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By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 07:01 EST, 12 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:47 EST, 12 April 2013 . An art student stripped off in protest after her university refused to display her erotic paintings at an exhibition. Cat Lee, 22, had her more risqué work covered up with bedsheets in the University of Brighton gallery because it was considered offensive. The most graphic paintings - which are not being reproduced here - show people performing a variety of sex acts. Stripped off: Cat Lee, 22, dressed in only her bra and pants in protest because the university covered up some of her more erotic artwork . But the student, 22, was so angry with the decision that she stripped to her bra and pants holding a board protesting about the decision. Tutors said they had a duty of . care to the public in case children viewed the material in the gallery. Miss Lee was given the opportunity to restrict entry to her section of the gallery to over 18s only but refused, the university said. The student, who is half way through her . fine arts degree course at the Sussex campus, describes herself as a . painter of erotic scenes. Artwork: In this painting by Cat Lee, called 'The Idea of Love' two people can be seen kissing . Artist: Cat Lee, 22, refused a request to restrict access to her artwork to over 18s . She said she was 'outraged' at not being able to display her work. 'It was embarrassing standing in front of 200 strangers in my smalls but I was outraged by the attitude of the University to my work,' she said. 'I wanted to make a statement that art is sometimes supposed to shock and confront people. It was my first show at the University but I was ordered to withdraw or cover my work with a sheet which was ridiculous. 'In the end I featured less provocative work of a woman's naked torso. But I was fuming.' A university spokesman said that some would find the erotic artwork inappropriate. 'The university has a duty care of to the public and this art work was deemed to be sexually graphic and abusive in nature,' he said. 'We had to consider that children could be attending the exhibition and that this work might be inappropriate. 'The student was given the option to display her work in a separate space with appropriate warnings, but she rejected this option. 'Another option was to restrict entry to the gallery to over 18s only, but other exhibiting students felt that this restricted their audience. However, the student did display a less explicit piece of work.' Miss Lee now plans a week long exhibition in July at the Mowlem Street art studios in East London where she has been promised her more explicit work will not be kept under wraps. 'I expect to keep my clothes on for that one. I was appalled at the University for claiming to be a centre for contemporary art and then banning most of my stuff,' she added. 'I know my work is provocative but it is supposed to be. Visitors should decide for themselves how erotic art should be. 'This is the age of Fifty Shades of Grey. People are more open to erotic material, just not at the University of Brighton.' Artist: The student, who is half way through her fine arts degree course at the Sussex campus, describes herself as a painter of erotic scenes . Graphic: One of Miss Lee's paintings which was covered up. Her most explicit paintings are not shown here .

Cat Lee, 22, said she was 'outraged' at not being able to display her work . University of Brighton says sexually graphic artwork is 'offensive' to some . Student declined option of restricting gallery entry to over 18s only .

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By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 02:02 EST, 10 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:05 EST, 10 September 2013 . From Mariah Carey's purple-only eating plan to Beyonce's maple syrup cleanse, bizarre celebrity menus are a regular cause of controversy. But while Hollywood's food crazes are usually assumed to be a modern phenomenon, the January 1929 issue of American magazine Photoplay, unearthed by Jezebel.com, proves that there's nothing new about fad diets. In an article entitled Diet - The Menace Of Hollywood, writer Katherine Albert explains why eating like Joan Crawford and other period stars could prove problematic. On Hollywood's unappetising menu is a breakfast of hot water (0 calories) and eight tablespoons of consomme . Actress Joan Crawford looking svelte for the 1955 film Johnny Guitar . 'Diet!,' Albert writes. 'It has put one world famous star in her grave, has caused the illness of many others, has wrecked careers and has become, largely through its practice in Hollywood, the Great American Menace!' Albert then goes on to compare the 'star diet' to a correct diet compiled by one Dr Willis 'from works of the most famous authorities on diet'. On Hollywood's unappetising menu is a breakfast of hot water (000 calories, says Dr Willis) and eight tablespoons of consomme [clear soup], two saltine crackers and a quarter of a pound of tomatoes for lunch - total calorific intake, a meagre 138. For supper, the 1929 A-list diet consists of cottage cheese, two ounces of pineapple and a glass of buttermilk, which together bring the total day's calories to a skinny 305. By contrast, the diet recommended by Dr Willis, which, he says, will have you dropping between two and three pounds per week, includes roast beef lunches and a breakfast of scalloped cod and stewed tomatoes. Albert alleges that actress Pola Negri 'took 10 pounds off' with a 'spinach and egg' diet . The writer blames Hollywood's diet demands for the death of actress Barbara LaMarr, who died aged 29 . Breakfast: . Cup of hot water (calories - 0) Luncheon: . 8 tablespoons of consomme (13Kcal) Two saltine crackers (100Kcal) 1/4lb tomatoes (25Kcal) Dinner: . Cottage cheese (50Kcal) 2oz pineapple (50Kcal) 1 glass buttermilk (67Kcal) Total: 305 . * Don't try this at home . Albert goes on to fulminate against 'Shylock' producers who when they demand a pound of flesh from their actresses, also 'demand a part of the lifespan of the star'. What's more she adds, the Hollywood diet craze is responsible for increasing numbers of tuberculosis cases and will 'produce a race of anaemic tubercular weaklings' if allowed to continue. She also blames Hollywood's diet demands for the death of actress Barbara LaMarr, who died aged 29 of tuberculosis in 1926. Another anecdote concerns Joan Crawford, who, the writer claims, she saw having a lunch composed of just 'a few tablespoonfuls of cold consomme, a dish of rhubarb and half a dozen crackers thickly spread with mustard.' Albert also alleges that actress Pola Negri 'took 10 pounds off' with a 'spinach and egg' diet, comprised of six ounces of spinach and a hardboiled egg for breakfast, lunch and supper. Interestingly, another part of the article deals with camera trickery - blamed for promoting an unrealistic image long before Photoshop was invented. 'A skillful cameraman may arrange his lights so this condition is helped,' she complains. She even writes of a primitive version of liposuction undergone by actress Molly O' Day, who, says Albert, 'suffered acutely' in the aftermath of the operation. Modern Hollywood and its madcap diet crazes might appear to be a chilling modern phenomenon, but as Albert's article shows, celebrity diets have a long and inglorious history. The diet recommended to have you dropping two to three pounds per week, includes roast beef . Breakfast - 374 calories . 1/2 large grapefruit, scalloped codfish, stewed tomatoes, saltine crackers, one cup of coffee, one teaspoon of butter, one teaspoon of sugar . Luncheon - 654 calories . Two large slices of lean roast beef, tomato or mushroom sauce, one medium baked potato, two heaped tablespoons of spinach, two heaped tablespoons of pickled beets, eight slices of cucumber, one glass of buttermilk, one teaspoon of butter, one fruit cup . Dinner - 524 calories . One slice of cold roast lamb, two heaped tablespoons of squash, mint sauce, one tablespoon of green peas, three heaped tablespoons of mustard greens, medium-sized tomato salad, mineral oil or vinegar, two biscuits [savoury scones], half a canteloupe melon, one glass of skimmed milk . Total: 1552 calories. Note: Dr Willis advises dieters to vary the menu each day .

Article published in January 1929 issue of US magazine Photoplay . Blames dieting for the early death of actress Barbara LaMarr . Includes healthy diet from Hollywood food expert, one Dr Willis .

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By . David Mccormack . and Associated Press Reporter . Police investigating Aaron Hernandez's involvement in a double homicide case are asking for tattoo artists to come forward who may have inked the former New England Patriots tight end's right arm between February 2012 and June 2013. The Suffolk district attorney's office has stressed that the tattoo artists are not suspected of any wrongdoing, but are considered potential witnesses who ‘may have made observations of evidentiary value.’ Both of Hernandez's arms are covered with tattoos, but police believe that tattoos added to the ex-NFL star's right arm may offer clues to his role in several murders. Investigators are asking for help from tattoo artists who may have inked former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez's right arm between February 2012 and June 2013 . During the period under investigation Hernandez had a series of star tattoos added, see photo on the right, that weren't present a year earlier when he had played in Super Bowl XLVI in Feb 2012 . Hernandez is charged in three killings. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 28 on two counts of murder for . allegedly shooting two men - Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado - in . Boston in 2012, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Authorities . have not said if there is any connection between those two slayings and . the 2013 shooting death of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose . body was found in an industrial area near Hernandez's home in North . Attleborough. Lloyd was dating Hernandez's fiancee's sister. Authorities didn't describe which of his tattoos they are referring to in seeking artists' help, but photographic evidence suggests that Hernandez had a series of stars added to a design on his right forearm during the period under investigation. Authorities specifically mentioned several places in their quest for tattoo artists: Hermosa Beach, California; Bristol, Connecticut; Palm Beach and Miami, Florida; Massachusetts; and Rhode Island. Tattoo you: Aaron Hernandez was arraigned on charges of murder and weapons violations after being arrested in June 2013 and now cops want to speak to anyone who may have inked him in the previous 18 months . Hernandez, 24, has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and other offenses in the July 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu, right, and Safiro Furtado, left, in Boston . Crime scene: Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado were shot to death near the intersection of Herald Street and Shawmut Avenue in Boston in July 2012 . Tattoos are commonly used among criminals to show gang membership and record the wearer's personal history — such as their skills, specialties, accomplishments and convictions. Certain designs have developed recognized coded meanings. The code systems can be quite complex and because of the nature of what they encode, the tattoo designs are not widely recognized. When Hernandez was first imprisoned his body was examined for gang tattoos by officers from the Bristol County House of Correction's gang intelligence unit. They also interviewed Hernandez about any past gang affiliations. Hernandez has denied ever being part of a gang and at that time officers determined that none of his tattoos were gang-related. Hernandez's lawyers have said that their client looks forward to his day in court. He is being held without bail. Hernandez, 24, has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and other offenses in the July 2012 killings of de Abreu and Furtado in Boston. A third man was wounded in that attack, while two others escaped unharmed. Hernandez and an associate had an ‘encounter’ in a city nightclub with the victims before the shooting, prosecutors said. After the men left, Hernandez followed in an SUV and pulled up alongside the men as their vehicle was stopped at a red light, and opened fire, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said. Conley said there was no evidence that Hernandez knew the victims prior to that evening. Weeks after the double shooting, Hernandez signed a five-year deal worth about $40 million with the New England Patriots and went on to play 12 games as a tight end that season. A spokesman for the Patriots said the team had no comment. The tattoo artists are not suspected of any wrongdoing, but are considered potential witnesses who 'may have made observations of evidentiary value,' said police . Hernandez is scheduled to be arraigned on May 28 on two counts of murder for allegedly shooting Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado in Boston in 2012 . Hernandez was initally arrested in connection with the 2013 shooting death of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd . 'Under our system of justice, Aaron Hernandez is innocent of these charges, and he looks forward to his day in court,' said his lawyers, Charles Rankin and James Sultan, in a statement. Alluding to a news conference held by Conley to announce the charges, the attorneys said they would not try the case in the media. Conley said the investigation of the Boston killings moved forward after the Lloyd case, which will be tried separately in another Massachusetts court. He noted the discovery in Bristol, Connecticut, of the car Hernandez was driving the night the men died and the recovery of the alleged murder weapon from an unnamed person with ties to Hernandez. Conley declined to say whether authorities suspected any connection between the Boston and North Attleborough shootings. Families of the victims have filed civil lawsuits in February against Hernandez seeking $6 million for the wrongful deaths of the two men. Hernandez was cut by the Patriots hours after his arrest in the Lloyd case, and head coach Bill Belichick later said he was 'shocked and disappointed' upon learning of the criminal investigation.

Investigators believe that tattoos Aaron Hernandez had inked between Feb 2012 and June 2013 may offer clues to his role in several murders . Hernandez is charged with three killings including the shooting of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado in Boston in 2012 . Cops want to speak to tattoo artists who may have carried out work on the ex-NFL star in several cities . Authorities haven't revealed which tattoos they are referring to in seeking artists' help . Photographic evidence shows Hernandez had a series of stars . added to a design on his right forearm during the period under . investigation .

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By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 11:34 EST, 9 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:14 EST, 9 September 2013 . Ferdoush Hasan, 22, is accused of raping the 14-year-old in February, as well as a second charge . Two schoolgirls were raped at a house where vulnerable youngsters were taken advantage of by older men, a court heard. A 14-year-old victim was held down by Abu Sufian, 21, and Raabsan Khan, 19, while Ferdoush Hasan, 22, raped her last February, it is claimed. Newcastle Crown Court heard the sex attack was just days after another girl, who was also 14, was raped by Hasan alone. All three men, from South Shields, deny a joint charge of rape. Hasan denies a second, solo, charge. Prosecutor Anne Richardson told the court the attacks happened at a house where the trio, who were all students at South Tyneside College, were living. Miss Richardson told jurors: 'The crown’s case is these defendants took advantage of young girls who were vulnerable, who were drinking alcohol and smoking although underage and who came to the defendants’ house in order to have somewhere to do both of those things. 'No doubt you will take a fairly dim view of that and wonder what on earth young girls like this are doing in a house with men older than them, who speak little English and they had no friendly relations. 'The crown’s case is precisely because these girls were vulnerable and somewhat foolish and naive, the defendants felt they could act in the way the crown alleges. 'Basically, these girls could be used for sex and either they would not say anything for fear of getting into trouble or if they did say anything, the circumstances and background and how they came to be in the house would mean nobody would believe them.' The court heard the first attack was in early February last year when the alleged victim turned up at the house with friends after drinking a half litre of vodka. 14-year-old victim was held down by Abu Sufian (left), 21, and Raabsan Khan, 19, it is claimed . The girl told police 'all of the males were dark skinned, just lying on the beds in that room'. It is claimed Hasan led the girl to a room in a different part of the house from where everyone had gathered and raped her. Miss Richardson told the court: 'She was trying to push him off to no avail as her arms were pinned down by his hands.' The second alleged victim had also gone to the house with friends. Prosecutor Anne Richardson told Newcastle Crown Court the attacks happened at a house where the trio were living . Miss Richardson said: 'Effectively it was just somewhere to sit when it was cold.' It is claimed the girl, who refused the men’s offer of alcohol but was smoking cigarettes, ended up left alone with the trio during the visit. Miss Richardson said: 'Two of them grabbed hold of her arms, one on either side, and held her down.' All three men deny the claims against them. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.

Three men, Abu Sufian, Raabsan Khan and Ferdoush Hasan, deny rape . The alleged victim says she was held down at the house they shared . Prosecutor said the girl was 'taken advantage of'

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By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 08:33 EST, 19 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:55 EST, 19 February 2013 . A mother has been charged with murder after her two toddlers died in a car in sweltering August heat in Tennessee. Police say Samantha Harper, 25, left Savannah Marise, aged two, and her three-year-old brother Daniel Marise in the car parked outside her home in Smyrna, while she went inside the house and fell asleep. When she awoke three hours later, she found the two children dead inside the car, police said. Mother: Samantha Harper is alleged to have left her children in a car for up to three hours on an August day in Tennessee . Harper has now been indicted on two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated child neglect following the toddlers' deaths on August 2 last year, according to The Tennessean. At the time of the tragedy police said soaring temperatures in Smyrna on the day were in the mid-nineties, and that the temperature inside the vehicle could easily have topped 100 degrees fahrenheit. 'You put someone in a car with the windows rolled up, with no ventilation, it can increase the temperature easy 30 to 40 degrees inside the vehicle,' Smyrna police spokesman Sgt. Bobby Gibson said last August. Tragedy: Daniel Marise, seen left as a newborn, and his sister Savannah, seen right as a baby, died in the car . Harper's attorney said at her first court appearance that the deaths of her two children were a 'tragic accident'. One the day of the children's deaths Harper's house was condemned by health officials after police officers found it in a 'deplorable' state.

Samantha Harper's two toddlers died in a car in August in Tennessee . Harper, 25, of Smyrna, charged with murder and child neglect . Savannah Marise, two, and her brother Daniel, three, died in the car . Temperatures inside the vehicle could have topped 100F .

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By . Lee Moran . Last updated at 10:40 AM on 6th February 2012 . Dozens of houses were destroyed and children were crushed to death when their school building collapsed after a devastating earthquake hit the central Philippines this morning. At least 13 people were killed, and 29 remain missing, after the 6.8-magnitude quake struck in a narrow strait just off Negros Island. A tsunami alert was issued after the disaster, but later lifted. Thousands of residents were trapped in their homes as a landslide hit the city of Guihulngan in Negros Oriental province. Chaos: Dozens of houses were destroyed and children were crushed to death when their school building collapsed after a devastating earthquake hit the central Philippines this morning . Escape: Filipinos came out onto open grounds in Cebu City following the quake . City Mayor Ernesto Reyes said: 'Their situation is bad because if you are covered by landslide for one hour, two hours, how can you breathe? But we just hope for the best, that there are still survivors.' He said rescuers were using picks and shovels to dig for survivors. Reyes said at least 10 people were confirmed dead in his city, including students at a college and an elementary school and others in a market that collapsed. About 100 were injured. The quake, which hit at 11.49am (0349 GMT), triggered another landslide in the mountain village of Solongon in La Libertad town, also in Negros Oriental. An unknown number of people were trapped, said La Libertad police chief inspector Eric Arrol Besario, who added: 'We're now getting shovels and chain saws to start a rescue because there were people trapped inside. Some of them were yelling for help earlier.' Three key bridges in the town suffered cracks and were no longer passable, he said. Philippine seismologists briefly issued a tsunami alert for the central islands. Terror: Residents ran for their lives as the earthquake hit in Cebu City . Running scared: At least 13 people were killed, and 29 remain missing, after the 6.8-magnitude quake struck in a narrow strait just off Negros Island . Five bamboo and wooden cottages were washed out from a beach resort in La Libertad by huge waves, but there were no reports of injuries, said police Superintendent Ernesto Tagle. Elsewhere along the coast, people rushed out of schools, malls and offices. The epicenter was closest to Tayasan, a coastal town of about 32,000 people flanked by mountains in Negros Oriental province. Two died there, including a child when a concrete fence of a house collapsed, said Benito Ramos, head of the Office of Civil Defence. Another child was killed in a church when a wall collapsed during a funeral in Negros Oriental's Jimalalud town, Mayor Reynaldo Tuanda said. Tayasan police officer Alfred Vicente Silvosa said aftershocks were preventing people from returning to their homes. Seismologists recorded nearly 45 aftershocks. Panic: Filipinos fled to the streets as the earthquake jolted central Philippines . Look-out: Filipinos surveyed the damage from the upper floors of Cebu City buildings following the quake . Silvosa said: 'We are outside, at the town plaza. We cannot inspect buildings yet because it's dangerous. 'I felt the building shaking, so I rushed out of the building. Our computers, shelves, plates, the cupboards, water dispenser all fell.' A three-story office building also collapsed in La Libertad, but occupants managed to run out. Negros Oriental police chief Edward Carranza said the temblor damaged many houses in Guihulngan and he ordered his men to help displaced residents find shelter. Officials in some areas suspended work and canceled classes. Power and telecommunications were knocked out in several places. Quake point: A Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) staff member points to the epicentre of the quake . Watching: The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A 7.7-magnitude quake killed nearly 2,000 people in Luzon in 1990 . Carranza said police rushed out of his building when the quake struck and added: 'All my personnel ran out fearing our building would collapse. 'Now it's shaking again,' he said as an aftershock hit, 'My keychain is dancing.' The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centred 44 miles north of Dumaguete city on Negros and hit at a depth of 29 miles. The area is about 400 miles southeast of the capital, Manila. The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A 7.7-magnitude quake killed nearly 2,000 people in Luzon in 1990.

29 missing after 6.8-magnitude quake in narrow strait off Negros Island . Tsunami alert issued... but was later lifted .

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By . Emily Allen . Last updated at 8:54 PM on 11th November 2011 . A small-time drug dealer was tortured, killed and his body dismembered into six pieces 'behind closed doors' by a brutal drug gang, a court heard yesterday. Adam Vincent, 33, was shot with air rifle pellets and savagely punched and kicked in the weeks before his gruesome death. The gang then scattered his body parts in waterways across Lincolnshire, Sheffield Crown Court was told. Discovery: Adam Vincent's head, right arm and right leg were found in the River Ancholme, near Brigg in June, pictured . His severed leg was found sticking out of the water by birdwatchers at Tetney Lock near Cleethorpes on March 3 this year. After a police investigation two other parts were recovered and his head, right arm and right leg were found in the River Ancholme, near Brigg in June. Prosecutor Tom Bayliss QC said the five-strong gang believed Mr Vincent had stolen £5,000 from them and 'grassed' them up to the police. The court heard Mr Vincent was a heroin addict and sold 'wraps' for the gang in return for using some of the drug himself. At the time of his death he was living with the gang whose headquarters was based in a small bungalow in Scartho, Grimsby. Grimsby men Lee Griffiths, 43, his sons Thomas, 22, and Luke, 19, Lee's stepson Mark Jackson, 27, and Matthew Frow, 32, all deny murder between February 26 and March 4. They also deny conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by concealing Mr Vincent's dismembered body between the same dates along with Andrew Lusher, 43, also from Grimsby, who is alleged to have hired the van used to dispose of the body. Mr Vincent's severed leg was found sticking out of the water by birdwatchers at Tetney Lock near Cleethorpes, pictured, on March 3 this year . The three Griffiths and Mark Jackson further deny conspiracy to supply heroin between December 1, 2010 to March 7, 2011. Frow admits conspiracy to supply the Class A drug. Mr Bayliss said Mr Vincent was a close associate of the five men charged with murder. He did small-time drug dealing on their behalf and 'it was the gang he was associated with that killed him.' Three weeks before Mr Vincent's body was found three of the gang were arrested for drugs offences by police then released. Officers searched the bungalow, which is owned by Lee Griffiths, and where Mr Vincent had been living. Mr Bayliss said Lee Griffiths believed Mr Vincent had given information to the police and had stolen £5,000 and drugs from them. The gang began a 'sustained physical assault' on Mr Vincent and the violence continued for a fortnight ultimately leading to his death. A post mortem showed Mr Vincent died from a blunt force trauma to the head. He had been struck at least three times with a weapon. Mr Vincent was last seen alive on February 27 and the following day it is claimed that one of the gang sent a text to his girlfriend which implied Adam Vincent had been killed. His body was dismembered after his death and a van, organised by Lusher, was allegedly used to dispose of it. The birdwatchers chanced on the leg just hours after it had been dumped. Prosecutor Tom Bayliss QC told Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, the five-strong gang believed Mr Vincent had stolen £5,000 from them and 'grassed' them up to the police . Mr Bayliss said: 'Adam Vincent was killed behind closed doors by this gang. 'All five of the defendants were participating in a joint enterprise which led to Adam Vincent's death.' He said it was difficult to identify individual acts of violence but the prosecution claim anyone involved in it is guilty of murder even if they were not present when the fatal blow was delivered. The court heard three of the gang were arrested for suspected drugs offences and the bungalow was searched. Drug paraphernalia was seized along with an air rifle on February 11. Pellets matched to the rifle were found in Mr Vincent's body. Mr Bayliss said: 'Even before this one of the things that was happening was that Mr Vincent had been shot in the body by this a air rifle. 'It would have caused pain and injury. It was an indication of how he was being treated. 'Mr Vincent's father Keith visited his son who was in hospital with pneumonia in late January. Mr Vincent told his dad he had had enough of his drug-taking lifestyle.' 'He said: ''I want to get away but they won't let me. I need to sort some issues out first.' 'He later added: 'You don't know these people. I'm trying to get it all sorted.'' Mr Vincent discharged himself against medical advice and was probably killed three weeks later. Mr Bayliss said witnesses spoke of how Mr Vincent would tell of being beaten up and how 'they couldn't let him go because he knew too much.' When Mr Vincent stole the money from the gang he was given 'a bit of a kicking' and was tied up in the house, it was alleged. Another witness said Lee Griffiths was becoming 'paranoid' about heroin going missing from the house and suspected Mr Vincent had been stealing it. The court heard that as early as January Mr Vincent was seen with a black eye and Thomas Griffiths was bragging he had shot him. A few days before Mr Vincent was killed Thomas Griffiths was seen to punch him in the face in the house and Luke Griffiths kicked him in the side while his father held a knife to Mr Vincent's throat. The victim was later seen in pain and by February 26 was described as having a 'shocking' appearance by a witness at a supermarket. He was walking with a limp and had cuts all over his face. 'His facial expression according to a security guard was one of terror,' said Mr Bayliss. The hearing, which is expected to last at least six weeks, continues.

Adam Vincent was 'shot with air rifle pellets and punched and kicked in the weeks before his death' Gang allegedly scattered his body parts in waterways across Lincolnshire .

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In the future, computer hackers could steal sensitive data from people’s computers using nothing but soundwaves, experts have warned. German computer scientists have proved the idea is possible by developing a new type of malware  that can travel between machines using sound waves that are inaudible to unsuspecting humans. Using built-in microphones and speakers in laptops, the researchers managed to transmit passwords and small amounts of data between machines 65ft away from each other. Computer hackers could steal sensitive data from people's computers using nothing but soundwaves (illustrated), experts have warned. Computer scientists used built-in microphones and speakers in machines to pass passwords between machines 65ft away from each other . The terrifying feat was achieved by . computer scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, . Information Processing and Ergonomics in Germany, The Huffington Post reported. The researchers warned: ‘Acoustical networking as a covert communication technology is a considerable threat to computer security.’ The finding is of huge concern to computer security firms that currently isolate important machines which have no internet connection, using ‘air gaps’ to protect them. Until now it has been thought that these computers would be safe from hackers but the new research, published in the Journal of Communications, casts doubt on this idea. The researchers wrote: 'In our article, we describe how the complete concept of air gaps can be considered obsolete as commonly available laptops can communicate over their internal speakers and microphones and even form a covert acoustical mesh network.’ The computer scientists started investigating the idea of hacking computers using sound by imagining how tech savvy criminals might gain access to the most secure of machines. The researchers chose to used high pitched sounds, inaudible to humans, and harnessed the microphone and speakers in a Lenovo T400 computer to transmit keystrokes from one machine to another. The technique could be used to pass small data files, and passwords between machines, they said . They noted that in the past hackers have . used ‘parts of the operating system that were not considered for . communication’ to gain access to sensitive data'. Consequently they came up with a hack using sound to steal data from ‘air gap’ protected machines and suggested that noise could be used to pass data between target computers and the ‘hacker’ machine. The researchers chose to use sounds that are too high pitched for humans to hear and harnessed the microphone and speakers in a Lenovo T400 computer to transmit keystrokes from one computer to another. The technique could also be used to pass small data files passwords and encryption keys between machines, they said. While in the experiment, they only managed a data rate of 20 bits per second, the slow rate is still enough to transmit passwords and could no doubt be improved upon in time. The experiment passed data between computers positioned 65ft apart but the scientists believe the range could be expanded using ‘mesh networks’ to transmit sound over long distances, enabling hackers to attack from afar.

German computer scientists transmitted passwords between two machines using soundwaves that are inaudible to humans . Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics in Germany tapped into laptop speakers . The experiment is set to change the way important computers are secured, which are currently protected by 'air gaps'

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England were given a thunderous send-off by the Kaiser Chiefs at their charity ball last night as they prepare to head out to Portugal at lunchtime. The Lions and Roses dinner, which was held at the Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire, marked the starting point for the country’s World Cup preparations. Roy Hodgson’s 23 man squad, plus John Stones and Jon Flanagan, will convene at the prestigious Vale do Lobo resort today to begin their preparations for Brazil. VIDEO: Scroll down to watch Joe Hart singing with the Kaiser Chiefs . The Liverpool Boys: Daniel Sturridge tweeted this picture with Sterling, Henderson and Flanagan . I predict a riot: Kaiser Chiefs performed for the England squad at the charity gala . Chief: Lead singer Ricky Wilson sings from on top of a lion statue during the charity event . Prepared: Danny Welbeck (centre) joins keepers Joe Hart and Fraser Forster at the charity event . It is there . that England’s players will sometimes train in hats and gloves to help . acclimatise to the conditions expected in Manaus when they play Italy at . the tournament. England’s . performance team have packed the winter gear to help the players’ bodies adjust to the heat and humidity which they will encounter next . month. Hodgson . is taking his entire back room staff out to Portugal, including their . newly-appointed performance specialist Dave Reddin. The . summer season is just beginning in Portugal and the team will also . encounter daily temperatures of around 26 degrees celsius when they . arrive in Miami. Hodgson’s . squad will spend this week together before retiring to St George’s Park . on May 26 to prepare for a friendly with Peru at Wembley four days . later. After . the clash with Peru, they head out to Miami on June 1 to play . friendlies against Ecuador (Jun 4) and Honduras (Jun 7). The squad fly . to their Rio base camp the following day. Ready to go: (L-R) Lampard, Barkley, Johnson, Foster, Milner, Shaw, Cahill and Baines arrive at the gala . Young stars: Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberalin, Wilshere and Sterling are all vying for starting spots in Brazil . England's finest: Captain Gerrard (left) poses with (left to right) Lambert, Flanagan, Smalling and Jones . Send-off: Kaiser Chiefs (above) and Rizzle kicks played the charity gala for the England Footballers Foundation . Hodgson, . who confirmed Frank Lampard as his vice-captain yesterday, said: ‘All . of us are going to Brazil with one burning ambition. ‘We’ve worked hard to get there and want to come home with people saying ‘well done’. ‘But . there’s only one way for that to happen, by preparing properly, . competing in the best shape and get our minds right. That doesn’t mean . locking people up in their rooms or making them go through four-hour . meetings. ‘They’re human beings and we want them to perform as well as they can perform. ‘We . have the hope, dream and ambition. But to do well, we have to play . well, play better than the opponents, for all the players to live up to . their reputations. ‘They . deserve those big reputations. It’s up to them to live up to them and . up to us as a coaching team to ensure they’re capable of doing that.’ Hodgson . still has reservations over a number of players in the travelling party . as they continue to recover from various injuries. Wayne . Rooney went to Vale do Lobo a week in advance of his team-mates to . begin his preparations after missing Manchester United’s last three . fixtures. Getting fit: Rooney (left) is already in Portugal where he has been doing fitness work . Team-mate . Danny Welbeck, who is fit, has also been training daily in Dubai along . with his brothers, some friends and a personal trainer. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was left out of Arsenal’s FA Cup final squad on Saturday, has joined the England party. Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger said: ‘He was desperate to play against Hull. ‘Pain-wise he could have played, but I judged him to be short physically. ‘We wanted to play players who were completely fit. Physically, he was a bit short. ‘Certainly . he could have played 20/30 minutes, but you can’t programme it like . that. We left him out, but he’s on the way up and he needs more fitness . work now. He will go to Portugal with (Jack) Wilshere.’ Wilshere came on as a substitute for Arsenal in their thrilling 3-2 victory over Hull at Wembley in Saturday’s final. Phil Jones, who aggravated his shoulder playing for Manchester United against Hull on May 6, remains in the ‘at risk’ category. Preparation: Hodgson insists the work in Portugal is vital to England's chances of a successful World Cup . Injury worries: Jones (left) is still struggling with a shoulder injury but Chamberlain (right) is fit again . Adam Lallana, who was nursing a minor groin injury in Southampton’s final few Premier League games, has no long-term issues. Hodgson . intends the week in Portugal to be a low-key start to the country’s . preparations, but it has not gone unnoticed that other teams are already . underway. Germany drew with Poland in midweek and Louis van Gaal’s Holland side drew 1-1 with Ecuador in a World Cup warm-up on Saturday. England have a slower start, but will ramp up preparations when they play Peru at Wembley in front of a full house on May 30.

Players to train in gloves in Portugal to prepare for extreme temperatures . England squad enjoy charity gala send off before training camp . Hodgson insists Portugal trip will be key for preparation .

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A California couple has decided to end their 14-year marriage, not by divorce, but by uncoupling. Clark and Valerie Tate came together on a beach in front of their friends and 10-year old son, Jonah, to end their marriage in an 'uncoupling' ceremony, according to ABC News. Taking a cue from Gwyneth Paltrow and ex-beau Chris Martin, the Tates have decided to avoid the messy, expensive process of divorce and have what is called a 'conscious uncoupling.' Scroll down for video . 'Uncoupling': Clark and Valerie Tate have ended their marriage not with a divorce, but an 'uncoupling' Rings: In the ceremony, Clark and Valerie took off their wedding rings and gave them back to each other in the new age ritual . In the ceremony, Clark and Valerie took off their wedding rings and gave them back to each other in the new age ritual. 'These rings do not symbolize who we are to each other anymore,' Clark reportedly said in the ceremony. 'So we're releasing them,' Valerie added. By uncoupling, the Tate's no longer see themselves as being husband and wife -- though they technically are -- or romantically involved at all. That's about the only thing that will change in the lives of the two. Both will continue to live in the same home, --  with separate bedrooms -- maintain joint assets, and raise their son Jonah together keeping their family unit in tact while openly dating other people. Failing marriage: The Tates said that they began living as an 'uncouple' back in 2007 just five years after they began experience troubles . Clark: Clark, who had been married twice before, said that getting a divorce wasn't something he wanted to go through again . In an episode of ABC's Nightline,  the Tates said that their marriage began to fail, but divorce was never an option for them. Their main priority is raising their son and they were determined to shield him from the effects of their failed relationship. Clark, who had reportedly been married twice before told ABC News that getting a divorce wasn't something he wanted to go through again. 'We weren't considering really changing the structure of our family unit,' Valerie added. Their recent uncoupling ceremony was not a spur of the moment decision, the Tates had opened up about their planning for a fall uncoupling ceremony to the New York Times back in August. The Tates told the Times that they began living as an 'uncouple' back in 2007 just five years after they began experiencing troubles. The Times reports that in 2002 Clark had a major surgery and suffered the loss of his father who died that same year. When their son was born, Clark experienced added stress and Valerie felt neglected. 'I missed Clark,' Valerie told the Times. Clark said he had been 'myopically' focused on their son. Priority: The Tates said their main priority is raising their son, Jonah,  and they were determined to shield him from the effects of their failed relationship . Dating: Valerie is in a serious relationship and Clark is dating, the two have unwritten rules regarding dating and have decided to only introduce serious partners to their son . The two reportedly went to therapy in 2005, but by 2006, the two were not intimate and Valerie asked if she could 'bring her romantic needs elsewhere.' Clark and Valerie told ABC that Valerie is in a serious relationship and Clark is dating. They have unwritten rules regarding dating and they only introduce serious partners to their son. 'We give each other private time,' Valerie said. 'Maybe Jonah and Clark are out of the house, or vice versa. But most of it is, private time is spent elsewhere.' Clark said that the two are through their toughest times and are now in, what Valerie calls, 'the unknowns.'

Clark and Valerie Tate came together on a beach in front of their friends and 10-year old son, Jonah, to end their 14-year marriage in an 'uncoupling' ceremony . The two will continue to live in the same house, raise their son and maintain joint assets but will date other people . The two have established rules for dating and 'give each other private time'

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By . Daniel Mills . An Australian start-up company is considering launching legal action against US tech giant Apple, alleging it stole the name it trades under for a mobile app. The company with two owners and a small headquarters in Melbourne, is but a speck in the market when it comes to a company like Apple, but it appears they liked the Australian brand so much 'They have used our name and launched a new product called HealthKit,' company co-founder Alison Hardacre said. Ms Hardacre's fury boiled over on Tuesday morning when she woke just after 4.30am to emails informing her that one of the world's biggest companies had stolen her business name. Alison Hardacre and her business partner are considering suing Apple over the unregistered use their company's name . HealthKit is the name she and co-founder Lachlan Wheeler launched back in 2012, two years before Apple launched its software application at Silicon Valley, California on Tuesday. It has just themselves, a few application designers and some investors in its minnow operations compared to the US conglomerate. The Australian HealthKit version is designed to streamline health services for people online. It works by connecting health practitioners, such as doctors to clients to access health records, data and other useful information. Apple's HealthKit app lets users measure the body's performance when exercising, such as the heart rate, calories burned, blood sugar, cholesterol and keeps a record of that data all in one place. Speaking to MailOnline about the alleged copyright infringement, Ms Hardacre said: 'We won't let them trample over our product ... someone needs to be fired for this.' 'We have a business with the same name and a similar product, if they had done a quick Google search they (Apple) would have seen that. It's not fair.' Apple CEO Tim Cook launching the IOS 8 version of it's Apple product, and a new health app which shares the same name as Australia's HealthKit . A look at the Australian version's website welcoming vistors to its page . While Apple said its version will 'revolutionise' health, Ms Hardacre has other ideas. She and her business partner said they were considering it's options over whether they would sue. She also said repeated attempts to contact the company have gone unanswered. MailOnline has also attempted to contact Apple over the allegations, without success. 'We knew Apple were going into health but didn't expect this,' she said. The morning she found out about the alleged thievery of the company name, she posted to a blog on the company's website: 'HealthKit is already in use, by us! Apple's HealthKit app icon, which it launched on Tuesday in California . Ms Hardacre said any reasonable company, let alone Apple, would have taken steps to ensure that a name is not already in use. A quick Google search would have returned the Australian HealthKit at the top of the search engine's list. 'it would have taken five seconds to type www.healthkit.com into their browser and discover us. Would it have made any difference to them? Are they so big that they are above doing an ordinary Google search?' 'This is just not right. We have had these great ambitions to make health better for customers.' It is not the first time Apple has been embroiled in allegations of trademark-infringement. In 2010 the company settled with Cisco, a company that designs, manufactures, and sells networking equipment, over a trademark-infringement lawsuit for the use of the iPhone name. Cisco sued the company after Apple unveiled its long-awaited multimedia phone, a name already claimed by the network equipment maker. Apple was also embroiled in a legal stoush with Apple Corps, the music company owned by the Beatles, between 1978 and 2006 over the use of the Apple name. The two companies settled for an undisclosed price back in 2007. Ms Hardacre said at the very least Apple should 'apologise'.  'As an Apple fan, I feel let down.'

Apple launched new I0S8 software, including HealthKit app on Tuesday . Australian co-founder Alison Hardacre considers legal action . Her Melbourne company started trading as HealthKit in 2012 . She claims Apple must have known that her business existed . Both companies have similar product and ideas combining tech and health . Mrs Hardacre said company won't let Apple 'trample' on their brand .

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By . John Hall . Attack: Iain Duncan Smith was criticised for suggesting welfare cuts encouraged businesses . The burden of high taxes and red tape is preventing Britain from creating enough globally successful entrepreneurs, according to a think-tank. Analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies found the UK does not even rank among the top 10 countries for producing billionaire entrepreneurs. Britain lags behind the likes of Hong Kong, the U.S., Australia, Canada and Ireland according to the study - although still performed better than the majority of eurozone countries, including Germany. In an article for The Daily Telegraph, the report's author Dr Nima Sanandaji urged the Government to cut capital gains tax and scrap the top 45p tax rate. He also criticised Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith for suggesting the Coalition's welfare reforms were encouraging more people to start successful businesses. Last week Mr Duncan Smith hailed Britain's 'entrepreneurial spirit' after the Bank of England highlighted figures showing a record 4.5 million people are self-employed. But Dr Sanandaji wrote: 'The Work and Pensions Secretary was conflating self-employment with entrepreneurship. In reality, the two phenomena are quite different.' 'The Coalition's benefit reforms may well promote self-employment, which is a good thing in itself. But it is wrong to suppose that reducing benefits will do much for entrepreneurship. 'In order to do that, the Coalition should turn its attention to cutting business and personal tax rates and taking the axe to red tape.' Contrast: Hong Kong (pictured) produces almost three entrepreneurs for every million, Israel 1.7 per million and the US 1.3 per million . Success stories:  There were a total of 22 British billionaire entrepreneurs between 1996 and 2010, including retail tycoon Sir Philip Green (left) and Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson (right) Dr Sanandaji analysed nearly 1,000 self-made men and women who, according to business magazine Forbes, have earned at least one billion dollars. There were a total of 22 British billionaire entrepreneurs between 1996 and 2010, including retail tycoon Sir Philip Green and Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson. According to the analysis, Britain produced one entrepreneur billionaire for every two million people. By contrast Hong Kong produced almost three mega-rich entrepreneurs for every million, Israel 1.7 per million and the US 1.3 per million. However, the study suggested Britain was still better than most eurozone countries when it came to producing successful entrepreneurs - beating Germany, Spain, France and Italy.

UK does not rank among the top 10 countries for producing billionaires . Britain lags behind the likes of Hong Kong, the U.S., Canada and Ireland . Still performed better than many eurozone countries, including Germany . Poor performance blamed on unfavourable environment for entrepreneurs . Report's author urges work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to cut business and personal tax rates and take an axe to red tape .

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Iraqi forces retook a key strategic town from Islamic State militants today in a victory that has been hailed as a possible turning point in the fight against jihadis overrunning the country. Barwanah, in Iraq's Anbar province, has been gripped by vicious fighting for months since IS fighters overran the region last December. But yesterday, after American warplanes carried out strikes in the area, Iraqi troops finally broke through IS defences as part of a major operation to wrest back the province from the clutches of the extremist horde. The news came as key Arab allies vowed to 'destroy' the Islamic State 'wherever it is' and do more to stop radical jihadists journeying from their homelands to join the 'holy war' waged in Iraq and Syria. And in a further boost to the fight against IS in Iraq and Syria, France today pledged to join America's airstrike campaign as president Francois Hollande made the first visit by a foreign head of state since the extremist group took hold. Scroll down for video . 'Not staying': An Iraqi man scribbles over graffiti on the wall reading in Arabic, 'the Islamic State is staying' after IS fighters were driven out . Major victory: Iraqi army vehicles drive through Barwanah in the Anbar province, after government forces backed by militiamen retook the town from Islamic State (IS) fighters . Contested: Barwanah is at the heart of a hotly-contested area in western Iraq . The ten Middle Eastern allies, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, made the announcement to crush the IS insurgency following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in the Red Sea coastal city of Jiddah. But the summit was held under a shadow yesterday after Nato member Turkey refused to join in, signaling the struggle the U.S. faces in trying to get front-line nations to put aside their regional animosities and work together to defeat a common enemy. But despite Turkey's refusal to support the drive, the fight against the Islamic State was nonetheless given a boost today as France vowed to join the U.S. campaign of airstrikes in the country. The Arab states' endorsement of a broad strategy to stop the flow of fighters and funding to the insurgents, and possibly to join military action, came as the CIA doubled its assessment of how many fighters the extremist group can muster. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress lined up on Thursday behind President Barack Obama's call to combat the militants. Gripped by violence: Barwanah, in Iraq's Anbar province, has been gripped by vicious fighting for months since IS fighters overran the region last December . Mortars: Iraqi gunmen stand next to rebel-made mortar rounds left behind by Islamic State fighters in Barwanah after the town was won back . Mortars: The rounds would have been fired from a launcher like this, also captured from IS positions. They did so a day after he laid out a long-term campaign that would include expanding airstrikes against the fighters in Iraq, launching strikes against them in Syria for the first time and bolstering the Iraqi military and moderate Syrian rebels to allow them to reclaim territory from the militants. Kerry's visit, on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, was aimed at pinning down how much support regional allies are willing to give to the U.S. plan to beat back the Islamic State group, which has seized large chunks of Iraq and Syria. Nearly 40 nations have agreed to contribute to what Kerry said would be a worldwide fight to defeat the militants. Summit: The news came as key Arab allies vowed to 'destroy' the Islamic State 'wherever it is' and do more to stop radical jihadists journeying from their homelands to join the 'holy war' waged in Iraq and Syria . The ten Middle Eastern allies made the announcement to crush the IS insurgency following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in the Red Sea coastal city of Jiddah (pictured: Kerry with Saudi foreign minister Prince al Faisal (left) and his Omani counterpart Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah (right) Ruthless: Greater regional support is seen as critical to combatting the spread of the Islamic State group, which has proved so ruthless that even al-Qaida severed ties with it earlier this year . 'The devastating consequences of extremist hate remain fresh in the minds of all Americans, and to so many of our friends and allies around the world,' Kerry said of the terror attacks on the U.S. 13 years ago. 'Those consequences are felt every day here in the Middle East.' Also today, France promised to join the U.S.-led airstrikes targeting extremists in Iraq as part of an expanding international effort to combat the Islamic State group, Iraq's new prime minister said after talks with the French president on Friday. Haider al-Abadi's remarks came after talks with Francois Hollande, who was in Baghdad to bolster Iraq's new government as it struggles to unite the nation amid the rampage by the Islamic State group. 'In order to confront Daesh, we need aerial support from our allies,' al-Abadi said, referring to the group by its Arabic acronym. 'The French president promised me today that France will participate in this effort, hitting the positions of the terrorists in Iraq.' Iraq's new Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, right, and French President Francois Hollande shake hands during a press conference in Baghdad. Mr al-Abadi said Mr Hollande promised to join the U.S.-led airstrikes targeting extremists in Iraq as part of an expanding international effort to combat the Islamic State group . Key visit: Mr Hollande and Iraq's President Fouad Masoum review the honour guards during a welcoming ceremony at Salam Palace in Baghdad, Iraq, in the first visit to the country by a foreign head of state since the Islamic State militant group seized large swathes of Iraq three months ago . Al-Abadi spoke at a joint press conference with Hollande in Baghdad. Neither of the two leaders provided details about when the French could join the aerial campaign. Hollande added that France has delivered four arms shipments and 60 metric tons (66 tons) of humanitarian equipment to Iraq. But Western allies know the fight against IS cannot be won without greater regional support on the issue. New intelligence assessments estimate the extremists can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria, up from a previous figure of 10,000, the CIA said on Thursday. CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani said the new total reflects stronger recruitment by the extremists since June, following battlefield successes and the group's declaration of an Islamic state, or caliphate, on territory under its control. I have a plan: Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress lined up yesterday behind Barack Obama's call to combat the militants, a day after he laid out a long-term campaign to defeat IS . Mediation: The U.S. has been asked to act not just as a 'leader for its friends and allies', but also as a 'referee between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran' when dealing with Iraq and Syria (pictured: Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud and John Kerry talk before the meeting . Only Turkey would not back the plans against IS, after it was asked to secure its borders to prevent oil smuggling out of Iraq and Syria and keep foreign fighters from heading in. But Ankara has been reluctant to take a prominent role in the coalition, in part out of concern for the 49 Turkish citizens who were kidnapped from the Turkish consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul when it was overrun by Islamic State fighters in June. U.S. officials played down Turkey's absence from the communique, noting that the Turkish government is still extremely concerned about the fate of its diplomats. A senior State Department official predicted the U.S. will continue to work with Turkey to repel the insurgent threat, and said Ankara is in a difficult position as it tries to protect the hostages. The official was not authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Squabbling among Washington's allies in the region has complicated efforts to present a united front to beat back the militants. Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Egypt are at odds with Qatar and Turkey because of the latter two countries' support for the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups in the region. Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shukri, emphasized that rift in his opening remarks, saying regional chaos is the result of a number of factors, including the tolerance of some in the region and the West for 'so-called political Islam' - a clear dig at supporters of the Brotherhood. American officials have voiced concerns too about the willingness of Kuwait and Qatar to crack down on private fundraising for extremist groups.

