellow miniskirt . For Luke's final day of styling, he paired a San Diego Chargers jersey with a tight yellow pencil mini skirt and a white rabbit fur coat that she recently purchased at a vintage boutique. The somewhat over the top outfit was worn to pick up gummy bears at a grocery store before she headed to Luke's apartment to hang out. 'My friend Andy told me I looked like an extra in a Cam’ron video,' she wrote. 'No higher compliment has been paid to me.' With the exception of the ill-fitting Aéropostale jeans, none of Luke's chosen outfits were even close to being failures. In fact, many of them earned some unexpected compliments. What's even more interesting is that Luke only spent a total of five minutes choosing Kelsey's outfits over the course of five days. The next time you're standing in front of your closet with 'nothing to wear', consider calling your boyfriend in for some help. Fresh faced: A year before Kelsey enlisted Luke to pick out her clothes, she dressed herself in a simple white t-shirt and form-fitting black pants . Personal style: She wore a white short-sleeved button down with grey shorts in 2013 .

Kelsey Lawrence, from Austin Texas, instructed her boyfriend Luke Winkie to dress her in what he found her most attractive in .

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A cruise ship which launched from Texas has been barred from entering Belize and Mexico because it may be carrying an Ebola victim. The ship is carrying a health worker from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas - the epicenter of the Ebola crisis, where the first patient to die of the disease in America was treated. The woman - who is now in voluntary isolation to protect fellow passengers - had handled samples from Thomas Eric Duncan, who died of the virulent disease on October 8. Officials had wanted to move her off the ship so she could fly home. But the governments of Belize and Mexico both denied permission for the ship to dock in order to protect its own citizens. Scroll down for video . A female healthcare worker from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital is reportedly quarantined on board Carnival Cruise ship Magic (pictured) in the Caribbean over an Ebola scare . Tourists enjoy a ride on a catamaran as cruise ship Carnival Magic is seen near the shores of Cozumel October 17 . The health worker has so far not shown any signs of the disease since she handled the material 19 days ago, the White House said. Ebola's incubation period is two to 21 days. In the wake of the scare on the seas, Texas Health Presbyterian shared news guidelines it had issued limiting staff's travel. From now on workers will not be permitted to board planes, ships or trains for 21 days after entering a room with an infected patient. The New York Post, which reported the memo, said that enhanced monitoring will also be put into place, and staff can volunteer to be taken into care at the hospital if they want. The government is working to return the woman and her husband to the US before the ship, the Carnival Magic, completes its cruise. The State Department was working to secure their transportation home. On board: Passengers on the Carnival Magic, pictured, have been separated from the health worker, who put herself in voluntary isolation . Keeping on: Vacations continued for passengers aboard the ship, who were given a $200 credit to their on-board accounts, but had to miss out on a stop in Mexico . An administration official said the cruise ship had stopped in Belize but officials there would not allow the passenger to leave the vessel so she could be flown home. On Friday morning, passengers aboard the ship learned that they will not be making a planned stop in Cozumel, Mexico, due to 'a situation beyond the cruise ship's control.' The captain of the Carnival vessel made the announcement at around 10am saying that they are being forced to skip the final port on the itinerary and return to Galveston, Texas, Sunday. ‘We greatly regret that this situation, which was completely beyond our control, precluded the ship from making its scheduled visit to Cozumel and the resulting disappointment it has caused our guests,’ the Carnival Cruise line said in a statement to Miami Herald. A Mexican port authority official said the ship was denied clearance to avoid any possible risk from Ebola. 'It is the first time that this has happened, and it was decided the ship should not dock as a preventative measure against Ebola,' Erce Barron, port authority director in Quintana Roo, told Reuters . The company is offering passengers a credit of $200 each to their shipboard account and a 50 per cent discount toward a future trip. Explanation: This note was handed out to passengers explaining how the spat with Belize meant the woman could not be taken off the ship . The ship skipped a planned stop in Cozumel, Mexico, on Friday because of delays getting permission to dock from Mexican authorities over Ebola scare . A government official said that when the Texas lab worker left the US on the cruise ship from Galveston October 12, health officials were requiring only self-monitoring. One official said it's believed the woman poses no risk but health-care authorities want to get her off the cruise ship and back to the US out of an abundance of caution. There have been no restrictions placed on other passengers aboard the ship. Images from aboard the stricken vessel were published by The Denver Channel. Carnival Cruise Lines said in a statement that the woman, a lab supervisor, remained in isolation 'and is not deemed to be a risk to any guests or crew'. 'We are in close contact with the CDC and at this time it has been determined that the appropriate course of action is to simply keep the guest in isolation on board,' the statement said. The worker is being monitored for any signs of infection by the ship's doctor. An administration official said the cruise ship had stopped in Belize, but officials there would not allow the passenger to leave the vessel, which is now on its way back to Texas . The worker did not come into direct contact with Thomas Eric Duncan - the Ebola-infected man who died at the Dallas hospital on October 8. US State Department spokesman Jen Psaki said the worker joined the cruise ship with a companion in Galveston, Texas on October 12. 'The employee has been self-monitoring, including daily temperature checks, since October 6, and has not had a fever or demonstrated any symptoms of illness,' Ms Psaki said. The cruise ship is carrying more than 4,600 passengers and crew. In a statement about company policy concerning Ebola, Carnival officials wrote: 'None of Carnival Cruise Lines' ships visit the region where Ebola cases are originating nor do our ships call in any countries with Level 3 CDC Travel Heath Notices. 'Any passengers or crew who have visited or traveled through Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea within 21 days of a cruise departure date will be denied boarding.' The Belize government said Washington has asked for assistance evacuating a cruise ship passenger who was considered to be 'a very low risk of Ebola' - but it refused because of the threat of infection. Mr Duncan, 42, was diagnosed with the deadly disease on September 28 after returning from a trip to Liberia. He died from the virus on October 8 . 'While we remain in close contact with US officials we have maintained the position that when even the smallest doubt remains, we will ensure the health and safety of the Belizean people.' The incubation period - the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms - for Ebola is two to 21 days, according to the World Health Organization. Caribbean countries on the Gulf of Mexico cruise circuit have been among the first to close their borders to travelers from Ebola hotspots, with four nations laying down bans. Jamaica has joined Colombia, Guyana and the Caribbean island of St. Lucia as countries denying entry to travelers who recently visited the Ebola-affected nations. Jamaica's travel ban extends to 'persons ordinarily resident in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as persons who have traveled to or transited through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, within 28 days of having departed from these countries,' the government said. Two nurses who treated Mr Duncan, 42, have also been diagnosed with Ebola. But both Nina Pham, 26, and Amber Vinson, 29, were in a stable condition after treatment for the deadly virus. The latest statistics from WHO show that the worst-ever Ebola epidemic has already claimed nearly 4,500 lives, with the vast majority of the fatalities in the West African nations of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The passenger is a healthcare worker at the Texas Presbyterian Hospital where Thomas Duncan died . The deadly virus has also reached Nigeria, Senegal, Spain and the United States but outbreaks have been contained so far. Ebola is spread through close contact with an infected person's bodily fluids, such as blood, sweat, vomit, feces, urine, saliva or semen. Those fluids must have an entry point, like a cut or scrape or someone touching the nose, mouth or eyes with contaminated hands, or being splashed. For this reason healthcare workers wear protective gloves, fully-body suits and masks. WHO says blood, feces and vomit are the most infectious fluids, while the virus is found in saliva mostly once patients are severely ill and the whole live virus has never been culled from sweat. Health workers in protective gear carry the body of a woman suspected to have died from Ebola virus, from a house on the outskirt of Monrovia, Liberia (pictured) earlier this month. The latest statistics from WHO show that the worst-ever Ebola epidemic has already claimed nearly 4,500 lives, the majority in West Africa .

The female passenger works at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas . Took a trip on the Carnival Magic trip - due to stop in Belize and Mexico . She handled clinical samples from Duncan - who died of Ebola on October 8 . The woman, who is with her husband, had no symptoms but went into voluntary isolation . Hospital has now issued tighter guidelines to stop staff traveling . Belize is refusing to let the passenger ashore because of Ebola fears . The ship will be skipping its final stop in Cozumel, Mexico, Friday and will return to Texas on Sunday .

