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By . Sam Webb . Thief: Amanda Mann, an estate agent lettings manager, denied 17 charges of theft involving £7,500. She spent some of the cash on breast reduction surgery and designer shoes . A woman who stole from her employers and spent some of the cash on breast reduction surgery and designer shoes has been jailed for two years and three months this morning. Amanda Mann, an estate agent lettings manager, of Rhuddlan, near Rhyl, Wales, denied 17 charges of theft involving £7,500 but was previously convicted by a jury. The prosecution alleged that she had been responsible for stealing a far larger amount - in the region of £90,000. The judge, Mr Recorder Timothy Petts, told her today that he was convinced that she had stolen more than the amount in the charges, but it was impossible to say how much. The trial heard how Mann, 43, spent money on Jimmy Choo shoes and on breast reduction surgery at a cost of £6,000. Mold Crown Court was told today that she still denied any thefts, protested her innocence, and blamed others for taking the money. Mann worked for Fletcher and Poole estate agents at Conwy and was promoted to lettings manageress ten years ago. Most tenants paid in cash and Mann dealt with banking. She’d been regarded as a friend by her employer but there had been 'systematic siphoning off of money' which should have gone to the company. Application fees paid by tenants had been stolen, commission fees paid by landlords hadn’t been passed on, and deposit payments had also vanished. Mann had been suspended then sacked in 2011 and police called in. Bank statements showed Mann had £17,000 debts but periodically deposited large sums of cash. She had lived in a flat above the office and paid £300-a-month rent in cash. Owen Edwards, defending, said that his client had settled a £5,000 personal injury claim which could be used for compensation and said if she was allowed her liberty more money could be paid over from her earnings. He suggested that the inevitable prison sentence could be suspended because his client, a woman of good character, suffered from depression. There had also been huge delays in the case being dealt with, he added. Fletcher and Poole Estate Agents, where Mann was the lettings manager. The thefts took place over three-and-a-half years . But Mr Recorder Timothy Petts told Mann that it had to be immediate custody. He said that it was a small, family-run, friendly firm where everyone was trusted in the handling of cash. 'Over a period of time you systematically abused that trust and treated cash receipts as your own,' he said. It was a breach of 'a high degree of trust' where she was the manager, it went on over a three and a half year period, when she 'systematically and deliberately' stole from her employer. It was only brought to an end when she was caught. She had tried to cover her tracks and disguise what was happening and blamed others by making 'wild allegations' which were entirely false. The offences had caused considerable damage to the business and its reputation and her thieving continued when others were being made redundant and when the owner was undergoing cancer treatment, he said. 'This was a considerable period of thieving. Only immediate custody is appropriate,' he said.

Amanda Mann may have stolen up to £90,000, a court heard . She was siphoning cash from tenants, deposits and commission payments . Mann stole the money over three-and-a-half years .

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Thousands of tech, finance, and manufacturing companies have secret agreements with U.S. security agencies to swap sensitive data in return for classified intelligence, sources have claimed. U.S. intelligence organizations, including the NSA, CIA and FBI and branches of the U.S. military, call the firms 'trusted partners', sources told Bloomberg. The sources either worked for the government or for the companies. A former NSA employee said the programs are far greater than what was uncovered by whistleblower Edward Snowden, who lifted the lid on government surveillance programs before fleeing to Hong Kong last month. More revelations: Sources have claimed that government agencies, including the NSA, FBI and CIA, have secret partnerships with large businesses to hand over sensitive information . The relationship between the companies, which include Microsoft and McAfee, and intelligence agencies is legal, and because the firms provide information voluntarily, there is no need for court orders to insist they hand over the information, a source said. The companies are happy to participate . in the agreements because they believe they are helping . to protect the nation or are advancing their own interests by . receiving classified information in return, sources said. They added that the public would be shocked at how much help the government seeks from the companies. Bloomberg explained that Microsoft hands over information on bugs in its software before it publicly reveals a way to fix the problem. The delay means that the U.S. government can exploit vulnerabilities in Microsoft's system in programs that were sold abroad, including to foreign governments, the sources said. Explosive: The sources said programs extend far beyond the reach of what was revealed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden (pictured), who leaked information about surveillance programs . While Microsoft is reportedly not told how the information is used, spokesman Frank Shaw . confirmed data was handed over to give the government 'an early start' on risk assessment and mitigation. Security software company McAfee also cooperates with the NSA, CIA, and FBI, the report explained, and shares data about malicious internet traffic, including foreign spy operations. 'We do not share any type of personal information with our government agency partners,' McAfee chief technology officer, Michael Fey, said. 'McAfee's function is to provide security technology, education, and threat intelligence to governments [including] emerging new threats, cyber-attack patterns and hacker group activity.' The agreements deal with such sensitive information that they are usually made strictly between companies' chief executive officers and chiefs of the U.S. agencies, the report said. Partner: Sources said that Microsoft will tell the government about bugs in its software before it tells the public so that the agencies can use the information to infiltrate foreign governments' systems . Only a few people in the company may know of them. Some U.S. telecommunications . companies also provide agencies with access to facilities and data . abroad that would require a judge's order if it were done in the U.S., . one source added. And in return for their help, companies are lavished with gratitude. 'If I were the director and had a relationship with a company who was doing things that were not just directed by law, but were also valuable to the defense of the Republic, I would go out of my way to thank them and give them a sense as to why this is necessary and useful,' said Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA and the CIA. The sources said that in return for the companies' help, some are also given warnings about threats that could affect their business, such as serious Internet attacks and who is responsible. Insistent: Earlier this week, Keith Alexander, director of the NSA, defended the programs as 'critical' to national security. Sources said companies also believe they are helping the nation . The report is just the latest revelation in the NSA leaks scandal, which hit headlines after Edward Snowden released information about Prism, an NSA surveillance system that gathers phone call and email information from telecommunication and internet companies. Since his reveal, Snowden has fled to Hong Kong, but his exact whereabouts are unknown. He emerged briefly in an interview with the South China Morning Post to claim that the U.S. has also been hacking Chinese computers for as long as four years.

U.S intelligence organizations including the NSA, CIA and FBI 'have secret agreements with companies including Microsoft and McAfee' Companies 'believe they are helping to protect the nation' In return for their help, 'firms are lavished with gratitude and attention'

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South Korean forensics officials say they are sure the body found in a plum orchard last month is Yoo Byung Eun, a billionaire fugitive who was wanted in connection to the fatal Sewol ferry crash that claimed nearly 300 lives. But the country's forensics service said there was no way to determine the cause of death of Yoo, 73, because of the decomposed state of the body. Officials said that fingerprint, dental and DNA evidence confirmed his identity. According to various tests conducted, Yoo was not poisoned or suffocated. They found no trace of poison or alcohol, said Lee Han-Young, head of the Central Legal Medical Center. There were no signs of external force that may have caused death, he added. Yoo had been wanted by South Korean authorities, as prosecutors believed he and his sons controlled the shipping company that operated the Sewol ferry that sank on April 16. Yoo's representatives denied this allegation. His supporters claimed that Yoo had been made into a scapegoat for the ferry tragedy. The sinking killed 294 people on board, including hundreds of high school students who were on a field trip. More than 100 days after the incident, divers are still searching for bodies. Ten people remain missing. Yoo was a religious figure of the Evangelical Baptist Church, which was founded by his father-in-law. A spokesman for the group confirmed Yoo's death on Friday. It was still unclear when Yoo died. South Korean authorities had been under scrutiny for their inability to find the elusive billionaire despite a massive manhunt, involving 8,000 officers, in the weeks following the incident. Suggestions that police bungled the investigation prompted officers to hold Friday's press conference. The identification process took 40 days, after the body was found on June 12. Korean authorities performed two autopsies and the test results matched, Lee said. Yoo's body can now be turned over to his family, but the whereabouts of most of his children are not known. Yoo's wife, Kwon Yun-Ja, is under arrest in South Korea.

South Korean forensics: Body found in June is Yoo Byung Eun . Authorities: Yoo's cause of death cannot be determined . Yoo was wanted by prosecutors in connection to Sewol ferry crash . Two autopsies performed and results matched, says official .

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Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime friend of the Clinton family, thinks the former Secretary of State will decide whether she'll run for president in 60 days. "She's got to make that decision and she's got to spend the next 60 days making that decision ... I'm really hoping she runs, but I'm leaving that decision to her," McAuliffe told U.S. News & World Report on Thursday. The Virginia governor's projection means Clinton will have made up her mind by mid-January 2015, which matches the time frame Clinton said she plans to make her widely anticipated decision. "I am going to be making a decision around, probably after the first of the year about whether I am going to run again," she told a Mexican audience in early September. When asked whether his close ties to Clinton would land him the VP spot, McAuliffe said he's "just happy to support her." The former chairman of Clinton's failed 2008 campaign isn't the only one anticipating her announcement. John Podesta, Bill Clinton's former chief of staff and current Obama adviser, told PBS' Al Hunt on Friday that he will join Hillary's campaign if she asks. "She hasn't made a decision, so she has structured no campaign," he said. "If she runs, as I hope she will, I'll do whatever she'd ask me to do."

Terry McAuliffe says Hillary Clinton will decide if she will run for president in the next 60 days . The time frame points to a January decision date . In September, Clinton said she would decide by that time .

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(CNN) -- Kurbanjan Samat, a 32-year-old Uyghur photographer, wants to dispel the stereotypes he says many Chinese hold about people from his home region -- an ethnically diverse province in China's far west. He traveled to more than 20 cities to interview and photograph more than 500 people as part of a photography project called "I'm from Xinjiang" that aims to bridge the gap between China's Han majority and the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs at a time of heightened tensions between the two groups. Following the conviction of Uyghur extremists for a number of violent attacks in the past year, Samat told CNN that many Chinese outside Xinjiang increasingly associate the province with terrorism. "The idea occurred to me to tell the real life stories of people from Xinjiang... and show that people from Xinjiang are no different from others," he said. A new book will showcase 100 of his best portraits. They include Nefise Nehmat, a Shanghai-based Uyghur lawyer, who is now studying for a master's degree in comparative law at a U.S. university and Zhang Zhiqiang, a Han Chinese adopted by a Uyghur family, who runs a mobile phone business and has converted to Islam. The subjects are shown in a variety of settings -- an office cubicle, praying, in a radio studio and at home, which Samat hopes will dispel a common perception that people from Xinjiang only run kebab stalls or restaurants. Most of the people he approached were willing to have their portraits taken, but some balked at the last minute. Samat, who is based in Beijing and started taking photos in middle school, says he, like other Uyghurs, has faced discrimination, particularly after knife-wielding assailants killed 31 people at train station in Kunming earlier this year -- an attack Chinese media referred to as the country's 9/11. "During those days, I couldn't even get a cab because I have a face typical of Xinjiang people," he said. Samat doesn't expect his book to bring any significant changes but he hopes it will encourage others to understand the people from Xinjiang they encounter in their daily life. Ultimately, he says, he did the project "not for Uyghurs, not for Xinjiang," but for himself. "If I don't do this, the labels they put on Xinjiang people will be put on me. I don't want to be labeled." CNN's Zhang Dayu reported from Beijing, Katie Hunt wrote from Hong Kong.

Uyghur photographer wants to dispel stereotypes about Xinjiang. The Chinese province has become associated with Islamic terrorism. Kurbanjan Samat has taken more than 500 portraits. He hopes to reflect the real lives of people from the province.

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By . Reuters Reporter . Last updated at 9:42 PM on 16th February 2012 . The careworn house not far from Santa Monica Boulevard resembles millions of other homes that have been foreclosed on since the calamitous U.S. housing crash four years ago. Garbage spews from trash bags behind the property. A smashed television leans against broken furniture. A filthy toy dog lies on its side, an ear draped across its face. The garden is overgrown. The house needs a paint job. Yet the property on North Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California, is no ordinary foreclosure. FORECLOSED: This sprawling, Spanish-style estate is one of many foreclosures in Beverly Hills. Its former owners were $205,000 behind in their payments on mortgages totaling $6.9 million . A sprawling, Spanish-style estate, fringed by majestic pine trees and located near the boutiques of Santa Monica Boulevard, its former owners were served with a default notice in 2010; they were $205,000 behind in their payments on mortgages totaling $6.9 million. Welcome to foreclosure Beverly Hills-style. Some 180 houses in Beverly Hills, the storied Los Angeles enclave rich with Hollywood stars and music moguls, have been foreclosed on by lenders, scheduled for auction, or served with a default notice, the highest level since the 2008 financial crash, according to a Reuters analysis of figures compiled by RealtyTrac, which tracks foreclosures nationwide. As in the default-ravaged suburban subdivisions of Phoenix, Arizona, and Tampa, Florida, plunging real estate prices are the root of the problem in Beverly Hills. But the dynamics of the residential real estate collapse are very different in elite neighborhoods such as this. The majority of delinquent homeowners here owe more than $1 million. Many are walking away not because they can't pay, but because they judge it would be foolish to keep doing so. 'It's a business decision, not an emotional one which it is for normal people,' said Deborah Bremner, owner of the Bremner Group at Coldwell Banker, which specializes in high-end properties in the Los Angeles area. 'I go to cocktail parties and all people are talking about is whether it is time to walk away, although they will never be quoted in the real world.' The mansion, overgrown, abandoned and badly in need of a paint job, is one of 180 foreclosures in the wealthy Los Angeles enclave . She said she had seen in Beverly Hills a big increase in 'strategic defaults,' in which owners who can still afford to make their monthly mortgage payment choose not to because the property is now worth so much less than the giant loan used to buy it during the housing bubble. Strategic default is an especially appealing option in California, one of only a handful of U.S. states where primary mortgages made by banks are 'non-recourse' loans. That means the loan is secured solely by the property, and banks cannot go after a delinquent owner's wages or other assets if they default. Bremner said she helped a client buy a Beverly Hills mansion last year that the prior owner had bought for over $4 million. He decided to stop paying his $3 million mortgage - even though he could easily afford it - when the value of the property had dropped to $2.5 million. 'They were able to comfortably cover the loan,' Bremner said. 'They were just no longer willing to see the value of the property drop.' A huge 'shadow inventory' is building of elite homes that are in default but have not been put on the market. Of the 180 distressed properties in Beverly Hills, only 12 are up for sale. The backlog reflects the pent-up flood of foreclosed properties of all price ranges that are expected to hit the U.S. market this year, especially after five major banks reached a $25 billion settlement last week with the U.S. over fraudulent foreclosure practices. Default is a popular option in California as banks cannot go after other assets, only the property used to secure the loan. That is not the case in most states, including foreclosure ridden Florida, where the pictured home is located . Across the United States, the largest increase in foreclosures and delinquencies, compared with 2008 levels, is with 'jumbo' mortgages - loans too large to be insured by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government controlled mortgage finance providers. Foreclosures on jumbo loans are up 579 percent since 2008, greater than any other form of loan, according to a report last month by Lender Processing Services, Inc. Strategic defaults are now more likely among jumbo loan-holders than any other type of borrower, according to a report issued late last year by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Nearly 40 percent of delinquencies among non-governmental mortgages, which are mostly jumbo loans, are strategic defaults, the report said. 'Now that these homeowners with jumbo loans are finding out you can do this, more and more are doing strategic foreclosures,' said Jon Maddux the CEO of YouWalkAway.com, which advises homeowners who are 'underwater,' the term for those whose loans exceed the value of their home. Nathaniel J. Friedman, a Beverly Hills lawyer, insists he is not a strategic defaulter - that he never missed a mortgage payment in his life. But he stopped making payments on his five-bedroom, six-bathroom Beverly Hills house on Schuyler Road three years ago. Friedman, who had mortgages totaling $3 million with the now-defunct Countrywide Home Loans, returned home one evening in January 2009 to find a letter from Countrywide freezing his $150,000 line of credit, which was linked to his second $900,000 loan. His primary loan was $2.1 million. The property is worth about $2 million today. Friedman says he decided to stop paying out of a sense of vengeance from the moment he received that letter. He has been in negotiations for months with Bank of America, which took over Countrywide after its collapse, to modify the loan. 'I thought to hell with it,' he told Reuters. 'Why should I keep feeding a dead horse if the bank has no confidence in me?' 'I was able to maneuver things my way because of the inertia of the banking sector,' Friedman said. He believes the bank will blink first, and eventually modify his loan.

Majority of delinquent homeowners in Beverly Hills owe over $1million . 'Strategic default' popular as in California mortgages can be secured just by the home and banks cannot go after other assets .

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An adorable toddler is stealing hearts on the internet after a video showing her performing a traditional Tahitian dance went viral. Filmed in a dance studio the 22-month-old girl named Vaihere can be seen swinging her hips while dancing along to a drum beat. Striking poses in between her movements, the young girl stays focused as she parades around the room moving left to right. A video featuring the adorable dancing toddler, named Vaihere, has gone viral on the internet . Dancing entirely on her own she shows signs of nervousness as she approaches those sitting watching her. But the young girl then dances like no one is watching as she pirouettes with a hand in the air and shuffles back off in the other direction. Performing at a studio, Vaihere is said to love dancing and always looks forward to practising her moves. The young girl strikes poses she parades around the studio, moving from left to right . Tahitian is a traditional style of dance that features rapid hip shaking movements accompanied by percussion music. The footage was captured by the toddler’s aunt at a Polynesian dance school in Tamuning, Guam, late last month. Her aunt wrote online: 'She loves to dance and always looks forward to practice at the studio.'

The 22-month-old toddler named Vaihere is filmed dancing at a studio . Youngster shows no fear as she swings hips in front of a crowd of people . Tahitian dance is traditionally coupled with percussion music .

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A food factory worker was killed when a 'wall' of frozen fish pallets fell on top of him as he tried to rebuild a stack that had already toppled over once, an inquest heard. Tomas Suchy, 22, was helping colleagues re-stack a pile of boxes which had fallen over in the store room of Interfish in Plymouth, Devon, when the incident occurred. The Slovakian-born worker and three fellow employees had almost finished stacking the pallets in the stock room, where temperatures are -25C, when the pile gave way. Tomas Suchy, 22 (pictured), was helping colleagues re-stack a pile of pallets - each containing 52 boxes -which had fallen over in the store room of Interfish in Plymouth, Devon, when he was crushed by them falling . A co-worker sounded the alarm by shouting 'run away' but it was too late and Mr Suchy was killed instantly by 'catastrophic' head injuries caused by the falling boxes. The boxes weighed 25 kilos and there were 52 on each pallet. Mr Suchy, who studied architecture at university, was hit by a number of pallets and also suffered a number of other fatal injuries, the inquest into his death in Plymouth heard yesterday. Robert Lanjeckl, who had worked at Interfish for a year prior to the accident, told the inquest: 'We had nearly finished the work and then suddenly (a co-worker) was shouting "run away". 'The whole wall just fell over.' The inquest also heard from former employees of Interfish, who said it was not an isolated incident and criticised the company over its poor health and safety. Tom Reid, a former forklift-driver at Interfish said that he had been involved in a similar incident in the past, and suffered a shoulder injury from falling boxes of fish. He described the pallets as in 'pretty bad condition' and said that he had warned his manager of the dangers. He said: 'I told my manager: "This is s***. It is dangerous". 'He said: "Do the best you can" and to "carry on".' The Slovakian-born worker suffered 'catastrophic' head injuries after being crushed by pallets, which fell on top of him while he was trying to stack them at food-processing firm Interfish (pictured) in Plymouth, Devon . Emma O'Hara, a health and safety executive, said there was 'no robust monitoring' at the food processing firm. She told Mr Suchy's inquest: 'The boxes were stacked excessively high. Some of the stacks looked unstable and were leaning into one another. 'Some had not been placed directly on the one below and one stack was balanced on only two boxes of fish that weren't palletised. 'There were a number of damaged boxes and pallets. 'There was no safe system of work or instruction to staff. Safe checking relied on (experienced) staff working in the area.' After Mr Suchy's death, the food processing company was handed four prohibition notices and one improvement notice by the Health and Safety Executive. The firm complied with each and introduced a range of measures to ensure similar incidents do not occur. The legal representative for Interfish said: 'Everything the company was asked to do was done.' The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death at the inquest.

Tomas Suchy was helping colleagues re-stack pile of boxes at food factory . 22-year-old suffered 'catastrophic' head injuries when pallets fell on him . Co-workers shouted 'run away' but the Slovakian-born worker was crushed . The pallets which hit Mr Suchy contained 52 boxes each weighing 25 kilos . Inquest heard from ex-employees who criticised firm's health and safety .

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By . Fiona Keating . PUBLISHED: . 04:22 EST, 28 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:18 EST, 28 March 2013 . A mobile phone charger said to be the world's smallest aims to save users in a pinch when their battery is dying. The key-ring size Fuel Micro Charger provides 20 to 30 minutes of extra talk time, or up to a few hours on standby. To use the Fuel, users just turn on the power switch, and plug it into their phone, which will begin charging immediately. Scroll down for video . Tiny but powerful: The key-ring size Fuel Micro Charger provides 20 to 30 minutes of extra talk time, or up to a few hours on standby . According to its Massachusetts-based creators Devotec Industries, it's ‘perfect for when you have had an unexpected delay, or haven't been able to fully charge your phone, and need to make a few calls, send a work email or use your GPS and maps function to find your way home.’ Measuring 1.3 inches by 0.9 inches by 0.5 inches, creators say they believe the device is the world's smallest cellphone charger, which can fit into your pocket or even hang off your mobile. The Devotec Fuel Micro Charger is fully rechargeable, and is able to keep its charge for at least one month before needing to be recharged. Coining it in: Developers hope to make a success of the phone charger - shown here alongside a £1 coin . Inner workings: Most of the space inside the Fuel Micro Charger is taken up by a lithium-ion rechargeable battery . The device is powered up from the supplied cable or any AC micro-USB wall plug. To use, you turn on the power switch and plug into your phone, the same way you would with an ordinary charger. Devotec Industries spent months searching, testing and evaluating the smallest and most efficient parts to use with the Fuel Micro Charger. The components are the smallest available, and they have used features like flexible-PCBs to shrink component size, in order to make Fuel as small as possible, and to have as big an internal battery as possible. The body of the product is pure die-cast aluminium. This means it is incredibly strong but still light weight. The aluminium is painted, lacquered and then baked to give a semi-gloss finish. The majority of the space inside the Fuel Micro Charger is taken up by an energy dense lithium-ion rechargeable battery. This battery is a 5C battery, rated at 220 milliamp hours. This should provide around 20–30 minutes extra talk time, or a few hours on standby. Compatibility: The Micro-USB is the standard charging connector for all phones apart from the iPhone, and charges with most Android, Samsung, LG, Sony, Motorola, Nokia or Blackberry phones . On the outside of the case, are three LEDs. These tell you if the Fuel is turned on, fully charged, or charging. Each of the Three LEDs will light up to tell you different information about your Micro Charger – red means charging, green is fully charged and blue tells you that the power is on. The Micro-USB is the standard charging connector for all phones apart from the iPhone, and charges with most Android, Samsung, LG, Sony, Motorola, Nokia or Blackberry phones. The world’s smallest blood monitoring implant was built by scientists at scientists at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. The 14mm device can show if and when a heart attack has occurred. Using Bluetooth, the device can then transmit the data to a smartphone  for tracking. The device can also track levels of glucose, lactate, and ATP, providing valuable data for physiologic monitoring during activity, or in possible disease conditions like diabetes. The world's smallest guitar -- carved out of crystalline silicon and no larger than a single cell was made at Cornell University to demonstrate a new technology that could have a variety of uses in fibre optics, displays, sensors and electronics. The ‘nanoguitar’ -- made for fun to illustrate the technology was just one of several structures that Cornell researchers believe are the world's smallest silicon mechanical devices.

Charger is 1.3 inches long and can provide an extra 30 minutes' talk-time . Handy for emergencies such as using GPS and maps to find your way home .

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By . Tom Leonard and David Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 21:47 EST, 8 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:00 EST, 9 February 2013 . Fear gripped a large swathe of the US last night as the hunt went on for a rogue ex-police officer whose revenge killing spree has claimed three lives. Police and federal agents seeking heavily armed Christopher Dorner fear the Navy-trained survival expert and crack shot may launch a Rambo-style guerrilla war or try to go out in a blaze of glory. Dorner, 33, who was sacked from the Los Angeles Police Department in 2008 for lying about an officer he had accused of misconduct, has threatened in a rambling ‘manifesto he published on Facebook to bring ‘warfare’ to the LAPD and to avenge himself by killing officers and their families. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Rampage: Christopher Jordan Dorner is a disgraced former LAPD officer and a combat-trained former reservist in the U.S. Navy who served in Iraq . Door-to-door: A SWAT team barrels into a home in Big Bear, Calif. in search of shooting suspect Christopher Dorner . Hunting: The officers continued to search for Dorner into the night - even though a massive snowstorm was scheduled for the mountain community . Bundled up: A Los Angeles county sheriff SWAT member prepares to continue the search for Christopher Dorner in the heavy snow at the Bear Mountain ski resort . Ominously, he vowed to ‘utilise every . bit of small arms training, demolition, ordinance and survival training . I’ve been given’ and even claimed he has shoulder-launched missiles to . target any helicopters used to pursue him. Although the search for Dorner has . extended across three states and even to Mexico, police were last night . concentrating on combing the snowy San Bernardino mountains 100 miles . east of Los Angeles after Dorner’s truck was found set on fire on . Thursday afternoon on a forestry road near Big Bear. Footprints from the vehicle led off through the snow into the surrounding forest but disappeared when they got to frozen ground. Police officers spent all night . searching in sub-zero temperatures and the hunt continued yesterday, . using snowcats and armoured personnel carriers to reach mountain huts . where Dorner may be hiding. Locals were warned to stay locked in their . homes. Dorner, who served with the US Navy in . Iraq, went on the run with a small arsenal of weapons after shooting . dead a policeman and a couple connected to another former colleague. Monica Quan, a sports coach, was . killed with her fiancé Keith Lawrence as they sat in their car outside . their home in Irvine, California, on Sunday. Braved for battle: A San Bernardino County Sheriff SWAT team returns to the command post at Bear Mountain near Big Bear Lake, Calif. after searching for Christopher Jordan Dorner Friday . Bad conditions: San Bernardino Sheriff's Department still conduct stops along a checkpoint near Big Bear despite heavy snowfall . Solo mission: This heavily armed, and warmly dressed, police officer is on patrol looking for Dorner . Search widens: San Diego police are on harbor patrol for Dorner. Officials in three states and Mexico are looking for him after he tried to steal a boat to sail out of the country . Scenes of carnage: This map locates sites of shootings and other incidents connected to Dorner's rampage . Miss Quan, 27, was the daughter of a . former police captain, Randal Quan, who represented Dorner in his failed . appeal against his dismissal from the LAPD and who Dorner blamed for . bungling his case. On Wednesday night, after trying to . steal a boat to escape to Mexico, Dorner drove inland, shooting at . police officers at random. In the early hours of Thursday, he . shot at two officers assigned to protect one of his suspected targets in . Corona, California, grazing one in the head. Less than an hour later, . he pulled up next to a police car waiting at traffic lights in the . neighbouring town of Riverside and ambushed the officers inside with an . assault rifle. A 34-year-old policeman was killed and his partner seriously wounded. As panicked officers tried to protect . not only Dorner’s likely targets but also themselves, innocent people . were caught in the crossfire. A mother and daughter delivering . newspapers were wounded and their pick-up truck riddled with bullets . after nervous police in the wealthy LA suburb of Torrance mistook their . vehicle for Dorner’s. Minutes later, other Torrance officers shot at . another vehicle in a second case of mistaken identity, although no one . was injured. Psychiatrists say that, unlike most spree killers, Dorner does not appear to be psychotic. A picture of the hulking, heavily . muscled African-American emerged as a single man who is amicable and . very intelligent, but highly sensitive about race issues. Dorner joined . the navy after university in 2001, undergoing extensive combat and . counter-terrorism training. In 2005, while still in the military, he . applied to join the LAPD. During police training, superiors said . he had a problem with authority but he still joined. Within months he . was called back into service by the navy and spent 13 months in Bahrain. Returning to the LAPD to complete his training, he complained to colleagues that the force was racist. Getting closer: Police are searching Dorner's burned out truck for any potential clues . Diversion?: Police found Dorner's truck and tracked his footprints in the snow but were not able to catch the suspect . Multi-state search: Cops and FBI agents dig through Dorner's home outside of Las Vegas for any signs of the alleged killer's whereabouts . Ominous: Dorner sent this bullet-riddle police souvenir coin to CNN's Anderson Cooper before allegedly going on a shooting spree across Southern California . Special delivery: This is the envelope that Dorner mailed to Cooper. It arrived on February 1 - before deadly rampage . Hunting: San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies armed with Ruger Mini14 assault rifles went door-to-door hunting for Dormer . Murdered: Monica Quan (right) and her fiance Keith Lawrence (left) were shot to death in their car outside their home in Irvine. Miss Quan was the daughter of the LAPD police captain who represented Dorner when he was fired . Rambling: The former U.S. navy reservist allegedly implicated himself with a multi-page 'manifesto' that he wrote that included threats against several people, including members of the LAPD . Riddled with bullets: LAPD inspects one of their police cars that was allegedly shot up by Dorner during a chase early today . Looking for clues: Cops check one of their squad cars after Dorner fired at them on a highway . Fully protected: Three police officers stand guard after Dorner's alleged shooting of two LAPD cops in Corona this morning . Revenge: Dorner, also a former Naval reservist, is suspected of shooting three police officers, one fatally early Thursday after the cops tried to apprehend him . Dorner's manifesto also included bizarre messages to some of his favorite athletes, actors, politicians and comedians. TIM TEBOW: You are not a good QB by todays standards, but you are a great football player who knows how to lead a team and WIN. You will be “Tebowing” when you reach your next team. ELLEN DEGENERES: Continue your excellent contribution to entertaining America and bringing the human factor to entertainment. You changed the perception of your gay community and how we as Americans view the LGBT community. CHARLIE SHEEN: Charlie Sheen, you’re effin awesome. JEFFREY TOOBIN and DAVID GERGEN: you are political geniuses and modern scholars . Larry David, Kevin Hart, the late Patrice Oneal, Lisa Lampanelli, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Louis CK, Dave Chapelle, Jon Stewart, Wanda Sykes, Dennis Miller, and Jeff Ross are pure geniuses. PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH: They never give you enough credit for your successful Presidency. You were always one of my favorite Presidents (2nd favorite). I hope your health improves greatly. You are the epitome of an American and service to country. He accused his patrol partner – who . had been critical of him – of kicking a mentally ill man in the face but . an investigation concluded he was lying and he was fired. He appeared . so angry that police officials summoned armed guards to stand watch. He spent the next couple of years appealing unsuccessfully. In his 6,000-word ‘manifesto’ on . Facebook, in which he bizarrely paid tribute to dozens of his favourite . celebrities, Dorner demanded a public apology from the LAPD – a move . that police chiefs ruled out. He said he would avenge himself by killing . officers and even their families. ‘I never had the opportunity to have a . family of my own... so I am terminating yours,’ he wrote. Accusing the . authorities of misjudging a ‘sleeping giant’ he warned of warfare ‘to . those in LAPD uniform whether on or off duty. ‘Unfortunately, I will not be alive to . see my name cleared. That’s what this is about, my name. A man is . nothing without his name. Self-preservation is no longer important to . me. I do not fear death as I died long ago.’ Yesterday, as thousands of heavily . armed police patrolled the highways of southern California and  others . guarded the homes of people he vowed to attack, police chief Charlie . Beck urged Dorner to surrender. He admitted their quarry might prove difficult to track down. ‘Of course he knows what he’s doing: . we trained him. He was also a member of the armed forces,” Mr Beck said. ‘It is extremely worrisome and scary.’ Mistake: Police shot at this truck after believing Dorner was inside. Two people were wounded but were expected to survive . Damage: A close-up look at the many bullet holes in the pickup truck driven by a woman and her 71-year-old mother delivering newspapers . Be alert: Police issued a state-wide alert for Dorner's vehicle, telling people to call 911 if they see him . Chilling: Dorner allegedly wrote in his manifesto, 'I never had the opportunity to have a family of my own, i'm terminating yours'

Christopher Dorner has sparked manhunt in three states and Mexico . Dorner is also a decorated former Navy reservist who won award for shooting skills . Has vowed revenge against those he believes got him fired from LAPD . Police found his truck on fire near Big Bear, California Thursday evening . But trail has gone cold and cops have no idea where Dorner is now . Dorner's alleged spree began Sunday when he shot daughter of former LAPD captain her fiance . He shot three cops, one fatally, early Thursday . Dorner 'left manifesto threatening more violence'

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(CNN) -- Syrian opposition groups said Saturday that they have formed a breakaway government, but many details were yet to emerge. The Local Coordination Committees, which organizes and documents protests against the Syrian regime, said 188 seats have so far been assigned to the council, but it may be 24 hours before the announcement of a presidential body. Groups including the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria, the Revolution Forces, the Public Council for Revolution Forces and the Superior Council of the Revolution have all joined the LCC in the opposition government, the LCC said Saturday. The groups are trying to create a Syrian National Council aimed at toppling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Syria has been locked in a violent months-long uprising that has seen security forces clash with anti-government protesters calling for free elections and the end of al-Assad's rule. Activists said at least eight people died in protests and random shootings on Saturday, a day after the government said 13 security forces and three civilians died in clashes and an opposition group said 23 people, mostly civilians, died in the fighting. Activists also said women marched near the presidential palace in Damascus on Saturday, demanding the fall of the regime, the release of detainees and the lifting of blockades throughout the country. CNN is unable to independently confirm the claims. Al-Assad, who has characterized the protesters as "armed gangs," has insisted his security forces are battling terrorists intent on targeting civilians and fomenting unrest. The United States, the European Union and a number of Arab countries have called an al-Assad to end the crackdown and step down. Tensions between the United States and Syria escalated after the Syrian ambassador to the U.S. was called Friday to the State Department over an attempted attack a day earlier in Damascus on American Ambassador Robert Ford, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. "The ambassador was reminded that Ambassador Ford is the personal representative of the president, and an attack on Ford is an attack on the United States," Nuland said. About 100 pro-government protesters tried to storm a meeting between Ford and opposition leader Hassan Abdelazim, trapping Ford and others for more than an hour. Later, his convoy was attacked. The al-Assad regime had earlier accused Washington of inciting "armed groups" into violence against its security forces. Nuland said Ambassador Imad Mustapha was asked to compensate the United States for damage to the vehicles. In a Facebook post Friday, Ford said he respected "peaceful protest" -- including by pro-government factions to express their opposition to him and U.S. policy -- but insisted that Thursday's incident was "not peaceful." He described demonstrators wielding iron bars; throwing tomatoes, eggs and concrete blocks; attacking embassy vehicles; and trying to break into Azim's office. "Americans understand that we are seeing the ugly side of the Syrian regime, which uses brutal force, repression and intimidation to stay in power," Ford wrote. "We deeply feel for the Syrian families that are enduring the violence, killings and torture and pain. We hope that Syrians find solutions to the crisis soon, but we strongly doubt that the regime's terrorizing the population will end the crisis." Syrian state-run media, citing the Foreign Ministry, reported Friday that "necessary measures" had been taken to protect Ford. Taking a page from the success of Libya's National Transitional Council, Syrian opposition groups meeting in Istanbul worked together to bring the various groups under one opposition umbrella. Among those expected to be represented by the National Council are the Muslim Brotherhood, the Assyrian Organization and the General Authority of the Syrian Revolution, the LCC said. The LCC does not identify its membership out of a fear of reprisals by al-Assad's security forces. CNN cannot independently verify the claims of the group because the Syrian government has denied international journalists access to the country. The meeting concluded the same day news broke that prominent anti-government activist Marwa al-Ghemyan was detained Friday by Syrian security forces at the Damascus airport. Al-Ghemyan was detained as she was preparing to depart the capital and taken to a military security building, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement. The opposition group, which documents Syria's anti-government movement, did not say how it confirmed her detention. Al-Ghemyan was previously detained by Syrian forces on March 4 and released on March 21, the group said. CNN's Elise Labott, Hamdi Alkhshali and Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report.

NEW: Syrian opposition say they have formed breakaway government council . NEW: Many details have yet to emerge on the new Syrian National Council. NEW: Activists say eight people die in clashes and random gunfire on Saturday . Syrian ambassador summoned over attack against U.S. ambassador, an official says .

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SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- More than a dozen uncontained wildfires raged Monday across Southern California, threatening thousands of structures and forcing people to flee homes from San Diego to Malibu to Lake Arrowhead. This photo taken from space Monday afternoon shows smoke rising from the wildfires in Southern California. Fire officials said more than 265,000 people have been evacuated and nearly 4,900 firefighters are battling the fast-moving blazes, which began over the weekend. By Monday afternoon, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention had reported 13 active wildfires have consumed more than 98,000 acres and destroyed or damaged at least 50 homes and businesses across six counties. The winds driving the flames are expected to stay strong, coming out of the northeast, at least through Tuesday, according to CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano. "It's a tragic time for California," California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said earlier Monday. He declared a state of emergency in seven counties and asked the National Guard to pull 800 soldiers from patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border to help battle the wildfires. Monday evening, Schwarzenegger asked U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to order delivery of all available Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) to help fight the fires. Watch fires devour homes and land » . Citing the proliferation in the number of fires, Schwarzenegger wrote, "Your immediate assistance is necessary to deploy Department of Defense aircraft located in Wyoming, North Carolina and Colorado to assist California in our firefighting effort." According to the White House, the federal Agriculture Department will provide fire crews, air tankers and helicopters to fight the fires, and the state will receive assistance grants to help pay firefighting costs. See where fires burn across Southern California » . Hardest hit was San Diego County, where 250,000 people have fled from five fires. One person was killed and 18 were reported injured in the county, including five firefighters. Local officials said the fire situation had worsened throughout the day, prompting new evacuations. "We have a very dangerous, unpredictable situation," said Ron Roberts, chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. "We have some of the highest temperatures, some of the driest landscape conditions and some of the most powerful winds -- all the ingredients for a perfect firestorm." On one cul-de-sac in the San Diego suburb of Rancho Bernardo, five of six homes burned to the ground, leaving flames from gas lines flickering amid the ruins, according to a KGTV report. See photos of the fires » . Officials turned Qualcomm Stadium, home of the NFL's San Diego Chargers, into an evacuation center. Residents of four housing areas at the Camp Pendleton Marine base in northern San Diego County were put on notice for possible evacuations and told to pack personal belongings as a precautionary measure. Earlier Monday, fixed-wing firefighting aircraft were grounded by the strong winds, officials said, making the jobs of fire crews on the ground even harder. Fires threatened the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park on Monday, causing the park to close. Some of the animals, such as endangered condors, are being moved to a safer location, according to zoo spokeswoman Yadira Galindo. Authorities are asking people to hold off on 911 calls unless there is a real emergency, saying clogged cell phone lines are hurting rescue efforts. The largest of the wildfires was the Buckweed blaze north of Los Angeles, which has consumed 27,500 acres and forced the evacuation of 15,000 residents from Santa Clarita and nearby communities, according to the state forestry department. About 4,000 structures were threatened, and the fire was moving toward the Magic Mountain amusement park. Two fires that erupted Monday morning in San Bernardino County near Lake Arrowhead have destroyed at least 123 structures and charred 1,800 acres, said Loretta Benavidez, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino National Forest. Several communities in the area, including Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear and Running Springs, were evacuated. And in Malibu Canyon, south of the Pacific Coast Highway, nearly 1,450 firefighters were battling a blaze that began Sunday afternoon and still threatened 900 structures in the area, which is home to many Hollywood luminaries, the state forestry department said. The Canyon fire is only 10 percent contained, an official said. The Pacific Coast Highway remains shut down in Malibu. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW: 123 structures destroyed by wildfires in Lake Arrowhead . NEW: White House: Federal Agriculture Department will provide fire crews . Fires threaten San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park; animals evacuated . Malibu Canyon fire is 10 percent contained, officials say .

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By . Mark Prigg . Creating water from thin air may seem a tall order - but US researchers have unveiled a system that could bring drinking water to remote areas. MIT researchers have developed a special mesh that can extract the water from morning fog, channeling it into reservoirs. They have already trialled the system in Chile, and say it could have a dramatic impact on the lives of remote communities. Scroll down for video . One of the fences already installed in Chile. The special mesh can extract the water from morning fog, channeling it into reservoirs. By changing the size of the holes and fibres, researchers say they have already improved the system by 500% . Fences made from a simple system of suspended mesh structures are placed on hilltops in areas with persistent fog and prevailing westerly winds. When the fog arrives, the water condenses in the mesh and drip down pipes to water butts, where is can be fed directly into watering systems or used by locals as drinking water. Variations in the mesh spacing as well as the size and the wettability of the fibers in the mesh all affect the volume of water that can be collected each day. Researchers at MIT's School of Engineering, working with colleagues at the Pontificial University of Chile in Santiago, are harvesting potable water from the coastal fog that forms on the edge of one of the driest regions on earth. Using a simple system of suspended mesh structures, placed on hilltops in areas with persistent fog and prevailing westerly winds, local Chilean communities collect fog water for drinking and agricultural use. 'This water has been naturally desalinated by the sun, we are trying to build meshes to capture it straight out of the air,' said Gareth McKinley of MIT, who is leading the project. Fog collecting technology is still in its infancy but laboratory experiments have shown that variations in the mesh spacing as well as the size and the wettability of the fibers in the mesh all affect the volume of water that can be collected each day. The fences feed into water reservoirs . The researchers created dozens of lab systems to test different types of mesh . 'By changing the size of the holes and fibres, we've improved the system by 500%' Regions were the system has been installed have alreasy seen major changes. Former fisherman have turned into farmers because of fog water, the team said. 'The technology holds great promise as a locally deployable and scalable alternative to other energy-intensive desalination technologies,' MIT said. 'Mesh-based Fog Harvesters are passive, inexpensive to fabricate, with close to zero operating costs, and can be deployed in similar environments throughout the world.' There's approx 10bn m2 of fog water in Chilean cloud, 4% of that will provide drinking water for an entire year, the team say.

Mesh can extract water from fog . System already being trialled in Chile to provide drinking water .