Iraqi forces retake Barwanah, in Anbar province, a key strategic outpost . Meanwhile Arab states vow to 'destroy' IS and stop foreign jihadis joining . Comes as Francoise Hollande vows France WILL join U.S. airstrikes on IS . He makes pledge in visit to Baghdad, the first visit to Iraq by foreign leader since IS overran parts of the country .

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By . Kieran Corcoran . PUBLISHED: . 08:21 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:21 EST, 5 September 2013 . Tragedy: Owen Morris, 13, died suddenly after he collapsed during a warm-up job . A 13-year-old boy died while warming up to play rugby with his friends. Owen Morris collapsed on a jog before for training with other teenagers in the under-14s team. He was practising at Llanishen Rugby Club (LRC) in Cardiff on Monday ahead of a new season. Owen was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales from the pitch, but he died the following morning. The chairman of LRC emphasised Owen's love of the sport and described his death as 'a tragedy for his parents and for his coaches' Dr Bryn Wilde said: 'It is an absolute tragedy for someone so young doing something he loved to do and looking forward to the next season with all his friends. 'It is really shocking. It is a tragedy for his parents and for his coaches.' A statement posted on the Rugby Club's website offered further condolences for the player, who had been playing for them since he was in the under-8s team. It described Owen as: 'A popular, well-liked and integral part of the Under 14 team this season. 'His brother Jake also plays for the Under 16s at Llanishen. 'The whole club especially the players, coaches and all parents of the Under 14s are completely devastated by this tragic event. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Owen's parents, family and friends.' A minute's silence will also be held ahead of the the rugby club's games this weekend. Sean O’Donovan, who is in Owen's school year, said: 'I’m still in shock, he was truly one of the nicest guys around. 'It’s going to be so weird not seeing the little man around school.' Owen, who was from Cardiff, idolised rugby star George North, a winger for Wales and the British and Irish Lions, who posed for a picture with him last year. Owen, pictured left, treasured a photograph, right, of him posing with rugby star George North, a winger for the Welsh national side and the British and Irish Lions . The schoolboy was just about to start year nine at Cardiff High School. Following the tragedy the school's 1,500 pupils were being comforted by staff. A spokesman for the school said: 'It was . with great sadness that Cardiff High School has learned that a pupil has . tragically passed away. 'We offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends and will provide support to them and fellow pupils. 'The family has asked that their privacy is respected at this extremely sad time.' The clubhouse at Llanishen Rugby Club in Cardiff, where Owen collapsed . The rugby club has said a minute's silence will be held for Owen, who played centre in the under-14s team . The precise cause of Owen's death has not yet been established. A spokesman for theCardiff Coroners Court said: 'We have received reports of his death and the coroner is deciding whether a inquest is necessary. 'We are not at the point where we have established a cause of death and further tests will be carried out.'

Owen Morris died a day after collapsing at Llanishen Rugby Club in Cardiff . The young sportsman played at centre position for the under-14s team . His sporting hero was Wales player George North, who he met last year .

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By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 11:06 EST, 14 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:00 EST, 14 September 2012 . He might be a marked man but this artist has grand designs on becoming the world's first fully-tattooed head of state. Despite ink covering 90 per cent of Vladimir Franz's body, he thinks he is the perfect candidate to become president in his home country of the Czech Republic. Mr Franz hopes to replace Vaclav Klaus, who has been President of the Czech Republic since 2003, and has already mounted an election campaign. Grand designs: Artist and drama professor Vladimir Franz wants to become the Czech Republic's head of state . His appearance might give an unappealing impression. However the 53-year-old is actually a drama professor at a prestigious Czech university, a talented painter and a successful opera composer. He also graduated from law school and has a doctorate in law but opted against a legal career because of the former communist regime. Now Mr Franz, from Prague, is turning his hand to politics and has started a campaign to become the next President of the Czech Republic. The wannabe politician, running as an independent, is travelling around his homeland in a bid to get the 50,000 signatures required before the end of the year to run for office. And by Monday - after only his first weekend of campaigning - he had already racked up 8,777 signatures. Contender: Mr Franz hopes to replace current Czech Republic president Vaclav Klaus (pictured) He describes himself as a man 'with a sense of humour and an inner relationship to nature who never ceases to learn and expand his knowledge and skills'. The divorced father, whose Facebook campaign page has more than 23,000 likes, is confident the public will take him seriously and that he has a genuine chance of becoming the country's first publicly-elected President. Despite his intimidating image, his politics are moderate, promoting tolerance, human rights, democracy and encouraging the search for alternative energy sources. He told The Prague Post said: 'Politics, politicians and the state have become alienated from the people. Citizens are frustrated, and I fear radicalisation. 'Politicians and the state are not the same thing. They do not own the state, but should be its responsible stewards, hired by the owners once every four years. 'Those owners are the citizens of this country I think I have a chance, not only because I am non-partisan, but as a person without a tarnished political past and an individual free of links to financial circles and their interests. 'Gathering at least 50,000 signatures for my nomination will be a success, and it will bring hope. It would also be a strong signal that society is finally waking up. 'I understand I can be hard to read for many people, because until now I've only expressed my views through my art. Now I have to formulate them in a decoded language.'

Ink covers 90 per cent of Vladimir Franz's body . The professor has mounted an election campaign . He is aiming to replace Czech President Vaclav Klaus .

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Gareth Bale admits he is still struggling to grasp Spanish, despite enjoying a stellar debut season at Real Madrid. The Wales forward moved to Spain in September but says boss Carlo Ancelotti's team-talks are translated to him by Luka Modric and coach Paul Clement. In an . interview with BT Sport's Clare Balding, the 24-year-old said: 'Yes, . everything is in Spanish. At the start I used to obviously speak to Paul . [Clement] after, he knew what the team talk was about before Carlo made . it so obviously I used to speak with him.' VIDEO Scroll down to see how Gareth Bale's face has changed over the years . Language barrier: Real Madrid star Gareth Bale admits he is finding it difficult to grasp Spanish since his move . Bale, . who moved to the Bernabeu for a world record fee of £86million from Spurs, . added: 'Now I’ve been here for eight or so months I’ve started to pick . up on what’s being said and if I don’t understand something I’ll go and . speak to Paul or maybe speak to Luka or one of the boys who speaks both . languages to as what they said. 'I . suppose in a period of time I’m going to get used to listening to and . hearing the language and hopefully not in the too far distant future . I’ll be able to understand it fully.' Helping hand: Real team-mate Luka Modric (left) and coach Paul Clement (right) translate Bale's team talks . The . midfielder has featured 42 times for Real this season, scoring 20 goals . and assisting 14 as they look to add a tenth European crown to . the Copa del Rey they won against eternal rivals Barcelona in . April. After hammering defending champions Bayern Munich 5-1 on aggregate in their semi-final, Real . will face city foes Atletico in the Champions League final on May . 24 in Lisbon. The opportunity to be part of the club's history to win their . much-fabled 'La Decima' is one that Bale relishes in the first . all-Madrid final. Winning mentality: Bale (left) and Modric (right) celebrate winning the Copa del Rey vs Barcelona in April . Running riot: Bale (left) starred in Real's 5-1 aggregate Champions League thrashing vs Bayern Munich . 'Yes, . it’s going to be very interesting. I think it’s the first time it’s . ever happened with one major city having two teams in the final but it’s . going to be a difficult game,' he added. 'We . know how well they’ve played this season and we know what we’re capable . of so I think as long as we execute our game plan on the day then . hopefully we do win and yes, I think we have a lot of confidence going . into the game and something we’re looking forward to. 'Obviously it would be a dream if we lift the trophy.' Gareth Bale was speaking on The Clare Balding Show, to see the full interview tune in to BT Sport 1 at 8pm on Thursday 15th May.

Bale says he is still struggling to learn Spanish . Real team-mate Luka Modric and coach Paul Clement translate team talks . Bale joined Real from Tottenham for world record £86million in September . Real face city rivals Atletico in Champions League final on May 24 .

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By . Jonathan Petre . PUBLISHED: . 18:12 EST, 7 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:16 EST, 8 April 2012 . A protester sparked fury yesterday by deliberately swimming into the paths of the crews in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Environmental campaigner Trenton Oldfield was hauled from the water and arrested on public order offences after his actions halted the prestigious event for half an hour. Last night, the president of the Oxford University Boat Club angrily told Oldfield via Twitter: ‘My team went through seven months of hell. This was the culmination of our careers and you took it from us.’ The university crews were almost neck-and-neck when they were forced to stop after the blades of the Oxford team’s oars narrowly missed Oldfield. A police officer said later: ‘They nearly took his head off.’ Shock: Oxford crew members gape in disbelief after Trenton Oldfield dives beneath their oars and re-emerges from the Thames feet from the boat . Incredibly, it was not the only drama to affect the 158th boat race. After the event restarted – the first time a restart has been required for 11 years – an Oxford oar snapped when blades from the two teams tangled, allowing Cambridge to cruise to victory. Then, at the finish line, a member of the Oxford crew collapsed in the boat and had to be taken to hospital. The crews had set off normally enough at Putney Bridge, South-West London, a little after the scheduled start time of 2.15pm. More than nine minutes into the race – . halfway along the four-and-a-quarter-mile course, near Hammersmith . Bridge – former Olympic rower and race official Sir Matthew Pinsent . spotted Oldfield in the water. Wearing a wetsuit, the bearded Australian . had plunged into the Thames at the SurreyBend stage of the race, apparently in a protest to highlight his unorthodox political views. Critical seconds: As the Oxford rowers approach Oldfield only cox Zoe de Toledo sees the danger . Closing in: Rowers react to their cox's shouted warning. A police officer said the team 'nearly took his head off' Close shave: Oldfield ducks under the surface to avoid the oars before re-emerging on the other side . Witness Jonathan Finlan, an art dealer of Hyde Park, London, said: ‘I think he must have got there early and stayed lurking in the water, because we never saw him swim out from the riverbank.’ As the boats approached, Oldfield ducked under the water to avoid the oars. Oxford crew member William Zeng used Twitter to send the protester a series of emotional messages after the race. Mr Zeng, a doctorate student at Oriel College, tweeted: ‘When I missed your head with my blade I knew only that you were a swimmer, and if you say you are a protester then no matter what you say your cause may be, your action speaks too loudly for me to hear you. ‘I know exactly what you were protesting. You were protesting the right of 17 young men and onewoman to compete fairly and honorably, to demonstrate their hard work and desire in a proud tradition. ‘You were protesting their right to devote years of their lives, their friendships, and their souls to the fair pursuits of the joys and the hardships of sport. You, who would make a mockery of their dedication and their courage, are a mockery of a man.’ Exhaustion: Oxford's Alexander Woods is splashed with water by team-mate William Zheng after collapsing at the finish line . Another blow: Medics and the Oxford rowing team aid their bowman Alex Woods after he collapsed at the end of the race. He did not lose consciousness and is said to be in a stable condition . Frustratingly for Oxford, they were enjoying a marginal advantage when race umpire John Garrettbrought the event to a standstill. As Oldfield resurfaced, smiling broadly, he was picked up by a police boat. Once on dry land, he was led away off Chiswick pier, wrapped in a red blanket. Onlookers booed and shouted ‘Take him to the Tower!’ and ‘Is that David Walliams?’ – a reference to the comedian who swam the Thames last year for charity. Bitter defeat: Oxford's Alex Davidson is comforted after losing the 158th annual Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race on the river Thames at Mortlake, west London . Police later said Oldfield was being . detained at a West London police station on suspicion of a Section 5 . public order offence, namely behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm . or distress. Describing the drama, Cambridge rower . Steve Dudek said: ‘I saw a head. I looked over and thought they had . lost a guy [out of Oxford’s boat]. Our cox immediately said, “Stop!” ’ Oxford cox Zoe de Toledo was also forced to take drastic action – quickly alerting her crew to thedanger ahead. Remorseless: Oldfield beams as he is picked up by a police boat and led away off Chiswick pier . Explaining the decision to interrupt the race, Sir Matthew said the swimmer had risked serious injury. ‘It’s not ideal but what could we do? We could not have carried on,’ he said. In the other incidents, the blade of Oxford’s German rower Dr Hanno Wienhausen broke after thecrews’ oars clashed. The Oxford crew member who collapsed was Dr Alexander Woods. The 27-year-old Pembroke College medical student was lifted from his seat by medics. Apparently suffering from exhaustion, he was conscious, but was taken to hospital. He was said to bein a stable condition. At the end of the race, a clearly upset Ms Toledo appealed for the race to be rerun because there was too much wash on the course after the postponement. Her appeal was turned down by the umpire. The 2012 race is the first to be disrupted by a swimmer. The last time it had to be restarted was in2001 when there was a clash of blades and an oar was lost. In further reaction, television presenter Richard Madeley tweeted: ‘God, the monumental ego and selfishness of the swimmer who screwed the Boat Race. Imagine sharing living space with someone like that.’ The quick-witted Oxford cox at the centre of yesterday’s drama appeared in the Oscar-winning film The Social Network. Zoe de Toledo alerted her crew to the presence of protester Trenton Oldfield when he was just yards from their oars. Footage appeared to show Zoe calling out to the rowers, who were unable to see the man in the Thames. She played the role of a cox in the 2010 film, which portrayed the early life of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard University peers, including the Winklevoss twins, Tyler and Cameron. Quick thinker: Zoe de Toledo looks dejected after the race. Her shouted warning ensured the Oxford rowers did not hit Oldfield . The twins, who won a multi-million-pound court settlement after claiming Zuckerberg stole their idea for his social networking site, were part of the defeated Oxford crew in 2010. Zoe, who is studying for an MSc in criminal justice at Oxford, was the only woman in yesterday’s chaotic race. Film role: The Oxford team member played a cox in 2010's The Social Network . Talking last week about her role, the . 24-year-old, who lives with her fiance in Henley-on-Thames, said: ‘I was . rowing with [Henley’s] Leander Club at the time and we got word that . they needed extras for a rowing sequence. 'We filmed on the final day of the . Henley Royal Regatta and then spent six or seven days at Dorney Lake in . Buckinghamshire doing close-ups. ‘The director David Fincher was trying different things. He was attaching boats together with metal girders and putting cameras here, there and everywhere. It was really interesting and we got paid a little bit as well, which was nice.’ Between takes, Zoe sat chatting with Armie Hammer and Josh Pence, who played the Winklevoss twins. ‘They did a really good job and were good fun. They would tell us stories about their experiences and we would tell them about our lives.’ The filming, which took place in July 2009, evoked fond memories for Zoe. Her grandfather is Oscar-winning sound mixer Simon Kaye, and she spent much of her childhood visiting film sets. ‘I was used to all the waiting around and sudden panic when something is about to happen. I haven’t ruled out going into the film industry.’ Zoe was educated at fee-paying St Paul’s Girls’ School in London, where she first took up rowing. Last year she coxed Britain’s women’s eight team, who finished fourth in the European Rowing Championships. She also won a gold medal at the 2009 World under-23 Championships and a bronze in the 2005 World Junior Championships.

Environmental campaigner Trenton Oldfield pulled from the water and arrested after deliberately swimming into the path of the Oxford crew . Cambridge cruise to victory in 158th annual race as an Oxford oar snaps . Exhausted Oxford rower taken to hospital after collapsing at the finish line .

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By . David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor . Read my lips: Obama told the AMA four years ago that 'no matter how we reform health care ... If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.' Between half and three-quarters of Americans who buy their own health insurance on the open market will lose those plans in the next year as Obamacare is pushed into full implementation, according to a blockbuster report sure to give the White House a new round of health-care headaches. 'No matter how we reform health care,' a newly minted President Barack Obama told a meeting of the American Medical Association in June 2009, 'we will keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.' But regulations formulated by his own administration make it . clear that the White House never intended to to give Americans that . level of free choice about their medical insurance options. Washington, D.C. buzzed Friday with reports of what NBC News had surfaced: an under-the-radar notice in the Federal Register, which MailOnline has dated to June 17, 2010, laying out the administration's expectation that most people who buy their own health insurance will soon have no options other than paying exorbitant rates or joining the federal government's insurance exchanges. White House spokeswoman Jessica Santillo told NBC that 'nothing . in the Affordable Care Act forces people out of their health plans: The . law allows plans that covered people at the time the law was enacted to . continue to offer that same coverage to the same enrollees.' But millions of individual insurance plans don't comply with Obamacare's minimum standards, which include services like children's vision care, dental coverage and reproductive health options that some consumers don't want. Millions more with policies written before March 2010 will lose the 'grandfather' status President Obama has promised them because of tiny, marginal changes like premium adjustments or revised prescription copay rates. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . White House spokesmanJay Carney conceded Monday that 'it's true that there are existing healthcare plans on the individual market that don't meet [Obamacare's] minimum standards and therefore do not qualify' to survive . Smoking gun: The IRS published official notice in 2010 that it expected most Americans with individual health insurance plans would lose them under Obamacare . I told you so: A spokesman for long-time Obamacare foe Sen. Ted Cruz emailed the NBC News report all over Washington on Monday as soon as it hit the Internet . 'Any insurance that you currently have would be grandfathered in so you could keep it,' President Obama claimed during a CNN broadcast in February 2010. 'And so you could decide not to get, in the exchange, the better plan. I could keep my Acme insurance, just a high-deductible catastrophic plan. I would not be required to get the better one.' John Kyl, then a Republican senator from Arizona, countered with words that now seem prescient: 'That's for a very limited period of time.' The White House's website continues to communicate the president's earlier promises. 'If you like your plan you can keep it,' one page reads, 'and you don’t have to change a thing due to the health care law.' Under the Affordable Care Act and the tens of thousands of pages of related regulations, the grandfathering Obama promised only applies to insurance policies that continue, unchanged, from year to year. Requirements in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 often force health insurers to rewrite their policies annually in order to re-state consumers' privacy guarantees, now well-known as 'HIPPA' rights. That simple act of re-issuing a policy that's identical to the previous one would also render it ineligible for 'grandfather' status. 'A reasonable range for the percentage of individual policies that would terminate and therefore relinquish their grandfather status is 40 to 67 percent,' the IRS wrote on July 17, 2010. The White House's website continues to claim: 'If you like your plan you can keep it and you don't have to change a thing due to the health care law' That estimate only covers policies that lose their 'grandfathered' status by changing, and those which Americans voluntarily leave for other reasons. But still more will lose coverage, the IRS wrote, because their chosen levels of insurance will suddenly fail to meet the White House's definition of an adequate policy. 16 million: Health care analyst Bob Laszewski predicts that's the number of Americans who will lose their preferred medical insurance plans in the coming months . The annual total likely 'exceeds the 40 percent to 67percent range,' according to the IRS's statement more than three years ago. Overall, NBC reported Monday that of the 14 million U.S. consumers who buy individual health insurance plans, 50 to 75 per cent will likely receive cancellation notices during the next year. And the administration has been expecting that outcome since 2010. That conclusion came as a result of estimates from four sources deeply involved with the administration's work on the Affordable Care Act, one of whom said as many as 80 per cent of individual insurance customers will be short on choices by this time in 2014. Months of wrangling over the Obamacare law in 2009 included jousting over whether a range of services including mental health and drug abuse treatments, dental provisions and and vision care for children should be mandated for every qualifying insurance policy, even though not all consumers want them. Democrats generally won those battles, resulting in a minimum set of health insurance standards that has placed most individual policies out-of-bounds. In their places are new, more robust plans expected to bring 'sticker shock' to millions. Health policy analyst Bob Laszewski, who consults with America's largest insurers, estimated this month that 'as many as 16 million' such policies will be canceled because they don't comply with the Obamacare law. That represents 80 per cent of his estimate that 19 million such plans, provided by neither governments nor employers, are in existence today. Fox News Channel's Megyn Kelly exploded: Obama 'said "if you like your plan you can keep it, period." If he wanted to be honest, he should not have said "period." He should have said "asterisk." News networks buzzed late on Friday as they discovered what NBC had found: evidence that the Obama administration has known for three years that the president's promise simply couldn't be kept. This example, from July 19, 2010, hit the Internet five weeks after the IRS published it in the Federal Register (above) The White House has begun to concede that many Americans who buy their health insurance directly from companies on the open market will lose their current coverage, but counters that most of them will find better coverage on the exchanges, and at a lower net cost when subsidies for lower-income taxpayers are factored in. Cornered by a reporter on Monday, . White House Press Secretary Jay Carney admitted that 'there are going to . be changes brought about by the Affordable Care Act to create minimum . standards of coverage, minimum services that every insurance plan has to . provide.' 'So it's true,' he said, 'that there are existing healthcare plans on the individual . market that don't meet those minimum standards and therefore do not . qualify for the Affordable Care Act.' The National Center for Public Policy Research has chronicled recent news reports documenting 1.49 million policy cancellation notices that insurers have already sent customers in New Jersey, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Additional reports in  Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina, the organization said, came without precise numbers. In California, the Los Angeles Times reports that the recipients of those letters are surprised to learn how much they would have to pay to stay insured without entering a government-run program. 'This is when the actual sticker shock comes into play for people,' Gerald Kominski, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, told the Times. 'There are winners and losers under the Affordable Care Act.' How long are Americans' memories? Obama's 2009 American Medical Association speech, and the dozens that preceded and followed it, laid down a marker on consumer choice that he won't find it easy to escape . HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (L) will face congressional questions Wednesday about the Obamacare rollout and what it means for health insurance consumers. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Marilyn Tavenner (R) will have her turn Tuesday. On Tuesday a key Obamacare administrator will testify in a House Ways and Means Committee hearing about the unrelated technical failures that have plagued Healthcare.gov, the Obamacare system's main website. Marilyn Tavenner, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will face tough questions about why the website was launched without adequate testing, and why her agency was tapped to coordinate the work of dozens of software contractors instead of a more experienced outside company. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will have her turn on the hot seat Wednesday, when she faces a hostile panel in a House Commerce and Energy Committee hearing. Sebelius's grilling will likely include broader questions about the Obamacare program. She was asked to appear in Congress last week but declined.

President Obama has promised for 4 years that individual health insurance policies will be 'grandfathered' in so they won't change under Obamacare . But the IRS wrote in June 2010 that 40 to 67 per cent' of those policies will 'relinquish their grandfather status' anyway . NBC News found sources close to the Obamacare planning table who put that number as high as 80 per cent . Millions of Americans are already receiving cancellation notices from their insurers . The White House conceded Monday that 'it's true' many plans don't meet Obamacare's minimum standards, so Americans won't get to keep them . The revelations come as the Obama administration is already under fire for the Obamacare website's horrendous launch on October 1 . Two key appointees from the Department of Health and Human Services will face tough questions this week on Capitol Hill .

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By . Emma Thomas . PUBLISHED: . 04:54 EST, 2 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:18 EST, 2 January 2014 . A little girl has undergone plastic surgery after part of her mouth was ripped off by a dog in a Christmas Day attack. Six-year-old Demi Baines was walking to her home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, with mother Karen Baines when she was mauled by the Staffordshire bull terrier. Ms Baines described how the dog launched at her daughter and attached itself to her face – leaving the little girl with horrifying facial injuries which included a severed lip. Injuries: Six-year-old Demi Baines was mauled by a Staffordshire bull terrier near her home in Hyde . Demi was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary, where plastic surgeons have worked to reconstruct her mouth in two separate operations. Mother-of-three Ms Baines, 36, said: 'I feared for Demi’s life – I thought she could have been killed.'It was the most scary, terrible thing I have ever experienced. 'Demi’s injuries were horrific. They were something you wouldn’t even see in a horror movie. 'Her bottom lip was hanging off and the left hand side of her top lip was near enough gone.' Unprovoked: Ms Baines said the Staffordshire Bull Terrier appeared from a field and, although appeared friendly at first, launched the attack without provocation (file picture) Surgery: Karen Baines and daughter Demi who has had two operations on her mouth . Ms Baines added that Demi also had a chunk taken out of her arm and an injury to her back. The youngster is set to undergo another operation on her face later this week. Call centre worker Ms Baines said: 'Demi has been so brave. She has been absolutely amazing. 'She hasn’t moaned about it at all but she’s wary of the neighbours’ dogs now.' The shocking incident happened in Gair Street, Flowery Field, on Christmas Day shortly after 6pm as Karen and Demi walked to their home on Well Meadow from a family party nearby. Ms Baines said the dog appeared from a field and, although appeared friendly at first, launched the attack without provocation. Attack: Gair Street, Flowery Field, Hyde, where Demi was walking . She claimed the dog’s owner also assaulted her as she tried to pull the animal off her daughter during the chaotic incident, which police are now investigating. A 70-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control in a public place and bailed until February. The Staffordshire bull terrier has been seized by police under the Dangerous Dogs Act. A police spokesman said: 'Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident.'

Six-year-old Demi Baines was walking in Hyde when she was attacked . Youngster left with horrific facial injuries as well as bites on arm and back . Mother Karen Baines said dog appeared from a field and wasn't provoked .

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By . Laura Clark . Students will be asked to analyse the speeches of Tony Blair and Boris Johnson as part of their English GCSEs. They are also scrutinising the commentaries of international cricket matches and transcripts of Hairy Bikers TV cookery programmes. It comes after recent exams have asked pupils to analyse the rambling armchair stories of Ronnie Corbett and Eddie Izzard’s performances, fuelling the argument of those who claim the exams are being ‘dumbed down’. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, left, and London Mayor Boris Johnson, right, are both politicians who could see their speeches analysed in the exams. Blair's addresses on the death of Princess Diana and the eve of the Iraq War are two of the texts students could find themselves studying . Transcripts of television programmes, such as cookery show The Hairy Bikers, will also form part of the exams . Pupils studying English Language with the OCR exam board must write an essay on extracts of spoken language – worth 10 per cent of the marks. But critics have questioned why pupils are being encouraged to study the language of TV hosts and entertainers rather than great orators such as Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln. The exams are among those facing the axe in a radical exam overhaul. Even the commentaries on sporting events, such as international cricket matches, could form part of courses . Education Secretary Michael Gove has ordered examiners to rethink GCSEs in English and other core subjects to counter apparent dumbing down. As part of the changes, being phased in from next year, so-called ‘controlled assessments’ – such as the spoken language assignment – will be scrapped and all marks will rest on performance in final exams. But teachers preparing pupils for exams in 2015 have been told that youngsters can study either Tony Blair, London mayor Boris Johnson or comic David Mitchell. Critics of the courses say students should study history's great orators, such as Britain's Prime Minister during the Second World War, Winston Churchill, left, and America's President during the country's civil war, Abraham Lincoln, right, who gave famous speeches such as the Gettysburg Address . They are then given four hours of classroom time to complete a 1,000-word essay on the spoken language of their chosen person. Education Secretary Michael Gove has launched a crusade against what he sees as the 'dumbing down' of exams . Schools are allowed free rein as to which of Blair’s speeches they select but his ‘People’s Princess’ speech on the death of Diana is known to be among those chosen, as is his address to the Iraqi people on the eve of war. Guidance to schools says pupils should focus on how the speaker establishes a rapport with the audience, how they create impact with their speech and how they use techniques such as timing and pace. The interviews of Jeremy Paxman, Michael Parkinson and John Humphrys have also made it onto the syllabus, as have transcripts of commentaries of cricket matches and the men’s Wimbledon singles final. Extracts from cookery shows hosted by the Hairy Bikers, Jamie Oliver and Delia Smith have also been considered suitable material. One recent year saw the examining board use the Queen, Martin Luther King and comedian Rob Brydon as speakers to be studied. Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘It is important that children are not denied access to speeches that have stood the test of time. The interviews of Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman, top, chatshow host Michael Parkinson, bottom left, and Radio 4 Today Programme presenter John Humphreys, bottom right, will also be texts for study . ‘Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, for example, provide a much richer source of oratory than contemporary radio show hosts and TV comedians. In a study of spoken English the only real justification for studying the words of Tony Blair or Ronnie Corbett is to expose the limitations of their language in comparison with truly great oratory.’ An OCR spokesman said: ‘Where speakers are selected for the controlled assessment task, schools are given the flexibility to choose speakers or topics which will engage and interest their students.‘Speakers are selected because they are public figures whose speeches are widely available and have the breadth to sustain a critical appraisal.’

Speeches, sports commentaries and comedy transcripts are just some of the texts students will be studying . It has led to accusations that English exams are being 'dumbed down' Ten per cent of marks come from an analysis of spoken language . Michael Gove will be phasing out the 'controlled assignments' of which this is a part but it will still affect children studying in 2015 . Students must analyses how orators strike up a rapport with the audience and how they use timing and pace to make an impact .

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By . Matt Morlidge for MailOnline . Follow @@MattMorlidge . Marnick Vermijl, Reece James, Saido Janko. Not names you would familiarise with playing for Manchester United. In fact, Louis van Gaal's stance of playing the youngsters against MK Dons on Tuesday night will warrant him a piece of unwanted history. For United can only play a maximum of 46 games this season after being dumped out of the Capital One Cup, which will be their lowest in at least 27 years. Van Gaal inherited a team that was out of Europe and could only focus on domestic competitions, so it was somewhat bewildering that the Dutch boss elected to rest several first-teamers when travelling to Stadium mk. Especially when he is still trying to implement his 3-5-2 formation. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Louis Van Gaal claim a new team is not built in one month . Right move? Louis van Gaal played the youngsters against MK Dons and subsequently lost 4-0 . Battle: Marnick Vermijl struggled to come to terms with the physical nature in the Capital One Cup . Dejection: United will play a maximum of 46 games this season, their lowest in at least 20 years . Including all FA Cup replays and Community Shield . Manchester United 46 . Chelsea 65 . Manchester City 66 . Everton 67 . Arsenal 68 . Tottenham 69 . Hull 71 . United's possible fixtures lists are dwarfed by their Premier League rivals. Manchester City may play 66, including the Charity Shield, Chelsea and Liverpool could take to the pitch 65 times. Everton 67, Arsenal 68, Tottenham 69, even Hull City could reach the 71 game mark should they make all their finals. The figures gathered take into account every game, including replays, a team could face in the 2014/15 season. Now, United can only look forward to the league and the FA Cup. This is not what they're used to. The Red Devils have not dipped below playing 50 games a season since the 1995/96 campaign, while the last time they played 46 games was in '81/82. You have to go as far back as 1958/59 to find what United's realistic total could be this year, 43. No stopping us: Chelsea and Manchester City should play over 60 games this season . 2013/14 55, League Cup SF FA Cup 3rd CL QF Shield . 2012/13 53 League Cup 4th FA Cup QF CL R16 . 2011/12 54 League Cup 5th FA Cup 4th CL Group stage Europa League four games Shield . 2010/11 60 League Cup 5th FA Cup Semi CL Final Shield . 2009/10 56 League Cup Won FA Cup 3rd CL QF Shield . 2008/09 66 League Cup Won FA Cup Semi CL Final Shield CWC Won (two games) 2007/08 57 League Cup 3rd FA Cup QF CL Won Shield . 2006/07 60 League Cup 4th FA Cup Final CL SF . 2005/06 56 League Cup Won FA Cup 5th CL Group stage . 2004/05 61 League Cup SF FA Cup Final CL R16 Shield . Over the last 10 years, United's lowest season total was 53 in 2011/12, while they managed 66 in '08/09. That season included a Champions League and Capital One Cup final, a Club World Cup, and an FA Cup semi. How times have changed. There could be the argument that Van Gaal's side could flourish playing less games while their so-called rivals are on their European venture in the week. United won't even play a midweek fixture until December. But should their strength in depth be so weak? The likes of Angel di Maria and Marcos Rojo will certainly improve things at Old Trafford with their ability to operate in different positions, but against MK Dons, these were the man backing up the first team. Fresh legs: United only played 46 games in the 1987/88 season, including all fixtures . History: You have to go as far back as '58/59 to the last time United played this season's realistic total . Experienced: But several of Van Gaal's go-to men on Tuesday night failed to deliver at Stadium mk . Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez, Shinji Kagawa and Adnan Januzaj all went to the World Cup in the summer. None of them could trouble David Martin in the hosts' goal. Meanwhile, City and Chelsea in particular can rely on a star-studded bench in a trusted system to ease past lowly position. Van Gaal has made his mind up that the Premier League and the FA Cup is the way to go this season. Time will tell whether this courageous decision at such a huge club will be vindicated. VIDEO Van Gaal blames injuries, errors and luck .

Marnick Vermijl, Reece James and Saido Janko all started in 4-0 loss . United won't be in Europe this season and already out of Capital One Cup . United can only play 46 games this season including FA Cup replays . Their Premier League rivals could feature in up to 71 fixtures . United haven't played under 50 games since 1995/96 . They played 46 games in '87/88, 45 in '81/82, 53 back in '58/59 .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:02 EST, 19 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:09 EST, 20 February 2013 . YouTube has been criticised for helping to encourage the stereotype of nurses as ‘sexual playthings’. University lecturer Jacinta Kelly said videos uploaded to the website demean the nursing profession and portray nurses as ‘witless, incompetent’ doctors’ assistants. She has called on young nurses to upload their own videos to the site to highlight the skilled element of their jobs. Scroll down for video . Criticism: Anglia Ruskin University's Jacinta Kelly said YouTube videos of nurses encourage the stereotype of nurses as 'sexual playthings' Ms Kelly, an acute care lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, said: ‘It seems that the stereotype of nurses is actually getting worse. ‘Nurses are painted in a very damaging and humiliating way and not only does it affect how other people view the profession but it affects the self confidence of current nurses.’ Her research included an analysis of the ten most-viewed videos for the search terms ‘nurse’ and ‘nursing’, retrieved from the website in July 2010. 'Humiliating': The academic has called for fewer depictions of nurses as stupid and overly sexualised . Most of the videos caricatured nurse-patient relationships as well as those between doctors and nurses – often in a sexualised way. Three nursing identities emerged, including a nurse as a ‘skilled knower and doer’, a nurse as a ‘sexual plaything’ and a nurse ‘as a witless, incompetent’ individual.

Jacinta Kelly said uploaded videos demeaned the nursing profession . Said it makes nurses look like 'sexual playthings' and as 'witless and incompetent' Anglia Ruskin University lecturer analysed videos for the search terms ‘nurse’ and ‘nursing’

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By . Snejana Farberov . PUBLISHED: . 19:22 EST, 7 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:21 EST, 8 December 2013 . Two students attending the same middle school in Connecticut have landed in trouble after posting images of guns on their Instagram accounts on the same day. One of the students, a 13-year-old boy, was charged with disorderly conduct for sharing an image of two firearms Thursday morning accompanied by a note that read: 'I think I'm ready to go to school :-).' In a separate incident, investigators said a boy put up a picture of a pistol on his social media account and wrote, 'Colt Anaconda .357. Damn I love revolvers.' Chilling coincidence: Two 13-year-old boys attending the same middle school in Connecticut posted images of guns on their Instagram accounts on the same day . Both teens attend John Read Middle School in Redding, Connecticut, which was named this week a school of distinction for the highest overall performance, according to The Redding Pilot. In the first case, Redding Police Chief Douglas Fuchs said a student spotted the Instagram post depicting the two guns at around 8.30am and contacted school officials. The unnamed 13-year-old gun enthusiast was then removed from class by a resource officer. The photo of a Colt was posted by his schoolmate at around 5.30pm Thursday, but was later taken down. In both cases, investigators determined that the middle schoolers did not have any firearms in their possession on school property. The 13-year-old boys insisted that they never intended to hurt anyone. Police officers have seized the two weapons featured in the 13-year-old's Instagram pictures, which turned out to be pellet guns, The Courant reported. Chief Fuchs said one of the facsimile pistols had its tell-tale plastic tip removed, making it appear more realistic. The 13-year-old has been charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and released to his parents. Good school: Both teens attend John Read Middle School in Redding, Connecticut, which was named this week a school of distinction for the highest overall performance . According to detectives, the John Read student who posted a photo of the Anaconda revolver pulled the image from the Internet. No charges are expected to be filed in that case. Schools Superintendent Dr. Bernard Josefsberg and John Read Principal Diane Martin sent a joint letter to parents Friday addressing the incidents, according to The Redding Pilot. 'Whatever was going through the minds of these two boys when they pressed "Send," they now know that those photos in this place at this time are not joking matters,' the missive read in part. 'As they should have known, Redding school officials and Redding police understood their behavior as possibly threatening, potentially sinister and most certainly disruptive.' The alarming incidents come a week before the one-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook school massacre that has left 26 people dead in Newtown, Connecticut - a town located about 11 miles from Redding.

Student from John Read Middle School in Redding, Connecticut, was charged with disorderly conduct after classmate saw the gun photos online . Another 13-year-old attending the same school put up image of a revolver on his Instagram page that he found online just hours later . Redding is located just over 10 miles from the site of the Sandy Hook school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut .

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By . Bianca London . Holly Branson, the eldest daughter of Sir Richard Branson, is expecting twins. The 32-year-old doctor shared the exciting news on her father's company website, as well as via her Twitter account. Writing on Virgin.com, she explained that she wouldn't be taking part in the Virgin Strive Challenge, a 1,000km journey from London to the Matterhorn with marathons, rowing, cycling, hiking and climbing, with her family because of her pregnancy. Scroll down for video . Happy news: Holly Branson told fans via Twitter today that she and husband Freddie are delighted to be expecting twins . In a blog post entitled 'Why I’m supporting, not joining, the Virgin Strive Challenge', she wrote: 'There are just days to go before the Virgin STRIVE Challenge begins and the whole team is getting very excited - and a little bit nervous! 'The epic journey from London to the Matterhorn starts with a marathon from the O2 Arena to Gravesend on August 7th. The core team of 10 people will be striving to reach the summit of the Matterhorn entirely under their own steam, with marathons, rowing, cycling, hiking and climbing all to come on a route of more than 1,000km. 'My brother Sam, cousin Noah and the team have been training and fundraising hard, and having a lot of fun along the way. As well as an adventure of a lifetime, the Virgin STRIVE Challenge is aiming to raise £750,000 to support young people in the UK to develop the life skills they need to reach their potential. Parents-to-be: Holly and Freddie met at school in Oxford and tied the knot in a lavish ceremony on Necker Island in 2012 . 'Life skills is this year’s main focus for Big Change, and it is great to see the money raised by the Virgin STRIVE Challenge going towards such important and innovative projects to help young people thrive in life. 'As one of Big Change’s Trustees, some of you have been asking why I’m now not taking part in the Virgin STRIVE Challenge myself. 'Well, Freddie and I are delighted to share the happy news that we are expecting twins!'. She continued: 'After telling our families and all of the Virgin family too, we thought it was time to let everyone know - plus I don’t want anybody thinking I wasn’t up for the challenge of doing Strive!! 'Thanks to everybody for their well-wishes and support so far.' Holly and her husband Freddie Andrewes, who met at school in Oxford, tied the knot in January 2012 in front of their proud and happy friends and . family on her father Sir Richard Branson's . idyllic Necker Island. Holly and Freddie married on the island . that back in August was ravaged by a huge fire that destroyed the Great . House on the Virgin Island. She . wasn't going to let that stop her holding her big day there and said . getting married on the remains added a special aspect to the ceremony. Talking to Hello! magazine, she said: 'Because it is such a dramatic environment, you don't get a sad feeling . on the ruins, it's more of an uplifting, wow, a feeling of celebration . and a time to reflect. 'Before, we were wondering where to fit that many people to have a . proper service, but it was the most obvious big flat open space, it was . perfect. 'It's definitely our special place and it looked absolutely beautiful, . even thought it was still very rustic - there are still piles of rubble - . it was dramatic. And it's stunning because you're at the top of a hill . so there are incredible panoramic views.' Explanation: Writing on Virgin.com, she explained that she wouldn't be taking part in the Virgin Strive Challenge because of her pregnancy. Grandfather Richard: Sir Branson, pictured with newborn son Sam and daughter Holly in 1986, encouraged Holly's pregnancy . Clearly the place is . special; in the tweet announcing her pregnancy news, she and Freddie can . be seen posing on a hill on Necker Island. At the time of her wedding, Holly said: 'He was really keen for . me to be pregnant walking down the aisle. He didn't think we should . worry about being married first. 'My parents weren't married before they . had Sam and I, but both had been married before and it didn't work, so I . think for us, it's nice to do everything in the right order.' Will she be godmother? Holly, 32, is a close friend of Princess Beatrice, who will no doubt play a pivotal role in the baby's life .

Doctor Holly shared the news on Virgin's website . Explained she won't be taking part in Strive Challenge due to pregnancy . Met Freddie Andrews at school in Oxford and tied the knot in 2012 . Richard Branson has long been keen for Holly to have children .