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(CNN) -- They're young, fabulously wealthy and have blue blood coursing through their veins. Meet the "20 Hottest Young Royals" in the world, compiled by influential fortune tracker, Forbes magazine. Britain's Prince William has been named "Hottest Young Royal" in the world by Forbes magazine. The magazine used the "winning combinations of looks, money, and popularity on the Web" to come up with the list, it says. Only unmarried royals under the age of 35 were considered. The Forbes list proved to be a Royal knockout for British royalty. They came in the top four of hottest young royals in the world. With his piercing blue eyes and lantern jaw, reminiscent of a movie star, Britain's Prince William, perhaps unsurprisingly, came in at Number 1. The magazine describes him as having: "international intrigue and unparalleled media attention," combined with a "graceful public persona." Although his crown slipped somewhat recently when he was accused of abusing his newly-acquired flying skills by "joyriding." Watch who people on the street think is the hottest » . His relationship with girlfriend Kate Middleton is the subject of feverish speculation and an engagement announcement is eagerly anticipated by the British media. Seemingly always languishing in William's shadow, his brother, Prince Harry, placed second on the list. Harry has always been known as the "bad boy prince" because of some rather unroyal behavior, such as brawling with paparazzi outside nightclubs and going to a fancy dress party dressed in Nazi regalia. However, he has latterly re-invented himself as the "Hero prince" after a tour of duty in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban in March. Sound off: Is Prince William the world's hottest young royal? William and Harry's cousins Zara Phillips and Princess Beatrice also came in at No. 3 and 4 respectively. The inclusion in the list should be good news for Princess Beatrice, who recently attracted unkind comments from Britain's newspaper columnists about her curvy figure and her dress sense. The sight of Beatrice, 19, pictured on holiday in a bikini proved too much for Daily Mail newspaper columnist Allison Pearson, who wrote: "Can't someone buy that girl a sarong? For her sake, as well as ours." This led to an angry counterattack from Beatrice's mum, Sarah Ferguson, who thundered at a news conference to promote a reality show: "Touch me, fine, but don't touch my children." The 20 featured on the list represent almost $60 billion in wealth and 15 royal lineages from around the world-- including some rather obscure names that even the most ardent royalist might be hard pushed to recognize. Princess Sikhanyiso of Swaziland anyone? Coming in at Number 20, the eldest daughter of King Mswati III of Swaziland, Africa's last absolute monarch, is currently a speech and drama major at Biola University in California. A controversial princess who raises eyebrows in her homeland with her Western-style clothes and a decision to hold a drinking party to celebrate the end of a chastity decree in 2005 resulted in a beating with a stick. Fourth in line to the Monaco throne, Charlotte Casiraghi, is the only non-Brit to make it into the top 5. A style icon, who is known for her impeccable taste in fashion and her good looks--much like her grandmother, Hollywood icon, Grace Kelly and mother Princess Caroline. Her brother, party prince Andrea Casiraghi, also makes an appearance on the list at Number 10. But it seems even his Hollywood lineage -- as well as his sun-kissed surfer looks were not enough to give William and Harry a run for their money in the pin-up stakes.

Prince William tops list of 'Hottest Royal' list compiled by Forbes magazine . British young royals came in top four spot of the list . Forbes: List based on combinations of looks, money, popularity on the Web .

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London (CNN) -- Before he died last year, Jimmy Savile was viewed as a kind of UK equivalent to American TV icon Dick Clark, gaining fame by bringing music to generations of teens. Savile was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. He now stands accused as a predatory sex offender. The shocking allegations have Britain reeling. Countless viewers who grew up watching Savile on TV's "Top of the Pops" and his children's program "Jim'll Fix It" are now questioning their trust in a social institution: the British Broadcasting Corporation. It's the worst crisis at the BBC in 50 years, says a top correspondent, and the scandal has prompted a wider examination into an alleged culture of sexism stretching back decades within Britain's widely respected public broadcaster. The scandal has also gripped the British media, with many questioning who knew what and when about the alleged abuse of mostly teenage girls and whether there was any attempt at a coverup. Police say they have identified more than 200 potential victims, with accusations spanning several decades, and are investigating other suspects in connection with alleged abuse. Savile died in October 2011 at age 84, soon after being treated in a hospital for pneumonia. Related: Ex-Scout describes abuse by Savile . Savile's favored target was apparently girls in their mid-teens in what one officer, Cmdr. Peter Spindler, said was "alleged abuse on an unprecedented scale." The BBC, on whose premises some of the sexual assaults occurred, has found itself in the dock of public opinion seeking to explain how his behavior went undetected for decades. The national public broadcaster has set up two independent inquiries, and Director General George Entwistle was called before a panel of lawmakers Tuesday to defend its handling of the scandal -- including why the broadcaster decided to drop an investigation into the star last year. "There is no question that what Jimmy Savile did and the way the BBC behaved in the years -- the culture and practices of the BBC seems to allow Jimmy Savile to do what he did -- will raise questions of trust for us and reputation for us," Entwistle said. "This is a gravely serious matter, and one cannot look back at it with anything other than horror, frankly, that his activities went on as long as they did undetected." Entwistle pointed out that the BBC was not alone in failing to uncover Savile's behavior, with no newspaper exposé published in his lifetime. And he drew a parallel with a furor that has recently gripped the United States, where retired Penn State University football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted of molesting numerous children. "Mr. Savile has prosecuted his activities, his disgusting activities, in a matter that was very successfully and skilfully concealed, and experts in pedophile behavior have pointed out that's often the case," Entwistle said. "In the case of the United States, of Jerry Sandusky ... these people build very long-range plans to put them in contact with their targets. These things are institutionally, it seems, very difficult to deal with." Related: National treasure in life, reviled 'sex abuser' in death . Savile had access to psychiatric hospital . The National Health Service also faces difficult questions over the access Savile was allowed to a number of hospitals. Among them was Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital where Savile worked as a volunteer and had keys to the wards. In 1988, he was appointed to a senior role there, a move now being investigated by the NHS. The police may also be asked to explain why past abuse claims against Savile never led to investigations resulting in a prosecution in his lifetime. How celebrity scandal has rocked the BBC . Reasons behind the national outrage over the scandal include Savile's privileged position as a broadcaster. At a time when viewers had only a handful of channels to choose from, Savile was a BBC mainstay. Savile's program aimed at children, "Jim'll Fix It," ran for almost 20 years, airing in the prime Saturday teatime slot. Children wrote in with dreams they wanted the star to make come true -- and at the height of its popularity, the BBC said it was receiving 20,000 requests a week. The show's theme surrounded famous "fixes" that included an encounter between boxing legend Muhammad Ali and a group of Boy Scouts who also wanted to eat their packed lunches on a roller coaster, resulting in a predictable mess. Stories of abuse . Victims, male and female, have come forward with harrowing tales of sexual abuse. They also explain how the star's power and fame made it hard for them to speak out. Kevin Cook, who appeared on "Jim'll Fix It" as a Boy Scout at the age of 9, told of how he was invited into Savile's BBC dressing room after the show. Savile proceeded to undo his shorts and touch him inappropriately -- only stopping when someone else suddenly entered the room and, as abruptly, left. "He said to me, 'don't you dare tell anyone about this because no one will believe it, because I'm King Jimmy,' " Cook said. The boy could hardly bear to watch the show when it aired a few months later, to the great excitement of his family. "I just hated the man," Cook said. "I blamed myself for 37 years. That's the worst thing: You do blame yourself." Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party, sympathized with the plight of the victims. "Everyone has been sickened by the vile abuse perpetrated by Jimmy Savile, and it is impossible to overstate the suffering caused to those he abused," she said last week. Scandal rocks the BBC . Veteran BBC world affairs correspondent John Simpson gave an idea of the sense of disarray within the company during an interview broadcast Monday. "This is the worst crisis that I can remember in my nearly 50 years at the BBC. ... I don't think the BBC has handled it terribly well. All we have as an organization is the trust of people, the people that watch us and listen to us. ... If we start to lose that, that's very dangerous for the BBC." The BBC, which has repeatedly expressed its horror over the abuse, is now embroiled in painful internal turmoil, with the two independent inquiries raking over e-mails and conversations for evidence of who knew what when. One is focused on the culture and practices of the BBC, as well as the safeguards in place for members of the public and staff now and in the past, while the other is scrutinizing why its flagship current affairs program "Newsnight" dropped its investigation into Savile late last year. On Monday, the BBC said the program's editor, Peter Rippon, was "stepping aside" amid the furor. It labeled an October 2 blog post by Rippon explaining his decision to drop the investigation "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects." Hours later, another BBC program, "Panorama," broadcast its own probe into the "Newsnight" decision, suggesting that serious allegations had been made to "Newsnight" reporters before the investigation was shelved. On Tuesday, Entwistle told lawmakers that having watched the program, he was "surprised that nothing further happened" in light of the material dug up by "Newsnight." Meanwhile, the scandal continues to dominate conversation in homes, workplaces and pubs across the country as people seek to understand how a man widely seen as an eccentric hero could have duped the nation and done so much harm. The debate is all the more uncomfortable as Savile appears to have used his access to children, through his charity and TV work, as a means to prey on vulnerable young people for decades -- and has gone to his grave unpunished. CNN's Dan Rivers, Atika Schubert and Per Nyberg contributed to this report.