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Dakar, Senegal (CNN) -- Jazz, soul and a blend of rock and roll combine to make Senegalese music sound quite familiar, while the sound of the sabar, a traditional Senegalese drum, keeps the music true to its West African roots. I'm listening to the mbalax style of music for my latest "Inside Africa" assignment: to experience the special sounds of Senegal. Without a doubt, the biggest name in Senegalese drumming is Doudou N'Diaye Rose. He's almost mythical; every person I interviewed spoke of him as the "sabar master." With more than forty children and an untold number of grandkids, he's been performing since the 1930's, gradually crafting the unique rhythm of this part of the world -- literally with his bare hands. Meeting the legend was not what I expected. At 82 years old he has a small frame and is such a humble person. When we arrived at one of his homes, he was more concerned with our crew eating breakfast than showing off his many accomplishments. Doudou has performed with the Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, at the Cannes Film Festival and has been declared by UNESCO as a "living human treasure." Most of his children learned from him, playing in a traveling orchestra. Even his female grandchildren formed a group, practicing on the rooftop. However, when Dakar's chief drum major -- who is draped in an elaborate Grand Boubou print -- steps behind his wide array of drums, modesty leaves the room. The beats are complex, quickly changing from soft, rapid taps of the finger tips and palm to loud strikes by the galan, or stick. Strings pull the shaved goatskin surface tight and, by twisting a series of cylindrical pegs, each drum can be tuned just like a guitar. Doudou explains that what I'm hearing is more than music -- it's a beautiful language reminiscent of his childhood in the Plateau district. A time when certain types of drums would be used to communicate certain ideas; calm, joyful messages for wedding ceremonies, or exciting, encouraging sounds for young men heading off to battle. See also: Senegal island exposes horrors of the slave trade . Today, younger Senegalese artists are taking the Doudou sound and modernizing it. He often appears as a special guest on stage with artists like Coumba Gawlo -- currently one of the best selling female singers in the country. When I watched her performing, she was serenading crowds in the local language of Wolof, belting out the mbalax sound as she was being lowered in a golden cage onto a smoke-filled stage. But even next to a curvaceous woman wearing a sparkling dress, Doudou holds his own -- an octogenarian with as much stage presence as a pop star. From inside a lively recording studio elsewhere in town I find more local artists who cite Doudou as their inspiration. Daara J Family is a group made up of Faada Freddy and Ndongo D, plus the support of drummers, electric guitar players and a keyboardist. The sound is eclectic; I can hear Jamaican reggae influences in their beats and in Ndongo D's fast rapping style. Faadda Freddy tells me that in songs like "Bayi Yoon," they pull from the South African vocal tradition, essentially sampling from every place they've toured. Local history is important to them as well. On Daara J Family's second album they included a song about Senegal's Goree Island as a modern way of discussing the trans-Atlantic slave trade. But mostly, the group is optimistic and forward-looking. Ndongo D explains to me that while they pull from the Doudou-created Senegalese sound they want to include more aspects of music in the African diaspora because "we all came from Africa, and then went to different horizons to settle." Their aim is to connect with people globally. See also: Beach life gives a taste of real Senegal . On this journey of discovery, it's becoming more apparent to me that music has been a powerful form of communication, expression and family bonding in Senegal. Getting to a place of a strong, almost spiritual connection is what mbalax is really about - even though it might sound quite foreign to many of us. It was a privilege to meet Doudou (and even get a personal lesson in drumming), wonderful to see traditional music get a contemporary twist, and eye-opening to see West African artists reaching out to the rest of the world. Faada Freddy summed up my impressions best: "Being African is not a matter of color -- it's about heart."

Mbalax, combining jazz, soul, and rock with traditional beats, is the dance music of Senegal . The godfather of the scene is the 82-year-old drummer Doudou N'Diaye Rose . His instrument is the sabar, the traditional drum played with the hand and a stick . Younger generations are fusing the sound with new influences to reach international audiences .

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A 23-year-old university student was allegedly strangled to death by her 32-year-old boyfriend on Thanksgiving Day after the pair got into a 'heated' argument. Shannon Jones, from Potomac, Maryland, was choked by Benjamin Cayea until 'her face was blue and she had no pulse' at an apartment near Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, police said. Cayea then reportedly climbed into his girlfriend's car and drove to his friend Jacob Ives's home in a neighboring town, where he parked the vehicle and called Mr Ives in a 'hysterical' state. A few seconds later, a concerned Mr Ives came out of his house to find Cayea rocking back-and-forth in the driver's seat while 'breathing fast and heavy', it is alleged. Scroll down for video . 'Murdered': Shannon Jones (left), 23, was allegedly strangled to death by her 32-year-old boyfriend, Benjamin Cayea (seen, right, in his police mugshot) on Thanksgiving Day after the pair got into a 'heated' argument . Tragic: Miss Jones (above) was choked by Cayea until 'her face was blue and she had no pulse', police said . When Mr Ives asked his friend what was wrong, he reportedly replied: 'She [Shannon] would not stop coming at me, she would not stop yelling. I did it, I choked her.' Mr Ives then convicted Cayea to enter his apartment - where the suspect allegedly collapsed on the kitchen floor and curled up into a ball - before calling 911, according to ABC7. Police arrived at the Cayuga Heights apartment on Thursday night and found Miss Jones lying dead on the floor of an upstairs bedroom. The Churchill High School graduate was dressed in a bathrobe. Following the discovery, Cayea was arrested and arraigned on second-degree murder charges in the Village of Cayuga Heights Court. His court-appointed attorney entered a plea of not guilty. Campus: Cayea allegedly killed his girlfriend at an apartment near Cornell University (pictured) in Ithaca, New York, before climbing into his girlfriend's car and drove to his friend Jacob Ives's home in a nearby town . Happier times: A concerned Mr Ives came out of his house to find Cayea rocking back-and-forth in his parked car while 'breathing fast and heavy', it is alleged. Above, Miss Jones is pictured in a Facebook photo . Paying tribute: The victim was a keen dancer and a member of Teszia Belly Dance Troupe. Last week, the troupe took to Facebook (pictured) to express its grief at the death of a 'beautiful and talented' member . During a police interview, the suspect reportedly admitted killing his half-Turkish girlfriend following a 'heated' argument, the cause of which remains unknown. On Monday, Mr Ives told the news station that the couple had been together for around two years and had a turbulent history. 'They have been together on and off since that time,' he said. But he said he was stunned by Cayea's alleged violence, saying: 'I have know Ben for about 17 years. Because of his religion, I thought him incapable of violence. He is a Buddhist.' Miss Jones, a senior in Cornell's College of Engineering who was due to graduate next year, has been described by friends and relatives as an intelligent, lively and kind student. Sibling: Miss Jones, a senior in Cornell's College of Engineering who was due to graduate next year, has been described by friends and relatives (including her brother John, pictured) as an intelligent student . 'For Shannon it was knowledge and it was the pursuit of academics and the pursuit to try to better herself,' her younger brother, John Jones, said. 'She always put in the extra effort and she always made sure that she put in the time to do what she needed to do.' She was also keen dancer and a member of Teszia Belly Dance Troupe. Last week, the troupe took to Facebook to express its grief at the death of a 'beautiful and talented' member. Victim: On Thursday night, Cayea was arrested and arraigned on second-degree murder charges in the Village of Cayuga Heights Court. Above, Miss Jones at a younger age (left) and earlier this year (right) It posted: 'Shannon, you will be missed so dearly by your Teszia family, as well as by everyone who was lucky enough to see you grace the stage. 'We know you will be with us whenever we dance. Rest in peace, beautiful Shannon. All the love in the world to you and your family.' Cayea is being held without bail in Tompkins County Jail. He is due to appear in court on Tuesday.

Shannon Jones, 23, allegedly strangled to death by Benjamin Cayea, 32 . She was choked 'until her face was blue and she had no pulse', it is said . Police arrived at apartment near Cornell University Thanksgiving night . They found Miss Jones lying dead on the ground and later arrested Cayea . Boyfriend charged with second-degree murder; has pleaded not guilty . Pair had apparently got into 'heated' argument before alleged murder .

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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghanistan's reputation as the world's leading narcotics supplier is well-known, but in a squalid ruin in Kabul, the country hides a darker secret -- a huge home grown drug addiction problem now on the brink of fueling an HIV/AIDS epidemic. Junkies smoking heroin can get high for $4. Here junkies lie in their own filth, wasted limbs poking out of blood-spattered clothing as they blank out the abject misery of their surroundings. In one room, a veritable narcotics bazaar offers pills and drug paraphernalia -- with hits retailing at less than $4. One user claims he has been an addict for 22 years, although it is difficult to talk to any of the dazed and ragged occupants of the drug rooms. The atmosphere is edgy and -- as thick clouds of burning opium fill the air -- dizzyingly toxic. The Kabul den is just the tip of the iceberg in a country awash with narcotics. The government estimates the number of addicts in Afghanistan could be as many as five percent of its 25 million people. Watch Nic Robertson's report from the 'house of hopelessness' » . And though nascent efforts are being made to tackle the problem, chronic funding shortfalls have prompted the United Nations to warn that drug use will escalate, potentially driving an HIV/AIDS crisis as junkies move from smoking to high risk needle-sharing. Afghanistan has always been a major narcotics supplier -- responsible for 95 percent of the world's heroin -- although this was scaled back under the rule of the Taliban, which outlawed poppy cultivation and imposed strict penalties for drug users. Since 2001, when the extremist regime was ousted by a U.S.-led invasion that installed President Hamid Karzai, production has doubled. And for many in the country still mired in poverty and conflict, these cheap drugs offer a tempting escape. The last United Nations survey of Afghanistan's drug problem four years ago estimated the country's addicts to number about 200,000. According to Afghan Counter Narcotics Minister Khodaidad, the figure is now far greater. "More than 1.2 million people in Afghanistan are addicts. It's a very huge number and every year it increases," he told CNN. Khodaidad says the Afghan government is largely powerless to control the production of opium while Taliban extremists, who now control and draw funding from drug crops, control cultivation areas despite major international military efforts to push them back. "We did very little due to weakness of governors, due to insurgents, due to pressure of terrorism in the area," he added. "We don't have sufficient law enforcement agencies -- the police, the border security force, and other special forces to control this area -- so it will take time." But, says Jean-Luc Lemahieu, head of the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Kabul, time is something Afghanistan does not have. As intravenous drug use takes hold, raising the prospect of needle sharing, he says HIV/AIDS will follow quickly. "The little data we have at the moment are very alarming," he told CNN. "They tell us that we should not wait longer and if not, this country will be saddled with another burden it just can not afford. "I think it is already happening today. We have seen, now, a few HIV/AIDS cases. Hopefully we can contain the problem, although it is unlikely given the problems with the health structures." The U.N. has begun a program to detox users willing to get off drugs in Afghanistan. A renovated warehouse in Kabul offers hope to 100 addicts in the biggest facility of its kind in the country. Watch Robertson go inside the detox clinic » . In the center's clean, bare rooms, shaven-headed junkies tremble under blankets as they go through the agonizing cold turkey of weaning their ravaged bodies off drug dependency. Therapy sessions also help motivate them to kick their deadly habit. "Here we deal with the problem from a humanitarian perspective, not from an addiction perspective, to save lives," says Jehan Zeb Khan, UNODC program manager. But says Khan, with what little funding there is now dwindling fast, the salvation offered to these lucky few may be short lived -- they will be forced back out on the streets, where more opium dens will flourish, bringing yet more misery for Afghanistan.

Government officials say 1.2 million Afghans are now addicted to drugs . United Nations says growing drug use could lead to HIV/AIDS crisis . Efforts to combat drug use suffering from chronic lack of funds .

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By . Kieran Corcoran . PUBLISHED: . 15:32 EST, 14 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:40 EST, 14 November 2013 . A woman who famously pledged to 'spend, spend, spend' after winning big betting on football is holding a charity sale of memorabilia from her life. Viv Nicholson, 77, won £152,000 in 1961 alongside her husband Keith, and promptly used it all to buy expensive clothes, cars and houses. The win, on a football betting pool, in which gamblers predict the results of football games across a season, would be worth £2,870,000 today. Then and now: Viv Nicholson poses, left, with her husband Keith with their winnings in 1961, and, right with her brother Geoff Asprey today ahead of the auction of memorabilia from her life . Joy: Mrs Nicholson, centre, celebrates with her husband as Bruce Forsyth, right, presents their winnings . The couple frittered away half of their wealth within four years of winning. Mr Nicholson tragically died at the wheel of his blue Jaguar in 1965, which led to Mrs Nicholson being declared bankrupt, as the tax authorities reclaimed most of her husband's wealth. She managed to reclaim some after a lengthy legal battle, but lost it all again from poor investments on the stock market. Mrs Nicholson married three times more, though she is now a widow again, and battled with alcohol and depression. A shot-lived attempt to start a new life in Malta was soon curtailed after she was deported for fighting with a police officer. In desperation she took to performing 'Big Spender' in a Manchester strip club, but was fired when she refused to take off her underwear. In 1984, The Smiths asked her to pose for the cover of their hit single Heaven Knows I'm Miserable now. Glad rags: Mrs Nicholson's camel-coloured maxi coat, seen left and right, and her wide-rimmed blue hat, left, will be among the items at auction . Memorabilia: Mrs Nicholson and Mr Asprey will auction items from her left, pictured. The proceeds will help fund a project to buy iPads for the elderly . Hits: These records, recorded by Mrs Nicholson and her family, feature in the auction . Fashion show: Many of her vintage clothes, shown here on the catwalk in 2009, will be sold to raise money . Her story has had an enduring fascination, and was turned into a televised BBC play and later a West End musical - both called Spend, Spend, Spend. Mrs Nicholson received royalties of around £100,000 from the musical, which were spent, and revealed in an interview with the Daily Mail in 2007 that she was living off of her state pension and seeking work. Mrs Nicholson has suffered three strokes, and has now returned to her hometown of Castleford, Yorkshire, where she lives in a care home. Her brother Geoff Asprey, 71, who wrote a single entitled Spend, Spend, Spend based on her experiences, is now planning to auction off items from his sister's colourful life, which he has kept. The money will be used to buy iPads for the elderly so that they can stay in touch more easily. The pair have set up the Asprey Nicholson Foundation and plan to use some of the proceeds to form an 'e-village' and stay connected. Fame: Mrs Nicholson's life was immortalised in the musical Spend, Spend, Spend. It debuted on the West End in 1999, where Barbara Dickson, left, played Mrs Nicholson . Mr Asprey said: 'The object of the foundation is to buy iPads they can use in a sort of e-village and talk to each other the internet. We’re hoping to raise as much as we can. 'Viv’s a figure who stands there to show what can happen when you have got nobody when you are old.' The siblings are exhibiting the memorabilia at an empty unit at Carlton Lanes Shopping Centre in Castleford, and plan to hold the auction in the new year. Items on sale include photos of the two in their various club bands, along with microphone stands and other stage equipment, items from her home before the big win and even a drawing by Mrs Nicholson. Mr Asprey added: 'I wanted Castleford people to see what she has been left with. 'Viv doesn’t have anything herself, all these items are ones I’ve saved or collected over the years.'

Viv Nicholson, 77, won £152,000 in 1961 with her husband Keith . She famously declared that she would 'spend, spend, spend' after the win . But she soon lost all the money, which would be worth £2,870,000 today . Mrs Nicholson, who now lives in a care home, will auction old possessions kept by her brother to raise money for charity . The proceeds will be spent on buying iPads for the elderly .

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By . Joshua Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 13:41 EST, 8 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:43 EST, 8 December 2013 . A California man whose truck flipped over and crashed into a tree Thursday fled the scene, leaving his girlfriend trapped upside down in the vehicle. Police say 24-year-old Jon Holley was driving in Glen Ellen, California when he took a turn too quickly and overturned his 2006 Nissan Frontier. Holley was driving on a suspended license from a previous DUI and fled the scene, leaving his 23-year-old girlfriend Sada Washington behind, stuck in her seat belt. Chivalry is dead: Jon Holley, left, was still being sought by California Highway Patrol Sunday after police say he flipped his truck, leaving girlfriend Sada Washington, right, trapped inside . Washington pulled from the car by responders and taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries. That night, Washington was understandably helpful with police in their search for Holley. However, her fury has evidently since cooled because she’s no longer aiding the California Highway Patrol in their investigation. ‘They’ve probably made amends,’ CHP Officer Nenad Gorenec told MailOnline. Not-so-perfect couple: Police say Holley, right, was driving on a suspended license Thursday night when he flipped the car and that he likely fled fearing the repercussions. Police also suspect he was driving under the influence . As of Sunday afternoon, Holley remained at large and faces a hit and run charge as well as possible DUI. Despite her unwillingness to help cops find Holley, she hinted at her annoyance over his distinct lack of chivalry in a Thursday post to Facebook. ‘Can I move now,’ she asked. She also hinted at their shared love of speed, writing back in May: . ‘Fast and Furious 6!!!!! Whooo!!!! -- feeling excited with Jon Holley Murphy.’ Meanwhile, Holley's most recent post--dated November 18--makes him sound surprisingly chivalrous: . 'Bare knuckle up an get your teeth nocked n tha dirt if your gonna flirt with my girlie.' Must have made up: While police say Washington was helpful at first, she is no longer aiding their investigation. Holley is being pursued on hit and run charges, as well as possible DUI .

Police say Jon Holley of Santa Rosa, California fled the scene after he took a turn to fast and upended his truck while driving on a suspended license . Holley left behind his girlfriend Sada Washington, 23, as she hung upside down from her seatbelt . Holley remained at large Sunday and wanted on a hit and run charge and possible DUI .

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By . Emma Innes . A mother-of-two has a sleep condition which means she has fallen asleep next to loud speakers, on the back of a moped and even on the bus holding her newborn baby. Claire Metters, 38, from Conwy, North Wales, says she suffers with narcolepsy and faces a daily battle to stay awake for her children. She claims she must nap for four hours a day, on top of getting nine hours sleep at night, in order to function. Claire Metters, 38, has the sleep condition narcolepsy which means she faces a daily battle to stay awake for her children - Lucie, seven (right), and Aimee, 12 (left) Ms Metters said: ‘If I didn’t take my naps when the girls are at school I would fall asleep cooking them dinner, or tidying up.’ Ms Metters is no longer able to drive or work, as her body is too worn out and constantly needs to rest. Her day starts at 7am when she wakes up and helps her daughters Lucie, seven, and Aimee, 12, get ready for school. Claire then walks her younger daughter to the nearby school for 9am and by 9.30am she is back in bed, taking the first of her scheduled naps. She wakes herself up again at 11am and will go about her day, doing the housework, preparing food and supporting the charity Narcolepsy UK charity. By 1pm Ms Metters is ready to head back to bed for her next two-hour nap, and she sleeps until 3pm when she picks up Lucie from school. Ms Metters, who had to give up work because of her illness, has to nap for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon to ensure she is awake for her children before and after school . For years doctors told Ms Metters that her symptoms were caused by stress before she was eventually diagnosed with narcolepsy after Aimee's birth . Ms Metters says she suffers with narcolepsy, a neurological condition which means although she sleeps a lot, she doesn’t get the restful sleep she needs during the night and as a result suffers constant nightmares, hallucinations and sleep paralysis. She said: ‘I have a very different sleep pattern to other people and can wake up to 15 times a night, so I don’t get the restorative sleep I need. ‘I get terrible nightmares and hallucinations which are triggered by things I have seen in the news or online - I slip straight back into dream sleep while drifting off which means I am unable to stop myself going back into the nightmare. 7am - Wake up, have breakfast, get the children ready for school . 9am - Walk Lucie to school . 9.30am - Go back to bed for the first nap . 11.30am - Wake up from nap, continue with day including doing housework . 1pm - Go back to bed for afternoon nap . 3pm - Wake up from nap . 3.30pm - Pick up Lucie from school . 3.30pm - 10pm - Prepare dinner for the children, enjoy the evening together . 10pm - Go to bed . ‘I also have hallucinations where I hear intruders coming into my home. ‘It’s exhausting and incredibly emotionally draining.’ She added: ‘I want to be the best parent I can be for my children so I have found that taking strategic naps during the day is the only way I can keep my sleeping under control.’ Ms Metters first started to notice her symptoms of hallucinations, nightmares and extreme tiredness when she was 13 years old, but her symptoms were mild and didn’t become a serious problem until she was 26. She found herself falling asleep in public and in places which could have been dangerous - like on the back a moped while on a summer holiday in Greece. She said: ‘I was that tired on the holiday that I closed my eyes sitting on the back of the bike and actually nodded off straight to sleep.’ Ms Metters got to the stage where she was unable to control her sleeping during the day had to take naps in laybys while driving to work. She said: ‘In the past I found that despite loud music, bumpy roads and being in public my tiredness could not be stopped and before I managed my condition I could sleep anywhere.’ Before she learned to control her condition, Ms Metters fell asleep on a moped and also on the bus while holding Aimee as a new-born baby . Ms Metters suffers nightmares and hallucinations at night meaning she does not sleep well. This causes her to be exhausted during the day and leaves her at risk of falling asleep in inappropriate places . The breaking point came for Ms Metters when she became a mother. She . said: ‘A few weeks after I had given birth to my eldest daughter I was . sat on the bus and I found myself repeatedly nodding off, while trying . to hold my new-born baby. ‘This was when I realised I could no longer hide from my tiredness and my doctors needed to take my complaints seriously.’ Narcolepsy, which occurs in one in every 2,000 people, is a sleep disorder that causes a person to suddenly fall asleep at inappropriate times. It is a long-term neurological condition that disrupts normal sleeping patterns. Symptoms include, sleep attacks, daytime sleepiness, nightmares, hallucinations and cataplexy - temporary muscle weakness in response to emotion. It is often caused by an autoimmune response - this is when antibodies are released by the body but instead of destroying disease, they attack healthy cells. In the case of narcolepsy, antibodies attack the areas of the brain that produce a sleep-regulating chemical. There is currently no cure but the condition can sometimes be managed, for example, by taking regular naps, eating healthily and exercising. In some cases, medications such as antidepressants or stimulants can also help. For 12 years she was constantly told . by doctors that it was just stress was making her tired but when she was . finally diagnosed she was relieved. She . also suffers from cataplexy which means she loses control of her neck . and leg muscles at moments of extreme emotion, such as if she is in pain . or laughing hard. She manages to control this with medication, but unfortunately hasn’t managed to find an effective medication for her narcolepsy - which is why she must stick religiously to her napping routine. Before she was diagnosed, Ms Metters would resort to extreme measures to try and keep herself awake, including taking layers off to stay cold, sitting on the most uncomfortable seat available and even physically hurting herself. She said: ‘I would make excuses to go to the toilet and then slap my face, and splash myself with water to try and wake up. ‘I would pinch my skin really hard to try and try to use the pain to keep me awake.’ When she finally gained the courage to explain the severity of her narcolepsy to her friends, family and children’s school she was pleased with the support she received. However, she says there were a few people who assumed her condition made her a less attentive mother - something she fiercely rejects. She has now worked out a routine which works for her family. She will save what she calls ‘screen time’ for time when she needs to rest, letting her children watch television, play on the laptop, or watch a DVD while she sleeps. Ms Metters worries that some people think her condition makes her a less attentive mother but says she is still dedicated to her children and that she does not allow her illness to get her down . She said: ‘I do have guilt about finding . time to rest when my children are in my care. I never wanted my . children to have to occupy themselves. ‘But I also have to look after me- I have to rest and not step outside my limitations so I can be a good mother.’ She joked: ‘The children have become wise to it now. They tell me I look tired and ask if I want a nap just so they can have a go on the computer!’ She added: ‘Although I am more tired than other people, I haven’t let it get me down and I am still dedicated to my children and determined to enjoy life.’

Claire Metters has narcolepsy, a condition that effects sleep-wake cycles . She experiences nightmares and does not sleep restfully at night . As a result, she is exhausted during the day and has to nap frequently . She sleeps for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon . She is not able to work but organises her day so she is awake for her children when they come home from school .

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By . Bianca London . All eyes may be on the Duchess of Cambridge's wardrobe choice today as she visits a primary school in London but another royal family member is quietly holding her own in the fashion stakes. It seems that with each public appearance she attends, Princess Beatrice pushes the style boundaries further and further. The young royal looked on-trend in a colourful boxy A-line skirt and white blouse as she attended The Masterpiece Marie Curie Party event in London last night. Scroll down for video . Stylish, as always: Princess Beatrice of York cut an elegant figure as she attended The Masterpiece Marie Curie Party last night . The event, which was supported by Jaeger-LeCoultre and hosted by Heather Kerzner, took place at The Royal Hospital Chelsea. The 25-year-old cousin of Princes Harry and William showed off her tanned and toned legs in the short skirt and accessorised her outfit with a chunky gold necklace and blue court shoes. Experimenting: Princess Beatrice seems to have really found her feet when it comes to fashion and last night saw her wear her most stylish outfit to date . Strike a pose: The young Royal looked confident as she posed for cameras, seemingly leaving her boyfriend, Dave Clarke, at home . Making friends: Princess Beatrice of York (L) and Heather Kerzner at The Masterpiece Marie Curie Party supported by Jaeger-LeCoultre and hosted by Heather herself . Friends in high places: Princess Beatrice of York poses for a snap with British actor Clive Owen at the glamorous charity event . Having a ball: Bea sat next to songwriter/producer and style guru, Gerry DeVeaux, who is also contributing editor for Tatler magazine . The young socialite, who often represents the royal camp at glamorous charity events, mingled with the likes of Clive Owen and Heather Kerzner. It's been a sociable few week for Bea. Fresh . off a winning turn at the Royal Ascot last week, the Princess cut an elegant . figure when she stepped out for a London party honouring jewellery . designer and socialite Eugenie Niarchos last Tuesday. The redhead arrived at Notting Hill's Greek eatery Mazi in a . knee-length black dress and trendy Topshop tassel jacket. Could Kate have a serious contender in the style stakes? Laughter all round: The young royal, who often represents her family at events, seemed to be enjoying herself . Glamorous guests: Princess Beatrice of York and Heather Kerzner certainly dressed up for the event, which was held in Bea's Chelsea stomping ground . Similar styles: Ella Krasner, humanitarian, charitable fundraiser and author, left, and Princess Beatrice opted for similar colourful styles last night .

Princess, 25, wore colourful boxy skirt and white blouse . Joined Clive Owen and humanitarians at The Masterpiece Marie Curie Party .

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(CNN) -- It's happened. The build-up and anxiety over whether folks like Chris Christie and Sarah Palin are going to throw their hats in the ring for the GOP presidential primary has reached critical mass. And now, the will-they-or-won't-they game has flipped from fun and energizing to damaging to the party. Christie and Palin now do conservatives more harm than good. With the question marks still lingering in the ether, and pundits on both sides of the aisle still performing their daily trapeze act -- swinging back and forth between "yes, he's running" and "no, she isn't" -- the focus on Christie and Palin has taken valuable resources and attention away from the rest of the field. Because of those question marks, conservatives haven't been able to invest fully in the candidates who are running. They haven't been able to imagine one of them as president. They've held back support, money and endorsements, because they still don't know that the field is settled. And Christie and Palin are not entirely without fault. Though the bombastic New Jersey governor had been emphatic in his promise not to run for months, despite our continued speculation that he was fibbing, now his friends are saying otherwise. And he's certainly been acting like a candidate, traveling the country for big-ticket fundraisers, speaking at the exalted Reagan Library, and telling his supporters that he's "hearing" and "feeling" their pleas. If he really wanted to convince us he wasn't considering it, all he has to do is endorse someone else. It's really very simple. As for Palin, she's been forthright about her contemplation, admitting that she's thinking about it but hasn't yet decided. As formidable and admirable as both Christie and Palin are, it's reached the point where they've both become more than just a distraction. They're now a detriment. How sincere will it look, after all, in two months when the field is set and both are absent from it, and conservatives suddenly try to pretend that they are satisfied and enthusiastic about Rick Perry, Mitt Romney or Michele Bachmann? Sure, we begged Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Chris Christie, Sarah Palin and everyone else to run before, but now we're totally behind one of these guys. If there were ever a gift to present to President Obama, it's the gift of obvious apathy. Time's up, governors. If Chris Christie and Sarah Palin want to run, get in there. If not, definitively and convincingly take your names out of the running. Conservatives need to begin the arduous job of whittling down the field and picking their frontrunner. The fact that there have been five GOP straw polls in as many weeks with as many different winners is proof that these unanswered questions are creating a dangerous ambivalence among conservative voters. The breathless speculation has been fun, but now it's time to get to work. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of S.E. Cupp.

Are Chris Christie and Sarah Palin running for president, or aren't they? Their refusal to answer definitively is damaging to the GOP, said S.E. Cupp . Conservatives haven't been able to invest fully in the candidates who are running, Cupp said . Cupp: Palin just has to decide, and Christie just has to endorse someone .

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By . Peter Rugg . An Arkansas man in custody for allegedly killing his pregnant girlfriend claims he has no memory of assaulting her. Douglas True, 21, reportedly dialed 911 for Fort Smith Police at around 11:52 a.m. on Sunday, asking that they come to a home on the 2900 block of South 66th Street. He waved them into the driveway, and upon entering the house police discovered the body of Briana Butler stabbed to death and lying on the bathroom floor. She was 22 years old and seven months pregnant. Scroll down for video . Police say Briana Butler was found stabbed to death seven months into a pregnancy this Sunday after a fight with her boyfriend . Douglas True, 21, told police that he had fought with Butler but had no memory of stabbing her to death . Butler's daughter Bonnie, 2, was discovered sleeping in a nearby room with minor facial injuries, KFSM reports. The toddler was immediately transported to a local hospital and should make a full recovery. Upon searching the home police recovered a knife they believe was used in the homicide, and it was later confirmed that lacerations on her throat and torso were consistent with knife wounds. True was arrested on suspicion of two charges of capital murder for her and her unborn child. He has been transferred to Sebastian County Detention Center to be held without bond. Police say True called his mother to say he'd done a terrible thing and would spend his life in prison . 'True was advised of his rights and gave a statement admitting that he and Butler got into an argument that escalated to a physical altercation,' according to an affidavit. 'True stated that he was intoxicated and did not remember what happened after that. True said that he got up in the middle of the night and found Butler's body in the bathroom and went back to the couch and passed out.' The next morning he woke up, cut a cast off his arm, then called his mother to tell her he'd done something bad and would spend the rest of his life in prison. Chief deputy prosecutor Linda Ward told the Times Record the investigation will continue before charges are filed. Butler's ex-husband and father of Bonnie, Joshua Butler, told WHBS that Bonnie had been an attentive and conscientious mother. Because Butler was pregnant, as this sonogram shows, True is being charged with two murders . 'No human being deserves to be done like that,' said Butler's ex-husband and father of Bonnie, Joshua Butler. 'To take your anger and rage out on another person and just totally take . them out, I mean that's just, cowardly right there' Eyewitness Barry Wayne, who saw True's arrest, said that a niece living in the complex where the crime took palce told him she was scared something had happened. 'She had never been in nothing like this before,' he said, 'I seen . three or four police cars and then I was sitting on the porch, and I . seen a gentlemen in the back and they said he had murdered her.' He said the girl would move out soon. 'You never know what’s going on in a person’s mind, so you always got . to be careful,' he said, 'You never know what’s going on with that . person.'

Douglas True, 21, called police Sunday to report a crime . Upon arriving at the residence, police discovered the body of Briana Butler, 22, in the bathroom . True claimed the two argued while he was drunk but that he had no memory of an assault . Butler's toddler daughter was found asleep in nearby room .

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(CNN) -- London experienced protests in the both the east and center of the capital just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony. Taxi drivers gathered at Hyde Park corner as part of a demonstration against Olympic traffic lanes, while protestors held a "die-in" against major sponsor Dow Chemicals outside the Olympic Park in Stratford. Despite the protest, thousands turned out to see the torch make it's final journey through London. Preparations were also in place for a special opening night concert in Hyde Park featuring bands Snow Patrol and Duran Duran. The first world records of the London 2012 Olympics were set by blind South Korean archer Im Dong Hyun-- hours before Friday's much-anticipated opening ceremony was due to begin. The traffic protest started at 2pm, with taxi driver Mick Bailey telling CNN: "We're all sitting in our cabs and traffic is at a standstill. It's a sea of black cabs as far as the eye can see. Cab drivers argue the traffic lanes -- which are restricted to Olympic officials and athletes -- should also be available to taxis. Mick, who has been a Black Cab driver for more than 30 years, said businesses had dropped off since the implementation of the lanes. He added: "The Olympic lanes are going to mean a great deal of hardship for drivers and passengers. We won't be able to pick up people on the left hand side of the road, there will be diversions and higher meter readings." By 3pm the serious congestion had eased, the Automobile Association (AA) said. The protest followed another demonstration against major sponsor Dow Chemicals Friday morning. Members of the Bhopal Medical Appeal held a 'die-in' in protest against the company it claims has responsibility for the fatal 1984 gas leak in India. Dow Chemicals is a major sponsor of the Olympics, with the multimillion-pound deal including a fabric wrap around the stadium in east London. However, the deal has caused controversy with campaigners arguing Dow holds responsibility for the disaster in Bhopal, which killed an estimated 15,000 --- a claim which it denies. Dow bought Union Carbide -- the company which ran the plant -- 16 years after the disaster and argues it has no responsibility. Protesters gathered at 10.30am outside the gates of the Olympic park. Dressed in shrouds, they pretended to be "dead" -- a reference to victims of the fatal leak at the pesticide plant. London Assembly member Navin Shah told gathered protesters: "I am proud that the Games are taking place in London but the protesters like me are simply against the sponsorship of Dow Chemical who have betrayed the victims of the Bhopal Disaster. These protests symbolize peoples' concerns about large scale environmental and human rights abuses." Dow Chemicals told CNN it remained "fully committed to our partnership with the IOC and to contributing to a successful, positive London 2012 Games" and questioned whether the protest should go ahead. "The use of the Olympic Games to protest has become an unfortunate part of what should be a global celebration. We believe in freedom of speech and encourage debate on this important issue," said a Dow spokesman in a statement. "However, we regret the misinformed and misdirected allegations and actions of some, which are not constructive to the resolution of the issue or consistent with the spirit of the Olympic Games."

London cab drivers cause gridlock in Olympic lanes protest . Bhopal Medical Association demonstrate outside Olympic park . BMA campaigners claim Dow has responsibility for 1984 Bhopal gas leak tragedy . Dow denies claims, buying Union Carbide 16 years after disaster .

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George Groves has taken to the streets of London to help raise money for the Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal. The super middleweight boxer has taken time out of his preparation for the fight against American Denis Douglin next month to collect money for the appeal. He has also visited Buckingham Palace to meet Prince Harry and Downing Street to speak to the Prime Minister David Cameron. British boxer George Groves (L) spent Thursday collecting money for the Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal . Groves used Twitter to invite people down to Liverpool Street station to donate money to the worthy appeal . And he has been on the #LondonPoppyAppeal bus to help raise awareness for the Royal British Legion. Groves is on the comeback trail for a title fight after losing twice in a row – both epic battles – against Carl Froch. Groves has lost two memorable fights to Carl Froch, the second after being knocked out at Wembley Stadium . Groves in action against Christopher Rebrasse during their WBC Final Eliminator in September . Groves is set to take on American boxer Denis Douglin in his next fight in November . In the last fight, six months ago, he was knocked out by Froch in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley. But, as he prepares to take on Douglin, Groves has been joined by his strength and conditioning coach Barry O’Connell, an ex-Marine, in collecting money at Liverpool Street in London.

George Groves has been out in the streets of London collecting money for the Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal . Super middleweight is training for a November fight against Denis Douglin . British boxer is on the comeback trail after two epic defeats to Carl Froch .

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The last few days have been something of a whirlwind for Joey Prusak whose story has been all over the internet. The Hopskins, Minnesota Dairy Queen employee saw 'an older lady' steal a $20 bill from a blind customer after unknowingly dropping it on the floor. Joey ended up confronting the thief and asked her to return the money to its original owner. Scroll down for video... Serving up kindness: Joey Prusak, 19, an employee at the Hopkins, Minnesota Dairy Queen (pictured) gave a blind customer $20 out of his own pocket after he saw another customer steal the man's money he dropped on the ground . Honorable: Joey Prusak, 19, said that returning the money to the blind man 'felt like it was the right thing to do' When she refused, he ended up giving $20 back to her on behalf of Dairy Queen. It was, however, his own money. A fellow customer witnessed the interaction and wrote an email to the store which was then printed, posted on the store noticeboard and then photographed and posted online. Joey has simply said that he was just doing his job. Mr Prusak started working at the Dairy Queen in Hopkins five years ago when he was just 14. Sweet spot: The thieving customer was asked to leave and the witness said they will forever be a Dairy Queen customer after the incident (stock photo) Nice tip: A witness emailed the company and praised the employee . 'It's the only job I've had, the only . job I've needed,' he smiled. He is now the manager of the store and . essentially runs the branch. The . letter to the store explained how the customer saw a blind man had . taken his food and sat down inside the store to eat. Joey went . over to him and opened his wallet, giving him $20 of his own cash saying that . he wanted to give him the money 'on behalf of Dairy Queen' before . promising that it had the same face value as the bill he dropped. 'I . was in shock by the generosity that your employee had, taking his own . money out of his own wallet to give to the customer because some other . lady decided to steal something that wasn't hers,' the customer wrote. He talks about the incident, which happened on September the 10th, in the most modest of manners. '[After . the visually imparied man gave his order] right then and there I knew . when he dropped that $20 bill, game's over, he's not going to know,' explained Mr Prusak to KARE11. 'He . just kept walking and that's when the lady picked it up and I thought, . she's going to give it back 'cause she picked it up so quickly.' Mr Prusak said he then saw the woman her put the money in her purse. He didn't know what to say, at least not at first. When the customer reached the counter for her order, Joey confronted her. She claimed the money was hers and he said it wasn't. 'I . said, ma'am I'm not going to serve someone as disrespectful as you, so . you can either return the $20 bill and I'll serve you, or you can . leave,' explained Prusak.  'And she goes well it's my $20 dollar bill, . and I go, we'll then you can leave.' Accolades: Joey received a call from Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in the world (and a major shareholder in Dairy Queen) and he has had offers to appear on Queen Latifah's TV show . It was one of the other customers in the store who saw what happened and wrote an email to Dairy Queen. An impressed co-worker decided to post the message on Facebook and it ended up going viral. He . has been inundated with requests from various news stations and . websites that he has lost count, however he says he is excited about a . possible appearance on the 'Queen Latifah Show.' 'Warren Buffet called me this morning and we talked for about 10 minutes,' Mr Prusak said. Warren . Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, one of the richest men in the world and a . major shareholder in Dairy Queen, personally called to say he's a big . fan. Mr Buffett said he’s planning future talks with Mr Prusak. 'I . go, ‘What I would like to know is why you’re calling here?’ He goes, ‘I . just wanted to call and thank you for all that you did. It means a lot . to me,’' Prusak said. 'He told me he was going to have me flown out in May,  to attend an investor's conference in Texas.' 'I was too star-struck to be asking questions,' he admitted. 'I didn't even know what to say.' Even with the star-studded attention, Joey Prusak remains humble about his deed. 'I just felt like it was the right thing to do,' he said.

Blind customer dropped $20 bill in Dairy Queen store . Another customer picked up the cash but kept the money instead of returning it . Manager of Dairy Queen, Joey Prusak, asked customer to hand cash back but she refused . $20 of employee's own money was given to the blind customer . Another customer saw the good deed and wrote a praiseworthy email . Letter went viral and now others are congratulating the 19-year-od .

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(CNN) -- They were standing near the finish line, cheering the runners in the Boston Marathon. It was a beautiful, cool day when two bombs unleashed chaos and killed three people. Friends of those killed say they are devastated by the senseless deaths. Here is some of what we know about each of the victims: . Krystle Campbell, 29, Arlington, Massachusetts . "She was the best," Campbell's distraught mother, Patty, told reporters on Tuesday. "You couldn't ask for a better daughter." The family is heartbroken and still in shock, Patty Campbell said as she tried to read a statement on the family's porch. Everyone loved Krystle, she said. "She had a heart of gold. She was always smiling," Patty Campbell said as her son, Billy, clutched her with his right arm. Krystle's grandmother said the 29-year-old was a special kind of person who nurtured deep friendships. "Oh, she was a beautiful girl," Lillian Campbell told CNN's Jake Tapper. "She was very happy, outgoing, a hard worker." Lillian Campbell said her granddaughter even lived with her for a year and a half and was "great with me." Her granddaughter was always willing to help someone in need, she said. "And she was, she was just beautiful. She was a fun-loving girl," Campbell said. Krystle Campbell once worked at Summer Shack, a seafood restaurant in the Boston area that posted a statement on its Facebook page saying she was beloved. "She was an incredible woman, always full of energy and hard at work, but never too tired to share her love and a smile with everyone," the post said. "She was an inspiration to all of us. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers." According to the Boston Globe, Campbell had taken a job with Jimmy's Steer House in Arlington. The Globe reported that Campbell often went to the see the marathon runners. "She's been doing it since she was a little girl," Lillian Campbell told the newspaper. "She didn't miss a marathon, watching it at the finish line." Campbell was a 2001 graduate of Medford High School, the town's mayor, Michael McGlynn, said. CNN affiliate WHDH reported that the Campbells are longtime residents of Medford. Martin Richard, 8, Dorchester, Massachusetts . Like many young boys in New England, Martin Richard loved his Boston Red Sox and the Bruins. "He wore his (Red Sox second baseman) Dustin Pedroia shirt to school last week," neighbor Bill Forry told CNN's Anderson Cooper. Martin was a terrific athlete, too, Forry said, but he was also a very good student who would help others who were having trouble with homework. "A quiet kid, but a compassionate kid -- and somebody who was a leader," Forry said. Martin attended the Neighborhood House Charter School. He "was a bright, energetic young boy who had big dreams and high hopes for his future," the school said in a statement. "We are heartbroken by this loss." His father, William Richard, released a statement asking people to "continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin." A neighbor, Jane Sherman, said that the Richard family is a "typical all-American family" and that Martin and his little brother always loved to play in their yard, no matter the weather. Richard's mother and sister are recovering from serious injuries sustained in the bombing, the father said. Another life ended: A Boston University grad student . While the name of the third victim killed by the blasts was not officially confirmed on Tuesday, Boston University said that the person was a graduate student at the school. "The student was one of three friends who watched the race near the finish line," the university said on its website. "Another of the three students, also a BU grad student, was injured and is in stable condition at Boston Medical Center." The third person in the group was unharmed, the statement added. A short time later, China's consulate in New York announced that the deceased victim was a Chinese national. At the family's request, the consulate did not name her. According to a profile on LinkedIn, the woman was a graduate student in mathematics and statistics at Boston University who was due to get her master's degree in 2014. She graduated from a Chinese university with a degree in international economics, the professional networking site indicated. She'd also previously studied for a semester at the University of California at Riverside. Chinese students at Boston University respected her family's request for anonymity, with many of them forming a tight-knit group. One of them, former CNN intern Alex Shi, said that the students are deeply saddened. Many of the students feel affected because people were trying hard to locate those reported missing -- including the victim -- by calling hospitals and posting on social media.

Three people were killed when two homemade explosives went off at the Boston Marathon . One of the victims was Krystle Campbell, 29, who went to the race every year . Another was 8-year-old Martin Richard, who was known as bright and energetic . One victim was a Chinese national, China's consulate in New York says .