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By . Tim Shipman, Deputy Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 18:40 EST, 23 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:15 EST, 24 December 2012 . George Osborne is facing a Cabinet revolt over plans to impose tolls on Britain's roads. Senior ministers regard the plans - which the Chancellor wants included in a coalition relaunch document in January - as 'a new pasty tax' that will undermine Tory chances of winning the next election. Ministers and officials have privately voiced concerns that the proposals cannot be made to work and would lead to 'electoral suicide'. The Chancellor's plans could put him at odds with the Prime Minister . The Tories spent years denouncing Labour for waging a 'war on motorists' but Mr Osborne believes getting foreign investors to build new roads and pay for them with tolls will kickstart growth. But his calls for road tolls to be included in January's midterm review are causing widespread irritation among his ministerial colleagues. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has concerns about selling a road tax plan to the public. Allies say he sees the advantages of putting investment on a firm footing but one added: 'He can see the political challenges.' Senior ministers like Michael Gove, Philip Hammond and Theresa May are understood to be concerned that a road toll scheme would upset Middle Britain. One ministerial aide told the Mail: 'This is nuts. 'We slagged off Labour for years for taxing motorists off the roads and now we seem to want to do the same. 'This just doesn't make sense. The problem with the pasty tax and the caravan tax and all that was that the Treasury put revenue-raising before common sense politics. We shouldn't go there again.' The plans could put the Chancellor at odds with Prime Minister David Cameron, who is concerned that slapping tolls on motorways would drive traffic onto minor roads in the countryside. A second senior government source said: 'Cameron only wants it if there are no losers and it's hard to see how you can get to that point. People are concerned about it across the board - ministers, Treasury officials, the lot.' Plans to put tolls on certain lanes - branded Lexus lanes because they would create a two-tier system have already been dismissed as reinforcing the notion that the Tories treat wealthy voters differently from those struggling to make ends meet. Others are concerned that a charging scheme dependent on every driver having every trip they every make recorded on CCTV cameras would lead to claims of a surveillance state. 'I can imagine the fuss people would make about snoopers,' said one source. A Liberal Democrat official said that while the junior coalition partner was not opposed to the plans there is scepticism that a solution can be found. The coalition Mid Term Review is expected to include an intention to examine road pricing but no concrete proposal.

Senior ministers say tax will spell 'electoral suicide' for Tories . Proposal could create tension between Osborne and Prime Minister . Lib Dems remain sceptical over the plans .

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By . Emma Clark . PUBLISHED: . 05:38 EST, 21 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:16 EST, 21 September 2012 . Jackie Powell,49, pictured coming out of her house in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, in August a few days before her arrest . The confidante of Moors murderer Ian Brady appeared in public for the first time since her arrest over a mystery letter handed to her by the child killer - thought to contain the location of his only undiscovered victim. Jackie Powell, Brady's mental health advocate for 13 years, stepped out to support her lover in court over a heroin possession charge yesterday. Miss Powell, 49, sat next to Clive Pinder, 44, at Llanelli Magistrates' Court, South Wales, where he admitted the offence and was handed a £55 fine and costs of £40. Pinder, who has over 80 convictions including kidnap and violent attacks, was arrested after police discovered heroin, a hypodermic needle, wraps and burnt foil at Miss Powell's home where the couple were staying. Miss Powell was arrested last month on suspicion . of preventing the lawful burial of a body after becoming embroiled in controversy following her participation in . a Channel 4 documentary, Endgames Of A Psychopath. On camera, Miss . Powell said Brady had given her a sealed envelope to be opened after his . death, which would ‘allow [Keith’s mother] Winnie Johnson to find . peace’. She speculated that the contents . might reveal the location of 12-year-old Keith’s body on Saddleworth . Moor, which overlooks Oldham. When police raided her home they failed to uncover the letter but instead came across the drugs - which . Pinder claimed ownership of. Until yesterday she had not been seen out in public since. A police spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said today that the investigation into Miss Powell, who is on bail, is still ongoing. Moors murderer Ian Brady, left, is said to have given his confidante Jackie Powell a letter which she believes contains details about the burial place of his victim Keith Bennett, right, whose body has never been found . Clive Pinder appeared at llanelli Magistrates' Court yesterday, accompanied by his love Jackie Powell, where he admitted heroin possession . Keith Bennett was the only one of the child killer's five victims whose body has never been recovered. He was snatched off the street by Brady and Hindleyas he walked to his grandmother's house in Longsight, Manchester, on June 16, 1964. His mother Winnie Johnson dedicated her life to finding her son's body, making several . thousand trips to the Moors in search of her son, but died of cancer just days after Powell's arrest unable to fulfill her wish. Mrs Johnson wrote ‘hundreds’ of letters to Brady . begging him to reveal where Keith’s body is buried before she died. It included a heartfelt plea in December revealing the extent of her . illness - but he has refused to reveal the location. Winnie Johnson, pictured, died last month not knowing where her murdered son was buried .

Miss Powell, 49, had not been seen since her arrest last month . She claims killer gave her letter which could contain location of undiscovered victim Keith Bennett .

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By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 09:06 EST, 20 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:39 EST, 20 June 2013 . A runaway tractor ploughed into the back of a family home - feet from where a 16-year-old girl was stood. Bexi Hebbourn was seconds away from being hit when the farmer's tractor careered through the back wall as she took washing to an outhouse. It brought down tonnes of masonry and brickwork at the exact spot the teenager was about to enter. Bexi Hebbourn said she was seconds away from being hit by a tractor that ploughed into the back of her house . The tractor caused £25,000 worth of damage when it smashed into the back wall feet away from Bexi . Bexi said she would have been struck by the mound of rubble if she had gone to put the washing out 10 seconds later. The accident caused £25,000 damage to the house in Ulverston, Cumbria. The GCSE student, said: 'I was walking down to the tumble dryer to put some clothes in with a basket in my hand and a couple of moments later something hit the wall and then the door of the wall came flying off and nearly hit our dogs, Rusty and Beatrix. 'There was a big tractor wheel poking out. If I had set off to put the washing in 10 seconds later, I would have been standing there.' Bexi said she only realised how close her escape was after the impact. The collision threw tonnes of rubble at the place where she would have been standing for the tumble dryer. Bexi's mother Kay (pictured together) is looking into what traffic calming measures can be installed in the lane . Bexi said if she had put out the washing 10 seconds earlier she would have been hit by the rubble . Bexi . said that bricks 'the height of her rib-cage' surrounded the dryer, which had its door ripped off. The top of a nearby chest . freezer was ripped from its hinges and a family bike destroyed. She said: 'My first reaction wasn't shock or surprise - it just seemed to happen like it was a cartoon. 'It was only when I saw the damage, and the rubble that would have been piled up to my ribs, that I realised. I felt very lucky and shocked.' Neighbours described the moment of impact as like 'an earthquake'. The accident happened on Old Hall Road in Ulverston on a route often used by farm workers to head to and from the town. The driver of the vehicle - a farm worker - was not injured in the incident on June 8. The driver of the tractor (similar to the one pictured) was not injured in the crash . Cumbria Police are now investigating and have met with Mrs Hebbourn and Bexi, who has just finished her GCSEs at Ulverston Victoria High School. The formal cause of the accident has not yet been determined but police said they are treating it as an accident. No one has been arrested. Bexi's mum Kay, 49, a self-employed businesswoman, is now looking into what traffic calming measures could be installed on the lane, which is regularly used by farm traffic. She said: 'It makes me realise that everything can be replaced but had anything happened to Bexi it would be so horrendous. 'Fortunately she is ok. The police have said there have been five incidents all on the same stretch of road.'

Bexi Hebbourn was taking the washing outside when the tractor crashed . Brought down tonnes of masonry and brickwork as it careered into house . Said she would have been hit if she had taken washing out seconds later .

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By . Jack Doyle . Launch: Uganda is among the African nations with plans to develop its own rocket . Four other African countries in receipt of hundreds of millions of pounds in British aid have their own space programmes, the Mail can reveal. The row over aid spending intensified yesterday when it emerged Britain is pumping more than a billion pounds into oil-rich Nigeria which has plans to put a man in space. But taxpayers are also funding aid programmes in South Africa, Ghana, Uganda and Kenya – all of which have their own space agencies. Many are in their early stages, but include ambitious and expensive plans for satellites and even rockets. Over the five years of this Government, the four nations will receive more than £1.5billion from British taxpayers. Kenya will be handed the most, a total of £596million, followed by Uganda which is getting £480million. Ghana will receive £460million. South Africa will be given £112million – almost as much as it spends on its space programme. The long-standing project  is estimated to cost some £110million  a year. In May ministers announced direct aid to South Africa would end in 2015. International Development Secretary Justine Greening said it was now the region’s ‘economic powerhouse’ and was ‘in a position to fund its own development’. But until then it will still be handed some £19million a year. The South African National Space Agency was founded in 2009 – the same year that the first South African government-owned satellite was launched on a Russian rocket. It cost an estimated £1.7million and collects images for agriculture, water management and urban planning. Kenya’s space agency was set up last year and the country’s politicians have made clear their intentions to get a satellite into space. Uganda also has a space research programme, paid for in part by its government, and plans for a satellite and rocket. Ludicrous: Despite millions of Africans living in extreme poverty, governments are spending huge sums on space programmes . Ghana’s Space Science and Technology Centre is thought to be several years away from putting a satellite into space. The revelations will intensify pressure on ministers over Britain’s spiralling aid spending. The Department for International Development’s budget will rise by 35 per cent in real terms by 2015, at  the same time as spending on areas of critical national importance such as the police, military and immigration is being slashed. Britain is also handing about £280million a year in aid to India, another country with its own space programme. Changes: International Development Secretary Justine Greening told South Africa it will no longer receive direct aid by 2015 . The row was sparked by comments from UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom who said it was folly to give billions in aid to ‘Bongo Bongo land’. He was widely criticised for using the term ‘Bongo Bongo land’ but many commentators believe he was right about the building resentment over foreign aid. He said: ‘How we can possibly be giving a billion pounds a month, when we’re in this sort of debt, to Bongo Bongo land is completely beyond me.’ And he claimed foreign leaders frittered aid money away on ‘Ray-Ban sunglasses, apartments in Paris and Ferraris’. On Thursday David Cameron said the remarks were offensive and accused Mr Bloom of being guilty of a ‘stop the world I want to get off’ approach to foreign aid. But the revelations that oil-rich Nigeria, which is receiving £300million in British aid this year alone, had ambitious plans to launch its own rockets sparked fury. Critics asked why Britain was, in effect, subsidising a space programme for a nation where 70 per cent of people live below the poverty line. Backbench Tory MP Philip Davies said it was ‘totally unjustifiable and unaffordable’ for Britain to give this money to Nigeria, given the scale of its ‘grandiose’ space programme. But the Department for International Development has defended its aid spending, saying the money goes to poverty reduction, health and education programmes, and would benefit Britain by cutting immigration and crime.

South Africa, Ghana, Uganda and Kenya all have space agencies . Countries will receive £1.5billion in aid from Britain from current Government . Revelations will intensify pressure over our foreign aid spending .

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By . Associated Press . and Alex Greig . The fashion house Valentino has apologized for touting in an email blast to journalists that one of their pricey bags was carried by Amy Adams as she stepped from a car at the wake of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Much was made of the promotional email sent Friday, complete with two photos of Adams outside the Thursday wake. Valentino said in a statement that quickly followed that the company didn't realize the photos were snapped at the sad gathering of loved ones for Hoffman, who was found dead February 2 of an apparent heroin overdose in his apartment. Solemn occasion: Amy Adams, her Valentino bag and her husband Darren Le Gallo attend the wake for Philip Seymour Hoffman in Manhattan Friday . We sincerely regret releasing a photo to the media ... of Amy Adams with a Valentino Bag. We were not aware the photograph was taken while she was attending the wake of Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was an innocent mistake and we apologize to Ms. Adams who was not aware, or a part of, our PR efforts,' said the regretful statement signed by Mona Swanson, vice president of communications for Valentino USA. The New York Post splashed the Valentino-toting actress all over its front page Saturday with the headline 'DEAD CARPET' after putting up the gaffe online, apparently prompting the apology. The Daily News included the image of Adams with the red, $2,500 bag in a two-page spread inside the paper.Both Hoffman's wake and his funeral the next day were attended . by numerous celebrities, Adams included. A . PR representative for Valentino issued a press release crowing over . A-list actress Amy Adams carrying a bag made by the designer label while . attending the wake. Friends and colleagues; Adams pictured with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman at the premiere of their film Doubt in 2008 . The . Valentino public relations executive Upasna Khosla emailed out a press . release that read: 'We are pleased to announce Amy Adams carrying the . Valentino Garavani Rockstud Duble bag from the Spring/Summer 2014 . collection on Feb. 6 in New York.' It was accompanied by two pictures of a grieving Adams with her head down, wearing sunglasses and a sombre expression. Bag lady: Adams may not now be so fond of her designer bag . Adams, who recently broke down in tears while speaking to students on Inside the Actors Studio about working with Hoffman, is disgusted by the PR stunt. The actress' representative called the tasteless ploy 'truly appalling.' 'Amy Adams is not a paid spokesperson for Valentino and the suggestion she would use this moment to participate in a promotion is truly appalling,' the spokesperson told Page Six. Adams wore a red halterneck Valentino gown to this year's Golden Globes, where she picked up the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy but it now seems unlikely she'll choose the designer for the upcoming Academy Awards. Adams, who is nominated in this year's awards for best actress for her role in American Hustle, co-starred with Hoffman in the 2012 Oscar-nominated film The Master, 2008's Doubt and Charlie Wilson's War in 2007. Hoffman was due to direct Adams in Ezekiel Moss, a period piece, sometime this year. The company issued an apology for the press release late Friday afternoon. 'We sincerely regret releasing a photo to the media this morning of Amy Adams with a Valentino bag,' said Valentino spokeswoman Mona Swanson. 'We were not aware the photograph was taken while she was attending the wake of Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was an innocent mistake and we apologize to Ms. Adams who was not aware, or a part of, our PR efforts.' Write caption here . Close: Adams and Hoffman in the 2008 film Doubt, for which they both received Oscar nominations . The untimely death of Philip Seymour Hoffman has seen some of Hollywood's biggest stars descend on New York City to pay their respects. Today's memorial service saw the likes of Cate Blanchett, Diane Keaton, Joaquin Phoenix, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and many more in attendance. Page Six reports that Valentino wasn't the only fashion company to try to cash in on the celebrity gathering. Ugg Australia sent their signature woolly boots to friends of Hoffman, in the hopes they'd be photographed wearing them around New York. 'They did gifting in the hopes that that would happen,' an Ugg associate told Page Six. 'Since they knew a ton of celebs were in New York City and the weather sucks.'

High fashion brand Valentino has apologized for a press release that touted Amy Adams carrying one of its bags . The actress was photographed with the bag as she attended the wake of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman . Adams' representative branded the stunt 'appalling' The company has apologized for the press release, which was accompanied by pictures of a grieving Adams . In a statement, a Valentino spokesperson said the company was not aware of Adams' attendance at the memorial when the release was emailed . Adams worked with Hoffman on three films and broke down on Inside the Actors Studio when speaking of him . She wore a Valentino gown to this year's Golden Globes .

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By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 09:43 EST, 1 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:54 EST, 1 March 2013 . A 26-year-old man was killed and a 29-year-old man injured in Philadelphia last night in a drive by shooting outside the tour bus of rapper French Montana. The Moroccan-born artist whose debut album, due to launch in May, features a track with Nicki Minaj, had just played a headline show at the city's Theater of Living Arts when gunfire erupted outside the Holiday Inn Express on Christopher Columbus Boulevard, where he and his entourage had rooms booked. A group of fans followed French Montana's tour bus to the hotel and was gathered around the vehicle when a car pulled up and opened fire around midnight, police said. Tour bus life: French Montana, pictured right, tweeted this picture of himself and some pals from his tour bus moments before the shooting . The victim, who was shot in the stomach, was taken to Hahnemann Univserity Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:30 a.m. He was later identified as Jowann King of New York. The injured man was shot in the shoulder and is now in stable condition at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. The 28-year-old rapper, who was among a group of around 25 people who were questioned by police, was clearly unfazed by the death of one of his fans, tweeting 'nobody got time for this s**t' with a photo of him and an investigator. Chief Inspector Scott Small said they don't think the rapper or his entourage were targeted in the shooting. Neither victim appeared to be with the rapper's group. Instead they believe it may have been an altercation between groups of fans. Crime scene: The shooting took place near French Montana's tour bus, pictured, which was parked outside a Holiday Inn in Philadelphia . Holiday Inn: A group of fans had followed the tour bus back to the Holiday Inn on Christopher Columbus Boulevard, pictured . Gunshots: The tour bus appears to escape bullet holes but a silver car nearby, pictured, was damaged . Police gathered everyone on the tour bus into the lobby of the Holiday Inn immediately after the incident and then transported them to the Homicide Unit to be interviewed. Small said one man may have returned fire, and three men, who were found with loaded handguns, were taken into custody and remained there overnight. According to Philly.com, police found at least seven shell casings near the tour bus but the vehicle itself appeared to escape gunfire. Unfazed: The rapper, pictured right, seemed unfazed that one of his fans had been shot, tweeting this picture during questioning with the caption 'nobody got time for this s***' Billing: The drive-by happened immediately after French Montana played at the Theater of Living Arts in Philadelphia, pictured . Police are investigating a parked car found riddled with bullet holes near Jefferson Hospital's emergency room, though it is believed to be the vehicle that took the injured victim to hospital. The Philadelphia gig was part of the 28-year-old rapper's 'Excuse my French' tour to promote his upcoming album. He is the CEO of Cocaine City Records in New York and tweeted a picture of himself with some pals on the tour bus presumably moments before the shooting, with the caption 'tour bus life' clearly enjoying his new found fame.

A 26-year-old man was killed and a . 29-year-old man injured in Philadelphia last night in a drive by . shooting outside the tour bus of rapper French Montana . Victim has been identified as Jowann King of New York . French Montana, whose debut . album, due to launch in May, features a track with Nicki Minaj, had just . played a headline show at the city's Theater of Living Arts when . gunfire erupted at around midnight .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:56 EST, 29 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:11 EST, 29 March 2012 . Lisa Steed, pictured, admitted in violating agency procedures . A police officer who was named 'Trooper of the Year 2007' for making more than 200 DUI arrests could see her cases overturned after she admitted violating standard procedure. Lisa Steed . admitted in court this week that she had removed her microphone during a 2010 DUI stop so her superior wouldn't know what she was doing. This is not the first time Steed's actions on DUI stops have got her into trouble. In 2009, a shocking police car dashcam recording . caught her tasering a terrified man after he refused to get out . of his car asking to call his lawyer. The man was later found to have been sober. A Facebook group has been set up calling . on the police to fire Steed called; 'End Abusive Police: Fire UHP . Officer Lisa Steed.' It has over 120 supporters. Scroll down for video . Steed, pictured in court on Tuesday, admitted to the violations at a DUI hearing for a man she had arrested . 'The cumulative facts may well have a significant ripple effect across every case she's touched,' Salt Lake City attorney Joseph Jardine told ABCNews.com. 'This could become the basis for overturning multiple convictions in the past.' Jardine is representing Theron Alexander, who said Steed violated procedure when she administered a breathalyzer test before a field sobriety test in March 2010. 'The credibility of an investigating . officer is paramount. If you can't trust the cop at their word, there's . very little left that you can trust with an investigation,' Jardine . said. Steed was reprimanded after a 2009 incident in which she was captured on a police dashboard camera tasering man who asked to call hi lawyer, pictured . The motorist, Ryan Jones, can be heard screaming in agony as she zaps him, pictured. He was later awarded $40,000 by the state . Steed admitted that she had removed her microphone and left in in the patrol car during the incident so she could perform an unauthorized action, according to ABC News. 'She specifically stated [Tuesday] that she took the microphone off so her superior wouldn't know what she was doing,' Jardine said. 'We're concerned that she may have a tendency to stretch the truth when it suits her purposes. Our objective is to probe her credibility.' Trooper Steed's statements came while she took the witness stand in the DUI court case. Steed, pictured on Tuesday, was named 'Trooper of the Year 2007' for making more than 200 DUI arrests but now see her cases overturned . Steed's attorney Greg Skordas told ABC that the incident is not a reflection of his client's credibility. 'It doesn't affect her credibility. It affects the way she does things, her ability to follow instructions,' Skordas told ABC. 'It doesn't mean she's dishonest.' Skordas claimed that Steed was simply trying to give the motorist that she had pulled over 'the benefit of the doubt' by skipping straight to the breathalyzer test and not having them get out of the car. 'It wasn't anyone she knew. I think she was just being overly sensitive,' Skordas said. 'There wasn't any bad intent. It was one of those, no good deed goes unpunished.' A Facebook group has been set up calling on the police to fire Steed called; 'End Abusive Police: Fire UHP Officer Lisa Steed' Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim . Gill said his office has been investigating several dozen pending DUI . cases involving Steed after complaints arose. The 2009 taser recording showed the officer shouting at Ryan Jones to get out of his car, when he asked to call his lawyer first. She quickly  threatens him with a taser saying: 'If you don't get out now, you're getting tasered in two second.' She then threatens to get a police dog to 'rip him out of the car'. Jones can be heard calmly saying, "Ma'am, please don't shoot me with a Taser,'. However, Steed ignores his plea and zaps him as he is sitting in his car. He can be heard screaming in agony in the recording and then begging her not to do it again before he is zapped a second time. When Jones was eventually tested, his blood alcohol level was a 0.03, well below the legal limit. The case was settled in November 2011 when the state paid Jones $40,000 without admitting wrongdoing. Of the case, Skordas said, she was reprimanded and had moved on. Watch video of Steed tasering a motorist: .

Lisa Steed was previously remanded after being caught on camera tasering a motorist who asked to call his lawyer ( scroll down for video)

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By . Snejana Farberov and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:47 EST, 18 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:09 EST, 19 November 2013 . A now 21-year-old man accused of shooting his father in the face with a shotgun in 2009, prompted in part by a joke about how the boy wasn’t man enough to be with actress Megan Fox, was found guilty of first degree murder in a Florida court Monday. Jason Beckman was 17 when he snapped and, with a shotgun, blasted his South Miami City Commissioner father in the face and neck while he was in the shower. While an appeal seemed likely after the judge refused to allow into evidence Beckman’s Asperger’s Syndrome or his initial police interview where he vehemently denied committing the crime, a string of witnesses for the prosecution painted a very sinister picture of Beckman and his years-long desire to murder his father and others. Beckman now faces life in prison. Guilty: On one of his final days at trial, convicted murderer Jason Beckman smiled and waived goodbye to the court. He now faces life in prison for murdering his father in 2009 . Grisly: While Beckman's South Miami Commissioner father Jay Beckman showered in April 2009, Jason shot him dead with a shotgun . According to a jailhouse informant who testified last week, the final straw in Beckman's hatred . for his father came after Jay Beckman cracked a joke about actress Megan . Fox, which prompted Beckman to finally murder his father. Initially, . Jason was charged with manslaughter after telling police he . accidentally discharged the 12-gauge Browning Citori shotgun by tripping . over it. However, the . charge was later upgraded to first-degree murder when it emerged in the . course of the investigation that the teen had admitted to a neighbor . that he planned one day to kill his father with the shotgun. In court Tuesday, Beckman’s inmate . Michael Nistal told jurors that just before the deadly shooting, Jason . asked his father what he thought about Hollywood starlet Megan Fox. 'His father told him he [Jason] wouldn’t know what to do with that,' Nistal recounted to the jurors, according to the Miami Herald. The . seemingly innocent comment uttered by Jason's father, whom he allegedly . hated and talked about killing for years, pushed the 17-year-old over . the edge, according to the prosecution. Confessors? The lynchpins in the case against Beckman were a jailhouse snitch named Michael Nistal (left), who testified that Beckman confessed to him that he'd killed his father and Lisa Syren, who told the court that Beckman showed her the gun he'd eventually use to kill his father and told her he planned to do so . Murder weapon: Jason Beckman claimed that he went to show his father this 12-gague Browning Citori he had just assembled but slipped and fell, causing the shotgun to fire . Gory: The city chief was shot at a very close range in the shower, the blast nearly blowing his face off and dousing the room with blood (pictured top left) Final straw: Jason's inmate testified that the . teen told him that just before the shooting, he asked his father what he . thought of actress Megan Fox, and Mr Beckman responded that 'he . wouldn't know what to do with that' ‘So he went and got a shotgun and blew his head off. He missed his head and shot his face and part of his neck,’ the inmate said. Nistal added that Jason told him he then poked his father's body with the weapon to see if he was still alive. A photo taken of the teen after his arrest shows him standing barefoot in a grey T-shirt with no visible signs of blood on it, which the prosecutors say suggests that Jason made no effort to come to his father’s aid as he lay dying in the blood-spattered bathroom. Jason Beckman’s defense team, however, insist that the shooting was accidental. Following his arrest, prosecutors say the teenager came clean about the killing to inmates, including Nistal, at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Nistal is serving a seven-year sentence for a burglary spree that culminated in a deadly high-speed chase. The convicted felon told the court that Beckman planned to use insanity or self-defense to beat the murder rap, and also talked about killing witnesses after the trial. Jay Beckman, a South Miami city . commissioner, was found dead in his Florida home April 12, 2009, after . his son called the authorities to say he had accidentally killed him. During . questioning after the killing, Jason told police that he had a . 'love-hate' relationship with his father, who had been raising him alone . since his mother died from cancer in 1998. Jason . told police he went to show his father a shotgun he had just assembled . but slipped and fell, causing the shotgun to fire, reported the Miami . Herald at the time. Crime scene: The deadly shooting happened inside the Beckmans' South Miami home on Easter Sunday . Evidence: This photo taken after Jason's arrest shows him in a grey T-shirt with no visible signs on blood on it, which the prosecutors say suggests that he made no effort to come to his father's aid . In her opening statement last Wednesday, prosecutor Jessica Dobbins said that Jason kept a 'hit list' of people he did not like on a piece of notebook paper, and that his father's name was at the top, CBS Miami reported. Defense attorney Tara Kawass responded to the allegations by saying that Jason's outbursts, in which he talked about wanting to kill his father, could be attributed to his Asperger's syndrome - a mild form of autism that caused him to say outlandish things and speak out of turn. Hit list: Prosecutors say for years Jason had been talking about killing his father, whose name was at the top of a list of people he did not like . Kawass added that his list-keeping was a form of coping with his condition, which made it difficult for him to make friends. But the attorney insisted that while her client was socially awkward, he was never violent or aggressive, and he did not pull the trigger on purpose on Easter Sunday in 2009. During testimony on Friday, Jason’s former classmate Jennifer Kaiser told jurors that in the eighth grade she saw the teen bring gun magazines to school, and he once told her that she was on his list, CBS Miami reported. Armando Torres, another one-time schoolmate of Beckman’s, also testified that he heard him say on multiple occasions that he wanted to kill his father.

Jason Beckman, 21, has been found guilty in the shooting death of his city commissioner father, 52-year-old Jay Beckman, in April 2009 . Prosecution successfully argued Jason harbored deep-seated hatred for his father, and his name was at the top of the teen's list of people he disliked . Several witnesses attested to Beckman's hatred of his father and a jailhouse snitch testified Beckman confessed to him . Jason claimed he tripped over 12-gauge Browning shotgun and it accidentally discharged . Defense insisted statements made by Jason to his friends that he wanted to kill his father can be attributed to his Asperger's syndrome .

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By . David Mccormack . and Associated Press Reporter . America’s newest soccer hero is a German-born 21-year-old who wasn’t expected to take part in Monday's night but who claims he knew he was destined for glory after dreaming about it two nights before. John Brooks got the American soccer team’s World Cup off to a flying start after coming on as a second-half substitute and scoring an 86th minute winner from a corner. The goal means he is the first American sub to ever score in a World Cup match and afterwards he revealed that he’d had a premonition that his big moment was about to arrive. America's newest soccer hero, John Brooks, is a German-born 21-year-old who wasn't expected to take part in Monday's night but who claims he knew he was destined for glory after dreaming about it . Brooks was born in Berlin, his father was a American serviceman father from Chicago and his mom is German . ‘I told some teammates that I dreamed that I scored in the 80th minute and we won the game,’ he said afterwards. ‘And now it was the 86th minute and we won.’ One of the surprise picks by U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, Brooks hadn't been in the starting lineup for the World Cup opener against Ghana. But after central defender Matt Besler felt tightness in his right hamstring during the final five minutes of the first half, Klinsmann sent the 21-year-old Brooks on for the start of the second half. Just four minutes after Andre Ayew's 82nd-minute goal wiped out a lead Clint Dempsey had given the U.S. just 29 seconds in, Brooks outjumped Ghana's John Boye to meet Graham Zusi's corner kick and bounced an 8-yard header past goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey. Brooks, who has both German and American citizenship, revealed after the match that he had had a dream about scoring a header from a corner late in the match . United States' John Brooks, second from left, scores his side's second goal during the group G World Cup soccer match between Ghana and the United States at the Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil, on Monday . It wasn't just a dream! United States' John Brooks is mobbed by his teammates after scoring their side's winning goal . Overcome with emotion, Brooks ran in disbelief, slumped to the ground arms first and felt teammates pile onto him. When they finally moved off, he put both hands to his lips and blew a kiss. Two nights earlier he had dreamed about scoring a header from a corner kick. 'It was unbelievable,' Brooks said. 'I couldn't believe it.' Brooks, was born in Berlin to a German mother and an American serviceman father from Chicago. The 6ft 4in central defender plays club soccer for his hometown club Hertha Berlin. Brooks has only visited the U.S. for training camps and vacation, but has a tattoos of Berlin and Illinois on his arms. Speaking one day in California last month, he said, ‘When I'm here, I'm a full American. I play with heart for America.’ After the victory, Vice President Joe Biden visited the American team's locker room and posed with this photo with Clint Dempsey, left, and DaMarcus Beasley, right . Joe Biden congratulates the American team after Monday night's victory over Ghana . He had nerves initially Monday, yet is thrilled with how things ended. ‘I think the first goal was perfect, a perfect start. Couldn't be better,’ Brooks said. Brooks' moment in the spotlight ensured that after the match his name was trending on Twitter and one over enthusiastic fan updated his Wikipedia entry to read: 'After scoring against Ghana... he is now among the ranks of John F. Kennedy, Chuck Norris and Abe Lincoln as American heroes.’ The comment has since been deleted. As the American Outlaws chanted their way out of the stadium, Brooks missed the chance to meet Vice President Joe Biden when he visited the locker room. Brooks and Jermaine Jones had been chosen for random drug tests. Among the five German-Americans on the 23-man roster, Brooks made his national team debut last August and had only four appearances entering the World Cup. Nearly two hours after the final whistle, Brooks was among the last U.S. players to leave the locker room. Someone asked whether he thinks he will start against Portugal on Sunday. ‘I don't expect anything,’ he said. ‘I just give my best in every training session, and we'll see.’ The U.S. team return to their base in Sao Paulo following Monday night's game in Natal at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil . American's victorious soccer players wait to board a flight to take them back to their base camp in Sao Paulo . United States' John Brooks, center, celebrates with teammate Aron Johannsson after scoring his winning goal .

John Brooks, 21, wasn't expected to play in Monday night victory over Ghana at the 2014 World Cup Finals . An injury saw him join the action at half time and he unexpectedly scored the winning goal in the 86th minute . Afterwards Brooks revealed that he had dreamed that he would score the winner in the 80th minute in a dream he's had two night before . Brooks was born in Berlin to a German mom and American serviceman father from Chicago . His Wikipedia entry was updated to read: 'he is now among the ranks of John F. Kennedy, Chuck Norris and Abe Lincoln as American heroes'

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:16 EST, 7 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:32 EST, 7 February 2014 . A 65-year-old Ohio man with a flowing white beard who often told neighborhood children that he was Santa Claus has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for having child pornography on his computer. A judge in Trumbull County on Thursday sentenced William Brock Sr., of Niles, after he pleaded guilty to 35 child-pornography charges. Prosecutors said evidence found on Brock's computer included videos showing rapes being committed against an 8-year-old girl in nearby Austintown in 2012 by his girlfriend. Bad Santa: William F. Brock Sr., 65, pictured left during his sentencing Friday and right in a mugshot, will spend 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to 35 child pornography charges . In character: Brock used to tell children he was Jolly Old St Nick, and when he was arrested in July, the 65-year-old man was wearing red pants . On the naughty list: Police who raided Brock's Niles home discovered a trove of X-rated images and videos on his computer featuring children . The girlfriend, 43-year-old pre-school teacher Connie Ramirez, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in September for raping two young girls, including a relative, and having sexually explicit images of herself with a dog on her cellphone. A prosecutor said there no evidence that Brock, a photographer by trade, had sexually assaulted children. When asked during a polygraph test if he ever touched a child in an inappropriate manner, Brock said ‘No,’ but the machine reportedly detected deception in his response. At the time of his arrest, neighbors told the station WFMJ Brock made an impression of a kindly old man who would often talk to children on his street and call himself 'Jolly Old Saint Nick.' When officers raided his house on Mason Street in Niles July 19 and took him into custody, the 65-year-old suspect was wearing a pair of bright-red pants but no shirt. Pair of perverts: Brock, who has three grandchildren, told police he watched girls play softball and fantasized about them; his girlfriend, 43-year-old pre-school teacher Connie Ramirez, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in September for raping two young girls . Brock, who according to his Facebook has a daughter and three grandchildren, told officials he would watch young girls play softball, and then fantasize about them. ‘The ick and creep factor was off the charts,’ Assistant Trumbull County Prosecutor Gabe Wildman told the news site Vindy.com in reference to  Brock’s case. During Brock's sentencing hearing Thursday, Wildman told Judge Ronald Rice that the defendant's computer was jam-packed with thousands of pornographic photos depicting children.

William Brock Sr, 65, was arrested in July after police discovered a cache of X-rated images on his computer featuring children . Ohio man, who has three grandkids, admitted to police he watched girls play softball and fantasized about them . Neighbors said he would talk to local children and tell them he was Jolly Old St Nick . Brock's girlfriend, 43-year-old pre-school teacher Connie Ramirez, was sentenced to 25 years for raping two young girls . Cops found X-rated images of Ramirez and a dog on her cellphone .

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By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 16:05 EST, 8 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:34 EST, 8 June 2012 . A gentler form of prostate cancer treatment that takes only 30 minutes has been devised by British surgeons. The technique is just as effective as surgery but is cheaper and has fewer side effects. This means men are back on their feet and back at work sooner and are much less likely to suffer problems such as impotence and incontinence. Breakthrough: A digital image of prostate cancer cells. A gentler form of prostate cancer treatment that takes only 30 minutes has been devised by British surgeons . Most importantly, the technique, called 4D brachytherapy, is available on the NHS. The treatment, pioneered at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, is a more advanced version of brachytherapy, a technique which has been used successfully for more than a decade. Brachytherapy, used on men in the early stages of prostate cancer as an alternative to conventional radiotherapy or surgery, consists of radioactive ‘seeds’ which are implanted into the prostate gland to destroy the tumour from inside. This targeted radiation means higher doses can be used than in traditional radiotherapy and also helps to ensure the bladder and surrounding tissues are not damaged. It also has fewer side effects than prostate removal surgery – a major operation which can involve days in hospital and weeks off work. Surgery also often causes incontinence and leaves up to 80 per cent of men impotent. Brachytherapy usually takes around three hours but the team have refined it to take as little as half an hour without losing any effectiveness. Surgeons use a two-minute scan to . take five key measurements of a man’s prostate. These are fed into a . computer programme which uses information from hundreds of previous . operations to work out how many seeds are needed and where they should . go. Up to 120 seeds, . each the size of a grain of rice, are then inserted into the prostate in . an operation that takes between 30 to 40 minutes. Patients are often discharged on the same day and return to work within 48 hours. Some 83 per cent of men remain potent, more than both surgery and conventional brachytherapy. Incontinence is also much rarer, with fewer than one in 100 patients suffering bladder problems afterwards and, unlike surgery, patients do not need to use a catheter. The treatment is at least as successful at eradicating cancer as surgery and is slightly cheaper at around £5,000 per patient. The technique’s pioneer, consultant urological surgeon Professor Stephen Langley, said surgery and 4D brachytherapy were ‘chalk and cheese’. He said: ‘One option takes five hours and involves a catheter, the other takes 30 minutes and you are out the same day. ‘They are for the same disease, just different treatments.’ Professor Langley is training doctors from a number of British hospitals in the hope that the treatment will soon be in widespread use. Meg Burgess, specialist nurse at The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: ‘We look forward to seeing how this new technique compares to existing brachytherapy treatments and welcome any evidence of a benefit to men with prostate cancer.’

Men back on their feet sooner with new treatment say researchers . Tecnique called 4D brachytherapy available on NHS .

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By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 06:52 EST, 8 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:54 EST, 8 November 2012 . Hurt: Shanie McDonnell was hit in the face by the door as she tried to open it to task force officers . A mother almost lost an eye when police smashed in her front door during a raid on her Derby home. Shanie McDonnell was hit in the face by the door as she tried to open it to task force officers who were executing a drugs warrant on her house. Ms McDonnell, 28, was left with a fractured eye socket and was told she will need an operation because of the hit which took place at 8.30am yesterday. Derbyshire police described the incident 'regrettable' but said it was acting on information that the property may have been used for drugs purposes. Ms McDonnell  said: 'I was holding my daughter one minute and then heard a tap on the front door. 'I looked through the spy-hole to see police in uniforms the other side and went to unlock the door. 'As I did so, there was this loud bang and the door smashed into my face. The pain was terrible.' She shares her home in Normanton, Derbys, with her partner of five years Martin Dharam. Mr Dharam, 42, said he was upstairs when he heard his partner screaming. He said: 'I wanted to make sure Shanie and our daughter Shania, who is only 11 months old, were okay. 'This is the third time in the past two . or three years the police have raided the house for drugs and they have . never found anything. I just don't know why our house is being picked . on.' Raid: General view of Shanie McDonnell's street. She was left with a fractured eye socket and was told she will need an operation because of the hit which took place at 8.30am yesterday . Yesterday Ms McDonnell spent more than eight hours at the Royal Derby Hospital. She said she did not yet know if her injuries would leave her with permanent scarring. Superintendent Gary Parkin, head of operational policing in Derby, said: 'It is regrettable that Miss McDonnell was injured as officers tried to get into the property to execute the warrant. 'This information was put before a magistrate who granted the warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It was carried out by specially trained officers. 'When executing warrants it is important to enter the property quickly and without warning to the occupants to ensure no potential evidence is lost. It is regrettable that the occupant appears to have been behind the door as our officers tried to gain entry. 'Investigations into the incident are on-going.'

Shanie McDonnell was hit in the face by the door as she tried to open it to task force officers who were executing a drugs warrant on her house . Has a fractured eye socket and was told she will need an operation .

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By . Kieran Corcoran . The historic Oxford Union debating society is in 'disarray' after another committee member resigned in the wake of its president being arrested over rape allegations. Ben Sullivan, 21, was taken in by Thames Valley police earlier this month over accusations from two female undergraduates. Sullivan, a history and politics student, has face repeated calls to resign from the society, which is seen as a training-ground for politicians and has been led by Boris Johnson and William Hague. Arrested: Ben Sullivan was taken into custody by police earlier this month after being accused of rape by two undergraduates . A number of high-profile speakers have pulled out of engagements at the Union due to concerns over Sullivan, who denies the charges against him. Several officials have also deserted the society due to the scandal - the latest of whom is standing committee member Anna Bazley, 19. Miss Bazley, a history and politics student at St Peter's College, cited 'an irreconcilable conflict in personal loyalties and priorities' in her resignation letter. She the fourth committee member to quit the Union in just under a month. Treasurer Charles Malton stepped down four days after Mr Sullivan's arrest, saying: 'The way in which many within the Union have handled this situation over the past few weeks is not behaviour that I would wish to associate myself with'. Before Sullivan's arrest, the Union's librarian, Kostas Chryssanthopoulos, stood down citing 'repeated and constant attacks, which have been personal from the start', as did another one of its committee members, Katherine Connolly, who said the environment was 'untenable'. The society was already facing criticism for authorising Sullivan to use members' money to gag student newspaper The Tab from reporting his past association with an elitist drinking society. Sullivan, who has not been charged with any offence, maintains he should stay on as president. He is due to answer police bail on June 18. Abandoning ship: Treasurer Charles Malton (left) earlier resigned as Oxford Union . treasurer over the way the union handled the arrest for alleged rape of Sullivan (right) Prior . to the arrest, Mr Malton voted for the Union to pay £1,200 in legal . fees for Sullivan to take action against a student news website. His arrest has cost the society visits from significant speakers, including Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble, who was scheduled to address the chamber yesterday evening but later cancelled. In a statement he said: 'my advice to Ben Sullivan would be either to resign or take a leave of absence until the criminal investigation has been completed'. Other speakers to pull out include David Mepham, UK Director of Human Rights Watch and Julie Meyer, the American entrepreneur and judge on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den. Sullivan said in an interview this week: 'I have every faith in the criminal justice system and I am confident that the truth will come to light'. He had been due to face a vote of no confidence on Thursday, but members decided to abandon the exercise. Historic: The Oxford Union is famous for its high-profile speaker events. Sullivan is pictured presiding at one such event . Meanwhile, disgruntled students have taken to hosting disenchanted union speakers in alternative venues across the university, challenging the historic institution. A number of students, led by Barnaby Raine, 19, arranged for Wadham College to host a debate with speakers originally scheduled to attend the Union. The speakers included Norman Finkelstein, the leading scholar on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Palestinian journalist Mouin Rabbani. Mr Raine, a history and politics undergraduate at Wadham, said: 'Ben Sullivan has to go. The Oxford Union is in disarray - speakers are pulling and so many officials are resigning that events are having to be cancelled. 'The president has said himself that the organisation is falling apart. It's now extreme stubbornness in the face of reality for the president to refuse to resign'. Following Miss Bazley's resignation, Mr Sullivan released a statement which said: 'We are very sad to hear of Anna's resignation. 'She made a great contribution to the Society while on Standing Committee and helped to organise an excellent debate earlier this term. We wish her all the best for the future'. The Oxford Union was approached for further comment but did not respond. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Ben Sullivan, 21, was arrested this month after accusations from students . Speakers at debating society have been cancelling appearances since . Committee members have started resigning over handling of the scandal . Anna Bazley, 19, a student at St Peter's College, is the latest to stand down .

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By . Annabel Fenwick Elliott . Legendary Fifties siren Shirely MacLaine has listed her sprawling, 7,450-acre New Mexico ranch for sale at $18m. Her reasoning for the price? Because one plus eight equals nine. And the number nine is significant according to her 'numerology' beliefs, which are based on the 'vibration and meaning' of figures. 'Nine is the number of completion,' says the 79-year-old Oscar-winning actress, who is famed for her kooky new-age spiritual beliefs. 'To me, it's not about money, it's about completion.' Unorthodox pricing: Actress Shirely MacLaine has listed her 7,450-acre ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, for $18m, based on the principle that one plus eight equals nine, and nine is the 'number of completion' According to the Wall Street Journal, Ms MacLaine originally consulted a number of psychics, who advised her to list the property for a cool $30 million, but the headstrong screen legend ultimately settled on her own logic. 'If it works for Shirley, it works for us,' says her realtor, Susan Kline of Sotheby’s International Realty’s Santa Fe office. The beautiful landscape holds a roughly 9,000 square-foot main house and comes with a caretaker's cottage, a horse barn, a yurt, a swimming pool and two ponds. Ms McLaine . says the moment she set foot on the property, some 20 years ago, she . was struck by its energy. Indeed, on a 2011 Oprah show appearance, she spoke freely of the 'numerous' UFO encounters she and a neighbor had witnessed for 'extended periods of time.' Fully equipped: The property boasts a 9,000-square-foot home with a horse barn, swimming pool, two ponds and a stone labyrinth atop a hill which Ms MacLaine says helps her listen to her 'inner guidance' As you'd expect from a woman who takes an active interest in transcendental meditation, metaphysics, reincarnation and extra-terrestrial activity; the elaborate home comes with some rather otherworldly features. The Plaza Blanca Ranch, as it's known, 'insists on peace,' says Ms MacLaine, and boasts a stone labyrinth, built atop a hill, which she claims helps her listen to her 'inner guidance.' 'When I . was writing or when I had decisions to make or had something bothering . me, or when I wanted to thank the universe for something, I would go up . and walk the labyrinth,' she affirms. After purchasing the property, Ms MacLaine split the main house into two, and says that whenever she hosted 'reincarnation seminars', participants were regulated to only one side. Kooky beliefs: The Oscar-winning legend, pictured in Los Angeles in January, told Oprah in a 2011 interview that she had regularly witnessed UFO's at her ranch, where she has lived for 20 years . She also built an apartment underneath the house, modeled after the Native American concept of Kiva, which functions as an underground room for spiritual ceremonies. Film buffs will be interested to know that her dining room holds the large table which appeared in the film Terms of Endearment, for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1984. 'It was such a difficult shoot - I said, "I'm taking it!"' she allegedly told the production crew. As for Ms MacLaine's unorthodox pricing methods, MailOnline spoke to Brendon DeSimone, a national real estate expert, CEO of DeSimone & Co, and author of upcoming book Next Generation Real Estate. The glory days: Ms MacLaine, pictured in 1955, is leaving her secluded ranch and moving closer to Santa Fe, to avoid becoming a 'recluse' Ms DeSimone explains that while he can't comment on 'how far off' the listing price might be, his is an industry where anything goes. 'People can price at whatever they want,' he says, adding that celebrity-owned properties with stories behind them have a tendency to 'push people over the edge' in terms of closing a sale. It's a statement echoed by New York-state based broker Harris Safier, who once sold a house that reputedly belonged to Isabella Rosellini. Despite his market value estimation, the buyer chose to pay five per cent over Mr Safier's highest suggested price range. 'They did it for the cache they perceived,' he tells us. At the end of the day, despite Ms MacLaine's deep spiritual ties to the place she has called home for 20 years, she says she is moving closer to New Mexico's capital, Santa Fe, for somewhat materialistic reasons. 'I want to go to the movies, good restaurants,' she says. 'I really need to be closer, or I would tend to become a complete recluse out there.'