BBC chief calls Jimmy Savile case "a very, very grave matter" LIke American Dick Clark, Savile hosted teen music show for years . Police say they have ID'd more than 200 potential victims . The BBC's handling of the child sex abuse scandal is under scrutiny by lawmakers .

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A security company is offering free GPS devices to churches to help prevent their baby Jesus figurines being stolen from Nativity scenes. Brickhouse Security is giving the GPS trackers to qualifying churches to hide on or in their Jesus figurines. If baby Jesus is snatched by a sticky-fingered heathen, the matchbox-sized device will alert the owner to the theft. Crossing the line: Every year, baby Jesus figurines are stolen from church Nativity scenes . 'We monitor it from our cloud-based mapping system, and set up alerts so that they'll get a text message or an e-mail if Baby Jesus is in motion,' said Todd Morris, CEO of Brickhouse Securities. Brickhouse Security can then pinpoint Jesus' location whereupon law enforcement can undertake a rescue operation. Savior: The Brickhouse tracker means baby Jesus can be tracked on the company's cloud-based mapping system . Marc Horowitz, the editorial director for BrickHouse Security, told The Christian Post why his company is providing the device for free. 'Frankly, we designed this program to do something helpful... and the theft and vandalism of holiday stuff happens more than you might realize. It happens in community after community all over the country,' he said. This is the eighth year the company has offered the free program, called 'Save Jesus.' The program has been taken up by more and more churches every year. For St Mark's Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, the offer of a free tracking device couldn't have come at a better time. 'Two of the Wise Men disappeared and ended up at Four Lakes Ski Resort,' explained Reverend George Smith to NBC. The church this year will use GPS tracking devices on all of its Nativity figurines to prevent another such theft. Heaven sent: The 'Save Jesus' program has been running for eight years to protect Church property during the festive season . 'Of course God knows where they are, but now maybe we have a better chance to know as well,' said Reverend Smith. 'It gives me great pleasure to report that in the history of the Saving Jesus program, no holiday display equipped with a BrickHouse Security GPS tracking system has ever been victimized by thieves,' said Morris. 'Maybe one day this program won't be necessary. But until that day comes, BrickHouse will keep doing its part to make the holiday season safer and more festive for everybody.'

Each year, baby Jesus figurines are stolen from Nativity scenes . Brickhouse Security is giving free GPS tracking devices to churches to monitor their Jesus figurines . The matchbox sized device is attached to the figurines and tracked online . This is the eighth year Brickhouse Security has offered its 'Save Jesus' program .

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James McClean set up one and scored another to hand Malky Mackay his first win as Wigan manager. The Republic of Ireland international provided the centre for Liam Cooper’s comical early own goal and then thrashed in a late second to get former Cardiff boss Mackay off the mark at the sixth attempt. Mackay’s Wigan came into the contest six points adrift of safety in their fight against relegation and with just one victory in their last 17 Championship matches. Wigan's James McClean (centre) is congratulated after his cross was turned in by Leeds' Liam Cooper (right) - McLean then thrashed in a second for Wigan to record their first win under manager Malky Mackay . Their previous points haul under the Scot stood at an anaemic one and his drastic action in response to their recent home defeat to Rotherham was to drop three of their 2013 FA Cup-winning team – Emmerson Boyce, Shaun Maloney and Callum McManaman – among four changes and switch to a back three. Yet the visiting players had barely had time to get used to the new wing-backs system when they were gifted an 11th-minute lead. McClean’s pace down the left flank saw him outstrip Giuseppe Bellusci and although his cross from the byline suggested little danger, Cooper inexplicably chested the ball into his own net attempting to tidy things up. Wigan had lost their previous four away trips in the league but with a rare advantage to defend restricted Leeds to minimal sights of their goal in the remainder of the opening period. In fact, Scott Carson, who made his debut for Leeds during their life as a Premier League club, was not tested at all in the visitors’ goal. LEEDS (4-4-2): Silvestri 7; Byram 7, Bellusci 6, Cooper 5, Warnock 6; Bianchi 6 (Morison 46mins, 6), Tonge 6, Cook 7, Mowatt 6 (Austin 46mins, 7); Sharp 6 (Doukara 71mins), Antenucci 7 . Subs (Not used): Taylor, Pearce, Berardi, Montenegro . WIGAN (3-5-2): Carson 8; Perch 7, Ramis 7, Kiernan 7; Tavernier 6, Cowie 6, Watson 6, McCann 6, Taylor 6; McClean 8, Fortune 6 (Espinoza 70 mins, 6) Subs (Not used): Al-Habsi, Riera, Maloney, McManaman, Boyce, Forshaw . Referee: Nigel Miller 7 . And on the only occasion they did beat their former goalkeeper, Mirco Antenucci’s dink into the area on 28 minutes was glanced onto the crossbar from a flick of strike partner Billy Sharp’s head. The complexion of the game changed after the interval as Leeds manager Neil Redfearn reacted to a lack of urgency and re-shaped his own team, sacrificing the Football League’s young player of the month Alex Mowatt and Tomasso Bianchi to employ Steve Morison in a three-man attack with fellow substitute Rodolph Austin offering a more direct running option from midfield. Those changes provided Leeds with greater intensity and that was evident almost immediately as Lewis Cook’s burst into the box set up Antenucci only for a deflection to save Wigan. Then, from the resulting corner – one of seven in the opening quarter-hour of the second period – Bellusci latched onto a half-clearance to force Carson into a spectacular tip-over from a 20-yard drive. However, their purple patch failed to yield an equalizer and McClean – who was foiled by Leeds keeper Marco Silvestri’s legs with a rare shot with his right foot – sealed it with his left eight minutes from time when Wigan made the most of their superior numbers on a breakaway.

Leeds' Liam Cooper scored an own goal in the 11th minute . James McClean claimed the assist after his cross was turned in . McClean then clinched the win for Wigan in the 83rd minute . Wigan's win is the first under Malky Mackay at the sixth attempt .