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For nine centuries almost everything about the life of Swedish King Erik IX has remained a mystery. No historical records of the 12th century monarch have survived and the only clues to his existence are his skull, bones and burial crown kept in a small gilded box in his home country. Now, researchers from Uppsala University have opened this box to display the relics to the public, and plan to use DNA and X-ray scans to reveal more about his origins and life. Researchers from Uppsala University have opened a small gilded box containing the skull, pictured left, bones and burial crown, pictured right, of King Erik IX who became a Swedish saint after he was murdered in 1160. They hope DNA tests will reveal more about how the king died . King Erik IX reigned from 1155 until his death on 18 May 1160. He was later named the patron saint of Sweden and his burial crown is said to be the oldest . known royal crown in the country. Many reports claim the king, also known as Erik Jedvardsson, was murdered by Emund Ulvbane - an assassin hired . by people working for the Sverker dynasty, in order for them to regain . the control of the kingdom. Other claims incriminate Magnus Henriksson, . another claimant to the throne, who is said in some sources to have succeeded Erik briefly as king. It is also thought there was resentment towards Erik's insistence that . tithes be paid to support the Church as they were elsewhere in Europe. King Erik IX reigned from 1155 until his death on 18 May 1160. He was later named the patron saint of Sweden. Erik's feast . day in the Roman Catholic Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in . America is 18 May, although he was never formally canonized by the Pope. Many reports claim the king, also known as Erik Jedvardsson, was murdered by Emund Ulvbane - an assassin hired . by people working for the Sverker dynasty, in order for them to regain . the control of the kingdom. Other claims incriminate Magnus Henriksson, . another claimant to the throne, who is said in some sources to have succeeded Erik briefly as king. It is also thought that there was resentment towards Erik's insistence that . tithes be paid to support the Church as they were elsewhere in Europe. Some sources suggest Erik's father may . have been English, and churches in the region did have contacts with . England at that time. Popular . folklore claims a miracle occurred at Erik's death - that a fountain . sprang from the earth where the king's head fell after he was beheaded. According . to the legend, King Erik the Saint was slain while he attended the mass . at the ecclesia Sancte trinitatis 'Trinity church' at Mons Domini, in . Uppsala. However, the current Trinity church in Uppsala was founded in the late . 13th century so could not be the church where Erik was slain. Scholars have discussed different . locations of the older Trinity church, but the presence of pre-cathedral . graves in the vicinity of the cathedral might suggest that the original . Trinity church was located at the same spot as the cathedral. It is thought Uppsala Cathedral was built on the murder site deliberately to house Erik's remains. Legend states Erik was accosted by the rebel nobles near Uppsala at Östra Aros . as he was leaving Mass on Ascension Day. He was . thrown to the ground from his horse, tortured and then beheaded. But none of these claims have ever been confirmed and all information about the royal is based on later legend aimed at having him established as a saint. Uppsala University said it hopes the tests will reveal more about how he died, his injuries and his family history. Many reports claim the king, also known as Erik Jedvardsson, was murdered in 1160 by Emund Ulvbane - an assassin hired by people working for the Sverker dynasty, in order for them to regain the control of the kingdom. Erik's statue stands outside Uppsala Cathedral in Sweden, pictured . The crown will go on display for the first time in the exhibition 'Heaven is Here' that . begins this summer when Uppsala celebrates the anniversary of the king's death. 'It's not often you get to open this kind of . shrine.The last time we opened the casket was in 2000 and no scientific studies . were made then,' said researcher Lars Åstrand. 'Thanks to the commemorative exhibition, everyone will get to see the royal crown, a real treasure of our common cultural . heritage.' The medical studies are part of a larger project aimed to learn more about . osteoporosis by examining skeletons from medieval . individuals and comparing them to the current population. Legend claims King Erik was slain at Trinity church in Uppsala. However, the current Trinity church was founded in the 13th century so could not be the location of Erik's death. Pre-cathedral graves in the vicinity of the Uppsala Cathedral, pictured, suggest the original church was located at the same spot . It is thought Uppsala Cathedral, pictured, was built on the murder site deliberately to house Erik's remains . Sabine Stone, . professor of Osteoarchaeology at Uppsala University Campus Gotland, is . leading the project and will be responsible for analysing Erik the . Holy's relics. Researchers will also be able to answer if the relics in the tomb actually belong to King Erik, after some scholars have expressed doubt. Researchers also hope to learn more about the king's diet and whether he suffer from any diseases. Before the current exhibition, the saint's remains were on display in Uppsala Cathedral. The casket contains bones of a male, with traces of injury to the neck. Some sources suggest Erik's father may . have been English, and churches in the region did have contacts with . England at that time. It is thought Eric played a key role in spreading Christianity to Finland. In an effort to conquer and convert the Finns, he allegedly led the First Swedish Crusade against the native Finns and persuaded an English Bishop Henry of Uppsala to remain in Finland to evangelize the natives, later becoming a martyr there. He was also responsible for codifying the laws of his kingdom, after which he was given the nickname Erik the Lawgiver. The box has been opened several times before, but this is the first time DNA tests will be carried out and the crown put on public display. During the 14th century, some of Erik's relics were removed from the box and handed out to individuals and other churches.

The remains of King Erik IX of Sweden have been kept in a box since 1160 . Uppsala University has opened this box to display the relics to the public . They plan to use . DNA and X-rays to reveal more about the king's origins . No historical records of the 12th century monarch have survived . Legend claims his was murdered by an assassin during mass in Uppsala . After his death in May 1160, Erik was named the patron saint of Sweden .

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A toddler who had more than 100 blood transfusions and a bone marrow transplant before her first birthday is back at home after an amazing recovery. Ava Maye Riley-Maher, now 14 months, was diagnosed with a rare cancer-like disease – called Langerhan's Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) - aged just five months. Ava had to undergo 15 weeks of aggressive chemotherapy and receive more than 100 blood transfusions in order to keep her body functioning. Ava Maye Riley-Maher, now 14 months, was diagnosed with a rare cancer-like disease - called Langerhan's Cell Histiocytosis - aged just five months . But she failed to respond to the treatment and doctors said a bone marrow transplant would be her best hope of beating the disease. Fortunately, a match was found - and her parents say they now wake up every day thankful that she is still alive. Ava was released from the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in June, two days before her first birthday, and is recovering at home in Manchester with mother Kirsty Riley, 24. Her father, Jamie Maher, 28, has also been at her side throughout the ordeal. Ava still has to be kept in semi-isolation and has to take more than 20 medicines a day - but her last transfusion was five weeks ago and her mother says she is hopeful her daughter will make a full recovery. LCH affects just one in 250,000 children a year in the UK. Ava had to undergo 15 weeks of aggressive chemotherapy and receive more than 100 blood transfusions in order to keep her body functioning . It is not technically a cancer, but it is cancer-like and can be treated with chemotherapy. LCH is not technically a cancer, but it is cancer-like and can be treated with chemotherapy. LCH . occurs when the body accumulates too many Langerhan's cells - these are . a type of white blood cell that normally help fight infection. In . LCH too many of these cells are produced and they build up in certain . parts of the body where they can form tumours and damage organs. The cause of the disease is unknown. About 50 children in the UK develop LCH every year. Symptoms . include swollen lymph glands, poor appetite, bone pain, a skin rash, . discharge from the ears, breathing difficulties and jaundice. There is an 80 to 90 per cent survival rate. The condition develops from cells in the skin. These cells are normally only found in the skin and airways but in LCH abnormal cells can be found in other parts of the body, including the bone marrow, liver, spleen and pituitary gland. About 50 children in the UK develop LCH every year. Symptoms include swollen lymph glands, poor appetite, bone pain, a skin rash, discharge from the ears, breathing difficulties and jaundice. There is an 80 to 90 per cent survival rate. Ms Riley said: ‘As soon as you hear the word cancer you think “that’s it” and we couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. ‘To see her undergoing all these treatments when she was so small was just heartbreaking, but we had to hope that she would get a donor.’ Ava spent eight weeks on the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow donor register until a match was found. Her parents do not know the donor’s identity other than that she is a 21-year-old woman from the UK, but they can contact her six months after the operation. Ms Riley said: ‘The weeks leading up to the operation were probably the scariest part as we didn’t know whether it would come off or whether anything would go wrong. ‘It was only when I saw the bone marrow delivered to the theatre in a bag that I knew that it was her lifeline. But even then she could have gone either way after the transplant. ‘Looking at her now it’s hard to think about what might have happened. The doctors are amazed at how she’s recovered. ‘We wake up every day and are just thankful she’s here. When she walks out of the school gates with her friends I will remember how lucky we are.’ Ava (pictured with her parents, Kirsty Riley and Jamie Maher) failed to respond to the treatment so had to have a bone marrow transplant. She was released from hospital two days before her first birthday and is now recovering at home .

Ava Maye Riley-Maher was diagnosed with a rare cancer-like condition, called Langerhan's Cell Histiocytosis, when she was just five-months-old . LCH develops in skin cells and only affects 50 children in the UK each year . Ava had 15 weeks of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant . She was released from hospital two days before her first birthday . Must have regular scans but doctors believe she will make a full recovery .

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Universities have been accused of social engineering after drawing up admissions schemes that favour applicants from poorer backgrounds. Instead of selecting students solely on merit, four institutions – Edinburgh, Leeds, Bristol and Birmingham – have devised systems which boost the grades of children from low-income homes. In some cases, this can see a disadvantaged child with three Bs at A-level winning a place over a privately-educated child with three A*s. Controversial: Universities have been accused of social engineering after drawing up plans to actively favour pupils from poorer backgrounds. Leeds university is one of those which has drawn up points systems which boost the exam grades of children from low-income homes. Critics said the system could discriminate against middle class children whose parents have sacrificed a lot to give them a good education. Ministers have previously urged universities to consider backgrounds – or ‘the contextual data’ – when deciding whether to offer a place, and most do this on a case-by-case basis. Speaking out: In May, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said universities should take 'into account the impact of background in assessing university applications; to create a 'fair race' for degree places . But the latest plans are different – and more controversial – because they give each applicant a numerical score based partly on social background. Freedom of Information requests reveal the points awarded by Edinburgh for going to a very low-performing school boost the score of a child with three Bs beyond that of one with three A*s from a better school. At Leeds, the system allowed medicine applicants to be given so many points for coming from a poor area that three B grades effectively became three A*s. It was suspended earlier this year. Bristol is implementing a points system where pupils from poor schools ‘will be given an automatic weighting to their total academic score’, while Birmingham has drawn up a similar policy but is not yet using it. Tim Hands, headmaster of the independent Magdalen College School in Oxford, said admissions which scored contextual data could be ‘bordering on generic discrimination’. ‘Students deserve transparency and accuracy, not hasty measures which risk appearing subservient demonstrations of political correctness.’ But Rebecca Gaukroger, head of admissions at Edinburgh, said: ‘We don’t accept that the scoring of academic grades or contextual data undermines the holistic assessment of applications.’

Edinburgh, Leeds, Bristol and Birmingham have drawn up the plans . It could see disadvantaged child with three Bs getting a place over . privately-educated child with three A*s .

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(CNN) -- Up to 37 people died Friday after a fire tor through a psychiatric institution in Russia, a regional branch of the country's Investigative Committee said, according to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency. A representative of Russia's Emergencies Ministry gave a different toll, telling the news agency that 15 bodies had been recovered and 22 people were still missing after the fire outside the central Russian city of Veliky Novgorod. A criminal case has been opened to look into the cause of the fire, according to a statement on the Investigative Committee's website. A total of 59 people were inside the building when the fire broke out, the Health Ministry said, according to RIA Novosti. The Emergencies Ministry said 23 people have been rescued, according to the news agency. Police are searching the area for residents who may have fled the site, it said. The fire broke out shortly before 3 a.m. Moscow time in the men's ward of the Oksochi mental health care clinic, state-run Itar-Tass reported. The facility is a low-level wooden building. The fire has been extinguished, the news agency said, and dozens of emergency personnel are working at the scene. In April, a fire at another psychiatric hospital near the capital, Moscow, left 38 people dead. President Vladimir Putin called for an investigation and a closer focus on fire safety in hospitals after that blaze. CNN's Susannah Palk contributed to this report.

NEW: As many as 37 people are dead in the fire, state media cite local investigators as saying . The fire broke out at the psychiatric institution in the early hours, reports say . The Emergencies Ministry says 23 people have been rescued, state media say . A fire at a psychiatric clinic in April killed 38 people, sparking calls for better fire safety .

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(CNN) -- Madonna will hear Friday whether she will be allowed to adopt a child from Malawi, a spokeswoman for the African nation's attorney general told CNN Monday. Madonna holds her adopted Malawian son, David Banda, in 2007. The singer was in court in Malawi, one of the poorest nations in the world, on Monday for a hearing in the case, said Zione Ntaba, press officer for the country's Attorney General's Office. The judge read documents and questioned the parties, the spokeswoman said. Madonna should appear in person Friday to hear the judge's decision, Ntaba said. The child Madonna is seeking to adopt is named Chifundo James, she confirmed. "Chifundo" means "Mercy," the name earlier reports have cited for the girl, Ntaba added. An uncle of the girl was scheduled to sign adoption papers Monday, according to Martin Geissler, a reporter for the ITN television network who is in Malawi, but he does not appear to have been in the court. The child's family will have to give their permission for the adoption to proceed, Geissler said, but need not be physically present in the court to do so. Madonna arrived at the court Monday morning in a convoy of four SUVs with black-out windows, Geissler said from the capital Lilongwe. Eight security guards prevented journalists and the press from getting too close to the 50-year-old singer. "She's keeping very tight-lipped," Geissler said. Chifundo James is reported to be 4-years-old. She has two uncles and a grandfather, who were not in court Monday, Geissler said. An international charity has criticized Madonna's plan to adopt the child. "The best place for a child is in his or her family in their home community," spokesman Dominic Nutt of Save the Children said in a statement. "Most children in orphanages have one parent still living, or have an extended family that can care for them in the absence of their parents." The charity argued that foreign adoptions should happen only if a child does not have any relatives, and all other options have been considered. Under Malawian law, foreign adopters would have to spend a year or more living in the African country with the children they want to adopt, Geissler said. The rules were put in place to prevent child trafficking. The purpose of the law, Ntaba explained, is for the authorities to observe the prospective parent to make sure the relationship is not abusive -- "that the parent will behave well around the child," she said. She said that American or British social services may also provide the monitoring and in the case of David Banda, the first Malawian child Madonna adopted, Malawi social services officers traveled to the United Kingdom to visit the child in Madonna's home. The judge has the discretion to allow Madonna to take the child home with her immediately, Geissler said. She is scheduled to leave Saturday, he said. Madonna adopted David Banda from Malawi in 2006. She has two other children. Press reports say Chifundo James's teenaged mother died days after giving birth to her, Geissler said. She lives in an orphanage. "Madonna first came into contact with her a few years ago and fell in love with her," he added. "She has always had in mind that this is the girl she was going to come back and adopt." Madonna has been involved with Malawi for several years. She made a documentary, "I Am Because We Are," which highlighted poverty, AIDS and other diseases devastating Malawi's children. She also helps run a nonprofit, Raising Malawi, which implements initiatives to help the needy in the southeastern Africa nation. On Sunday, Madonna arrived in Malawi and toured the village of Chinkhota, assessing plans to build a school there and other possible Raising Malawi investments. Do you think Madonna should be allowed to adopt another child? CNN's Ben Brumfield contributed to this report.

Madonna will learn Friday if she can adopt another Malawian child . She reportedly wants to adopt a young girl named Chifundo James . Save the Children spokesman says Madonna should reconsider the move .

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By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:01 EST, 2 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:13 EST, 4 December 2012 . An American magician was recuperating Sunday in the Dominican Republic after a local television show host lit his head on fire with a flammable cologne. Chico, California-native Wayne Houchin said he is receiving treatment for burns that doctors are cautiously optimistic will not result in scars. A Sunday statement on his Facebook page says he is 'resting, healing & working through the legal process' in the Caribbean nation, where he had been performing with a group of fellow magicians. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . 'Surprise attack': Guest host Franklin Barazarte rubbed his hands together and over Wayne Houchin's head . Houchin's head immediately caught fire . During a November 26 appearance on the Dominican Republic's Closer To The Stars TV program, guest host Franklin Barazarte abruptly doused the U.S. magician's head with 'Agua de Florida,' a flammable cologne commonly used in Santeria rituals. Two days after the incident Houchin posted on Facebook: 'I was not aware he was going to do this. This was not a stunt or part of an act - this was a criminal attack. 'The fast actions of the rest of our Curiosidades team saved my life. 'The fire was put out and I was rushed to the emergency room. I have bad burns on my head, face, neck and right hand.' The host appeared to try and put out the flames . Houchin staggered off stage with his head still ablaze . A video of the incident shows the magician's head bursting into flames as Barazarte runs his hands over Houchin's hair. It is unclear why the TV host doused his head in the liquid and what ignited it. The program has not commented on the incident. The video also shows Houchin, Barazarte and others struggling to extinguish the flames for several seconds. Houchin has since claimed that the quick actions of the TV crew saved his life . The incident was not broadcast on Dominican television but a video of it has appeared on the Internet. Houchin added on Thursday: 'The Dominican Republic is a beautiful country full of beautiful people. 'The outrage here and outpouring of support has been incredible. 'The support, love and well wishes that has been sent my way through social media, blogs, forums, friends and fans has been both humbling and overwhelming. Thank you.' It was not immediately clear if he has retained a lawyer in the Dominican Republic. The magician needed immediate hospital treatment for his burns. Houchin is now recovering and is hopeful there will be no permanent scars .

Presenter douses performer's head in flammable liquid, then ignites it . Magician Wayne Houchin suffers burns to head, face, neck and hand .

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By . Rik Sharma . PUBLISHED: . 10:39 EST, 3 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:39 EST, 3 November 2012 . Switzerland will have a national referendum on immigration after an environmental group collected enough support to force it through. The Ecopop group gathered 120,700 certified signatures which is well over the 100,000 required to bring about the nationwide poll. They are concerned that natural resources are under pressure from overpopulation, in a country of eight million people of whom over a quarter are foreign. Overpopulated: The environmental group want to limit immigration . Ecopop claim they are opposed to xenophobia and racism but say they need to limit the intake of new people to avoid urbanisation and help preserve agricultural land. The Swiss People's Party, a right-wing group, have also collected enough signatures to force a refendum on toughening immigration quotas. They believe immigration is to blame for rising rent costs and busie prublic transport systems. The environmental group demand that annual population growth through immigration to be capped at 0.2% and a tenth of foreign aid money to be spent on birth control measures abroad. Switzerland's population has risen over 15 per cent since 1990. It was shown to be an attractive place to work in March with a low unemployment rate and comparatively high salaries. Overcrowded: Immigration is to blame for public transport being busy, claim the Swiss People's Party . Former director of the Swiss environment department and current Ecopop member Philippe Roch told the BBC: 'The pressure on land, nature and the countryside is considerable, and quality of life is continuously deteriorating due to a lack of living space.' Referenda can take place up to four times a year in Switzerland's system of direct democracy. Switzerland's government has urged voters not to back the initiative because it would bring the country into conflict with its treaty obligations with the European Union. Until last year Switzerland had a quota of 2,000 residency permits a year for citizens of the 'A8' nations, who joined the EU in 2004 - Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Despite criticism from European Union officals the Swiss reinstated the immigration quota in April.

Group say they are not racist but need a limit to curb urbanisation and preserve agricultural land . Switzerland has a population of eight million with over a quarter of them from abroad .

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(CNN)The death of a 14-year-old shot by police just blocks from his school is the latest flashpoint as political tensions mount in Venezuela and pockets of anti-government protests erupt throughout the country. Kluibert Roa Nuñez, a high school student, was killed Tuesday when he got caught between protesters and national police in the western city of San Cristobal. A police officer fatally shot Kluibert, officials say. The government and the opposition alike have condemned the teen's killing, but Venezuela's recent history of violence and sharp political polarization hang over this shooting. Already protesters opposed to President Nicolas Maduro's government are pointing to the teen's death as a fresh rallying cry. And Maduro has blamed protesters for the violence that led to the shooting. A year ago, San Cristobal was the birthplace of anti-government protests that spread nationwide. The standoffs between security forces and protesters lingered for weeks and became violent, with more than 40 deaths, according to the government. Three witnesses at Tuesday's protest said that Kluibert was not a protester and had inadvertently come across the confrontation after leaving school. Vivian Nuñez, the slain teen's mother, told CNN en Español her son was walking four blocks from his school when a riot broke out around him. The protesters -- mostly students from a nearby university -- were running from police at the moment that Kluibert walked into the area, according to the witnesses, who spoke with CNN en Español. The teen tried to protect himself by ducking under a car but suffered a direct shot from an officer's firearm, the witnesses said. CNN has not independently confirmed how the shooting unfolded. The governor of the state of Tachira, where San Cristobal is located, declined to comment on his government's version of events. The teen's death sparked several protests around the country Wednesday. In Caracas, demonstrators outside the justice ministry held up notebooks smeared with red paint to symbolize the blood of the country's youth they say has been spilled. "A bloody notebook. This is what we, the students, have -- ideas," protester Hilda Rubi said. "We say to Mr. Nicolas Maduro, 'Are you afraid of the students? These are our weapons: a notebook, pens, thoughts and ideology.' " The Venezuelan government responded quickly to the killing, detaining and identifying the national police officer who shot the teen. The interior ministry named Javier Mora Ortiz, 23, as the shooter. Attorney General Luisa Ortega Díaz announced Wednesday that Mora is formally charged with intentional homicide, and that nine protesters were also arrested in San Cristobal. Interior Minister Carmen Melendez, speaking on state television, vowed that the officer would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. She appealed for calm, asking students to remember the 43 deaths recorded in clashes last year. The police has been reformed since then, she said, calling the national police force a "protector of human rights." "This is an isolated incident that does not represent the behavior of the new, humanist police," Melendez said. To protesters, and to the family of the slain teen, these comments seem to be insincere, or outright lies. Erick Roa, the father of the slain teen, told CNN en Español's Fernando del Rincon that he wants the full weight of the law to be applied to the officer but is not comforted by the government's actions. The officer's quick confession might be part of a strategy to get a lenient sentence, Roa said. He is afraid the justice system will go easy on Mora because he is a police officer. "This was a murder; this was a homicide committed by this man, and he should pay with the full weight of the law," he said. The father also questioned the government's claims of what kind of projectile killed his son. The interior minister said Mora shot Kluibert with a shotgun loaded with rubber pellets. Roa said that if the weapon was indeed a shotgun, it was loaded with lead pellets, not rubber. The coroner's report said that a firearm caused the fatal wound, without detailing whether it was rubber or lead pellets, the father said. The government also said that police provided first aid to the injured teen, something that witnesses deny. Roa pleaded for police to "be guardians" while on duty, saying he hopes another child won't become a victim. The fury over Tuesday's shooting echoes the arguments made by pro- and anti-government groups in the past. Maduro framed the boy's death around the actions of the protesters in San Cristobal. He described a group of "hooded youths" who were "being violent," beating police and pelting officers with rocks before police responded with force. Critics of the government turned to one of their most powerful tools -- social media -- to accuse the security forces of abuses and to share photos they say back their allegations. Tweets were tagged with #SOSVenezuela, #PrayForVenezuela and #MaduroAsesinoDeEstudiantes, literally accusing the President of killing students. Government supporters tweeted under the banner #ApoyoRotundoAMaduro, or "complete support for Maduro." All this turmoil comes during an economic crisis in oil-rich Venezuela. Venezuelans have endured years of shortages of basic goods, products and services. Consumers have to stand in line for hours for staples such as milk, chicken and cornmeal. Even toilet paper and condoms are scarce. Venezuela's currency, the bolivar, is overvalued. The official exchange rate is 6.3 per dollar, but dollars are being exchanged in the black market at 190-to-1 creating all kinds of problems for foreign companies, including American ones. Last week, the mayor of Caracas, Venezuela's capital and largest city, was arrested and accused of plotting to overthrow Maduro's government. In fragile economy, Venezuela arrests opposition figures: Why you should care . Mayor Antonio Ledezma, one of the opposition's most visible leaders, was arrested in a raid by federal agents. The opposition says the mayor's arrest is an attempt to divert attention from the country's economic woes. CNN's Kay Guerrero, Miguel Escalona and Catherine E. Shoichet and journalist Osmary Hernandez contributed to this report.

Anti-government protests erupt over the death of a 14-year-old . The high school student was killed by police during a protest Tuesday . Tensions and polarization in Venezuela remain high .

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By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 10:21 EST, 12 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:38 EST, 12 July 2013 . Movie and TV streaming site Wuaki has launched in the UK looking to rival the likes of Netflix, Lovefilm and Blinkbox. It claims to be the first site to offer monthly subscriptions with unlimited streaming as well as the ability to buy new film and TV releases in one place. Subscriptions cost £2.99 a month and Wuaki - dubbed Spanish Netflix - has also partnered with major Hollywood and TV studios to offer newer releases for sale. Movie and TV streaming site Wuaki has launched in the UK. It claims to be the first site to offer subscriptions, streaming and the ability to buy new film and TV releases in one place. The site has launched at £2.99 a month - cheaper than Netflix and Lovefilm . Spanish-based Wuaki.tv was founded in . Barcelona in 2009 before being bought by Rakuten, the Japanese company . that owns Play.com. It claims to be the first site in the . UK to offer subscriptions, called Wuaki Plus, film and TV rentals as . well as sell digital copies of new releases on the same site. Netflix only offers streaming . subscriptions, while Lovefilm offers streaming and postal DVD rentals, . and sites such as the Tesco-owned Blinkbox cover just rentals and sales. It takes around a year for new . releases to be made available for streaming but sites that sell films . and TV shows get given them by the studios much sooner. This means Wuaki has older, classic content on its Plus program but can also offer newer releases such as Disney's Oz The . Great and Powerful and Lincoln through its paid-for and rental section. Monthly subscription: Wuaki Plus costs £2.99 at launch (usually £5.99) New movies: Start at £3.49 to . rent and £10.99 to buy. Older titles: Start at £2.49 to rent and £7.99 to buy. TV: Older shows cost £5.99, new shows are £9.99. Available on: Laptops and PCs only . Subscription: £5.99 a month for unlimited streaming . New movie rentals: N/A . Old movie rentals: N/A . TV rentals: N/A . Available on: PS3, Wii, Xbox, PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, smart TVs . Subscription: £4.99 a month for unlimited streaming . New movie rentals: £5.99 a month for Lovefilm by Post . Old movie rentals: £5.99 a month for Lovefilm by Post . TV: Through subscription packages . Available on: iPhone, iPad, Android, PC, Mac, Xbox 360PlayStation 3, Wii, Kindle Fire . Subscription: N/A . New movie rentals: £3.49 to . rent, £10.99 to buy. Old movie rentals: 99p a month to rent, £6.99 . TV: 99p to rent and £6.99 to buy. Available on: PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, iPad, Android, smart TVs . Because the site has launched in beta, Wuaki.tv has a . limited catalogue  - although the . company has not released official figures. This includes content from Warner Bros, Disney, Sony Pictures . Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment as well as . the BBC. 'Streaming services have grown significantly in the UK, and we see a . huge gap to offer a hybrid of the traditional subscription and a la . carte models,' said Jacinto Roca, founder and CEO of Wuaki.tv. 'Our . Wuaki Plus subscription offers a quality service at an attractive . monthly rate. 'However, we know many people also want to rent or buy the . very latest new releases, which are usually not available on . subscription streaming services immediately, and others simply prefer to . have on-demand on an a la carte basis. 'With Wuaki users can have both, . and pick-and-choose what they want, when they want.' Individual new releases including Lincoln, starring Daniel Day Lewis, pictured, start at £3.49 to rent and £10.99 to buy. Older titles including Hitchcock's North by Northwest cost £2.49 to rent and £7.99 to buy . The Wuaki Plus subscription usually costs £5.99 - the same as Netflix . - yet is available at launch for £2.99 for a limited time. Wuaki has not announced when this offer runs out but did add that . anyone who signs up under the £2.99 deal will pay that price for the . length of their subscription. Rakuten's Play.com customers additionally get a 50 per cent off voucher for the first two films they buy. Individual new releases including Hitchcock, starring Anthony Hopkins . and Helen Mirren, and Seth Rogen's The Guilt Trip start at £3.49 to . rent and £10.99 to buy. These prices are the same as Blinkbox. Older titles, such as North by Northwest costs £2.49 to rent and £7.99 to buy. This is more expensive than Blinkbox, which offers older films such as Season of the Witch starring Nicolas Cage and Space Dogs for just 99p to rent and £6.99 to buy. TV series on Wuaki start at £5.99 for older shows such as The Office, and £9.99 for more recent shows including BBC's Luther, pictured. The beta site is only available online on PCs and laptops but will launch on more devices in the summer . TV series on Wuaki cost around £5.99 for older shows such as The Office, and £9.99 for more recent shows including BBC's Luther. However, the beta site is only available online on PCs and laptops. This means that if a customer buys a film, they can only watch it when they have a web connection and the films can't be watched offline. It also means that films can't be streamed on phones, tablets or other web-connected mobile devices. Wuaki said the service will remain in beta while more titles are added. The company also plan to add support for smartTVs, tablets, and games consoles over the summer.

Wuaki.tv currently costs £2.99 a month for unlimited streaming . The site also offers new movie and TV releases to rent from £3.49 . Films and TV shows can also be bought and prices start at £7.99 .

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CCTV footage at the Costcutter store in Essex captured the would-be thief who was wearing the Rod Stewart style mask . A shop worker was left terrified after a man wearing a Rod Stewart mask pulled a gun out on her during a daylight robbery – but ended up leaving empty handed after botching the raid. Trina Arthur, 31, was working alone in the Costcutter store when the man walked in wearing a mask in likeness to the famous blonde rocker. The mother-of-two, who was cashing up behind the counter when she felt someone lean over and ruffle her hair, looked up to find the man pointing a handgun at her. He then attempted to lean over the counter and grab cash from the till but was spooked when Miss Arthur screamed and hit the panic button. The would-be thief ended up fleeing empty handed and police believe he may have run off towards a nearby alleyway in Maldon, Essex. A police helicopter, armed officers and dog units were scrambled to the scene in a bid to find the masked man following the incident on March 27. Miss Arthur, who has worked at the Costcutter store for three years, said: ‘I initially thought it was one of the regular customers having a joke when I looked up and saw the Rod Stewart mask. ‘Then I saw he had a gun and I just started screaming. ‘As soon as he saw me hit the panic button, he ran out of the shop.’ The terrifying incident has left the shop worker on edge. She said: ‘I am petrified now. I have not been able to sleep. I keep seeing him with the gun. It felt like forever until the police arrived - I have never been so scared. ‘It’s not something that you think will ever happen to you.’ Trina Arthur, 31, was working alone in the Costcutter store when the man walked in wearing a mask in the likeness of rocker Rod Stewart, pictured . The would-be thief, pictured, pointed a handgun at shop worker Miss Arthur but ended up fleeing empty handed after she pressed the panic alarm . The shop’s owner Mustafa Demirci, 34, said: ‘Luckily no-one was hurt and he did not get any money. ‘As soon as Trina called me, I knew it was serious from the tone of her voice but I never expected it to be an armed robbery.’ The store was able to provide police with CCTV of the incident which shows the man in his bizarre mask. Essex Police said the suspect was around 5ft 8ins tall, of medium build and was wearing a grey and white top and black coat. A police helicopter, armed officers and dog units were scrambled to the scene in a bid to find the masked man following the incident on March 27 . He was also wearing work-style trousers with reflective stripes on them during the raid which occurred at around 9.45am. Officers today arrested a 51 year-old man from Maldon, Essex, in connection with the attempted armed robbery. He was questioned by police before being released on bail until May 19 pending further enquiries. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Shop worker Trina Arthur, 31, was left terrified after incident at Costcutter . Would-be thief pointed handgun at mother-of-one and tried to grab cash . However, he ended up fleeing empty handed after she pressed panic alarm . Police arrested and bailed man, 51, in connection with attempted robbery .

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Homeland Security . Secretary Jeh Johnson on Tuesday defended to Congress the Obama . administration's decision to allow millions of illegal immigrants relief from deportation even as conservatives on Capitol Hill aggressively pushed to defund parts of his department. Johnson spoke at a hearing before the House Committee on . Homeland Security that marked the first public hearing on President Barack Obama's . executive actions, which are expected to allow as many as five million immigrants to remain in the United States indefinitely, since he announced them late last month. The DHS head begged lawmakers today not to express their anger at the president and the administration over immigration through the appropriations process. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson testifies on Capitol Hill on Tuesday before the House Homeland Security Committee on the impact of President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration . Johnson told them he could not run his department with the type of short-term spending bill that conservatives on Capitol Hill are considering. 'That is in my judgement a very bad idea for Homeland Security because during that period of a continuing resolution we cannot engage in new starts,' he told them. 'We've got some Homeland Security priorities that need to be funded now. The department head pointed out that a new presidential election cycle is about to being and he wouldn't be able to hire new Secret Service agents to protect candidates until DHS is fully funded for the entire fiscal year. Furthermore, he said he wouldn't be able to fund 'our enhanced detention capability in Texas with another continuing resolution that gets me to March.' 'I need the help of Congress to support and build upon border security, which I believe all of you support,' he said. 'So, I'm urging that we act on our current appropriations request now for the purpose and for the sake of border security and homeland security,' Johnson concluded. Republicans in the House and Senate who are deeply opposed to providing amnesty to illegal immigrants have been lobbying their colleagues to pass appropriations legislation that would only fund the Department of Homeland Security through early 2015, when they take control of both chambers of Congress. At that time they would be able to insert language into a long-term spending bill that would hinge funding for certain immigration agencies and operations on ceasing implementation of Obama's immigration actions. House Speaker John Boehner reportedly endorsed the plan in a closed-door meeting today, setting up his party's attempt to block the president's immigration policy in January and a head-to-head fight with the White House. At a press briefing afterward he said his conference had not coalesced around a specific plan yet, however. 'I said before Thanksgiving that Republicans would fight his unilateral actions,' the GOP leader said. 'We’re looking at a variety of options, both for right now and when Republicans control both Houses of the Congress next year. And we’ll continue to discuss with our members a number of options, in terms of how we will deal with this, in consultation, again, with the members. 'But no decisions have been made at this point,' he added. If Congress doesn't pass new spending legislation by Dec. 11 the federal government will shut down until it does. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been adamant that won't happen, saying again today a shut down is not in the cards. However, he confirmed that Republicans, who are currently the minority in the Senate, would support whatever bill their colleagues in the House sent over. 'In the short-term, the Senate will be in a reactive role, he said. 'Next year, we'll be sort-of more co-equal partners on that issue. 'But right now, our view is once it's sorted out in the House, once it gets passed, I'll be supportive of that.' The White House has made its preference that legislators pass a yearlong spending bill for all government agencies known several times over. Certainty is good for the economy, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said today. 'Were hopeful that Republicans will follow their own advice in that regard and pass a full-year fed budget,' he added. Earnest said White House officials 'certainly take some heart' in McConnell's promises that there will not be a government shutdown next week. House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio said after a House Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol today that his members had not yet determined how it planned to avoid another politically damaging shutdown while holding the president accountable for his immigration actions . Republicans on Capitol Hill unleashed their fury over the immigration actions today at Johnson. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, there’s a right way to do this and a wrong way,' the committee's chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul said. 'This is not how democracy works.' Johnson told the committee he recommended each . action Obama took and continues to stand behind them. 'The reality is that, given our limited resources, these . people are not priorities for removal,' he said. McCaul, a Republican, said the president's directive would be perceived as . amnesty to those considering crossing the U.S. border with Mexico, though. 'If we don't think that message is making its way back to . Mexico and Central America, we are simply fooling ourselves,' he said. 'We will see a wave of illegal immigration because . of the president's actions.' Johnson said the new measures are not amnesty. 'The current situation is amnesty,' he said . Furthermore, he said administration officials 'feel that we had no choice' to act given that Congress couldn't come to an agreement on comprehensive reform of its own. McCaul argued that Obama did not have the authority to authorize the order, however. In response, Johnson defended the legality of the action, saying those . who drafted the plan worked closely with the Justice . Department's Office of Legal Counsel. 'I’m satisfied as a lawyer myself — and the person who has to come here and defend these actions — that what we have done is well within our existing legal authority,' he told the committee. The White House said today it was not surprised that the GOP tore into Johnson. 'Republicans have long...adopted the view - that's contrary to the view of the vast majority of Americans - that we shouldnt reform our broken immigration system,' he said. Their views on immigration are 'stark contrasts' to those of the president, law enforcement officials, faith leaders, and even some of their fellow Republicans, he added. Later in his briefing on Tuesday Earnest told reporters, 'the fact is the closest thing we have to amnesty in this country is doing nothing.' And that's exactly what Republicans seem to be doing, he charged.

Department of Homeland Security head Jeh Johnson spoke at a hearing before the House Committee on Homeland Security . He begged lawmakers not to take out express their anger at the president and the administration over immigration through appropriations . Johnson told them he could not run his department with the type of short-term spending bill that conservatives on Capitol Hill are considering . House Speaker John Boehner said today that no decisions about DHS funding have been made yet . Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would back whatever legislation the House approved .

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Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- New U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus arrived in Afghanistan Friday, a day marred by violence in a part of the troubled nation that was relatively peaceful a year ago. Petraeus arrived at NATO headquarters in Kabul in the evening, the International Security Assistance Force said. Earlier in the day, Taliban militants in the northern city of Kunduz attacked the compound of a U.S. aid agency subcontractor, killing at least five people and wounding 20 others, government officials said. On the day of Petraeus' arrival, the brazen attack served as a grim reminder for international forces that they face a difficult challenge in overcoming the Taliban insurgency, which many say has been gaining momentum. A year ago, places like Kunduz were regarded as safe -- but not anymore. The pre-dawn raid started when a suicide bomber on foot and another in a car detonated at the gate of the compound, said Mohammad Omar, the provincial governor. Following the initial assault, four gunmen stormed the facility, firing machine guns and throwing hand grenades, according to Omar. Three of the dead were foreigners -- a Filipino, a Briton and a German, Omar said. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told CNN that two American contractors were among the wounded and had been taken to the Provincial Reconstruction Team hospital in Kunduz province. The six-and-a-half-hour attack was on an office of Development Alternatives Inc., a humanitarian assistance subcontractor working with the U.S. Agency of International Development. The Taliban said the building was a base for U.S. Special Operations troops, which the U.S. military denied. DAI said four of the dead worked for its security subcontractor, Edinburgh International, and that several more EI staff were wounded as were two DAI staff members. In a conflicting report, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said six gunmen had killed nearly all of the 52 foreigners at the compound. "The attack by insurgents in Kunduz was an attempt to intimidate Afghans and members of the international community trying to improve the lives of all Afghans," said NATO's International Security Assistance Force in a statement. "This attack shows the insurgents' desire to prevent progress and draws attention to their true goal of serving themselves rather than the people of Afghanistan," said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, an ISAF spokeswoman. "We remain committed to serving alongside our Afghan partners to improve security and development for all Afghans." CNN's Atia Abawi, Journalist Matiullah Mati and State Department Producer Charley Keyes contributed to this report.

NEW: Two of the wounded are Americans . The top U.S. commander arrives in Afghanistan on a day of more violence . Attack serves as reminder of a brazen insurgency, ISAF says . Pre-dawn attack targets subcontractor of U.S. aid agency .

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(CNN) -- Author John Updike, regarded as one of the greatest and most prolific writers in modern American letters, died Tuesday, his publicist said. He was 76. John Updike won many literary awards. His books, such as "The Witches of Eastwick," were also best-sellers. Updike passed away Tuesday morning after battling lung cancer. He lived in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. "He was one of our greatest writers, and he will be sorely missed," said Nicholas Latimer, vice president of publicity at Updike's publisher, Alfred A. Knopf. Updike was a rarity among American writers: a much-esteemed, prize-winning author whose books -- including "Rabbit, Run" (1960), "Couples" (1968), "The Witches of Eastwick" (1984) and "Terrorist" (2006) -- were also best-sellers. Updike won the Pulitzer Prize twice: for "Rabbit Is Rich" (1981) and its successor, "Rabbit at Rest" (1991). iReport: Share your tributes to John Updike . The "Rabbit" series, about an angst-ridden car dealer in a town much like Updike's hometown of Shillington, Pennsylvania, spanned four novels, a novella and four decades. In the books -- which also included 1971's "Rabbit Redux" and a 2001 novella, "Rabbit Remembered" -- onetime basketball star Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom negotiates marriage, divorce, wealth and health problems, never quite understanding the larger forces shaping his life. "Rabbit is not a character calculated to inspire affection, but he is an unflinchingly authentic specimen of American manhood, and his boorishness makes his rare moments of vulnerability and empathy that much more heartbreaking," wrote Time's Lev Grossman in naming "Rabbit, Run" to Time's "All-Time 100 Novels" list. Updike was incredibly prolific, penning essays, reviews, short stories, poetry and memoirs. His works frequently appeared in The New Yorker, including a famed 1960 essay about Ted Williams' final game, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu." "No writer was more important to the soul of The New Yorker than John," said David Remnick, the editor of the magazine, in a statement. "Even though his literary career transcended any magazine -- he was obviously among the very best writers in the world -- he still loved writing for this weekly magazine, loved being part of an enterprise that he joined when he was so young. "We adored him," Remnick continued. "He was, for so long, the spirit of The New Yorker and it is very hard to imagine things without him." The magazine said that Updike had written 862 pieces for it over the years, including 327 book reviews, 170 short stories and 154 poems. He was well-regarded in his adopted home state of Massachusetts. "John Updike's place among America's literary greats is forever secure, as is his special place in every Red Sox fan's heart for his magnificent 'Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu,' " Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) said in a statement. "We honor his memory and his contributions, and Massachusetts today bids him a sad and wistful adieu of our own." Updike never won a Nobel Prize, but one of his characters, Henry Bech, received one in "Bech at Bay" (1998). His works, particularly given their sexual content, could be as divisive as they were poetic. Many critics accused him of misogyny, and others accused him of using his graceful prose to cover thin subject matter -- and Updike put out his prose by the ream. "It seems to be easier for John Updike to stifle a yawn than to refrain from writing a book," the literary critic James Wood wrote in the London Review of Books in 2001. But his frank discussion of sex also garnered him many readers, the cover of Time magazine (for 1968's "Couples") and a lifetime achievement Bad Sex in Writing award from Great Britain's Literary Review. He was criticized by Norman Mailer, hailed by fellow author (and Updike obsessive) Nicholson Baker in "U and I" and even appeared as an animated version of himself on a "Simpsons" episode as the ghostwriter of a Krusty the Klown book. "[I] was flattered to be asked to be one of the many voices that they worked into the endless saga of Springfield," Updike said, noting that the hardest part of his performance was "producing a chuckle." John Hoyer Updike was born March 18, 1932, in Reading, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Shillington. From an early age he took to reading and writing, and earned a full scholarship to Harvard, where he headed the Harvard Lampoon. Upon graduation, he accepted a one-year fellowship to Oxford University in England. By the time he was 23, he had been offered a position at The New Yorker, which was to become his literary home over the next 50-plus years. Updike's first novel, "The Poorhouse Fair," came out in 1959. The next year, in "Rabbit, Run," he introduced Angstrom, who was to become one of the most famous characters in American fiction. When introduced, Rabbit is a man fleeing his pregnant wife, the songs on the car radio reflecting both the era and his life. Over the course of the "Rabbit" books, the character would routinely infuriate his spouse, mistresses and offspring, try to make things right, and never quite succeed. His attitude didn't help. "Men are all heart and women are all body. I don't know who has the brains. God maybe," the character said in "Rabbit, Run." "Rabbit, Run" was successful, as were Updike's other '60s books, including "The Centaur" (1963), which featured a teacher much like Updike's father, and the short story collection "The Music School" (1966). But it was "Couples" that made Updike a household name. The book, about a group of spouses engaging in the sexual revolution in suburban Massachusetts, became a No. 1 best-seller. Updike's interests ranged widely. He wrote about an African state in "The Coup" (1978). He discussed the relationship between science and religion in "Roger's Version" (1986). He revisited "Hamlet" in "Gertrude and Claudius" (2000). And he created a group of promiscuous witches in "The Witches of Eastwick" (1984), which became a hit movie in 1987 starring Jack Nicholson as the devil. Though Updike's work routinely sold well, he was painfully aware of the decline of what's come to be called "literary fiction." In a 2000 interview with Salon, he lamented its difficulties. "When I was a boy, the best-selling books were often the books that were on your piano teacher's shelf. I mean, Steinbeck, Hemingway, some Faulkner. Faulkner actually had, considering how hard he is to read and how drastic the experiments are, quite a middle-class readership," he said. "But certainly someone like Steinbeck was a best-seller as well as a Nobel Prize-winning author of high intent. You don't feel that now." And yet, Updike himself never lost his zest for the written word, and the pleasure brought by jotting, tuning, refining -- creating -- a new story, even as the years drifted by. "An aging writer has the not insignificant satisfaction of a shelf of books behind him that, as they wait for their ideal readers to discover them, will outlast him for a while," he wrote in AARP The Magazine late last year. "The pleasures, for him, of book-making ... remain, and retain creation's giddy bliss. Among those diminishing neurons there lurks the irrational hope that the last book might be the best." Updike's most recent novel, "The Widows of Eastwick," came out in 2008. A collection of stories, "My Father's Tears and Other Stories," is due out later this year.