The Oscar-winning actress was advised by psychics to list the 7,450 acre property for $30m, but ultimately followed her 'numerology' principles instead . Renowned new-age spiritualist claims to have spotted UFO's at the home and has hosted 'reincarnation seminars'

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By . Graham Smith and Tim Shipman . UPDATED: . 10:04 EST, 9 November 2011 . Iran will not retreat 'one iota' from its nuclear programme, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has vowed as he rejected a UN report claiming Tehran is on the verge of building an atomic bomb. The Iranian president gave a passionate speech to thousands of supporters in central Iran, and broadcast on live state television, denouncing the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which published its findings today. He hit out at the IAEA, saying it is discrediting itself by siding with . 'baseless' U.S. claims that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. The report, which was leaked last night, . said Iran could start building a nuclear bomb in a matter of months. Meeting the masses: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves to supporters while visiting the city of Shahrekord, of Tehran. He vowed that Iran will not retreat 'one iota' from its nuclear programme . All smiles: Ahmadinejad hit out at the IAEA, saying it is discrediting itself by siding with 'baseless' U.S. claims that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons . Israel and the U.S. have yet to . comment on the findings, but France this morning said it is ready to . push for sanctions of 'an unprecedented scale' if Iran refuses to answer new questions about its nuclear programme. Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said that if Iran fails to answer concerns raised by the . report, the international community should raise diplomatic pressure to a . new level. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the report ‘completely discredited’  Iran’s claims its nuclear programme is simply for energy production. Mr Hague described the report findings as ‘grave’ and warned the Islamic Republic could trigger a regional arms race. China isn't publicly commenting yet on the . U.N. assessment in a likely sign that it . will wait for Washington and Moscow to signal their intentions. Foreign . Ministry spokesman Hong Lei today said that Beijing is studying . the report and repeated calls for dialogue and cooperation. Speaking to supporters in the city of Shahrekord, Ahmadinejad said Iran will not stop . its nuclear development, adopting a defiant position against the . report, which could spur efforts for new sanctions against his country. In its latest report on Iran, the UN . International Atomic Energy Agency outlines the sum of its knowledge on . the Islamic Republic's alleged secret nuclear weapons work, including: . He said: 'If you think you can change the . situation of the world through putting pressures on Iran, you are deadly . wrong. The Iranian nation will not withdraw an iota.' Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, not weapons production. Ahmadinejad's . regime is already thought to have built a top-secret explosives test . facility at a site in Parchin, just outside Tehran, where it is . conducting experiments to develop a weapon. Scientists . are building hi-tech precision detonators which would be essential for a . nuclear device, and developing a uranium core for a nuclear warhead, . the UN said. The report . also lays bare that Iranian scientists are trying to mount a nuclear . payload into their Shahab 3 missiles - which can reach Israel, Iran’s . arch foe. The report compiled by Yukiya Amano is the strongest sign yet that Iran seeks to build a nuclear arsenal, despite Tehran's insistence its nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes. The . document claims that while some of the suspected secret nuclear work by . Iran can have peaceful purposes, 'others are specific to nuclear . weapons.' A 13-page . attachment to the agency's Iran report details intelligence and IAEA . research that shows Tehran working on all aspects of research toward . making a nuclear weapon, including fitting a warhead onto a missile. Spreading the word: Ahmadinejad is adopting a defiant position against the report, which could spur efforts for new sanctions against his country . Nationalism: Supporters of Ahmadinejad wave flags during his speech in Shahrekord . The U.S. State Department said it needed . time to study a new report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency on . Iran's nuclear activities and declined to make any immediate comment on . its contents. Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: 'This was released to member states . about an hour ago so we're going to take some time to look at it before . commenting. 'We are not prepared to talk about any next steps at this point.' But with Israel threatening a military response, the report opens the way for a new confrontation between the West and Iran. Ahead of the report's release, . Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak warned of a possible Israeli . military strike against Iran's nuclear programme. He . told Israel Radio that he did not expect any new U.N. sanctions on . Tehran to persuade it to stop its nuclear defiance, adding: 'We continue . to recommend to our friends in the world and to ourselves, not to take . any option off the table.' The . 'all options on the table' phrase is often used by Israeli politicians . to mean a military assault. Iran is pursuing its nuclear weapons program at the Parchin military base about 30 kilometres from Tehran, diplomatic sources in Vienna say . Parchin has hundreds of structures and a number of fortified tunnels and bunkers for carrying out explosive experiments, it is claimed . While . some of the suspected secret nuclear work outlined in the annex could . also be used for peaceful purposes, 'others are specific to nuclear . weapons', the report claims. Some of the information contained in . the annex was new - including evidence of a large metal chamber at a . military site for nuclear-related explosives testing. The bulk, however, was a compilation and expansion of alleged work already partially revealed by the agency. But a senior diplomat familiar with . the report said its significance lay in its comprehensiveness, thereby . reflecting that Iran apparently had engaged in all aspects of testing . that were needed to develop such a weapon. Also significant was the agency's . decision to share most of what it knows or suspect about Iran's secret . work with the 35-nation IAEA board and the U.N. Security Council after being . stonewalled by Tehran in its attempts to probe such allegations. Copies of the report went to board members and the council, which has . imposed four sets of U.N. sanction on Tehran for refusing to stop . activities that could be used to make a nuclear weapon and refusing to . cooperate with IAEA attempts to fully understand its nuclear program. Inspection: Ahmadinejad visits the Natanz Uranium Enrichment Facility in April 2008 . The nuclear power plant in Bushehr, southern Iran - a site that may be targeted in a mooted military strike . A test-fire launch of a short-range missile in Iran. The UN now has a 'compelling case' that Iran is building an arsenal of nuclear weapons . The agency said the annex was based on more than 1,000 pages of . intelligence and other information forwarded by more than 10 nations and . material gathered by the IAEA itself. The report suggests that Iran made computer models of a nuclear warhead . and includes satellite imagery of a large steel container the IAEA . believes is used for nuclear arms-related high explosives tests. In remarks broadcast on state . television, Ahmadinejad said that International Atomic Energy Agency . chief Yukiya Amano was simply repeating U.S. allegations. 'He delivers . the papers that American officials hand on him,' Ahmadinejad said. 'I am sorry that a person is heading . the agency who has no power by himself and violates the agency's . regulations, too.' He repeated Iran's stance that it is . not involved in making a nuclear weapon: 'They should know that if we . want to remove the hand of the U.S. from the world, we do not need bombs . and hardware. We work based on thoughts, culture and logic.'

Atomic agency report to be published today claims Iran is just 'months away' from building a bomb . Iranian PM tells thousands in Tehran UN is siding with 'baseless' U.S. claims . France calls for sanctions against Iran on an 'unprecedented scale' Israel and U.S. remain silent as they consider damning report . Britain warns 'grave findings' of report amid fears it could trigger a regional arms race .

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By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 10:47 EST, 15 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:38 EST, 16 March 2013 . Its garish interior would surely make Del Boy scream 'lovely-jubbly'. But for visitors to this year's Ideal Home Show, the recreation of one of Britain's most famous living rooms will probably serve as a lesson in how not to decorate a home. The home of the Trotter family from the comedy classic Only Fools and Horses has been lovingly replicated for the exhibition. Scroll down for video . Lovely jubbly: Del Boy and Rodney Trotter's famous Peckham council flat from TV's Only Fools and Horses has been given a facelift . The creme de menthe of design: Del Boy's bedroom maintains its distinctive look . Architect George Clarke gave the famous flat a bit of a spruce up containing a range of 80s mementos . Home: Harlech Tower, in Acton, West London, which was used as Nelson Mandela House, the home of the Trotter family in Only Fools and Horses . The Peckham palace redesign sits beside an identically-sized property aimed at showing how a modern council flat can be transformed into a 'multi-purpose living space'. Architect and TV presenter George Clarke proved he was no plonker as he came up with the space-saving ideas. The TV replica flat has been furnished with only the finest of 1980s interior design; from faux fur animal print rugs (complete with the creature's head), to the epitome of home-entertaining - a mini-bar. Chairs surround a glass-topped table, which is nestled alongside the palm-tree printed wallpaper, which has sadly been concealed by a wall dresser. Thankfully, the brown and yellow . curtain still manage to catch the eye, along with the chintzy chairs and . swirling patterned carpet. Only . fools would criticise the way the ceramic animal statue pairs with the . traffic cone, which leads to Del's bedroom that has a tiger skin throw. Actor John Challis - who played . sneering car dealer Boycie in the hit show - and a David Jason lookalike . sampled a few cocktails as they viewed the new and improved living . room. George Clarke is . an architect and TV presenter, who has appeared on Channel 4's . Restoration Man. He's also featured on The Great British Property Scandal and George . Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. Due to British homes being amongst the smallest in Europe, Mr Clarke hopes the famous TV living room will draw attention to his scheme. His modernised council flat hopes to demonstrate how to 'rearrange, and reorganise the space to make it more efficient and functional'. Peckham palace: The home has been given a makeover alongside another similarly-sized property that has been given a modern twist, showing what can be done with space . Actors John Challis - who played Boycey - and a David Jason lookalike pose in a recreation of the set of 'Only Fools And Horses' The Ideal Home Show has showcased how to make the most of your living room - and used the beloved Trotter home as a comparison . The update uses the same structure . and footprint of the Trotters' flat but the internal layout has been . changed to 'reflect the demands of 21st Century living'. Mr Clarke said: 'When it comes to our . homes, conventional wisdom dictates bigger is better. But with housing . stock in short supply and the cost of space at such a premium, those . wanting to get onto the property ladder are looking for smaller, more . affordable alternatives to becoming homeowners. 'But small spaces needn’t be full of . clutter or chaotic. It’s not about the space that you have, it’s . actually about how creative you are with it; living big in small . spaces.' Double trouble: Nicholas Lyndhurst and David Jason as Rodney and Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter in a 1982 episode of Only Fools and Horses . Nice wheels: Dell Boy's Reliant Robin hangs above the Only Fools and Horses stand at The Ideal Home Show . Bustling: An overview of the show at Earls Court today . The iconic British Home Show is at Earls Court, London for its 105th Year, and suggests design ideas and home improvement tips. The wheeler-dealer duo, from Peckham, south London, were well-known traders on the market, constantly trying to sell broken or useless goods to unsuspecting customers. They eventually became millionaires and bought upmarket apartments - before losing it all again and returning to their faithful flat. The show was actually filmed in Harlech Tower in Acton and later Bristol – with his much younger brother, Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst), and their elderly Grandad, and later Uncle Albert. The exhibition is full of authentic retro items, including a mug with . the faces of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (left) and a framed . picture of Uncle Albert, one of the show's main characters . Some of the items from Del Boy's minbar, including a bottle of Baileys and a halved pineapple, possibly holding a Pina Colada . In keeping with the programme, the room is full of the kind of junk Del Boy sold to make a living . A faux fur rug in the Only Fools living room . The designer hoped to accurately recreate the 80s living room with a dated bottle of Sarson's vinegar and party poppers in the background . The living room features the 'latest in designer wear' as sold by Trotters' Independent Traders . The flat's designers have gone to all lengths to make the room look realistic . A leopard print ashtray complete with Del Boy's favourite cigar . A retro Philips sound system has been included in the living room . Some bottles of Peckham's finest @Spring Water' in front of some of Del Boy's calculator stock . A similar room appears next door to the replica Trotter flat which the designer has used to showcase how space can be used in a modern council flat . Even more junk can be found nestling in very corner of the flat . Charles and Diana make a second appearance on a tin of travel sweets . A mantlepiece displaying an eclectic range of bits and bobs . Another two royal references can be spotted as Charles and Diana make yet another appearance . A porcelain pooch . Only the finest artwork on Del Boy's wall .

Trotter brother's Peckham palace given makeover at Ideal Home Show . Architect George Clarke showed how to maximise the council flat's space .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 8:08 AM on 8th July 2011 . Charged: TSA worker Nelson Santiago-Serrano, 30, is accused of swiping $50,000 worth of electronics from passengers . The list of consumer complaints against the TSA over recent months may soon have to include theft, in addition to groping and racial profiling. That's because a Transportation Security Administration worker has been charged with two counts of grand theft for allegedly stealing electronics out of passengers' luggage, authorities in Florida said Thursday. According to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Nelson Santiago-Serrano, 30, was caught by a Continental Airlines employee stealing an iPad from a suitcase in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport's Terminal 1 on Monday. Mr Santiago-Serrano was allegedly seen trying to stuff the device into his pants, reports the Broward-Palm Beach New Times. Police say that after they arrested him on Monday, he admitted to stealing computers, GPS devices, video cameras, and other electronics from bags he was supposed to be screening. Cops say Mr Santiago-Serrano would then take pictures of the items, then list them for sale online. They say many of the items would be sold before he even finished his shift at the airport. Security: Transportation Security Administration employees screen passenger bags at nearby Miami International Airport in a file photo . Screeners: Mr Santiago-Serrano allegedly admitted to cops that he sold stolen items online while still at work (file photo) Trouser tablet: An iPad, like the one Mr Santiago-Serrano allegedly tried to hide in his pants . Detectives claim he stole an estimated $50,000 from fliers over the past six months. Police are asking people to come forward if they think they had something stolen, but they say chances of actually recovering the goods are not good. Mr Santiago-Serrano was released on a $4,000 bond Tuesday, though police say they may file additional charges against him soon. According to the Broward County clerk of courts, he does not have a lawyer or any scheduled court dates. He reportedly no longer works for the TSA, though he had started with the agency in January 2009. Recently, allegations had surfaced that TSA agents in Newark airport had engaged in racial profiling of passengers, by singling out Hispanic men for additional screening. One agent was disciplined and others received training after colleagues accused them of acting as 'Mexican hunters'. Meanwhile, a number of people have complained of being 'groped' by TSA agents during body searches.

TSA agent Nelson Santiago-Serrano charged in Florida . He allegedly admitted theft to police . Allegedly sold stolen goods online during shifts .

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By . Mia De Graaf . Daniel Chisholm was jailed for 12 years for his part in the 'cocaine factory' in Sunderland - but only has to pay £1 of the £750,000 earned . A cocaine dealer who made almost £750,000 from a drugs empire has been ordered to pay back just £1. Daniel Chisholm was handed a 12-year jail sentence earlier this year after being convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine. The gang, which ran a 'cocaine factory' from a Sunderland flat, earned £742,814. Co-conspirator John Somerville, who was also jailed for 12 years for the same charge, was found to have a £16,094 stake in the business, which he has been ordered to pay back in full. But Chisholm, who amassed £742,814, only has to pay back £1 because the money is all gone. Four members of the cocaine gang were given prison sentences totalling more than 34 years in January. Police were following Somerville in April 2010 when they saw him throw a £12,500 block of cocaine out of the window of his Range Rover in Gateshead. That day, officers had followed him from his home to Sunderland to pick up Chisholm. After a short time Chisholm was seen to get out of Somerville's car, which then headed back towards Newcastle out of sight. When officers finally caught up with Somerville he had no drugs on him. However, they then found 248g of cocaine on a patch of grass nearby, which he had dumped. Officers watched on CCTV later that night as a team of men turned up in a minibus looking for the package. John Somerville (left) was sentenced to 12 years in jail, and Joseph Lewins (right) was jailed for nine years . Seven months later police raided Joseph Lewins' flat in nearby Washington and found it had been turned into a drugs factory. They recovered cocaine worth up to £750,000. Somerville, 53, Chisholm, 51, and Joseph Lewins, 55, were found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Lewins was jailed for nine years. Ronald Moon, 46, who pleaded guilty to money laundering, was jailed for 15 months. The case dragged Championship footballer Michael Chopra into the witness box. Blackpool's Michael Chopra, seen here in a match against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, was dragged into a trial involving a drugs gang . The striker gave evidence in court claiming a £50,000 bundle found in the footwell of a car was money being used to pay off his gambling debts . The Blackpool striker, who had known Somerville for years, told the court £50,000 of the drugs money linked to him was in fact his gambling debts, which Somerville was helping him pay off. The court heard Somerville and Daniel Chisholm - who both had previous convictions for drug dealing - were 'central and key players' in the conspiracy. Jailing them for 12 years he said: 'You were close to the original source, although neither of you were absolutely the top of the tree.'

Daniel Chisholm jailed for 12 years but can only pay back £1 of the money . Was a member of 'cocaine factory' in Sunderland, three others jailed . Co-conspirator John Somerville ordered to pay back £16,000 of earnings .

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By . Jonny Singer . Follow @@Jonny_Singer . Australian Jason Day played one of the holes of the tournament on Saturday at the US PGA Championship, after wading through a river to find his ball. Day, who is playing in the final pairing with leader Rory McIlroy, misplaced his tee shot on the second hole, leaving him the wrong side of a water hazard. But the Australian showed he didn't mind getting his hands, and feet, dirty, rolling up his trousers and playing the shot barefoot. VIDEO Scroll down to watch PGA Championships - Day 2 highlights . Getting his feet wet: Day crosses the river in search of his ball at the second . Searching: Day tries to identify his ball amongst the heavy rough on the other side of the river . Catch: The Australian's caddy lobs a club over the river . The 26-year-old crossed the river without a club, and had to have his caddy throw his iron across. In the most remarkable par you are ever likely to see, Day skidded his recovery shot across the fairway before chipping to the green and sinking a put to stay eight under par. Catching practice: Day, who is currently tied for second place, catches his club and returns to the ball . Shoeless wonder: After playing his shot Day returned to the course, put on his shoes, and made par . VIDEO PGA Championships - Day 2 highlights .

Day smashed a tee shot across the river on the second hole . After his Caddie had located the ball Day rolled up his trousers, walked through the river and played his shot . Australian fired across the fairway, before chipping onto the green and making par .

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By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 19:39 EST, 7 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:39 EST, 7 March 2014 . The British Heart Foundation is urging men to encourage their wives and girlfriends to improve their lifestyles in a bid to cut the number of deaths from heart disease . Most men avoid the topic of their wife’s weight at all costs. But now, they are being urged to talk to the women in their lives about their unhealthy habits and waistlines. It is hoped this will reduce the number of women dying from heart disease. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) said too few women are aware that it is the biggest killer of women and more needs to be done to raise awareness that it is not just a man's disease. Heart and circulatory disease kills more than 80,000 women in the UK each year and 17.3 million women worldwide. In the UK, 3.5 million women are living with some form of heart or circulatory problem. The warning has been issued to mark International Women's Day today. Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the BHF, said: ‘Too few women realise that heart and circulatory disease is their biggest killer. ‘I hope people will use International Women's Day as their prompt to have a straightforward conversation with the woman they love about her heart health. ‘Ignorance is fuelling women's heart risk. So while our ask is simple, the impact really could save lives. ‘On a day when women are thinking and talking about how to improve their lives, we also want them to include one, potentially life-saving, conversation with another woman they love about how they look after their heart. ‘Sadly, most women are oblivious to the fact that heart problems are the biggest killer of women in the UK. ‘If more women knew they were at risk, they could do something about it, whether that's losing a bit of weight, quitting smoking or just taking the dog out for longer walks.’ Heart disease kills about one in five men and one in eight women in the UK. Shaping up: The charity is worried that too many women see heart disease as a man's disease even though it is the UK's biggest killer of women . The condition causes chest pain, heart attacks and heart failure. It occurs when the heart's blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the arteries. This can be caused by smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. The best prevention methods are healthy eating, being physically active, giving up smoking, and controlling sugar levels.

The British Heart Foundation wants to raise awareness of heart disease . It's worried that too many women see it as a man's disease . Heart disease is the biggest killer of women in the UK . Charity is urging men to encourage their wives to improve their lifestyles .

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Fifteen months ago, the planning for a mammoth summer Manchester United tour to Thailand, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong reached its final, most critical stage. A visit to Sir Alex Ferguson’s office. ‘We really were not sure he would agree to it,’ said one United source this week. ‘It was so big and contained so much travelling. ‘To our surprise, he smiled and signed it off in about four seconds. We couldn’t believe it. Within a couple of weeks, though, he had retired. He knew all along that he wasn’t going on it.’ VIDEO Scroll down to watch some strange behaviour from Louis van Gaal on United's tour . Van's the man: Louis Van Gaal's arrival has given everyone at Manchester United a lift . New beginnings: Van Gaal has big shoes to fill in the Old Trafford hot seat . New era: Van Gaal alongside assistant Ryan Giggs during the club's pre-season tour of America . Fast forward one summer and two new managers and United have been confronted with the thorny issue of touring schedules once again. This time it is for real. Louis van Gaal’s repeated public utterances about the inconvenience of this month’s visit to America have caused more consternation in some departments of the club than key figureheads are prepared to admit. Less than two weeks in to the job and already United’s new manager is causing feet to shuffle. To managers like Van Gaal, the details are important. That is why on this tour, he has already tweaked the structure of a trip that was, interestingly, signed off by his new assistant Ryan Giggs during his spell as interim manager last May. On arrival in Los Angeles last week, for example, Van Gaal declared that he wished his players to train in the morning, eat and sleep at lunchtime and then train again in the afternoon. To make that work club staff had to book a Holiday Inn next to United’s training facility. Similar arrangements have now been hurriedly made for this week’s tour stops in Washington and Detroit. Not in favour: Van Gaal has admitted the club's current pre-season tour has been an inconvenience . Partnership: United chief executive Ed Woodward understands the concerns made by Van Gaal . Proud: Van Gaal, alongside club legend and ambassador Sir Bobby Charlton, is delighted to be United's manager . Van Gaal has also been very specific about his players dietary habits. Menus have been changed mid-tour. All this is a consequence of Van Gaal’s relatively late arrival at United after a summer spent with Holland in the World Cup. That can’t be helped and nobody at the club disputes the respected manager’s right to have things exactly as he wants them on tour. Certainly mistakes have been made. Van Gaal and his players spent hours travelling to and from training in LA while the game venue, Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, was 90 minutes away. Here in Denver meanwhile, United’s schedule saw them face Roma in afternoon heat of 33 degrees on Saturday. The underlying issue here, though is more fundamental. Van Gaal — along with other coaches of his generation — simply resents these increasingly arduous pre-season trips because he feels they interfere with the key business, preparing for a Barclays Premier League season. At Arsenal, Arsene Wenger resisted long-haul tours for years. Having relented, the Frenchman spent a visit to Malaysia two summers ago complaining non-stop about facilities. Respect: Van Gaal will be delighted to have a player of Robin van Persie's quality in his squad . All smiles: Van Gaal and Giggs will be eager to get United back on the trophy haul as soon as possible . This summer, meanwhile, Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho insisted on a short-haul trip to Austria having objected – quite understandably – to the three-week epic in the Far East and America he was landed with on returning to the club last summer. United, though, have long since viewed pre-season tours as crucial to their business. They would not be the behemoth they are without them.There is a balance to be struck between the football and the money. United’s chief executive Ed Woodward understands this and he and group managing director Richard Arnold would not try to force something on Van Gaal that he is rigidly opposed to. But as somebody said this week, only half in jest: ‘If Louis thinks we are going to start spending a week at a European training camp every summer, he will be disappointed.’ One only has to look at some of the numbers associated with United’s current tour to understand its importance to a club who continue to thrive financially despite the weight of debt imposed by owners the Glazer family. Each of United’s four games in the International Champions Cup here will net them more than £1m. Just as importantly, though, the club are committed to an astonishing 100 ‘engagements’ over the fortnight, whether they be player appearances or community initiatives. Pedigree: Van Gaal will do everything he can to ensure Manchester United have success on the field . Outside the Rose Bowl last week, American fans queued unprompted for over an hour just to have their photograph taken in front of a United billboard. England striker Danny Welbeck, meanwhile, arrived in the US and went straight to meet a disabled youngster who had been waiting for months to meet him. These commitments and dozens more like them do not, on the whole, make United any money directly but they deepen United’s footprint around the world. They keep stellar sponsors like Chevrolet and AON happy, furthering a global ‘reach’ that is already believed to number 600million fans – half of those are in Asia – and sees them six times more popular around the world than, for example, the New York Yankees baseball franchise. Aon, for example, the sponsors of United’s Carrington training ground, have 25 United engagements during this tour, involving 1,700 of their most-valued clients. When a United tour is taking place, traffic to the insurance company’s website increases by a third and by 500 per cent on a match day. Furthermore, their in-house experts believe that 34 per cent of their total business comes their way because of the United link. There are other startling indicators, too. In Nigeria - where United played in 2008 - traffic on the roads is 30 per cent lighter when they are on TV. In Mexico, the birth rate goes up when Javier Hernandez appears in red. Reunited: Van Gaal will pit his wits against close friend Jose Mourinho in the Premier League this season . Emulate: Can Van Gaal go on and become a club legend like former boss Sir Alex Ferguson? Numbers like this do not come about by United sitting at home every summer. The club’s marketing and commercial strategy is aggressive, cutting-edge and, as a result, astonishingly successful. Therefore, it needs to be indulged. On this tour Van Gaal’s players are wearing season 2014-15 shirts with ‘Chevrolet’ on the front. A deal worth £357m between now and 2021, the US car manufacturer want value and one of their privately-stated aims is for United to extend the company’s standing in Asia. The same goes for United’s watch partner Bulova, the US company having already said that extending their profile in Asia was their No1 reason for signing their own multi-million pound deal with the club last season. Sports company Adidas – who will begin to make United’s kit again from next summer – also wish United to return to Asia and it seems unfeasible that another visit to key markets in South Korea – where the club have 300,000 credit card holders – Japan and China will not be on the agenda soon. Planning for next summer’s tour will begin as early as October. It may well be America again in 2015, with Dallas, New York and Chicago the proposed venues. Van Gaal will be consulted and already claims he has reached an agreement that will cut down the air miles. United, though, can do many things but cannot bring continents like Asia, America and Africa closer to Manchester. Van Gaal said this week that all he wants is ‘balance’ and that is only right. To get it, however, the famously rigid ‘Iron Tulip’ is perhaps going to have to bend a little.

Van Gaal's arrival has already prompted changes at the club . The new United boss is not in favour of long-haul pre-season tours . He has already tweaked aspects of the club's current trip to America . The 62-year-old must accept he won't be able to dictate certain things in regards to United's structure on and off the field though .

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By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 17:09 EST, 18 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:02 EST, 20 April 2013 . Long form: Amanda Knox, who was acquitted of murder in 2011, is releasing her memoir on April 30 . While sitting in her prison cell in Italy, thousands of miles from home, Amanda Knox contemplated how she could kill herself. The shocking new detail is one of many penned in the American student’s new memoir, ‘Waiting to be Heard,’ which is slated to be published at the end of the month. The Seattle-native spent four years in a prison cell in Perugia after being convicted for the murder of her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher. Knox also revealed that while living in her flat abroad, ‘marijuana was as common as pasta.’ Those details are only a few reported by the New York Times, which obtained an advance copy of the memoir. Knox writes that she at times felt trapped and pondered ending her life. ‘I started to understand how you could feel so locked inside your own life that you could be so desperate to escape, even if that meant that you would no longer exist.’ She writes that she was shocked to . learn she was put on suicide watch after her 2009 conviction, and was . equally surprised when a prison psychiatrist asked her if she had ever . contemplated it. According to the Times, Knox at one point considered suffocating herself with a garbage bag. Innocent: U.S. citizen Amanda Knox, left, and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, of Italy, outside the rented house where 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher was found dead (file photo) Release: Knox, pictured right at Rome's airport, . gave an emotional press conference once she got back home in . Washington, left, a day after she was acquitted of murder in October . 2011 . Two weeks from now, readers will discover the ins and outs of the Seattle student’s grueling ordeal and the transformation from a carefree college student to an internationally-recognized convicted murderer. The memoir, published by . HarperCollins, is due to be released on April 30, and contain . first-person accounts from the trial and its immediate aftermath. But . according to ABC News, it does not include her life after the trial, or . her reactions after Italy’s highest court demanded last month that she . face a retrial. Miss Knox discussed how she is dealing with her emotions in an interview with ABC News, which will be aired later this month. She revealed: 'Things creep up on me and I'm overwhelmed by the feeling of helplessness, desperation and fear to even hope. My heart races and it leaves me paralysed until I can breathe it away.' In her memoir, she writes: 'When . Meredith was murdered and I was arrested, it was so shocking. It was . paralysing, Everything toppled.' The Seattle-native also writes that . being naïve and proud contributed to her initial guilty conviction, . judging herself for acting ‘like a lost, pathetic child’ when dealing . with Italian authorities. Capture: Knox, pictured in 2010 being escorted out of court by Italian law enforcement officials . She also denied that she was . performing cartwheels outside the police station after she was arrested, . an infamous action that was widely reported at the time of the trial. According to the book, the police interrogated Miss Knox for hours and would slap her on the back of her head. Italian police are taking legal action against her parents for making similar allegations. According to the Times, HarperCollins . publishers have described Knox as intelligent and charming, and did not . shy away from unsavory facts. In fact, Knox is reported to want to use . this platform to confront the rumors, myths, and confusion associated . with the case that enthralled the world. She writes that the memoir is about setting the record straight. During the murder trial for . 21-year-old Kercher, the Italian prosecution condemned Knox as a ‘she . devil’ and used passages from Knox’s journal where she wrote she would . ‘kill’ for a pizza.' Brutal murder: Meredith Kercher was killed in her apartment on November 1, 2007 . Miss Knox writes that the prosecution took these entries out of context, saying that it was merely ‘gallow humor.’ She also claims that she was reading a Harry Potter book, smoking marijuana and watching a film at her boyfriend's flat on the night of the murder. Her time behind bars at Capanne . Prison, outside of Perugia, was extremely difficult for Knox, who writes . that she was taunted by her cell-mates for being a snob, noticing she . spent most of her time behind bars reading and writing letters. She was only allowed outside for one hour a day. She writes: 'My guard wanted to know who I had sex with, how I like it - and if I'd do it with him.' ABC News notes that all throughout the 484-page memoir, Knox professes her innocence. The book will be published in the . U.S., but not in the U.K., amid fears that the memoir could further . complicate the retrial that Italy’s highest court dramatically ruled . last month. Since her release, Knox has been at Washington State studying creative writing. Italian Raffaele Solecito was convicted alongside Knox in 2009 of killing Miss Kercher but the pair were freed in October 2011 after their convictions . were overturned due to a lack of evidence. However, both now face a retrial after Italy's highest court demanded it. Miss Kercher, a 21-year-old from Leeds University, was found . semi-naked and with her throat cut in a house she shared with Knox in Perugia, Italy, in November 2007. Miss Knox . became 'Foxy Knoxy' and received the brunt of the attention as she . shopped for underwear after the killing and turned cartwheels in front . of investigators. Sollecito tells how he met Knox at a classical music concert in Perugia before going on to spend the night with her. Murder charges: Raffaele Sollecito, left, and Amanda Knox, right, are pictured arriving for a hearing in Perugia's court, in 2009; in Sollecito's book published last September, he maintains his innocence but says he and his then-girlfriend behaved oddly . Next to normal: Since being acquitted, Knox has been studying creative writing at a Washington state university . Within a week, Miss Kercher was murdered and the couple fell instantly under the spotlight of suspicion. In the hours after the gruesome . murder scene was discovered, the duo was notoriously photographed . kissing and cuddling in the street outside while police investigated. Italian authorities . later described Sollecito’s behavior ass ‘odd’, and acknowledged the two had . no real alibi 'except each other.' They eventually told police that they had been smoking marijuana and having sex in Sollecito's apartment before falling asleep. The pair was imprisoned days after the November 1, 2007 death of Kercher in the central Italian city. Both would remain there for nearly four years. An appeals court overturned their conviction and freed them last fall, issuing a 143-page opinion that blasted the utter lack of evidence against them. Rudy Guede, a petty criminal who was convicted separately, remains imprisoned and is serving a 16-year-sentence. Studying abroad: Knox shared a house with Kersher in Perugia, outside of Rome . Police found their behavior 'odd' and he acknowledged they had no 'real alibi the night of November 1 except each other.' Honor bound: Sollecito's book was released last September . The . couple were arrested several days after Kercher's death and later . convicted in proceedings that made headlines around the world. Prosecutors portrayed the case as a . drug-fuelled sexual assault, and Knox and Sollecito were sentenced to 26 . years and 25 years, respectively. The . appeals court found the prosecution's theory to be unsupported by any . evidence. Prosecutors have appealed the acquittal, and Italy's highest . court will hear their arguments next March. Sollecito met Knox at a classical music concert at the Universita per Stranieri, the University for Foreigners, on October 25, 2007 - a week before Kercher's death. He asked for her number, and she told him to come by the bar where she'd be working later that night. At the end of the shift, he writes in his new book, they took a walk, held hands and kissed. She accepted an invitation to come back to his apartment and spent the night. Soon the couple became inseparable. She began spending the nights at his apartment. They shopped for groceries together, and took a sightseeing day trip to Assisi. Guilty: Rudy Guede, a drug dealer, was convicted of Kercher's murder . Meredith Kercher, a British student studying abroad in Perugia, was found murdered in the flat she shared with U.S. student Amanda Knox on November 1, 2007. She, along with Knox and Sollecito were studying at the city’s University for Foreigners. In the days following the murder, Knox, her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, and Perugian resident Rudy Guede were all arrested for the grisly crime. The horrific murder of the bright young woman shocked the world, and for the next four years, the world watched as Knox and Sollecito were put on trial for the murder of the 21-year-old, who suffered 43 separate knife wounds. While being questioned by the police following the murder of her flatmate, Knox was reportedly performing cartwheels in the station and sat on Sollecito’s lap during the interrogation. However, during her appeal, Knox addressed her actions, saying: ‘Everyone deals with tragedy in their own way.’ Guede, a drug dealer who was originally from the Ivory Coast, was later convicted of the murder. While Knox and Sollecito were acquitted of their charges, authorities rejected Guede's appeal after his DNA was found inside of Kersher’s body. To this day, there are many unknowns in the case, though the prosecution’s original story – that Guede broke into the cottage and tried to rape Kercher with the assistance of a drug-addled Knox and Sollecito – is deeply flawed and is now known to be far from the truth.

Amanda Knox's memoir, 'Waiting to be Heard,' slated to be published April 30 by HarperCollins . Book details time before, during, and after murder trial of British student Meredith Kercher, who was found dead at the flat she shared with Knox . Seattle-native details how she contemplated suicide after murder conviction . Facing retrial by Italian courts, along with ex-boyfriend Rafaellle Sollecito .

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By . Lucy Waterlow . If they were handing out gold medals for the best six pack at the Commonwealth Games, then Tom Daley would surely win. The 20-year-old shows off his buff body in pictures set to feature in his 2015 calendar, which we can reveal here. Last year, the diver's 2014 offering was a bestseller and 2015's similarly racy version is likely to follow suit when it hits the shelves. In most of the pictures, Tom appears without his top on revealing the super-toned physique that has made him one of Britain's top sportsmen. Scroll down for video . Success: The calendar is on sale for £9.99, last year's offering was a bestseller . He was . just 14 when he qualified for his first Olympics in Beijing and then won . a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics for his dive off the 10m . platform. Tom . wears his pride at being an Olympian on his sleeve - or rather tattooed . on his arm - and the Olympics rings on his bicep can be clearly seen in . numerous of his calendar poses. The . Plymouth-based athlete is currently in Glasgow for the Commonwealth . Games where he's hoping to strike gold again. Four years ago in Delhi, . he won two golds in the individual 10 metre platform and synchronised . dive with Max Brick. Aside . from his sporting achievements, Tom has also launched a TV career, . acting as a presenter and mentor on ITV show Splash! where he teaches . celebrities how to dive. Also this month, the star, who is dating screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, was voted Attitude Magazine's world's sexiest man of 2014. He took the accolade ahead of One Direction heart throb Zayn Malik, footballer David Beckham and actor Zak Efron. Tom's success away from the pool has led to speculation he may soon retire from diving - but his spokesman insists he intends to carry on to compete in the Rio 2016 Olympics. He said: 'Tom's working hard in training and his goal remains to compete in his third Olympic Games.' The Tom Daley 2015 calendar costs £9.99 and is currently available to buy from http://pyramidshop.com/do/item/C13036/Tom-Daley-2015-Calendar .

Diver shows off his impressive six pack in new pictures . Last year's calendar was a bestseller . He was recently voted the World's Sexiest Man by Attitude magazine . Currently hoping to win gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games .

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By . Julian Gavaghan . PUBLISHED: . 10:59 EST, 25 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:08 EST, 25 April 2012 . The Harvard student son of a Chinese power couple embroiled a murder scandal today hit out against claims of a lavish playboy lifestyle. Bo Guagua spoke out for the first time since his father lost his job as a top Communist Party boss after his mother was accused of killing a British businessman. The 24-year-old, who had been studying for a master’s degree at the Kennedy School of Government but is now in hiding, declined to comment on the probe. Speaking out: Bo Guagua, Mr Bo and Mrs Gu's, son has publicly commented . for the first time since his parents came under investigation to deny . rumours about a hedonistic lifesyle he is said to have enjoyed at Oxford . Party boy: Bo Guagua embraces two young friends in a series of snaps posted on the internet . One of lads: Bo Guagua, 25, centre takes part in . the kind of crude stunt with fellow students that is said to have . heaped embarrassment upon his ambitious father . Prestigious: Mr Bo had been studying for a masters degree as Harvard Kennedy School of Government, above . But he hit out at claims that he had cashed in on his parents’ wealth and influence by spending more partying than studying while he was at Oxford University. He became renowned for hosting champagne and shisha parties in his room at Balliol College, where he read Politics, Philosophy and Economics. It was also claimed that his performance fell short of what was expected and he was made to sit ‘penal’ exams. But in an extraordinary twist – and in an astonishing example the influence of his parents before their spectacular fall from grace – Chinese officials tried to intervene to prevent tutors from disciplining him over his lack of work, it is understood. Accused: Gu Kailai is said to have confessed to and Neil Heywood are said to had an affair due to her husband's 'lack of passion' However, Mr Bo – the son of former . Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai and his lawyer wife Gu Kailai – did not . refer to all these allegations. In a statement published by the Harvard Crimson student newspaper, he: . In the statement, he said he felt . compelled to provide ‘an account of the facts’ in response to . speculation about his private life and family. He wrote: ‘Recently, there has been . increasing attention from the press on my private life. As a result of . these speculations, I feel responsible to the public to provide an . account of the facts. ‘I am . deeply concerned about the events surrounding my family, but I have no . comments to make regarding the ongoing investigation. ‘It . is impossible to address all of the rumours and allegations about . myself, but I will state the facts regarding some of the most pertinent . claims.’ Claims: Former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun, fled the city in February, is said to have revealed to American diplomats that Mrs Gu confessed 'I did it' three times . Questions: Chinese officials are investigating . whether Mr Heywood was poisoned with cyanide after falling out with Mr . Bo (right) and his wife Gu Kailai (left) Allegations last week claimed that Mr Heywood had hidden details of Bo Xilai's financial dealings with his lawyers in Britain . He also sought to . dampen speculation about financial improprieties over his costly . overseas tuition, explaining the fees had been covered by ‘scholarships . earned independently, and my mother's generosity from the savings she . earned from her years as a successful lawyer and writer’. Before . Oxford, Mr Bo attended Harrow, the same the prestigious private school . near London that murder victim Neil Heywood had studied at. Mr . Heywood, 41, a business ‘fixer’ who had known the Bo family for a . decade, was found murdered in a hotel in Chongqing in November. Today, it was claimed that Mrs Gu, who was allegedly his mistress, had confessed ‘I did it’ to a former Chinese police chief. She is said to have told Wang Lijun she was in the hotel room during the ‘gruesome’ poisoning, according to American diplomats. Mr . Wang, who ran the city’s police force fled there in February, . apparently in fear of his life, to the U.S. consulate in nearby Chengdu. He is said to have told diplomats that . Mr Heywood was held down in a Chongqing hotel room in . November and forced to drink cyanide. Afterwards, Mrs Gu – the wife of . former rising star Bo Xilai, who has been has been stripped of all his . roles within the party - allegedly confessed to the crime. Questions remain: It is thought that Mr Heywood . was killed in one of the mountain-top hotel's £600-a-night villas, but . details of his demise are sketchy . Suspicious: The reception area of the Nanshan . Lijing Holiday Hotel in Chongqing, China, where British businessman Neil . Heywood was found dead . ‘Gu said ”I did it” three times to Wang,’ a diplomatic source told The Daily Telegraph. ‘It was a gruesome scene. Heywood spat the cyanide out and they had to give him more.’ Mr Wang reportedly gave an almost . identical account to the Chinese authorities after he left and these . accounts have spread in official circles within and outside China. Mr Heywood had, before his death, been . raising cash to build an £80million shopping centre dedicated to British . goods. Mrs Gu is alleged to have started an . affair with him after she was denied ‘any normal passion’ from her . husband, Wang Kang, a Chongqing scholar with contacts inside Mr Bo's . circle, told The Times last week. They are even said to have . occasionally shared an apartment in the British seaside resort of Bournemouth, which was registered to Mrs . Gu, when he visited Britain.

Bo Guagua, 24, hit out at claims he cashed in on parents' wealth and power . Follows allegations he enjoyed lavish Oxford days before joining Harvard . Among claims are that he had champagne parties in room rather than study . New allegations that his mother confessed to killing 'lover' Neil Heywood . Dismissed claims he has an obsessive love for luxury cars, writing: ‘I have never driven a Ferrari’; . Said his academic record was ‘solid’ and had earned a string of top grades – although failed to address the penal exam claims; . Admitted that he ‘participated in . “Bops”, a type of common Oxford social event – but did not mention the . parties in his room; and . Insisted he had never ‘lent my name to nor participated in any for-profit business or venture, in China or abroad’.

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:27 EST, 19 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:31 EST, 20 June 2013 . After his turn as Mr Darcy, Colin Firth’s fans were, to put it delicately, rather eager to relieve him of that wet shirt. These days, however, they are more likely to want to sit him down for a proper home-cooked meal. The Oscar-winning actor, 52, seemed far slimmer than usual as he attended a launch party thrown by designer Tom Ford in Mayfair, with his face and neck looking a little gaunt. Disappearing act: The Oscar-winning actor, 52, seemed far slimmer than usual (right) as he attended a party . But fans can rest easy about his health – his weight loss is for a movie role. Firth, who looked smart in a suit and black-framed glasses, has shed pounds to play a prisoner of war in upcoming film The Railway Man. It is based on the true story of British officer Eric Lomax, played by Firth, who is captured by the Japanese during the Second World War and forced to work on the Thai-Burma railway. In his role as Mr Darcy, Colin Firth's fans were, to put it delicately, rather eager to relieve him of that wet shirt . Firth has previously spoken about how mastering a character’s physical appearance is key to his acting method. He said: ‘Some people spend days, weeks even, getting inside a character, getting under his skin, working out how he thinks, what makes him tick. ‘My secret is that I get outside the character. Take my character in [2009 film] A Single Man: it’s the big glasses that draw you in, make George’s anguish believable.’ Suited and boots: Colin displayed his slim physique in a smart suit as he attended a party thrown by luxury designer Tom Ford at Mark's Club in Mayfair, London .