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A letter thought to mark the beginning of the warm relationship between Margaret Thatcher and Jimmy Savile has been made public for the first time. But other correspondence between the pair has been censored, raising questions over what it contains. The Top Of The Pops presenter sent an adoring letter to the then prime minister in 1980, singing her praises and declaring his love for her. Warm relationship: The letter is thought to mark the beginning of a close friendship between Jimmy Savile and Margaret Thatcher. But further correspondence between the pair has been censored because it is 'personal' or 'confidential' Correspondence: A handwritten letter from Jimmy Savile in which he declared his 'love' for Margaret Thatcher after being invited to lunch with her was released by the National Archives under the 30-year rule . She responded by inviting the now-disgraced DJ to lunch at Chequers, spending 11 consecutive New Year’s Eves with him and overseeing his knighthood. The letter, part of a Savile file released under the 30-year rule by the National Archives at Kew today, reveals how well connected to the establishment he was. But parts of some exchanges between Savile and Mrs Thatcher were censored in October this year – eight days after claims that he had sexually abused people surfaced in an ITV documentary. The text of a letter from Savile to Mrs Thatcher and a phone message that he left for her were deleted from the file under the Freedom of Information Act on October 11. The information is exempt because it is ‘personal’ or ‘confidential’. But the timing raises the question of whether the information was redacted in light of the negative headlines. Correspondence remaining in the file includes the gushing letter Savile sent to Mrs Thatcher after a lunch meeting to discuss funding for Stoke Mandeville Hospital. In it, he also hints at becoming a knight, something arranged during Mrs Thatcher’s tenure and awarded in the New Year’s Honours in 1990, a month after she left office. Close: The note, written in February 1980, is signed with kisses and bears Savile¿s distinctive signature, with a smiley face in the J of his name . The letter reads: ‘I waited a week . before writing to thank you for my lunch invitation because I had such a . superb time I didn’t want to be too effusive. ‘My . girl patients pretended to be madly jealous and wanted to know what you . wore and what you ate. All the paralysed lads called me “Sir James” all . week. They all love you. Me too!!’ The . note, written in February 1980, is signed with kisses and bears . Savile’s distinctive signature, with a smiley face in the J of his name. There . is no record of Mrs Thatcher’s reply, but a later memo to her from her . personal secretary asks in a worried tone whether she has agreed to . appear on Jim’ll Fix It. In the message dated March 9, 1981, . after the DJ had lunch with Mrs Thatcher at Chequers, Caroline Stephens . wrote: ‘Can you kindly let me know if you made any promises to Jimmy . Savile when he lunched with you yesterday, for instance: . ‘(i) Did you offer him any money for Stoke Mandeville? ‘(ii) Did you tell him that you would appear on Jim’ll Fix It?’ In felt pen, Mrs Thatcher replies to the first saying: ‘Will tell you in detail. MT.’ To the second, she simply writes: ‘No.’ Censored: The text of a letter from Savile to Mrs . Thatcher and a phone message that he left for her were deleted from the . file under the Freedom of Information Act on October 11 . Pariah: Savile was invited to lunches at Chequers, spending 11 consecutive New Year's Eves with Mrs Thatcher who also oversaw his knighthood . Praised . during his life for his charity work, especially at Stoke Mandeville, . Savile has now been unmasked as a serial child abuser. More than 450 people have made allegations of abuse by the DJ, who died last year aged 84. The . papers released by the National Archive today include an entire Savile . file devoted to his correspondence with Mrs Thatcher and her aides about . his charity work and pleas for Government money for his projects. There are also a number of redactions made in October – other files released today were edited much earlier in the year. In . the 1981 section of the file, there are discussions about Savile’s . suggestion of a Government contribution to Stoke Mandeville during a . meeting with Mrs Thatcher. No . 10 private secretary Mike Pattison wrote: ‘The Prime Minister said was . he thinking of a million pounds and Mr Savile replied that they would be . grateful for any sum.’ In December 1981, the Government announced that it would give £500,000 to the Stoke Mandeville Appeal.

Letter from Jimmy Savile to former PM released under 30-year rule . Declares his love for her in gushing 1980 note written following a lunch . Also refers to his 'girl patients' and says 'they all love you' But other correspondence between the two has been censored . Savile spent 11 consecutive New Year's Eves with Mrs Thatcher .

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By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 12:48 EST, 10 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:07 EST, 11 September 2013 . The EU must hand back powers to nation states if it is to reverse the tide of scepticism, the president of the European Parliament has said. European Parliament president Martin Schulz has said he would help strip the EU of certain powers and return them to member states which Prime Minister David Cameron also supports. But he also wants to make it stronger in other areas. Prime Minister David Cameron is planning to hold a referendum on Britain's EU membership if he is re-elected in 2015 which European Parliament president Martin Schulz says Britons will probably support . Cameron is planning to hold a referendum on Britain's EU membership if he is re-elected in 2015. Schulz, . a German Social Democrat, said if it does take place Britons would . probably vote to stay in because of trading advantages it gives Britain . and the inability of any one country to defend its interests along. Schulz did not divulge which powers would go back to the states or which should remain in EU control. But UK Independence Party (UKIP) wants Britain to quit the 28-nation bloc. 'My advice to all of us is not to underestimate the dissatification of a lot of people with... the form in which the EU is for the time being,' Schulz told Reuters. 'But the moment we improve it, and people see that we are committed to improving it, I think we will regain trust.' Schulz is tipped to be made head of the executive European Commission which its president, Jose Manuel Barroso, steps down in October 2014. Opinion polls show a Britons would opt to leave the EU if they had the choice. Debate: Opinion polls show a Britons would opt to leave the EU if they had the choice . Cameron has said he will hold an in/out referendum by the end of 2017 if re-elected. 'I was 11 years a mayor in Germany. What you can do locally, do it there,' he said. Britain insists on retaining full national control over its borders and has stayed out of the continental Schengen area of passport-free travel. When asked what would Britain be like if left to the EU, Schulz said: 'The UK will not be a member of the single market but 50 per cent of UK exports go to the EU market or even more. 'That means customs fees for British products, no free movement for British citizens in the Schengen area, the UK having no access to the EU's worldwide relationship in international trade. 'It means a lot of economic barriers for the British economy.'

Prime Minister David Cameron is planning to hold a referendum on Britain's EU membership if he is re-elected in 2015 . Martin Schulz said he would help strip the EU of certain powers and return them to member states which Cameron also supports . But the European Parliament also wants to make it stronger in other areas .

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By . David Middleton . When . my mobile rang at around 1am on a Sunday, I knew instinctively that . something was wrong. It was my sister, Jane, and the anguish in her . voice confirmed my fears. Her husband, David, had been rushed into . hospital after developing severe chest pains. The outlook was not good . and, unable to contact either of her daughters, Louise and Charlotte, . who lived nearby with their partners, she pleaded with me to get hold of . them. In the hours that followed, Charlotte made it to Stafford . Hospital to be with her father. Then the decision was made to transfer . David to the specialist vascular unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in . Birmingham. David's sister Jane's husband, David, 57, died following an abdominal aortic aneurysm . During the 30-mile journey his condition deteriorated . further and paramedics battled to keep him alive. David's eldest . daughter Louise managed to see him before he was rushed into theatre. We waited in the family room clinging to the hope that he would pull through, but it was not to be. I . will never forget the outpouring of grief as the surgeon returned to . tell us that David had died, just over five hours after first being . admitted to hospital. He was 57 and the cause of death was a rupture of the aorta - the large artery that passes from the heart to the abdomen. It . had burst because of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) - where a weak . part of the artery starts to swell, causing it to bulge outwards like a . balloon. Eventually, the wall bursts open causing massive internal . bleeding which cannot be stemmed without immediate surgery. This can . lead to the heart being starved of oxygen, which can be fatal. Since . his death on November 12, 2006, my family has struggled to come to terms . with why David died so suddenly. He enjoyed good health and there were . no signs that his life might end so abruptly. For my sister and her daughters, the loss of a wonderful husband and father has been devastating. He . did at least live to see the arrival of his first grandchild - and he . would have been overjoyed to see the arrival of four more. 'It is said that of patients with a ruptured AAA, half will die before they reach hospital' On birthdays, anniversaries and at Christmas there is still a feeling that someone is missing. There . is also the inevitable question as to whether or not he might still . have been here if his condition had been diagnosed sooner. An . abdominal aortic aneurysm can grow slowly over years. The aorta of a . healthy person is as wide and as tough as a garden hose, so someone can . live with a small aneurysm for years if it does not grow much. And . as Dr Mike Knapton, the British Heart Foundation's associate medical . director, explains: 'It usually causes no symptoms until it ruptures, . which is a medical emergency, and often proves fatal.' AAAs are responsible for nearly 6,000 deaths in England and Wales every year - with men over 65 being more at risk than women. The exact reason for this is not clear, but genetic factors are important and female hormones are thought to offer protection. Because of hereditary influences anyone whose brother, sister or parent has had the condition could also be at risk. Aneurysms . may be exacerbated by the hardening of the arteries, due to things such . as smoking, an unhealthy diet, and high blood pressure. AAA has an . extremely high mortality rate, says Dr Jenny Richards, a clinical . lecturer in vascular surgery from the Centre of Research Excellence at . the University of Edinburgh. 'It is said that of patients with a . ruptured AAA, half will die before they reach hospital. And half of . those who do reach hospital will die before they reach the operating . theatre and then half of those who have an operation to repair the tear . in the artery will not survive.' In March 2009, NHS England set up . the National AAA Screening Programme for all men reaching 65, with . identical programmes rolled out in stages across the rest of Britain . from 2012. Men over 65, who have not previously been screened, can put . themselves forward for the programme, too. Uptake for the screening . has been good - 76 per cent of the 226,901 men aged 65 invited for . screening attended their appointments. A further 13,164 men above 65 . referred themselves for screening. But with more than 2,627,000 men . aged 65 to 74 in the UK, according to the latest census, clearly more . lives could be saved if those who do not qualify for screening . self-referred. The screening test consists of a ten-minute ultrasound . scan. At less than 3cm there is no concern, but an aneurysm measuring 3 . to 4.4cm needs annual surveillance. This increases to three-monthly . surveillance for measurements of 4.5 to 5.5cm. Anyone with an . aneurysm larger than 5.5cm is referred to the consultant vascular . surgeon. Anyone found to be at risk, that is with an aneurysm greater . than 5.5cm in diameter, can then elect for surgical intervention. This . involves replacing the affected part of aorta with a piece of synthetic . tubing known as a graft - either via open surgery on the abdomen or fed . up from the groin. As Dr Knapton says: 'It is better to manage . things in a proactive way than to wait for a crisis. Assuming a patient . survives the ruptured aorta, you then have the awful pressure it puts on . services in terms of the emergency trip to A&E before going into . the 'resus' room to try to repair the thing, all of which is extremely . traumatic for patients, relatives and staff.' One man who can't speak highly enough of the process is Colin McEwan, from Edinburgh, who had the ultrasound scan. 'The . machine beeped and as the measurements were taken the nurse's . expression changed. She said: “I'm afraid you have an aneurysm and it's . quite big - around 4.9cm.” Within days I had an appointment with a . consultant vascular surgeon at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.' Aneurysms may be exacerbated by the hardening of the arteries, due to things such as smoking or bad diet . Told . later that the aneurysm was 5.9cm and not 4.9cm he was given a choice of . treatment - endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), which involves a . synthetic graft being fed up through the arteries in the legs to repair . the aorta or open surgery, which, unlike EVAR, is a one-off procedure . without further checks. He opted for the latter, despite a slightly . higher mortality risk of 1 to 5 per cent. Before his surgery, Colin . agreed to take part in a trial of another, possibly more accurate . screening method for AAA. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, funded by the British Heart Foundation and the Medical Research . Council, is being put to use in a study of 350 patients at Edinburgh . Royal Infirmary. This provides instant, real-time moving images of . the inside of the body. It is being explored as a way to predict the . risk of rupture and help surgeons decide which patients would benefit . from preventative surgery, and possibly lead to even earlier . intervention. The proportion of men screened who will be found to have an aneurysm . Colin had the MRI scan before his initial assessment . day and another on the day of assessment. He will have a follow up in . two years to check for any changes. 'MRI scanning is potentially . more accurate but more difficult to do because it is an expensive piece . of kit,' says Dr Knapton. 'Currently AAA screening can be done in any . surgery setting without specialist equipment, so the challenge for the . NHS would be a trade-off between something that is quick, easy and cheap . and something that's less accessible.' Six days after his operation, . Colin McEwan was allowed home. 'For the first couple of weeks I spent a . lot of time in bed feeling exhausted but I gradually got back to . fitness through walking - starting slowly and increasing the distance . each day. It has now been four months and I have started to play golf . again and feel fine.' It is too late for David - and at 57 he was . too young to have been offered screening - but if advances in screening . techniques can lead to more outcomes such as Colin's, costs will, . hopefully, become a secondary consideration. aaa.screening.nhs.uk .