John Updike, author of "Rabbit" books and "The Witches of Eastwick," dies . Updike, 76, had been suffering from lung cancer . Pulitzer Prize winner was titan of American letters .

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Washington (CNN) -- The 2014 elections will continue what has become a staple in American politics: the survival of powerful political families. Bush. Carter. Nunn. Udall. Cheney. These are familiar names from a previous generation -- but also for a new one. When Liz Cheney announced her intention to become the next senator from Wyoming this year, she likely evoked voters' memories of her father, Dick Cheney, the former vice president. The same is true for two politicians in Georgia. Both the daughter of former Sen. Sam Nunn and a grandson of former President Jimmy Carter will be on the 2014 ballot in the Peach State. Michelle Nunn is running for U.S. Senate, while state Sen. Jason Carter has launched a bid for governor -- jobs her father and his grandfather, respectively, once held. "For their constituents and the American public, those names are a proven quantity, and as time goes on, you see that Americans look back at the history of our political system, and things seem better in hindsight," said Dan Mahaffee of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. "It harkens back to a more collegial political era." Candidates and family heritage . All over the country, candidates with such familiar names are either running for re-election or jumping into races and using their families' vast networks to anchor nascent campaigns. Take a look at the heritage of some of these candidates on the ballot in 2014: . • Rep. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia is running for her state's open U.S. Senate seat. Her father, Arch A. Moore Jr., was governor of West Virginia for 12 years. • Sen. Mary Landrieu is running for re-election in Louisiana. Her father, "Moon" Landrieu, was once mayor of New Orleans and a brother, Mitch Landrieu, is now the city's mayor. • George P. Bush is running for Texas land commissioner. A member of one of America's great political dynasties, he's the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush and nephew of former President George W. Bush. • Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey is running for re-election. A member of one of the most dominant political families in the United States, Frelinghuysen can trace his roots back to four U.S. senators and Frederick Frelinghuysen, one of New Jersey's delegates to the Continental Congress. • Sen. Mark Pryor, who is running for re-election in Arkansas, is the son of former Sen. David Pryor. • Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, the son of a former congressman, is running for re-election. And so is a cousin, Tom Udall of New Mexico, also a U.S. senator. A 'ready-made Rolodex' "You grow up around a business, you learn the ropes early," CNN contributor Paul Begala said. "It is the same reason restaurants or hardware stores -- or junkyards -- have names like 'Sanford and Son.' " Begala cites many benefits to running as the next in line in a political family, but two stand out: a thick skin and fund-raising. "A politician's kid grows up hearing all kinds of awful things about Mom or Dad, and they learn that's not the end of the world," he said. "Toughness matters in politics." Begala said that relying on relatives' fund-raising networks also is unbelievably helpful for these candidates. Being a Cheney in Wyoming, a Bush in Texas or a Landrieu in Louisiana will open many doors -- and wallets. It is "hard to estimate how much good President Bush 41's network did for Bush 43," Begala said. Mahaffee added, "You are almost born with a ready-made Rolodex." American dynasties from the early years on . The number of political families on the ballot in 2014 is nothing new. Since the outset of the United States, political families have dominated certain states, and many have risen to national prominence. The Adamses, with the nation's second president, John Adams, and sixth president, John Quincy Adams, were among the first political families. But certainly not the last. The Republican Tafts have long dominated Ohio politics, boasting three U.S. senators, a president, a governor and countless local positions. The Democratic Kennedy family has dominated politics in New England -- with a president, three presidential candidates, three senators, multiple congressmen and dozens of local elected positions. A 2012 study of the Kennedys' political dominance by the University of Minnesota found the family has logged more than 92 years in congressional service, a number that doesn't even count Joseph P. Kennedy III's recent term as a representative from Massachusetts. Then there are the obvious political families: the Bushes and Clintons. Between 1980 and 2008, a member of one of these families was either president or vice president. Bush and Clinton "fatigue" has even become a common term as speculation grows about former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both eyeing a run at the presidency in 2016. So why do Americans, the same people who revolted against a monarchy in 1776, keep electing members of the same families? Some political watchers said the continuity these families bring can be comforting to voters, but the public also can sour on candidates who see themselves as anointed successors to their families' political power. Mahaffee, however, said the idea that voters are sick of political families is dispelled by the fact that so many of them exist. Do voters occasionally get sick of one family? Yes, he said. But on the whole, such a history is a good thing for candidates, he said. "It is helpful that you continue to have generations that bring political experience with them," Mahaffee said. "They have more of a knowledge (of) what it takes to be a political leader."

A new generation from well-known political families will show up on the 2014 ballot . From Bush to Carter to Cheney to Nunn, children and grandchildren are seeking office . "You grow up around a business, you learn the ropes early," CNN contributor says . Accessibility to fund-raising networks and tough skin among benefits to such candidates .

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Washington (CNN) -- As e-book readers and tablet computers become more common, one prominent tech mogul says that physical books could disappear sooner than expected. In an interview with CNN's Howard Kurtz on "Reliable Sources," author Nicholas Negroponte, founder of One Laptop per Child, said the physical book's days are numbered. "It will be in five years," said Negroponte. "The physical medium cannot be distributed to enough people. When you go to Africa, half a million people want books ... you can't send the physical thing." Negroponte emphasized the efficiency of being able to put hundreds of books on the laptops his organization sends to villages. "We put 100 books on a laptop, but we also send 100 laptops. That village now has 10,000 books," he said. CNN iReport: Have you replaced books with an e-reader? Share your story. When it comes to making e-books standard, Negroponte thinks that developing countries may actually be faster than developed countries. "That's what cell phones did," Negroponte said. "Cell phones were more popular in Cambodia and Uganda because they didn't have phones. We had phones in this country, and we were very late to the table. They're going to adopt e-books much faster than we do." Negroponte founded One Laptop per Child in 2005 with the goal of providing one internet-connected laptop to every school-age child in the world. Through the help of industry insiders, the organization created the XO, a lightweight and durable laptop. For $199, it's possible for individuals to buy a laptop for a child in the developing world through the website www.laptop.org/en/.

The physical book's days are numbered, author Nicholas Negroponte says . "The physical medium cannot be distributed to enough people," he says . Negroponte founded One Laptop per Child in 2005 .

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By . Simon Tomlinson . Russia may be stripped of assets around the world after an international court ruled it must pay $50billion in compensation for the government's role in destroying the country's largest oil company. Yesterday's verdict by the Permanent Court for Arbitration increases the economic and diplomatic isolation of Russia at a time when it faces new, potentially painful sanctions from Western powers. Yukos was once Russia's biggest oil company, but was broken up after anti-Kremlin owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky was arrested in 2003, shortly after President Vladimir Putin warned Russia's growing class of oligarchs against meddling in politics. Scroll down for video . Lawyers acting for shareholders of collapsed Russian oil firm Yukos speak after the Kremlin was ordered to pay $50bn in damages to their clients over its role in destroying the company with outsized tax demands . The court, a body that rules on corporate disputes, said the Russian government owes the money to the former majority shareholders in Yukos Oil Co, which it said was forced into bankruptcy with outsized tax claims by Putin's government. Moscow vowed to fight the decision, raising the prospect of a new round of legal battles as the shareholders seek to enforce the decision by seizing Russian state-owned assets in 150 countries around the world. They can attempt to seize any assets used for commercial purposes. That means that while embassies are safe, planes, art, commercial property, gas pipelines and oil rigs are not. 'It's the end of the beginning,' said Tim Osborne, executive director of GML, formerly Group Menatep Ltd, whose subsidiaries brought the suit to the court based in The Hague, Netherlands. The court said Russia had used tax claims to take control of Yukos in 2003 and silence its CEO, Khodorkovsky, an opponent of Putin who had begun to use his vast wealth to fund opposition parties challenging Putin's power. Yukos was broken up after anti-Kremlin owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky (left) was arrested in 2003 shortly after President Vladimir Putin (right) warned Russia's growing class of oligarchs against meddling in politics . Khodorkovsky was arrested at gunpoint as he boarded a plane in Siberia that year and spent more than a decade in prison as Yukos's main assets were sold to a state-owned company. Yukos ultimately went bankrupt. Monday's ruling, one of the largest commercial arbitration awards in history, adds to Russia's economic problems just as the U.S. and European Union are debating further sanctions against the country because of its support for rebels in eastern Ukraine. Though the country has ample reserves, uncertainty over the impact of the sanctions has seen economic growth forecasts plummet and investors are pulling money out of the country at almost twice the pace as last year. The court's three-member panel, chaired by Yves Fortier, Canada's former permanent representative to the United Nations, determined Russia was not acting in good faith to collect taxes when it levelled massive claims against Yukos, even though some of the company's tax arrangements might have been questionable. The state launched 'a full assault on Yukos and its beneficial owners in order to bankrupt Yukos and appropriate its assets while, at the same time, removing Mr Khodorkovsky from the political arena,' the court said. Broken up: The former Moscow headquarters of Yukos. The court said the Kremlin launched 'a full assault on Yukos and its beneficial owners in order to bankrupt Yukos and appropriate its assets' The blunt verdict accusing the Kremlin of giving the go-ahead to crush one of the nation's biggest companies contrasts sharply with earlier cautious rulings from other international courts, which were carefully phrased to avoid blaming the Russian leadership for destroying Yukos. The dismantling of Yukos and the arrest of Khodorkovsky were a defining moment in Putin's rule. It was then that his government began to take back control of the country's energy industry and sought to re-assert itself internationally as a force to be reckoned with rather than a crumbling post-communist shell. Putin most recently went on to assert Russia's claims over Crimea, annexing the peninsula on the Black Sea in March, and to offer support to rebels in Ukraine's east. But the wake-up call for the West began in the early 2000s, when Putin forged a deal with Russian businessmen who had created empires by snapping up the jewels of the Soviet state in oil, gas and chemicals. The Kremlin offered its protection for the oligarchs' often murky deals. In exchange, the tycoons pledged to not meddle in government policy. Khodorkovsky was the only man who broke this rule. After his imprisonment, Yukos' main assets were ultimately bought up by state-owned Rosneft, making it the largest oil producer in Russia. In Monday's ruling, which was dated July 18, Russia was ordered to pay the damages within 180 days or begin paying interest. If Russia declines to pay, shareholders can attempt to seize Russian assets abroad. 'We're over the first and most important hurdle,' Osborne said. 'It's now a question of enforcing it.' Damning: The verdict by the Permanent Court for Arbitration (above) in The Hague increases the economic and diplomatic isolation of Russia at a time when it faces new sanctions from Western powers . The amount of damages, although half as much as originally claimed, is colossal - nearly as much as Russia spent on the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, the most expensive Olympics in history. Russia's options are limited. Though the arbitration decision is final, it can seek what is called a 'setting aside' of the award before courts in the Netherlands. The threshold for review is high, however, and lawyers for GML said they were confident Russia had no chance on that front. The Russian finance ministry said it would take that path, fight what it called a one-sided and political verdict in the other courts in the Netherlands. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russian authorities 'will use all possible legal means to defend their position.' Leonid Nevzlin, the top beneficiary of a trust controlling GML that has launched the suit, told Ekho Moskvy radio shareholders would search for and freeze Russian assets around the world if Moscow doesn't pay up. Nevzlin pointed at a suit won by a Swiss company, Noga, which claimed $1.1 billion from Russia and led to seizures of Russian assets worldwide in 2008. It eventually forced Moscow to opt for a settlement. Khodorkovsky, who had given his stock in Yukos to Nevzlin, said the ruling will make a 'strong impression' on Putin, saying his lieutenants had sought to downplay the likelihood of such an outcome. 'I'm sure that they haven't told Putin how disastrous the ruling will be, and I'm very happy today,' he said on Ekho Moskvy. Though the case has been a decade in the making, the timing of its release is unfortunate for Russia, experts said. Between the crisis in Ukraine, the possibility of sanctions and the payment of a massive judgment on Yukos, investors in Russia now face 'the perfect storm,' said Gianna Bern, who teaches finance at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Bern said that while Russia could probably handle paying $50 billion, not paying could prove more problematic. 'Foreign investors are going to be on the sidelines waiting to see how they handle this,' she said. 'They will look at this and see if the Russian Federation respects the rule of law.' The main stock index in Moscow fell almost 2 per cent on Monday. Rosneft said in a statement it is not party to the litigation and it did not expect to be affected by it. It believes the deals to purchase former assets of Yukos 'were fully legitimate.' Shares in Rosneft were down 3.6 percent in trading in London. Monday's decision is not the only one facing Russia this week. The European Court of Human Rights is set to rule on Thursday on another Yukos lawsuit - one involving 55,000 shareholders that were not part of the GML group. This group includes $6 billion in investments by U.S. pension funds and other institutions. No one involved seems to think this is even close to over, with lawyers on all sides taking up positions. 'The Yukos affair is likely to come back to haunt the Russians,' said Anders Aslund, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute in Washington and a long-time Russia watcher. 'You don't steal companies.'

Russia used outsized tax claims to bankrupt country's largest oil firm . Yukos was broken up after anti-Kremlin owner was arrested in 2003 . Putin had earlier warned Russian oligarchs not to meddle in politics . Shareholders can apply to seize planes, art, property, gas lines and oil rigs . Foreign minister said Russia 'will use all legal means to defend position'

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Liverpool centre back Dejan Lovren has given his club manager Brendan Rodgers a potential defensive headache after withdrawing from Croatia's squad with an abdominal injury. The defender was due to play in Euro 2016 qualifiers against Bulgaria on Friday and Azerbaijan on Monday but sustained a problem in training which has ruled him out. 'During training on Wednesday, Lovren felt pain in the abdominal wall. Igor Boric (a specialist) at St Catherine (Hospital) showed there was a tear and he will not be ready for performances in Sofia and Osijek,' said a statement on the Croatian Football Federation's website. Dejan Lovren will return to Liverpool to have his abdominal injury assessed by their medical team . The centre back suffered an abdominal injury while on international duty with Croatia . Dejan Lovren has pulled out of Croatia's squad with an abdominal tear and Mamadou Sakho has a thigh problem meaning Liverpool potentially have only two fit centre halves - Martin Skrtel and the error-prone Kolo Toure. Lovren is set to return to Merseyside in the next couple of days, where he will be further assessed by the medical team at the club's Melwood training ground. Liverpool have had contact with Croatia, but until their own staff have examined the defender they cannot make a diagnosis on the injury. The Premier League club have 10 days before their next match and if Lovren's injury is only minor then it may actually benefit them to have him back early to prepare for the trip to QPR. It is the second successive month Liverpool have had players injured on international duty. Lovren dives in to challenge Saido Berahino during Saturday's 2-1 win over West Brom at Anfield . Manager Brendan Rodgers has publicly expressed his displeasure at England's handling of striker Daniel Sturridge, who sustained a thigh injury in training which has caused him to miss the last seven matches. Last month Rodgers also lost Joe Allen, who injured a knee while with Wales, and fellow midfielder Emre Can, who has been sidelined since picking up an ankle injury in the latter stages of Germany Under-21s' 8-0 win over Romania. Rodgers is confident Sturridge will be fit for the trip to QPR but Lovren's problem, coupled with a thigh injury to Mamadou Sakho sustained in training just days after he walked out of Anfield having been omitted from the squad for the Merseyside derby, means his only two fit central defenders are Martin Skrtel - currently with Slovakia for matches against Spain and Belarus - and Kolo Toure. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has lost several players already this season on international breaks .

Dejan Lovren suffers abdominal tear on international duty with Croatia . Liverpool defender will return to Melwood in coming days to be assessed . Martin Skrtel and Kolo Toure only remaining fit central backs for Liverpool .

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By . Erin Clements . Forget Toddlers & Tiaras: Married career women in their 30s and 40s are the latest stars of the pageant world. Game of Crowns, a new reality series that premieres Sunday on Bravo, follows six wives with families who vie for beauty queen status on the 'Mrs' circuit. Cast members, including a lawyer, entrepreneur and pilot, are seen honing their interviewing skills and dishing on past plastic surgeries as they prepare to compete. Pageant queens: The cast of Bravo's Game of Crowns poses in the swimsuit round of a 'Mrs' competition . 'Of course, I get Botox,' exclaims Vanassa Sebastian, a registered nurse from Connecticut, in one clip. In another preview, the women debate the merits of butt glue, defined by Susanna Paliotta as 'basically any type of substance that you can glue your bathing suit down to your butt.' Mrs Paliotta, who owns a children's clothing brand, is also seen learning to 'speak eloquent' for the interview portion of the competitions. Vying for the crown: Shelley Carbone (left) and  Vanassa Sebastian (right) are married women who compete in 'Mrs' pageants . Price of beauty: The stars of Game of Crowns, such as Lori-Ann Marchese (left) and Leha Guilmette (right), say they spend thousands of dollars on pageant-related expenses . Career women: Cast members include Susanna Paliotta (left), a pilot, and Lynne Diamante (right), an attorney . The women say they spend thousands of dollars on coaching, makeup and other expenses. 'From losing 70 pounds with personal trainers and nutritionists, to gown shopping and hair extensions and teeth whitening and eyelash extensions, there’s so much that goes into it — about $10,000,' Leha Guilmette, a technical recruiter from Rhode Island, tells the New York Post. 'It’s like making a choice to do any hobby,' Lynne Diamante, a former Mrs Rhode Island USA and attorney, says. She adds: 'Some women go away for spa weekends, we compete against each other in pageants.' Face time: 'Of course, I get Botox,' Mrs Sebastian admits on the show . Sticky situation: Mrs Paliotta explains what 'butt glue' is used for .

Most cast members of Bravo's new series, Game of Crowns, are in their 30s and 40s, compared to the 20-somethings of traditional 'Miss' pageants .

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By . Matt Blake . When this tourist visited a South African game reserve, she was warned of the dangers ... but nobody told her she'd actually have to put her neck on the lion. Lina Jek, 42, stopped for a selfie at Lion Park, in Johannesburg, when one of the locals photobombed the snap in terrifying - but adorable - style. As she posed against the stunning backdrop of the African savannah, an eight-month-old lioness crept into frame and gave her a big hug and a kiss. Neck on the lion: Lina Jek, 42, stopped for a selfie at Lion Park, in Johannesburg, when one of the locals photobombed the snap in terrifying - but adorable - style . The animal even stuck out her tongue and started licking Lina's left ear. She couldn't help but laugh as her husband, Chris, snapped the once-in-a-lifetime image of the two cuddling up together. The couple had been visiting the Lion Park near Johannesburg in South Africa where visitors can interact with the creatures up to the age of eight months. They are then moved on to an adult-only section where they are not allowed to be handled by members of the public. Chris, 50, a wildlife photographer from Johannesburg, said: 'In South Africa, there are many parks where the public can interact with wild animals. Peaceful: Lion Park is a 2 km-square lion wildlife conservation enclosure in Gauteng province in South Africa and is home to over 80 lions including the rare white lions, among other species . 'It is possible to have physical contact with elephants, cheetahs, monkeys or lion cubs. 'The lion park is a very small reserve that includes two enclosure for lion cubs from different litters. 'Visitors can enter the enclosures and interact with very young and cute lions, as young as two months old, and bolder visitors can visit lion 'teenagers'. 'When the lions are eight months old they are at the limit of age for interaction with the public. 'The one in this picture was eight months old a few days later, this lioness and her siblings where removed from the enclosure and taken to the adult lions part of the park. 'I took this picture as a lion put its paw on my wife's shoulder. 'One can play with the lions and there are quite a lot of opportunities to take dramatic pictures of interactions. 'She was delighted as she loves interaction with animals.'

Lina Jek, 42, from Johannesburg, took picture at Lion Park near her home . She was posing for husband when lioness crept into frame and hugged her . The animal even stuck out her tongue and started licking Lina's left ear .

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Complaint: Ashley Jessica posted a video claiming she was touched inappropriately by a TSA agent . A video has been posted on the internet by a woman who claims she was 'violated' by a TSA agent during a full body check. Ashley Jessica, 25, from Toronto, Canada, claims the clip shows the female agent touching her unnecessarily at San Diego International Airport. Jessica is an activist who fronted an anti-TSA opt-out campaign last year which urged people  'to film the TSA and to post the footage . to youtube in an effort to raise awareness and to stop the tyrannical . practices of the TSA.' Jessica and her mother both requested a full body scan and took turns filming what they perceived as improper conduct. The footage, which lasts just over three minutes, captures the incident on 23 May. In the video Jessica repeatedly tells the unidentified TSA female agent not to touch her vagina, breasts, or her mother's private parts. Jessica told InfoWars.com . that she and her mother were told by the TSA agent that they would . undergo 'an extensive pat down which would involve going all the way up . the leg.' The TSA screener first placed her hand on Jessica’s breasts, prompting her response: 'Sorry, you just touched my boob.' After . Jessica tells the TSA agent that she does not want her breasts touched, . the TSA agent threatens to stop the screening process, effectively . prohibiting Jessica from flying. Scroll down for video . Claims: Ashley Jessica, a PhD student and researcher from Toronto, Canada, claims the clip shows the female agent touched her unnecessarily at San Diego International Airport . Complaint: The TSA screener first placed her hand on Jessica’s breasts, prompting her response: 'Sorry, you just touched my boob' The TSA screener first placed her hand on Jessica's breasts, prompting her response: 'Sorry, you just touched my boob.' Angry: 'She just touched my vagina, seriously, that was not my upper thigh,' said Jessica in the video clip . March: An airport security worker who discovered a container of pepper spray at JFK sprayed five of his colleagues with the chemical as he was 'playing around' with the canister. All six TSA screeners were taken to hospital, and security checks at JFK were said to have been held up for at least 15 minutes following the incident in Terminal 2. The PhD student and researcher agrees to allow the pat down to continue, but steps back in a obvious fashion when the TSA agent feels high up on the inner part of her leg. 'She just touched my vagina, seriously, that was not my upper thigh,' declares Jessica as she moves away from the agent. The day after the footage was Jessica . posted on her Twitter page: 'Was violated pretty badly by TSA at San . Diego International Airport yesterday. Video will be on my YouTube . channel.' When she posted it on YouTube several users wrote that the TSA agent was acting within guidelines. But Jessica hit back:'To all those people saying that I'm "overreacting" - if you went up to someone on the street and touched them like that you'd probably be arrested. It's really sad that so many people have habituated to this type of treatment.' The campaign Jessica fronted held a . weekend urging passengers to refuse 'to submit themselves to naked body . scanners or being groped.' In a bid to attract publicity Jessica has previously posted footage of her mother being given a pat down at Norfolk VA airport. She posted the footage on YouTube and . wrote: 'This TSA agent gives my mom the full grope-down at Norfolk VA . airport and then complains that my brother is violating her rights by . filming it. Oh the irony. 'He . began filming after I refused to proceed with my pat-down because I was . told by the TSA agent that she would be touching my behind over and . over again until I didn't flinch. She also told me that I had to let her . touch my other private areas with the backs of her hands or I would not . be permitted to fly.' In an interview last year she told her idea for the campaign stemmed from a 'bad experience.' 'I was ordered around like a prisoner by the TSA agent,' she said. Publicity: Jessica is an activist who fronted a national TSA opt-out campaign last year. She has previously posted footage of patdown's at airports in a bid to highlight her campaign, seen here . Campaign: Jessica has previously posted footage of her mother being given a pat down at Norfolk VA airport. She posted the footage on YouTube and wrote: 'This TSA agent gives my mom the full grope-down at Norfolk VA airport and then complains that my brother is violating her rights by filming it. Oh the irony' 'When it came to my behind, she pressed on it very hard, hard enough for me to jump forward . 'And I turned around and said to her what are you doing and she said you're not allowed to move while I pat you down. 'So . she continued to pat me and did it again and I jumped forward again and . at that point I said what what are you doing and she said I am going to . do  it over and over again and until you don't flinch. Outright abuse.' The TSA guidelines say: 'If a passenger cannot or chooses not to be screened by imaging technology or a walk-through metal detector, the passenger will be screened using a thorough patdown procedure instead. A patdown procedure also is used to resolve any alarms of a metal detector or anomalies identified by imaging technology.' They state that they must be performed by an officer of the same gender and 'the officer will explain the pat-down process before and during the pat-down.' Earlier this month a man was acquitted of indecent exposure after he stripped nude at airport security to protest against 'invasive measures' by the TSA. 'Invasive': John Brennan, from Portland, Oregon, stripped nude at airport security to protest against 'invasive measures' by the TSA at Portland International Airport . John . Brennan, from Portland, Oregon, had a showdown with a TSA agent who . said he found nitrates on Brennan's clothes at Portland International . Airport. Brennan took . offense to this and saw it as an accusation that he could be a . terrorist. The judge subsequently ruled it was an act of protest and . therefore protected speech. The Transportation Security Administration was formed in early 2002 following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The TSA told MailOnline: 'It is the passenger’s choice to either walk through the screening equipment or receive a secondary screening using a pat-down. 'In review of the closed-circuit video, it is abundantly clear that the two TSA officers conducting the pat-down carried out their responsibilities in a professional and polite manner and according to procedure, offering the passengers the opportunity to have the pat-down conducted in a private setting and taking time to explain each step along the way.'

Ashley Jessica is a a PhD student and researcher from Toronto, Canada . Filmed the clip at San Diego International Airport and posted it online . The video, which lasts just over three minutes, captures incident on 23 May .

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By . Sanchez Manning . For the sophisticated palates of the Chipping Norton Set, you might expect that nothing less than Waitrose would do. But now locals including David Cameron and Rebekah Brooks are poised to welcome a surprising addition to their town – Aldi. The budget foodstore has won planning permission to build an outlet on scrubland just 500 metres from the genteel High Street in the Cotswolds town. Aldi is planning to open a new store in the upmarket Chipping Norton, just off the town's High Street (file picture) It’s the latest sign of the middle classes turning in increasing numbers to Aldi and fellow German discount supermarket Lidl for their shopping. And the new store will give the Prime Minister the opportunity to counter accusations of elitism after he revealed himself to prefer Waitrose shopping earlier this year. Addressing John Lewis staff in April, he said: ‘I shop at various different supermarkets. I’m going to be honest with you. ‘When I’m at home in the constituency, I go to Sainsbury’s in Chipping Norton, because there isn’t a Waitrose. The Prime Minister had previously revealed himself to be a Waitrose customer . ‘When I’m having a day in the central town in my constituency, I go to Waitrose in Witney.’ Chipping Norton’s mayor Mike Tysoe said the new budget store has had an almost unanimous welcome from residents. He said: ‘It ticks all the boxes across the board in the community. The area isn’t just a chocolate box picture. There are a great many rural families on very tight budgets. ‘A lot of them go once or twice a month to Aldi in Banbury for a big shop. That’s a 28-mile round trip. They are extremely happy that they’ll no longer have to do that.’ Chipping Norton is not the only middle class bastion Aldi is set to gain a foothold in, with plans for 48 new stores this year – more than any of the other supermarkets. Other wealthy spots earmarked for the no-frills retailer include Harrogate in North Yorkshire, Epsom in Surrey and Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. Lidl, too, is expanding with plans for 15 more UK shops this year, including in upmarket places like Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.

Budget chain given go-ahead to build a store in exclusive Chipping Norton . Town is home to the Prime Minister and Rebekah Brooks . Store will be built on scrubland, 500 metres from genteel High Street . Comes as David Cameron admitted he prefers to shop in Waitrose .

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Aboard Development Driller III, Gulf of Mexico (CNN) -- The news? They can't watch it anymore. Outsiders criticizing their progress, saying they're not working fast enough or smart enough -- it's too much to bear. They understand how awful the situation is. They are, after all, working on the waters where friends and relatives died. Those losses, and the stories they hear from workers who survived the Deepwater Horizon explosion, are with them every day. It's a weight they carry as the world watches. These men and women are working to drill a relief well -- 16,000 to 18,000 feet below the seafloor, Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says. It is the only surefire way to stop the oil that's spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. "It takes time to dig a relief well safely and efficiently, which is what we're trying to do," Capt. Lee Crowe says. "Our goal is to stem the flow of oil -- the long-term solution, not the short-term solution." As of Thursday, BP says the drill for this relief well has reached a depth of 13,978 feet. See a BP image of both relief well statuses, last updated on May 30 . There are fewer than 200 workers on board at any one time. They are marine biologists, scientists, construction and tool experts. They must understand the physics of what they're doing. Simple hired hands? Not even close. They work on the rig in three-week shifts, living in simple quarters and eating in a space not unlike a school cafeteria. Mementos from home, pictures of the families they leave behind to do this work, appear on desks. Most of them come from Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas -- the very places that will be hardest hit by the oil-riddled waters. So for them, what they're doing is more than a job, the kind of job that's been passed on through generations. They are trying to protect their own homes. And they're trying to right what has gone so horribly wrong. "Part of the problem is that there is a lot of outside scrutiny on what it is that we're doing out here," Capt. Nick Schindler says. "The American population is wanting this well done. They want it now. We all want it done now. But we all have to understand that this is a well that killed 11 people ... and sunk a rig. So we're not going to speed up, and we're going to do this as safe as possible." To get to where disaster struck on April 20 takes a one-hour helicopter ride from New Orleans, Louisiana. From the air, heading out there, one can see efforts to contain the spreading oil. Large floating booms arc in the water to absorb the crude. The large black slicks or dark pools one might expect to see are not visible. Instead there are orange pancake-like deposits, the result of oil that's been exposed to the elements. Allen, during the flight, notices what no outsider can. The shifting winds change the flow trajectory in the water. Based on this, he predicts Pensacola, Florida, will be hit with oil in a couple of days. A couple of days later, it is. But the smell -- like fresh tar -- can't be missed by anyone. It only grows stronger as the Coast Guard helicopter reaches its destination, landing on Development Driller III. Across the water, Development Driller II works on the backup relief well, while Discover Enterprise tries to cap the gushing oil. It is beneath that rig that underwater cameras are trained on the oil the world is seeing. Support vessels between the three rigs are busy offering their own help to the massive effort. Two boats fire fresh water from their sterns, a move meant to lessen the fumes emanating from the contaminated water. Safety is top of mind on this rig. Visitors landing on the rig must go downstairs to watch a safety video, take off accessories like earrings and put on a hard hat, goggles and steel-toed boots. A woman working at a desk thanks the CNN crew for finally telling the workers' story. Nearby, on a table, are copies of a special magazine memorializing the Deepwater Horizon workers who died. The operation is enormous, the equipment and technicalities overwhelming. In meeting rooms, screens monitor progress and maps dot walls. The diagrams the Coast Guard admiral draws to help explain matters leave a journalist's head spinning. But he tries to explain in simple terms. "The intention is to intercept the wellbore, well down below the surface near the reservoir, then pump heavy mud in to counteract the pressure of the oil coming up," Allen says. "That will allow them to basically plug or kill the well. Once that's done, you could do things like remove the blowout preventer, bring it to the surface and try to find out what happened." Get a taste of the chaos that is Adm. Thad Allen's life . On deck, it's a loud and constant operation. Voices call back and forth, giving directions amid massive equipment that towers above. People operating the drill and two cranes maneuver across the rig in a carefully orchestrated ballet. The incessant drilling brings an endless vibration. There is no idle chit-chat for these Transocean employees, who are working 12-hour shifts, around the clock. It's intense, serious, focused. "I just want everybody to know that we're doing everything we possibly can," says Schindler. "We're not going to rush. We're not going to hurt anybody. We're going to protect everybody, and we're going to remember that this is a place where we had a catastrophic event."

CNN's Kyra Phillips gets exclusive access to rig drilling relief well to stop gushing oil . Workers put in 12-hour days and feel weight of world watching and criticizing them . The men and women feel the loss of friends and family who died in waters there . "We're doing everything we possibly can," but must stay safe, not rush, captain says .

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Being chased by a giant mutant spider is enough to send most people into a fit of terror. So it's not surprising that this pooch caused quite a stir when she was let loose disguised as a terrifying eight-legged beast. Chica the DogSpider is the work of Polish prankster Sylwester Wardega, who dressed up his pooch in the fur-covered costume before releasing her on an unsuspecting public. A hilarious video, which has had more than three million views on YouTube in just one day, shows the hairy creature lurking behind doorways, ready to pounce on its victims. See the original video from SA Wardega. See more insane videos from SA Wardega. Innocent: Chica the dog is dressed up as a giant spider before being let loose on the unsuspecting public . Harmless: The terrifying pooch sets off to cause havoc on the streets of Poland at night . Deadly: Chica stands on top of a lifeless man in an elevator - waiting to pounce on its next victims . In one scene, a man taking out his garbage flees for his life when Chica emerges from behind a door, while in another, two girls scream and run after seeing the creature atop a lifeless man in an elevator. Later in the video, a couple spot a flinching man wrapped up in a 'spider web' hanging from a tree in a park and the man bravely creeps towards it, while his girlfriend stays rooted in her position. But his courage is quickly forgotten when DogSpider emerges from the shadows - and chases him right out of the park. Viewers have to feel particularly sorry for one man in a train station, who comes across fake, bloody body parts hanging from more string webs. Terrifying: Two women who were waiting for the life run for their lives after seeing the prowling pooch . Spooked: The women are filmed running across a parking lot to escape the terrifying creature . He's behind you! Another passerby unwittingly gets trapped in a waiting web while trying to flee Chica . Fright: This man leaps in the air when coming face-to-face with DogSpider as he lurks in the dark . Run for it! Chica emerges from behind the door and scuttles towards the man as he takes off . Friend or foe? In the daytime, Chica looks adorable - but it's a very different story once night falls . He stops to take photographs of the limbs before the massive spider scurries behind him - forcing him to run off the platform and straight into a waiting web. He manages to escape just as DogSpider nears. 'This is funny as hell,' one YouTube viewer commented. 'My only hope is that the people pranked in this video will be whatever means find out that [it] isn't real. I mean, I'd be SCARRED for LIFE.' A Facebook page has also been set up for the now popular pooch. Wardega has made other prank videos, including Spider Man - who hangs from subway carts, catches rides on the back of trains and sprays a 'web' at passersby. But there are other creepy ones too, including a Slender Man figure that lurks in parks.

Video shows passersby coming face-to-face with Chica the DogSpider . Fear not - it's simply the work of Polish prankster Sylwester Wardega .

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By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 17:25 EST, 12 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:25 EST, 12 November 2013 . Miss Teen USA California Cassidy Wolf arrives to the Premiere of "Wiener Dog Nationals" at Pacific Theatre at The Grove on June 18, 2013 in Los Angeles, California . A 19-year-old Southern California computer science student pleaded guilty Tuesday to hacking the computers of Miss Teen USA and other women and secretly photographing them with their own webcams. Jared James Abrahams, of Temecula, answered a series of questions from U.S. District Judge James Selna in an Orange County courtroom, including an explanation of the crimes that were committed. 'I hacked several girls' computers and, using their webcams, took photos of them when they weren't aware,' Abrahams said meekly. Abrahams pleaded guilty to three counts of extortion and one count of unauthorized access of a computer. He faces up to 11 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million when he's sentenced in March. Over the past two years, Abrahams hacked into the computers of at least a dozen women in their late teens or early 20s from various states and countries, including Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf. The pair attended Great Oaks High School together for four years, . graduating in 2012. Scroll Down for Video . Guilty: Jared James Abrahams appears outside the Santa Ana, CA., court in September after posting $50,000 bail for his release . Court records say he also sent the women anonymous emails telling them he had downloaded nude photos of them. He told them he would publish the images on social media sites if they didn't send him additional pictures or undress for him. If the women complied, Abrahams promised to destroy the images. At least two of his victims gave in to his demands, authorities said. 'Did you know you were extorting them when you made these demands?' Selna asked. 'Yes,' Abrahams responded. Dressed in matching gray pants and shirt with a black jacket, Abrahams told the judge he has autism and has been under treatment for the past 10 years. He said he was on three medications Tuesday, but he said they wouldn't affect his ability to enter a guilty plea. Outside court, his attorney Alan Eisner said Abrahams apologizes for his actions. He said the autism played a contributing role in the scheme. 'The social disorder had, certainly, a part in it,' Eisner said. 'Again, I say that not to blame the conduct on anything, not to make an excuse for the conduct, but that's part of the full picture.' In Wolf's case, Abrahams was able to take nude photos of her without her knowledge, authorities said. He posted a naked photo of Wolf online after she didn't respond to him. Watch Video Here: . [captio . According to an FBI affidavit, Abrahams told Wolf: 'Your dream of being a model will be transformed into a pornstar.' Wolf, also 19 and a graduate of Great Oak High School in Temecula, won the Miss Teen USA crown in August. She has spoken publicly about the incident, saying she would use her fame to highlight cybercrime. Abrahams is accused of employing similar hacking tactics used by a Florida man who was sentenced to 10 years in prison last year after he broke into the personal online accounts of Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera and other women and posted revealing photos and other material online. In September, Wolf told the website of NBC's "Today" show that earlier this year she received an anonymous email in which the sender claimed to have stolen images from the camera on her home computer. The sender of the email threatened to go public with images captured from Wolf's webcam unless she would provide nude pictures of herself, Eimiller said - a crime commonly known as 'sextortion.' Instead, Wolf went to authorities, and an investigation was launched in March. Shock: Cassidy Wolf, from California, was crowned as Miss Teen USA 2013 in the Bahamas . A federal complaint filed on Sept. 17 and unsealed Thursday charges Jared James Abrahams with extortion but Eimiller said other charges are possible. An FBI agent's affidavit, included in the complaint, contends that Abrahams used malicious software to remotely operate webcams to capture nude photos and videos of at least seven women as they changed clothes - some of whom he knew personally and others he found by hacking Facebook pages. The agent alleged that Abrahams, when interviewed, acknowledged controlling 30 to 40 hacked computers and extorting some women. Abrahams, a college freshman majoring in computer science, allegedly would use the women's webcams to capture nude images, then send emails threatening to post them on their hacked social media accounts unless they either sent him nude photos, a nude video, or logged onto the Skype video chat service and follow his orders for five minutes. Beauty queen: Months ahead of the pageant, 19-year-old Wolf (left) was the victim of the cyber-crime . Warning: She now visits local schools to warn others of her story and to give tips in online safety . He allegedly threatened Wolf that unless she heeded his demands, he would release her nude photos 'all over the Internet' and 'your dream of being a model will be transformed into a pornstar.' According to the affidavit, the victims included several women from other countries. One teenager in Ireland responded to the demands by writing: 'Please remember I'm 17. Have a heart,' according to the court record. Abrahams allegedly responded: 'I'll tell you this right now! I do NOT have a heart. However, I do stick to my deals. Also age doesn't mean a thing to me!!!' The girl then allegedly stripped during a Skype session, according to the FBI affidavit. A woman in Canada also stripped, according to the document. He also allegedly received webcam photographs from women in Southern California, Baltimore and Russia, according to the court document.

Jared James Abrahams, a 19-year-old Southern California computer science student pleaded guilty to hacking the computer of Miss Teen USA . Abrahams pleaded guilty to three counts of extortion and one count of unauthorized access of a computer . He faces up to 11 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million when he's sentenced in March . Abrahams and Wolf went to the same high school .