Oscar-winning actor, 52, seemed far slimmer than usual at a party .

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By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . You might think of cats and dogs as merely faithful companions. But a new book says we are starting to treat them more and more like humans. And it may affect our laws, not only legally but socially as well, in ways we hadn’t imagined. Mugshot: A new book claims that cats and dogs are being treated more and more like humans . In the US, 90% of pet-owners regard their animals as part of the family. And $60 billion (£35 billion) was spent on companion animals in the US alone in 2013. The implications of this are that owners are treating their pets just like they would another human. ‘People are shelling out money and risking their lives to save their pet,’ David Grimm, author of Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship With Cats and Dogs tells MailOnline. ‘You wouldn’t do that for a bird or a toaster. Cats and dogs are getting this rarefied status in the home.' Grimm, who also teaches science journalism at John Hopkins University, Maryland, says that cats and dogs have achieved a status in Western cultures that is unheard of for any other animal. They are being treated more like people in society and law, blurring the lines between animals and person. Research has found dogs are the most popular pets for animals lovers. Married men living in the countryside are most likely to own a dog. While single women in their twenties are most likely to own a cat. More than half of dog owners describe themselves as hardworking. Whereas the majority of cat owners claim to be introverted and messy. ‘In some legal cases the best interests of the cat and dog are considered,’ Grimm continues. ‘And judges are awarding more emotional distress damages from killing cats and dogs. ‘In the past it used to be $50 (£30), now it’s in the tens of thousands of dollars. ‘And during Hurricane Katrina, rescuers were saving pets as well as people. ‘It’s a revolution not only in our homes, but in society and law.’ While the change in status of the animals may give rise to complications, it also has some benefits. Not least, the animals now have greater protection than ever before. But this could have some far-reaching connotations. For example, Grimm envisages a future where if a pet owner didn’t walk their dog enough, or it wasn’t given proper medical treatment, an organisation could turn up and take it away like a child. ‘There are a lot of bizarre consequences, and perhaps if pets were regarded as people they couldn’t be neutered. ‘So there’s a really interesting precipice for where we decide to go next.’ Doctor, doctor: Treating pets more like people could make trips to the vet more complicated . In ancient Egypt cats were worshipped as gods and given ethereal status, but this is one of the first times in history that they have been given almost an equal footing to humans. According to Grimm, some people are fighting for cats and dogs to be considered more like children. They could one day be allowed into restaurants, and apartments would not be allowed to have ‘no pet’ policies. But from the perspective of the cats and dogs themselves, we’re not quite sure if they are starting to think like us yet. ‘From more than a dozen labs around the world studying dogs, we know they have a sense of morality, justice and jealously,’ says Grimm. ‘We are discovering more going forwards.’ ‘Cats are harder to study, there hasn’t been a lot of research into the feline mind.’ ‘But as a cat owner myself, I hope we’ll discover they’re just as capable as dogs are.’

Cats and dogs are treated more like people than ever before, says author . David Grimm discusses his findings in new book Citizen Canine . He says we are starting to accept them as quasi-citizens . They are even being given greater social and legal status . It could lead to a future where cats and dogs are treated like children . For example, if a pet owner didn’t walk their dog . enough, or it wasn’t given proper medical treatment, an organisation . could turn up and take it away . Back to Mail Online home . Back to the page you came from .

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Technology company IBM is putting its supercomputer Watson to work - in a robot call centre. The artificially intelligent computer system is taking on the role of customer service manager and will be called Watson Engagement Advisor. Companies will be able to sign up to IBM's service and its customers can then ring a helpline and complain or get help from the Question Answering (QA) machine. The IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge invited teams to design mobile apps using Watson's, pictured, cognitive computing capabilities. The 25 finalists will now submit prototypes for judging, after which only five teams will present proposals to IBM. Three winners will get access to the Watson's developer platform . Customers will be able to ask the Watson Engagement Advisor questions by phone, email and instant messaging. A smartphone app called 'Ask Watson' (pictured) is due to launch later this year . In February 2011 Watson appeared on American quiz show Jeopardy. During the show, clues are given to . contestants that 'require analysis and understanding of subtle meaning, . irony, riddles and other language complexities' that humans can perform . naturally but computers, traditionally, do not. Watson had to be programmed to make decisions and conclusions in this way by a team of experts at IBM. During the show, Watson was given clues as electronic texts, as they were also presented to the human contestants. Watson would then parse the clues into different keywords and sentence fragments in order to find statistically related phrases. The more algorithms that find the same answer independently the more likely Watson was to be correct. Once Watson had a number of . potential solutions, it was able to check against its database to make . sure the answers made sense. Watson then evaluated the response and determined whether to virtually press the buzzer. Watson would then speak with an . electronic voice synthesized from recordings that actor Jeff Woodman . made for an IBM text-to-speech program in 2004. Watson has previously taken part in American . quiz show Jeopardy, and has helped medical research teams diagnose illnesses . in patients. This latest role will use the computer's internal knowledge database to handle customer complaints. With the new service customers can ask Watson questions using conversational language during a phone call. They can also ask questions to Watson through web forms, emails and an Instant Messaging service. An app, called 'Ask Watson' is also expected to launch later this year. Brands that have already signed up to try out IBM's Watson Engagement Advisor include ANZ, Celcom, Nielsen and Royal Bank of Canada. IBM said the Watson Engagement Advisor wiill be able to 'quickly address customers' questions, offer advice to guide their . purchase decisions, and troubleshoot their problems.' IBM Watson will also be able to proactively engage with customers, as well as learn from calls and complaints to make handling future queries faster and more accurately. Jon Simon from the IBM Watson team shows off the range of 'Ask Watson' apps coming later this year. Companies including Nielsen and the Bank of Canada have already signed up to test the Watson Engagement Advisor. Watson can adapt its responses and the way it handles customers depending on the company the customer is calling about . Watson the supercomputer's avatar. It is based on IBM's Smarter Planet logo . The service will use IBM's Big Data Analytics . technologies to gather data about customers and make sure the answers . are best suited to them. Watson . will also then be able to better personalise its responses based on the . company, and the type of customer, for future calls too. Manoj Saxena, general manager of IBM Watson Solutions wrote in a blog post: We’re widening the scope that the [Watson] technology addresses. And, as far as I’m concerned, this is just the start. This . next era of computing is going to touch all of our lives in positive . ways we can’t yet imagine.' Saxena continued: 'Customer engagement is a natural fit for Watson, which can instantly create a strong bond between who customers are as individuals, and what types of information will help them reach their goals. The end product: users will come away feeling known as people, empowered as consumers, and engaged as satisfied brand ambassadors who are willing to champion the business to friends and family.' In February 2011, Watson competed on American quiz show Jeopardy. During the show, clues are given to . contestants that 'require analysis and understanding of subtle meaning, . irony, riddles and other language complexities' that humans can perform . naturally but computers, traditionally, do not. Watson had to be programmed to make decisions and conclusions in this way by a team of experts at IBM. In 2011 IBM's Watson computer competed against Jeopardy's two most successful contestants, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. During the practice match Watson was given the same questions as the other contestants and could virtually press the buzzer to answer. In the majority of cases Watson beat both contestants . Earlier this year Watson became a call centre worker. This graphic explains how the scheme worked . During the mock games, Watson was given clues as electronic texts, as they were also asked to the human contestants. Watson then parsed the clues into different keywords and sentence fragments in order to find 'statistically related phrases'. The more algorithms that find the same answer independently the more likely Watson was to be correct. Once Watson had a number of . potential solutions, it was able to check against its database to make . sure the answers made sense. Watson then evaluated the response and determined whether to virtually press the buzzer. Watson would then speak with an . electronic voice synthesized from recordings that actor Jeff Woodman . made for an IBM text-to-speech program in 2004. Since its television debut, IBM claim that Watson is . 'smarter, faster and smaller - having gained a 240% improvement . in system performance, and a reduction in physical requirements by 75%.' Watson's cognitive computing system can be run on a single Power . 750 server using Linux, which turns it from the size of a master bedroom to the size of four pizza boxes. Businesses that use IBM . Watson can have the solution up and running quickly using a cloud . computing environment, or deploy the technology on-premise.

The IBM supercomputer is set to become a customer service manager called the Watson Engagement Advisor . Customers will be able to complain to Watson through phone, email, instant messaging . Watson-powered smartphone app, 'Ask Watson' expected later this year .

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By . Kate Lyons . The Australian athlete who stage-bombed Kylie Minogue during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony says her mother and friends thought she would be locked up for her on-stage antics. Steeplechaser Genevieve LaCaze, who turned 25 today, was seen across the world jumping onstage during Kylie Minogue's headline set at the closing ceremony in Glasgow yesterday. LaCaze said her friends were surprised when she returned to the group soon after being escorted offstage and told her: "We thought you'd be in jail!" Scroll down for video . Genevieve LaCaze made headlines when she crashed Kylie Minogue's performance at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games . But LaCaze, who cam fifth in the 3,000m steeplechase, said the security staff member who ushered her from the stage 'was so nice, she just forcefully took me to the back and she said: "You should go find your country now,"' LaCaze told Today. But LaCaze's parents, who were in Scotland for the Games, missed their daughter's moment in the spotlight. Her father had lost his phone that night and did not receive any of LaCaze's text messages telling him she was making international headlines and LaCaze's mother slept through the incident. 'I woke up this morning and thought, I don't think my parents know anything. I met up with them today outside London for my birthday and my mum said she had been a nervous wreck all day. 'Mum was like: "I've been worrying all day long, I've been nervous, I haven't been able to eat; I thought maybe you were locked up in jail."' LaCaze said her parents missed her big moment and her mother was worried the next day that she was locked up in jail . Write caption here . LaCaze says the incident was totally out of character and that she was caught up in the atmosphere of the closing ceremony. She has apologised on Twitter to anyone she might have disturbed by her antics and says she is most worried that she upset Kylie Minogue. 'I'm hoping that I didn't upset her because if you upset Kylie Minogue, you're not too much of a hero. I heard that she went offstage and that's when I entered, so I like to think I was kind of just entertaining while she need a quick break, so maybe she'll thank me, I don't know,' she said. The Australian is yet to be disciplined over the incident and hopes to compete in the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, her hometown. LaCaze, 25, came fifth in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Games . Genevieve Lacaze (right) pictured with other Australian athletes at the closing ceremony before she joined Kylie Minogue's dancers onstage .

Genevieve LaCaze jumped onstage during Kylie Minogue's performance at the closing ceremony of Glasgow Commonwealth Games . Speaking today, she said her parents slept through the dramatic moment . Her mother spent the next day worried her daughter was in jail . The steeplechaser says she is worried she upset her 'hero' Kylie .

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By . Katy Winter . and Deni Kirkova . There can be no doubt that voluminous beards are well and truly back in fashion. And while every other hipster seems to be sporting a forest of facial hair, few can compete with these incredibly artistic beards coming from New Zealand. The pictures are part of advertising campaign by a razor brand and seem at first glance to merely to show men with an impressive chin beehive. A razor brand is trying to dispel the 'sexy beard' myth with ads showing rodents clinging to men's faces . However further inspection reveals their beards to in fact be curled up creatures, complete with unbelievably realistic little faces. Either curled round the jawline, or clinging to the rather stoic looking men's chins, the animals have been carefully created from their own facial hair. Attempting to convince hipsters to prevent their beloved beards from going feral, razor brand Schick have also launched a competition. Bearded men can post pictures on social media uder the tag #FreeYourSkin with the chance to can win cash or beard-taming tools. The label is attempting to convince hipsters to prevent their beloved beards from going feral . A recent . study revealed women found the same man more attractive with a 10-day . beard than clean-shaven, so perhaps a little beard is OK as long as it's . maintained and kept form going haywire. While this may be an amusing and attention grabbing concept for an advert, we dread to think of scores of Bohemians taking a razor to their beard in an attempt to imitate this ultimate 'alternative' facial hair style. Further inspection reveals their beards to in fact be curled up creatures, with unbelievably realistic little faces .

New Zealand razor brand Schick hope to convince hipsters to shave . Campaign highlights 'feral' facial hair and encourages men to #freeyourskin .

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By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 05:24 EST, 19 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:14 EST, 20 February 2013 . Georgina Beevers was found dead at her home more than 13 hours after her mother warned police she was a suicide risk . A boy of four was left alone with a woman’s body for 13 hours – despite a 999 call to police. Officers were told the woman, Georgina Beevers, 37, was a suicide risk and had been threatening to take an overdose. But Greater Manchester Police downgraded the call to a lower priority and an officer who called at the house left when no-one answered the door. The Independent Police Complaints Commission accused the force of a ‘lack of diligence’  in handling the case. One member of staff has been disciplined. On January 29 last year, the woman’s mother, Sheila Beevers, 65, made a series of calls to  police and social services warning that Miss Beevers was preparing to overdose on prescription anti-depressants. Mrs Beevers, from Wythenshawe, Manchester, called police at 6.44pm because she was unable to drive to her daughter’s home herself but no-one was sent round until about 10.25pm. Miss Beevers’ body was discovered the next morning when officers called again. The boy then answered the door and they found her body on the sofa. Naseem Malik, of the IPCC, said the case needed a priority response but ‘didn’t get one due to flawed decision making and a lack of diligence’. She added: ‘All I can hope is that those involved will learn lessons from this tragedy.’ An inquest gave a verdict of death by misadventure. Ms Beevers' mother told a police call handler that her daughter was at the 'end of her tether' and her partner had been 'battling with her to stop her taking an overdose'. Although the 999 was initially treated as urgent and requiring an immediate response, it was later downgraded from Grade 1 to Grade 2. An officer should still have attended within an hour but due to an ongoing armed robbery and a missing person incident there was no-one available. The former home (centre) of Ms Beevers, where an officer visited on the night her mother contacted police, but left after there was no answer . The call was assigned to an officer . at 9.25pm and he visited the house an hour later. But he left after . getting no response and failed to realise Ms Beevers was a suicide risk . because he hadn't read the log about the incident properly. Another officer visited the house at 8.17am the next day and found Ms Beevers' body. The . Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation concluded . the call should not have been downgraded and the officer who initially . went to the house had failed to read the log properly, failed to . understand the nature of the incident and failed to act diligently. A . radio operator who requested the call be downgraded has received . 'management action' while the police officer had a case to answer for . misconduct. The call was downgraded by a supervisor in the control room but neither supervisor accepted responsibility and police systems could not prove which one had taken the decision. Therefore, no action was taken against either supervisor. IPCC Commissioner Ms Naseem Malik said: 'This was a terribly tragic incident and my deepest condolences go out to Ms Beevers' family. Ms Beevers was vulnerable and in a distressed state. 'Her mother attempted to contact social services and then turned to Greater Manchester Police for help. Despite an excellent, caring response from the initial call handler, the response that followed was inadequate. 'Following Georgina's death we referred this case to the IPCC, who managed an investigation into our handling of this incident. As a result of their findings one officer received management action for breaching the standards of professional behaviour' - Assistant Chief Constable Zoe Sheard, Greater Manchester Police . 'This was an incident that needed a priority response. It didn't get one due to flawed decision making and a lack of diligence. 'We cannot know what difference a prompter response would have made. All I can hope is that those involved will learn lessons from this tragedy.' Assistant Chief Constable Zoe Sheard, from Greater Manchester Police, said their thoughts were with Ms Beevers' family. She said: 'We note the verdict of the coroner and will respond positively to her directions. 'Following Georgina's death we referred this case to the IPCC, who managed an investigation into our handling of this incident. 'As a result of their findings one officer received management action for breaching the standards of professional behaviour. 'Our police officers and staff work tirelessly 24/7, 365 days a year to keep communities safe and prevent harm to the public. 'We will continue to work with the family to provide whatever support or assistance we can and are also supporting those officers and members of staff directly involved who have been personally affected by what happened.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.

IPCC investigation finds 'flawed decision making' and 'a lack of diligence' Georgina Beevers was found more than 13 hours after 999 call . Her mother raised the alarm, but call was downgraded following 'excellent' initial response .

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By . Liz Hull . PUBLISHED: . 13:37 EST, 28 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:54 EST, 28 November 2012 . Tragic: Mary Woods, 87, died after being hit by a van on a busy dual carriageway. A coroner said she would have needed the speed of Usain Bolt to get across the road safely . A woman of 87 who died after being hit by a van on a busy dual carriageway would have needed the speed of Usain Bolt to get across the road safely, a coroner said yesterday. Pedestrians had just four seconds to cross four lanes, with no central refuge, before traffic lights turned from red to green. An inquest heard that widow Mary Woods would have taken an estimated 4.4 seconds just to get halfway across the A56 close to her home in Timperley, Greater Manchester. As a consequence, the Stockport hearing was told, the pensioner had little chance of making it across safely and was knocked down by a van turning right from a side street. She suffered multiple injuries and died two weeks later in hospital. Recording an accident verdict, coroner John Pollard said it was ‘ludicrous’ that pedestrians had such a short time to cross the road. Although there was no pedestrian crossing attached to the lights, lowered kerbs indicated that it was an area used by them to navigate the road, he said. Mr Pollard added that he would be writing to the local authority to demand new safety measures, saying even Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet, would have found it hard to get across the carriageway in time. ‘If a pedestrian is trying to cross safely they have four seconds, which if you are Usain Bolt is  difficult, and there is no refuge in the centre, no lane markings,’ said Mr Pollard. ‘It strikes me how ludicrous this is. The fact there is a lowered kerb indicates to pedestrians they can cross the road there. ‘It seems entirely unacceptable to expect an 87-year-old to get across. I will write to the chief executive of Trafford council to see if a pedestrian phase could be added to the lights. 'I know it is scant help to the family but it might help other pedestrians.’ Death: The junction of Woodcote Road and Manchester Road in Timperley, Greater Manchester, where Mary Woods was knocked down by a van whilst crossing the A56 . Wrong: Pedestrians had just four seconds to cross four lanes, with no central refuge, before traffic lights turned from red to green. An inquest heard that Mary Woods would have taken an estimated 4.4 seconds just to get halfway across the road . Driver Matthew Woolley told the inquest that he had not seen Mrs Woods when he turned on to the A56 from Woodcote Road in January last year. He said: ‘I set off when the lights turned green to turn right. I was in first gear. I saw an object in front of me and I slammed the brakes on.’ Mrs Woods, who lived alone, was taken to hospital but died a  fortnight later from broncho- pneumonia due to her injuries. Fast: The coroner said Mrs Woods would need the speed of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, pictured, to get across the road safely . Police crash investigator PC Gary Bryon said that when the traffic lights went to red, Mrs Woods would have had just over four seconds to cross the road before traffic moved again. But he added: ‘It depends how mobile the individual is. We estimated it would take her 4.4 seconds just to walk to the centre of the road.’ In a statement Mrs Woods’ family said: ‘Mary was a kind aunt, and great aunt, who will be sadly missed.’

Mary Woods would have taken an estimated . 4.4 seconds just to get halfway across the A56 close to her home in . Timperley, Greater Manchester . An inquest heard the pensioner had little chance of making it across the road safely and . was knocked down by a van . She suffered multiple injuries and died two weeks later in hospital .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 9:13 PM on 2nd March 2012 . Tornadoes destroyed houses, tore up the roof of a maximum-security prison and injured people in northern Alabama as bad weather threatened more twisters across the region today - two days after a storm system killed 13 people in the Midwest and South. Anxiety mounted from Georgia to southern Ohio across a wide swath where forecasters said severe weather could hit later in the day. Thousands of schoolchildren in several states were sent home as a precaution. Meanwhile, residents in parts of Illinois hit hard by storms earlier in the week salvaged what they could from damaged homes. In the Huntsville area, five people were taken to hospitals, and several houses were leveled by what authorities believed were tornadoes this morning. The extent of the people's injuries was not immediately known, and emergency crews were continuing to survey damage. No deaths were reported. Scroll down for videos . Damage: Several homes in the Canebrake region in Athens, Alabama, had their roofs blown off today leaving the neighbourhood in ruin . Overturned: A 18-wheeler is flipped on its side in Harvest, Alabama because of the violent storm . At least 10 homes were damaged in a subdivision in Athens. Homeowner Bill Adams watched as two men ripped shingles off the roof of a house he rents out, and he fretted about predictions that more storms would pass through. 'Hopefully they can at least get a tarp on it before it starts again,' he said. An apparent tornado also damaged a state maximum-security prison about 10 miles from Huntsville, but none of the facility's approximately 2,100 inmates escaped. Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Brian Corbette said there were no reports of injuries, but the roof was damaged on two large prison dormitories that each hold about 250 men. Part of the perimeter fence was knocked down, but the prison was secure. 'It was reported you could see the sky through the roof of one of them,' Mr Corbette said. Authorities are confident that storms that hit Limestone and Madison counties were tornadoes, but it will be up to the National Weather Service to confirm the twisters, said Alabama State Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Yasamie August. 'We're still getting reports of damage pretty much as we speak,' she said at midday. Forecasters warned of severe . thunderstorms with the threat of tornadoes crossing a region from . southern Ohio through much of Kentucky and Tennessee. By early Friday . afternoon, tornado watches covered parts of those states along with . Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. Ruined: Greg Cook rescues his dog Coco from inside his destroyed home in Limestone, Alabama and hands her to a friend . Devastated: Greg Cook hugs his dog Coco after finding her inside his destroyed home in East Limestone, Alabama today . In Norman, Oklahoma, forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center said they were bracing for what could be a potent tornado outbreak. 'Maybe five times a year we issue what is kind of the highest risk level for us at the Storm Prediction Center,' forecaster Corey Mead said. 'This is one of those days.' Mead said a powerful storm system was interacting with humid, unstable air that was streaming north from the Gulf of Mexico. 'The environment just becomes more unstable and provides the fuel for the thunderstorms,' Mr Mead said. Schools sent students home early or cancelled classes entirely in states including Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky. In Alabama alone, more than 20 school systems say they are dismissing classes early Friday because of the possibility of severe storms. The bad weather could hit around the time schools normally dismiss for the day, based on predictions from the National Weather Service. Violent: Downed power lines and debris caused by a tornado lie along Yarbrough Road in Harvest, Alabama . News report: Thousands of schoolchildren in several states were sent home as a precaution as the tornado moving at about 50mph threatened further disruption . Residents were picking through debris in parts of Illinois that were devastated by the previous round of severe weather on Wednesday. The 9,000-resident town of Harrisburg was sacked by a twister about 5 a.m. on Wednesday that killed six people. Forecasters weren't expecting the area to be hit hard by the newest storms, though. The forecast in Harrisburg didn't much matter to Amanda Patrick, who lost her home on Wednesday, in the same twister that killed her neighbours in the area where most of the fatalities occurred. 'I don't know what to tell you other than I take it one moment, one day at a time,' Ms Patrick, 31, said a day after riding out the storm in the bathtub she barely was able to crawl into for shelter before the twister hit. She considers herself blessed, having thought the sirens that wailed as the tornado barreled down on her neighborhood was actually part of her dream. She awakened just minutes before the tornado hit and hours later couldn't stop sobbing over the neighbors she lost. 'I'm not crying as much now. I'm here right now, standing,' she said Thursday. 'Now, I will get up every time I hear a siren.' Watch videos here .

Violent weather comes two days after a storm killed 13 people in the Midwest and South . Other states likely to see heavy weather are Mississippi, Ohio, Georgia and Illinois .

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By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 06:39 EST, 4 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:11 EST, 4 January 2013 . A nurse trained to grade five standard of care was so incompetent she couldn't even calculate a patient's heart rate, a disciplinary hearing heard. Juleth McKenzie was hauled in front of the Nursing and Midwifery Council after she gave a dialysis patient a drink of Lucozade instead of a glucose drip. The nurse, who worked at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, didn't know the difference between milligrams and micrograms and checked a patient's temperature instead of blood pressure - despite having qualified eight years ago. Juleth Deborah Mckenzie was hauled in front of The Nursing and Midwivery Council after she gave a dialysis patient a drink of Lucozade instead of a glucose drip . Eleven allegations of incompetent errors against McKenzie were either admitted or found proved against the nurse. Following an NMC hearing in November last year, at which McKenzie was not present or represented at, her fitness to practise was found impaired by lack of competence. She was handed a 12 month suspension order, according to the findings of the hearing which have now been released. The allegations heard by an NMC conduct and competence panel included giving medication to patients she was not authorised to do so, prioritising getting personal details of a patient over stemming bleeding and assessing a patient with Parkinson's disease as being independent and needing no care or support. She was also accused of attempting to give drugs which had already been given, preparing drugs for oral administration for a patient who was nil by mouth, being unfamiliar with equipment on a resuscitation trolley, making four errors in relation to giving Heparin, giving prescription eye drops when not authorised and giving them to the wrong patient, failing to register patients and putting the wrong hospital number on a patient's wristband and not being aware of the difference between milligrams and micrograms and checking a patient's temperature instead of blood pressure. McKenzie worked at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and was found to not know the difference between milligrams and micrograms . McKenzie was placed on the Trust's poor performance plan and was diagnosed with dyslexia and poor short-term visual memory . Miss McKenzie's patients on the renal ward and senior colleagues described how she 'places patients at risk every time she put them on dialysis'. While others said she was a very caring person who wanted to deliver good practice, she was 'out of her depth and lacking in ability' and was described as 'getting muddled and panicked'. Patients on the dialysis ward had even gone as far as to ask to not be treated by Miss McKenzie. The panel heard how the job on the renal ward was Miss McKenzie's first substantive post after qualifying in 2005. She was required to complete a new starters programme which most nurses complete within three months, but after six months concerns remained about her ability as a registered nurse. By December 2006, she had been placed on the Trust's poor performance plan and was diagnosed with dyslexia and poor short-term visual memory. McKenzie was redeployed to a less acute area on ward 18 but she continued to make fundamental errors. She became a healthcare assistant but even in this capacity concern was expressed about her competence and she left the Trust on November 30, 2008. The Royal College of Nursing's career framework outlines nine levels of nursing. McKenzie was a level 5 nurse, qualified to 'provide general nursing services to defined groups'. No evidence was given to the panel which gave it any concern that the hospital had acted in appropriately or unsympathetically towards Miss McKenzie. A spokesman for the Foundation Trust, which runs Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital, said: 'The Trust took appropriate action to safeguard patients and Miss McKenzie managed in accordance with the Trust's capability procedures and was provided with extensive supervision and support.'

Juleth McKenzie didn't know difference between milligrams and micrograms . Eleven allegations of errors were either admitted or found proved . She worked at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust .

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By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 07:41 EST, 10 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:27 EST, 10 October 2013 . The Colorado parents whose four children could only communicate in grunts when they were found living in a feces-ridden home previously had three other children taken from them, it has emerged. Wayne Sperling, 66, and Lorinda Bailey, 35, were arrested and charged with four counts of felony child abuse after their four sons, aged two, four, five and six, were found living in a home littered with cat feces, flies and urine in Denver last month. Records have now revealed that the couple also had three other children taken away from them in 2006 when they were discovered living in similarly appalling conditions during a welfare check. Police were called to the home after two of the children, then aged two and four, were seen playing in the road and officers found the apartment door open, with only an upstairs neighbor watching them with a sound monitor, the police report shows. Charged: Wayne . Sperling, 66, and Lorinda Bailey, 35, were charged with child abuse after their sons were found in filthy conditions. They pleaded guilty to child abuse in 2007 after 3 other kids were also mistreated . Officers found that the eldest child was unable to speak properly and would only grunt and point, USA Today reported. The children's faces were black with dirt and they were hungry and surrounded by trash, rotting food and insects, the criminal complaint noted. They were wearing unwashed clothing and 'reeked', it said. Sperling and Bailey arrived home shortly afterwards with their three-month-old child and all three children were taken and put in protective care. There are no details about their current whereabouts but they have different birth dates from the most recently found children, and records show all seven are the children of Sperling and Bailey. Lashing out: Lorinda Bailey shouts at reporters while walking from the Denver Justice Center on the first day of her hearing on Tuesday. Her four malnourished sons were found living in a feces-covered home . The couple was later charged with . three counts of child neglect and both pleaded guilty to a single . misdemeanor count of child abuse in 2007 and were placed on probation . for two years. They were also ordered to take parenting classes and Sperling was ordered to undergo a mental-health evaluation, but it is not known if they fulfilled these requirements. In the incident last month, police went to the home after Bailey took her two-year-old son to the hospital for a cut on his head, and doctors noticed he was dirty and smelled of cigarettes. At the home, police officers reported a . strong smell of a decomposing animal coming from inside. They said the . 'smell became unbearable' as they entered the apartment. They added that the smell seemed to be coming from a . back room that was so full of flies 'they were covering every surface'. They also found two inches of cat . feces under the bunk bed where the boys had slept. 'Sick': In 2006, Bailey's children were found covered in dirt and hungry after neighbors saw them playing in the road. She and Sperling were put on probation and ordered to take parenting classes . The children could only communicate with each other using 'infant-like noises', the report noted. It also claimed all the children . seemed to be about the same size, and they could not tell the age or . developmental differences between the three oldest children. Two of the youngsters were wearing nothing but diapers. Bailey waived her right to an attorney and 'stated she did not think the apartment was bad and stated she had seen Sperling clean and mop the floors,' the report said. The children were placed in protective custody and all four were given medical examinations. Sperling . and Bailey have been charged with four counts of felony child abuse. Bailey, who is free on bond, appeared in court Tuesday while Sperling . remains in custody. They are scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing October 29. Questions: Family attorney David Littman, pictured in his law office opposite the home in Denver, said he called child welfare about concerns he had about the children - but that calls were ignored . Scene: A man walks past the residence of Sperling, where the four boys were found in deplorable conditions. Police records show that officers had previously responded to complaints . Since the recent case emerged, further records have revealed that child welfare knew about problems at the home for more than a year. Caseworkers and police officers had even visited the home in Denver, Colorado but concluded the boys - who had to sleep on urine-soaked beds with no sheets - were 'fine', police reports show. A family attorney, David Littman, who worked across the street from the home added that he called child welfare about the children after he saw them partially-clothed but his call was ignored. Denver . County Department of Human Services officials said they could not . discuss the case because of privacy laws and the state child welfare . division opened a review of the incident.

Wayne Sperling, 66, and Lorinda Bailey, 35, accused of child abuse after their four sons were found in deplorable conditions in Sperling's home . They also pleaded guilty to child abuse in 2006 after their other children were seen playing in the road and found dirty and unfed . Served two years of probation and ordered to undertake parenting classes . Now face four counts of child abuse and all 7 kids are in protective custody .

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By . Deni Kirkova for MailOnline . A pensioner just weeks from her 70th birthday is a real high flyer... but we're not talking about her career. At the age of 69 Gill Williams, from Cardiff, has long since retired from her job in financial services. These days the pensioner likes nothing better than swinging from a trapeze at circus school. Gill Williams, 69, a trapeze artist with No Fit State circus, and likes nothing better than throwing herself around . While many elderly people wouldn't dream of such daring exploits for fear of the physical demands required, Gill is something of an anomaly - and that's just the way she likes it. She attends circus skills classes at the HQ of world-renowned Cardiff-based NoFit State Circus twice a week. 'I started circus skills and aerial work, which is my favourite, just before turning 50,' she recalls. related] . 'I saw an advert in Eastern Leisure Centre for a trapeze class run by No Fit State who had been going for about eight years by then. 'It was a class for children, so I called and said, "I'm a 50-year-old adult". 'There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, but the instructor said there were only 14 spaces, so we should wait and see if all the spaces got taken up.' Gill attends circus skills classes at the HQ of Cardiff-based NoFit State Circus twice a week . As luck would have it, Gill received a call to partake in the class - and when she arrived the only other adults there were parents ready to watch their children pick up circus tricks. 'I squatted on the floor with the other children and the instructor said, "I wondered if you were going to look like an old granny". Coming from anyone else, that would have been rude, but it was so funny. 'It was a very hard class, but such fun. Exercising with young people was and is still very liberating.' Hanging upside down from ropes might not be every pensioner's idea of fun, however Gill's agility has come as no surprise to her friends and family. She took up rollerblading at 55 and there are plenty of other adventures she would like to have a go at before she thinks of winding down. Her husband Cliff - with whom she celebrated 50 years of marriage this year - gets a similar thrill from surfing and windsurfing. Gill says exercising with young people was and is still very liberating . As a child growing up in the Rhondda Valley, Gill longed to do gymnastics, but didn't have much opportunity to partake in her passions - instead she took piano lessons at the insistence of her father. However, it was when she hit 40 that her life took a turn. An article about cancer patients had a profound emotional impact and made Gill realise it was time she started looking after herself, taking care of her body and fitness. Now retired, Gill, who begins her eighth century in November, regularly goes to the gym - when she's not flying on a trapeze of course. She has also practised yoga for years and with regular swimming and running, exercises up to five times a week. And for the future? Well she's going to keep on keeping on. To this inspirational woman, age really is just a number. 'Many people think that just because they're getting old that should stop them from exercising. I'm proof that if you look after yourself, you can achieve whatever you want.' To find out more about classes at NoFit State visit the website at nofitstate.org . As a child growing up in the Rhondda Valley, Gill longed to do gymnastics, but didn't have much opportunity .

Gill Williams, 69, from Cardiff, attends circus skills classes twice a week . Practices a variety of aerial work at NoFit State and loves the trapeze .

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By . Aaron Sharp . PUBLISHED: . 11:24 EST, 17 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:26 EST, 17 October 2013 . The creators of South Park were forced to pull a new episode of the adult cartoon from its scheduled air date after a power outage in their studio meant that they couldn't finish it. It is the first time in the show's history that they have missed a deadline, despite being known for last-minute productions. Comedy partners and co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are known to create new episodes as close to the transmission date as possible to keep the content relevant. In the dark: Trey Parker, centre, and Matt Stone, right, are forced to abandon their production after the power outage . It is thought that they will often write and finish an episode in six days. But . their reliance on late deadlines came back to haunt them this week when . the electricity in South Park Studios,California, cut out, rendering . their computers and animation tools useless. Production . staff were putting the final touches to an episode called 'Goth Kids 3: . Dawn of the Posers', when the lights went out on Tuesday. The new show was set to air this week, but due to the delay Stone and Parker had to miss the Comedy Central air date. Announcement: Crew tell fans of the missed deadline on Twitter as co-creator Trey Parker says that the situation 'sucks' Instead they choose to show a re-run called 'Scott Tenorman Must Die', an episode which involves foul mouthed fat kid Eric Cartman tricking a boy into eating his own parents. Staff at South Park studio broke the news of the blackout on their official Twitter feed. They . posted pictures of staff huddled in the darkened corridors before . confirming that the new episode wouldn't be finished on time. In . a tweet, Trey Parker, later said: 'It sucks to miss an air date but . after all these years of tempting fate by delivering the show last . minute, I guess it was bound to happen.' Last minute: Trey Parker, left, and Matt Stone, right, like to write their shows as late to transmission as possible to keep their material relevant . Too late: South Park characters (L-R) Kenny, Stan, Cartman and Kyle, were absent due to the missed deadline .

South Park creators were finishing an episode at the last minute . The delay caused by the blackout meant they had to move the air date . It is the first time in show's history that they have missed a deadline .

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By . Hugo Gye . and James Tozer . and Suzannah Hills . A 20-year-old man sobbed in court today as he was charged with the manslaughter of two teenage girls who died after they were hit by a car. Samuel Etherington, from Gosport, Hampshire, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court today after detectives charged him last night. He was remanded in custody ahead of another hearing at Winchester Crown Court tomorrow. Police were called to Ann's Hill Road in Gosport at 4.15am on Sunday following reports that a green Honda Civic collided with two girls. Jasmine Allsop, 14, died at the scene, while Olivia Lewry, 16, died later after being taken to hospital. Charged: Samuel Etherington is accused of manslaughter over the deaths of two teenage girls . Tragedy: Jasmine Allsop, 14, left, and Olivia Lewry, 16, right, pose for a photograph just two hours before they were killed in a hit-and-run . Court: Etherington arriving at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court for a hearing this morning . Etherington, an unemployed football coach, wore a blue jumper and grey tracksuit trousers in the dock today, and wept as details of the girls' death were read out. He spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth, and did not indicate how he will plead to the charges. Ian Harris of the Crown Prosecution Service last night authorised Hampshire Constabulary to charge Etherington with two offences of gross negligence manslaughter. 'I have reached my decision after carefully considering all the available evidence provided to me by Hampshire Constabulary,' he said. 'I am satisfied, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to prosecute Samuel Etherington for these offences. 'Jasmine and Olivia have died in tragic circumstances and I would like to extend my very deepest sympathies to their families and friends.' Allegations: The defendant was arrested by police soon after the two girls' deaths . Car: One of many pictures posted by Etherington on Facebook of his green Honda car . Jasmine's mother Rose Allsop, 37, has spoken of . the moment she ran out of her house to see her daughter lying in the . road, before picking her up and saying her final goodbye. She said: 'I went out and then a neighbour covered me in a blanket. I kissed her - it was four hours before they took her body away because I did not want to let her go. 'I told her she was my angel and I'd loved her since the day she was born. I can remember her big blue eyes staring.' The housewife, who is also the mother of a four-year-old, said the death has left her numb. She said: 'I'm empty inside and lost. I keep expecting her to come through the door.' Happy: Jasmine, left, and Olivia, right, both looked happy and smiled as they posed for photographs in the early hours on Sunday . Friends: Jasmine, left, died outside her home shortly after the collision. Olivia, right, was taken to hospital where she later died on Sunday . Friends: The two girls are shown playing around at Jasmine's house in a photo provided by her mother . 'I can't believe she's gone': Rosemary Allsop is comforted by a well-wisher as she looks at the floral tributes left by her daughter's friends . The . girls were apparently hit by a green Honda Civic around 20 yards from . Jasmine's terraced house as they walked home at about 4.15am. Jasmine – known as Jas – died at the scene, while Olivia was taken to hospital with severe injuries but died later on Sunday. Jasmine's mother has spoken outside her . home, describing the heart-rending moment she visited her . daughter in a hospital mortuary. I've . only just been to see her body. I can't believe she's gone,' said Ms Allsop. 'She would . have loved to see all these flowers and to see how much she meant to . everybody. 'It's harder for me that she died right outside my house. 'I . didn't let her go for four hours when it happened. 'I was just kissing . her and holding her in the road - I couldn't bear to let her go. 'I looked into her big blue eyes and told her she had always been my angel and I had always loved her.' She added: 'She had hundreds of friends and they've all been here to pay their respects. 'Tonight her friends are all heading to the local park to light lanterns, play music and just remember the girls. 'I don't know if we'll go along - it was all a bit too much last night when they did something similar. 'There must have been 200 people there, even though it was pouring with rain. 'At school today they even held an assembly for Jasmine and Olivia and the school sent flowers to us too, which was lovely. 'The response from everyone has been amazing. 'Now I just feel empty. It's awful, because I keep expecting her to walk back through the front door.' Tributes: Friends have left bunches of flowers at the scene of the two girls' death, and have gathered to remember the teenagers . 'Sleep tight': One friend's heartfelt tribute to Olivia, who has died at the age of just 16 . Ms . Allsop said earlier that she had been enjoying a 'girly night' watching . horror films with the teenagers. Emergency services had woken her in the . middle of the night. 'It . was just all a blur,' she said. 'I cannot remember what happened. I had . gone to bed. I didn't see anything. I just thought they were playing . CDs and talking about boys and make-up.' She added: 'I'm empty inside and lost. I keep expecting her to come through the door. 'We . had a girls' night in. Jasmine was straightening my hair and plucking . my eyebrows and Olivia was here. Jasmine was a gorgeous, lovely, bubbly . character - they were best friends.' Mourners: Two friends carry flowers to the scene, which was cordoned off as police continued their investigation . Recording every detail: Forensic officers collect evidence in Anne's Hill Road . Jasmine's . father Kevin MacLaughlan, 58, also paid tribute to his daughter, . saying: 'She was beautiful. The most beautiful, bubbly natured girl - . outgoing and affectionate, very caring and bubbly.' The 14-year-old was studying at Brune Park Community School, where Olivia used to be a pupil. Head . teacher Richard Kelly said: 'They were both independent, strong-minded . individuals who lived their lives to the full with confidence and a . sense of humour and a sense of fun. 'We . will miss them both immensely and the unique talents which they . displayed. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families at this . dreadful time.' Di . Lloyd, principal of St Vincent College where the older girl was studying . at the time of her death, said: 'We're sending our sincere condolences . to Olivia's family. 'We're . very shocked and saddened. At the moment everyone is coming to terms . with it and preparing to support the students who are coming in today.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Jasmine Allsop, 14, and Olivia Lewry, 16, died early on Sunday morning . Samuel Etherington, 20, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court today charged with manslaughter . Remanded in custody ahead of crown court hearing tomorrow . He allegedly drove into the girls and then collapsed at nearby petrol station . Jasmine's mother described holding her for hours and kissing her goodbye .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . The parents of a baby girl who died after her skull was crushed during a forceps delivery are suing the Texas hospital where she was born. Rachel Melancon had experienced a healthy pregnancy, but when a doctor at the Medical Center of Southeast Texas used forceps during the birth on December 28 it had devastating consequences. As the medical device was clamped around her baby's head, the 24-year-old and her fiance Allen Coats claim they heard a popping sound as their daughter's skull was crushed. Heartbroken: Allen Coats and Rachel Melancon with baby Olivia whose skull was crushed during an attempted forceps delivery . Damage: Baby Olivia was born with a fractured skull and broken spinal cord, which left her brain damaged . The baby girl, named Olivia Marie, survived for five more days after being left brain damaged and with a fractured skull and severed spinal cord. Her parents plan to sue their obstetrician, Dr George T Backardjiev, and the Medical Center of Southeast Texas. The couple have also started a Facebook campaign page to petition against the use of forceps in all births. Ms Melancon, at 4ft 11in and weighing 95lb before she became pregnant, had asked for a cesarean section when her baby was overdue and large, considering her mother's petite frame. But doctors warned her against having that type of delivery, saying she'd be left with a scar, her mother-in-law Angie Coats told ABC News. After going into labor, baby Oliva's heart rate was increasing but the expectant mom kept being told to wait. 'It was 18 hours until the delivery. [Rachel] was running a 103 fever ... Five hours passed, then [the obstetrician] came in . and she started to push. But she was so worn out and the baby wasn't . even in the birth canal,' Ms Coats said. Hope: Rachel had experienced a healthy pregnancy and the couple were looking forward to their baby's arrival . Difficulties: Rachel had asked for a C-section because she was overdue and her baby was comparatively large for her petite 4ft 11in frame. Her request was turned down . Campaign: Rachel and Allen, pictured with Olivia, have started a petition to have forceps banned . She claimed the baby was facing the wrong way and Dr Backardjiev tried to turn her with his hands. 'When he couldn't do that, he took the . small forceps to try to pull the baby out. He kept going and even put . his foot up on the bed trying to pull,' she said. In a forceps delivery a metal instrument, shaped like salad tongs, is clamped around the baby's head. They are used to either guide the baby out the birth canal or, if the baby is facing the wrong way, to rotate the baby. The mother is generally given an episiotomy - an incision from the vagina to the anus - as there is an increased likelihood of tearing. It is considered a risky delivery, with the Mayo Clinic reminding expectant mothers that generally when a forceps delivery is recommended a C-Section is also an option. In the mother, forceps can cause long-term urinary or fecal incontinence; genital tears; and damage to the uterus or bladder. For babies, forceps can cause fractures, bleeding within the skull and facial injuries. 'When he touched the top and side of the skull, we heard a pop, like clay cracking in pottery and heard her skull crush.' Ms Melancon was rushed off for an emergency cesarean but when Olivia was finally delivered the family say she was unable breathe. Their baby was rushed to Hermann Hospital, where the parents were told that she had suffered numerous fractures. In a post on their Facebook page, Ms Melancon said she heard . '2 big popping sounds (it was her skull)' as the doctor used the . forceps. She claimed . her baby was then left in the birth canal while the doctor stitched . Ms Melancon up before she could have the emergency C-section. 'I . felt her pulled out of me and the room was silent. No crying baby and . they told Allen to leave the room. That's the last I remember before . waking up to my baby girl lifeless,' she said in a heartbreaking post. The parents kept a vigil at Olivia's bedside for five days before she was taken off life support. Her heart valve and tissue behind her legs and knees were donated to save another baby's life. Devastating: Baby Olivia was kept on life support for five days before she finally died . Letting go: Olivia's parents, who kept a vigil at her bedside, donated her heart valve to save another baby . Hospital chief executive Matt Roberts released a statement saying that Olivia's death 'rips at our hearts'. The statement added that the hospital could not comment on specific cases but confirmed that a review would be carried out. As well as a Facebook page to detail their experiences and raise awareness, the couple have set up a Go Fund Me page to pay for the funeral and try to pass Olivia's Law to ban the use of forceps. Skull fractures are a risk during forceps births. The Mayo Clinic advises: 'Keep in mind that whenever a forceps delivery is recommended, a C-section is typically also an option.'