David: 'My sister Jane's husband, David, 57, died after five hours in hospital' He died due to rupture of the aorta -artery passing from heart to abdomen . It burst due to abdominal aortic aneurysm - swelling weak part of artery . AAAs are responsible for nearly 6,000 deaths in England and Wales annually . Men over 65 are more at risk; female hormones thought to offer protection .

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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho seems convinced that the Football Association and Premier League officials are wagering some sort of war against his team. In his most recent television appearance, Mourinho appeared on Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday to discuss the various incidents that he believes have gone unfairly against the Stamford Bridge club this season. Although the Blues boss makes a compelling argument in some cases, there have been several occasions which have seen Chelsea lucky to escape without punishment. Here, Sportsmail looks at five moments when Mourinho's Chelsea side got away with it. Jose Mourinho appeared on Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday after Chelsea's controversial 1-1 draw with Burnley . Mourinho was upset with this studs-up tackle from Ashley Barnes which went unpunished on Saturday . Branislav Ivanovic vs Everton . Chelsea's star full-back has been one of Mourinho's most reliable soldiers this season, fighting for the cause and often popping up with crucial goals for his team. The Serbian defender took his fighting spirit slightly too far during Chelsea's 1-0 win against Everton earlier this month as he became the main aggressor when both sets of players came together in an angry confrontation. Gareth Barry was shown a red card for a late challenge on Willian, but Ivanovic, who grabbed James McCarthy around the neck before aiming a slight headbutt towards his opponent escaped without a card. Ivanovic then played a crucial part in Chelsea's winning goal, heading the ball towards goal before a Tim Howard clearance was met with a fierce finish from Willian. The FA also decided against handing the 31-year-old any retrospective punishment. Branislav Ivanovic (centre) puts his left arm around the neck of James McCarthy . Ivanovic (third right) appears to aim a headbutt in the direction of McCarthy on Wednesday . The incident took place during a melee in the closing stages of Chelsea's 1-0 win against Everton . Ivanovic (left) is embraced by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho after the final whistle on Wednesday . 'Mourinho is wrong to imply an orchestrated campaign, but entitled to ask questions. His players, fine players, are frequently under siege.' Click HERE to read Sportsmail's Chief Sports Writer Martin Samuel on Jose Mourinho's Goals on Sunday appearance . Gary Cahill vs Tottenham . Gary Cahill was lucky to stay on the pitch during Chelsea's shock 5-3 defeat to Tottenham on New Year's Day, after kicking out at Harry Kane. With the score at 4-2 the England defender was tussling for the ball with Spurs' two-goal hero when the striker fell to the floor. Cahill, who had earlier conceded a penalty for fouling Kane, took a swing at the forward, clattering him in the back. With the ball a good yard away it is difficult to see how Cahill could claim to have been attempting to play it, particularly with Kane's whole body between the defender and the ball. Cahill then appeared to stamp on the prone forward's leg, although that was at least closer to the ball, and could have been an attempt to retrieve it. However, referee Phil Dowd seems not to have seen the incident, failing to punish the centre half for the violent play. Gary Cahill appears to kick Tottenham striker Harry Kane during Tottenham's 5-3 victory in January . Kane reacts in obvious pain, but neither the referee or his assistant seemed to notice the offence . Gary Cahill vs Hull . The England vice-captain made headlines for all the wrong reasons after taking an embarrassing dive during Chelsea's 2-0 victory against Hull in December. The dive, which Hull boss Steve Bruce claimed would be more fitting in 'Swan Lake', came in the 53rd-minute as he passed between David Meyler and Tom Huddlestone in the Hull area. Referee Chris Foy did not give a penalty but he enraged Hull manager Bruce by opting against showing Cahill a second yellow. Cahill goes down theatrically in the box for Chelsea during a 2-0 win against Hull City in December . The Chelsea defender was also on a yellow card and risked getting sent off . Chris Foy (second right) points for a goal kick and wrongly failed to produce a second yellow for Cahill . Gary Cahill vs Liverpool . Mourinho's side were lucky not to concede a late penalty at Anfield in November after Cahill seemed to block a Steven Gerrard strike with his forearm. The English defender had also been in the spotlight for a block in controversial block in the first half after he put his should towards Raheem Sterling's effort. The Blues ended up holding onto their 2-1 lead to earn a valuable three points after goals from Cahill and Diego Costa. Even Chelsea skipper John Terry conceded that Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty, saying: 'We have had some not go our way, it evens itself out'. Cahill was at the centre of two handball appeals - the first coming after a Raheem Sterling strike . Steven Gerrard appeals for a penalty after Cahill's second controversial block during Chelsea's 2-1 victory . The Chelsea players celebrate earning a vital three points at Anfield in November, 2014 . Diego Costa vs Manchester City . With the 2014-15 Premier League season only five weeks old, Costa showed England a glimmer of his fiery side after a tangle with City defender Pablo Zabaleta. The Argentine defender was rightly shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Costa, who reacted by placing his hands around Zabaleta's neck for a split second. Zabaleta's sending off came moments before Andre Schurrle gave Chelsea the lead, with Costa involved in the move leading to the goal. However, Frank Lampard came off the bench to rescue a point for the 10-man champions against his former club. Pablo Zabaleta (right) was shown a second yellow card for this challenge on Diego Costa . The Chelsea striker reacted angrily by placing his hands around Zabaleta's neck . The Argentine defender is given his marching orders by referee Mike Dean .

Jose Mourinho believes Chelsea have been unfairly treated by officials . Chelsea should have been awarded two penalties during 1-1 draw against Burnley on Saturday . However, the Blues have been lucky on several occasions this season . Branislav Ivanovic went unpunished for tussle with James McCarthy . Diego Costa got away with putting his hands around Pablo Zabaleta's neck . Gary Cahill should have seen a second yellow card for dive against Hull . READ: Mourinho is turning into Sir Alex Ferguson with his dark arts . Click here to read Sportsmail's full transcript of Mourinho's 27-minute rant .