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By . Bianca London . The school leavers' ball - or prom, as they are increasingly called - is one of the landmark events in a teenage . girl's life, marking the end of years of hard work. It has become a crucial rite of passage for teenagers everywhere. But for 16-year-old Terri Calvesbert her school prom was even more significant than most. Terri was scarred for life in a devastating fire at her home in Ipswich, Suffolk, when she was a two-year-old baby. Big celebration: Terri Calvesbert, 16, who was scarred for life after being caught in a house fire aged two, dressed up for her school leavers' prom with her friends and said she had a 'wonderful evening' But as Terri leaves her school days behind and heads off to college in September, she joined her friends from Westbourne Academy at its school prom in Henley at the weekend. And, of course, there was only one way for the excited teen to arrive in style - in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. Like most other teenagers, she was slightly nervous before the prom, but once on her way, Terri had a great time. She said: 'It was really nice to be with my friends and with the teachers. It was a wonderful evening. Having a ball: Terri Calvesbert and students from the former Westbourne Sports College enjoyed their evening held at All Manor of Events in Henley . 'There were more than 100 people there and it was just great to have such a good night out.' Her whole family turned out to see Terri head off to the big evening - father Paul, 40, was joined by his wife Nicky, 45, and grandparents Mick and Margaret. And when Terri arrived at the school prom at All Manor of Events at Henley she was the star of the show as she was cheered by her school friends. The teenager is now hoping to relax . during the summer before learning how she has done in her GCSE exams . when the results come out next month. Pain: Terri Calvesbert, pictured left as a baby before the fire, and right today after more than 50 operations . Sending her off in style: Of course, there was only one way for the excited teen to arrive in style - in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce . Terri is planning to go on to study animal care at Otley College, . Ipswich, in September to open the next chapter in her life. Paul said he had been very proud to see his daughter go off to the prom and enjoy life like any other teenager. 'She loved it. 'She's been a bit tired after a couple of busy days but she's really been able to enjoy herself,' he said. A big send off: Terri's dad Paul and wife Nicky and her grandparents Mick and Margaret gathered to watch her head off for prom. Paul said he had been very proud to see his precious daughter go off to the prom and enjoy life like any other teenager . Terri Calvesbert nearly died from 90 per cent burns after the fire when she was just 23 months old when her mother accidentally left a lit cigarette in her bedroom. Firefighters attending the scene thought they had found a 'charred doll' when they saw Terri's body. Horrifically, the only part of her body that escaped burns was the patch of skin protected by her wet nappy. Doctors at specialist burns unit in . Chelmsford thought Terri Calvesbert, then just 18 months old, would die . from the burns, but incredibly, she pulled through. Terri lost her hair, nose and eyelids in . the devastating blaze. Her mother, Ms Minter, then 32, was so wracked with guilt after the episode that she cut off almost all contact with her husband and daughter. The two have since discussed the incident and Ms Minter says Terri has forgiven her. Scarred for life: Terri Calvesbert nearly died from 90 per cent burns after the fire when she was just 23 months old whereby her mother accidentally left a cigarette in her bedroom . Terri now lives with her . father Paul, a community fire volunteer and stepmother Nicky. Ms Minter left the family just two . months after the accident, and Terri has had more than 50 painful . operations since then to stretch her scarred skin. The teenager, who wears a blonde wig, will continue to need surgery and skin grafts for the rest of her life. Her plight has touched thousands of hearts and donations have poured in from all over the world. Inspiring courage: Young Terri meets Prince Charles at St James's Palace in 2001 . Her plight has touched thousands of hearts and donations have poured in from all over the world (L) with Tony and Cherie Blair in 2001 as she was honoured for her courage and (R) with Victoria Beckham . The future: The teenager, who wears a blonde wig, will continue to need surgery and skin grafts for the rest of her life .

Terri Calvesbert was scarred for life in house fire aged two . Firefighters thought little girl was a 'charred doll' when they found her . Lost face and hands in the blaze and has undergone multiple operations . Terri, 16, from Ipswich celebrated school prom with friends . Said it was a wonderful evening. 'She loved it,' her father said . Now plans to study animal care after GCSE results come in .

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Facebook, owned by Mark Zuckerberg, has been accused of 'refusing to listen' to the voice of the British public . Facebook 'refused to listen to the voice' of the British public by channelling profits through Ireland to avoid the taxman in the UK, an MP said last night. The move by the social network meant it paid just £1.8million in Irish tax on more than £2.3billion of global sales, but none in Britain. The accusation came as details of the social network's efforts to avoid paying UK tax emerged, just days after Chancellor George Osborne announced a crackdown on multinational companies using 'elaborate structures' to avoid paying up. Around 46 per cent (£2.35billion) of Facebook's global sales where channelled through Ireland - allowing the company to make profits of £2.3billion. Its tax bill was reduced further by paying £2.29billion in 'administrative expenses' to Facebook's parent company, The Guardian reported. Shifting the money meant Mark Zuckerberg's company only paid the equivalent of £1.81million in Irish tax on taxable profits of £5.76million. By channelling its UK sales through Ireland, Facebook has avoided paying any tax in Britain for two years running - despite 33 million Brits having accounts. Labour MP Margaret Hodge, chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said Facebook was 'still refusing to listen to the voice of public opinion'. She added that the social network appeared to be 'using elaborate corporate structures and artificial devices for no purpose other than to avoid tax'. Ms Hodge said: 'We have to take tough to crack down on this behaviour, and the UK should be leading the way on this issue.' The UK boss of Starbucks, which has only paid £8.6m tax despite making £3billion in British sales since it first opened its doors in 1998, also admitted this week that it would not start paying corporation tax for the next three years. Google paid £20m in UK tax last year despite its British revenue totalling £5.6billion. Facebook paid just £1.8million in tax on more than £2.3billion of advert sales channelled through Ireland, avoiding the UK taxman for the second year running . Chancellor George Osborne, in his Autumn Statement on Wednesday, announced a measure, dubbed the 'Google tax', which will impose a 25 per cent levy on profits shifted abroad by multinational companies. It is hoped that the measure will raise more than £1billion over the next five years. He said: 'Some of the largest companies in the world, including those in the tech sector, use elaborate structures to avoid paying taxes. 'That's not fair to other British firms. It's not fair to British people either. Today we're putting a stop to it. My message is consistent and clear: low taxes, but low taxes that will be paid.' Facebook have been contacted for comment.

Facebook paid £1.8million in Irish tax on more than £2.3billion global sales . Social network has been accused of channelling profits through Ireland . This has allowed the company to avoid tax in the UK for two years running . Facebook 'refused to listen' to British public by not paying UK tax, MP says . Margaret Hodge called for 'tough action' on multinational companies . Chancellor says he will 'put a stop' to firms avoiding paying tax in Britain .

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Former figure skater Johnny Weir has announced that he and his husband Victor Voronov have broken up after two years of marriage. The Olympics commentator, 29, revealed the split on Twitter on Wednesday, writing: 'It is with great sadness that I announce that my husband and I are no longer together. My heart hurts and I wish him well.' The couple, who were married two years ago, parted ways after Weir's packed schedule meant he was too busy to spend time or take a vacation with his attorney husband, TMZ Sports reported. Divorcing: Johnny Weir (right) has broken up with husband Victor Voronov (left). The former ice-skating champion announced the split Wednesday on Twitter . Violence at home: The couple appeared together earlier this month to get a domestic dispute case dismissed. Voronov accused Weir of biting him about a month before the Olympics . Voronov had supported his husband's . career, according to the site, but they had only seen each other two or . three times in the past month and their plans for a holiday were repeatedly stalled. Their relationship also ran into trouble recently when Voronov accused Weir of biting him in a police report. But . the couple put on a united front when they convinced a New Jersey judge . to throw out the domestic dispute case earlier this month. The former figure skater, whose commentary during Sochi established him as one of its biggest stars, appeared to still be with Voronov when they attended Lyndhurst Municipal Court on March 4 to get the case dismissed. Voronov, a lawyer, filed a police report about a month before the Olympics claiming the former ice skating champion had bit him, a source told RadarOnline. The pair put . on a united front, with Voronov placing his hand on his husband's knee . and whispering into his ear, the website reported. Happier times: Weir and Voronov got married on New Year's Eve 2011, shortly after the former figure skater came out as gay . Weir, dressed in an unusually somber black outfit, caught the attention of the judge, who commented 'Nice hairdo!' as he approached the bench. The couple asked the Lyndhurst Municipal Court judge to dismiss the case, and it was granted. Leaving the court, Weir told Radar: 'It is a private matter I do not wish to discuss.' Police and court officials declined to reveal further details because it is a domestic dispute case. Weir officially came out as . gay in his memoir Welcome to My World in 2011, citing a recent string of gay . suicides as his reason to be open about his sexuality. On New Year's Eve that year, he married Voronov, a Georgetown Law graduate. Stars of Sochi: Weir and fellow skater Tara Lipinski were applauded for their colorful commentary in Sochi . Popular: Weir scored fans with his quirky wardrobe, left, and an invitation with Lipinksi to the Oscars, right . Ahead of the nuptials, Weir told . IceNetwork that Voronov, who comes from a Russian family but grew up in . Atlanta, was 'kind of everything that I've ever looked for and aspired . to be in a relationship with'. He went on: 'We've known for a long time and we reconnected over the summer, and it's just been a whirlwind. 'He's . wonderful. He's in the legal field, completely separate from all of my . razzle dazzle. He loves watching me perform and seeing what I actually . do.' But in February, he told Access Hollywood that the relationship could be fiery. 'A marriage between two guys is different than what I imagine a marriage between a man and a woman [to be],' he said. 'I mean, we're both constantly trying to fight to wear the pants in the relationship. It's constant fireworks. It's very boom, boom, boom.' Champion on ice: Weir competed in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, finishing sixth place in the men's single competition .

The former figure skater and Olympics commentator, 29, announced the break up with Victor Voronov on Twitter on Wednesday . 'My heart hurts and I wish him well,' Weir wrote . Sources claim that Weir's busy schedule meant they never got time together and that a planned vacation was repeatedly stalled . The couple, who married 2 years ago, were at the center of a recent domestic dispute case in which Voronov accused Weir of biting him . Weir previously said there are 'constant fireworks' in the relationship .

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Claims: Aurelie Filippetti, 40, France's glamorous Culture and Media Minister alleges that her relationship with Thomas Piketty came to a violent end . His glamorous media image and radical ideas have seen him dubbed the ‘rock star’ economist. But Thomas Piketty – whose bestselling book, Capital In The Twenty-First Century, has been hailed by Unite union boss Len McCluskey and Ed Miliband’s most trusted adviser, Stewart Wood – is actually a woman beater, a ex-lover has claimed. Aurelie Filippetti, 40, France’s glamorous Culture and Media Minister, had a relationship with Mr Piketty, 42, which she alleges came to a violent end. A Socialist Party source, who was . close to the couple when they shared a flat on Paris’s Left Bank, said: . ‘Frankly, she views him as a woman beater who used violence as a . solution to their domestic problems. The details of what Thomas did to . Aurélie are quite shocking – they drove her to contemplate suicide. ‘Many . believed the complaints about Thomas were politically motivated, but . Aurelie herself spoke about them often in private. She was desperate to . bring Thomas to justice. ‘It was one of the darkest periods of her life.’ Although the pair have both attempted . to keep their private lives a secret, records show that on February 6, . 2009, Ms Filippetti attended a Paris police station to lodge a complaint . about an attack. Soon . afterwards Mr Piketty was investigated for ‘violence between domestic . partners’ – a crime that carries a jail sentence of up to 14 years. At the time, Ms Filippetti was  a spokeswoman for the Socialist Party, then in opposition, which Mr Piketty was also advising on economic policy. Both were close to Segolene Royal, the party’s 2007 presidential candidate and the mother of president Francois Hollande’s four children. An investigating officer confirmed: ‘The . complaint was examined very thoroughly. The accuser was in a very . distressed state on the day she attended the police station and did not . leave until close to midnight.’ Arrested: Thomas Piketty confirmed he had been arrested and held in custody but disputed the allegations . Police also confirmed  that the accusations included Ms Filippetti ‘having been hit’ and that she had  a medical examination. Mr Piketty was formally charged on March 17, 2009. But the politician then asked for the charges to be dropped – apparently because she did not want her daughter Clara, now 15, to hear details of the claims. Mr Piketty – a professor at  the Paris School of Economics – originally described the claims  as ‘stories from the gutter’. A . spokesman for Ms Filippetti said: ‘Mr Piketty has recognised the facts . of the violence against Ms Filippetti  and apologised, so in the . interests of the families  and children she did  not proceed.’ Last . night Mr Piketty confirmed he had been arrested and held in custody but . disputed the allegations: ‘The case closed five years ago. There was no . factual or legal basis to pursue it.’ Economist: Thomas Piketty's bestselling book, Capital In The Twenty-First Century, has been hailed by Unite union boss Len McCluskey and Ed Miliband¿s most trusted adviser, Stewart Wood .

Aurelie Filippetti claims her relationship with Piketty came to a violent end . Records show she lodged a complaint with police in February 2009 . Economist was investigated for 'violence between domestic partners' He was formally charged before she asked for the charges to be dropped . Piketty confirmed he was arrested but disputes the allegations .

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By . Jack Doyle . PUBLISHED: . 19:20 EST, 6 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:41 EST, 6 November 2013 . Damaging: Oliver Robbins, the deputy national security adviser, said articles based on confidential files leaked by US fugitive Edward Snowden, pictured, exposed the capabilities of the intelligence and security agencies . Newspaper stories based on stolen top secret documents have caused ‘real and serious damage’ to Britain’s national security, a senior official warned yesterday. Oliver Robbins, the deputy national security adviser, said articles based on confidential files leaked by US fugitive Edward Snowden exposed the capabilities of the intelligence and security agencies. As a result, they risked helping terrorists evade detection and endangering the lives of British service personnel. His stark warning came at the start of a judicial review into the use of counter-terrorism powers to detain and question David Miranda, the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, by the police and Security Service earlier this year. Mr Miranda was stopped at Heathrow Airport on August 18 and found to be carrying 58,000 documents, part of the cache stolen by Mr Snowden from the US National Security Agency. He was held for nine hours. He later revealed he had no idea what he was carrying for Mr Greenwald, prompting descriptions of him as a ‘document mule’. Matthew Ryder QC, for Mr Miranda, told the High Court yesterday that the use of the Terrorism Act 2000 to seize the materials was a ‘disproportionate interference with his right to freedom of expression’. The Home Office argues that MI5 had a duty to stop him and seize the documents to protect national security. In a written submission handed to the court, Mr Robbins said the Government was ‘extremely concerned’ about the damaging reporting attributed to the highly classified material stolen by Edward Snowden.’ He said it risked making it easier for ‘foreign states to identify our intelligence officers and take steps against them’ The hearing, before Lord Justice Laws, Mr Justice Ouseley and Mr Justice Openshaw, concludes tomorrow. Case: His warning came at the start of a judicial review into the use of counter-terrorism powers to detain David Miranda, left, the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, right, by the police earlier this year . In court: The hearing, before Lord Justice Laws, Mr Justice Ouseley and Mr Justice Openshaw at the High Court, pictured, concludes tomorrow .

Deputy national security adviser said security agencies were compromised . Oliver Robbins said Snowden articles endangered British service personnel .

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World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson presented the jerseys to Wigan on the eve of Saturday's Super League Grand Final. The former England fly-half, who retired at Toulon the end of last season, was invited to perform the honours by ex-Great Britain full-back Kris Radlinski, the Warriors' rugby general manager. 'Privileged to have my shirt presented by @JonnyWilkinson himself! Legend,' tweeted centre Dan Sarginson. Dan Sarginson, tweeted a picture with Jonny Wilkinson after the union star presented him his jersey . Sarginson, here making a tackle in the semi-final, said meeting former the England fly-half was a privilege . The St Helens players were presented with their shirts by one of the club's all-time greats, Tom Van Vollenhoven, who flew in from South Africa for the match at Old Trafford. Defending champions Wigan will face table toppers Saints in the season's showpiece hoping for a third title in five years. Wilkinson was the iconic figure in Rugby Union for more than a decade, including winning the World Cup .

Former England Rugby Union star on hand to inspire league stars . Dan Sarginson 'privileged' to receive shirt from Wilkinson . Wigan meet St Helen's at Old Trafford in Saturday's Grand Final .

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Princeton, New Jersey (CNN) -- After the Republicans and Democrats met at the White House summit on health care, it was clear that the parties are very far away from a bipartisan agreement. Indeed, few participants walked away with the sense that they were any closer to a deal. The White House did make clear that it was willing to move forward on health care without Republican support. The choice now becomes whether Democrats should use the budget reconciliation process to pass some parts of health care legislation. According to recent reports, Democrats are considering having the House pass the bill that was already approved in the Senate and then dealing with a package of additional reforms through reconciliation. Programs that are considered under the reconciliation process are not subject to a Senate filibuster. Democrats would only need 51 votes, not 60, to pass those parts of the bill that are included under reconciliation. Reconciliation was created through the Budget Reform Act of 1974 in an effort to streamline the budget process, strengthen the ability of Congress to make tough decisions regarding deficits, and to make legislative decision-making more efficient. Congress quickly expanded on the types of measures that could be considered under reconciliation until 1985 and 1986, when the Senate passed rules proposed by Sen. Robert Byrd that limited what could or could not be included when using this process. Before moving forward, Democrats must consider two questions. The first is whether using reconciliation to pass health care is legitimate or an abuse of the process. Republicans have charged that this would be akin to forcing the program through the chamber rather than passing the bill through negotiation and compromise. On this question, the answer is easy. Reconciliation has been as much a part of the Senate in the past three decades as the filibuster. According to an article that was published in The New Republic, Congress passed 22 reconciliation bills between 1980 and 2008. Many important policy changes were enacted through this process, including the Children's Health Insurance Program, COBRA (which allows people who switch jobs to keep their health care), student aid reform, expansions in Medicaid and several major tax cuts. NPR's Julie Rovner reported that most of the health care reforms enacted in the past two decades have gone through reconciliation. President Ronald Reagan was one of the first presidents to make aggressive use of reconciliation when he pushed through his economic program in 1981. Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker said then that speed had been essential because "Every day that this is delayed makes it more difficult to pass. This is an extraordinary proposal, and these are extraordinary times." Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all used reconciliation as well. It is worth noting that these presidents, particularly George W. Bush, also made use of sweeping executive power to circumvent Congress altogether. The second question is more difficult and it involves perceptions. If the Democratic leadership wants to use this tactic, they have to convince enough members of their own party that this won't scare off independent voters. This argument was harder to make in 2009 than in 2010. But after a year of dealing with paralysis in the Senate and highly effective Republican obstruction, more Democrats are coming on board. The leadership must be proactive in responding to the criticism about reconciliation. They will have to explain that reconciliation is a legitimate process by pointing to the history. They will also have to connect the dots for voters frustrated with the ineffective government by explaining that the constant use of the filibuster has turned the Senate into a supermajority institution where both parties have found it extraordinarily difficult -- virtually impossible -- to pass major legislation.On this point, Republicans and Democrats actually agree. Indeed, as Democrats make this decision, Kentucky Republican Senator Jim Bunning is objecting to a unanimous consent order and single-handedly preventing the Senate from passing an important bill to assist unemployed workers. Democrats must also convince hesitant colleagues that the payoff could be greater than the cost. While, in the short-term, Republicans will complain that their opponents have rammed through social policy in some sort of unnatural procedural move, Democrats are facing these kinds of intense attacks anyway. Right now, Democrats are receiving the brunt of Republican attacks without being able to pass much legislation. If they pass health care, they will be able to respond to the arguments of the GOP, not just by complaining that Republicans obstruct everything, but by pointing to specific benefits such as lowering premiums by expanding how many people purchase coverage and bringing tens of millions of Americans into the health care system. In certain respects, the White House made the use of reconciliation more difficult by initially accepting the notion that 60 votes were needed to pass legislation through the Senate. After the election of Sen. Scott Brown, R-Massachusetts, a decision to refocus on procedures that only depend on 51 votes makes it more vulnerable to the attacks of manipulating the process. But in other respects, the administration now has a better political opportunity to use reconciliation. After a year, the public has seen just how dysfunctional Senate procedures can be in an era when filibusters are common. With a public that is frustrated by Washington, as the polls show, the Democrats might be able to persuade a sufficient number of their colleagues to go along. If they don't, one thing is for certain: Democrats will go into election day facing voters who are hearing all the complaints about their party but seeing very little in terms of what they can deliver on health care. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian E. Zelizer.

Democrats are considering using method to pass health bill with 50, not 60 Senate votes . Julian Zelizer says the process has been used many times in recent decades . He says Democrats have difficult political choice of whether to move ahead . Zelizer: If they don't, they will be on the defensive anyway and have no accomplishment .

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By . Ian Parkes, Press Association . Niki Lauda has apologised in person to all at Ferrari following his derogatory remarks made in the wake of Sunday's German Grand Prix. Mercedes non-executive chairman and three-times Formula One champion, with two of those titles won with Ferrari in 1975 and 1977, described the Maranello marque's current car as 's***'. It resulted in an apology, via Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport, to Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo and to the Ferrrari fans. 'I was wrong and I do not make any excuses,' said Lauda. Sorry: Niki Lauda has issued an apology to Ferrari following his comments in the wake of the German GP . Now the Austrian has gone a step further and spoken with Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci at the Hungaroring, scene of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. 'Everybody is free to make comments,' said Mattiacci. 'I have the utmost respect for Niki Lauda. For me, he is an iconic figure from my childhood, and in particular for Ferrari. 'He came to our pit to apologise. I honestly felt very uncomfortable that I should receive an excuse from such a champion who has been put in the middle of something. 'It's clear he is a friend of Ferrari, and again I have the utmost respect for Niki, so chapter closed.' Italian job: Ferrari have endured a difficult campaign. They are 4th in the championship behind Williams .

Lauda made the remark following the German Grand Prix . Three-time world champion, and former Ferrari driver, has since apologised . Austrian said: 'I was wrong' and 'I do not make any excuses' Lauda has spoken with Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci in Hungary .

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By . Christopher Stevens . PUBLISHED: . 17:30 EST, 7 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:54 EST, 7 March 2014 . When it comes to 'corporate firefighting' and 'pan-functional team-building', there's only one man for the job - Ian Fletcher, Hugh Bonneville's hilariously incompetent Head of Deliverance in the Olympics comedy Twenty Twelve. And now he's back in a brand new sitcom that will have us falling about with laughter again, even if we haven't got a clue what he's on about. This time, in W1A, he has the bigwigs at Broadcasting House in his sights - or as Hugh puts it, he aims to 'clarify, define, or re-define the core purpose of the BBC across all its functions'. Ian Fletcher arrives at the BBC with his trusty bike in the new comedy W1A . Twenty Twelve, which ran for two series and won a Best Sitcom BAFTA, was a runaway success, sending up the London 2012 Games and the managerial chaos behind them. The show launched to tiny audiences on BBC4 and quickly became a word-of-mouth success, as the understated humour and all-too-believable characters caught on. But after it transferred to BBC2, millions caught up with the running gags about jargon and managerial incompetence. The big-name stars helped - not just Hugh, whose character was in charge of everything from publicity to traffic lights, but Olivia Colman, who played his long-suffering PA and ardent admirer Sally Owen. She was the only efficient person in the Olympic Deliverance HQ and all the work fell on her shoulders, but she was willing to do anything for her beloved boss. Olivia Coleman won a BAFTA for her role as Sally Owen in Twenty Twelve . Her performance won Olivia a BAFTA too, for Best Female Comedy Performance. The show was never expected to have a sequel - 'The clue to that was in the name,' jokes writer and director John Morton. But . it won such acclaim that inevitably some of its central characters have . found themselves in new careers... and where better than the BBC? 'I never expected there to be a sequel to Twenty Twelve, the clue is in the name' John Morton . W1A's premise is simple. Swamped by bad headlines and desperate for the licence fee to be renewed, the governors of the BBC need someone to steady the ship. And of course, since the Olympics were such a success, they bring in Ian Fletcher - unaware of all the behind-the-scenes disasters he'd been embroiled in... or had caused. With a wry smile, Hugh says that the BBC has been offered 'a lot of learning opportunities in recent years' - management-speak for the catalogue of crises that have engulfed the corporation. 'It was only a matter of time before the BBC reached out for a new Head of Values - and Ian was the man for the job,' says Hugh, who promises that his folding bicycle, the perfect symbol for his eco-friendly ethics and ridiculous image, will also make a comeback... even if his character still hasn't mastered the technique of folding it without severing a finger. The first obstacle he encounters when he arrives at Broadcasting House is the BBC's new 'hot-desking' policy that allows anyone to work anywhere, meaning they must lug their laptops around with them too. 'In the first episode, I think the defining message is how to find a desk,' says Hugh. The writer of Twenty Twelve, John Morton, said he never expected to create a sequel . 'Because the wonderful, open-plan, hot-desking principle at the BBC, which really doesn't allow you to sit down for any longer than five minutes, keeps the corporation quite literally on its toes. Ian is very keen to get the message across that his office door is always open, the only downfall being that there is no office.' John Morton, who created both Twenty Twelve and W1A, calls Hugh 'the funniest straight-man actor in Britain. He's consistently funny, even when he's not saying anything. My favourite moments are when another character is talking nonsense and the camera cuts to Hugh. Before he says a line, the comedy effect has been doubled by the expression on his face. The secret lies behind his eyes. Hugh brings a really elusive quality - he's able to give you access to what he must be thinking but not saying.' With the BBC 'brand' set to be such a crucial worldwide asset, they also hire the jargon-spouting PR consultant who handled the Olympics publicity - Siobhan Sharpe (played by Jessica Hynes) who is Ian's biggest nightmare. It's a chance for the characters (who cordially loathe each other) to 're-meet and recalibrate their relationship', as Hugh puts it with a laugh. Siobhan's greatest regret is that she isn't American. She doesn't do lunch, or relationships - they're both for wimps - and when she opens her mouth, verbiage tumbles out. 'If you get bandwidth on this, you've got maple syrup on your waffle at the get-go.' And there are new characters, including a Head of Output with the power to veto any programme, played by Sarah Parish. Sarah's career has been in overdrive for the past year, including a starring role in the Saturday teatime blockbuster Atlantis; in W1A she gets to play a blustering bully called Anna. 'She's this high-powered, frightening, intimidating, very definite person,' explains Sarah. 'When she makes a decision, she makes it. Unfortunately it's always wrong! She's good at talking the talk. When Ian Fletcher arrives, Anna is quite defensive: she's suspicious of him, just in case he actually does know what he's talking about!' Jessica Hynes will return as her character Siobhan in W1A . Real-life BBC executives might be expected to feel more than a little anxious about a satire set in their own offices. But Morton insists the top brass have left the actors to get on with it, and that senior managers have not even asked to see a script, let alone demanded cuts or rewrites. It might ruffle a few feathers, though, he warns. 'This is certainly no love letter to the BBC, but it is a gentle satire. It's benign... even if that's not fashionable.' It's more than just a laugh at the BBC's expense, even though the title is a direct reference to the postcode of Broadcasting House in London, where the series was actually filmed. The cast hope that, as with Twenty Twelve, millions of viewers will spot the resemblance to their own working lives. 'Twenty Twelve was about satirising management structure and management speak,' says Hugh, . 'and all the pitfalls of a team trying to do something en masse when all people are doing is passing the buck. The same flavour is there in W1A - we're not deriding the BBC but we are having an interesting look at the way some decisions are reached. This could quite easily have been set in the NHS or Whitehall.' Ian Bonneville and Jessica Hynes will return to our screens this month in W1A . But the satire neatly skewers the BBC's addiction to jargon and meaningless titles, as executive producer Jon Plowman admits. 'I was asked 20 years ago to be Head of Broken Comedy, which meant non-narrative sketch shows. I said I didn't want to be head of anything broken, so a title had to be invented  - I was made Head of Comedy Entertainment, which then suggested comedy existed that wasn't entertainment.' He took the precaution, before W1A started filming, of confirming with Tony Hall, the director-general, that there were no plans to appoint a real-life Head of Values, and was told the post would remain vacant... at least as long as W1A was on the air. Jon's own title now is Executive Producer. As he defines it, 'The producer's the guy who does the day-to-day work; the executive producer is the guy who gets the credit.' Viewers who missed Twenty Twelve should not expect a glib comedy packed with one-liners. The dialogue in W1A is stuttering: characters start to say something and get bogged down in their own incoherence. 'With comedy there are 100 ways to set up . a situation, and 99 of them simply aren't funny. Finding the right one . is the hardest work imaginable' John Morton . Often they suddenly cut off in mid-sentence, aware that they shouldn't give voice to whatever they're thinking. It's subtle, and all too easy to relate to, with a twinge of embarrassment. But despite the stumbling and the mumbling, there's no improvisation by the cast in W1A - nor was there in Twenty Twelve. Every 'umm' and 'err' is scripted. That puts huge pressure on the actors, because in a scene with five or six people, it only takes one tiny error, one word a second too early, and they have to start again. 'The show might look like it happened to fall together,' Morton says, 'but getting it precisely right take after take is exhausting. And that process continues in the editing suite - comedy focuses on the tiniest of details. With drama you might tell a scene in ten different ways, but with comedy there are 100 ways to set up a situation, and 99 of them simply aren't funny. Finding the right one is the hardest work imaginable - and if it flops, everyone notices.' The question every Twenty Twelve fan will be asking is what's happened to Ian's doting PA Sally (Olivia Colman). Sadly, she isn't returning, though the writer does promise viewers will learn what happened between Sally and Ian on their fateful trip to Italy at the end of the last series. But love, or perhaps a catastrophic office affair, is on the horizon for the BBC's new Head of Values. Whether his career can withstand it is an outcome that, as Ian might say, will be determined following the appraisal of the blue sky interpersonal reassessment session. In other words... wait and see. W1A will air on BBC2 later this month.

The award winning comedy - Twenty Twelve - returns to our screens . The new series, W1A will focus on the bigwigs of the BBC . Writer - John Morton - says it may ruffle a few feathers at the BBC .

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Karl Rominger, 41, has been charged with stealing $535,135 of his clients' money, which he used to fund gambling trips at casinos . The former attorney for Penn state football coach Jerry Sandusky has been charged with stealing $535,135 of his clients' money, which he used to fund gambling trips at casinos and other personal interests. Karl Rominger, 41, who represented Sandusky during his child-sex abuse trial, allegedly misappropriated funds from clients that include a car accident victim, the spouse of a divorced couple and the survivors of a woman's estate. Rominger apologized to the former clients he had 'wronged'. 'I look forward to accepting the consequences and putting this behind me, while making restitution,' he said, according to PennLive.com. Cumberland County investigators filed 25 charges for theft and fund misappropriation on Friday. They said Rominger could still face more charges as the investigation is not yet complete. In his affidavit, chief detective Les Freehling wrote that Rominger's financial records were in such a state of 'disarray' that it had been hard to account for additional possible losses. Rominger came under investigation last year after he failed to materialize $147,883 from the sale of a marital home during a divorce case, Freehling said. It was then discovered that $800,000 in client money was missing from a bank account under the former attorney's control. Rominger, who said he hasn't gambled since last March, voluntarily surrendered his law license and is currently free on $250,000 bail. District Attorney David Freed said there is still at least 'one other substantial situation' being investigated. He added that investigators have also yet to be given access to all of Rominger's files due to claims of attorney-client privilege. Rominger represented former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky during his child-sex abuse trial. The former attorney voluntarily surrendered his law license last spring .

Karl Rominger, 41, misappropriated funds from clients including a car accident victim, a spouse in a divorce case, and survivors from an estate . Came under investigation last year after he failed to materialize over $147,000 from the sale of a marital home during the divorce case . Rominger apologized to his victims and said he hasn't gambled since March . Voluntarily surrendered his law license last year . Investigation has not been completed and he could face additional charges .

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One misplaced step brought her hopes of gold crashing down. Zara Phillips and her horse High Kingdom clipped a fence in the equestrian eventing final yesterday. In that split second, the Queen’s granddaughter and her teammates narrowly lost out on the first British gold of the London Olympics. Scroll down for video . Out of step: Zara Phillips looks down in horror as her horse, High Kingdom, takes an extra step and clips the fence, costing her team crucial points during yesterday's equestrian eventing final . Emotional: The Queen's granddaughter is comforted by her husband, former England rugby captain Mike Tindall after her performance . Emotional: Zara Phillips broke down in an interview after her performance . After an otherwise outstanding performance, the team took silver. But Zara’s delight was tinged with disappointment, and when husband Mike Tindall rushed to comfort her, she buried her face in his shoulder. As the pole fell, there were gasps of horror from the royal spectators, including the Duchess of Cambridge and Princes William and Harry. They knew Zara needed to put on a perfect show-jumping performance to take gold from the Germans. William and Kate were seen clapping their hands to their mouths in horror when the pole dropped to the floor, costing the team the crucial points. Tindall immediately rushed backstage to the paddock to meet his wife. They've done it: Team GB's eventing team won the country's second silver medal of the London Games despite an early mistake by Zara Phillips (centre) Proud mum: Phillips embraces her mother Anne, the Princess Royal, after being awarded the medal . Parading: Zara Phillips showed off her silver medal - Great Britain's second of the London Games . Afterwards, Zara, 31, said: ‘I made a . mistake. He [High Kingdom] put a foot down... it was my fault. It . punished me and us. Obviously, I’m disappointed.’ But . over the three-day event, the performance by Zara – an Olympic debutant . on an inexperienced horse – far surpassed anyone’s expectations. She . finished as the third-strongest member of the equestrian team, ranked . eighth overall and beating the scores of world No 1 William Fox-Pitt . and  teammate Nicola Wilson. And . although her impressive performance wasn’t quite enough for gold, it . was crucial in securing a well-deserved silver medal for the team. When . the result was finally announced, the royals – in their own way – went . wild, with Kate raising her fists in the air and leading the family in . delighted cheers. Proud: Zara Phillips celebrates victory with her rugby player husband Mike Tindall . Medal winners: Tina Cook (left) celebrates with Zara Phillips after winning Team GB's second silver medal of the Games . A smiling . Princess Anne said: ‘She did very well.’ Her husband Tim Laurence added: . ‘We’re very proud. It’s a fantastic silver medal.’ In . a poignant moment, it fell to Anne to present her daughter with the . Olympic medal she never managed to win herself. After carefully placing . the medal around Zara’s neck, the Princess Royal pulled her beaming . daughter close for a kiss on each cheek, as Zara appeared to mouth: ‘Oh, . Mum.’ Afterwards, Zara . joked to reporters: ‘Whatever you do, don’t ask me what  it was like to . have my mother present me with the medal. Obviously, it  was amazing.’ Fans cheer as Kristina Cook, of Great Britain, finishes her ride on Miners Frolic in the show jumping phase . Zara Phillips' team-mate William Fox-Pitt and his horse Lionheart go for gold in the showjumping event . Medal winners: Tina Cook celebrates on her horse . Miners Frolic (left) after securing silver for Britain and Mary King . punches the air after a brilliant ride on Imperial Cavalier (right) Phillips happily waves to the crowd - which included a number of the Royal Family - after her performance on High Kingdom . And the distinguished crowd - complete with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry - waved back . And . when asked if she was glad to see her cousins in the stands, Zara . replied: ‘Yes, it’s nice that they’ve managed to come and watch.’ Despite the rain, the royal cohort who turned out to support Zara appeared to enjoy every minute. Kate . began the day in a nautical blue and white striped top under a smart . navy £500 Smythe blazer, with a red and gold Team GB badge attached. But . when the rain began, she pulled on a rather more casual Team GB zip-up . tracksuit top, and Prince William added a bright red baseball cap to his . outfit. Kate, who sat between the princes, protected her hair from the rain with a black umbrella. Later, . Harry attempted to close it, prompting shrieks from Kate as drips fell . on her – which William and Harry appeared to find most amusing. Meanwhile . Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, opted for practicality over glamour, . pulling on a hooded waterproof when the rain started. Princesses . Beatrice and  Eugenie also made an appearance to cheer on Zara, . alongside Zara’s brother Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn. Even . former Prime Minister John Major was spotted sitting in the stands. Beatrice, . who attended the cross-country event yesterday and the swimming finals . last night, is proving a committed Olympics spectator, despite . apparently having recently landed a ‘demanding’ job with a venture . capital firm. While there . may have been a considerable royal presence, there was no doubt which . particular royal the 20,000 spectators in the Greenwich Park arena had . come to see. Zara received . deafening applause both before and after her events from spectators from . home and abroad. When asked what it felt like to have won the silver . medal, a smiling Zara said: ‘It’s unreal. This . time last year I wouldn’t have even thought I’d have been here. 'We had . the greatest time. Yes we wanted gold, but we made mistakes, but when . [the silver medal] got put round our necks, it was all worth it.’ Zara . added that she was ‘really proud’ of her ten-year-old horse, who lost . both his front shoes in the cross-country on Monday but still performed . well enough to help her secure the medal. And . in a tribute to the  home crowd who sat in the rain to cheer her on, . she added:  ‘It’s incredible, it gives you a massive lift as you come . into the arena. We’re really grateful to everyone who has come.’ Monday . was the first anniversary of her wedding to rugby player Tindall – but . when asked if she had a chance to celebrate, she laughed and said: ‘No!’ Zara was one of five members of the silver-medal-winning British equestrian team. By . competing in the Olympics, she follows in the footsteps of her Olympian . parents. The Princess Royal competed in the 1976 Games in Montreal, and . Captain Mark Phillips won a team gold in Munich in 1972 and a silver in . 1988. She's done it! The Duke (centre) and Duchess (right) of Cambridge celebrate as Phillips and Co take the silver medal . The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge take in the action during the showjumping contest . Princes William and Harry sat with the Duchess of Cambridge as they prepared to watch their cousin compete . The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry share a joke at the equestrian event . Proud of you cousin: The Royals cheers on their cousin as her mistake goes unpunished and Team GB take silver . Royal audience: The Duchess of Cornwall (left) and Princess Anne (right) watch nervously as the showjumping contest gets under way . The Duchess of Cornwall and the Princess Royal encourage the British team from the stands . Peter and Autumn Phillips wore Team GB colours as they watched the competition at Greenwich Park . Here they come: Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie arrive ahead of the eventing team's silver success . Loyal support: Fans donned Union Jacks to offer their support to the eventing team .

Team GB comes second to Germany in equestrian team event . Zara, Tina Cook, Nicola Wilson, William Fox-Pitt and Mary King win Britain's second silver of London 2012, following cyclist Lizzie Armitstead . Zara's father, Captain Mark Phillips, won gold in the event at the Munich Olympics of 1972 . Zara supported by Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, . Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cornwall .

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By . Sam Webb . and Mark Duell . A stag weekend reveller suffered serious burns in a seafront nightclub after being doused in Brut aftershave and set ablaze in a prank, it was claimed today. The 34-year-old victim was drinking with friends when they started throwing the aftershave over each other as a joke at Long John’s Showbar on Britannia Pier in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. One of the men then lit a lighter and his friend’s T-shirt, which was soaked with the aftershave, burst into flames. The fireball was put out by his horrified friends who rolled him on the floor. Long John's Showbar on the Britannia Pier in Great Yarmouth, where the man was burned, apparently after a prank went seriously awry . Bar staff also rushed to help with wet . towels at 1.30am on Sunday. But the victim was left with serious burns . to his chest, back and hands in the incident . He . was taken to James Paget Hospital in nearby Gorleston-on-Sea, and . later transferred to a specialist burns unit at Broomfield Hospital in . Chelmsford, Essex. The . unnamed man was in a stable condition today with serious, but not . life-threatening burns. It is believed that the burns will leave him . scarred for life and potentially needing plastic surgery. Four . of the victim’s friends, aged 24, 26, 28, 33, were arrested and taken . into custody, but were later released on police bail pending further . inquiries. Norfolk Police . confirmed that all of the group came from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, . and were known to each other. It is believed that they were in Great . Yarmouth on a weekend away together. Britannia . Pier manager Keegan Snell, 40, said: ‘The whole incident was filmed on . our CCTV. It showed these guys throwing aftershave over each other. ‘One of them put a lighter to his friend’s back and he went up like a fireball. It looked like his whole body was on fire. The victim and the four arrested men are all from the Sheffield area and are believed to have been in Great Yarmouth for a weekend away . ‘His . friends and other members of the public put him to the floor quickly . and were trying to roll him to put out the fire. Our staff brought wet . towels to help. ‘Security staff ran over thinking there was a fight, but it was nothing like that and they helped him as well. 'One of them put a lighter to his friend’s back and he went up like a fireball. It looked like his whole body was on fire' Keegan Snell, Britannia Pier manager . ‘It . was just laddish behaviour which went very badly wrong and it was all . over in about 30 seconds. His friends were in tears over what happened. ‘There . were four or five of us helping him to an ambulance. He could walk but I . don’t think he would have been able to on his own. ‘As . we were going down the pier, he had a T-shirt over his head and he was . crying and screaming. He was in a lot of pain and distress. The . ambulance got him away pretty quickly.’ Treatment: The man was taken to James Paget Hospital in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, and later transferred to a specialist burns unit at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex (pictured) Mr . Snell said his staff later found the bottle of splash-on Brut on the . floor and handed it to police along with CCTV film of the prank. He . added: ‘There was no fight. It was just friends playing a prank which . went horribly wrong. 'Joke': The man was doused in Brut aftershave (file picture) and set ablaze in a prank, it was claimed . 'Our thoughts are with the fella who got badly . burned and his friends who are distraught. We wish him a speedy . recovery.’ The nightclub was packed with around 450 people when the incident happened. One . witness, who was buying drinks at the bar, said: ‘Out the corner of my . eye I saw flames - at first thinking it was just a T-shirt alight then . realising it was a guy on fire from his chest up, flames spreading . towards his head. ‘He . started to slow drop to the ground with people patting him but the fire . wasn’t going out. The music was still playing and nothing stopped. ‘It smelled like a burning skin smell for ages and the place was full of smoke from him too.’ A . Norfolk Police spokesman said: ‘Police received a call at about 1.30am . following reports of a disturbance involving a group of men at Long . John’s Bar. ‘It is understood that a 34 year old, who was at the bar, was set alight. He suffered serious burns to his hands and torso. ‘Police . can confirm that all the individuals involved, including the victim, . are known to one another and this is being treated as an isolated . incident with no wider threat to the community.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

The 34-year-old suffered burns to his hands, back and chest in incident . Shirt was set alight at club on Brittania Pier in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk . Four men arrested after incident at 1.30am yesterday at Long John's Bar . Unidentified man said to be in stable condition after 'prank' went wrong .

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By . Lydia Warren . and Daily Mail Reporters . Hired! Justine Sacco has landed a new job six months after she was fired for a racist tweet . The . PR executive who was fired last year after her racist Tweet sparked a . revolt on social media has landed a new job - working for a revamped . version of the app Hot or Not. Before boarding a place to Cape Town on December 20 last night, Justine Sacco tweeted, 'Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!' - and promptly became public enemy no. 1. While she flew to South Africa from the U.S., she was unaware that the tasteless tweet . had been shared thousands of times and had even sparked memes and the hashtag . #HasJustineLandedYet. When she landed, she was promptly fired from her job at IAC, a media company that owns Match.com and Vimeo, and holed herself up in her family's home in South Africa. But . after admitting she was 'ashamed' for her attempt at a joke and . deleting all of her social media accounts, she has now reemerged and landed a new job. She . will help with the promotion and relaunch of the app Hot or Not, . which allows users to rate the appearance of other people who have . uploaded their pictures, Buzzfeed reported. This . time around, the app, which is owned by British company Badoo will use . location-based data to help you find the most attractive people nearby. Offensive: She tweeted this racist message before boarding a plane from the U.S. to Cape Town last year . Realization: Sacco was snapped as she left the airport last year and learned about the anger against her . The new job comes after she lived in Ethiopia for a month carrying out volunteer consulting for a non-government organization. After the debacle last year, she was pictured arriving in Cape Town airport looking shocked and talking on her phone - and moments later, her Twitter account vanished. She later apologized in a statement released to The Star, a South African newspaper. ‘Words cannot express how sorry I am, and how necessary it is for me to apologize to the people of South Africa, who I have offended due to a needless and careless tweet,' she said. ‘There is an AIDS crisis taking place in this country, that we read about in America, but do not live with or face on a continuous basis. Unfortunately, it is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand. New job: She will now promote and help with the relaunch of the app Hot or Not, which allows users to rate the appearance of other people. The new version will also find attractive people nearby . ‘For being insensitive to this crisis - which does not discriminate by race, gender or sexual orientation, but which terrifies us all uniformly - and to the millions of people living with the virus, I am ashamed.' Before . confirming they had fired her - and with Sacco still in mid-air - IAC . released a statement condemning her behavior as 'outrageous and . offensive'. ‘Unfortunately, . the employee in question is unreachable on an international flight, but . this is a very serious matter and we are taking appropriate action,' a . representative from IAC said. The company later announced she had been dismissed.