Rachel Melancon and Allen Coats plan to sue obstetrician and Texas hospital . 4ft 11in mother had pleaded for C-section as baby was too big . Couple claim doctor pulled with such force he had foot up on table . After forceps failed baby had to be pulled from beneath mother's pelvis during emergency C-section . Baby Olivia Marie died after five days on life support .

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By . Richard Hartley-parkinson . PUBLISHED: . 03:59 EST, 6 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 00:03 EST, 7 November 2012 . The youngest sister of Brazilian footballer Hulk was returned unharmed this afternoon after being held by a gang of kidnappers, police revealed. Angelica Aparecida Vieira, 22, arrived back at her parents home in Campina Grande, northeast Brazil, at around 12pm local time. She had been left on the road near the house by a silver Honda car, according to reports. Kidnapped: Angelica Aparecida Vieira, 22, the youngest sister of Brazil international player Hulk, was snatched at gunpoint as she parked in front of a restaurant in the family's hometown of Campina Grande . The only witness to the crime, Helio . da Silva, the owner of another restaurant where Ms Vieira worked as a . nutritionist, had just stepped out of her car when the gang struck. No comment: Police have confirmed the abduction, but Hulk's family, most of whom still live in Campina Grande, have so far not commented on it . He was taken to hospital suffering from shock but was later released. Police have not yet confirmed how many people were involved in the abduction. Ms Vieira is one of six sisters of soccer star Hulk, 26, who became Brazil's second most expensive footballer in September after a £32million move from Porto to Zenit St Petersburg. The forward - real name Givanildo Vieira de Souza - is regularly called up on international duty and was part of the Brazil squad which won a silver medal in this summer's London Olympics. He is thought to earn £100,000 a week. Hulk's family, most of whom still live in Campina Grande, have so far not commented on the incident. The striker is said to be exceptionally close to his family, in particular his sister. Brazil team-mate and Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva yesterday took to Twitter to express his sympathy. He wrote: 'I want to offer my friend HULK support. Much strength friend, I am praying that this will be resolved as soon as possible. Hugs.'It is not the first time organised kidnapping gangs in Brazil have targeted the family of super-rich soccer stars. The mother of former Man City winger Robinho was held hostage for 40 days after being snatched by kidnappers at her home in Praia Grande, Sao Paulo state, in November 2004. She was released unharmed after a ransom was paid. And in May 1994 the late father of Brazil legend Romario, then playing for Barcelona was kidnapped as he left a bar in Rio de Janeiro and held for a £4million ransom. Police freed Edevair Faria seven days later after bursting in on the kidnappers' lair. Home town: Campina Grande, where Ms Vieira was taken from outside a restaurant . Another of Ms Vieira's brother's Tiago Alves, 23, told Brazilian news website NE10 that she left home earlier yesterday morning for Mauricio de Nassau university, where she is studying nutrition. At 1pm she met up with restauranteur Helio da Silva, who is also her course coordinator, and the two headed to a restaurant in the Catole district where Ms Vieira was due to present a seminar. He said: 'Helio told us that when they arrived at the restaurant he left the vehicle first, then moments later, the gangsters jumped inside the car and took my sister without a trace.' He said Helio called Ms Vieira's mobile phone straight after the abduction. He said: 'A man answered who said he was her husband, then hung up, but Angelica's husband was here at home with us. 'My other sister tried to call her again, but by then her phone was switched off.' Ms Vieira is married with two children, a two-year-old boy and a girl, four. Hulk's father and the family's private security agents were accompanying the work of the police. Jose Alberto Carlos, the director of a football school belonging to the player's Hulk Foundation for poor children in the city said the star is closely followed the case from St Petersburg. It is not known how much the kidnappers had demanded for her ransom or how much the family had paid to secure her release. Earlier it had been reported that the family had asked the police to stay away from the case, suggesting contact with the gang had been made. Police chief Marcos Paulo Vilela said that officers had interviewed Ms Vieira at the house.He said more details of the case will be revealed at a press conference tomorrow.

Angelica Aparecida Vieira, 22, was snatched at gunpoint from outside a restaurant in hometown of Campina Grande . The young woman was left at a roadside near family home . Hulk, who earns an estimated £100,000 a week, has so far not commented on the abduction .

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By . Mark Prigg . After six years on the red planet, Nasa's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has collected its fair share of dust. In fact, the red planet has thrown up so much that the solar panels on the rover were not working as well as they should. However, Nasa has revealed the rover has has a spring clean - courtesy of the martian wind. Before: This image of Opportunity in January 2014 shows its solar panels coated in a think layer of dust, obscuring its panels . Opportunity landed on Mars in 2004 in what was to be a three-month mission. Instead the rover has lived beyond its prime mission and roved the planet for nearly 10 years. During its time on Mars, the rover has identified rock laden with what scientists believed to be clay minerals. Their presence is an indication that the rock has been altered at some point in the past through prolonged contact with water. Nasa today revealed these amazing pictures showing the rover's cleanup. 'It now has cleaner solar arrays than in any Martian winter since its first on the Red Planet, in 2005,' Nasa said. 'Cleaning effects of wind events in March boosted the amount of electricity available for the rover's work.' TRhe two images show the rover in its 'dirty' state in January 2014 (above), where the panels have a thick layer of dust. The 'clean' picture below, taken in March, reveals a sparking set of panels with their full capability restored. The mission is using the rover's added energy to inspect 'Murray Ridge,' on the western rim of Endeavour Crater, to learn about wet environments on ancient Mars, Nasa said. During Opportunity's first decade on Mars and the 2004-2010 career of its twin, Spirit, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Project yielded a range of findings proving wet environmental conditions on ancient Mars -- some very acidic, others milder and more conducive to supporting life. After: In its sixth Martian winter, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity now has cleaner solar arrays than in any Martian winter since its first on the Red Planet, in 2005. This false colour image of the roveron the Martian surface in its 'clean' state shows just how well the wind cleared the panels of dust .

Nasa revealed that high winds on the red planet have cleaned to rover's solar panels . Pictures taken in January and March show the change .

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He's been labelled the 'Mozart of football' by Radomir Antic, 'from another planet' by Arda Turan and the equivalent of 'having an orgasm' by Luis Figo. Lionel Messi is celebrating 10 years since his league debut for Barcelona - a decade which has seen the forward play 434 games for the La Liga giants. Here, Sportsmail narrows down 10 of the four-time Ballon d'Or winner's best games. Argentina forward Lionel Messi is celebrating a decade of football with La Liga giants Barcelona . Barcelona 4-0 Viktoria Plzen (Champions League, 2011) Barcelona won the Champions League the year before, and were defending their crown in Prague. Up against Viktoria Plzen, Messi's first goal brought his Barcelona tally to 200. Not satisfied with the milestone, the forward added two more to complete his hat-trick against the Czech club. Messi was the top scorer in the competition that year, too, as well as 2009, 2010 and 2012. Barcelona's Messi reacts after scoring his second Champions League goal against Viktoria Plzen in 2011 . Barcelona 3-3 Real Madrid (La Liga, 2007) Ten-man Barcelona came from behind three times to salvage a point thanks to a hat-trick from a certain 19-year-old. In front of 97,823 fans, Messi hit his third in the 87th minute to send the Nou Camp faithful berserk. It came after a three-month absence for Messi, who broke his foot earlier in the year. Messi celebrates scoring against Real Madrid at the Nou Camp as the 10 men came from behind three times . Barcelona 4-0 Santos (FIFA Club World Cup final, 2011) It was billed as Messi vs Neymar, and there are no prizes going for guessing who won. Messi was scintillating at the International Stadium in Japan as he scored twice in the final, was named man of the match and won player of the tournament, too. All in a day's work for the man who now calls Neymar his team-mate. Neymar (right) and Messi are team-mates at Barcelona now but went up against each other in 2011 . Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United (Champions League final, 2011) A Champions League final in England against Manchester United was potentially daunting - but not for Messi. The Barcelona maestro, winning UEFA and the fans' man of the match, scored the second goal - his 12th of the competition - and condemned Sir Alex Ferguson to Champions League heartbreak. Afterwards, Barca boss Pep Guardiola said: 'Lionel Messi is the best player I've ever seen, probably the best ever. He made the difference. Messi is unique, a one-off.' Messi scores against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley in London . Messi and Sergio Busquets hug as Barcelona confirm the 3-1 win against Sir Alex Ferguson's United side . Messi poses with the Champions League trophy (his third) in 2011 after scoring the winner against United . Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona (La Liga, 2014) Another Clasico, another hat-trick. In March, three against Barcelona's greatest rivals saw Messi surpass Alfredo Di Stefano as the outright all-time top scorer between the Spanish giants. Messi has 21 goals to Di Stefano's 18 (and Cristiano Ronaldo's 13) in the El Clasico fixture. Messi netted a hat-trick against Real Madrid in March as he surpassed Alfredo Di Stefano's El Clasico tally . Messi has 21 goals to Di Stefano's 18 (and Ronaldo's 13) in the El Clasico fixture between Real and Barcelona . Estudiantes 1-2 Barcelona (FIFA Club World Cup final, 2009) Talk about getting something off your chest. Messi scored the extra-time winner in this Abu Dhabi final to keep a Barcelona side hell-bent on world domination on track. Messi's goal, using his chest to put the ball beyond goalkeeper Damian Albil, meant Barca bagged their sixth trophy of the year (Copa del Rey, La Liga, Champions League, Spanish Supercup, European Supercup, and Club World Cup). Two days later, Messi was crowned FIFA World Player of the Year. Not a bad week. Messi used his chest to put the ball beyond Estudiantes's Damian Albil and won the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup . Barcelona and Argentina forward Messi poses with the FIFA World Player of the Year trophy in Zurich in 2009 . Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal (Champions League quarter-final, 2010) Sorry, Arsenal fans, but you knew this was on its way. Messi single-handedly destroyed Arsene Wenger's Arsenal at the Nou Camp with four goals after Nicklas Bendtner put the Premier League club ahead. Barca won 6-3 on aggregate and the No 10's goals - each as brilliant as the last - led Wenger to praise the man that had just cut his team in to smithereens. 'He's like a PlayStation,' he said. 'I think he can take advantage of every mistake you make.' Messi scores Barcelona's fourth goal against Arsenal at the Nou Camp as Arsene Wenger's men lost 4-1 . Messi ran riot against the Premier League side as the Spanish giants won 6-3 on aggregate at the Nou Camp . Messi celebrates after scoring four goals against Arsenal at the Nou Camp for Barcelona . Barcelona 2-0 Manchester United (Champions League final, 2009) Messi, so often praised for his feet, showed exactly what he can do with his head in Rome. Yet again the orchestrator, the forward leapt to meet Xavi's perfectly-looped cross to kill the tie off after Samuel Eto'o had given Barca the lead. Some have labelled it the best header they've ever seen for its importance and sheer unique quality. Either way, it certainly took any eyes away from United No 7 Ronaldo in the opposite corner. Messi is often praised for his feet but the Barca star showed exactly what he can do with his head in Rome . Messi leapt to meet Xavi's looped cross to kill the final off after Samuel Eto'o had given Barca the lead . Messi (left) and Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta celebrate with the Champions League trophy after the win . Barcelona 4-0 Bayern Munich (Champions League quarter-final, 2009) Just when Bayern Munich were eager on orchestrating their own world domination, Messi knocked the German club back to earth with two goals and an assist in a 4-0 romping at the Nou Camp. Not waiting around, Messi scored his double in the first half to kill off any threat from Bayern. This was all part of a season that saw Messi win his first Ballon d'Or - an award he would win in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Messi knocked Bayern Munich back to earth with two goals and an assist in a 4-0 romping at the Nou Camp . Barcelona 5-2 Getafe (Copa del Rey semi-final, 2007) No-one ever remembers Messi's beauty into the top-right corner, do they? It's all about his first against Getafe - a dribble that draws comparisons with Argentina legend Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup run against England. Messi dribbled past not one, not two, but five Getafe players from his own half, before slotting the ball into the back of the net. It came six months after his 'Hand of Goal' replica, too. Messi scores one of his greatest goals against Getafe after taking on five players from his own half .

Lionel Messi is celebrating 10 years since making his Barcelona debut . The 27-year-old has netted 249 La Liga goals in 284 appearances . Messi scored four against Arsenal in the Champions League in 2010 . Sportsmail pick 10 of the four-time Ballon d'Or winner's best displays .

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By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 07:01 EST, 25 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:33 EST, 25 December 2012 . The king of character actors: Charles Durning pictured in 2008 when he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Two-time Oscar nominee Charles Durning - dubbed the king of the character actors - has died aged 89. The Tootsie star died yesterday of natural causes at his New York City home. Durning is best known for role as a corrupt governor in 1982's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He was nominated a second time a year later for his performance as a bumbling Nazi official in Mel Brook's To Be Or Not To Be. His longtime agent and friend, Judith Moss, announced today that he had died at his home in the borough of Manhattan. He is survived by his children, Michele, Douglas and Jeannine. In 2008, Durning said he never wanted to stop working. He said: 'They're going to carry me out, if I go.' During his 50-year-career, Durning also won plaudits for his stage performances and received a Tony award in 1990 for his portrayal of Big Daddy in a Broadway revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. He was decorated in the Second World War but refused to speak of his experiences. 'Too many bad memories,' he told an interviewer in 1997. 'I don't want you to see me crying.' He won . a Silver Star and three Purple Hearts during the Second World War and . was among the first wave of US soldiers in the D Day Landings and was . later taken prisoner. Charles Durning starred as Dustin Hoffman's would-be suitor in Tootsie . Durning also starred alongside Al Pacino in the 1975 classic Dog Day Afternoon . Born in 1923, the O Brother Where Art Thou actor grew up in poverty in New York and lost five of his nine siblings to disease. At school he was told he had no talent for art, languages or maths and should learn office skills. But after seeing King Kong and some of James Cagney's films, he knew he wanted to perform. Durning began his career as an usher at a burlesque theatre in Buffalo, New York, when he replaced a comedian who was too drunk to go on stage. He would recall years later that he was hooked as soon as he heard the audience laughing. Charles Durning in the1973 film The Sting, left, and in V.I. Warshawski, right . Award winning: Durning receiving the life achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards from Burt Reynolds in 2008 . He started working on the stage and after years of minor roles, Durning gained national attention as a mayor in the Pulitzer and Tony-winning play That Championship Season in 1972. Durning transferred to the big screen and gained fame as Dustin Hoffman's would-be suitor in Tootsie, the infamous seller of frog legs in The Muppet Movie and as Chief Brandon in Dick Tracy. 'I never turned down anything and never argued with any producer or director,' he said in 2008, when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Durning and his first wife had three children before divorcing in 1972. In 1974, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Ann Amelio. The family plan to have a private service and burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Tootsie star died yesterday, his friend and agent Judith Moss announced . Starred in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and To Be Or Not To Be . He is survived by his children, Michele, Douglas and Jeannine .

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By . Simon Tomlinson . Last updated at 1:00 PM on 25th January 2012 . A mummified body has been discovered inside an air duct in a French bank after workers had been complaining of a bad smell for several months. Police and firefighters were last night attempting to dislodge the half-rotten corpse at a branch of Credit Foncier in Lyon, eastern France. Investigators were trying establish if it was an attempted break-in that went wrong or a homeless man seeking refuge, according to a local prosecutor. Macabre: French police make their way into the Credit Foncier bank in Lyon as they investigate the discovery of a mummified body in the air duct . Marc Desert said it may be the body of an 'unlucky burglar' who got stuck, according to the Daily Telegraph. The body was found in a bend in . the ducting, which is just 20 inches in diameter. The vent leads from . the roof to a staff bathroom. Employees at the bank had complained since the end of last summer about a bad smell coming from the air vent. Their complaints prompted an inspection by maintenance workers which led to the macabre discovery on Monday, it was reported by Lyon Capitale. Officers were hoping to remove the body intact to help with the process of identification. Grim operation: Media wait outside the building as officers and firefighters attempt to dislodge the rotten corpse so they can try to identify the body .

Rotten corpse lodged in duct of French bank . Could be an 'unlucky burglar', prosecutors say . Complaints about smell since last summer .

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By . Damien Gayle . Google has been told to inform its French customers that it must pay a £125,000 fine for violating their privacy. France's data protection watchdog punished the online advertising giant for the way it tracks and stores users' personal information. The fine is just the latest blow for Google in France, after the company was earlier this week hit with a €1billion tax bill from French tax authorities. Communique: Google has been told to inform . French customers it must pay a £125,000 fine for violating their privacy . after France's data watchdog punished the firm over how it tracks and . stores personal information . Privacy watchdog CNIL objected to Google's method . of combining data collected on individual users across services such as . YouTube, Gmail and social network Google+. Google began moving toward the new storage model in March 2012 and combined 60 privacy policies into one, which was forced on users with no means to opt out. The Silicon Valley firm - which has been heavily implicated in Edward Snowden's leaks about American and British online spying - said it would comply with CNIL's order but would keep fighting the €150,000 (£125,000; $204,000) fine issued last month. Google last month appealed the watchdog's fine as well as the order to post a notice of the sanction on its google.fr homepage for 48 hours. Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt: The fine . comes after raids on Google's Paris offices led to officials slapping . the firm with a 1billion-euro tax bill . Lawyers for the multi billion-dollar company specifically asked the Conseil d'Etat (Council of State), France's top administrative court, to suspend the order while it re-examines the case. But judges ruled yesterday that there was not enough urgency nor proof of damage to Google's reputation to warrant a suspension. The fine and order come after raids on Google's Paris offices led to the company being slapped with a €1billion (£830million; $1.36billion) tax claim. French financial inspectors searched the search engine's offices in June 2011 as part of an investigation into its accounting. The company had sought to reduce the amount of tax it pays in France by channelling its revenue through a Dutch-registered intermediary and then to a Bermuda-registered holding, Google Ireland Limited, before reporting it in low-tax Ireland. Socialist France is currently one of the highest taxed countries in the world. Commenting on yesterday's privacy ruling, a Google spokesman told Reuters: 'We've engaged fully with the CNIL throughout this process to explain our privacy policy and how it allows us to create simpler, more effective services. 'We will comply with the order to post the notice, but we'll also continue with our appeal before the Conseil d'Etat.' Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain have also opened similar cases against Google, arguing that the company's privacy policy breached local laws on protecting citizens' personal data.

Online ads giant rapped for the way it stores and tracks personal data . Comes after French officials this week slapped firm with €1billion tax bill .

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By . Paul Revoir . PUBLISHED: . 20:06 EST, 8 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:48 EST, 9 January 2013 . Listeners have reacted with anger after Radio 2 moved church hymns show Sunday Half Hour from 8.30pm to a 6am slot. Presenter Diane Louise Jordan announced the new time at the weekend. From January 20, the programme will be broadcast in a new 60-minute format as Sunday Hour. Change: Presenter of church hymns show Sunday Half Hour told listeners at the weekend that the programme would be moving from an 8:30pm slot to a 6am slot . The news was greeted with a storm of . criticism on Twitter, with listeners branding the new time ‘ridiculous’ and an ‘insult’ to the audience. Others accused bosses of being ‘unfair’ and deliberately pushing loyal listeners away. One tweeted: ‘Moving from 8.30pm to 6am looks like marginalisation.’ Miss Jordan told listeners who will be ‘fast asleep at six o’clock’ that they can listen to the show on BBC iPlayer, but the fear is that the online catch-up service will not be used by many elderly listeners. Reassurance: Diane-Louise Jordan told regular listeners that they can listen to the programme on iPlayer but this may not be convenient for older listeners . She said: 'As part of those changes Sunday Half . Hour is moving to a new time. 'So instead of Sunday evenings I will be . bringing all your favourite hymns as well as some new ones in a new . Sunday morning slot at six o’ clock. ‘Now I know some of you like me are . morning lovers and so are always up bright and early or at least have . the radio on to help you start your day. 'But for those of you that are . still fast asleep at six o’clock there is of course the opportunity to . listen to BBC iPlayer so you can still enjoy being part of this very . special time we have together.’ A Radio 2 spokesman said: ‘We understand how well loved Sunday . Half Hour is for many regular Radio 2 listeners so the decision to move . the programme has not been taken lightly. ‘Over the past decade, the number of . people listening to the programme and on Sunday nights generally has . declined significantly and early Sunday mornings actually reach a much . wider audience than Sunday evenings.’ The long-running programme will be replaced on January 20 in its 8.30pm slot by a show presented by West End musicals star Michael Ball. This will air between 7pm and 9pm and focus on popular music from the 1940s to the present day.

Sunday Half Hour moves from 8:30pm to earlier hour-long slot . Twitter users branded the new time 'ridiculous' Presenter Diane Louise Jordan told regular listeners that they can catch up on iPlayer .

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An Asda supermarket worker who stole hundreds of pounds in donations after having her head shaved for a cancer charity has walked free from court. Mother-of-two Sandra Ramsay, 36, of Mow Cop, Staffordshire, took part in the event to support her friend and work colleague Deb Barnett, 43, who beat breast cancer. The pair, who both worked at Asda, raised £496.49 last November - but instead of giving the cash to the Breast Cancer Care charity, Ramsay kept it for herself. Head shaving: Mother-of-two Sandra Ramsay (right), 36, of Mow Cop, Staffordshire, took part in the charity event to support her friend and Asda colleague Deb Barnett (left), 43, who beat breast cancer . A court heard she spent the money on presents for her children and lunches out. She also stole £123.21 from the supermarket along with a selection of children’s clothes. On Friday, she was ordered to pay £650 compensation, and received a 12-month community order after she admitted the thefts at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Avoided jail: Ramsey (pictured) was ordered to pay £650 compensation after she admitted the thefts at North Staffordshire Magistrates Court . Ramsay was also ordered to carry out . 60 hours of unpaid work and told her to pay £310 court costs. She has now . been sacked by Asda. The . court heard her theft was exposed when she was caught stealing clothes . and cash from the supermarket and her bosses called the charity to raise . their concerns. Steve Knowles, prosecuting, said: ‘The defendant, along with another colleague, took part in a sponsored head shave in November for the Tickled Pink cancer campaign through the Asda Foundation. 'Due to the previous incidents, the store manager phoned the charity to see if the money had been passed on. 'She contacted the Asda Foundation and they confirmed no money had been handed in. The defendant was interviewed. 'In relation to the sponsorship, she said she collected the money in good faith and had intended to pass it on, but since Christmas she kept dipping into the money for personal reasons, including to buy dinner and presents for her children. 'She said she didn’t go over the top, it was just £10 or £20 at a time but before she knew it, it had gone.’ David Green, defending, said: ‘This is an extremely sad situation in terms of Mrs Ramsay’s personal life. The thefts were of relatively low value and were unsophisticated offences. ‘There was no attempt to place the blame on somebody else. When Mrs Ramsay raised this money for charity, she clearly intended for that money to go to charity. ‘She then gave in to the temptation of having that money and began dipping into it, not to live an extravagant lifestyle, just to buy lunch and some things for her children. 'She said she didn’t go over the top, it was just £10 or £20 at a time but before she knew it, it had gone' Steve Knowles, prosecuting . ‘By the time Mrs Ramsay had recognised what she had done it was too late. She had spent it all and there was no way of putting it back again. She says she feels ashamed and devastated.’ Ramsay was working at Asda’s store in Wolstanton, Staffordshire, when she suggested holding a charity head shave after being inspired by the bravery of her colleague Ms Barnett. Ms Barnett, of Fenton, had a tumour removed from her breast in 2008 and was given the all-clear last year. Ramsay refused to comment outside court after she was sentenced.

Sandra Ramsay, 36, took part in head shaving event to support her friend . Deb Barnett, colleague at Asda store in Staffordshire, beat breast cancer . Pair raised £496 but Ramsey did not give it to Breast Cancer Care charity . Mother-of-two Ramsey spent money on presents for children and lunches . She also stole £123 from supermarket along with some children's clothes . Ordered to pay £650 compensation and given 12-month community order .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:03 EST, 8 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:28 EST, 9 August 2012 . The United States stormed to four Olympic gold medals in the space of 45 minutes - a sensational sequence of results which puts Team USA firmly back on-top of the London 2012 medal table. Allyson Felix began the gold rush for the U.S. as she finally took gold in the 200 metres and was followed 16 minutes later by Aries Merritt who triumphed in the men's 110 metres hurdles. Brittney Reese then bagged victory in the women's long jump 19 minutes after and a fabulous three-quarters of an hour was topped by the third consecutive Olympic beach volleyball gold medal for Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings. Allyson Felix of the US (centre) on her way to winning the women's 200m final at the London 2012 Olympic Games Athletics, Track and Field events at the Olympic Stadium, London . The victories for the American athletes helped the USA to top the medal table with 81 medals to China's 77. Allyson Felix finally won an individual Olympic gold medal, gliding home with her seemingly effortless stride to take the 200-meters title and end Veronica Campbell-Brown’s stranglehold on the event. Aries Merritt added to the perfect sprint night for the United States, dominating the 110-meter hurdles final ahead of compatriot Jason Richardson. Behind them, Cuba’s Dayron Robles, the 2008 champion, was smashing a hurdle in frustration after he pulled up lame with a right hamstring injury halfway through the race. Allyson Felix wins ahead of Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and US' Carmelita Jeter in the women's 200m final . Allyson Felix (centre) crosses the finish with her arm raised in victory ahead of Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (right) to win the women's 200m final . Allyson Felix of the United States celebrates after winning gold in the Women's 200m Final on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympic Games . In the heats, China’s Liu Xiang, the 2004 champion, also pulled out injured. And making for a golden half-hour for the United States, Brittney Reese added the long jump title soon afterward to complete a triple for the Americans. All of a sudden, the United States shot to the top of the gold medal standings in track and field with five titles, two more than Russia and Britain. It could have been even better for the U.S. team, but world champion Lashinda Demus lost the 400 hurdles final by .07 seconds to Russia’s Natalya Antyukh. Second gold in 45 minutes: Aries Merritt of the US (right) winning the men's 110m Hurdles final . United States' Aries Merritt, (centre), crosses the finish line ahead of the United States' Jason Richardson, right, to win gold in the men's 110-meter hurdles final sparking wild celebrations (right) United States' Aries Merritt celebrates after winning in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London . United States' Aries Merritt was the second of four golds in the space of 45 minutes for the U.S. Olympic track and field team . In the biggest final of the night, loaded with gold medalists, Felix was quickest around the curve and, once she had her smooth, elegant stride going, none of the power racers could come close. 'I mean, finally. It’s been a long time coming,' said Felix, reflecting on two losses to Veronica Campbell-Brown. 'To twice lose to the same person, it’s been tough. But it’s all paying off.' Brittney Reese competes in the women's long jump final at the London 2012 Olympic Games . United States' Brittney Reese was the third gold medalist for the United States on Wednesday evening . Brittney Reese on her way to winning the women's long jump at the London Olympics . Misty May-Treanor danced on the sand and then off it, taking a victory lap around the court before leaving Horse Guards Parade with Kerri Walsh Jennings as the first three-time gold medalists in Olympic beach volleyball history. Extending their Olympic winning streak to 21 consecutive games, Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor beat fellow Americans Jennifer Kessy and April Ross 21-16, 21-16. The two-time defending champions fell to their knees and hugged as Ross' final serve went long on set point, then took the celebration to the stands. United States' Misty May-Treanor, right, and Kerri Walsh Jennings, left, celebrate after winning their women's gold medal beach volleyball match . Misty May Treanor smiles after she and teammate Kerri Walsh Jennings beat April Ross and Jennifer Kessy during the women's Gold Medal beach volleyball match between two United States teams  at the 2012 Summer Olympics . (Left-Right) Silver medallists Jennifer Kessy and April Ross of the United States, Gold medallists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, and Bronze medallists Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva of Brazil celebrate on the podium . May-Treanor then began doing a funky dance to rival the scantily clad cheerleaders who entertain the sold-out crowds and the Olympics' iconic venue during timeouts. The winners then hugged their family and friends in the stands - but not May-Treanor's husband, Matt, a Los Angeles Dodgers catcher who was watching on a computer from the team's clubhouse - and high-fived just about everyone holding an American flag. Even Ross and Kessy, who won a silver medal in their Olympic debut, have called their fellow Americans legends. But they were hoping to supplant them as the top team in the United States by depriving them of another Olympic gold medal. Instead, the Athens, Beijing and now London gold medalists remained unbeaten through three Olympiads, losing just one of 43 sets. It was the Olympic farewell for May-Treanor, who has said she would like to have children.

Allyson Felix began the gold rush by finally winning the women's 200 meters . She was followed by Aries Merritt who was victorious in the men's 110 meter hurdles and Brittney Reese who won the women's long jump . Fourth medal was won by Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings in the beach volleyball competition . Team USA has moved ahead of China in the overall medal rankings .

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By . Allan Hall . PUBLISHED: . 07:10 EST, 19 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:07 EST, 19 August 2013 . Europe's high-speed rail network is the latest top target for Al-Qaeda terrorists. Germany's Bild newspaper reported today how U.S. intelligence services bugged a conference call between leading operatives of the terror group behind the 9/11 outrages as they discussed bringing death and destruction to the European rail network. The group was possibly targeting trains and tunnels, or planning to sabotage railway tracks themselves and the electric cabling serving them. Bugged: The conference call involved Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, seen in a 2006 file photo, and 20 other operatives, according to reports . The newspaper said the planned terrorist attacks were a 'central topic' of a conference call intercepted by the NSA involving high-ranking Al-Qaeda operatives. According to other media reports, Deutsche Bahn - German Rail - has already responded to the threat with plain clothed police officers at main stations and along major routes serviced by the high-speed ICE - Inter City Express - trains. The conference call involving Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and some 20 of the group's operatives was intercepted by the National Security Agency. Deutsche Bahn: The German rail firm is said to have introduced plain clothes police officers across the network in response to the threats . On August 1, the US issued a worldwide alert about a terror plot in the Middle East or Africa, prompting the closure of 19 US embassies. U.S. allies, including Germany, closed diplomatic buildings for almost two weeks. Only Spain has baggage screening for its high-speed Targa trains: Deutsche Bahn and SNCF in France have no such measures in place. With security ever more difficult to circumvent at international aiports, Al-Qaeda plotters believe strikes on railways would yield enomrous casualties and strike fear into hated Allies of America. 'European express trains carry nearly 500 passengers a time and derailment at high speed would have horrifying consequences,' an anti-terrorism expert said on Radio Bavaria on Monday. 'Horrifying consequences': The conference call was intercepted by the U.S. intelligence services at the National Security Agency .

U.S. intelligence services tapped Al-Qaeda operatives' conference call . Overheard discussing bringing destruction to European rail network . Call between Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and 20 others . Derailment would have 'horrifying consequences', say anti-terror experts .

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By . Lawrence Conway . PUBLISHED: . 07:17 EST, 13 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:28 EST, 13 May 2012 . Oversleeping or being late for the bus are both excuses that teachers across the world have to put up with from pupils who are late. But one primary school pupil in Chongqing, south west China had somewhat different reason last week for being delayed. This boy became stuck when he tried to squeeze his body through a 10cm gap between a wall and a cement column. Jammed: The boy's head became tightly wedged between a wall and a column . Support: Fire fighters were able to reach the boy from both sides as they attempted to free him . After wriggling his way in, the top of his forehead and the back of his head became tightly wedged between the masonry. Once . his teachers realised what had happened to the playful schoolboy they . rushed to help, trying to release him from the tight gap. But they could not make any progress . and were forced to call the fire brigade on Tuesday in a bit to extract . the boy his unusual tight spot. The . emergency service personnel tried to drag the jammed in boy from his . concrete confines, but had to give up after becoming afraid they would . hurt him. Even small movements made the boy scream in pain, so they had to give up and come up with a new solution. Eventually electric saws were used to cut away masonry so the boy's head could be freed. Afterwards cream had to be applied to the distressed child's head where it had rubbed against the concrete. There there: Cream is applied to the scrapped forehead of a Chinese boy after he was freed from between a pillar and a wall .

The adventurous Chinese boy's forehead became firmly wedged, leaving him in a tight spot . Teachers were unable to free and more drastic action was eventually needed to free him .

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By . Jill Reilly for MailOnline . A woman in labour was given an injection of a disinfectant directly into her nervous system instead of an epidural. The Swedish mother had been admitted to hospital Malmo when the mix-up occurred last month leaving the new mother writhing in agony. The accident happened when two containers were mistakenly switched on the morning of July 26. A woman giving birth was given an injection of a disinfectant instead of an epidural directly into her nervous system . During an epidurals pain killers are injected directly into the nerve canal along the spine to instantly block pain signals to the brain. But in the mix-up the woman was given a shot of chlorhexidine - a strong chemical used to disinfect medical catheters, medical devices which are inserted into the body, reported The Local. A week after giving birth, the woman was still at the hospital writhing in pain. 'She has extreme pain in her back, and feels something like electric jolts all the way down through her feet,' the woman's husband said. After two weeks under observation, the woman was finally able to return today. We consider this extremely serious,' Anders Rehn, acting director of Skåne University Hospital, (pictured) told local paper Sydsvenskan on Wednesday . 'We consider this extremely serious,' Anders Rehn, acting director of Skåne University Hospital, told local paper Sydsvenskan on Wednesday. The hospital says it consulted a neurologist who said that the dose was so weak that the risk of lasting damage was small. 'But obviously this shouldn't happen,' Mr Rehn added. 'We have removed the containers so they cannot be switched. The chemical is no longer in the birthing clinic.' It is not the first time this has happened to a woman giving birth. In 2011 a 33-year-old Sydney mother was left paralysed from the waist down and suffered painful nerve damage after she was injected with a powerful skin antiseptic instead of a saline solution during an epidural.

The Swedish mother had been admitted to hospital Malmo to give birth . Happened when two containers were switched on the morning of birth . The mix-up left the new mother writhing in agony .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:01 EST, 12 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:59 EST, 12 July 2013 . The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld its ruling that a dentist acted legally when he fired an attractive assistant because he found her irresistible and worried he would cheat on his wife. Coming to the same conclusion as it did in December, the all-male panel found that bosses can fire employees they see as threats to their marriages, even if the subordinates have not engaged in flirtatious or other inappropriate behavior. The court said such firings do not count as illegal sex discrimination because they are motivated by feelings, not gender. Game over: Iowa's top court upheld its ruling that dentist James Knight (right) had a right to fire hygienist Melissa Nelson (left) out of fear she'd make him want to stray from his marriage . Happily married: This undated photo provided by Melissa Nelson shows Melissa with her husband, Steve, and their children in Fort Dodge, Iowa . The 32-page ruling upholds a judge's . decision to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit filed against Fort Dodge . dentist James Knight, who fired assistant Melissa Nelson, even while . acknowledging she had been a stellar employee for 10 years. Knight . and his wife believed that his attraction to Nelson — two decades . younger than the dentist — had become a threat to their marriage. Nelson, now 33, was replaced by another woman; Knight had an all-female . staff. The all-male court . issued its revised opinion Friday in the case after taking the unusual . step last month of withdrawing its December opinion, which had received . nationwide publicity, debate and criticism. Fashion choices: Melissa Nelson insisted that she did not wear inappropriate, too-tight ensembles to work, instead wearing her uniform (pictured) Nelson's . attorney, Paige Fiedler, had asked the court in January to reconsider, . calling the decision a blow for gender and racial equity in the . workplace. She had warned . the opinion could allow bosses to legally fire dark-skinned blacks and . replace them with light-skinned blacks or small-breasted workers in . favor of big-breasted workers. 'It . was a great decision,' Knight's attorney, Stu Cochrane, told Messenger News. 'I don't . see this as necessarily different from their first decision, but I'm . impressed with the court's effort to clearly communicate the rationale . for the decision.' Justice . Edward Mansfield wrtoe in their opinion that had  Nelson brought a . sexual harassment or hostile work environment claim, the outcome could . have been different. Instead, the former employee had alleged that she . was fired because of her gender. The court had only granted reconsiderations five times in the last decade. Dr Knight had said he fired Ms. Nelson because he'd grown too close to her and was worried he'd try to start an affair. In December, the court ruled 7-0 bosses can sack . employees they see as an 'irresistible attraction,' even if they have . not engaged in flirtatious behavior or otherwise done anything wrong. The decision drew national attention and sparked much controversy. Ms. Nelson's attorney said Iowa's all-male high court, one of only a handful in the nation, failed to recognize the discrimination women see routinely in the workplace. The dental nurse insisted she was never interested in Knight romantically, regardless of his own feelings. 'Absolutely not,' she said. 'I'm happily married.' Content: Happily married with children Nelson said she saw Knight as a father figure and had 'absolutely' no interest in him romantically . Since Knight fired her she has been working as a waitress six nights a week. While her former boss claimed her clothes were so tight he couldn't look at her without being aroused, Ms. Nelson said the only outfit she wore to work was standard scrubs worn by many nurses and assistants in dental offices. Asked if she saw herself as irresistibly attractive, she laughed. 'I'm just an ordinary girl,' she said. 'Just an ordinary mom.' Ms. Nelson, 33, worked for Knight for 10 years, and he considered her a stellar worker. But in the final months of her employment, he complained that her tight clothing was distracting, once telling her that if his pants were bulging that was a sign her clothes were too revealing, according to the opinion. He also once allegedly remarked about her infrequent sex life by saying, 'that's like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it.' Knight and Nelson — both married with children — started exchanging text messages, mostly about personal matters, such as their families. Knight's wife, who also worked in the dental office, discovered the messages and demanded Nelson be fired. The Knights consulted their pastor, who agreed that terminating Nelson was appropriate. Knight fired Nelson and gave her one month's severance. He later told Nelson's husband he worried he was getting too personally attached and feared he would eventually try to start an affair with her. Family man: Knight's wife, who also works in the dental office, demanded Nelson be fired when she discovered text messages . Ordinary mom: Nelson has been working as a waitress since she lost her dental job and is unsure of her future career path . Nelson was stunned because she viewed . the 53-year-old Knight as a father figure and had never been interested . in starting a relationship, Fiedler said. Nelson filed a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination, arguing Knight wouldn't have terminated her if she was male. She did not allege sexual harassment because Knight's conduct may not have risen to that level and didn't particularly offend her, Fiedler said. However, it has been revealed Knight sent Nelson raunchy text messages about six months before her dismissal asking how often she 'experiences orgasms.' Knight argued Ms. Nelson was fired not because of her gender, but because her continued employment threatened his marriage. A district judge agreed, dismissing the case before trial, and the high court upheld that ruling. Mansfield noted that Knight had an all-female workforce and Ms. Nelson was replaced by a woman. He said the decision was in line with state and federal court rulings that found workers can be fired for relationships that cause jealousy and tension within a business owner's family. One such case from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a business owner's firing of a valued employee who was seen by his wife as a threat to their marriage. In that case, the fired employee had engaged in flirtatious conduct. Jurisprudence: Justice Edward Mansfield penned the Iowa Supreme Court's decision on Knight's dismissal of Melissa Nelson . Mansfield said allowing Nelson's lawsuit would stretch the definition of discrimination to allow anyone fired over a relationship to file a claim arguing they would not have been fired but for their gender. Knight's attorney said the court got it right. The decision clarified that bosses can make decisions showing favoritism to a family member without committing discrimination; in this case, by allowing Knight to honor his wife's wishes to fire Nelson, he said. Knight is a very religious and moral individual, and he sincerely believed that firing Nelson would be best for all parties, he said. 'While there was really no fault on the part of Mrs. Nelson, it was just as clear the decision to terminate her was not related to the fact that she was a woman,' he said. 'The motives behind Dr. Knight terminating Mrs. Nelson were quite clear: He did so to preserve his marriage. 'I don't view this as a decision that was either pro-women or opposed to women rights at all. In my view, this was a decision that followed the appropriate case law.'

Melissa Nelson was fired in 2010 after working for dentist for 10 years . Dr James Knight fired 10-year assistant because she wore tight outfits and was 'irresistible' Assistant said she was happily married and only wore scrubs . All-male court's December decision that dentist's conduct did not constitute sexual harassment drew national attention .

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By . Hannah Roberts . Sayeed Warsi said Christians were often 'scapegoated' for events that take place thousands of miles away . Britain's most senior Muslim politician, Sayeeda Warsi, has warned that the persecution of Christians has become ‘a global crisis’. Minister for Faith Baroness Warsi described ‘a rising tide’ in attacks on Christians in the war-torn regions of Egypt, Iraq and Syria where they often become ‘scapegoats’ for events taking place thousands of miles away. Warsi, a mother of five and the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, pointed out that Christian minorities are threatened by Muslim majorities in the very places that gave rise to Christianity. In an open letter to L’Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, she wrote: ‘The bitterest irony of this persecution - ostracism, discrimination, abuse, forced conversion, torture and even murder - is that it is taking place in a region where Christianity has its roots. ‘Sometimes these cases are examples of collective punishment: people lashing out at Christian minorities in response to events happening many miles away. 'Other times, a Christian is just a convenient ‘other’ - a scapegoat.’ ‘The threat to religious freedom, I believe, has become a global crisis.’ The number of Christians killed for their faith around the world doubled in 2013. The senior Tory said that majority Muslim communities have a duty to defend Christian minorities. She said: ‘History teaches us that we have only defeated intolerance and hatred when we have all come together, whatever the cause. The majority communities need to defend the minorities.’ The peer, who is also a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of State, said that ‘the government has elevated (religious discrimination against Christians and other minorities) to a key priority in the government’s human rights work.’ An estimated 100 million Christians around the world suffered persecution for their faith in 2013. Failing states with civil wars or persistent tensions such Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen were often the most dangerous for Christians. There was now ‘a strong drive to purge Christianity from Somalia’, a report by non-denominational group Open Doors USA who compiled a list of the worst countries said. The majority of anti-Christian persecution in the world in 2013 took place at the hands of radical Muslims, according to the report, both in Islamic countries such as Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Pakistan, Iran and Yemen and in non-Muslim countries such as Kenya and Tanzania. A victim of a suicide bomb which exploded at a Christian church in Peshawar, Pakistan, in September . In Syria, 1213 Christians were killed last year, more than the global total in 2012. Atrocities against the Christian minority who make up 10 per cent of the population have been getting more frequent since the war began almost three years ago, perpetrated especially by jihadi groups. In Pakistan– a suicide bombing at a Peshawar church last autumn killed 89 in the country’s deadliest single attack targeting Christians so far. There is also increasing violence against Christians in Africa. 612 Christians were killed for their faith in Nigeria last year. Elsewhere, Sri Lanka saw more than 50 attacks on churches last year alone, powered by a strident Buddhist nationalist movement . Killings are only the most extreme examples of persecutions. Christians, the world’s largest persecuted minority also face attacks on churches and schools, discrimination, threats, sexual assaults and expulsion from countries.

Sayeeda Warsi described a 'rising tide' in attacks against Christians . The politician said they can become 'scapegoats' in war-torn countries . More Christians were killed for their faith in 2013 than ever before .