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Sam Burgess said an emotional farewell to his girlfriend Phoebe Hooke and brother Luke as the new Bath signing left Sydney for the UK to start his rugby union career as a centre for the Aviva Premiership club. It was an emotional day for all involved as Burgess said goodbye to his loved ones at the airport. Fortunately for the injured star, his Australian girlfriend Hooke will be joining him in Bath in a couple of weeks.  Luke, meanwhile, will remain Down Under playing for the South Sydney Rabbitohs - the club his brother Sam has just left. Scroll down for video . Sam Burgess (right) said goodbye to older brother Luke and girlfriend Phoebe Hooke at Sydney Airport . Burgess and his girlfriend Hooke were sad to part from one another on Tuesday . Burgess fractured his cheekbone and eye socket during South Sydney's NRL grand final win earlier this month, but hopes to be back in action soon. Pointing to the nasty scar under his eye where the surgeon had to enter to get to his cheekbone he said: 'It's alright, it's healed up pretty well. It's two and a half weeks post surgery.' Hooke admitted: 'There were a few sponge baths' after the nasty injury. The 25-year-old Burgess went on to reveal that he was feeling 'a bit of a weird' about the move but said, 'once I get on the flight I should be OK.' The two brothers embraced before Burgess jetted off on a flight to the UK to join his new club Bath . Burgess holds hands with his girlfriend, and the pair will be reunited in a couple of weeks . Hooke will fly to Bath in two weeks time to join boyfriend Burgess as he begins his rugby union career . Burgess said his loved ones are excited for him joining Aviva Premiership side Bath . Burgess fractured his cheekbone and eye socket during South Sydney's NRL grand final win earlier this month . The Bath star celebrates with Russell Crowe after the Rabbitohs won the NRL Grand Final match in Sydney . Hooke admitted that 'there were a few sponge baths' as Sam recovered from his on-pitch clash . Burgess poses after being awarded rugby league's International Player of the Year award last week .

Sam Burgess left Australia to fly to the UK to join new club Bath . The former rugby league player quit South Sydney Rabbitohs to sign for English rugby union outfit Bath . Burgess's girlfriend Phoebe Hooke will join him in Bath in two weeks . The 25-year-old fractured his cheekbone and eye socket during South Sydney's NRL grand final win earlier this month . Bath lost 21-19 at home to Toulouse on Saturday .

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A bride and groom didn't have much need for a dress code on their wedding invitations after filling their guest list with 130 bridesmaids and 103 ushers. Amy Ewing, 26, and Alex Simmons, 32, from Leeds, decided to coincide their nuptials today with a double world record attempt, which left not a dry eye at the ceremony. The wedding is seeking to break two records; most ushers to one groom, currently 47, and most bridesmaids to one bride, currently 126. Scroll down for video . A world record wedding has taken place at Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate North Yorkshire. Bride and groom Amy Ewing and Alex Simmonds smashed the previous Guiness World record for Bridesmaids and Ushers by having a massive 130 Bridesmaids and 103 Ushers. To beat the record, Alex and charity worker Amy enlisted the help of 103 ushers and 130 bridesmaids, who all wore matching outfits. Their wedding planner Abbi Lewis, who runs Confetti & Lace bridal and Yorkshire Menswear in Leeds, was the one who came up with the plan. She said: 'We wanted to come up with a crazy idea.' 'I was looking through the world records in the Guinness book and there was one for most ushers which stood at 47 in Canada in 2003. 'It seemed a low number and we thought we could beat it easily. We are hoping to smash it by well over 50. So we have 100 booked in. 'Then I thought "What about bridesmaids?" The current world record was broken in 2013 at 126 bridesmaids. Amy Ewing slips a wedding ring onto her groom Alex Simmonds's finger . Amy and Alex walk down the aisle after being pronounced husband and wife earlier today . Abbi continued: 'I am one of the 130 bridesmaids. We will all be wearing the same dress. They were specially made in the US and flown over three weeks ago. 'Since then we conducted more than 90 dress fittings. 'We had a terrible time measuring all the men's wear. All you could hear was sewing machines going at one point.' But she revealed that all Amy and Alex were really bothered about was each other. The couple have four children from previous relationships and are currently expecting a baby together. Amy Ewing and Alex Simmonds with just a few of their bridesmaids and ushers . Abbi said: 'They are so much in love. 'The whole wedding would have cost £110,000 but all the wedding professionals provided their services for free, including me.' The ceremony at Rudding Park, near Harrogate, was conducted according to Guinness Book of World Records guidelines to register it as a world beater. Amy and Alex in front of all of their wedding guests . The couple kiss in front of their guests after saying 'I do' Alex hosts a rugby show on Premier Sports and runs his own radio station, All Star FM. He networked his sporting and showbiz contacts who jumped at the chance of setting a double work record. Among their 103 ushers and 130 bridesmaids was Matthew Lewis - famous as Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter film. Other ushers include England rugby's twin brothers Tom and George Burgess.

Amy Ewing, 26, and Alex Simmons, 32, got married with 130 bridesmaids . The couple from Leeds also had 103 ushers in attendance at the wedding . They were trying to break world records for most ushers and bridesmaids .

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Illegal immigration jumped to the front of Iowa conservatives' minds on Saturday when a group of protesters heckled two potential presidential candidates for disagreeing with President Barack Obama's recent moves on the subject. 'If you become president, will you deport our families?' the group of eight shouted over and over from the balcony, after former Texas Gov. Rick Perry spoke about how he had mobilized his state's National Guard troops to patrol America's southern border. One was heard shouting 'We are Americans!' Security at the Iowa Freedom Summit escorted them out with their signs, which read 'DEPORTABLE?' – but not before the near-capacity audience drowned them out by applauding and cheering nonstop for two minutes. Perry kept talking, but no one could hear him. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Protesters tried to shout over former Texas Gov. Rick Perry in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, yelling about immigration and deportations . SPITTING IN THE WIND: Perry kept his speech rolling whiel his audience cheered to drown out the heckers, so he was inaudible for 2 minutes straight . 'DON'T THEY KNOW I"M FROM NEW JERSEY?' Gov. Chris Christie heard from the last immigration protester, 32-year-old Marco Malagon, but mocked his group after his arrest . The signs also carried a smaller message: ' Do potential presidential candidates agree with Rep. Steve King?' King, the Saturday summit's organizer, represents Iowa's rural westernmost counties and stands out as right-wing in a blue-trending state. He's staunchly in favor of increasing deportations of people living in the U.S. illegally, and of increasing security on America's southern border. Last week he castigated first lady Michelle Obama for inviting a 'deportable' student to watch the State of the Union address from her balcony box in the House of Representatives chamber. That comment inspired the signs. The protesters, from a group called DRM Action, advocate for so-called 'DREAMers,' illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as chidren. Obama announced in 2012 that he would protect them from deportation while he's president, but Congress hasn't passed a law to make the move permanent. Des Moines Police told Daily Mail Online that Cesar Vargas and Marco Malagon, a 32-year-old Dallas man, were arrested. Vargas is the group's co-chair. A crush of photographers both inside and outside captured the protests and the police action in digital images. Marco Malagon, a 32-year-old immigration protester, heckled CHris Christie and was arrested . The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program stands, however, and immigration activists fear that a Republican-run Congress could throw up roadblocks forbidding the White House from implementing it. The president expanded his controversial move in December, enlarging his unilateral action to include 5 million additional illegal immigrants, granting them residency cards and work permits. One activist in the balcony on Saturday, later identified as Malagon, managed to stay behind and elude security. Ten minutes later when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took the stage, he rose and picked up where his friends had left off. 'Governor Christie? If you become president will you stand with Steve King and deport our families?' he shouted. Over a quiet groan from the audience, Christie waited for security officers to eject the young man. Then he quipped: 'Don't they know I'm from New Jersey?' The Garden State, unlike Perry's Texas, is far away from the contentious U.S-Mexico border. The DRM Action coalition made a small wave in Des Moines along with Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz . OUTFOXED: Rep. Steve King was the protesters' original target but he avoided them by leaving immigration issues out of his own speech . DRM Action filled its Twitter feed on Saturday with promises to 'confront' King, the Iowa congressman. But King left immigration out of his stump speech on Saturday, and avoided it while introducing other speakers. King embraced other tea party themes: 'the degredation of American exceptionalism,' Obama's executive 'overreach,' and abolishing the IRS. Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida congresswoman in a shrinking House minority, held a small event across the street from the Hoyt Sherman Place auditorium in which she claimed potential presidential candidates on the right had come to 'give extremism a stage' and 'kiss Steve King's ring.' The DNC put out an online video on Saturday mocking King and the Freedom Summit's speakers. A Des Moines Police officer told Daily Mail Online that the protest 'was just a handful of people. No trouble.' 'I've seen more energy from little-league mothers.'