Justine Sacco was fired from IAC in December after she tweeted: 'Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just Kidding. I'm White!' It sparked anger across the internet - as well as memes and fake account . She went to Ethiopia for a month to carry out volunteer consulting and now she will help with the promotion and relaunch of the app Hot or Not . The app allows users to rate the appearance of other people and will now use location-based data to help users find attractive people nearby .

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By . Elliott Bretland . Follow @@EllBretland . West Ham fell to their second defeat of their pre-season tour of New Zealand as the Hammers were beaten 3-1 by Sydney. Sam Allardyce's side were 2-0 down at half-time before wideman Matt Jarvis saw his left-wing cross deflect off Sydney captain Nikola Petkovic and into the net five minutes after the restart. ‘The football was not good enough to get results, but we’re experimenting and working on more open attacking play and it hasn’t worked well from a defensive point of view,’ said Allardyce. Tough to take: West Ham lost 3-1 to Sydney during their summer pre-season tour of New Zealand . Deflection: Matt Jarvis' cross deflected off Sydney captain Nikola Petkovic and into the back of the net . West Ham United: Adrian, Demel, O'Brien, Reid, Collins, Noble, Diame, Nolan, Downing, Jarvis, Cole. Subs: Jaaskelainen, Howes, Cresswell, Fanimo, Potts, Poyet, Whitehead, Vaz Te, Zarate. Scorer: Petkovic OG, 50 . Sydney FC: Janjetovic, Ryall, Jurman, Petkovic, Gameiro, Ibin-Isei, Ognenovski, Antonis, Dimitrijevic, Abbas, Brosque. Subs: Necevski, Bojic, Trantis, Carle, Gligor, Timotheu, Naumoff, Muata-Marlow, Gersbach, Burgess. Scorers: Gameiro, 4, 64, Brosque, 26 . The A-League side controversially . extended their lead on 64 minutes as Corey Gameiro netted after the . referee failed to spot a handball. West Ham had gone behind after just four minutes when Sydney broke on the counter following a Hammers free-kick. Ali Abbas found Gameiro in space down the left and the Australian frontman slotted the ball past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian to net his first of the game. The Sky Blues doubled their advantage on 25 minutes as Alex Brosque converted Bernie Ibini's forward ball. However, West Ham replied soon after the interval as Jarvis' cross from the left deflected off Petkovic and over the head of goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic. Meanwhile, Hammers defender Guy Demel was forced off 13 minutes into the match after tweaking his hamstring and was replaced by summer signing Aaron Cresswell. Opener: Guy Demel (left) watches on as Corey Gameiro slots the ball past Adrian to give Sydney the lead . Head down: Alex Brosque volleys the ball home to double Sydney's advantage over West Ham . Game over: West Ham defender James Collins is unable to stop Gameiro scoring his second goal of the match .

West Ham end tour of New Zealand with 3-1 defeat to Sydney . Sam Allardyce's men trailed 2-0 at half-time before Matt Jarivs' deflected cross gave Hammers hope five minutes after interval . However, Sydney striker Corey Gameiro extended A-League side's lead on 64 minutes . Defender Guy Demel had to be substituted after tweaking hamstring .

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Javier Ballesteros, son of late Spanish golf great Seve, has expressed his joy after turning professional. Ballesteros senior won the Masters twice and The Open Championship three times, but died in 2011 at the age of just 54 after suffering complications following a brain tumour. But the Spaniard's name will live on in the sport after his son decided to forge a career in the same field. The 24-year-old tweeted: 'Very happy I made professional today!' Javier Ballesteros, son of late Spanish golf great Seve, has expressed his joy after turning professional . Javier caddies for his father Seve, who won the Masters twice and The Open Championship three times . The 24-year-old posted a message on his Twitter account saying: 'Very happy I made professional today!' In a press release on Friday, he also said: 'This is something I have always wanted. 'Whether I will succeed or not, time will tell, however I do not want to regret not having tried my best and must give it a go. 'Today my dad comes specially to my mind. He taught me everything or almost everything I know about golf and I would have loved him to see me turning pro. I am sure he would be very proud and happy.' Javier told Spanish media that his next tournament will be the Alps Tour in December .

Seve Ballesteros died in 2011 from a cancerous brain tumour . His son, Javier, has now turned professional . Javier said it was something he had always wanted to do .

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By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 09:00 EST, 27 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:53 EST, 27 March 2013 . In an age where it seems every man, woman and child has an iPad, one man has struck a chord by singing about the simpler times of his childhood. And his nostalgic lyrics about the 1980s have made his track a YouTube sensation. Graham Wood's hit 'We didn't own an iPad' has already received more than 1.6 million views on YouTube since it went online earlier this month. Scroll down for video . The gardener sings about the joy of using Teletext, rather than constantly tapping out text messages on a smart phone . Playstations and X-Boxes were a long way off in the 1980s, when youngsters had to be content with board games like Connect 4 . Cartoons such as Top Cat were a firm favourite amongst the younger generation who adored the cheeky feline . Turn back time: This is a far cry from the slim, stylish technology that most people crave now . They don't make them like that anymore: Paper £1 notes, Teletext and Top Cat area ll things of the past, the singer laments . The song is a celebration of his and . millions of other people's childhood memories and is a parody of the . Billy Joel song 'We didn't start the fire'. Graham . has changed the lyrics that now namecheck dozens of items relating to . the 80s such as PacMan, Roland Rat, TizWaz, Connect Four, video casettes . and the Walkman. The 39-year-old gardener . references TV programmes such as Mr Ben, Swap Shop, Grange Hill, . Blockbusters and Knight Rider and games like Tonka trucks, Subbuteo and . Speak and Spell. Fashion . trends moon boots, shell suits, and shoulder pads are mentioned along . with iconic events including Charles and Diana's wedding and Michael . Fish's infamous weather forecast. The . opening verse begins with 'Timmy Mallet, Wacaday, Colin from Eastenders . gay, Shake n Vac, Crackajack, Who shot JR? PacMan, He-Man, tape . casette, Walkman, Buckaroo, Emu, Michael Knight's car.' It then goes into the chorus of 'We didn't own an iPad, never heard of texting only Teletexting, we didn't own an iPad, never heard of SatNavs only used AA maps'. The video wistfully remembers long-forgotten features of the 1980s... including tasty Marathon bars before they turned into Snickers . The video flashes up images that anybody alive in the 1980s will fondly remember - from a lack of mobile phones to Shep, the beloved Blue Peter dog . The video recalls events that shocked the world - including John Lennon's death - but keeps it lighthearted with references to children's book characters . Graham, from Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, provides the vocals and he got his musical friend Andrew Barker to play his ukelele for the backing track. As well as the YouTube views, millions of social media users have also linked to the song, which has gone viral. The . married father-of-two came up with the idea after hearing a feature on a . radio show about a man who found a 'things to do before the age of 40' list from the 1980s. Graham, who goes by hunkygraham1 on YouTube, said: 'I was listening to the radio when I came up with the idea. 'They were doing a feature of a "40 . list", a list of things the presenter wanted to do before he was 40 that . he wrote when he was a teenager and found in his parent's attic. The height of technology: This game had children everywhere going mad to get their hands on one . This was the dreaded sight that many youngsters faced when they turned their televisions on before the programmes began . The video has struck a chord with its audience, who have reminisced about the age before mobile phones . This toy was on the wish list for many a child, who pinned their hopes on Star Wars games, rather than iPads . The video is a parody of the Billy Jole classic, and has already nocthed up millions of views . 'Not long after that I heard the Billy . Joel track which I have always liked, and before I knew it was thinking . up a few lines to my own song. 'To be honest, I don't own an iPad and . I don't have a clue how they work, but now people are relying on them . and other technology for entertainment. 'I . enjoyed going back to my old days and how it used to be when I was . creating the video and whenever I came up with an idea I would tap it . into my phone so I didn't forget. 'I spent hours poring over the images on Google but making the song and the video itself didn't take long at all. Graham Wood's (right) nostalgic hit 'We didn't own an iPad', which he produced with friend Andrew Barker (left) has already received more than 1.6 million views on YouTube and is a parody of the Billy Joel song 'We didn't start the fire' 'When I uploaded it to YouTube I didn't expect it to get so many views, I was hoping it might get 1,000 or so. 'I put it on Facebook and thanks to . all of my friends who started sharing it, more and more people watched . it, and it went a bit crazy. It's incredible really.' Graham has now signed up with Viral Spiral, a London-based company which specialises in helping viral video owners. Damian Collier, founder of Viral Spiral, said: 'Once you pass one million hits that is a sign of considerable success from a viral video perspective. 'It is being shared on websites such as Facebook as well so it is really taking off. 'The song is perfect for record labels and there will be a few companies keen on it. 'It is a great tune and very nostalgic. I can understand why it has become so popular.'

Gardener recalls childhood of moon boots, shell suits, and shoulder pads . Chorus sings 'We didn't own an iPad, never heard of texting only Teletexting we didn't own an iPad, never heard of SatNavs only used AA maps' Millions have linked to the song, which has now gone viral .

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With a level of detail usually reserved for globes in a classroom, it's hard to believe these replicas of Earth and Jupiter are completely edible. Rhiannon Michell, 26, created the planet cakes complete with core, mantle and crust after her school teacher sister, Sarah, asked her to make a delicious science model for her class to enjoy. The food blogger from Melbourne, Australia, baked the first layer of cake mix and allowed it to cool before placing it inside a bigger batter mix to make the second layer of sponge. Rhiannon Michell, 26, created an Earth cake, complete with core, mantle and crust after her school teacher sister asked her to make an edible science model . Using a tiny brush, Ms Michell painted patterns with food colouring to resemble the planets' distinctive features . This was then baked again and Ms Michell repeated the process a third time and was left with three layers of sponge cake. The inner layer of the Earth cake was an almond butter cake, the middle layer was lemon Madeira sponge and the outer layer was orange Madeira sponge. 'At first I was fairly sure there was no way I could make it, but then my inability to admit defeat kicked in and I had to find a way to do it,' said Ms Michell. 'So far I've made two planet cakes, starting with Earth. I have plans to make more, with one hopefully just around the corner. The inner layer of the food blogger's Earth cake was an almond butter cake, the middle layer was lemon Madeira sponge and the outer layer was orange Madeira sponge . 'I'm hoping one day I will be able to tick off all the planets and their satellites.' Using butter, flour, eggs and sugar, Ms Michell spent three days creating these mind-blowing sponge cakes, which measure 30cm in diameter. She said: 'I have one really tiny and terrible oven, so I have to work on one half sphere at a time and glue them together using a fondant.' For Jupiter, the inner layer was mudcake, followed by almond butter cake and then vanilla Madeira sponge. For Jupiter, the inner layer was mudcake, followed by almond butter cake and then vanilla Madeira sponge . She then used a tiny brush to paint the planets' distinctive features using food colouring. She says: 'With Jupiter, the painting alone took me about eight hours. Getting all the detail in is really time consuming, but it feels worth it at the end. 'When people see my cakes, the most common response is that they look too nice to cut into. For me, seeing it eaten is the best part. 'The Earth cake was absolutely demolished by the school kids, and Jupiter was eaten by my family. 'I have this ever growing list of cake plans in my head, and never enough time to make them. 'My love of baking was mostly driven by wanting to be able to impress my boyfriend with amazing food, but I also can't deny the huge impact MasterChef has had on my passion for cooking.' Ms Michell baked the first layer of cake mix and allowed it to cool before placing it inside a bigger batter mix to make the second layer of sponge .

Rhiannon Michell, 26, has baked edible replicas of Jupiter and Earth . The food blogger created the planet cakes using three layers of sponge . Earth was made using almond butter sponge and lemon Madeira cake . The inner layer of Jupiter was mudcake followed by almond butter sponge . She painted the planets' distinctive features using food colouring .

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By . Emily Crane For Daily Mail Australia . When she looks back at photos of herself dressed up in costumes and cutting birthday cakes, Jessica Masuglia admits she had a 'pretty happy' childhood. But under the surface it was a little more complicated. The 24-year-old from Melbourne was raised by her heroin-addicted mother. Her mum, Kim Mackenzie, died from an overdose a few years ago when she was just 43. Sadly, it was a week after her daughter's 21st birthday. Jessica Masuglia was raised in her Melbourne home by her mum Kim Mackenzie. Despite her mother' heroin addiction, Ms Masuglia says her upbringing was happy . 'Even though my mum was a heroin addict, she was a great mum,' Ms Masuglia told Daily Mail Australia. Ms Masuglia, now 24, said she hid her mother's addiction from almost everyone growing up but has now decided to share her story . 'My mum was amazing, she had a lot of love. She was very hands on and she would do anything to make me happy.' Her mother was in and out of sobriety for most of Ms Masuglia's life. While she knew her mum was different to others, Ms Masuglia was oblivious to the heroin abuse until she was older. 'For a lot of my young she was straight. She would fall into periods of a few weeks where she'd use. Then she would stop. Six months later she'd start again,' she said. 'She was two different people. 'She overdosed once and had to be brought back to life. I didn't see any of that. I never witnessed her taking drugs, I think she was trying to protect me.' Ms Masuglia said her relationship with her mum only became strained when she was a teenager and she developed drug psychosis because of her addiction, which by then included alcoholism. 'It was really hard. She had mood swings and she'd snap at me. It really hurt to see her this addiction and us arguing all the time,' she said. Her mum, Kim Mackenzie, died from an overdose a few years ago when she was just 43. Sadly, it was a week after her daughter's 21st birthday . While she knew her mum was different to others, Ms Masuglia was oblivious to the heroin abuse until she was older . She and her mum went their separate ways when Ms Masuglia was 16 and they hadn't seen each other for four years when Ms MacKenzie died . She and her mum went their separate ways when Ms Masuglia was 16. She moved away from the family home her mum and dad lived in to stay with her aunt. They hadn't seen each other for four years when Ms MacKenzie died. 'I had been expecting it for a couple of years but it was really tough when it happened. I didn't really know what to feel. It was the first time I'd lost someone that close to me,' Ms Masuglia said. 'Guilt was probably the main thing I felt because I hadn't seen her. I felt partially to blame, especially because when we stopped seeing each other because that's when she really went downhill. 'There was times when I didn’t think she was a good mum because I was hurting. Especially when she passed away, but looking back I realise how much she loved me.' Her mother was in and out of sobriety for most of Ms Masuglia's life - she was addicted to heroin and pills and later turned to alcohol too . Their relationship only became strained when Ms MAsuglia was a teenager and her mum developed drug psychosis because of her addiction . Ms Masuglia said she hid her mother's addiction from almost everyone growing up . Ms Masuglia said she hid her mother's addiction from almost everyone growing up. But she decided it was time to share her experience when talk of the government drug testing dole recipients became a controversial talking point. 'It sort of irks me a bit when people say drug users waste their dole money on drugs,' she said. 'My mum was on the dole and that money fed me and it put a roof over my head. The money wasn’t all put to towards drugs and it’s not always the case. 'Drug addiction and mental health are both still stigmatised in society because people just don't understand it. I don't think they'll ever understand it until they love someone with an addiction.

Jessica Masuglia was raised by her drug addicted mum in Melbourne . Her mum Kim MacKenzie died from a heroin overdose a few years ago . The 24-year-old said despite her mum being in and out of sobriety for her entire life, she was a loving and hands on mother . She said she was oblivious to the addiction when she was younger and only started to piece things together as she got older . Their relationship fell apart when Ms Masuglia was a teenager and her mum developed drug psychosis from her addiction .

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SARGODA, Pakistan (CNN) -- Mohammed Iqbal said he has been told by his landlord to pay up on debts and is left with a choice facing others in this impoverished corner of Pakistan: Sell your children or a kidney. This man's landlord forced him to pay off money he borrowed for his children's medical bills. For the 50-year-old Iqbal, there is only one option. Despite a law passed in late 2007 banning transplants for money, he has decided to sell his kidney and has already been for pre-operation tests. The sale will net him between $1,100 and $1,600. "What's incredible here is the law that bans the operation he's going to go through came into place in 2007," said CNN's Nic Robertson. "He's still able to go to a doctor, the doctors given him advice, that's what he has to do under law... He's going to make money out of it 100,000-150,000 rupees, and that is absolutely illegal. Yet, in just a few days, he's expecting to sell his kidney." Iqbal was not alone in facing this difficult decision. Others in Pakistan's rural heartland have opted to sell their kidneys. One of them was Rab Nawas, who was deep in debt about a year ago to his landlord after borrowing money to pay for his wedding and to cover medical bills for his wife and six children. He, too, faced the choice: sell his children, his wife or a kidney. See photos of Pakistan's impoverished kidney donors » . "I am helpless. Should I sell my children? Should I go sell my children? So, it's better I sell my kidney. I had to return the money," said Nawas, who now bears a foot-long scar that wraps around from his back to his belly and is too weak to work the same hours he could before. Watch Nawas show his operation scar » . People bearing the tell-tale scar of an organ removal in the villages around the farm where Nawas works are not hard to find. At one point, there were about 2,000 transplants a year -- with 1,500 of them going to what the government said were so-called "transplant tourists." The 2007 law was aimed at ending Pakistan's dubious status as one of the world's leading organ bazaars. Nawas sold his kidney after the law was passed and said the procedure was performed at the Rawalpindi Kidney Center in the northern city of Rawalpindi. When he went to the Rawalpindi center, after CNN asked him to show where the procedure was done, he said a doctor told him they did not have a record of his operation because they destroy such records when a patient leaves. The Rawalpindi clinic -- which prior to the law was a leading user of purchased kidneys -- told CNN that it abides by the law and does not get involved in deals between kidney donors and recipients. "Standing there it's hard for me to fully understand the courage it took for him to make the journey. In this country, he has few rights, and even less security," said CNN's Robertson.

A law passed in late 2007 bans selling organs for money . Still, many poor Pakistanis have no choice but to sell their kidneys . At one time, there were about 2,000 transplants a years . Law aims to end Pakistan's status as one of the world's leading organ bazaars .

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(CNN) -- YouTube: It's not just for cute cats anymore. The Web's leading video site is now the home of a new kind of interactive visual journalism, where "citizen witnesses" are reaching millions of people with the news of the day, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. A prime example was the tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. In the week following the earthquake that caused the deadly wave, the 20 most-watched news videos on YouTube received 96 million views, according to the report. Most of that footage came not from professionals but from users who were in the middle of the disaster that killed more than 18,000 people. "Citizens are creating their own videos about news and posting them," read the report released Monday. "They are also actively sharing news videos produced by journalism professionals. And news organizations are taking advantage of citizen content and incorporating it into their journalism. "Consumers, in turn, seem to be embracing the interplay in what they watch and share, creating a new kind of television news." In effect, Pew describes an emerging partnership of sorts between traditional media outlets and citizen journalists. While many of the tsunami videos were user-generated, they received most of their views after being shared by professional outlets on the site, the report said. CNN has officially embraced citizen journalism since 2006 with CNN iReport, which encourages users around the world to share news, opinions, images and video on a wide range of topics. The second annual iReport Awards this month honored an iReporter's eyewitness footage of the 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse, among other video clips. The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism studied 15 months' worth of news videos between January 2011 and March 2012, tracking the five most popular videos each week in the "News & Politics" channel on YouTube. "The data reveal that a complex, symbiotic relationship has developed between citizens and news organizations on YouTube, a relationship that comes close to the continuous journalistic 'dialogue' many observers predicted would become the new journalism online," the report said. Among the study's findings: . • Video of natural disasters tends to draw the most attention. • News events outside the United States topped the list. The three most-viewed topics were the tsunami, Russian elections and unrest in the Middle East. As Pew notes, 70% of YouTube's traffic comes from outside the United States. • More than one-third (39%) of the top videos were clearly citizen-generated and another 51% -- making a whopping 90% of all videos studied -- came from news organizations but included some user-created content. • Personalities don't seem to be a big deal for YouTube news seekers. No individual appeared in more than 5% of the top news videos, with President Barack Obama topping the list by appearing in 4%. While the numbers are impressive, they still pale in comparison to the number of viewers of traditional television news. The report compares the 96 million-view week for tsunami videos to the roughly 22 million people who watch network news shows each evening. (That's 154 million over a seven-day period, and doesn't include cable or local news.) The difference, Pew notes, is that sites such as YouTube provide for "a la carte" news, letting users choose their own programming. The report does note one potentially troubling aspect of YouTube news sharing. Giving credit for videos, the report said, can get blurry, a problem stemming from a lack of clear ethical guidelines. Researchers found instances of traditional news sites apparently using citizen-created videos without clearly attributing them as well as citizens posting copyrighted material without permission. "All this creates the potential for news to be manufactured, or even falsified, without giving audiences much ability to know who produced it or how to verify it," the report said.

Report: YouTube is becoming home to a new kind of visual journalism . Pew Research Center says news events are some of YouTube's most popular clips . Much of the news videos are from users, not traditional news sites . Japanese tsunami, Russian elections and Middle East unrest were big on the site .

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By . James Nye . Pedophile: James Napier seen here in one of his booking photographs was sentenced to 240-years in jail for horrific sexual abuse . A Cincinnati man described as an 'enthusiastic participant' in child pornography involving an 11-month-old and a nine-year-old showed no remorse on Tuesday as he was sentenced to 240-years behind bars. James O. Napier, 40, was ordered to pay $95,009 to his victims after being found guilty of recording a video of himself molesting the infant in November of 2009 and placing it online after having babysat the child. Napier, who was found in possession of 1,300 child pornography pictures and 550 videos, also videoed himself making the nine-year-old girl perform oral sex on him, which he also placed on the Internet. The undercover investigation into Napier, 40, began when FBI officials in Phoenix found Napier was actively trading online child porn across the globe. Despite the horrific nature of his crimes, the judge was stunned by his total lack of remorse during his trial. U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott said this was factored into his sentence. 'He sat still, emotionless. He did not appear ashamed. He did not appear concerned . 'He appeared anything but remorseful,' court documents state. Furthermore, the court was unsure how to demonstrate that justice had been done. 'The United States is unsure whether any sentence would he 'just punishment' under the circumstances,' said court memos. Despite the severity of his crimes Napier showed no remorse during the trial, which factored into his sentence . Napier claimed to the court that he himself had been sexually abused in the past and told a probation officer he was molested between the ages of five and 10 by an older cousin. 'If true, the events of Napier's childhood sex abuse are tragic. However, these events do not grant Napier the right to subject at least two small children to repeated sexual abuse at his hands,' court documents state. Testimony given during his trial revealed that in November 2009, Napier molested the 11-month-old after become involved with her aunt. Police also testified that his pedophilic porn collection contained images and videos of children less than five-years old being raped and tortured for sexual pleasure. 'The initial investigation of Napier identified him as an active and enthusiastic participant in a community of morally depraved individuals who trade child sex abuse images and videos to satisfy their sexual desires,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Muncy told the court according to Cincinnati.com. 'One of his victims, due to her age, may never know the abuse she suffered. The other will never forget.' The court heard that he abused the nine-year-old girl while her family were in the house. 'While they slept peacefully, she was being sexually assaulted by Napier. While they played in another room, she was forced to perform oral sex on him,' said court documents. FBI agents arrested Napier on Jan. 18, 2013. He has been held without bond. Napier was convicted following a three-day trial in January on nine counts of production of child pornography. The jury also convicted Napier of one count each of transportation of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and receipt of child pornography.

James O. Napier, 40, was sentenced on Tuesday for the horrific attacks on the two girls three years apart . Napier was ordered to pay $95,009 in restitution for each victim . Filmed both molestations and put the footage online . Committed both acts inside the homes of his victim's families . Was discovered in possession of thousands of pictures of videos of child pornography .

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By . David Kent . Neymar has once again endeared himself to the Brazilian public after his heartwarming gesture in training on Sunday. Ahead of Brazil's World Cup opener against Croatia on June 12, a young fan ran on to meet his heroes as they attempt to win the tournament for a record sixth time. Nice touch: Neymar (left) made a young fan's day when he allowed him to meet some of his Brazil team-mates . Say cheese: The young boy was snapped with some of Brazil's stars during their training on Sunday . The youngster's dream appeared to be dashed when security took him away, before Barcelona star Neymar jogged over telling them to stop. The 22-year-old then proceeded to enjoy a light kick-about with the child before making his day even better by including him in a selfie with team-mates Marcelo, Luis Gustavo, Willian, David Luiz and captain Thiago Silva. It's not the first time that the forward has shown a personal touch towards his fans. Pitch invader: A young South Africa fan ran on to the turf before being lifted up by Brazil's players in March . Following Brazil's 5-0 friendly win at South Africa in March, a young Bafana Bafana supporter ran onto the pitch to meet Neymar and his illustrious team-mates. After being initially stopped by security, Neymar urged the boy back onto the pitch where he posed for pictures with world-renowned Barcelona forward Neymar before being hoisted up by the Brazilians in a heartwarming display.

Neymar allowed a young fan on to the pitch during Brazil's training session . Neymar, David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Luis Gustavo, Marcelo and Willian all took a group selfie with the young man . After Brazil's 5-0 friendly win at South Africa in March, Neymar and his team-mates hoisted up a young Bafana Bafana fan in good gesture . Brazil face Croatia on June 12 in their opening World Cup game .

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Adnan Januzaj will not be leaving Manchester United before the transfer window closes, Sportsmail understands. The Belgian playmaker had been linked with a move to Roberto Martinez's Everton for the rest of the season, but remains firmly in Louis van Gaal's plans. Toffees boss Martinez is an admirer but the talented 19-year-old started Saturday's 3-1 win over Leicester and is expected to get further chances at Old Trafford as the season progresses. Adnan Januzaj will not be leaving Manchester United on loan in the January transfer window . Januzaj made his first Premier League appearance in nearly three months against Leicester on Saturday . Despite interest from Everton, Januzaj (right) will be staying put at Manchester United for this season . Paris Saint-Germain and David Moyes' Real Sociedad were two other clubs that expressed an interest, but it is understood that Januzaj would prefer to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford. Jauzaj's start on Saturday was his first Premier League game in nearly three months, and he was also in United's side that faced Cambridge United in the FA Cup. Elsewhere, United retain an interest in Everton defender Seamus Coleman but any movement there is not expected until the summer.

Adnan Januzaj will not be leaving Manchester United in January window . Everton were interested in taking the 19-year-old on loan until May . Paris Saint-Germain and Real Sociedad were also interested in Januzaj . Januzaj started for Manchester United against Leicester at the weekend . CLICK HERE for all the latest transfer news with our live updates .

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By . Nick Pisa . Mafia boss Domenico Rancadore (pictured) targeted Father Gino Sacchetti because he encouraged residents to oppose the local mafia in Palermo . A brave anti Mafia priest has spoken of how he was targeted by an on-the-run Mob Godfather found hiding in a British suburb after 19 years. Former prison chaplin Father Gino Sacchetti was intimidated by members of the crime family run by Domenico Rancadore, 64, who was arrested in his flip flops at the home he shares with his wife and daughter. Fearless Fr Sacchetti, 75, stood up to the terrifying mobsters as they tried to shut him up in his campaign against the so called Costra Nostra 'men of honour' despite having a dead lamb nailed to his front door, his car firebombed and bullets sent to him in the post. A note sent with the bullets read: 'The first is for your heart, the second for your head, the third for the coup de grace. This is your final warning.' The softly spoken priest was based in the Mafia’s island heartland of Sicily for 20 years between 1986 and 2006 and spoke out against organised crime encouraging locals to turn their back on them and not be intimidated. Fr Sacchetti also angered mob bosses by refusing to sell up prime land which they wanted to use for a luxury development and were further outraged when he said he would instead open a shelter for drug addicts on the outskirts of Palermo - the heartland of Rancadore and his henchmen. Father-of-two Rancadore is said by Italian police to be the boss of the area around the suburbs of Caccamo and Trabia and their paths first crossed in the late 1980’s when the mobster was held in custody at the local prison where Fr Sacchetti was chaplain. Fr Sacchetti said: 'I knew Rancadore was involved in the threats against me - he sent two local brothers to threaten me. The brothers were arrested but Rancadore was already on the run. 'I suffered a series of threats and intimidation when I was a priest in Sicily. Fr Sacchetti was working as a prison chaplain in the cathedral city of Palermo in Sicily when his car was firebombed, had bullets posted to him and a dead lamb was nailed to his door . 'One period in particular was particularly bad - it was at the time I wanted to set up the shelter. 'My . car was firebombed and then I had the lamb nailed to my front door at . the church where I worked. Rancadore was said to be behind it. 'It was a horrific sight - something that is still clear in my memory, despite it being almost twenty years ago. 'There was a note pinned to it which read "You will end up the same way". It was a clear threat, they wanted to scare me but they were not going to put me off my work.' Fr Sacchetti, who now lives and works in Verona, was sent the bloodied lamb’s carcass at the same time as the late Pope John Paul II was visiting Sicily and had urged people to rebel against the Mafia. Mobsters had already murdered one campaigning priest Fr Giuseppe Puglisi, 56, who was gunned down by hit men in the run down Brancaccio area of Palermo in 1993 and the pope praised him for standing up to the gangsters. Fr Sacchetti said: 'Fr Puglisi was roughly the same age as me when he was murdered. Domenico Rancadore (pictured an artist's impression) was arrested in London after 19 years on the run . Mobsters had already murdered one campaigning priest Fr Giuseppe Puglisi, 56, who was gunned down by hit men in the run down Brancaccio area of Palermo in 1993 . 'The Mafia then turned its attention . on me because I would not back down to them. Rancadore back then was a . dangerous and powerful boss who controlled the area with fear. 'My . superiors in Palermo were very scared for my welfare but I said I would . not back down - as a result I was given a police escort around the . clock for ten years until I left Sicily in 2006. 'It was those officers with families looking after me who were brave. Years ago the Mafia had a rule that children, police and priests were untouchable but then back in the late 80’s and early 90’s things changed. 'The young son of an informer was dissolved in acid as punishment for him speaking out. Fr Puglisi was murdered and judges and police were targeted.' Fr Sacchetti added: 'Randacore was involved with very senior figures within the Mafia including Michele Greco who was in charge of Cosa Nostra at the time of the wars between rival clans. 'Rancadore used two brothers Salvatore . and Giovanni Colletti to threaten me with the lamb, the car bomb and . the bullets. They wanted me out but I was determined to stay and I did.' He added: 'I didn’t know . he had been arrested until you told me but I’m not surprised it has . taken so long to track him down. These people are very clever. 'Life on the run is horrible. You live in fear of being caught, looking over your shoulder all the time, dreading a knock on the door. It’s not a peaceful or serene life - it’s similar to the life I had under escort for ten years. 'One thing I will say though is that I have no anger or hatred towards Rancadore or the others that threatened me all those years ago. I have forgiven them and I bear no animosity towards them. 'My message would be to the young people, not to follow in the footsteps of their elders to a life of crime, they should not be afraid. The Devil has only one weapon, fear. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Father Gino Sacchetti targeted by crime family run by Domenico Rancadore . Angered mob bosses while he worked as a prison chaplain in Sicily by refusing to sell up prime land for development . Spoke out against organised crime and told residents not to be intimidated .

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By . Dan Bloom . A knife-wielding robber fashioned a disguise for himself by cutting eye holes into a carrier bag and putting it on his head. The man wore a white Londis plastic bag during the bizarre raid, which was caught on CCTV and terrified a lone female shop worker in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Police have now released footage of the incident in the hope they can track down the bag-wearing suspect. Scroll down for video . A head for disguises: A knife-wielding robber wore a white Londis plastic bag on his head during a bizarre raid . Terrifying: The man pulled a knife on the surprised shop worker and helped himself to cash from the till . The footage shows the man walking into a Day One store in Bennetts Gate, Hemel Hempstead, at 8.45am on May 9. With his eyes - and at one point his nose - poking out from gaps in the bag, he walked to the wine aisle while the shop worker was serving another customer. Once the customer had left he suddenly pulled out the knife, which appeared to be a few inches long, and demanded cash from the stunned worker. He helped himself to money from the till before dashing off, leaving the worker shocked but unhurt. So far police have been unable to find the suspect, and the incident featured last night on the BBC's Crimewatch in a bid to track him down. Conspicuous: The robber could be seen walking into the shop with eye holes cut in his plastic disguise . Waiting in line: He stood by the wine aisle before drawing the knife in the raid, which took place in May . DC Paula Mowbray, from the Local Crime . Unit at Hemel Hempstead Police Station, said: 'This was a distressing . incident for the owner of the store and we continue to make efforts to . identify this man. 'It’s an unusual choice of disguise and clearly parts of his face are still on display which is why we’re releasing this footage in the hope that someone will know who he is. 'If you believe you can identify this man please make contact as soon as possible.' Stunned CCTV viewers poked fun at the robber on the Herts Police Facebook page. Paula Thomas said: 'Shouldn’t laugh but really! What a complete muppet.' Raid: The Day One shop in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, where the robbery happened on a busy morning . Kate Cornelius added: 'Man could not . find a bag big enough to put himself in. Rubbish to be found and . discarded in the nearest prison!' And Mark Dorsett said: 'Times are desperate'. Anyone with information should contact police via the non-emergency number 101 quoting crime reference number D1/14/2764, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Man donned Londis bag with eye holes in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire . Female worker left shocked but unhurt after being threatened with knife . Police appealed for witnesses over bizarre robbery on BBC's Crimewatch .

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Patients are being denied minor treatments because they smoke, The Mail on Sunday has found. In one case a healthy middle-aged man was told he could not have a ten-minute operation to cut a small benign growth off the side of his  head, because of his habit. Paul Merrett thought it would be no problem to get the inch-long fatty lump, called a lipoma, removed. Patients in need of minor operations are being refused procedures by the NHS unless they promise to give up smoking (library image) It was getting caught when he put on ear defenders and hygienic headgear for his job inspecting catering equipment. As a result, the lump was becoming painful. But when he attended King George Surgery in Stevenage, his GP said  he could not have the minor operation – which doctors often do under local anaesthetic in their own consulting rooms. Should NHS patients have to promise to quit smoking before being treated by GPs? Should NHS patients have to promise to quit smoking before being treated by GPs? Now share your opinion . Mr Merrett, 46, said: ‘I was told, in no uncertain terms, that unless I gave up smoking or signed up to a quitting clinic they would refuse to treat me.  I was gobsmacked.’ He claims the doctor told him: ‘These directions are not mine. It’s not me refusing this treatment,  it’s the NHS trust.’ Mr Merrett, who smokes ten roll-ups a day, said: ‘It makes me livid. I can count how many times I have needed to rely on the NHS in the past ten years on one hand. I pay into the system and it’s my right to be able to use it when I need it.’ An increasing number of local health authorities are refusing smokers hip and knee replacements, unless they go on courses to quit smoking. Paul Merrett who was refused minor surgery to remove a growth, pictured, from his head because he is a smoker . And obese people are also being  told they must lose weight before costly joint replacement surgery, to increase the chances of success. In some areas, such as Devon and Cornwall, smokers can no longer get IVF on the NHS unless they stop. But this is the first time it has emerged that smokers are being turned down for minor treatments, where there is less evidence that smoking affects the outcome. Simon Clark, of the pro-smoking campaign group Forest, said smokers were being targeted to cut costs. He added: ‘Smokers pay a huge amount of money to the state through taxation – more than £10 billion a  year. That far outweighs the cost of treating smoking-related diseases, and even of treating cases such as this, which have nothing whatsoever to do with smoking. ‘The NHS should treat people equally, regardless of whether they smoke. If not, they run the risk of expensive court cases.’ Yesterday, East and North Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group appeared to climb down over Mr Merrett’s case. Chief executive Lesley Watts claimed he had not been refused surgery. She said the risks of smoking and surgery would be explained to him ‘so informed consent can be obtained’ – but that he would still receive the procedure if it was safe to do so, even if he carried on smoking. But Mr Merrett said: ‘That wasn’t what the doctor said to me. They’ve back-pedalled big-time.’

Paul Merrett, 46, needed to have a growth from the side of his removed . Was told at King George Surgery in Stevenage, Herts., he could not have the procedure because he smoked ten roll-ups a day . 'It's my right to be able to use it when I need it,’ Mr Merrett says . East and North Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group climbed down over the case and said Mr Merrett will get the operation .

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By . Leon Watson . A tree trimmer died in a freak accident when a stray branch hit him on the head and led to him suffocating 60ft off the ground. Father-to-be Tim June, 21, from Roswell, Georgia, died of asphyxiation caused by 'head and neck compression' on Saturday while working on a pine tree in Fairburn. Sergeant Anthony Bazydlo, a spokesman for the Fairburn Police Department, revealed that when officers turned up they were left confused at first by the cause of death. Father-to-be Tim June, of Roswell, Georgia, died after suffering 'head and neck compression' when he was struck by a tree branch. He is pictured (left) with his pregnant girlfriend Sarah Docekal . Police initially thought the force of the branch hitting Mr June had killed him. But pathologists later ruled he died of asphyxiation, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Following an emergency call, firefighters from the Fairburn Fire Department were dispatched to the scene and managed to remove Mr June's body from the tree and take him to a waiting ambulance. 'It took some doing to bring him down,' said Sgt Bazydlo. 'This is the definition of a tragic accident.' Mr June, who had worked as a tree trimmer for three years, was the owner of Atlanta Tree Assurance, founded last year. One of trees Mr June has trimmed, pictured on his company's Facebook page . His 21-year-old girlfriend, Sarah Docekal, who is nine months pregnant, said he was an accomplished arborist. 'We were going to give it [the child] up for adoption,' she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 'Now, I may change my mind.' Mother Susan Coker, of Marietta said by the time he was 14, he was cutting grass and cleaning gutters for cash. Then he discovered tree cutting. 'He finally decided he could make more money as the boss instead of working for the boss,' his mother said.

Father-to-be Tim June, from Roswell, Georgia, died of asphyxiation . Police in Fairburn at first thought the blow from the branch killed him . But a pathologist later ruled it was 'head and neck compression' The 21-year-old's girlfriend, Sarah Docekal, is nine months pregnant .

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services waited less than one day to launch a hiring drive – seeking 1,000 new federal workers – after President Obama announced November 20 that he would act on his own to provide legal papers for millions of illegal immigrants. A new USCIS facility in Crystal City, Virginia is poised to immediately begin implementing Obama's plan, far in advance of a Republican congressional takeover that had the potential to stop him or slow him down through legislators' 'power of the purse.' 'USCIS is taking steps to open a new operational center in Crystal City, a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, to accommodate about 1,000 full-time, permanent federal and contract employees in a variety of positions and grade levels,' the bulletin reads. SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE BULLETIN . NOT MESSING AROUND: The Obama administration took less than a day to launch a massive hiring push after the president announced his executive actions to mainstream millions of illegal immigrants into US society . 'The initial workload will include cases filed as a result of the executive actions on immigration announced on Nov. 20, 2014. Many job opportunities at the operational center will be announced in the coming days and please continue to monitor USAJOBS if you are interested.' The bulletin lists 32 examples of job openings, each of which was posted online on November 21. They include a chief of staff who will earn between $124,995 and $157,100 per year, and program analysts who will earn more than $138,000. Jobs earmarked for recent college graduates start in the range of $34,415 to $55,421. The White House did not respond to a question about how far in advance the decision was made to open the hiring floodgates. USCIS similarly did not respond to a request for comment about how long its plan had been in the works. Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions blasted the administration on Wednesday for the move. 'This facility is a clear symbol of the President’s defiance of the American people, their laws, and their Constitution,' Sessions said in a statement.' 'He is hiring federal employees to carry out a directive that violates the laws Congress has passed in order to foist on the nation laws Congress has repeatedly refused to pass.' Sessions warned, however, that a coming Republican majority in both the House and Senate could choke off the funds needed to pay 1,000 new salaries. 'The president cannot spend money unless the Congress approves it,' he cautioned, 'and certainly the Congress should not approve funds for an illegal amnesty.' NOT AMUSED: Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican, warned that Congress could choke off the funds needed to pay 1,000 new salaries at USCIS . Sessions has emerged as one of the Senate's loudest critics of Obama's immigration policy shift, calling it a job-killer as he predicts a flood of newly-legalized illegal immigrants will rush to displace citizens from scarce jobs. 'This action will mean that American workers, their sons, their daughters, their parents, will now have to compete directly for jobs, wages, and benefits with millions of illegal immigrants,' he said Wednesday. Reached at his Senate Budget Committee office, Sessions communications chief Stephen Miller told MailOnline that 'every day this facility continues its lawless amnesty operations is another day an American loses his or her job, is another day an American doesn’t get the pay raise because lower-wage workers are available, is another day their tax bill is heavier because they’re funding illegal benefits for people who have no legal right to claim them.' USCIS Hiring Bulletin uploaded by MailOnline .

Facility in Crystal City, Virginia will house 1,000 new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees . USCIS intragovernmental bulletin announced the move Dec. 1 but job listings were created Nov. 21 . Obama announced Nov. 20 that he would mainstream millions of illegal immigrants without permission from Congress . Hiring notices include senior-level officials who will earn as much as $157,100 per year, and indicate government-wide coordination .