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By . Simon Walters . Ed Miliband was left red-faced last night after voters rejected his boast that he is ‘more intelligent’ than David Cameron. According to a Mail on Sunday poll, the Prime Minister is seen as more than twice as intelligent as the Labour leader, who is lagging behind UKIP’s Nigel Farage in the brainbox ratings. Even more embarrassing, Miliband is regarded as ‘thicker, wetter and more sexless’ than Cameron, the Lib Dems’ Nick Clegg and Farage. David Cameron was described in the poll as cruel, bullying and phoney . The ‘political insults poll’ was . commissioned by this newspaper after a week in which Miliband launched a . provocative twin assault on the Conservatives. He argued he is ‘more . intellectually self confident’ than Cameron and followed it up with a . Labour TV broadcast that portrayed the PM as rich, uncaring and out of . touch, and Clegg as his feeble puppet. However, the Survation poll suggests Miliband may have been better advised to heed the adage about people in glass houses and stones. Asked to judge the four main leaders on ten less than flattering character traits, Miliband comes top in three – ‘thick’, ‘wet’ and ‘sexless’. Cameron hardly has anything to shout about, with first place in the five categories of ‘cruel’, ‘remote’, ‘phoney’, ‘sanctimonious’ and  ‘bully’. Deputy Prime Minister Clegg is seen as more ‘naïve’ than the others, while Farage is the most ‘cocky’. Asked who is the most ‘intellectually self confident’, Cameron wins by a country mile on 33 per cent, with Farage on 16, Miliband 14 and Clegg a meagre six. A total of 31 per cent of those polled didn’t know. Labour leader Ed Miliband was described as wet, sexless and thick . A total of 17 per cent said Miliband is ‘thick’ with Cameron seen as ‘least thick’ of the four on nine per cent. Asked which leader is most ‘wet’, Miliband comes top again, on 27 per cent, with Clegg on 25, Cameron 13 and Farage seven. A total of 19 per cent say the Labour leader is ‘sexless’ with Farage on 12, Cameron 11 and Clegg nine, making the Lib Dem leader the sexiest of the four. Cameron’s ‘cruel’ image will do little to help him shed the ‘Nasty Party’ tag that has dogged the Tories. And the perception of him as a ‘remote bully’ has echoes of his membership of Oxford’s notorious Bullingdon Club in his student days. However, Tory MP friends of the Prime Minister said he could draw some comfort from the findings. One said: ‘Given the choice of being seen as a hard b****** or a wet rag, most leaders would choose the former. Margaret Thatcher may not have been loved by millions, but millions voted for her because they respected her.’ Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg was described by those who completed the questionnaire as naive . If the key to winning the next Election is to convince the electorate you are a ‘nice guy’, Miliband may have the last laugh. A tiny five per cent regard him as a ‘bully’ and six per cent as ‘cruel’, compared to 25 and 18 for Cameron respectively. The two highest individual scores in the survey go to Clegg and Farage. One in three say the UKIP leader is ‘cocky’, with 28 per cent stating Clegg is ‘naïve’. But Cameron’s big lead in brainpower has failed to overhaul Labour, which remains at the top of the poll to win the next Election on 33 per cent, with the Tories five points behind on 28, UKIP on 20 and the Lib Dems 10. lSurvation interviewed 1,005 people online on Friday and Saturday. Potential voters described the UKIP leader Nigel Farage as 'cocky' Ed Miliband opened up an aggressive new front in his class war against the Government last week, using a controversial party political broadcast to portray the Prime Minister and his Cabinet as privileged, out-of-touch toffs. Miliband, who is considered to be a member of Labour aristocracy as the son of celebrated Marxist academic Ralph, lives in a £2.4 million North London home and has an estimated joint annual income of £350,000 with his barrister wife Justine. And what about the rest of his team? Here we profile some of Labour’s top figures to reveal their wealth, private school backgrounds and family connections to rival anyone in the Conservative Party.

David Cameron is described as 'cruel, bullying, sanctimonious and phoney' Ed Miliband is branded as 'wet, sexless and thick' according to the poll . Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg was described as 'niave' UKIP leader Nigel Farage was called 'cocky' by respondents to the poll .

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By . Tom Mctague, Mail online Deputy Political Editor . A film portraying Nick Clegg’s role in the creation of the first Coalition government since the Second World War has been announced – sparking ridicule in Westminster. The one-off Channel 4 programme – quickly dubbed ‘Nick Clegg the movie’ – will be set in the days following the 2010 election when backroom deals helped shut Labour out of power for the first time since 1997. The revelation sparked speculation in Westminster over which Hollywood actor would play Mr Clegg - a former university Thespian himself – and his glamorous Spanish wife Miriam. Scroll down for video . Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg - pictured at the Merlin Theatre, Nether Edge, in 2006 - took a leading role in the panto Sleeping Beauty, playing the Prince. He is seen with Rivka Smith who plays Sleeping Beauty . A Lib Dem source close to the Deputy Prime Minister suggested there was already one superstar in the running. The source said: ‘That would explain why Johnny Depp has been calling.’ The Spanish actress Penelope Cruz was also suggested as a leading contender to play Miriam. But Mr Clegg may fancy a go playing himself in the movie. He once played the prince in an amateur pantomime of Sleeping Beauty at university. Mr Clegg has previously boasted about his days as a wannabe actor. He said: 'Acting was a great love of mine and I never would have caught the idea of drama unless I'd been encouraged to do so in school.' Speaking to the acting magazine The Stage he added: 'When I was younger, I had the privilege of performing alongside others who have since gone on to lead very successful acting careers.' Mr Clegg also appeared in a Westminster School play with Helena Bonham Carter. A series of online spoofs were mocked up showing the Deputy Prime Minister in a series of famous films . The Lib Dem leader's role forming the Coalition was mocked as the 'Greatest Story Ever Told' in one spoof film poster. Behind Mr Clegg the Spanish Hollywood star Penelope Cruz can be seen playing Miriam . Playwright James Graham, whose National Theatre play This House was set in the dying days of James Callaghan's Labour government, said Mr Clegg was pivotal in a ‘historic’ moment in British politics. He said: ‘In May 2010, British politics was faced with a dilemma it hadn't had to face in peacetime for over 75 years. ‘The public were asked “Who should govern?” and they came back with the answer “We don't know”. ‘Those historic, dramatic few days put personalities at the heart of politics - and the choices made, I believe, changed the face of British politics forever. ‘What we try to capture in this drama is the tension, the high stakes, and the frequent farcical and absurd nature of what happens when a power is wrangled, negotiated and fought over like children trading cards in the playground.’ The 90-minute film, with the working title ‘Coalition’, is the latest in a string of political dramas on the channel including the Bafta-winning Mo about Mo Mowlam and The Deal, which starred Michael Sheen and David Morrissey as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The Lib Dems tonight asked on Twitter who should be chosen to play the Deputy Prime Minister. One mock up image on Twitter suggested Benedict Cumberbatch would be a good choice . Online spoof Twitter account 'General Boles' - a parody of the Tory MP Nick Boles - suggested the final scene of the Nick Clegg Movie would see him at the wheel of the Titanic . The channel is also making a 10-part spy drama - called Opposite Number - about agents fighting a secret war in the closed world of North Korea. Its writer, Matt Charman, said: ‘North Korea is one of the last truly impenetrable nations on the planet, and one of the most dangerous for the West. ‘I wanted to write a drama that could blow the lid off our understanding of who we think the North Korean people are and what their government truly wants.’

Film will portray Mr Clegg's role in the creation of the Coalition in 2010 . News sparked ridicule and speculation over which actor will play Lib Dem . Deputy Prime Minister played the prince in Sleeping Beauty panto in 2006 . Also starred alongside Helena Bonham Carter in Westminster School play .

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By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 15:44 EST, 14 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:32 EST, 15 July 2013 . A swimmer was feared dead when he disappeared after going for a dip - the latest tragedy of the summer heatwave. The man, in his 20s, dived into a reservoir to try to cool off on one of the hottest days of the year. But he disappeared in the water - sparking a large scale search and rescue operation in the reservoir in the Brecon Beacons in Mid Wales. The emergency services search Cantref Reservoir, north of Merthyr, where a swimmer is believed to have drowned . Emergency services used a boat and helicopter to explore miles of water in and around the huge reservoir. Police confirmed they were searching for a man in the Cantref Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons, Mid Wales. The missing man is believed to be from Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. Hundreds of people have been around the reservoir as the heatwave continues. Police warned people to beware of swimming in unmanned water. The man, who is in his 20s, is believed to have jumped into the water to cool down . Hundreds of people have been around the reservoir as the heatwave continues. Police warned people to beware of swimming in unmanned water . The weather reached new highs yesterday, the hottest day of the year. Temperatures did not decrease by much today, with much of the country dealing with intense heat. The rest of the week will see warm temperatures between the mid to high 20s, with the exception of Wednesday which is another contender for the hottest day of the year when temperatures could reach 32C (89.6F). Emergency services used a boat and helicopter to explore miles of water in and around the huge reservoir . Health authorities have also urged the public to take care in the potentially 'dangerous' heat. Elderly people are being warned to stay in the shade as much as possible and keep hydrated. Level 2 alerts are triggered as soon as the Met Office forecasts that there is a 60 per cent chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days to have a significant effect on health.

A man in his 20s dived into Cantref Reservoir, Wales, to cool off . He has disappeared, sparking a huge search and rescue mission . Emergency services used a boat and helicopter to explore miles of water .

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The Pentagon broke the law when it swapped Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a prisoner in Afghanistan for five years, for five Taliban leaders, congressional investigators said Thursday. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office said the Defense Department failed to notify the relevant congressional committees at least 30 days in advance of the exchange – a clear violation of the law – and used $988,400 of a wartime account to make the transfer. The GAO also said the Pentagon's use of funds that hadn't been expressly appropriated violated the Anti-deficiency Act. 'In our view, the meaning of the [law] is clear and unambiguous,' the GAO wrote to nine Republican senators, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and various committees. Scroll down for video . FILE - This August 2014 file photo provided by Eugene R. Fidell shows Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl preparing to be interviewed by Army investigators. The attorney for Bergdahl, who was held as a prisoner of war in Afghanistan for five years before his release, says the soldier wants to go to college once the investigation of how he was captured by the Taliban is finished. (AP Photo/Eugene R. Fidell, File) MANDATORY CREDIT . Rach of the five Taliban prisoners send home in exchange for Bergdahl was categorized as 'high' risk to the United States, its interests and its allies, but the Pentagon released them anyway . 'Section 8111 prohibits the use of "funds . appropriated or otherwise made available" in the Department of Defense . Appropriations Act, 2014, to transfer any individual detained at . Guantanamo Bay to the custody or control of a foreign entity" except in . accordance' with the law. The GAO said the relevant committees received phone calls from May 31 – the day of the transfer – to June 1, with written notification coming on June 2. Five senior Taliban were released from detention at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo in exchange for Bergdahl, who had disappeared from his post in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009. The five Taliban are to remain in Qatar for a year. Lawmakers, especially Republicans, were furious with President Barack Obama and members of the administration for failing to notify them about the swap. Some in Congress have said Bergdahl was a deserter and the United States gave up too much for his freedom. Several lawmakers have cited intelligence suggesting the high-level Taliban officials could return to the Afghanistan battlefield. The administration has defended the swap and its decision to keep Congress in the dark, saying concern about Bergdahl's health and safety required speedy action. The Joint Chiefs of Staff has unanimously supported the exchange, insisting that the United States has a sacred commitment to men and women who serve that it will never leave anyone behind on the battlefield. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said the swap in May was 'likely our last, best opportunity' to free Bergdahl. Bergdahl is doing administrative duties at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio while an investigation into how he was captured by the Taliban is conducted. A more gaunt Bowe Bergdahl was seen in a Taliban video before the Obama administration traded five high-value Taliban prisoners to ensure his safe return . Last month, a bitterly divided House Armed Services Committee voted to condemn Obama for the swap. The Republican-led panel backed a nonbinding resolution that disapproves of the exchange and faults Obama for failing to notify Congress 30 days in advance of the swap, as required by law. The bipartisan resolution raised national security concerns about the transfer of the five Taliban, who had been held at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for more than a decade, and the 'repercussions of negotiating with terrorists.' The measure also expresses relief that Bergdahl has returned safely to the United States. The full House is expected to consider the measure in the fall, just a few weeks before the midterm elections.

Pentagon failed to tell Congress before releasing five 'high risk' Taliban prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility . Defense Dept also illegally used nearly $1 million from a wartime account to make the transfer . 'In our view, the meaning of the [law] is clear and unambiguous,' the Government Accountability Office told members of Congress . Bergdahl, whose platoon-mates call him a deserter, was brought bacl the US this year after five years in captivity .

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By . Martin Beckford . PUBLISHED: . 19:27 EST, 23 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:33 EST, 23 February 2013 . Campaigners fear assisted  suicide is being legalised by the back door as record numbers of Britons end their lives at Dignitas  – while their relatives escape investigation for helping them. The Swiss suicide clinic helped 33 people from this country to die last year – the highest ever annual figure – pushing the total during the past decade close to 250. But police passed only a handful of files to prosecutors over the assistance provided by loved ones, and no one was charged. A police worker even accompanied her mother to Switzerland but faced no sanction. Secret: Campaigners fear assisted suicide is being legalised by the back door as record numbers of Britons end their lives at Dignitas, pictured, while their relatives escape investigation for helping them . The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has recently issued new guidelines to every force in the country about how they should investigate assisted suicides. Although the document is restricted, this newspaper has been shown the section that deals with deaths abroad. It highlights how tough such inquiries can be because of the difficulty in obtaining evidence from foreign authorities. But the situation has prompted claims that the police are failing to uphold the law and protect vulnerable or disabled people, who could be pressurised to commit suicide. Kevin Fitzpatrick, of the campaign group Not Dead Yet, said: ‘The idea is gaining hold that assisting someone to commit suicide is not prosecutable in practice.’ Tory MP Mark Pritchard, who is vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, said: ‘I fear assisted suicide is being legalised by the back door. If the will of Parliament is being ignored, there should be an urgent review by the Justice Secretary.’ Alistair Thompson, of the Care Not Killing Alliance, said of the police guidance: ‘It is extremely worrying that police officers are saying they cannot investigate and are advising their members not to investigate deaths abroad.’ Aiding or encouraging a suicide remains illegal in England and Wales under the 1961 Suicide Act and punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment. But guidelines published in 2010 by the Director of Public Prosecutions spelled out that relatives would not be charged if they acted out of compassion to help a terminally ill person end their suffering. New figures suggest that move  reassured Britons that they will escape punishment if they help loved ones travel to countries such as Switzerland, where assisted  suicide is permitted. Support: Sir Terry Pratchett, left, is a known supporter of assisted suicide. Tony Nicklinson, right, died a week after losing his legal battle for the right to end his own life . Dignitas, set up in 1998, allows foreigners to use its services, and its own figures show that 248 . Britons have now died there – with 33 deaths last year, up from 22 the . year before. Anyone who wants the organisation’s help must become a . member, pay about £10,000 and see a local doctor before being given a . fatal dose of barbiturates to drink. The . Crown Prosecution Service’s statistics reveal that police passed them . 44 files on assisted suicides and cases of euthanasia – where a doctor . administers the fatal dose – between 2009 and 2011. By October 2012, the total had reached 66, including deaths in England and Wales as well as abroad. Of these, prosecutors chose not to proceed with 45, nine were withdrawn and 12 were still being looked into. In previous years, police arrested some relatives and friends after they helped terminally ill people die at Dignitas. But those who made the trip last year said that they had not been questioned. The new police guidelines say ‘there may be a lack of co-operation or even a legal impediment as to why the relevant foreign authorities cannot provide evidence as to how and why someone has died’. They also point out that ‘in a . substantial majority of cases, the bodies are cremated in the country in . which the suicide took place. If the body is not repatriated to England . and Wales, the death does not come under the jurisdiction of the HM . Coroner’. Chief Constable David Crompton, ACPO spokesman on homicide, said: ‘It requires any UK police force to be able to prove beyond reasonable doubt the circumstances under which the person died, and this can be difficult, particularly if burial or cremation has already taken place. But whenever we receive information or intelligence about such a case, these investigations are pursued.’ A CPS spokesman said: ‘While no prosecutions have been brought since the 2010 guidelines were issued, each case is considered on its own merits. Any inference that the CPS has implemented a blanket policy of not prosecuting for this offence is wrong.’ Meanwhile, former Labour Minister Lord Falconer will later this year table a Private Member’s Bill that would legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales if a patient had less than a year to live. Jo Cartwright, press manager for Dignity In Dying, said: ‘Some people will choose an assisted death even  if they have to travel abroad at great financial and emotional cost to themselves and their loved ones. ‘So a much better alternative would be a safeguarded assisted dying law here in the UK.’

Dignitas suicide clinic helped 33 people from this country to die last year . That pushed total during past decade close to 250 . Police gave only a handful of files to prosecutors and no one was charged .

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By . Chris Parsons . Last updated at 6:10 PM on 17th November 2011 . After making an embarrassing blunder over foreign policy earlier this week, Herman Cain must have thought his geographical woes were behind him. But the presidential candidate outdid himself on the campaign trail yesterday after sampling local delicacies in Miami's Cuban community before asking: 'How do you say delicious in Cuban?' The GOP White House contender may have later realised that the national language of Cuba is in fact Spanish. Scroll down for video . Gaffe: Herman Cain had been sampling local delicacies in Little Havana, Miami, when he made the embarrassing blunder . Cain's latest linguistic blunder has capped a testing week for the presidential candidate . The gaffe did not seem to be too badly received by the assembled locals in Little Havana, where Cain had stopped for a scheduled visit. After sampling Cuban coffee and 'croquetas' of fried cheese and asking, 'How do you say delicious in Cuban?' an audience member humoured the presidential hopeful by answering, 'Delicioso'. Cain had stopped in South Florida yesterday to court voters in the state's Cuban-American and Jewish communities. The same day, Cain managed to blunder again when he misstated the year of one of his own political party's finest moments. In a speech at a rally at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, he said Republicans won back the House of Representatives from the Democrats in 2008, when in fact it happened last year. Memory lapse: Herman Cain hesitated when asked if he agreed with Obama's decision to back Libyan rebels in overthrowing Gaddafi in a video interview earlier this week . Uncomfortable: Cain fidgeted in his chair and crossed his legs as he struggled for words . He said: 'When the American people begin to ignite that American spirit, they make things happen, just like they made things happen in 2008 when the Republicans took back control of the House.' It has been a testing week for Cain on the campaign trail, as earlier this week he had fumbled when quizzed on foreign policy in Libya. The 65-year-old suffered his own Rick Perry 'Oops' moment when quizzed on his stance on Libya. He seemed to be at a loss for words when the editorial board of a Wisconsin newspaper asked if he supported President Obama's handling of the Libyan uprising. Video footage of the interview shows Cain squirming in his chair and not offering any kind of substantial answer for over a minute. When asked about his Wisconsin meltdown yesterday, Cain didn't exactly make his stance clear. Support: Gloria Cain spoke during a Fox News interview, saying her husband has 'too much respect for women' for the sexual harassment claims to be true . Happier times: Gloria Cain accompanies her husband Herman in May as he announces his run as a Republican candidate for President. She has spoken out in his defence as he battles sexual harassment allegations . He said: 'I get criticised, "Well he doesn’t have extensive foreign policy experience,"’ Cain said, before then saying in reference to Obama: 'And the guy there now does?' Cain's number in the polls have dipped of late, especially with female voters following allegations of sexual harassment made against him. However, the presidential candidate and former boss of the National Restaurant Association has denied any wrongdoing. He has also been supported by his wife, who said in a Fox News interview that her husband 'has too much respect for women for any of the allegations to be true'.

Linguistic goof caps testing week for candidate . Cain had slipped up days earlier when quizzed on Libya .

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By . Rick Dewsbury . PUBLISHED: . 04:23 EST, 17 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:48 EST, 17 May 2012 . The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations could keep the UK economy in recession for three quarters of the year, Bank of England boss Sir Mervyn King has warned. Millions of people will take two days off work for a double Bank Holiday on June 4 and 5 as Queen Elizabeth II marks 60 years on the throne. The economy survived dropping into negative territory in the same period last year after an extra holiday for the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton hit output. Celebrations to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee could keep the UK in recession, warned Bank of England boss Mervyn King (right) But Sir Mervyn King warned yesterday that this year's celebrations will knock 0.5 of a percentage point off economic output between April and May. The decline could hinder efforts to haul Britain's fragile economy out of recession as the crisis in the Eurozone continues to dampen growth. While Sir Mervyn said the bigger picture was one of gradual recovery in growth, the impact of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee could  prolong the double-dip recession. Many workers are set to use the Monday and Tuesday bank holidays as the start of a whole week off, costing them just three days of annual leave. The remarks are a blow to David Cameron, who said in his New Year message that the Jubilee and the Olympics meant 2012 ‘must be the year we go for it’. A sign of parties to come: Confetti falls and flags fly from Harrods in London yesterday as the store celebrates the forthcoming Jubilee . In the same period last year, the economy fell short of expectations and grew by just 0.2 per cent. The Royal wedding hit output by 0.4 per cent but over the whole period the economy was able to recover. Sir Mervyn said growth 'zig zag' throughout 2012 with sporting events such as the Olympics providing a much-needed boost. A massive influx of overseas visitors will see them spending millions of pounds around the country. He said: 'Underlying quarterly output growth (in Q2) will be around something in the order of 0.5 percent stronger than the headline measure will show.    We will then see that in the Q3 data we will go back to normal and will see a bounceback in growth. A Bank Holiday to mark the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton last year hit economic output by 0.4 per cent . 'Trying to work out exactly how the Olympics will affect output growth is very difficult. Our best guess is that it is likely to boost growth somewhat. Our best guess, when you look at the headline numbers, underlying growth will be around half a percentage point stronger than the headline measure in Q2. 'In Q3 the combination of the bounceback from the Jubilee and the Olympics means that you could see growth exaggerated by slightly more than half a percentage point and then you'll get back to a weakening in Q4.' Sir Mervyn told the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee earlier this year that the Jubilee celebrations would have a similar impact on the economy to last year’s Royal Wedding, when the recovery stalled. ‘We do expect a fall in output in the second quarter followed by a rise in the third quarter,’ he said. 'We lose an extra day’s work because of the additional bank holiday. We saw that last year and we would expect that to happen again this year.’ The Bank’s chief economist Spencer Dale said there was similar impact with last year’s Royal Wedding, when growth was reduced by around 0.4 percentage points. The second successive GDP quarterly has put the UK back in recession earlier this year . The GDP forecast for the next few years suggest the economy will see slow improvement, if any . He added: 'The Jubilee will have a slightly bigger effect, in part because it’s happening in June rather than April, so the ability for companies to make up that output within the quarter will be that much less.' The gloomy prediction came as Sir Mervyn yesterday warned the single-currency bloc was ‘tearing itself apart without any obvious solution’. Official figures released earlier this year showed that the UK had fallen into a double-dip recession. The economy shrank by 0.2 per cent in the first three months of 2012 following a 0.3 per cent decline in the fourth quarter of 2011. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction and it was the first since the credit crunch of 2009. Alan Clarke, UK and eurozone economist at Scotiabank, said: 'The economy hasn't grown for six months, and the headline second quarter GDP data are unlikely to stray much above zero, even if the underlying picture is more robust.' Ben Broadbent, a former Goldman Sachs economist who sits on the Bank’s interest rate setting committee with the Governor, said the extra day off would disrupt business. ‘It is 5 per cent of working time,’ he said. ‘Maybe a little less, but it is quite a lot.’

Output fell by 0.4 per cent after extra Bank Holiday for the Royal Wedding last year.. but economy still grew . Eurozone crisis could mean economy shrinks for three successive quarters, but Olympics will provide boost .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 7:37 AM on 22nd June 2011 . Unconscious: The doctor, pictured outside court, had driven for a mile in his nightgown and slippers . A doctor who caused a pile-up while over the alcohol limit walked free from court yesterday after claiming he was 'sleep-driving'. GP Donald Clegg, who drank up to eight pints a day, was almost four times the drink-drive limit when he crashed into three  vehicles. Last night, road safety campaigners hit out at the driver's 'lenient' sentence. Clegg, 59, claimed he was asleep and in a state of 'auto-autonomy' when he got into the Vauxhall Zafira dressed in his dressing gown and slippers after returning home from a restaurant. Witnesses describe him driving 'perfectly normally', but he swung out on to the opposite carriageway and clipped two parked cars before smashing into the third in December. A passerby who went to help Clegg had to snap the key out of the ignition to stop him driving away and said he was muttering about going to visit his mother. Police inquiries revealed that Clegg had driven his car into a tree eight months before – again claiming that he was 'sleepwalking' at the wheel. The GP, of Prestwich, near . Manchester, was banned from the roads for a year after he admitted . drink-driving, but he escaped a prison sentence after magistrates in . Bury accepted his sleep defence. Tests revealed Clegg had 127microgrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg. Somnambulism (sleepwalking) most often occurs for adults during the REM (repetitive eye movement) period of deep sleep where vivid dreaming is most common. Fatigue, lack of sleep and anxiety are often associated with sleepwalking, and it can also be a reaction to drugs or alcohol. Symptoms include walking, talking and performing other detailed activity while asleep. Those who sleepwalk often don't remember the episode, and are usually confused or sometimes aggressive when woken. Although sleepwalkers often go back to sleep if undisturbed, episodes can last for a few seconds or up to 30 minutes. Gwyn Lewis, defending, said: 'Mr . Clegg was suffering from a state of auto-autonomy and he was . sleepwalking. In other words, he was not conscious at the time of his . actions.' Clegg was fined £650, and ordered to . pay £300 costs as well as a £15 victim surcharge. His 12-month driving . ban can be reduced to nine if he takes part in a drink-drivers' rehabilitation programme. Jean Hinkle, chairman of the Bury magistrates bench, told him: 'The prosecution do not dispute that you were sleepwalking. 'We have considered special reasons, . but we have heard about a similar incident in April where you drove a . vehicle and hit a tree. 'You have told us today that you took . no steps to ensure that it would not happen again. You posed a . significant risk to other road users and pedestrians. 'In all the circumstances, we feel it's necessary and appropriate to impose a disqualification.' After the case, Carole Whittingham, . of the Campaign Against Drinking and Driving said: 'Unfortunately . jailing people for drink-driving is very low down the list of priorities . these days. 'There have been cases of people . killing through drink-driving who have not gone to prison. This guy will . no doubt say he has learned his lesson but I fear there will be many . others out there who won't.' Driving ban: Donald Clegg, pictured outside court today, was suspended from driving for 12 months after taking to the wheel while asleep .

Dr Donald Clegg banned from driving for 12 months . Dressed in nightgown and slippers while four times over the limit . Magistrates accept defence of sleepwalking .

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Gordon Strachan faces a growing headache over his starting line-up to face England on Tuesday night with all his star names desperate to be part of the action. The Scotland boss had planned to rest most of those who battled their way to a bruising and draining Euro 2016 win over the Republic of Ireland. But the players have told Strachan they are keen to face England in the Celtic Park friendly and the Scots boss is now rethinking his original plan to hand those on the edge of his first XI a Parkhead start. Scotland skipper Scott Brown leads the way during training on Monday ahead of the clash with England . Gordon Strachan says his stars are all desperate to play against England on Tuesday . Cardiff City keeper David Marshall is put through his paces during the session . After settling on a line-up over the weekend, Strachan admitted the issue is now far from decided. ‘I had an idea a couple of days ago - but the players who played the other night keep banging on that they are fit enough to play again,’ he said. ‘They’ re dropping hints everywhere I go. ‘I need to rethink my strategy. From the training today nobody wanted to be rested, that’s for sure. ‘It was like the first day of pre-season in training. We’ve so many players who want to play. There were a few bumps but it was old-school rub it down and get on with it.’ Despite the Ireland game dominating the national mindset for the last month, a rare chance to face the Auld Enemy in a reprisal of the world’s oldest international fixture holds huge appeal for Strachan’s squad. ‘I would say a wee bit of that is because it’s the fixture,’ he admitted. ‘We’ re only human . Strachan says he has a selection headache for the game at Celtic Park . Strachan oversees training on Monday as his players try to stake a claim for a starting spot . Scotland star Ikechi Anya was all smiles following Friday night's win against the Republic of Ireland . Strachan takes a moment to mull over a question from reporters during his press conference . Brown shows off his keepy-uppy skills during training as he prepares to lead his troops into battle . ‘If someone said to us we are playing some team that’s 70-odd in the rankings we wouldn’t be as excited around this table, all of us. We’re only human. We only want real, competitive games. This is a competitive game for different reasons, even if there are no points available.’ Strachan planned to field the likes of goalkeeper Craig Gordon, Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher and West Brom’s James Morrison – posted missing from the Ireland game with a severe virus. Morrison’s condition has improved, but both he and Fletcher are still doubts after the Old Trafford man failed to train on Monday. That could force Strachan to turn to old stagers like Scott Brown and Charlie Mulgrew for their second international game in a week – despite an intense workload at club level. Playing down suggestions of tiredness amongst his squad, the Scots boss added: ‘It’s not so much the players who say it, it’s the coaching staff. ‘As one famous manager said “I’ll tell you when you’re tired”. When he asked the question “who’s tired in here?” and some unfortunate kid put their hand up and we just stood by and watch him get terrorised. Strachan grabs a word with Everton forward Steven Naismith . Jim Stewart briefs Scotland's shot-stoppers before the session near Glasgow . ‘You have to remember Messi and Ronaldo, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, they’ re all playing 60-odd games. The top players’ mindset is “play, play, play” so then what you think is hard work is not hard work to them, it’s the norm. ‘Top players now have to play 60 games a season. If you want an easy life go to a mediocre Championship club and you can get nine weeks break sometimes. If you want to be a top player get your mind around playing every week and dealing with that.’ Opposite number Roy Hodgson arrived with his squad on Monday afternoon and immediately took the opportunity to familiarise them with Celtic Park. Hodgson is buoyed by last year’s 3-2 win over Scotland at Wembley although a disappointing World Cup campaign means he does not have to look far for critics. Anya juggles with the ball as Scotland's stars looked relaxed ahead of the friendly fixture . Anya made light work of the slalom during the training session in Bishopton . A less than exciting European qualifying group for England means the fixture has an added air of importance and Hodgson is looking forward to tasting the white hot atmosphere. ‘The fans here, they’ll certainly give Celtic and Scotland incredible support and that’s something we’ll have to deal with in terms of not letting it affect us too badly mentally, he said. ‘For some of our younger players they won’t necessarily have experienced that type of atmosphere in their careers.’ When asked which fixture between the two nations stood out in his mind, he replied: ‘The one that we played last year at Wembley. It was an excellent game, very, very close, very well-fought and incredible atmosphere because a lot of Scottish fans had travelled down to Wembley for the game. ‘It’s a very exciting game, it’s a big game. We know we’ll be given a very tough test up here and we know that Scotland will be very keen to win the game and I’m certainly hoping that we have the same degree of hope and expectation from our side.’

Gordon Strachan's side looked relaxed during training on Monday . Scots boosted Euro 2016 qualifying hopes with vital win over Ireland . Strachan is weighing up whether to make changes against Auld Enemy .

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By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 01:30 EST, 28 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:56 EST, 29 May 2013 . Killed: Madaline Cole, 25, was killed in Malaysia yesterday . A young British woman who died from severe injuries after being struck by a boat's propellers while on holiday in Malaysia had just qualified as a diving instructor. Madaline Cole, 25, from Hereford, had been snorkelling with an Australian friend when she was hit by the boat off Pulau Perhentian Island, in the South China Sea. Police said she had received severe injuries to her body, legs and buttocks. She died before reaching hospital. Madaline, known as 'Maddy', was the daughter of Bob Cole, 59, a former Royal Engineer who served in the SAS. Friends of the family, who live in Bodenham, near Hereford, said Mr Cole, who now runs security firm Minimal Risk, was 'devastated.' One said: 'Bob doted on Maddy and is understandably devastated by her death. 'She knew the risks of diving but was always very professional in her preparations and highly skilled in what she did. 'She had just qualified as an instructor and was looking forward to a wonderful career exploring the world's seas.' On February 3 this year Maddy expressed her delight on Facebook when she qualified as a scuba instructor. She said: 'After the most stressful 3 days ever- FINALLY we are Open Water Scuba Instructors!! 'Big thanks to our Instructor Chong! Well done everyone for your achievement and thank you all so so much for all your amazing support!' On her diving blog, Maddy, who was pictured swimming with sharks, was described as having an 'insane amount of love for animals.' Tragic: Madaline Cole (centre) from Hereford who died after reportedly being hit by a boat while snorkelling off Pulau Perhentian Island, in the South China Sea . Miss Cole (left and right, pictured with boyfriend Ross Makulec) was swimming with Simon Rogers, 22, from Australia, who was also injured in the accident, but his wounds were not said to be life-threatening . Writing on The Seychelles Whale Sharks blog, a friend said: 'Maddy Cole - Where do we start? 'This outdoorsy girl has done it all; kayaking, rock climbing, scuba diving, mountain biking, hiking and more. 'Another person to traipse through . the GVI Seychelles dive master halls with a marine background and an . insane amount of love for animals. 'Maddy returned to Seychelles to join the MCSS team in its entire whale shark splendor.' Paul Austin, manager of the England's Gate pub in Bodenham, where she worked as a barmaid, said: 'Maddy was a wonderful, bubbly person. 'She was the nicest person you could hope to meet. Trip: Her boyfriend Ross Makulec updated his Facebook picture with an image of Maddy hugging and kissing him under water just hours after her death . 'She worked here behind the bar for . about six months and was extremely popular with the locals. She left . here to pursue a career in diving. 'She wanted to be a professional diver. It's heart-breaking to hear of her death.' Miss Cole was swimming with Simon . Rogers, 22, from Australia, who was also injured in the accident, but . his wounds were not said to be life-threatening. Miss Cole and Mr Rogers were with a diving group enjoying an early morning adventure in the crystal clear waters surrounding the island. Police . in Kuala Lumpur said investigations were continuing but it is believed . the pair were struck by the boat's propellers as they surfaced. A question has arisen over whether the group should have been diving in the area. 'From . our initial findings, the incident happened in an area which is . off-limits to swimmers,' said police Superintendent Jamshah Mustafa. Holiday: Miss Cole arrived in Malaysia on April 4, said the news agency, and had been staying at the Senja Bay Resort, while Mr Rogers had booked in at the Shari-La Resort . Accident: Madeline was hit by the boat off Pulau Perhentian Island, in the South China Sea . Police . Chief Superintendt Kamaruddin Mohammed Zakaria told Malaysia's Bernama . news agency that the incident happened as boat operator Mohammed Azwan . Mohamad, 23, was passing through the area to bring tourists to the . popular island resort. 'The two victims and two other friends were diving outside the safe zone and were not wearing safety jackets,' he said. 'They were accidentally hit by Mohammed Azwan.' A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are aware of the death of a British national in Malaysia on May 27. 'We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.' Miss Cole arrived . in Malaysia on April 4 and had been staying at . the Senja Bay Resort, while Mr Rogers had booked in at the Shari-La . Resort. The . Perhentians, lying 10 miles off the north eastern coast of West Malaysia . and some 40 miles south of the Thai border, are made up of two main . islands - Penhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil. Miss Cole was . staying on Perhentian Besar, which, like its sister island, is . surrounded by turquoise waters and coral reefs rich with exotic fish. It is not the first time that a young British female tourist has died in a boating accident while snorkeling in Malaysia. In July 2004, Joanna Stillwell, 23, who was on a family holiday, was killed when she was struck by a dive boat while swimming with her 18-year-old brother Nicholas, who was not injured. That fatality occurred near the island of Redang, off the east coast of Malaysia. According to police at the time, Miss Stillwell had ventured out of a designated snorkelling area and into a channel used by boats. A spokesman from the Foreign Office said: 'We are aware of the death of a British national in Malaysia on May 27. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.'

Madaline Cole, 25, was hit off Pulau Perhentian Island, South China Sea . Had just qualified as a diving instructor and wanted to 'explore the sea' She was snorkeling with a friend when she suffered fatal injuries . The popular tourist died before she could reach hospital .

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By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 12:51 EST, 29 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:52 EST, 29 April 2012 . She wed her toyboy husband six months ago. And today it was obvious Spain's Duchess of Alba and her younger, dashing husband were still very much enjoying married life as they stepped out for a lunch date in Paris. The eccentric billionairess, 85, held hands with her 61-year-old toyboy as they strolled the streets of the French capital. Love's young dream: The eccentric Duchess stepped out with her younger husband Alfonzo Diez in Paris . Sheltering from the rain: The quirky billionairess shielded her all-in-blue ensemble - which included eye liner, dress, stockings and shoes - under an umbrella . Dressed head to toe in several different shades of blue - which included a hairpiece, shoes, dress and stockings - the quirky duchess clung to her husband's arm as they browsed a book shop. The couple married in a flamboyant . ceremony last October; the bride, an eccentric billionaire with more . titles than Queen Elizabeth II while her groom was a mere civil servant young . enough to be her son. But despite the objections of her six . children - and plenty of public controversy - Spain’s colourful Duchess . of Alba wed Alfonso Diez at her 15th century palace in Seville. The famously flamboyant Cayetana . Fitz-James Stuart wore a delicate pale pink gown designed by Victorio y . Lucchino for her third marriage, which took place in front of 38 guests. Well-wishers donned fancy dress and wigs in an attempt to copy her quirky style as they celebrated in the city’s streets. The twice-widowed Duchess’s children . feared Diez was a gold-digger - so he has relinquished his rights to her . £3billion fortune in an effort to appease them. Out and about: The couple enjoyed lunch at La Coupole before heading out to do some shopping. The Duchess was also seem clutching the arm of another companion during the outing . Special day: The wealthy Duchess and her toyboy on their wedding day in Seville six months ago . The duchess, who is a distant relative . of Winston Churchill and Princess Diana, went ahead with the marriage . despite her children’s qualms. It emerged in August that she has divided her fortune between her six children to convince them that her suitor is besotted with her rather than her money. Known now for her frizzy white hair, squeaky voice and wildly colourful clothes, the duchess is among Spain’s most famous people . Last year, she was at the centre of a sex scandal when Spanish magazine Interviu published a 30-year-old picture on its front cover of the duchess sunbathing topless in Ibiza. She and Diez, a social security administration employee, are old acquaintances through her second husband, who was a former priest, and Diez’s brother. They bumped into each other about three years ago outside a cinema in Madrid and eventually started dating.

Couple stroll the French capital hand-in-hand after a romantic lunch .

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By . Ian Drury . PUBLISHED: . 19:27 EST, 27 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:27 EST, 27 February 2014 . [headerlinks] . Britain is preparing for a total withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year amid a security stand-off with President Hamid Karzai. Nato has been planning to keep a slimmed-down force – including 500 UK personnel – in the warzone after 2014 to train and assist Afghan forces. But the Afghan leader, who will step down after elections in April, is stubbornly refusing to sign an agreement that would allow 10,000 US troops to remain. Britain is preparing for a total withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year amid a security stand-off with President Hamid Karzai . Yesterday ministers at the Western military alliance – including Britain’s Defence Secretary Philip Hammond – agreed to draw up plans for a complete pull-out unless a deal is thrashed out. Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: ‘We agreed the need to plan for all possible outcomes including the possibility that we may not be able to deploy to Afghanistan after 2014 due to the persistent delays we have seen. ‘It is not the outcome we think is in the interest of the Afghan people. There are fears that a total withdrawal would spark a security crisis in Afghanistan, which could raise the prospect of the Taliban re-seizing power . ‘However, it might be the unfortunate outcome if there is no security agreement in due time. This is what is at stake.’ Mr Rasmussen said he hoped plans to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond this year could be salvaged. But US President Barack Obama has told the Pentagon to prepare for the possibility that no US troops will be left because of President Karzai’s refusal. The Nato-led force in Afghanistan has a current strength of more than 52,000 soldiers, including 5,300 British personnel . There are fears that a total withdrawal would spark a security crisis in Afghanistan, which could raise the prospect of the Taliban re-seizing power. The Nato-led force in Afghanistan has a current strength of more than 52,000 soldiers, including 5,300 British personnel. Beyond the zero troops option, Nato could also look at scaling back its current plan, which calls for a training mission headquartered  in Kabul and four regional bases, instead focusing solely on the capital.

Nato planning to keep a . slimmed-down force – including 500 UK personnel – in the warzone after . 2014 to train and assist Afghan forces . Afghan leader, who will step down after . elections in April, is stubbornly refusing to sign an agreement that . would allow 10,000 US troops to remain .

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By . Ray Massey, Transport Editor . PUBLISHED: . 18:33 EST, 11 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:41 EST, 11 September 2012 . Controversial new rules on flying hours imposed by the EU could see pilots dozing off in the cockpit during flights, pilots’ groups have warned. Ministers yesterday backed controversial new EU flying hours rules to be imposed on Britain. New Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin was accused of ‘rolling over to Brussels’ after his department approved the rules despite the concerns raised in a report by the respected Commons’ Transport Select committee. Jet lag: Controversial new rules on flying hours imposed by the EU could see pilots dozing off in the cockpit during flights, pilots' groups have warned . Under the new rules, pilots could be landing commercial jets after 22 hours awake- including 11 hours flying, plus stand-by time and travel to the airport. MPs had warned in their original report that 22 hours of wakefulness was ‘an extraordinary figure’ - particularly for night flying - that raised levels of fatigue equivalent to being ‘drunk.’ Currently UK pilots are limited to 18 hours without sleep - but more than 4 out of ten pilots (43 per cent) already report nodding off in-flight- of whom a third (31 per cent) awoke to find their co-pilot also asleep, MPs heard in evidence. Despite this, the Department for . Transport yesterday insisted the EU blueprint would neither compromise . safety nor increase the risk of pilot fatigue. New Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin was accused of ¿rolling over to Brussels¿ after his department approved the rules . In its official response to the MP’s report published yesterday the Department of Transport defended its backing of the EU flying hours plan and insisted: ‘The Government believes that the current draft of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) proposals will not lead to a diminution of safety in the UK. ‘The proposals are more conservative than current EU rules which were introduced in 2008 and will result in a significant improvement in safety across the EU as a whole.’ But the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has written to Mr McLoughlin urging him to ‘think again’. A BALPA spokesman said: ‘It is clear that the Government has chosen to ignore the concerns of thousands of pilots in the UK. It looks like the Government are going to roll over to Brussels on this. ‘Europe want British pilots flying more tired more often. So the Government response is extremely disappointing. We hope the new Transport Secretary will change course.’ The row centres around new rules laid out by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which was mandated four years ago by Brussels to ‘harmonise’ flight time limits and shift-patterns across the EU. Since the row erupted, Brussels has signalled it may compromise on 20 hours. And despite accepting the new rules the Government did accept some of the MP’s findings - including a recommendation to investigate ‘ the potential under-reporting of pilot fatigue’. Ministers said they would also be seeking a strengthening of specific EU ‘fatigue’ rules surrounding flight duties and rest periods and ‘stricter limits’ on how frequently airlines could use discretion to exceed maximum levels. Transport committee chairman Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, said of the Government’s response: ‘There are still areas of concern. The jury’s out. The proof will be in their actions.’ A Department for transport spokesman said: ‘The safety of the travelling public is paramount and we have been quite clear that we would not support any proposals which the UK’s safety regulator - the Civil Aviation Authority- advise do not provide sufficient protection against crew fatigue. ‘We are still awaiting EASA’s final proposals, but the CAA is satisfied that the latest draft rules now provide a level of safety broadly equivalent to those already in place in the UK.’

Under the new rules, pilots could be landing commercial jets after 22 hours awake . Currently UK pilots are limited to 18 . hours without sleep . But more than four out of ten pilots . already report nodding off in-flight .