'If you become president, will you deport out families?' a group of immigration activists shouted from the balcony of a Des Moines auditorium . Two from protest group DRM Action were arrested including its co-chair . Audience stood and cheered for two minutes straight to drown out the hecklers – while Rick Perry continued speaking and couldn't be heard . New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie followed him and heard shouts about 'deportations' from one protester who hadn't been thrown out . 'Don't they know I'm from New Jersey?' Christie quipped .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:20 EST, 27 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:36 EST, 27 January 2014 . The White House has announced that Michelle Obama will bring heroes of the Boston Marathon bombing, an NBA star who came out as gay and a top teacher as her guests to tomorrow night’s State of the Union. The First Lady always brings a group of apolitical Americans to the annual speech with her to highlight their service and achievements throughout the year. Some will be recognized by many and this year one of those men will be Carlos Arredondo, who was wearing a white cowboy hat as he rushed a stranger- later identified as Jeff Bauman- to get medical treatment after he lost both legs in the blast. Out of the ashes: Carlos Arredondo (in the white cowboy hat) helped save Jeff Bauman after he lost both legs in the explosion and now they will both be guests of Mrs Obama at the State of the Union address on Tuesday . Moving past it: The two men, seen here at a September 2013 football game, have become close friends . The iconic picture of Mr Arrendondo rushing Bauman to first responders became a hopeful symbol of the devastating attack. The White House said that the two men have become close friends. Heroes of the Boston Marathon bombing, a firefighter who led the rescue response to an Oklahoma tornado, and an openly gay basketball player will be among U.S. first lady Michelle Obama's guests at the State of the Union address on Tuesday. Another individual whose character came out in a time of crisis was Cary Bird, the fire chief in Moore Oklahoma. He led the rescue response to the tornado that hit the town and killed 25 people. ‘Fire . Chief Gary Bird represents all of those who rallied together to help . the community of Moore, Oklahoma- firefighters, police officers, . teachers, neighbors- in its greatest time of need,’ the White House said . in a statement announcing Mrs Obama’s guests. Tests of character: Jason Collins became the first openly gay basketball player in the NBA after coming out last spring (left) and Cary Bird (right) was the fire chief in Moore, Oklahoma at the time of the tornado that killed 25 . Honoring Americans: Mrs Obama is surrounded by people that the administration wants to highlight as heroes and leaders and she is seated with them at the annual State of the Union address (seen here in 2013) The best-known guest that has been announced so far is Jason Collins, the NBA player who announced that he is gay which made him the first openly gay athlete in the league. Mrs Obama and the White House put out statements immediately praising Collins when he made his announcement in April, as did former President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea, who has been friends with Collins since they attended Stanford together. Though the Obamas may have only known . Collins through his landmark announcement, they first met one of . Michelle’s guests two years ago. Joey . Hudy met President Obama when he was 14 at a White House science fair . in 2012 and impressed him with his ‘extreme marshmallow cannon’. Now 16, he is the youngest intern at U.S. chip manufacturer Intel Corp. Aside . from current events and natural disasters, the First Lady’s guests are . regularly selected to help highlight policy initiatives close to the . administration’s heart, so it comes as little surprise that a public . school teacher was included in the group. Young scientist: Joey Hudy met President Obama when he was 14 at a White House science fair in 2012 (pictured) and impressed him with his ¿extreme marshmallow cannon¿ . Kathy Hollowell-Makle was named the 2013 District of Columbia public school teacher of the year and she is known for having the vast majority of her students demonstrate early literacy and advanced reading skills. These six guests will join the First Lady, Vice President Joe Biden’s wife Dr Jill Biden and White House advisor Valerie Jarrett in their box tomorrow during the speech. Last year, a teacher from Sandy Hook Elementary School and Apple CEO Tim Cook were among the chosen few. In 2012, Gabby Giffords’ husband Mark Kelly, Steve Jobs’ widow Laurene Powell Jobs and Warren Buffett’s secretary Debbie Bosanek were all invited as the First Lady’s guests.

White House has released a list of a half-dozen guests who will sit with Michelle Obama during the Tuesday night speech . Boston bombing hero in the iconic white cowboy hat and the man he saved will both be in the box with the First Lady . NBA player Jason Collins, who came out as gay, will also attend . The 'teacher of the year' and the head of the fire department in Moore, Oklahoma at the time of the tornado were announced as guests . Youngest guest to be 16-year-old who first met Obama during a science fair competition who is now working as an intern at Intel .

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(CNN) -- Justin Bieber isn't the only famous face being copied via plastic surgery. Claire Leeson recently appeared on the United Kingdom's ITV program "This Morning" to discuss how she has spent almost $30,000 to look like Kim Kardashian. Us Weekly reports that Leeson became obsessed with looking like the reality star after watching E!'s "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" in 2009. "When I get my Kimmy on I feel like I'm unstoppable," the Essex, England, resident reportedly said. Leeson said she had been bullied in the past and called the 'ugliest thing alive.' " "When I left school, friends would tell me that I had a resemblance to Kim," she said. "I watched ('Keeping Up with the Kardashians') and realized I had the same amount of siblings and that we have the same kind of arguments and things going on. I thought she was so beautiful and I really wanted to be like her." Leeson's Instagram account features plenty of evidence of all that goes into her looking like a Kardashian including breast augmentation, spray tanning and hair extensions. The price of such upkeep has also been more than monetary, however. According to ITV's website, "Now Claire gets regular work as a Kim lookalike, and even though her obsession has got her into £6000 debt, and destroyed a relationship, she doesn't intend to give up her lookalike career!" Songwriter Toby Sheldon has reportedly spent $100,000 to look like singer Justin Bieber.

Leeson recently appeared on a UK morning show . She says she was often bullied . According to ITV it's cost her a relationship .