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(CNN) -- Seth Meyers had big shoes to fill on Monday night. Meyers took over the "Late Night" chair from former "Saturday Night Live" alum Jimmy Fallon, who arguably had a great run as that show's host as he crafted now-pop culture favorites like "Slow-jamming the News" and "The History of Rap." So how did Meyers do with his debut? The reviews are in, and they range from "meh" to middling. The Daily Beast, which thought Meyers got "off to a rocky start on 'Late Night,'" noted that the newcomer "had a few missions to accomplish when we ran into him on Monday night." From 'Saturday Night' to 'Late Night' "He had to prove that Fallon's reign isn't a fluke, that late night really can be a home for the affable and good-natured," the Daily Beast's Kevin Fallon wrote. "And, most importantly, he had to show that the acute and observant brand of humor he displayed for 12 and a half years on 'Saturday Night Live,' many of those years spent as head writer and host of 'Weekend Update,' translates to the late-night talk show format." Fallon (we are assuming no relation to Jimmy) said it was "mission only sort of accomplished." Jimmy Fallon's debut on "The Tonight Show" last week was as big as his personality. It featured a performance by the band U2 and plenty of laughs with guest Will Smith and some of Fallon's famous friends, including Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey. Meyers also got a little help from his friend Amy Poehler, who was one of his first guests along with Vice President Joe Biden. Poehler, and Meyer's former "SNL" castmate, Fred Armisen was also part of the show as the leader of "Late Night's" band. Meyers even paid homage to Fallon in the form of a letter he wrote to his predecessor, and which he read during the opening of the show. So many nods to his "SNL" past seemed to make sense to The Los Angeles Times, which observed that Meyers' "monologue was reminiscent in style and cadence to his 'Weekend Update' segments, full of rapid-fire one-liners about the day's headlines." "Though he lacked the giddy enthusiasm that marked Fallon's first 'Tonight' outing last week, Meyers frequently acknowledged the show as a work in progress, noting that a monologue joke about UPS had bombed with the studio audience and making fun of his low-budget graphics," the L.A. Times' Meredith Blake wrote. Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich gave the debut a grade of "B." "I laughed at the premiere of 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' less than I laughed at 'The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon,'" Franich wrote. "But I laughed more at Seth Meyers than I did at Jimmy Fallon." Music critic Ken Tucker was impressed, tweeting, "Jeez, @sethmeyers @LateNightSeth makes eye contact, subtly refers to cards, responds to what guests say ... he's, like, an actual TALK show host!" Others, too, seem willing to give Meyers some time to find his footing. Michael Starr of the New York Post wrote that Meyers "eventually found his sea legs and drove his new 12:35 p.m. show to a solid, if unspectacular, debut. ... He's charming with a certain 'aw shucks' demeanor that doesn't seem forced or contrived, and he'll have plenty of time to grow into his new role as a late-night host," Starr said.

Seth Meyers took over from Jimmy Fallon on "Late Night" Meyers got off to a slow start . One writer says Meyers will get better .

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A Muslim woman is suing an Ohio jail for forcing her to attend a Christian prayer service while behind bars. Sakeena Majeed, 24, was locked up in Cuyahoga County Corrections Center for 60 days in April after having an altercation with a police officer in Cleveland. She claims that corrections officers made her go to the prayer meets every Friday that were held by a baptist minister. They threatened to put her in solitary confinement if she didn't go, The L.A. Times reported. Violated: Sakeena Majeed, 24, claims an officer at Cuyahoga County Corrections Center threatened her with solitary confinement when she refused to attend the jail's weekly Christian prayer service, which were led by a Baptist minister . Majeed says she told the officers numerous times that she was a practicing Muslim. She also claims that they 'openly chastised and mocked' her beliefs. The jail holds about 50 inmates, who are kept in 'pods', not cells. The inmates are free to travel through certain parts of the jail. Majeed's lawyer, Matthew Besser, said he is investigating the jail's policies, what acitivites are considered mandatory, and why. 'At this point, it’s too early to know exactly how widespread the practice is, and has been, and whether it had occurred in other portions of the jail,' Besser told the Los Angeles Times. 'The only evidence I have here is that it occurred in the trustee pod. 'Our understanding is all the inmates in the pod were forced to go, some were willing and happy to go, and others less so.' Scene: Majeed was held in Cuyahoga County Corrections Center for 60 days in April after having an altercation with a police officer in Cleveland . Majeed is seeking unspecified damages. The lawsuit says her constitutional rights were violated. Majeed had pleaded pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault after having an argument with a police officer. Officials from Cuyahoga County have not commented on the lawsuit. Suing: Sakeena Majeed is pictured here sitting in her mother's home in Cleveland on December 19 .

Sakeena Majeed, 24, was locked up in Cuyahoga County Corrections Center for 60 days in April . She plead guilty to assaulting a police officer . Claims she was forced to attend prayer meets run by a baptist minister . Also claims corrections officers chastised her . Seeking unspecified damages .

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Astronomical: One call to a 118 directory inquiries number had been charged at £5 a minute . Looking through my latest mobile phone bill, I almost had a cardiac arrest. It was three times the usual amount — all thanks to one item. A call I’d made to a 118 directory inquiries number had been charged at £5 a minute. And because I’d then got them to put me through, the total cost of the 26-minute call had come to £137.08, including VAT. Spluttering with shock, I contacted Vodafone, my mobile phone service provider, and asked how on earth they could justify this. A very apologetic lady explained that I had called ‘the wrong directory inquiries number’. Maybe I’m naive, but I hadn’t been aware that there could be a ‘wrong’ directory inquiries number. She explained that instead of calling Vodafone’s own service on 118 881, I had called the directory of Orange — another service provider — on 118 000. I explained that this was a totally innocent mistake. I had probably done so because I had dialled out of habit, having been an Orange customer some years ago until I switched to Vodafone. I’d been looking for the number of Sky TV customer services because my parents’ digibox had developed a fault on Christmas Eve. In any case, how is anyone supposed to accurately remember all these 118 inquiries numbers when they’re all so similar? Of course, with hindsight, I realised that I could have scribbled down the number, hung up, and then dialled it myself. That way I would have been charged at a standard call rate when talking to Sky. But when in a hurry or on the move, it can seem so much easier just to be put straight through. The woman at Vodafone sounded very sympathetic. She said she understood my distress but, unfortunately, Orange had charged Vodafone an inflated price and so Vodafone had to pass the cost on to me. If I had rung Vodafone directory inquiries on 118 881, it would have been 71p a minute. There didn’t seem to be any way of arguing with this. So I sighed, thanked her and resolved never to call a 118 number again, just in case I got the wrong one. But something was still nagging me, so the next day I decided to call Orange. They were adamant that the £5 a minute was nothing to do with them: they had not set the high charge for my call, Vodafone had. Orange’s charge for their directory service was £1.29 a minute, they said. In other words, the true cost of my call to Orange directory inquiries was nearer £34. So, with a bit of mental arithmetic, I worked out that when Vodafone charged me £137.08 for calling a rival firm’s directory, they had made a pure profit on that call of almost exactly £100. Yet Vodafone continued to insist the £5 a minute charge was not their fault. I asked them how much they had profited from my call. A spokeswoman said: ‘We pay the service provider (Orange directories) according to commercial agreements and we cannot share this information.’ Over the next few days, I went back and forth between Orange and Vodafone, repeatedly being told by both that the charges I had incurred were the fault of the other. By now it wasn’t the size of the astronomical bill that I was angry about, it was the childish, manipulative and downright disingenuous behaviour of the phone companies. While Vodafone appeared to be the culprit in this case, I started to suspect that they were all in this together, setting complicated pricing structures that were impossible for the consumer to interpret. When I looked at Vodafone’s website, there was a list of their charges for 118 numbers but there was no mention of what they charged for Orange’s 118 000. The biggest charge they admitted to was £2.71 a minute if a Vodafone customer rang BT’s 118 500. Complex: When Vodafone charged £137.08 for calling a rival firm’s directory, they had made a pure profit on that call of almost exactly £100. Yet Vodafone continued to insist the £5 a minute charge was not their fault . So I contacted Vodafone’s head office and said I was giving them one last chance to come clean about whether £5 a minute was their standard charge for a call by their customers to Orange directories. And, if it was, where was this charge published, as the industry regulations require? And at that point, the firm admitted: ‘We’re very sorry, but £5 a minute is our charge. We don’t know why you were told it wasn’t. It must have been human error.’ At last! It had taken me two weeks to establish who had really profited from my call to 118 000. A spokeswoman for Orange — when I eventually got hold of them — said: ‘It is the carrier’s decision on what rates they set. In this case, Vodafone has set the rate at £5 for a call to the Orange 118 000 directory inquiries for its customers. We can confirm that this is not the rate set by Orange.’ Vodafone charges . For Vodafone directories 118 881 . — 85p per minute . For Orange directories 118 000 . — £5 a minute . For ‘The Number’ 118 118 . — £3.25 a minute . For BT directories 118 500 . — £2.71 a minute . Orange/EE charges . For Orange directories 118 000 . — £1.29 a minute . For Vodafone directories 118 881 . — £1.80 (to get a number) then £1.20 a minute if the call is connected . For 118 118 — £2.25 a minute . For BT 118 500 — £1.80 a minute . Virgin Mobile charges . For Virgin’s own service 118 180 . — free (up to ten calls a day) For Orange directories — price not listed . For ‘The Number’ 118 118 . — £2.57 . For BT directories 118 500 . — £2.39 a minute . Only the most persistent person — one like me — would have bothered getting to the bottom of this scandal. But what chance does the average customer have of being able to navigate such a system? In fact, the 118 system is so complex and so complained-about that the regulator Ofcom is set to overhaul it. From July, phone companies will not be able to hide their 118 charges as easily, or levy complex rates where the true cost to the consumer is hidden. A big part of the problem is that there are two different elements to these calls: the cost that all the different directory inquiry companies, with their own call centres often in different countries, charge you for their services; and the cost your phone provider, like Vodafone, charges you to access them. At the moment, if you unwittingly dial the wrong number and use a directory service which isn’t your own phone provider’s, that second element — the ‘access charge’ — can be extortionate. And, as I found out, it is very difficult to find out how much it is. But, under the new rules, phone companies will have to publish prominently what you have to pay, and furthermore, the extra charge will have to be exactly the same for all the different directory inquiry services they allow you to access. The idea is that if customers know and understand what they are being charged, competition will drive the cost down. They will have to make it clear, for example: ‘Calls cost 1.20p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.’ I’m still not convinced this is simple enough for customers to find out the total cost of the call as it will appear on their bill. After all, you would still need to contact your provider or check your contract to ascertain the access charge. But Ofcom insist it will be an improvement. If so, then it is about time. The 118 swindle is all the more disappointing for the customer because the proliferation of these phone firms was supposed to be a great liberation of the market and drive down prices. But as with the electricity and gas firms, deregulation has not brought the promised savings. In fact, if anything, it has allowed the phone companies to drive up prices. Indeed, it makes one long for the old days when there was just one BT number to dial for directory inquiries. When that old 192 number, costing a mere 40p a minute, was abolished in 2003 and the industry opened up to competition, 118 was made the new prefix for all the new services. Those who worked for Oftel (Ofcom’s predecessor as regulator), which brought in the change, would no doubt now claim this was a mistake rather than a conspiracy. Perhaps no one could have envisaged how phone companies would exploit the system. In practice, though, it has meant that customers have ended up so confused about which 118 number to dial without racking up enormous charges that, increasingly, they have had no choice but to avoid all of them. No wonder the number of calls to directory inquiries has fallen by an estimated 80 per cent in a decade. An Ofcom spokesman said: ‘We want to make the cost of calling 118 numbers clearer for telephone users. Under the changes which come into effect this summer, call charges will be split so consumers can compare the cost of calling different 118 services, and see where their money is going.’ Even so, trying to tie down who is responsible for charging what for which service, with prices changing all the time, remains virtually impossible.

One call to 118 directory inquiries number had been charged at £5 a minute . Vodafone billed Melissa £137.08 for calling rival firm’s directory number . Complex 118 system is so complained-about that Ofcom is set to overhaul .

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Kmart has launched its Christmas advertising campaign more than 100 days before the holiday in a desperate bid to beat off the competition. But the extra-early ad blitz has infuriated shoppers who've taken to the retailer's Facebook page to slam the out-of-season commercial. Industry analysts say the unprecedented move will bring forward the Christmas ad cycle 'by a few weeks' as competitors jump on the promotional bandwagon. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . What the? Kmart has enraged customers by airing its first Christmas advertisement about its layaway program - featuring a gingerbread man - more than 100 days before the holiday . Market leader: Ad industry analysts say Kmart's decision to air a Christmas ad this week will move the Christmas ad cycle up 'by a few weeks' The . commercial, which first aired on September 8, promotes the retailer's layaway program. It features a . gingerbread man sneaking up on a woman working in an office cubicle, with a voice over saying: 'Don't let the holidays sneak up on you. Shop early with . Kmart free layaway.' Almost instantly, the retailer's Facebook page was brimming with complaints. One customer wrote: 'What happened to Halloween and thanksgiving? Stop with the Christmas commercials ALREAY! [sic]'. Another wrote: 'I WON'T be shopping at Kmart at Christmas. This is just a money making scheme. Kmart is only eager for the dollar signs. Places that start Christmas too early don't get my money. Christmas is NOT about gifts...it's about Jesus and family.' Unperturbed by the backlash, Kmart merely thanked its critics: 'We're just really excited for the holidays and layaway!' Last year, Kmart's first holiday ad aired on October 28, behind Target's infamous October 15 promotional launch. Secret Santa: A Kmart spokeswoman said the ad is being 'tweaked' but refused to comment on the retailer's holiday strategy . A Kmart . spokeswoman said the ad was being 'tweaked', but would not comment on the company's broader holiday strategy. 'Customers can plan in advance in order to take advantage of layaway for holiday purchases,' Kmart said in a statement to ABC News. Armed with National Retail Federation data showing 40 percent of holiday shoppers start buying before Halloween, several retailers have already announced their layaway schemes. On August 22, Walmart announced plans to launch free layaway from September 13 to December 13, officially kicking off the start to the holiday season, according to ABC News. Ace Metrix executive VP-marketing, Jonathan Symonds, . said it's important that . layaway ads are released early, but admitted it's 'eye . opening' that Kmart is out of the gate six to eight weeks earlier than normal. 'There might not be creative to respond with in the . pipeline,' Symonds told Ad Age. 'It will, by definition, create a slightly . earlier cycle. As opposed to right before Halloween, it will have the . impact of pulling the season up by a few weeks. But it won't start the . race today.' National Retail Federation spokeswoman Kathy . Grannis said Kmart's early blitz would boost competition in the sector. 'This . might give new meaning to the phrase Christmas Creep,' she said. 'It's anybody's game right now, wheels are definitely in motion for a . very promotional holiday season.'

Kmart aired its first Christmas advertisement on September 8 . Customers are infuriated at the out-of-season ad . The retailer said it wants to help consumers plan their holiday shopping .

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By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 10:58 EST, 25 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:21 EST, 25 April 2013 . Kurdish men in Iran have dressed in drag after a court ordered a man to walk down the street in women's clothing in an attempt to humiliate him. More than 150 men have posted photographs of themselves in traditional female Kurdish clothing as part of the ‘Kurd men for Equality’ campaign against the sexist nature of sentence. The campaign’s tagline is: ‘Being a woman is not a way for humiliation or punishment.’ Scroll down for video . Campaigners are protesting after a man was forced to walk down the street in women's clothing as a form of 'humiliation' The campaigners argue that being a woman should not be a form of punishment or humiliation . The Marivian County tribunal court sentenced the man to the unusual punishment on April 15. Witnesses said he was forced to walk in public in a red tchador, a type of traditional women’s clothing. Journalist Saman Rasoulpour told Gay Star News: ‘[In] this way, authorities are able to both demean the accused and deliver a warning to the public. ‘This is the first time in Iran that an accused is paraded in women’s clothes in the streets to humiliate him. It is unprecedented anywhere in Iran.’ The campaign was started on Facebook on April 18 and now has more than 9,000 fans and features messages of support from campaigners around the world. Contributor Ala M wrote: ‘For many . years, women in my country have been side-by-side with men, wearing . men’s clothes, struggling. Tonight I am happy and honored to wear . women’s clothes and be even a small part of the rightful struggle of . people to express gratitude and excellence to the women of my country.’ Women have joined the campaign by dressing in men’s clothes. In . response 17 members of Iran’s parliament signed a letter sent to the . Justice Ministry condemning the sentence as ‘humiliating to Muslim . women,’ with one MP criticising it during a session of parliament. More than 150 men have posted photographs of themselves dressed in either traditional (left) or modern (right) women's clothing . The campaign now has 9,000 fans on Facebook, and has attracted international attention . The day after the sentence was carried out a local feminist movement launched a protest against it . Around 100 men and women attended the Marivan Women’s Community organisation protest at the sexist nature of the sentencing. In 2009 student and civil activist Majid Tavakoli was photographed leaving a public speech on Iran’s Student Day wearing a hijab. While police claim that he had worn the garment to avoid detection, human rights activists said that he had been forced to wear it. In response hundreds of Iranian men posted photos of themselves in the clothing online in protest to the ‘immoral’ treatment of him.

Facebook campaign for gender equality gathered 9,000 fans . More than 150 men have posted pictures of themselves in women's clothes . Comes after court 'punished' a man by making him wear women's clothes in public .

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(CNN) -- The pilots of the commercial jetliner that last week overshot its destination by about 150 miles have said they were using their laptops and lost track of time and location, federal safety officials said Monday. The Airbus A320 was flying at 37,000 feet over the Denver, Colorado, area at 5:56 p.m. Wednesday when it last made radio contact, the safety board said. Northwest Flight 188 had departed San Diego en route to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport carrying 144 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants. Northwest recently merged with Delta Air Lines. "Using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies and violations of that policy will result in termination," Delta said Monday in a statement. Pilot Timothy B. Cheney, 53, was hired in 1985 and has more than 20,000 hours flight time; First Officer Richard I. Cole, 54, was hired in 1997 and has about 11,000 hours of flight time, the report said. Neither pilot reported having had an accident, incident or violation, neither had any ongoing medical conditions and neither said he was tired, it said. They each had a 19-hour layover in San Diego; neither said he had slept or argued during the flight, but both said "there was a distraction" in the cockpit, according to the report. The pilots said there was "a concentrated period of discussion where they did not monitor the airplane or calls" from air traffic control, though both said they heard conversation on the radio, the report said. Neither pilot said he noticed messages sent by company dispatchers, it added. It said the men were talking about the new monthly crew flight scheduling system put into place in the wake of Northwest's merger with Delta Air Lines. "Each pilot accessed and used his personal laptop computer while they discussed the airline crew flight scheduling procedure," the report said. "The first officer, who was more familiar with the procedure, was providing instruction to the captain."Neither pilot said he was aware of where the plane was until a flight attendant called the cockpit about five minutes before the plane was to have landed and asked their estimated time of arrival, the report said. "The captain said, at that point, he looked at his primary flight display for an ETA and realized that they had passed" the airport, it added. After 78 minutes of radio silence, the pilots re-established radio contact with air traffic controllers, it said. After landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul, both voluntarily underwent alcohol breath tests, which proved negative, the report said. The safety board said its investigators interviewed the pilots separately Sunday in Minnesota for more than five hours combined. The investigation will include scrutiny of the flight and voice data recorders, it said. An airline spokesman said Monday the company has sent the passengers on the plane $500 travel vouchers to compensate them for their inconvenience, and that the pilots have been suspended until the conclusion of the investigations. The NTSB on Monday interviewed the three flight attendants who were on the plane, a spokesman for the Association of Flight Attendants said. The lead flight attendant told officers she was unaware there had been an incident aboard, according to the report. Police who met the wayward jet said the pilots were "cooperative, apologetic and appreciative." The NTSB is hoping the plane's cockpit voice recorder either will confirm the pilot's account or provide evidence of another possible explanation, including whether the captain and first officer fell asleep. Watch the co-pilot speak . The voice recorder is capable of recording only 30 minutes of audio, federal accident investigators said. The plane was in the air for another 45 minutes after radio contact was restored, meaning that if the recorder was working properly, anything the pilots would have said during the time they weren't answering radio calls would have been recorded over. But a former accident investigator said the voice recorder may still provide valuable information, because the pilots could have discussed the earlier events on the way back to Minneapolis after overshooting the airport. The flight data recorder also could prove valuable because it would have recorded actions taken by the pilots during the 78 minutes they did not respond to repeated calls from air traffic controllers, the ex-investigator said. Meanwhile, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which scrambled fighter jets for the wayward plane but did not launch them, said it was reviewing procedures for launching the fighters to track potentially hijacked or suspicious aircraft. At issue is the Federal Aviation Administration's apparent delay in notifying NORAD the Northwest jet was not in contact with controllers, according to a senior U.S. official directly familiar with the timeline of the incident. Watch how the military is looking at a possible FAA delay . The official, who declined to be identified because the military and the FAA are reviewing the incident, said the FAA's request for military involvement came after the plane passed the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. NORAD scrambled fighter jets at two locations. But as they approached the runway for takeoff, the FAA reported being back in contact with the Northwest flight, and the fighters stayed on the ground. "My real question is why we did not know of the 'radio out' situation from the FAA sooner," the official said. "The FAA is also looking into that." Since the September 11, 2001, attacks, NORAD has regularly launched fighter jets to track aircraft in unusual situations such as when they deviate from flight plans, lose radio contact or enter restricted airspace. According to a second U.S. official, NORAD is in constant contact with the FAA so it can respond when situations arise. CNN's Mike M. Ahlers and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

NEW: Delta statement: "Using laptops ... will result in termination" NEW: Pilots have been suspended until investigations conclude . Northwest says it's offering $500 travel vouchers to passengers . Flight overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles; Feds interview flight attendants .

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By . Paul Harris . PUBLISHED: . 18:40 EST, 11 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:40 EST, 12 March 2013 . Ten years of lies and betrayal came to a dramatic conclusion last night when Chris Huhne was finally put behind bars. The former Cabinet minister’s spectacular fall was complete when a prison guard led him in handcuffs to start an eight-month sentence. The prosecution said the 58-year-old millionaire had tried to cheat justice with a ‘scandalous’ legal defence. Vicky Pryce, who Huhne persuaded to take his speeding points and later divorced, was also given eight months for the same offence of perverting the course of justice. Last taste of freedom: Huhne leaves his London home and heads to court yesterday with his lover Carina Trimingham. He was given eight months in prison for perverting the course of justice . Describing her as ‘controlling, manipulative and devious’, Mr Justice Sweeney highlighted her revenge campaign that ruined her cheating husband’s career. He told the pair: ‘Any element of tragedy is entirely your own fault.’ Addressing Huhne, he said: ‘You have fallen from a great height albeit that that is only modest mitigation given that it is a height that you would never have achieved if you had not hidden your commission of such a serious offence in the first place.’ The former Liberal Democrat MP, who once harboured hopes of taking Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s job, had lied ‘again and again’ in what was a ‘flagrant offence’ of its type, he added.Huhne’s barrister said the catastrophe had torn his family apart. ‘He is a man laid bare,’ said John Kelsey-Fry QC. ‘He has two things left to which he can sensibly hope to cling. The support of his partner and loyal friends and the hope of a reconciliation with his children.’ The end: Former energy secretary Chris Huhne arrives at Southwark Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced for perverting the course of justice . He insisted however the politician was no bully and had not tried to impose his will on his family. Once a powerhouse couple – a senior politician and a leading economist – Huhne and Pryce looked more like strangers on a bus when in the dock yesterday. Their eyes failed to meet and they did not exchange a word. They sat 4ft from each other. The case was conducted at huge public expense and Huhne is estimated to have spent up to £500,000 on his defence. Yesterday it emerged that the Crown Prosecution Service is trying to recoup £117,558 in prosecution costs, £79,015 for Huhne and £38,544 for Pryce, plus an extra £31,000 from Huhne for a previous attempt to get the case thrown out. He is fighting the costs order. Mr Kelsey-Fry said Huhne will pay costs that are ‘just and reasonable’ but questioned the prosecutions version of how events unfolded. ‘Mr Huhne would not for a moment cave at paying just and reasonable costs attributed to him for this case,’ he said. ‘He would not want to be in any sense a burden on the public purse, bearing in mind his defence.’ Despite the dubious record of becoming the first former Cabinet minister since Jonathan Aitken to be jailed, Huhne has already launched a PR initiative apparently aimed at limiting damage to his image. In interviews hours before he was sentenced at London’s Southwark Crown Court he said he regretted not owning up earlier and accepted the judge’s conclusion that he ‘lied and lied again’. He agreed his political career was ‘very clearly over’.  In another interview, he maintained that jail was ‘a fairly small bit of the total penalty’ but admitted ‘lawmakers can be many things, but they cannot be lawbreakers’. Dubious honour: Huhne becomes the first former Cabinet minister since Jonathan Aitken to be jailed . Remarkably, he said he had hoped Pryce – described in court as fragile and a broken woman – would be acquitted instead of convicted at her jury trial. ‘I didn’t want her to go to jail,’ he said. ‘I told the kids and everybody else that. Revenge eats you up. It does worse things to you than to the person you are attempting to attack.’ The case came to a close just one day short of ten years from the moment a speed camera caught Huhne’s BMW doing 19mph above a 50mph limit on the M11 between London and Stansted. It might have begun with a simple motoring offence but it led to a desperately risky and ill-founded attempt to weasel out of a driving ban, compounded by lies, complex legal wrangling and an arrogant belief by both Huhne and Pryce that they would get away with it. They didn’t. Huhne comes into contact with a photographer's lens as he arrives at court. He tried to avoid a driving ban by falsely claiming his ex-wife was driving his car more than a decade ago . What Huhne might not have bargained for was the vengeful determination of a woman scorned – Pryce’s repeated attempts to expose her philandering husband by spilling details to the press of his criminal secret over the speeding fine. Nor, perhaps, did he imagine he would be ‘laid bare’ in a case that went ahead against his spurned wife for her part in the deception after he finally pleaded guilty, and she didn’t. Yesterday he made a public apology in court claiming he ‘felt awful’ about dragging people he loved into what he described as ‘this gruelling experience’. In legal mitigation it was clear that Huhne did not want to say anything derogatory about his ex-wife. Perhaps significantly, the sole allegation he did reject was a claim from her that he forced her to abort one of their children, part of the evidence she gave from the witness stand. Court artist sketch of Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce being sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in London yesterday . Both defendants wore black as they stepped separately into the dock. Pryce had a red rose in her bag from an admirer outside court, plus a double pack of tissues. Huhne read from papers given to him by his legal team. Their 26-year marriage ended more than two years ago after the exposure of his affair with Carina Trimingham, his 47-year-old PR adviser. The tall brunette sat a few feet from the dock alongside Huhne’s father Peter, visible to her lover but out of sight of Pryce. Sentencing the pair, Mr Justice Sweeney said: ‘To the extent that anything good has come out of this whole process, it is that now, finally, you have both been brought to justice for your joint offence. Rose for a prisoner: Vicky Pryce gets a rose from an elderly well-wisher on her way into court for sentence yesterday . ‘Any element of tragedy is entirely your own fault.’ The judge said Huhne had lied to avoid prosecution for the offence – then compounded those lies by insisting Pryce had not taken the points for him, pleading not guilty, and by trying to get the case thrown out under abuse of process. ‘Whereas the truth, as you well knew throughout, was that Vicky Pryce had taken the points for you and you were guilty,’ the judge said. Both Pryce and Huhne are expected to be released from prison after only two months with a tag and a strict curfew.

Decade-long saga ends as disgraced politician is jailed for eight months . His former wife Vicky Pryce gets the same sentence . Judge says legal defence was 'scandalous'

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The fiancee of a man on trial for murdering a black teenager in cold blood has told how they went back to their hotel, ordered a pizza and drank rum and Cokes straight after the killing. Michael Dunn, 47, is accused of murdering Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old, after he refused to turn down loud rap music he and his friends were playing in his car parked outside a store in Jacksonville, Florida. Rhonda Rouer, who was inside the store when the shooting happened, said she heard shots and was immediately told to get in the car by Dunn, who drove them back to their hotel. Prosecutor John Guy said Dunn (left)  fired at the SUV 'with malice in his heart and intent in his hand' while the defense said it happened because he felt in imminent danger. Right: Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old from Marietta, Georgia . The couple then ordered a meal, made drinks and went to bed. Dunn was arrested the following morning. The shooting - which nobody denies led to Davis's death - happened after a shouting match between Dunn and the group of teenagers in the car. Dunn is accused of firing 10 times into the SUV, including several times as the driver tried to get away. One of the shots killed Davis. No one else in the SUV was injured. Earlier in the trial, prosecutor John Guy said Dunn fired at the SUV 'with malice in his heart and intent in his hand' while the defense said it happened because he felt in imminent danger. Michael Dunn, 47, (left) is on trial for a second time, charged with first-degree murder in the November 2012 killing of Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old from Marietta, Georgia . He has already been convicted of three counts of attempted second-degree murder and is facing 60 years in prison. Dunn is facing a retrial on the first-degree murder count after the jury deadlocked at the previous trial in February. Giving her testimony, Rouer said that she was buying chips and wine in the convenience store when she 'heard a pop, pop, pop'. She said she didn't know what was going on until she went outside and her fiancee Michael Dunn urged her to get into the car, then drove off quickly, before she could fasten her seatbelt. State Attorney Angela Corey shows witness Steven Smith a hat and asked him if he ever saw it above the roof line of the car that Jordan Davis was in during the shooting . Rouer repeated testimony she gave in the first trial, saying the couple, who live together, went back to their hotel, ordered a pizza and drank rum and Cokes, then she fell asleep. The next morning when she woke up, the TV was on and she said she saw that Davis had died and she told Dunn she wanted to go home. They drove straight back to Satellite Beach, canceling plans to have lunch with Dunn's son. Dunn was arrested after they returned home that afternoon. The prosecution spent a third day laying out its case that Dunn acted in cold blood when he killed Davis, who was sitting in the rear passenger seat of an SUV next to Dunn's car . Parents: Prosecutor John Guy, right, shakes hands with Jordan Davis's father Ron before the start of the Michael Dunn retrial . Dunn, who had just left his son's wedding, asked Davis and the other teens in the car to turn down the music and a shouting match erupted between Dunn and Davis. The trial was halted briefly Saturday when a juror was dismissed. The dismissal followed a column posted online by Jacksonville alternative publication Folio Weekly that quoted a one-time prospective juror who was not picked after he said he had written for the publication. Richard David Smith III told the publication that the juror who was picked had questioned State Attorney Angela Corey's competence during jury selection and complained about her sense of humor. Judge Russell Healey, Corey and other attorneys involved in the case questioned the columnist and Smith. One of four alternate jurors will replace the dismissed juror.

Michael Dunn 47, accused of murdering Jordan Davis, 17, in cold blood . Fired his gun at a car Davis was riding in after an argument about rap music . Told Davis and his friends to turn it down outside store in Jacksonville, FL . His fiancee, Rhonda Rouer, told court she was inside the store at the time . Told how Dunn got her in the car, drove then drove off to their hotel . The couple then ordered pizza and drank rum and Coke then went to sleep .

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(CNN) -- Chris Brown has some words of advice for suspended NFL player Ray Rice. In an interview with MTV's Sway Calloway Thursday, Brown opened up about his own history with domestic violence in light of Rice being cut from the Baltimore Ravens and suspended from the league after a leaked video depicted the player punching his now-wife, Janay Rice. "To Ray or anybody else, because I'm not better than the next man, I can just say I've been down that road," Brown told MTV News. "I've made my mistakes too, but it's all about how you push forward and how you control yourself." Brown infamously attacked his former girlfriend Rihanna in 2009 on the eve of the Grammy Awards, and was sentenced to a five-year probation and 1,400 hours of community service. "It's all about the choices you do make," Brown told Calloway. "I deal with a lot of anger issues from my past, not knowing how to express myself verbally and at the same time not knowing how to cope with my emotions and deal with them and understand what they were." The 25-year-old R&B and hip-hop artist explains that therapy has been crucial in helping him better understand and grasp control of his feelings. "I still talk to my therapist twice a week," he said. "It helps me ... if I'm frustrated and I'm dealing with something, to vent and say what I'm going through so I can hear from an actual clinical person, 'This is how you should react,' or 'It's good to feel this way because feelings, emotions, and energy and emotions, are supposed to come and go. It's not supposed to stay there, you're not supposed to keep it inside, because it'll just bottle up and you'll become a monster.'" The singer noted that due to his past, he's not in a position to pass judgment, but is simply speaking from his personal experience. "For anybody who's going through that situation or anybody who's dealing with it -- it's all about the choices," Brown said. "Every situation is different, but it's all about the choices you make and how you control your anger."

Chris Brown spoke about domestic violence in light of the Ray Rice incident . The artist has his own history with the issue . The key for Brown has been consistent therapy . Brown: "It's all about choices"

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By . Kerry Mcqueeney . UPDATED: . 06:56 EST, 25 January 2012 . When it comes to the art of creating collages, the work of this artist is first class. In fact, John Bottomley has got the world’s . most iconic celebrities licked after he created portraits of them - using only postage stamps. The . 64-year old former butler has produced pictures of Michael Jackson, . Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Liza Minnelli by sticking used first . and second class stamps onto a canvas. The . avid stamp collector has also made up a special 2012 Olympic tribute to . a local sports club also made entirely out of stamps. Each picture . takes John around 30 hours to complete and needs about 1,500 stamps - . around £700 worth if bought new. First-class: Jack Bottomley works on his Marilyn Monroe portrait. Some of his works can take more than 30 hours to make . Father-of-one John, from Clayton, . Manchester, who cares full time for his wife said: 'I must have a million . stamps, I’ve got albums full and as I love artwork it just seemed to . make sense to use old stamps to create pictures. 'But . when I get orders for my work I do wonder whether I should cheekily ask . the Royal Mail for free postage - because of all the stamps I use. 'I’ve not made any money from it, it’s just cost me a lot of time and my own money, but it is a love. 'I . was collecting stamps back with my brother back in the 60s; the first . was probably just a normal postage stamp, I would have cut it off and . started to collect them. 'The first one I did was Elvis, it was a challenge straight through, I think it took me about thirty hours. 'So . far I’ve done Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson and I’ve just started . Liza Minnelli and whatever else comes along. I’ve got an order from a . friend for an Elvis one. Return to sender: John has also made a portrait of Elvis Presley. Sometimes John uses as many as 1,500 stamps in each piece . 'I’ve . done one for the 2012 Olympics, I’ve not seen anything in stamps about . like that before, and it’s quite unusual. It’s not easy because it can . take so long and I hate wasting stamps. You do also end up with lots of . glue on your hands.' John says he was first inspired to . collect when he saw a little dish his uncle made completely out of . stamps and couldn’t get over how unusual it was. And from there his collection grew and grew with him even purchasing three bin liners full of postage stamps for £300. But after years of making plates, cards and gifts for friends and family he decided to branch out to re-creating images. He . added: 'I’ve collected stamps on and off over many years. I first got . the idea in my aunt’s house when I saw a plate on her wall, made by my . now late uncle and he’d done it out of stamps. What a dish: John with one of the plate collages he has created, commemorating the London 2012 Olympics . 'It . was four or five different colours and I’d never seen anything like it . before. I used to do plates and then I thought there must be a way of . using the stamps in pictures. 'But when you pixilate an image the pixels are square and stamps are oblong, so it’s not easy and then you have all the colours and shading as well. 'The Elvis one must have taken me over thirty hours alone. I’ve got to get my stamps first of all cutting them off or steaming them off and drying them and then sorting them into colours and getting them ready to start. 'The problem is its very hard to get someone to be able to pixilate a picture, there’s only one person I’ve found who can do it properly. 'But I’ve also done birthday cards, Christmas cards all made out of postage stamps they’re much better than the ones you can buy over the internet. 'They’re completely unique and people are just over the moon when they see them, no one else is going to have one like it.'

Each picture consists of 1,500 stamps - which would cost £700 if bought new . John Bottomley, 64, has 'one million' stamps in his collection .

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By . Angela Levin . PUBLISHED: . 17:33 EST, 2 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:51 EST, 2 March 2013 . Identical twins Andrew and Christopher Watson shared an extraordinary intuition. Throughout their schooldays, their interests and talents were as indistinguishable as their looks. So when, tragically, Christopher was left trapped in a vegetative state after a horrific car accident when the boys were just 16, Andrew knew that as his twin, he was  the right person to speak on his brother’s behalf. And in 2009, three years after the crash, it was Andrew who made the heart-wrenching decision to end his brother’s life. After the accident in 2006 Chris initially still had some brain activity and would respond to simple commands . Twins Andrew (left) and Chris (right) shared an intuition which Andrew felt keenly when Chris was in a coma . With the full support of his mother . Helen and older sister Emma, Andrew went to the High Court seeking . permission to withdraw Christopher’s nutrition and hydration. Two years . later, after tests were completed, the court agreed and on December 7, . 2010, Christopher died peacefully in a hospice. It is only now that Andrew, 23, feels able to talk about what happened and his role in the decision. ‘Every . time I saw Chris, it was like looking at a mirror image of myself,’ he . says. ‘It was like watching  myself die. But if it had been me lying . there, I’d have wanted him to do the same. ‘I feel very empty without him. As . though I have lost a part of myself. But the extraordinary thing is the . moment he died, without realising it, I seem to have taken on his . mannerisms. 'Apparently I now walk, cough and laugh just like him. I have told Mum I shall now have to live for the both of us.’ Andrew and his mother Helen (right) decided three years later that ending life support was the right thing to do . Andrew (left) and his twin Chris (right) pictured with their mother Helen on a family holiday as children . Andrew . and Christopher, from Lutterworth in Leicestershire, were boarders at . Kingham Hill School in the Cotswolds at the time of the accident. They . had spent the weekend with family friends nearby. Their parents – . Peter, an accountant, and Helen – were divorcing and it was a difficult . time. Alastair Godfrey, 19, . the son of the family friend, offered to drive the twins and another . schoolfriend, Hannah Jenkins, back to school on the Sunday evening of . April 30. Christopher and . Andrew piled into the back of Alastair’s Renault Clio.  Hannah sat in . the front. Andrew put on his seatbelt, Christopher did not.  ‘Alastair . drove along the narrow country roads and into the school grounds,’ Andrew recalls, ‘but we went over a hill too quickly and smashed into a . 4x4 driven by one of the school’s groundkeepers. Identical twins Andrew (left) and Chris (right) Watson at the age of four . ‘I remember spinning around in the car and was then unconscious for a few minutes. ‘When I came around, I decided to get help from school and as I wandered down the road, I saw Chris lying curled up about 15 yards from the car. He was breathing but it was very shallow. ‘I was in such a state of shock, I initially couldn’t work out why he was there. It was only later I heard he had been thrown out of the car. ‘He and Alastair, who tragically died that night, were quickly taken away by ambulance. ‘Another ambulance took Hannah – who fortunately wasn’t too badly hurt – and me to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. 'I had some internal bruising. Chris was taken to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. After a week, Mum told me that he wasn’t in good shape so I went to see him.’ Andrew pauses and looks down at his hands in his lap. ‘I couldn’t stay with him for more than five minutes on that first occasion. ‘I don’t think anyone can understand what it is like seeing your identical twin like that because it looks as if it is you. ‘He had two massive black eyes, his head was shaved and there were tubes attached to him everywhere. It could so easily have been me, if I hadn’t put my seatbelt on, and I felt knocked off my feet for a long time. I sat and cried in the hospital waiting room. ‘It was also so heartbreaking to realise that something like this could happen in a blink of an eye. ‘One minute we were having a laugh on the way back to school and the next... ‘I gradually got more used to seeing him and on regular occasions while he was in an induced coma, I would hold his hand and talk to him and the nurses would tell me his blood pressure went down and he seemed more relaxed. That helped relax me. ‘I stayed at boarding school, but thought about him all the time. Because of our telepathic connection, when I couldn’t sleep or felt very agitated, I knew something was wrong. 'I would then phone Mum to ask about him and it usually turned out that he had had an epileptic fit. It was the weirdest experience. Andrew (left) and Chris (right) pictured with their sister Emma in 2005, one year before the accident . 'Chris still had some brain activity initially and would respond to simple commands, but sometimes when I thought I’d seen something, the nurses said they hadn’t.’ Shortly afterwards, Christopher was operated on for a ruptured stomach and from then on tests recorded zero brain activity. As well as developing epilepsy, Christopher had several strokes. His immune system shut down and he suffered from meningitis, MRSA and chest and urinary infections. In 2008, Andrew, his mother and sister met doctors and they mentioned that withdrawing feeding was an option. Andrew felt positive about the idea. ‘It was heart-wrenching to watch Chris’s physical deterioration. He had no dignity and could not communicate, which is no way for anybody to live,’ says Andrew. Christopher (left) and Andrew (right) with their sister Emma . ‘Mum signed a “Do not resuscitate” order and we took the decision as a family to withdraw feeding and let nature take its course. I had to force myself not to focus on the emotional side, as I didn’t want Chris to feel any of that when I went to see him. ‘I believed strongly that as Chris couldn’t make the decision for himself, I had to think for him. When you see someone who could do everything become completely helpless, you know it is no way to live.’ The court agreed in November 2010 that feeding could be withdrawn but the family then ran into another problem. ‘The lady who ran the care home in Leicester where Chris spent three years said she didn’t think it was the right thing to do and wouldn’t allow it to happen there. So we had to find a hospice to move him to. ‘At the hospice, he survived for ten days and died early on December 7. Mum went into his room first and I caught a glimpse of him through the door. It made me feel I had been hit by a giant stone. ‘But I told myself I had to go in. I said a final goodbye and a final  “I love you” then left in disbelief – because I had lost the most important person in my life.’

Twins Andrew and Christopher Watson were in the same car accident . Christopher wore no seat belt and was left in a coma from age of 16 . Andrew let him go after three years and is only now able to talk of trauma .