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By . Andy Dolan . PUBLISHED: . 04:00 EST, 15 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:53 EST, 15 August 2012 . It is a game usually played in near silence and at a sedate pace. But the usually serene chess community has been rocked by allegations that a mother and her three schoolboy sons, representing England at a European youth tournament, were subjected to a barrage of racial abuse. Even worse, the abuse is alleged to have come from members of the English delegation who were supposed to be supporting Muslim player Yousuf bin-Suhayl, 13, and his brothers Ibraheem, 10, and Ieysaa, aged seven. Yesterday the siblings’ parents, Sohale . Rahman and Tomasina Contu, told how tensions became so heated the family . had to be escorted back to their hotel by police. Claims: Ieysaa bin-Suhayl (left), his brother Ibraheem (second from left), mother Tomasina Contu (second from right) and other brother Yousuf were allegedly abused during a chess tournament . The English Chess Federation is now probing the astonishing claims of physical, verbal and racist abuse at the European Union Youth Championships in Mureck, Austria last week. It is claimed that two parents of other English children in the tournament were harassing and abusing Miss Contu in the stands. One of those involved is said to have forcefully grabbed Yousuf by the chest, causing him to bleed. The family, from Marshland St James, Norfolk, had travelled to central Europe so the three boys could represent their country in the chess competition during their school holidays. Mr Rahman, 43, also said that the boys were not provided halal food, as requested before the competition, and were given cold boiled eggs and ‘bits of bread’ to eat while other team members indulged in a buffet. The English Chess Federation is now probing the astonishing claims of racist behaviour within the usually serene game community. Mr Rahman said: ‘I pleaded with the English Chess Federation (ECF) to take action for the security of my family but in vain. We believe the ECF has failed in their duty of care.’ The ECF have said they are taking the allegations very 'seriously'. Andrew Farthing, ECF chief executive, said: “We are aware of certain allegations which have been made concerning the behaviour of some of the members of the English delegation at this tournament. ‘The federation is taking the situation very seriously and are investigating if there is any truth in the allegations and witness statements are currently being sought.’ Mr Rahman, said his wife and eldest son Yousuf bin-Suhayl, 13, cannot sleep properly after being ‘bullied’ at the championships. Tournament: The brothers were allegedly abused at a chess competition held in Mureck, Austria . They spent the whole trip, which cost the family £3,000, sat at a separate table from the rest of the English party as they were always drinking alcohol. He believes Yousuf, who got an A* in A Level maths at the age of 12, should have won the competition, but he came third. He said: ‘My wife and eldest son cannot sleep - they are traumatised. It was bullying. ‘The other parents said my wife was not educated because she chooses to cover her head. ‘They told her to F*** off. They would stand in front of her. And ask ‘where do you think you are going?’. ‘They set out to intimidate her. ‘One parent said ‘what is that stench’ after she had walked into the room. He added: ‘She was stuck because the people she was trying to complain about where socialising with the people she needed to complain to.’ The worst incident was when a mother grabbed Yousuf on his chest leaving bleeding nail marks. Mr Rahman said: ‘That is child abuse. All he did was walk around her.’ Mr Rahman said no Halal food had been arranged for his family or provisions for them to eat at times to fit in with Ramadan fasting. He said: 'The first day at dawn there was no food. And the place where the food was kept was locked.’ He added: ‘My wife and I felt helpless as parents being unable to feed our children.’ He has complained to British police and Norfolk Police are arranging to take a statement from him. He said: 'We just want justice.' A spokesman from the English Chess Federation said: The ECF has completed a thorough investigation into the events that took place at the European Union Youth Chess Championships in Mureck, Austria. 'The investigation obtained statements from eye-witnesses.  It concluded that the allegations of racist or Islamophobic abuse and of a physical attack are unfounded. The report found that there was a disagreement amongst the families of the England team that resulted from complaints of perceived disruptive behaviour by individual children.  There is no evidence that racism or religious intolerance played any part. 'The claims concerning provision of suitable food during the event are inconsistent with both the facts and the extensive efforts made by the tournament organisers, hotel management and ECF Head of Delegation to ensure that the requirements of all members of the England delegation were met. 'The ECF takes any charge of racism or religious intolerance extremely seriously and we absolutely condemn discriminatory behaviour of any kind. The ECF is also committed to the safety of all competitors who take part in tournaments at home and abroad.'

Yousuf bin-Suhayl, 13, and his brothers Ibraheem, 10, and Ieysaa, aged seven, were abused while representing England, it is alleged . Abuse is alleged to have come from members of the English delegation who were supposed to be supporting them at tournament in Austria . Claims being investigated by the English Chess Federation .

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By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 00:45 EST, 28 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 00:51 EST, 28 August 2012 . Elizabeth Smart, the Utah woman kidnapped and held captive for nine months when she was 14, told family and friends of a missing West Tennessee nursing student to continue searching for her and not to give up hope that she is alive. Smart spoke to about 1,000 friends and relatives of Holly Bobo on Monday night at Scotts Hill High School, in the area where searchers have been looking for the 20-year-old woman since she was abducted 16 months ago. Smart also told those in attendance a story about her kidnapping and how she survived her ordeal.Bobo's brother said he saw her being led into the woods by a man in hunting gear near the family's rural home in Parsons, about 100 miles northeast of Memphis, in April 2011. Don't give up: Elizabeth Smart, pictured, appeals to family and friends of a missing West Tennessee nursing student to continue searching for her . Since then, authorities and volunteers have been using search dogs to look for Bobo, hoping that she is still alive. Smart, who is 24 and married, told Bobo's supporters that she was being held just a few miles from where her family lived in Utah before she eventually was found by motorists who spotted her as she walked with her captors, nine months after her abduction. 'It is not impossible for Holly to come home,' said Smart, who was joined by her father, Ed Smart, at Bobo's former high school. 'Never give up. I was just three miles from my family and I was found. Holly could have the very same ending.' Together: Smart, pictured right with dad Ed, spoke to about 1,000 friends and relatives of Holly Bobo on Monday night at Scotts Hill High School, Tennessee . Support: Elizabeth Smart, left, sits with family members of missing Tennessee woman Holly Bobo at the event . Smart was 14 when she was kidnapped at knife-point in June 2002 in Utah by a handyman who knew her family. Brian . David Mitchell, a former itinerant street preacher, was convicted in . 2010 of Smart's 2002 kidnapping and sexual assault. He is serving a life . prison sentence. Smart has become increasingly involved in advocacy work for crime victims since her rescue. She formed the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, aimed largely at protecting children from abuse through prevention and education. Smart told the audience about how her abductor took her into the mountains behind her home in the hours after she was kidnapped. Smart said the man performed a marriage ceremony in a tent, and then she was raped. Abducted: Holly Bobo went missing from her home in April 2011 . Devastated: Her parents Dan and Karen Bobo made an appeal for anyone with details to come forward . 'I remember feeling like, 'Who could . ever love me again?'' Smart said. 'Could my parents love me again? Would . they keep looking for me if they knew what had happened to me? Would . people accept me as a normal person again?' As she sat in the tent, Smart thought about the love she had for her parents and her siblings, and their love for her. 'I made the decision right then and there that no matter what happened, that I would survive,' Smart said. Smart's visit was welcomed by Bobo's mother, Karen, who said it could serve as encouragement for residents to keep the search active. 'Sometimes I drive by a house and I think, 'Can Holly be in there?'' Karen Bobo said. 'We're never giving up the hope that she's out there.' Never forgotten: Miss Smart, now a 24-year-old university student, wiped tears from her eyes as she recounted the details of how Mitchell 'married' then raped her . Going home: Elizabeth Smart with her mother Lois and police officers after being found close to her home nine months after she was abducted . Karen Bobo said Holly was wearing a . pink shirt and had a pink purse when she disappeared. Many of those in . attendance Monday wore pink T-shirts and white buttons with a picture of . the blonde-haired Bobo on them. In . Parsons, Scotts Hill, and other small towns in Henderson and Decatur . counties, pink bows decorate lampposts, street signs, and the fronts of . homes, businesses, churches and schools. A graduation photo in the front lobby of the high school has a pink ribbon pinned next to Bobo's photo. 'As my dad and I were driven into town and we saw all the pink ribbons and the 'Pray for Holly' signs, that's one of the best things that you could be doing, continuing to pray for Holly, continuing to search for Holly,' Smart said. Recently married: Elizabeth, right, married Matthew Gilmour, left, in Hawaii in February . The search has reached far outside the small towns of West Tennessee. Fliers . and cards with her picture and description can still be found . throughout Tennessee and in neighboring states. Truckers with . cross-country routes have affixed decals with Bobo's picture on them on . their vehicles. Lois Alexander, of Bloodhound Search and Rescue, said a team of dogs and human searchers have scoured 68 square miles and 57 miles of road in their hunt for Bobo. Investigators have said that whoever took Bobo must have been familiar with the rugged woodlands surrounding the family's home. The reward fund for information has grown to $250,000. 'We all think somebody is holding her somewhere,' said Dana Bobo, Holly's father. 'We don't have a clue where.'

Smart, 24, kidnapped and held captive for nine months when she was 14 . Spoke to 1,000 friends and family of missing Holly Bobo, 20, who was seen being led into the woods in Parsons in April 2011 . 'I was just three miles from my family and I was found. Holly could have the very same ending,' Smart said . Authorities and volunteers using search dogs to look for Bobo .

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By . Richard Spillett . Jennifer Marley (pictured) stole from Mavis Patey, whose family say the shock of the betrayal killed the pensioner . A care worker caught stealing cash from a pensioner - who later died from the stress - has walked free from court. Jennifer Marley, 54, took £1,000 from Mavis Patey, but was arrested after the 79-year-old's family became suspicious and set up secret cameras. Mrs Patey's relatives were left furious yesterday after Marley got off with a suspended sentence for her crimes. Mrs Patey's son, Gary McKinnon, said the sentence was 'very lenient' and sent the wrong message to others tempted to steal. He said: 'What do you have to do to get sent to prison? It was just greed. When my mother found out she just lost the will to live. She did not want to go on with her life.' The court heard Mrs Patey's family suspected Marley was stealing and installed security cameras in the elderly woman's house in Plymouth, Devon. After the footage showed Marley rummaging through the OAP's drawers and stealing an envelope containing £1,000 in cash, the family called in the police. Marley, of Plymouth, denied one charge of stealing an envelope containing £1,000 between September and November 2012 and pleaded not guilty to the attempted theft of more cash, in an envelope containing plain paper. But a jury found her guilty of both of those counts following a trial in January. She was acquitted of the theft of two further envelopes containing £1,000, which the family say disappeared from the same chest of drawers. The court heard retired nurse Mrs Patey trusted Marley so much, she asked her to become her preferred carer and take over visits from other care workers. Scroll down for video . Mrs Patey's family set up secret cameras in her home after becoming suspicious of Marley . The images showed the carer looking through the pensioner's drawers and taking envelopes of money . Mrs Patey has since died and her family say she was killed by the shock of watching the CCTV footage. Marley was sentenced to 40-weeks in prison, suspended for two years, at Plymouth Crown Court yesterday. Sentencing . Marley, Judge Paul Darlow said: 'This was a gross breach of . the trust of an old lady who thought she had formed a caring, trusting . relationship. And this is how you repaid her.' Mrs Patey's family say she was left very upset after seeing her trusted carer stealing from her . Despite being found guilty of theft, Marley avoided prison on a suspended sentence this week . Marley had . told the jury she took the money and the fake notes in a bid to attract . the attention of employers First Call, but the judge said he found her explanation 'implausible'. Ali Rafati, for Marley, said she had spent her life in the care industry but would now never work in that field again. Mr Rafati claimed: 'She is a mature woman who is extremely unlikely to appear in court again.' Marley resigned from the agency where she had worked since 2003 after she was interviewed by police.

Jennifer Marley, 54, worked as a carer for Mavis Patey, 79, for six months . After being made her preferred carer, she stole money from her home . Mrs Patey's family became suspicious and set up secret cameras . Marley found guilty by jury of stealing £1,000 from chest of drawers . But she avoided prison on a suspended sentence for the 'breach of trust' Family say shock of being victim of crime killed retired nurse Mrs Patey .

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By . Neil Sears, Claire Ellicott and Mario Ledwith . PUBLISHED: . 08:06 EST, 13 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:17 EST, 20 August 2012 . Popular: Rosie Whitaker, who once performed at London's Royal Opera House, was a 'popular, beautiful girl who brought joy to everyone through her various talents' A distraught family are calling for a ban on anorexia and suicide websites following the death of their daughter. Her family believe Monday night’s tragedy came from reading and writing on websites where girls idealise slim celebrities such as Kate Moss, while describing how they cut themselves and contemplate taking their own lives. In a blog, Rosie, a talented ballet dancer, spoke of her struggles with bulimia, her compulsion to slash herself with a razor blade and plans to kill herself. Callous strangers responded by telling the clearly underweight girl she was fat and urging her to commit suicide. In April, Rosie wrote: ‘This girl just told me to go kill myself. I don’t even know what to do. I’m sitting here crying my eyes out, praying that the people around me will be okay. ‘Praying that I won’t pick up a blade. I just don’t understand how someone could say that, say that to someone who has been planning their suicide for almost 3 weeks.’ On Monday night – a couple of hours after writing on her blog ‘I’m so f****** sorry’ – the teenager appears to have carried out her plan to end her life. She was pronounced dead on the rail line close to her home in Beckenham, south-east London, after being hit by the Victoria to Ramsgate train. The tragedy, and Rosie’s family’s planned campaign against the offending websites, will add to concern about online communities that encourage vulnerable youngsters to starve themselves and take their own lives. Dr Alice Cole-King, a psychiatrist, said: ‘There is a growing body of evidence that vulnerable and distressed people can be unduly influenced by suicide and self-harm promoting websites.’ Rosie’s family issued a statement yesterday saying: ‘She was a popular, beautiful girl who brought joy to everyone through her various talents, including dancing and performing at the Royal Opera House, diving, writing poetry and piano playing. ‘For most of her life, she was very happy and planned to follow a career in which she would help others. ‘She was a well-balanced and well-loved young lady who had everything to live for. Tributes: Friends of Rosie left flowers and notes at Beckenham Station in tribute to the schoolgirl . You'll never be forgotten: One of Rosie's friends left a note expressing her sadness at the schoolgirl's death . ‘However, during a period of stress . brought on by the pressures of conforming to her peer group and studying . hard for GCSE exams, it appears she was, unfortunately, heavily . influenced by websites and online communities promoting self-harm and . suicide. ‘We hope her tragic death serves as a . warning to other impressionable youngsters and their parents that such . sites pose grave risks.’ A British Transport Police spokesman . said Rosie’s parents were planning to launch a campaign against suicide . and self-harming websites. ‘The websites she was looking at are things we will be examining as we compile a report for the coroner,’ he added. According to her blog, Rosie, who was . an army cadet, had been plagued by thoughts of death, and false beliefs . that she was fat and unattractive. It appears she had given up her habit . of obsessively cutting herself with a razor blade, but an apparent . relationship break-up seems to have tipped her over the edge. She also repeatedly referred to her weight and starvation attempts. Rosie posted numerous photographs of . excessively thin models – some distorted to make the women even more . skeletal than in reality – and others of arms slashed by a razor blade. She spoke of having obvious wounds she had to hide from her mother. In the heading of her blog are the . words ‘And then she broke’, beneath which she declared: ‘Rosie, 15, . London. Recovering. I have a s*** blog and everything . is just s***.’ Rosie's dancing achievements had included performing at London's prestigious Royal Opera House . Following her death, a friend wrote on the front page of her blog: ‘Unfortunately Rosie passed away on June 11 2012.’ ‘Rosie was a very talented student who excelled at music, diving, dance and creative writing. ‘She was an inspiration to those who . taught her as well as those who learned with her. More importantly, she . was much loved by students as well as staff. ‘Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time.’ Friends of Rosie and others left . tributes to her on memorial pages online, with close friend Bryony Wilde . writing: ‘You are at peace now, and I will remember every single moment . I spent with you when you filled my life with happiness. ‘You are a kind, clever, amazing, talented, sweet girl and I will never forget you. Rest in peace, baby, remember, I love you.’ This article has been amended to make clear that the statement came from Rosie's family, not just her parents, and to remove photographs of Rosie and comments from her blog following representation from her family.

Rosie Whitaker described as a 'popular, beautiful girl' But she struggled under 'pressures of conforming to her peer group' Her body was found on rail tracks near her home in Beckenham, Kent . Family: 'We hope her death serves as warning of dangers of self-harm and suicide websites' Rosie wrote on her blog in April that an online contact had told her to 'go kill herself' She battled bulimia and visited pro-ana websites where she would chat about self-harm with other girls . Anyone who feels in need of support or advice may  contact Samaritans on 08457 909090 or email  jo@samaritans.org .

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By . Louise Boyle . and Jennifer Smith . A British mother and grandmother are among five members of the same family shot dead by an American police officer. Kelly Boren and her mother, Marie King, were killed when the former's husband, Joshua Boren, opened fire on his family before taking his own life. Their bodies, alongside those of the couple's two children, were discovered at their home in Spanish Fork, Utah. Scroll down for video . The bodies of Joshua Boren, 34, Kelly Boren, 32, Joshua Boren, 7, five-year-old Haley Boren and Marie King, 55 (not pictured) were found dead in a murder suicide in Utah on Thursday . Marie King, 55, was also found shot dead at the home. The mother-in-law had lived at the home on a permanent basis . The women from Northampton moved to the U.S. where the Boren's two children, Haley and Joshua, went to school. Sources close to the family claim the couple had been having marital problems before the incident on Thursday. Police were alerted to the house when Mr Boren did not show up for work at the Lindon Police Department. Officers at the scene reportedly saw shell casings and blood on the carpet through the house's windows before entering. They discovered 'a large quantity of blood . on the stairway leading to the second floor of the residence,' police told KSL. When . they went inside, they found the family members bodies' in different bedrooms. It is not known whether they were asleep when the incident took place. Colleagues of Joshua Boren have expressed their shock and grief at the case. 'His conduct, behavior and professionalism were exemplary,' Lindon Police Chief Cody Cullimore said in a statement. 'We are working closely with the Spanish . Fork Police Department to investigate and hopefully come to an . understanding of this tragic occurrence.' Mrs Boren posted this picture of her children on social media on Thursday. The family were found shot dead by her husband later that day . Mrs Boren, 32, was shot dead by her husband on Thursday along with her children. She and her husband were reportedly having martial problems . Colleagues of the man say he appeared upbeat and didn't show signs of distress before the killings. No suicide note was found at the scene. Lindon Police Chief Cody Cullimore told the Salt Lake Tribune that the Boren family had gone to Disneyland over the Christmas holidays. He added that Officer Boren adored his children and that they were often at the police station visiting their father. An . emotional Spanish Fork Police Chief Steven Adams said today: 'There . were no warning signs. This was a total shock to everyone.' He said that many of his officers who had been at the scene found the case difficult to deal with. Chief Adams said there police had never been called the home in the past. The . father-of-two is thought to have made a phone call at 4.30pm on the day . of the incident, though it is not known at which point he opened fire. Neighbours interviewed said they did not hear any gunshots coming from the property. The young family had reportedly just returned from a winter holiday to Disneyland in Orlando . Sources close to the family said the police officer 'adored' his children and often brought them to work . The police chief expected to have preliminary autopsy results late on Friday. Officials at the Lindon Police Department . said Boren worked for the Utah County Sheriff's Office for more than . seven years before being taken on in October from a pool of more than 70 . applicants. Ms King's sister Jeanette Malpas, of Northampton, paid tribute to her 'beautiful' family.Writing on her Facebook page, she said: 'I cannot get my head around this and will never understand why someone has to take away lives like this. 'My beautiful sister Marie, her daughter Kelly and Kelly's children; Jaden and Haley, may you all rest in peace. 'Love you loads, to the moon and back.' The tribute page 'RIP Kelly, Marie, Jaden 'n' Haley' has also been set up on the social media site, attracting dozens of messages of condolence and support. Lindon City Police officer Joshua Boren. Colleagues said he showed no signs of being distressed before he shot dead his wife, two children and mother-in-law . Investigators put police tape in front of a home today in Spanish Fork, Utah, where five people were found dead in a murder-suicide including two young children . Investigators remove evidence from the home where a family of a police officer were found dead . Police gather outside the family home where a 34-year-old police officer shot dead in family in Spanish Fork, Utah . The deaths come just days after another Utah murder-suicide that left three people dead. Kyler . Ramsdell-Oliva, 32, fatally shot her two daughters, 13-year-old Kenadee . Oliva and 7-year-old Isabella Oliva, on Tuesday evening before killing . herself at their home in Syracuse, police said. The murder-suicide occurred just one day after Ramsdell-Oliva's fiance packed up to move out of the house, authorities said.

Kelly Boren and her mother Marie King were shot dead by former's husband . Joshua Boren also killed the couple's two children before taking his own life . The father-of-two was an 'exemplary' police officer in Spanish Fork, Utah . Local reports suggest the couple had been having 'martial problems' Kelly Boren and her mother moved to Boren's hometown from Northampton .

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By . Daily Mail Reporters . Last updated at 4:52 PM on 5th October 2011 . Prince Harry will fire a live missile for the first time when he arrives in the U.S. this week to take part in an intense eight-week training programme in one of the world's most awesome fighting machines. The 27-year-old royal will take the controls of an Apache helicopter in a mega-shooting range at Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field in Imperial Valley in the Californian desert. He is already qualified to fly the aircraft after passing earlier this year but in order for him to be 'battle ready' he now has to complete a 'Conversion to Role' course and could face battle as early as next year. One road town: Prince Harry will attend training at an air force base just outside the tiny desert community of Gila Bend, Arizona, next month . Tough training: The prince in front of an Apache helicopter earlier this year. He . will stay at Gila Bend as part of a 12-week RAF Apache course . A spokesman for St James's Palace said: 'The training in the USA will consist of environmental training, live . firing and tactical exercises.' Prince Harry will be in for a shock when he arrives at Gila Bend. It is a dusty one-road town that boasts a population of just 1,700 and 'five old crabs' - and has just one bar. After two lavish summer holidays - in Hvar, Croatia, and at a luxury villa in Majorca - Harry's forthcoming trip promises to be slightly more demanding. He will stay at the remote location as part of a 12-week RAF Apache helicopter training course, following a short time in El Centro, California, where he will arrive in the first week of October. Gila Bend has been chosen by military chiefs because its environment is similar to Afghanistan. The U.S. Air Force Base is . basic with just one runway, an air-traffic control tower, a few tents . and a couple of building and is surrounded by giant cacti. Facilities are so sparse that most RAF pilots visiting on the course - Exercise Crimson Eagle - stay in the adjacent town. While Harry is used to staying aboard yachts and in some of the world's most luxurious hotels, Gila Bend's top lodgings costs just £60 per night. The Space Age Lodge - a Best Western - has bizarrely been designed to look like a space ship. All there is: Bartender Brigette Mowry works at Netos, the only nightlife option in Gila Bend . Two horse town? Local Cowboy Terrell Farnsworth hasn't even heard of Prince 'Henry' During his stay in Croatia last month, Harry was photographed jumping fully-clothed into a swimming pool surrounded by fellow party-goers dancing to thumping music. But Gila Bend has only one small pool at the quirky Space Age Lodge. A receptionist said: 'Visitors who are not staying at the hotel can use the pool for $2.50 (£1.60). Harry will be welcome to come if he wants.' And it seems Harry, who is used to being recognised wherever he goes, might get a different reception in Gila Bend, where many residents are clueless as to his identity. Local cowboy Terrell Farnsworth, 49, said: 'I have no idea who Prince Henry is. I've never heard of him.' He joked: "The girls are going to go crazy if there's a prince coming here. All five of them. 'The town is very small. They built a freeway around it a few years back and it killed the town. Now people just drive around it when they used to go through it and stop off.' Barren: A rusty bridge just outside Gila Bend, the area has been chosen because if its similarities to the conditions in Afghanistan . Should the single prince be looking for an American bride in Gila Bend, then it seems his options will also be limited. Brigette Mowry, 45, the bartender at Gila Bend's only bar, Netos, said: 'There's nothing really here so most of the young women move away as soon as they can. 'The women here are usually a bit older and already married. Most of the people who live here are retired. 'Sometimes the British pilots come in here and play pool or have a beer. 'We occasionally have karaoke and live music here and that's when the few girls of the town come in. 'If we put on a karaoke night here that'll be his only chance of meeting any of them.' At ease: Fellow clubbers take their cue from Prince Harry as he strutted his stuff barefoot on the side of an swimming pool at a Croatian nightspot last month . Soaked: The prince was having such a good time he jumped into the pool at the Veneranda nightclub . Local tourist sights are also limited - a small, one-room museum displays old Native American antiques found in the area. Day-trips include the Butterfield Pass Trail - an historic hiking path Mormons moving to the West Coast once used. Nearby are some native American rock carvings created by old tribes who lived in the area. Harry could also head down to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - a national park forest of huge cacti. The course at Gila Bend is the culmination of Harry's . training in flying Apache helicopter gunships, which he has been doing . back home at RAF Wattisham in Suffolk. Following the U.S. leg of his . training, Harry - known as Captain Wales in the Army Air Corps - will . return to Britain where he take part in final exercises before any . possible deployment.

The 27-year-old royal will arrive at Gila Bend for military training this week . Area chosen because it is similar to the harsh conditions in Afghanistan .

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By . Matt Blake and Arthur Martin . PUBLISHED: . 08:31 EST, 23 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:17 EST, 23 November 2012 . It was hardly ideal weather for a spot of naked exhibitionism. But swirling winds and plunging temperatures didn’t deter this man from turning himself into an unexpected stop on the itinerary for central London sightseers yesterday. Within minutes of climbing on to the 30ft statue of Prince George, the Duke of Cambridge, in Whitehall at midday, he stripped naked and started to shout at bystanders. Scroll down for video. On his head: Police were forced to close an entire section of the road - which runs between the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square - while specialist officers tried to coax the man down . Acrobatic: The man's motives for the extravagant display of public nudity remain unclear . The end of a showdown: Finally, after just over three hours atop the life-size memorial he was finally brought down and taken away in a police van. It is understood he has been detained under the Mental Health Act . At one point he stood precariously atop the statue with his arms outstretched. He also appeared to take the sword from the statue and wave it about. At another, he perched acrobatically - with his arms out stretched . for balance - upon the Duke's feathered plume, before sitting down on his . head. Hundreds of baffled passers by . gathered in the busy road, which runs between the Houses of Parliament . and Trafalgar Square,  to watch the exhibition unfold in wonder. Finally, after just over three hours atop the monument, . he finally gave up and climbed down before police took him away in a marked van. Police said he has not been arrested but detained under the Mental Health Act at a secure hospital in London. The man's motives for the extravagant display of public nudity remain unclear. The spectacle began at around midday today, when he scaled the statue and broke off its hand, before throwing all his clothes to the ground. One witness, Richard, who owns a street souvenir stand, said he had been acting strangely before climbing onto the statue. He said: 'He was walking around this one acting weird, just sniffing around. 'Then he starting walking down the middle of the road and just started running towards the statue - he was legging it. 'He literally just scampered up there very quickly. He climbed up and sat down on it and then got undressed. 'He ruined our business for the day.' Commotion: Hundreds of baffled passers by gathered in the busy road - which runs between the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square - to watch the exhibition unfold before he was taken away . Stubborn: Despite temperatures hovering around 8C, chilled further by a mild south-westerly breeze, the man, thought to be in his 30s, stubbornly remained on his perch apparently ignoring officers' pleas . Centre of defence: Hundreds of baffled passers by gathered in the busy road, which runs between the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square,  to watch the exhibition unfold in wonder . An office worker, who asked not to be named, said: 'We heard something was going on outside the building, the guy had got up on the statue. 'It looked as if he had somehow ripped the sword off the statue, he had taken the sword off then he was whacking the actual statue with the sword calling out things and waving the sword about. 'He was saying something about Ukraine 'my father came from Ukraine' or something, he then threw the sword down and police recovered it. 'He then moved all over the statue, different positions and kept calling out with his arms up in the air and he was throwing up, he must have been on drugs. 'At that point, he still had his clothes on. Then he decided he was going to strip off and make it more dramatic. Onlooker Savannah Severn, 16, said: . 'I was on a school trip, on my way to the National Portrait Gallery and I . looked up and saw the naked man on the statue. 'There were police on horses pushing the crowd back and firemen were trying to get him down. 'I was really shocked but it was quite funny. It looked like he was posing and he hard his arms stretched out wide.' The man's motives for the extravagant display of public nudity remain unclear. A police officer said the cordon had been pushed back because the man got angry with people taking photos of him. He said there had been reports of 'implements' being found in the man's clothes. Passerby Leanne, on her way home from St Thomas' Hospital, said it was hilarious. Chilly: The unidentified man could be seen waving his arms, apparently speaking to emergency services on the ground, and did not seem to be holding anything . Crowds of onlookers had gathered at either end . of the cordon. The naked man is believed to have been clothed when he . climbed on to the statue . 'We had to get out of the cab because it couldn't get through - we didn't expect this,' she said. 'It's . hilarious, we'll it's obviously not funny for people who can't get . through but climbing a statue with no clothes on is one way to bring . London to a standstill.' He . could be seen waving his arms, apparently speaking to emergency . services on the ground, and did not seem to be holding anything. A spokesman said: 'We are talking to the man and will try and bring the situation to a resolution a soon as we can.' While the statue of Prince George will be well-used to pigeons perching on its head, naked people are rare. Bizarre: At one point he balanced acrobatically - with his arms out stretched - upon the Duke's feathered plume, before sitting on his head . Bizarre: Wearing black the man climbed to the top of the statue posed. His motives for the extravagant display of public nudity remain unclear . Born in Germany in 1819, the Duke was the son of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the 10th child and 7th son of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. As a man he joined the British army and rose to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Forces from 1856 to 1895. He died of a stomach haemorrhage in 1904 at Gloucester House, Piccadilly, London, and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London. His title, the Duke of Cambridge, fell into extinction upon his death and was not revived until 107 years later, when Elizabeth II awarded the title to her grandson, Prince William, now the Second Duke of Cambridge.

The unidentified man was clothed when he climbed the statue at midday before stripping down and striking a series of bizarre poses . He also snapped off the statue's hand, which was clutching a sword, and waved it about in the air shouting . He stayed there for three hours until he was finally coaxed down by police . He is understood to have been detained under the Mental Health Act . The statue commemorates Prince George, the First Duke of Cambridge, who died in 1904, and stands in front of Horse Guards Parade . At one point he balanced acrobatically - with his arms out stretched - upon the Duke's feathered plume, before sitting on his head .

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By . Emma Innes . and Amanda Williams . A teenager with incurable cancer who has raised more than £3 million for charity - and was this morning praised by the Prime Minister - has been discharged from hospital. Stephen Sutton, 19, was being treated for multiple tumours at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was recently pictured giving his 'final thumbs up' from his hospital bed - convinced that he would not make it out. But Stephen has announced on Facebook that he has now been discharged after a 'quite remarkable' recovery. Scroll down for video . Stephen Sutton, 19, was being treated for multiple tumours at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was recently pictured giving his 'final thumbs up' from his hospital bed - convinced that he would not make it out . Mr Cameron has tweeted a link to Stephen's Just Giving page, where he is raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, urging people to donate, saying: 'An honour to meet @-StephensStory today - his courage is an inspiration to all of us.' On Facebook, Stephen wrote: 'I then also have some more great news...I've been discharged from hospital!! 'After being at a point where it seemed like I'd never make it out it feels so awesome to be able to put that. The recovery I've undergone recently is quite remarkable. 'It has been difficult, there is an emotional trauma attached to nearly dying (a few times) that will take a while to get used to, but ultimately I now feel even more fortunate to just be here and the experience serves as a potent reminder to go out there and live life as freely and as positively as possible. 'The simple things we take for granted are all blessings, and living truly is a privilege we should all try and enjoy and make the most of!' In a later post, he thanked the numerous celebrities who had backed his campaign - and that he was still struggling to comprehend its success. He wrote: 'I also had the support from a number of high profile celebrities, which was also greatly appreciated and particularly hugely helped the fundraising push. Thumbs up: Cancer patient Stephen Sutton with Prime Minister David Cameron who visited him at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham today . 'Jason Manford was one of the main protagonists in it and I'm hugely greatly for the work he did and is continuing to do- he visited me twice in hospital and was very genuine and lovely both times. 'The lovely Tim Minchin also responded by writing me a song (to tick another item off my bucketlist), Skrillex sent a personal video message, amongst other examples of celebrities doing some good. 'Ultimately over £3million pound has been raised for Teenage Cancer trust which is just staggering… I can still barely get my head round it… just thank you to EVERYONE.' He added he was attempting to respond to hundreds of messages he had been sent - but was struggling to keep up. He added: 'A lot of people want to visit me. As mentioned I am still physically recovering and as much I'd love to, it would not be viable for me to spend time with everyone who wants to see me. 'I know that everyone means well, but I do need to rest, so direct phonecalls or unexpected visits to my home will not really be appropriate at the moment.' Mr Cameron was pictured holding a message encouraging people to donate to Stephen Sutton’s campaign. He visited the 19-year-old bowel cancer patient - whose condition has improved in the last week - at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham this morning. David Cameron (pictured with radio presenters John Fox and Giuliano Casadei) has lent his support to the fundraising efforts of Stephen Sutton . Mr Cameron described Stephen as ‘an inspiration’ and asked people to continue to help him in his quest to raise as much money as possible for the Teenage Cancer Trust. The Prime Minister also appeared on the Birmingham-based Free Radio where he told listeners: ‘[Stephen] is an amazing guy. When you watch his YouTube video it’s one of the most amazing things you will see. He is an inspiration. He is an inspirational Briton.’ During . Mr Cameron's visit, lasting around 15 minutes, Stephen, whose . fund-raising for the Teenage Cancer Trust has won backing from people . around the world, posed for pictures alongside the Prime Minister, his . mother Jane and the consultant treating him. Stephen, . from Burntwood, Staffordshire, has raised more than £3.1 million in . donations from 131,000 people since posting Stephen's Story, a film . about his bucket list, on the internet. Mr . Cameron, who gave Stephen a letter saying he was humbled by his bravery . and positive attitude, had previously missed out on meeting the . teenager when he visited Downing Street to tick off an item on his . bucket list last year. After visiting the ward where Stephen is being cared for, Mr Cameron said: 'He's amazing, just an inspiration. 'Anyone . who watches that video on YouTube just can't help but be impressed by . his bravery and courage but also his incredible warmth and passion for . life. 'It really is extraordinary.' Stephen was diagnosed with bowel cancer when he was just 15. He had surgery to remove a tumour but the cancer returned a year later and he was told that it was incurable . Stephen . said he has discussed the possibility of trying a new trial drug . treatment, which would be his fifth regime of chemotherapy. However, for the time being Stephen said he and his family aimed to 'Just get a bit of normality back into our lives'. He added: 'This extra period of time I now have feels like a gift, one that I'm determined to use productively. 'I'll be probably be straight back to doing some crazy stuff/events/etc soon, but for now, it just feels great to be home!!' Speaking to Birmingham-based Free Radio, Mr Cameron added: 'He's actually been to Downing Street but sadly I wasn't there. 'One of the things on his bucket list was to make a speech in Downing Street. 'When you watch that YouTube video, it's one of the most inspiring things you will ever see. 'Here's this guy who is fighting a disease but he's also got time to inspire hundreds of thousands of people.' In . his letter to Stephen, Mr Cameron said: 'I wanted to write to say how . inspiring it has been to watch the progress of your campaign. Stephen has been helped in his fundraising efforts by the comedian Jason Manford. Mr Manford held a sell-out last minute performance (pictured) to raise money for Stephen's fund . 'The way you have responded to such a difficult diagnosis is incredible; your bravery and positive attitude is truly humbling. 'You . have caught the attention of people around the world and helped raise . an enormous amount of money to support other teenage cancer sufferers. 'You have my admiration and gratitude for all that you have achieved.' Stephen, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer when he was just 15. He had surgery to remove a tumour but the cancer returned a year later and he was told it was incurable. When he learned that his cancer was terminal, Stephen wrote a bucket list of things he wanted to achieve before he died. Top of the list was to raise £10,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. His fundraising efforts were so successful that he soon upped the target to £1 million. However, two weeks ago his condition suddenly took a turn for the worse and he believed he had just days to live. At . this point, he was only about half way to his target so he launched a . social media campaign to encourage people to donate so he could achieve . his goal before he died. Dozens of celebrities, including Russell Brand, have posted messages of support on Twitter . His story went viral and within hours he had hit the £1 million target. With the help of the comedian Jason Manford he has continued to raise money from his hospital bed. The total currently stands at £3.1 million and Stephen’s Thumbs Up For Stephen campaign has seen dozens of celebrities from Russell Brand to Sir Chris Hoy and Piers Morgan post messages of support on Twitter. In the last two weeks Stephen’s condition has also improved. When he was taken to hospital two weeks ago tumours had caused one of his lungs to collapse and he was dependent upon breathing support. However, he had surgery yesterday and his condition has improved. Sir Chris Hoy has also encouraged people to help Stephen raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust . Yesterday he told his Facebook followers: ‘This morning I had the operation and everything went well! ‘The aim was to remove anything nasty that was blocking my airway and maybe put a stent in. ‘There is still some tumour in my lung, but the surgeon is confident he has removed as much of the tumour from my airway as possible, so much so he thought putting the stent in wasn't necessary as my airway seemed to be pretty fully clear (which is great news). ‘The airway will need monitoring, but the outcome now is that my right lung may start to re-expand and my breathing generally stay functional for as long as possible!!’ To help Stephen in his fundraising. Click here.

The Prime Minister visited Stephen Sutton, 19, in hospital this morning . He was also pictured encouraging people to support his fundraising efforts . Mr Cameron described Stephen as 'an amazing guy' and 'an inspiration' Stephen is in hospital in Birmingham with incurable bowel cancer . Thought he was days from death, but his condition has improved recently . To donate, visit Stephen's Just Giving page by clicking here .

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By . Chris Parsons . PUBLISHED: . 06:55 EST, 4 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:36 EST, 4 July 2012 . A rare wax mould of Albert Einstein is being auctioned online - and could be set to fetch over £1million. The model of the genius physicist is thought to have been made over 60 years ago after being commissioned by Einstein himself in 1947. And unlike other waxworks of Einstein which exist, the sculpture being sold on eBay was made after being peeled directly from Einstein's own face. Lifelike: The sculpture is thought to be a one-of-a-kind as it was peeled from the face of the man himself . Rare: The waxwork was made 60 years ago after being personally commissioned by Einstein in 1947 . Immortalised: The waxwork had spent half a century in a museum in Kentucky, but is now being sold online . The work is believed to have been done by Katherine Stubergh, a famous American wax sculpturer, in 1947 and is signed by her and the physicist on the neck of the model. It was displayed for fifty years at Mammoth Cave Wax Museum in Kentucky before it closed in May this year. The other wax works have already been sold off. Genius: The renowned physicist, pictured here in 1944, died in 1955 aged 76 . The wax head of the nobel prize winning scientist also comes with a full body as well and real hair. Owner Michael Todd said: 'It was originally bought by the museum owner Herbert Moore and it's been on display since. 'We have spoken to experts in Albert Einstein memorabilia who think it could reach around $1.5 million. 'It's so rare and unusual because it was peeled off his face. It can't ever be replicated, it is a complete one-of-a-kind. 'The reason Einstein commissioned it was because they were both from Germany and Stubergh was known as the best sculptor in the world. 'There were two copies of the mould made but no-one knows where the other one is. 'I would describe the wax-work as . gorgeous, identical and in mint condition. It's so realistic that he . looks like he could stand up and walk across the room. 'It's such a rare piece and can never be repeated. 'We think it could attract bids from museums or collectors.' Authentic: The waxwork is signed by sculptor Katherine Stubergh and Einstein himself on the back of the neck .

Sculpture was commissioned by physicist personally in 1947 . Einstein experts believe it is worth over £1M . Waxwork was kept in museum for fifty years but is now being sold on eBay .

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By . Jennifer Newton . Significant concern has been caused by a series of threats from al Qaeda-linked groups to attack America and Europe, it has been reported. Officials are thought to be studying the threats, which have evolved over the past six months and are determining the strength of al Qaeda in several different countries including Yemen, Pakistan and Syria, although none have been corroborated. U.S. officials had believed that the terrorist organisation was focusing on planning attacks outside of the United States due to the difficulty in breaching homeland security. Members of Ansar al-Sharia, an al Qaeda-affiliated group, are seen near a tank in the southern Yemeni town of Jaar last month. It is thought groups in the country could be planning attacks in the United States and Europe . Yemeni soldiers launch a major offensive against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula earlier this month . However CNN has reported that the new threats suggest there could be plans to target sites within America and Europe. They reported that a senior U.S. official said that 'we do not see operational cells of al Qaeda inside the United States' but emphasised this could not be ruled out. It is thought that the source of the threats comes from three separate regions including al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula based in Yemen. The U.S. considers Yemen's local al Qaeda branch as the terror group's most dangerous offshoot worldwide. It is blamed for a number of unsuccessful . bomb plots aimed at Americans, including an attempt to bring down a . U.S.-bound airliner with explosives hidden in the bomber's underwear and . a second plot to send mail bombs hidden in the toner cartridges on . planes headed to the U.S. Pakistani army soldiers patrolling the tribal areas of North Waziristan, where they are fighting al-Qaeda activists. Pakistan is one country where al Qaeda threats are thought to be coming from . The U.S. embassy in Sanaa shut down its premises this month as a precaution against possible retaliatory attacks and is set to remain closed for several more days. A core group from the organisation is also thought to be operating in Pakistan and another official has told CNN that they could be looking to place operatives to attack U.S. targets both in America and abroad. Meanwhile there is also worry that a third terrorist threat comes from Syria where it is believed more than 70 Americans have travelled to fight in the conflict there. The Treasury Department has already levied sanctions on two individuals suspected of supporting al-Qaeda in Syria. The two individuals are known informally as al-Juhni and al-Qaduli. They are suspected of handling a range of duties, including arranging payments, passing messages, providing intelligence and arranging meetings for al Qaeda.

Reports say threats from the group have evolved in recent months . Officials are studying the threats to determine strength of them . Believed sites within the United States and Europe are being targeted . Source of threats come from Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan and Syria .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 6:42 PM on 26th November 2011 . The lover of murderer Adrian Prout was visiting him in prison as police made the grim discovery of his spouse's remains. Debbie Garlick went to visit fiancee Mr Prout at HMP Rye Hill, Warwickshire, on Thursday, moments before detectives found the body of strangled Kate Prout, 55, in rural Gloucestershire. Ms Garlick, 40, who is the mother of Prout's 22-month-old daughter Evie, took their child along for the two-hour visit on Thursday. Nightmare: Prout with fiancee, and mother of his child, Debbie Garlick shortly before his conviction. Before Prout confessed Ms Garlick campaigned to get his conviction overturned . According to The Sun, Ms Garlick remarked to police after being told of the discovery: 'Now her body's been found, it's real and has hit home. 'This isn't about me, it's about her and her loved ones who will now want to give her a rightful and proper burial.' The discovery of Kate Prout's body came just days after Adrian Prout, 49, dramatically confessed to her murder in prison, over a year after he had been convicted of the crime. Wedding day: The Prouts in 2000. His shock confession came four years after Mrs Prout, a retired schoolteacher mysteriously vanished . Last Monday he led officers to a secluded spot on the couple’s £1.6million country estate in Redmarley, Gloucestershire, and digging started. Mr Prout admitted strangling his estranged spouse following a divorce settlement row. Last week Ms Garlick, who had campaigned to prove Mr Prout's innocence, said he had fooled everyone. Search: Police spent four days searching for the remains of Mrs Prout on the Gloucestershire farm she shared with her husband Adrian, who killed her in 2007 . She said: ‘Now we know he fooled not only them but me, his own family and mine too by pretending he wasn’t involved in her death, I can only say sorry to them for the anguish he has put us all through.’ His admission from behind bars comes four years after he murdered his 55-year-old wife and exactly 12 months since her family last pleaded with him to reveal the truth. Prout always denied any part in her 2007 disappearance as he refused to help officers in their search for the retired teacher.

Debbie Garlick saw Adrian Prout in prison moments before police found body of murdered spouse .

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