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By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 10:53 EST, 30 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:10 EST, 30 July 2013 . U.S. home prices jumped 12.2 per cent in May compared with a year ago, the biggest annual gain since March 2006. The increase shows the housing recovery is strengthening, despite home ownership slipping to an 18 year low. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released today also surged 2.4 per cent in May from April. Cities included: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Pehoenix, Denver, Dallas, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Charlotte, Washington D.C. New York, Boston . San Francisco, Ca - 24.4% . Las Vegas, NV - 23.3% . Phoenix, AZ - 20.6% . Atlanta, GA - 20.1% . Los Angeles, CA - 19.2% . Detroit, MI - 19.1% . San Diego, Ca - 17.3% . Miami, FL - 14.2% . Minneapolis, MN - 14.1% . Portland, OR - 12.5% . Seattle, WA - 11.9% . Tampa, FL - 10.9% . Denver, CO - 9.7% . Chicago, IL - 8.5% . Dallas, TX - 7.6% . Boston, MA - 7.5% . Charlotte, NC - 7.0% . Washington D.C - 6.5% . Cleveland, OH - 3.4% . New York, NY - 3.3% . The month-over-month gain nearly matched the 2.6 per cent increase in April from March - the highest on record. The price increases were widespread. All 20 cities showed gains in May from April and compared with a year ago. Prices in Dallas and Denver reached the highest level on records dating back to 2000. That marks the first time since the housing bust that any city has reached an all-time high. Home values are rising as more people are bidding on a scarce supply of houses for sale. However, figures released today showed that home ownership is at its lowest since 1995. The seasonally adjusted home ownership rate, the share of households owning a home, slipped to 65.1 per cent, the lowest since the fourth quarter of 1995, the Commerce Department said on today. The rate, which peaked at 69.4 per cent in 2004, was 65.2 per cent in the first quarter. Americans are still locked in a rental market, one of the lingering legacies of the recession. High unemployment, a shortage of homes for sale and stringent lending practices made renting more appealing, economists said, warning that the share of Americans owning a home would continue to drift lower. 'There is a big shortage of homes and the amount of households and people that need to live somewhere is increasing,' said Guy Berger, an economist at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut. 'It's difficult to buy a home, they have to look somewhere, so they are renting.' Ownership among people between 55 and 64 fell 0.3 percentage point in the second quarter.  But there were small gains in the 35-44 age range. Another concern is that higher mortgage rates could also slow home sales. But many economists say rates remain low by historical standards and would need to rise much faster to halt the momentum. Svenja Gudell, senior economist at Zillow, a home price data provider, said a big reason for the recent price gains is that foreclosed homes make up a smaller proportion of overall sales. Foreclosed homes are usually sold by banks at fire-sale prices. 'Typical home values have appreciated . at roughly half this pace for the past several months, which is still . very robust,' Gudell said. Gudell . said higher mortgage rates and a likely increase in the number of homes . for sale in the coming months should slow the pace of price gains and . stabilize the housing market. The . index covers roughly half of U.S. homes. It measures prices compared . with those in January 2000 and creates a three-month moving average. The . May figures are the latest available. They are not adjusted for . seasonal variations, so the monthly gains reflect more buying activity . over the summer. Despite the recent gains, home prices are still about 25 per cent below the peaks they reached in July 2006. That's . a key reason the supply of homes for sale remains low, as many . homeowners are waiting to recoup their losses before putting their . houses on the market. Dallas and Denver, the two cities . that reached record highs, were not hit hard by the housing bust and . therefore didn't experience the sharp price swings like cities in . Nevada, Arizona, California and Florida. In Dallas, prices fell only 11.2 per cent from their previous peak in June 2007 through February 2009. That's . far less than Las Vegas, where prices plummeted by more than half. Since bottoming out, home prices in Dallas have increased nearly 14 per . cent. In . Denver, prices dropped 14.3 per cent from August 2006 until they also . hit bottom in February 2009. Since then, they have risen 17.3 percent. U.S. home prices are still about 25 per cent below the peaks they reached in July 2006 . The biggest price gains are occurring in many of the states that experienced the worst housing bust. Prices jumped 24.5 per cent in San Francisco in May from a year earlier, the largest increase. Las Vegas reported the next biggest gain at 23.3 per cent, followed by Phoenix at 20.6 per cent. All three remain well below their peak prices. The smallest yearly gains were in New York, at 3.3 per cent, followed by Cleveland with 3.4 percent and Washington, D.C. at 6.5 per cent. Higher home prices help the economy in several ways. They encourage more sellers to put their homes on the market, boosting supply and sustaining the housing recovery. And they make homeowners feel wealthier, encouraging consumers to spend more. Banks are also more willing to provide mortgage loans when homes are appreciating in value. Mortgage rates have surged since early May, though the increase would have had little impact on the current report. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage has jumped a full percentage point since early May and reached a two-year high of 4.51 percent in late June. Mortgage rates jumped after Chairman Ben Bernanke said the Federal Reserve could slow its bond-buying program later this year if the economy continues to improve. The Fed's bond purchases have kept long-term interest rates low, encouraging more borrowing and spending. In recent weeks, Bernanke and other Fed members have stressed that any change in the bond-buying program will depend on the economy's health, not a set calendar date. Since those comments, interest rates have declined. The average on the 30-year mortgage was 4.31 percent last week. The Fed begins a two-day policy meeting today and could clarify its remarks further when the meeting concludes on Wednesday.

Prices in Dallas and Denver reached the highest level on records dating back to 2000 . The smallest yearly gains were in New York, at 3.3% . Home prices are still about 25% below the peaks they reached in July 2006 .

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Sam Allardyce is achieving something at West Ham this season which eluded Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham and, more recently, Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. How does a manager integrate so many new recruits - many from abroad, who do not speak the language well and have to adapt to the culture - into a side and get results immediately? West Ham’s win against Manchester City on Saturday turned their surprise start to the season into a run with a bit more substance. Diafra Sakho was on the scoresheet for West Ham as they beat Manchester United . Take a look at the side which lined up at Upton Park in the league against City this time last year — which was demolished 3-1 - and Allardyce has gutted the squad. There were eight changes to the starting XI on Saturday and five of those were summer signings. It cost Villas-Boas his job at Spurs when he failed to get the most out of £100million worth of new players and Rodgers is now experiencing a similar difficulty at Anfield. Sam Allardyce has done a good job working in the new players at West Ham into the existing squad . But a key advantage Allardyce has over those men is his experience as a manager — 20 years, 13 of those in the Barclays Premier League. Sakho is the second player in Premier League history to score in his first six starts in the competition, after Mick Quinn. ‘Learning from the early days of the Premier League with Bolton, an influx of eight, nine, 10, 11 players, 75 to 80 per cent foreign, taught me one lesson particularly: don’t just think about the player, think about family,’ Allardyce explained. ‘How you integrate them into the culture. Provide all the needs for them to settle as quick as possible. ‘The player settles quicker, they come into the club environment and are accepted by the captain. But the outside, when they go home, is very important; girlfriend, wife, family, make sure they settle into the right area. Adrian  celebrates at the final whistle with Alex Song after West Ham beat Manchester City 2-1 . ‘It’s hard to do, particularly if they don’t speak English well. I get a feel about a player when I speak to them. There are players I’ve spoken to and decided not to sign because of that last interview. Better doing it then than getting them here and having problems.’ Two summer signings, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, are forging one of the most frightening strike partnerships in the league. With a greater focus on attacking football this campaign, facing West Ham is a different prospect to last season. This is reflected in the difference between Sam Allardyce’s starting XI from last season’s home defeat to Manchester City and Saturday’s win in the corresponding fixture - only three players started both games. Only three players played for West Ham against Manchester City last season (left) and on Saturday (right) Sakho headed the winner against City, to score in his seventh consecutive game. Valencia, meanwhile, set up the first with a lightning run down the right to roll the ball to fellow recruit Morgan Amalfitano to tap in. The show was run by Alex Song, on loan from Barcelona. Full back Aaron Cresswell, the fifth new player starting, crossed deep from the left for Sakho’s winner. Allardyce added: ‘We give them the tools, then it’s down to them. If they are determined and have that much desire they take it up from there. Ours have this year.’ To help integration, the players take breakfast together every day at their Chadwell Heath training ground. Club captain Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble take the lead on helping the players adapt and a French-speaking physiotherapist helps with communication. Morgan Amalfitano opened the scoring for West Ham as they moved to within a point of Manchester City . It is not one way, either. Amalfitano sat an English exam while flying to an away game recently. ‘It’s good they have come here and are making a real effort to speak our language,’ Noble said. ‘Whether it’s giving encouragement in training, or asking if they need anything, it’s about keeping them happy.’ Right now, everyone is happy at West Ham - even Jose Mourinho is learning to love them. ‘Jose has just text to say “Well done big man”,’ said Allardyce. ‘This shows how important it was for him, never mind us. The result wasn’t for him. It was for us and everyone at West Ham.’

Sam Allardyce is drawing on his experience at Bolton to get his foreign stars settled at West Ham . New signings Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia played a key role in West Ham's win over Manchester City . West Ham are in the top four and just one point behind champions City .

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Manchester City have inquired about signing Anderlecht’s Dennis Praet. Manuel Pellegrini has said that UEFA Financial Fair Play restrictions will make it difficult for the club to sign players this month, but despite this City are closely monitoring Praet. The £10million attacking midfielder was excellent in Anderlecht’s Champions League games against Arsenal, and City have been watching him for some time. VIDEO Scroll down to see Praet and other Anderlecht stars showing off their dodgy skills . Dennis Praet looks to get on the attack during Anderlecht's Champions League game with Borussia Dortmund . Praet could make the move to the Etihad Stadium and then be immediately loaned back to Anderlecht . City not only have a restriction on the amount they can spend but they have also agreed to limit their wage bill and are short of homegrown players for their Champions League squad. Even if a deal is done this month, there is a possibility that Praet, whose contract runs out in 2017, could stay at Anderlecht for another season. This which would keep him off the City wage bill and allow him to mature in the process. But City will have to conclude a deal quickly as Borussia Dortmund are also keen on the midfielder, who once trialled at Arsenal, and could put him straight into their team.

The champions have made an enquiry for Anderlecht's Dennis Praet . The 20-year-old is valued at around £10million . The attacking midfielder impressed during Anderlecht's Champions League clash against Arsenal earlier in the season . Manuel Pellegrini has said that he believes UEFA Financial Fair Play restrictions will make it tough for City to sign anyone in January . However that could be resolved if Praet is immediately loaned back to Anderlecht for another season .

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