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(CNN) -- It was around 6:30 in the morning. The air was crisp, the farmers had just watered their fields -- corn perhaps, Omar doesn't entirely recall -- and the ground was muddy, slippery and uneven. There was a pack on his back, a bag slung over each shoulder, and cradled in his arms, the frail body of his 11-year-old brother Abdulrahman. Abdulrahman, the baby of the family, couldn't walk on his own. His left leg was blown off in late July. Read more: Cave becomes classroom for Syrian kids . The last words of the driver who dropped them off echoed in Omar's mind: "You're on your own now." It was as far as the car could safely take them in Syria, a few hundred meters from the Turkish border. Omar's back ached, his arms in agony. He focused on putting down one foot after the other, struggling to keep his balance. He looked down at Abdulrahman's face every few minutes and tried to smile reassuringly. Read more: Who is arming the Syrian conflict? "The only thing that I could think was to arrive, that whatever I was going through, once I arrived it was all going to be OK," Omar said. For the safety of the brothers and their family back in Syria we are omitting their last name, specific locations, and other identifying details. "There were fighter planes and there was a rocket that hit close to our house," Abdulrahman says quietly about the day he was injured. "I went to see what was going on and another rocket hit." He doesn't say much beyond that; at times simply nodding or smiling sweetly, or seemingly lost in his memories. Tears slowly overflow out of Omar's eyes. He slowly wipes them away as he looks down at Abdulrahman. Read more: Why region fears al-Assad's 'blackmail' in Beirut . Omar, 21, was sleeping when the first rocket hit. His mother, panicking, came running into his room. "My mom woke me up saying, 'Stand up immediately.' She said Abdulrahman went out and the plane is roaming, is circulating above, you need to get him back to the house," Omar tells us. He was too late. "I kept running, the first guy saw Abdulrahman injured and he said 'Catch up to your brother, he's about to die.' I can't control, I ran, ran, ran. When I got there, they told me the ambulance has just taken him." Read more: Exiled Syrian writer honored for 'Diaries' of revolt . Abdulrahman doesn't speak to us about those moments. But Omar says his brother recounted how people were running away. "He was wounded, and he began shouting, 'Isn't there anyone to carry me?'" Omar found his brother in the makeshift field clinic, in the basement of the town's mosque. "Once he saw me, he shouted 'Omar!' -- shouted with all his strength. I didn't see what happened, I just saw blood. When I got closer I saw his leg and I just yelled and I started crying." Abdulrahman's leg was amputated; there was no way to save it. It was practically entirely severed just below the knee. "After he woke up I was crying, I couldn't control myself, and he said, 'If you love me don't cry,'" Omar recalls, eyes slightly widening, acknowledging our amazement at his brother's strength. He says Abdulrahman made him promise not to cry in front of their mother. "I said I will control myself," Omar continues. "I told him, do you know where your leg is? He said, 'I know it's cut, I keep feeling it, it hurts.' I told him it just went before you to heaven." Read more: Defecting Syrian propagandist says his job was 'to fabricate' And that is also when Omar made another promise to his younger brother: that he would walk again. Omar started working to save money for a prosthetic, but quickly realized that it would take too long to raise the funds. He began asking around, went online. A group of Egyptian doctors happened to be visiting the field clinic, and they told him about the Global Medical Relief Fund, a small U.S. nongovernmental organization that is dedicated to helping children badly wounded in disasters and war zones. GMRF takes care of children's follow-up prosthetics and physical therapy until they reach the age of 21. The founder, Elissa Montanti, quickly responded: Yes, of course, she would take on his case, but first the brothers had to get to Turkey. They did make it safely across the border. And after a long and arduous journey navigating a country they don't know, a language they don't speak and with meager funds, they made it to Ankara, the Turkish capital, where they are now waiting. Montanti has been working on the brothers' paperwork to get Abdulrahman to the U.S. for medical treatment, made all the more challenging because they don't have passports. Their visa requests were denied. Now they are waiting to see if the State Department will grant them humanitarian parole. Omar pulls his brother in closer, gently stroking his cheek. The two, always close, are now inseparable. But Abdulrahman, despite his frequent shy smiles, is constantly plagued by the memories. "He has nightmares and sometimes daydreams, bad daydreams," Omar tells us. "He says 'I feel it, I feel just like there is a snake around.' I keep telling him it doesn't exist and he says it hurts and starts screaming." Abdulrahman, under his breath, says he sees a big one, surrounded by smaller ones. Omar says his mind is always churning, obsessed with make sure his brother is, quite simply, OK. "All the time I think how to make him comfortable. It's just like raising a child -- I have to take all the responsibilities. He needs to be educated again. I want to take advantage of this situation to teach him languages, everything I can." Tragically, Abdulrahman has already learned one of the harshest lessons of all. "The most important thing that he's learning at this time," Omar says, "it's to be aware, to grow up his mind. He's not a child anymore."

11-year-old Abdulrahman lost his leg during a rocket attack is Syria . Abdulrahman's brother Omar promised his younger brother that he would walk again . The two brothers navigated the dangerous trek across the Turkish border to get help . U.S.-based group is working to get Abdulrahman the medical care he needs .

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(CNN) -- Zainab Alhusni was a simple seamstress in Syria, well-loved by all her neighbors and friends. Now, in a tragic turn of events, she has become a symbol of the cruelty gripping that conflict-wracked nation. Alhusni was only 18 when she stepped away from her Homs residence last month to buy groceries. Her family never again saw her alive. She was whisked away by Syrian security forces to coax the surrender of her activist brother, and ended up beheaded and dismembered, a neighbor, activists and human rights groups say. Waleed Fares, a neighbor and family friend, told CNN on Monday that Zainab's father died when she was just a toddler, leaving her mother and three siblings to fend for themselves in a country with often-unfavorable conditions for a single mother. All four children dropped out of school at a young age so they could work as laborers to provide for their family, Fares said. Zainab dreamed of owning her own tailor shop, so she could support her impoverished family, he said. But she never had a chance to fulfill that dream. Her older brother, Mohammed, became a well-known activist in the family's hometown of Homs in western Syria, often leading the demonstrations against embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and treating the wounded. "Protesters would carry Mohammed on their shoulders so he could lead the chants," Fares said. "He was very loved by everyone. The protesters even had a chant they would say for him, using his nickname: 'Abu Ahmed, may Allah protect you!'" Security forces pursued Mohammed Alhusni for months, raiding his family's home several times, causing the family to flee to a nearby neighborhood on July 25, Fares said. On July 27, Zainab Alhusni disappeared, leaving her family devastated and her siblings panicked and anxious, the neighbor said. "If it had been her brother it would have been different. Taking Zainab, it became a matter of family honor and family pride. Her mother was beyond depressed. She seemed to be between life and death," Fares said. Neighbors and family friends called on each other to collect donations to ease the family's financial troubles, but this became the least of the Alhusni family's concerns. Several days after Zainab disappeared, security forces called the family and offered to meet them in a pro-Assad neighborhood where they would trade Zainab for her activist brother. "The family did not trust the security forces. They would not even confirm to them that Zainab was alive, and they all believed it was a trap to take Mohammed, too," Fares said. On September 10, the family says, Mohammed was wounded in a demonstration. He came back to his loved ones a corpse. The family believes he was tortured to death. In a statement posted to YouTube, another brother, Yousif Alhusni, describes multiple gunshot wounds to Mohammed's chest and a single shot through his mouth. "His arms were broken and there were cigarette burns to his face," he adds. The family went to collect Mohammed's body from a hospital when doctors told them another unclaimed body with the label "Zainab Alhusni" had been kept in the morgue's freezer for some time. When the family received the body, her head and arms had been chopped off. Chunks of her flesh were charred, appearing in places to have been melted or burned down to the bone. Authorities forced Zainab's mother to sign a document saying both her daughter and her son had been kidnapped and killed by an armed gang, Amnesty International said in an online statement . "If it is confirmed that Zainab was in custody when she died, this would be one of the most disturbing cases of a death in detention we have seen so far," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa. The case also drew the antipathy of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which characterized the incident as "appalling" and an example of the "targeting and attacking of families and sympathizers of the protesters by security forces." The ferocious Syrian government crackdown against dissenters began in mid-March when anti-government protests unfolded. The number of people killed over the past six months has reached at least 2,700, according to the U.N. human rights office. Some activist groups put the toll at around 3,000. Syrian authorities could not be reached for comment on the Alhusni case. The Syrian government has maintained armed gangs with foreign agendas, not the regime, are responsible for the violence that has plagued the Arab country for months. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video, the claims, or the death toll because the government has repeatedly denied requests for journalists to report inside Syria. "Perhaps more than any other family they were chosen to be at the front lines of the Syrian revolution," Fares said of the Alhusni family. "They were very poor, so they felt the brunt of the injustice more than any other family. For Mohammed at least, he felt he had nothing to lose." The neighborhood where the family lived, Bab Alsibaa, held a rally for Zainab on Sunday, and people vowed the brutality that destroyed the Alhusni family could only strengthen their resolve. "The case of Zainab Alhusni is not just for our town, or province, or even for the country of Syria. It is a human rights issue that should bring the attention of the world," Fares said. But despite Fares' insistence that "after Zainab our chants are louder, our numbers greater," he admitted the people of Bab Alsibaa constantly worry about their female family members. "Even stepping outside the home is a risk for women now," he said. CNN's Arwa Damon contributed to this report.

Syrian girl Zainab Alhusni dreamed of owning her own tailor shop, a neighbor says . Instead, she has become in death a symbol of the cruelty gripping Syria . "They were chosen to be at the front lines of the Syrian revolution," neighbor says .

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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 04:58 EST, 18 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:02 EST, 18 November 2013 . Thousands of workers blacklisted by construction firms are to receive up to £100,000 each in compensation, it emerged today. More than 3,200 names, mainly of building workers, were kept on the list, drawn up by a shadowy organisation called The Consulting Association. Workers launched legal action after finding they were denied work, often after raising concerns about health and safety on building sites. Thousands of construction workers were blacklisted by companies after raising concerns about safety (file picture) Last month eight firms announced that they are working together to develop a scheme to compensate construction workers whose names were on database. Now it has emerged that initial offers range from £1,000 to as much as £100,000 per worker, according to the Financial Times. The revelation comes amid a coalition row over plans to investigate separate reports of union intimidation linked to the Grangemouth oil refinery dispute in Falkirk. The Tories said the QC-led inquiry would focus on the Unite’s tactic of sending mobs of demonstrators to protest outside the homes of company directors. But Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg insisted it would look at all rogue practices, by unions and employers alike. The Lib Dem leader said: ‘This is a short independent inquiry looking at irresponsible behaviour of both trade unions and businesses. ‘I'm a huge supporter of the way in which responsible trade unions and responsible businesses have actually maintained strikingly good... industrial relations during the recent years. But there are some irresponsible trade unions... and there are some irresponsible business practices, unacceptable ones such as blacklisting. ‘And this inquiry, run independently of government, will look at it in the round.’ Eight firms have set up a compensation fund to recompense more than 3,200 people who were unable to get work . News of the first offers to workers who were blacklisted comes ahead of a TUC day of action on Wednesday against the practice. The Consulting Association was closed down following a raid on its West Midlands offices by the Information Commissioner’s Office. But unions said workers continued to be discriminated against if their names were on the list. A total of 44 firms were found to be using the blacklist. The names of a number of environmental activists were also included. The Construction Workers Compensation Scheme was launched by eight companies: Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and VINCI PLC. In a statement last month they said: ‘The companies all apologise for their involvement with TCA and the impact that its database may have had on any individual construction worker. 'The companies have joined together to establish the Construction Workers Compensation Scheme. 'The scheme is intended to make it as simple as possible for any worker with a legitimate claim to access compensation. 'The companies have invited workers’ representatives to enter into a period of engagement to ensure that the proposed terms of the scheme are fair and effective. The group is also engaging with other interested parties.’

More than 3,200 names, mainly of . building workers, were kept blacklisted . List was drawn up by . organisation called The Consulting Association . Victims were denied work after raising . legitimate concerns about safety . Balfour . Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O'Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, . Skanska UK and VINCI PLC have all apologised for involvement .

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A graphic designer accused of poisoning her mother in a Breaking Bad-inspired murder plot fantasised about being Walter White or a 'Mexican drug warlord', a court has heard. Kuntal Patel allegedly became 'obsessed' with killing her mother Meena and bought deadly poison online after the 60-year-old 'forbade' her from marrying the man she loved. The 37-year-old, from Stratford, east London, contacted a dealer in the U.S through the 'dark web' and said she needed a 'tasteless' and deadly toxin to get her mother 'out of the way'. 'Plot': Kuntal Patel, 37, (left), from east London, is accused of trying to kill her mother Meena Patel, 60, (right) by lacing her Diet Coke with a deadly poison in a Breaking Bad-style plot . But, today, Breaking Bad-obsessed Patel told jurors it was all part of her 'fantasy' in which she imagined herself as a character in the American TV series. The series ends with teacher-turned-drug producer Walter White spiking a rival's drink with deadly ricin. Patel told Southwark Crown Court: 'It was like I saw myself to be some kind of Mexican drug warlord. I would think it through as if I was the main character in Breaking Bad. 'It was all a big mess. A complete and utter mess. 'I think in my mind, because I was living in my fantasy world, in my TV episode that I had created in my mind, I was just trying to find out what it would be like.' Patel, who worked for Barclays in Canary Wharf, is accused of trying to kill her mother by lacing her Diet Coke with a deadly toxin after the breakdown of her engagement to Niraj Kakad. During the second day of her evidence, the court heard how Patel had emailed the dealer after receiving the drug saying something had 'gone wrong' - because the 'target' was still alive. She wrote: 'Something has definitely gone wrong somewhere as it is now early Saturday morning and still everything is normal. 'Yes, target drank all of it. I made sure I watched her drink it all. I had to borrow money from friends to get this stuff from you because it's my last option. 'I can't be with the man I love because my mother doesn't like him. She is a bitter, miserable old woman and has been physically mean to me and my sister.' But speaking to the jury, Patel insisted the email was a 'fabrication'. Accused: Jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard how Patel (pictured in a court sketch) fantasised about being Walter White, the main character in Breaking Bad, or a Mexican warlord . She told the court how she initially ordered a batch of the deadly poison for £950 but 'panicked' and threw it away. But a few weeks later, the situation at home became too much for Patel to handle and she started having thoughts about killing herself and her mother again, she told jurors. The court had previously heard how her mother started beating her 'on and off' when she grew bitter about her daughter's new relationship with Niraj Kakad, whom she met online. Patel explained that she wanted more poison but did not want to pay for it. So she fabricated the story about feeding her mother the poison so she could get another batch from the dealer for free, jurors heard. If he had known it was thrown away, the deal would have charged her another £950, she said. The prosecutor later labelled her version of events as 'one last roll of the dice' in an attempt to cover her tracks. She told jurors: 'I told him, I pretended that I had used it and I had watched my mother drink it. And I thought that by doing that it would pressurise him into sending another package. But she said emails sent to her dealer claiming she had poisoned her mother were a 'fabrication' 'I know how it appears, but the truth is I didn't do anything, it's all fabrication. 'It escalated and I had to go to work and pretend like everything was OK and I had to be at home and pretend everything was OK. 'But I was living this other life. This was my own way of coping - it was my coping mechanism. It was how I survived daily.' Wiping away tears from her eyes, she told the jury: 'I didn't do it, I didn't put anything in my mother's coke.' The court previously heard how Patel got poison sent to her hidden in a candle. It is alleged she slipped it to her mother's drink in December last year. But Patel claims she freaked out when she saw the candle and threw it away. Prosecutor Mr Polnay told the court that Patel was a 'liar' and not a fantasist and wanted her mother 'dead by Christmas'. He suggested she was buying the poison because she 'wanted it for murder'. But Patel replied: 'That's not true.' Mr Polnay continued: 'The truth is, to be with the man you loved you couldn't see any other way but to knock off your mum.' He added: 'I suggest this Breaking Bad fantasy is one last desperate roll of the dice. The last story after all the other lies had been uncovered.' But Patel insisted she was not lying in court, saying: 'The truth is, I could never hurt myself or my mother.' The former London Olympics volunteer said that when counter terrorism police raided her home in January she thought Jehovah's Witnesses were at her door. She was arrested and spent four days being questioned by officers at a police station. She told the court: 'I was told to quickly grab some clothing and leave the house. That was the last time I saw my mum and my sister. 'It was like a really bad dream. It just wasn't the real me. It was like me coming back to my senses and reality. 'It was a huge reality check, it was me coming back into the real world, real life, having to account for my actions.' In court, Patel admitted telling police 'a pack of lies' lying to police because she was terrified they would discover her email exchanges with the dealer. She said: 'I know I lied, I told many lies. The reason I lied was because I was frightened and scared. 'I didn't want the police to know what I had done in relation to the searches. I was terrified about what I had done in relation to the searches.' Peter Rowlands, defending, told jurors that, during a phonecall from Holloway Prison, Patel told her mother: 'I was going to kill you and Ambama saw that, that's why she is punishing me.' In the call, Patel added: 'I have done everything bad and dirty and goddess Ambama has seen what this girl is doing to her mum and so she has sent me here.' The Hindu goddess Ambama is said to punish bad acts. But Patel said she did not mean her 'confession' literally. She said: 'I meant that Ambama the goddess saw that I had these kind of thoughts against my mother. Not that I literally had done anything, which I had not.' Jurors heard how at work and at home Ms Patel was living one life, but in her mind was living a second 'secret life'. Role: Meena Patel is a  magistrate at Thames Magistrates' Court in Bow, east London . She claimed that like every other girl she wanted her mother at her wedding, and could never kill herself or her mother. She also confessed to hating the magistrate for scuppering her chances of love. Jurors have been read a series of messages exchanged between Patel and two of her friends, Julie Wong and Darcia Babb, in which Patel expressed her desire for her mother's death. In one she wrote: 'I am stuck with that miserable f*** until she dies.' She admitted to the court that she felt her mother was responsible in part for a 'roadblock' ruining her one shot chance of getting married, having a family, moving out of Stratford and 'living happily ever after'. Jurors heard Patel also allegedly looked on Google for how to find a hit man in Mumbai. Her mother had travelled to the Indian city for a court case. The court previously heard how she combed poison websites and Googled 'How to murder someone and get away with it' after being 'obsessed' with thoughts about killing her mother and taking her own life. Patel told jurors she would watch stay up all night watching and taking notes on Breaking Bad, later planning to buy a poison. She also became fixated with taking her own life and spent hours scouring suicide websites, the court was told. Ms Patel admits two counts of attempting to acquire a biological agent or toxin, but denies attempted murder and a further charge of acquiring a biological agent or toxin. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Kuntal Patel, 37, thought she was main character from show, Walter White . Bought poison from U.S dealer but claims she 'panicked' and threw it away . But emailed saying it had 'gone wrong' when 'target' still alive, court heard . She is accused of lacing her mother Meena's Diet Coke with poison . But she told jury email was a 'fabrication' so she could get more free poison . Fantasy was 'coping mechanism' after Meena banned her marrying boyfriend . Denies trying to murder her mother in December last year - trial continues .

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(EW.com) -- "Savages" is Oliver Stone doing what he should have done a long time ago: making a tricky, amoral, down-and-dirty crime thriller that's blessedly free of any social, topical or political relevance. How liberated from an agenda is this movie? It's about two marijuana dealers in Laguna Beach who run afoul of a Mexican drug cartel, and the film has nothing at all to say about either undocumented immigrants or the war on drugs. Yet you can feel how alive Stone is to the material. He stamps every scene with his darkly combustible cinematic personality. Based on a novel by Don Winslow, "Savages" is grandiose underworld pulp staged with screw-tightening skill and a taste for nasty kicks that spills over into sadism and dread. It's like a jacked-up "Miami Vice" told from the point of view of the criminals. The film is narrated, in a "Sunset Boulevard"-meets-"Kill Bill" way, by Ophelia (Blake Lively), known as O, a free-spirited California blonde who lives with, and loves, two guys and is their anything-goes siren-goddess. Chon (Taylor Kitsch), a scarred, sexy hunk of an Afghanistan war vet, is the tougher and more volatile of the men. His friend and business partner, the gentler Ben (Aaron Johnson), is a wispy-bearded nihilist hippie. The two went into the drug game together with a crop of ''primo'' marijuana seeds that Chon smuggled back from Afghanistan after enlisting in the military for that purpose. They've harvested those seeds into a greenhouse crop that yields weed with THC levels of 33% (the best high anyone's ever had). But the popularity of their product threatens the cartel's business, which is why the gangsters come calling like a vicious corporation that talks ''partnership'' when it means ''hostile takeover.'' Run by a ruthless matriarch (Salma Hayek) from her hacienda, the cartel issues a warning in the form of a creepy Internet video of a dungeon full of freshly decapitated victims. But Chon and Ben are too arrogant to know what they're dealing with. So the gangsters kidnap O and place her in the dungeon, where they threaten to hack off her fingers. "Savages" is violent enough to risk turning off a portion of the audience. Yet even as the movie descends into blood-spattered exploitation, it's revving up the suspense. When characters are threatened with stuff this brutal, you'd better believe there's something at stake. To get O back, Chon and Ben must become masterminds and warriors. They have to descend into savagery themselves. Stone presents some bravura set pieces, from a pulse-quickening encounter with a highway cop to an incendiary multivehicle heist to every scene with Benicio Del Toro as a very scary sociopath. As for Taylor Kitsch, he wipes away any lingering John Carter cobwebs with his explosive performance, and John Travolta is funny and desperate as a DEA agent up to his ears in slime. Exciting as it is, "Savages" does slide off the rails during the last half hour. The film goes from intense to indulgent, plausible to preposterous. But it's still a pleasure to see Stone settle into this dark groove. B+ . See the full story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

"Savages" is a tricky, amoral, down-and-dirty crime thriller . It's about two marijuana dealers in Laguna Beach who run afoul of a Mexican drug cartel . Although it's action-packed, "Savages" does slide off the rails during the last half hour .

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A motorist has been caught speeding at 149mph – more than twice the legal motorway limit and a record for the past year . Others have been caught doing three times the legal limit in 30mph zones – one near a rural primary school. The motorway offence, on the M25 near Swanley in Kent, was captured by a speed camera and was the highest recorded speed during the period April 2013 to May 2014. Scroll down for video . One motorist was caught traveling at 149mph along the M25 by a newly installed digital speed camera (file picture) The figures revealed that  another driver caught  by the same speed camera clocked up 146mph at Swanley on the M25, with two more hitting 127mph. New digital cameras have recently been installed on the M25 and older ones re-activated. The  offences were revealed in data received from police under a Freedom of Information Act request from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). The highest speed recorded on a 30mph road was 96mph in Leam Lane in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear – more than three times the legal limit. That just pipped the 94mph clocked up in the 30mph zone near New York Primary School on the B1192 Langrick Road in Lincolnshire. In other 30mph zones, drivers were  filmed doing  92mph on the B1522 in Gateshead; 86mph in  Court farm Road, Longwell Green, Avon and Somerset;  86mph in Luton’s Sundon Park Road, Bedfordshire; and 84mph on the A4103 at Leigh Sinton in West Mercia police’s area. The highest speed captured on a 50mph road was on the A414 Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire, where a motorist clocked 119mph. The highest on a 60mph road was 127mph on the A413 Wendover bypass in Buckinghamshire. And one driver  hit 113mph in a 40mph A17 Station Road at Swineshead Bridge in Lincolnshire – some 73mph above the limit. The fastest speed recorded last year in a 30mph zone was 96mph, however, one motorist passed New York Primary school in Lincolnshire at 94 mph . The IAM report noted: ‘A motorist in on the M25 at Swanley holds the record for the highest speed clocked by a speed camera in England and Wales between April 2013 and May 2014.  The 149 mph figure was revealed following freedom of information requests to 39 police authorities.’ But the IAM says the penalties which ‘excessive speeders’ face are ‘out of sync’ with the danger they pose to other road users and to themselves. IAM head of road safety  Kevin Delaney said: ’Let’s be clear – we’re not talking here of otherwise law-abiding motorists who are trying their best but may make a careless mistake and slip a few miles per hour above the posted speed limited. ‘These are dangerous drivers who are  speeding at two or three times the legal speed limit, sometimes near schools. They are selfish individuals putting people’s lives in danger.’ Guidelines to magistrates on sentencing for speeding include a fine plus six penalty points  or disqualified  for between 7 and 56 days for motorists who drive  at 101mph  and 110mph on a 70mph road; at between 76mph  and 85 mph on a 50mph road; or at between 51mph and 60mph in a 30mph zone. IAM chief executive Simon Best said: ‘Speed limits are a limit. They are not a target to beat. Unfortunately this message has not got through to many motorists and it’s clear that efforts to make speeding as socially unacceptable as drink-driving continue to fail.’

The Institute of Advanced Motorists sent a Freedom of Information request seeking speeding details . One motorist was caught at 94mph while passing a primary school . Fastest speed was recorded in Swanley in Kent on the M25 when driver clocked at 149mph .

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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will leave it until the last possible minute before making a decision on Diafra Sakho’s fitness for the clash against Stoke. The forward, who has scored seven goals in as many starts for the Hammers since his arrival from Metz, is struggling with a shoulder injury. Allardyce is desperate for the Senegal international to be fit for the weekend - and wants to give Sakho every chance to prove his fitness. Diafra Sakho has made a fine start to his West Ham career with seven goals in as many starts . Sakho will be given until Saturday morning to prove his fitness to Sam Allardyce ahead of the Stoke clash . The West Ham striker scored the winner for his side against Premier League champions Manchester City . ‘We will wait, he is still in pain. There is no dislocation so it’s about his pain threshold. ‘It’s 50-50 at the moment - but we’ve still got 48 hours recovery time. And we might even wait until Saturday morning.’

Diafra Sakho has 48 hours recovery time before a decision will be made . Allardyce revealed Sakho is still in pain his shoulder is not dislocated . Sakho has scored seven goals in as many starts for the Hammers .

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(CNN) -- The long-anticipated Apple smartwatch became a reality this week when the tech giant unveiled its entry into the growing wearable-tech field. The Apple Watch, which comes in three styles and two sizes with multiple options for colors and wristbands, was expected to energize a market that's been slow to catch on as smartwatches from competitors such as Samsung, Sony, LG and Pebble rolled out over the past two years. More than just a tiny smartphone, the Apple Watch, which hits the market early next year, packs a ton of watch-specific features. It has a "crown" knob to control scrolling and zoom without having to touch the screen, silent pulse notifications, a slate of health and fitness apps and compatibility with Apple's new Apple Pay app, which lets users scan and pay card-free at participating stores. But there are also questions. The company is still mum on many of the device's specifications, including memory, screen resolution and -- most crucially -- battery life. The exact differences between the low-, middle- and high-end watches are also still blurry. The watch must be tethered to an iPhone -- some observers had hoped for a standalone device -- and its $350 price tag is more than many were expecting. So did the company do enough to make Apple Watch a breakthrough device that will shake up the gadget market the way its iPod, iPhone and iPad did? Many analysts said they think so. "The Apple Watch defines the category in ways that other competitors will now have to work furiously to catch up to," said James McQuivey, a tech analyst at Forrester Research. "In classic Apple style, the company has introduced a new interface -- the digital crown along with a tap and touch capable surface -- that will make Apple's watch experience significantly easier to use than anybody else's." While many competitors have released a single smartwatch, sometimes in designs that have been panned for being bulky and unfashionable, Apple's trademark attention to design could make a difference, said Carolina Milanesi, chief researcher at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. That's true, she said, even if the features Apple showcased won't come close to making a smartphone unnecessary. "I do think smartwatches are still a nice-to-have versus a must-have -- more a convenience than a necessity, which is why appealing more from a style perspective might win more users in the short term," she said. Whether that pushes competitors in the same direction remains to be seen. "Longer term I think we need to wait and see," Milanesi said. "I am not sure we are totally clear as to what the true role of these wearable devices really is, especially as the Internet of Things materializes." Forrester Research's J.P. Gownder said he's convinced that Apple Watch will push smartwatches into the mainstream in a way that devices running Google's Android Wear haven't managed. "Apple will legitimize and create the mass-market wearables category," he said. McQuivey said he doesn't expect the Apple Watch to catch on with consumers as quickly as the iPad, which first introduced most people to the concept of a tablet computer. He noted how Apple CEO Tim Cook repeatedly referred to the device as a "personal" device and said that could be the key to wide appeal. From design to health monitoring to the Apple Pay feature, the watch could become a seamless piece of people's day-to-day lives, not a mere novelty, he said. "As a longtime Pebble watch wearer, I can attest to the number of ways a watch, because of its glanceability and its one-touch efficiency, helps you get things done more quickly than before, causing you to do them even more," he said. But what about the people who just don't wear watches, or those who have found, in a smartphone, a suitable replacement? Milanesi said there's a chance that even those consumers will come on board. After all, who thought they wanted a tablet computer before Apple showcased the iPad? "There are users that never wore a watch who happily spent money on a fitness band, so I do not see why not," Milanesi said. "Is it for everyone? No, of course not. But there is a market out there, especially of Apple users who see the benefits of having multiple Apple devices working together." Apple Watch: Start of a wearable revolution?

Apple unveils entry into wearable tech with long-anticipated smartwatch . Analysts say device could catch on in a way other smartwatches haven't . Apple focused on design, with multiple sizes, styles and colors . Smartwatches remain "nice to have," not "need to have" -- for now, one analyst says .

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Downpours are expected to drench parts of Britain again today as autumn appears to have arrived early bringing gale force winds and temperatures as low as 2C. Summer is almost certainly over as chilly winds blowing in from Scandinavia could send the mercury to as low as 2C in parts of Scotland while the Lake District and Cumbria could experience lows of 8C. Coasts in the north of England could also be battered by 50mph gale force winds while the rest of the country faces increasingly blustery conditions. Scroll down for video . Gloomy: Stormy skies form over Falmouth in Cornwall with forecasters predicting more stormy conditions across the country this weekend . Grey: Yachts head out underneath dark clouds in Falmouth, Cornwall, despite an unsettled forecast being issued by the Met Office . Early start: Heavy rain forced commuters walking across London Bridge in the centre of the capital to put up their umbrellas as they headed to work . Overhead: Grey clouds gather over the The Kia Oval in London during the fifth and final test match between England and India . Large crowd: The stadium is at capacity for England's final test match of the summer - despite the gloomy conditions overhead . Heavy rain . and thunderstorms, particularly over London, caused damage and . disruption last night as up to a third of a month’s rain fell inside a . few hours. But . the weather front had shifted towards the continent early this morning . and two flood warnings and nine flood alerts, mainly in the North East, . remained of the 34 issued yesterday morning. Paul . Knightley, a spokesman for forecaster MeteoGroup, said: 'The front that . brought those heavy downpours is moving to the continent and for today . there will be some thundery showers, mainly from the Yorkshire area to . East Anglia but not as heavy as yesterday.' The . Environment Agency warned immediate action be taken in Sunderland and . Whitley Bay, as high North Sea spring tides meant high water levels and . flooding was expected this morning. Morning calm: A misty dawn breaks over farmland in Sparrowpit, Derbyshire Peak District, ahead of forecast heavy rain . Last signs of summer: A walker stands in the late-summer heather on Ramshaw Rocks, near Leek, in the Staffordshire Peak District . End of blue skies? Whitburn Windmill on the South Tyneside coastline today with a huge display of pink hydrangea in full bloom . And . while the rain may have eased off, warmer weather is still some way . from making a return, as Mr Knightley warned: 'Saturday looks like a . fine day but Sunday will be windy, with gusts of up to 50mph in some . places.' As . a result of yesterday’s rainfall, which London Fire Brigade (LFB) called 'biblical' on Twitter, the service said it had been called out to . around 20 separate flooding-related incidents in a little over an hour. Most of the incidents were understood to have involved water getting into the basements of properties. LFB . said one person was rescued from a flooded basement flat in Forest . Hill, south London, after water 'entered via street drains due to heavy . rain'. It comes after the tail-end of Hurricane Bertha caused the wettest 24-hour period of the year last weekend. Environment . minister George Eustice said: 'Heavy rain can often bring a risk of . localised flooding. Information is available from the Environment Agency . and emergency services and I urge people to listen to the advice and . warnings issued.' Music . fans at V Festival in Chelmsford, Essex, would be wise not to forget . their waterproofs and wellington boots, as scattered showers are . expected to hit the site over the weekend. Around . 35,000 cars will be travelling to the site for the start of the event . today, with chaos predicted on the surrounding roads. Entrance: Music fans arrived at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex, ahead of this weekend's V Festival - without their wellington boots . Attire: Three revellers arrive at the festival wearing shorts, but have their wellington boots on ready for the showers that are expected throughout the weekend . Warning: The Met Office has said the festival, which is being held at the site in Essex as well as Weston Park in Staffordshire, will be hit by rain and points over the next three days . Home for the weekend: Two festival-goers carry bedding and a folding chair as they find a spot to set up camp for the event . Outlook: The forecast shows that showers are expected to continue, with rain covering most of the country on Sunday . Alert: A yellow weather warning has been issued for a large part of central and eastern England with heavy rain forecast in the next 24 hours . The UK has already seen nearly its entire rainfall for August in the first half of the month. Figures released by the Met Office show that up to the 13th of August, there has been 86.1mm of rain, just short of the 89.5mm long-term (1981-2010) average. Looking at individual countries, Scotland has already seen more than its full-month average with 121.4mm of rain so far compared to the average of 116.7mm. The Inverness and Moray areas have been particularly wet, with significant flooding from ex-hurricane Bertha on 10 to 11 August. Rainfall for England and Northern Ireland so far is just under the full-month average, while Wales has been the driest relatively speaking – with 83.2mm of rain making up 77 per cent of its full-month average. Normally at this stage you would expect about 42 per cent of the average to have fallen. With regards to temperatures and sunshine, the month has been much closer to average so far. The UK mean temperature is currently 15.2C, which is 0.3C above the full-month average. UK sunshine hours are at 77.8 hours, which is 48 per cent of the full-month average – so just ahead of where we’d expect after 13 days of the month. While these figures are interesting, they don’t tell us where the month will end up overall – we’ll have to wait until the full-month figures are in before deciding where this August fits in to the records. As we head in to next week there should be a good deal of drier weather but with northerly winds bringing in cooler air it will feel colder than of late, especially at night. This will feel noticeably cool in the wind, so people heading out in the evening may want to take a few extra layers. Source: Met Office . Rain rolling in: Jane Awty, 68, tends to her vineyard in Somerset in this photo taken yesterday as grey clouds roll across the sky in the distance . Grape harvest: Ms Awtry is expecting a bumper harvest this year, with 7000 bottles of wine to be produced from her one hectare area of land .

Unsettled weather is set to continue across the country while mercury could drop to 2C in parts of Scotland . Northern coast is expected to be hit by gale force winds over weekend with chilly gusts coming in from Scandinavia . V Festival in Chelmsford, Essex, will also be hit by heavy showers throughout the next three days . Sunday set to be soggy with heavy rain expected across the North of England, Scotland and parts of the South East .

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By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 11:49 EST, 16 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:36 EST, 16 November 2013 . It's normally him who's doing the spinning - but this time David Cameron was on the receiving end. The PM was at Sri Lanka's National Cricket Academy where he faced up to one of the sport's greatest ever bowlers from 22 yards. Sri Lanka's spin king Muttiah Muralitharan, or Murali, as he is affectionately known, is the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket - but he didn't have it all his own way. Prime Minister David Cameron faces the bowling of Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan at Colombo's National Cricket Academy . According to onlookers, Mr Cameron acquitted himself well when he pitted his batting . skills against Muralitharan, although he later admitted the retired star may have gone a little easy on him. Mr Cameron is in Colombo to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government . Meeting, and was also given a working over on politics by the sportsman. Muralitharan suggested the Prime Minister had been 'misled' about the latest situation in the war-scarred north of the island. Mr Cameron is pressing the Sri Lankan regime to do more to improve conditions for the minority Tamil population still suffering the effects of a 26-year civil war which ended in 2009. Yesterday he visited families still unable to return to their homes after spending 20 years in refugee camps, in the first visit by a foreign leader to the region since 1948. In what he described as 'frank' talks with president Mahinda Rajapaksa the PM said he would press for an international investigation of alleged war crimes if the regime failed to hold a credible one by March. Agricultural: Mr Cameron tries to loft a Muralitharan ball at Colombo's National Cricket Academy . With one foot down the wicket, Mr Cameron hits a ball into the on-side at Sri Lanka's National Cricket Academy . Big swing: The Prime Minister has another swipe at a ball from the Sri Lankan great . They were there to talk about the sportsman's initiative to bring together youngsters from Tamil and other communities through cricket as part of post-war reconciliation efforts. But asked about the politician's calls for more action from the government of Mr Rajapaksa - which has been criticised internationally over human rights abuses - Muralitharan, a Tamil, said Mr Cameron was underestimating the improvements already made. 'I'm a sportsman and we don't think about politics,' he told reporters. 'My opinion is, there were problems in the last 30 years in those areas. Mr Cameron later admitted the retired star may have gone a little easy on him . 'Nobody could move there. In wartime I went with the UN, I saw the place, how it was. Now I regularly go and I see the place and it is about a 1,000 per cent improvement in facilities. 'Cricket is the main game to narrow the bridge between the people. But facilities-wise, schools are built, roads are built. Businesses are started. So many things have happened. It is improving. 'Thanks to the Sri Lankan army, they are putting a lot of effort there. This country is 20-odd million people. In the north there are only one million people. They are getting more attention than the south at the moment.' Mr Cameron later tweeted this picture and said: 'He went easy on me - but at least I can say Murali didn't get me out...' Gloves off: David Cameron speaks with Sri Lankan spin bowler Muttaiah Muralitharan (left) after trying his hand at batting . Asked about Mr Cameron's stance, Muralitharan said: 'He must have been misled by other people. 'People speak without going and seeing the things there. I go on and off. I see from my eyes there is improvement. 'I can't say the Prime Minister is wrong or not. He's from England, he hasn't seen the site, he hasn't gone and visited these places - yesterday only. 'But other than that, the political side ... basically what we want is food, shelter, education, happiness in the family.' Mr Cameron said it was an 'enormous pleasure' to meet the bowler - who took a record 800 Test wickets. Asked about Muralitharan's comments at a press conference, the Prime Minister said: 'I think he acknowledged that I was right to come and right to visit. The PM and Muralitharan chat after their face-off at Colombo's National Cricket Academy . Mr Cameron speaking to players at a charity bringing young people from both sides of the Sri Lankan communities together by playing cricket . Talking politics: Muralitharan suggested the Prime Minister had been 'misled' about the latest situation in the war-scarred north of the island . 'Of course I was told all sorts of things yesterday in the north and there are very strong views in this country, strong differing views on some of the issues. 'I would say what matters is not everything I was told but what I myself have said, and I think I've given a fair reflection of some of the things that need to happen in terms of reconciliation, in terms of progress, in terms of human rights, free speech, and I think it's important to raise these issues.' Mr Cameron made clear he backed the March deadline for a new 'credible, transparent and independent' war crimes probe set by UN human rights chief Navi PIllai to coincide with her next report on Sri Lanka. Prime Minister David Cameron talks with Malta's Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat during a working session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting . David Cameron attends the Heads of State meeting at Waters Edge, Colombo . MrCameron sits with other heads of state as Sri Lanka remained defiant against calls for an independent inquiry into alleged atrocities committed during its 27-year civil war . She has warned the country is heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction. 'If that investigation is not completed by March then I will use our position on the UN Human Rights Council to work with the UN Human Rights Commissioner and call for a full, credible and independent international inquiry,' Mr Cameron told reporters. He said he had urged Mr Rajapaksa to act to provide homes for refugees, end the intimidation and beating of journalists and work with newly elected Tamil regional leaders. 'I accept it takes time but what matters is being on the right pathway, getting on the right track,' he said. While Mr Cameron has attended, the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Signh have confirmed they will not attend . 'It was a frank meeting. Of course not . everything I said was accepted. But I sensed that they do want to make . progress on these issues and it will help, frankly, by having . international pressure.' Mr Cameron has come under fire from campaigners for not joining the leaders of Canada, India and Mauritius in boycotting the summit in protest over human rights. But he insisted that his visit justified his judgment that he could achieve more by attending and using the occasion to highlight issues and raise them directly. 'Britain has shown that we will stand up for our values and do all we can to advance them, Of course, you can only do that by being here.' Mr Cameron had another short meeting before leaving the summit with Mr Rajapaksa at the request of the Sri Lankan leader - which he hailed as a sign that progress could be made. 'We discussed more of the issues we discussed yesterday,' he said. 'I think that demonstrates really two things: first of all you can have frank and clear conversations but an ongoing dialogue. 'Secondly these issues are not solved by one visit, this is not a flash in the pan, it's a dialogue, a conversation, pressure that we need to keep up over the longer term and I'm committed to doing that.' He was speaking as he arrived in Dubai to press the case for British firms seeking orders for aircraft at its airshow, which starts tomorrow. The Government is optimistic of securing a deal with the United Arab Emirates to buy Eurofighter Typhoon military aircraft over a French rival. Prime Minister David Cameron meets the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (right) at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi . Staff preparing stalls at the exhibition were given a pep talk by the Prime Minister, who also chatted with Red Arrows pilots. The PM also boasted on Twitter about his feat of surviving an over from Muralitharan with his wicket intact - though he admitted the Sri Lankan star 'went easy' on him. While he played and missed on a couple of occasions and was forced to defend at least one ball, Mr Cameron struck two of the deliveries well, at one point dispatching Muralitharan back over his head.

The Prime Minister was at Sri Lanka's National Cricket Academy . He faced some vicious deliveries from spin king Muttiah Muralitharan . But Mr Cameron acquitted himself well, according to onlookers .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:10 EST, 16 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:24 EST, 17 July 2012 . Groundbreaking: Truvada will be available as a preventive measure for people who are at high risk of acquiring HIV through sexual activity . A drug that protects people at risk of HIV from infection has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The pill, called Truvada, has been approved as a preventive . measure for people who are at high risk of acquiring the infection, such as those who have HIV-infected partners. The FDA said it marked 'an important milestone in our fight against HIV.' Public health advocates say the approval could help slow the spread . of HIV, which has held steady at about 50,000 new infections per year . for the last 15 years. However, other campaigners have warned that the pills could give patients a false sense of security. An estimated 1.2 million Americans and 83,000 people in the UK have HIV, . which develops into AIDS unless treated with antiviral drugs. With an . estimated 240,000 HIV carriers unaware of their status, doctors and . patients say new methods are needed to fight the spread of the virus. Truvada combines two anti-HIV drugs in one pill. It has been marketed by Gilead Sciences as a treatment for people who are already infected with the virus in 2004. But starting in 2010, studies showed that the drug could actually . prevent people from contracting HIV when used as a precautionary . measure. A three-year study found that daily doses cut the risk of . infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42 per cent, when . accompanied by condoms and counseling. Last year another study found that Truvada reduced infection by 75 . percent in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with . HIV and the other was not. Antis: Groups including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation asked the FDA to reject the new indication, saying it could give patients a false sense of security and reduce the use of condoms . Because Truvada is on the market to manage HIV, some doctors already . prescribe it as a preventive measure. FDA approval will allow Gilead . Sciences to formally market the drug for that use, which could . dramatically increase prescribing. Truvada's groundbreaking preventive ability has exposed disagreements . about managing the disease among those in the HIV community. Groups . including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation asked the FDA to reject the new . indication, saying it could give patients a false sense of security and . reduce the use of condoms, the most reliable preventive measure against . HIV. The drug can help prevent a person becoming infected with HIV . AHF President Michael Weinstein, said: 'The FDA’s approval of Gilead’s Truvada as a form of HIV prevention today without any requirement for HIV testing is completely reckless and a move that will ultimately set back years of HIV prevention efforts.' But FDA scientists said there was no indication from . clinical trials that Truvada users were more likely to engage in risky . sexual behavior. 'What we found was that condom use increased over time and sexually . transmitted infections either remained at baseline levels or decreased,' said Dr Debra Birnkrant, FDA's director of antiviral products. 'So in . essence, we don't have any strong evidence that condoms were not used or . there was a decrease in condom use.'

Public health advocates say pill could slow spread of HIV . AIDS Healthcare Foundation warn drug could give patients a false sense of security .