Image Shows Boy Injured In Gang Attack

Police have released an image of a teenage boy's injured face after he was assaulted by a group of men in Manchester.

The assault began when three cars pulled up on Briscoe Lane, Newton Heath, last Saturday afternoon before a gang of around 12 men got out and began attacking a group of youths.

The 15-year-old boy was attacked by up to four of the men who chased him into nearby Harringay Road.

He was later taken to hospital with facial injuries and a broken arm.

Police have released this image of the boy

A teenage girl was also hit in the face and suffered a fractured cheekbone.

After the assault, which was caught on CCTV, the boy's attackers got back into their cars before before driving off towards Ten Acres Lane.

The boy's mother, who does not wish to be named, said: "I barely recognised my boy when I saw him, such were the extent of the injuries to his face.

"I cannot believe a bunch of grown men would attack an innocent teenage boy like this.

"He was not involved in any sort of trouble yet they waded in with fists and weapons and didn't give him any chance to respond or defend himself."

Police believe the incident may be linked to a dispute the previous evening in the Newton Heath area, however neither victim is understood to have been involved in this.

Detective Constable Paddy Connell, said: "While the CCTV footage we released shows a determined effort by a group of men to get at and assault a number of teenagers, what this injury picture shows is the real consequences of their actions.

"The boy is slight in build and was chased and beaten by burly men.

"Their actions were shameless and shocking and I want people to look at the injuries to the boy's face and if they know anything to come forward.

"We think this may be linked to an incident the previous evening and earlier that day in that general area and if that is the case then they have definitely got the wrong people as neither victim was there.

"If anyone knows anything about what may have prompted this or knows who is responsible, please get in touch."

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 3832, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Brian Lynch: Police Warn Over Escaped Killer

By Clare Fallon, Sky Reporter

Police say a convicted killer who has escaped from custody in Lancashire could be a risk to the public.

Brian Lynch, 44, disappeared while on day release for the first time since he was jailed 25 years ago.

He was convicted of murder in 1988 after beating to death 21-year-old Chi Keung Yip in Manchester.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Gilbert, who is leading the search for the escaped prisoner warned people not to approach him.

"Because he has been in prison for 25 years he won't know the area very well so he may approach the public and ask for directions," he told Sky News.

"I'd ask the public to be aware of his description and ask themselves whether they've been approached by this man."

Since Lynch disappeared in Preston city centre on Thursday afternoon there have been two potential sightings of him.

A man matching his appearance was seen at Preston bus station just after 3pm on Thursday.

The second potential sighting was on Stanley Grove in Penwortham at 5.15pm on the same day.

Police think he may have travelled to his home city of Manchester where he has family and friends.

Lynch had been moved to HMP Kirkham in Lancashire, which is an open, category D prison in December. 

He was on day release at the time of his escape as part of his rehabilitation preparing him for life outside prison.

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Egypt: Rival Football Fans Angry Over Verdicts

A hardcore element of Cairo's Al Ahly fan base have stormed and set fire to Egypt's football headquarters after a court aquitted seven out of nine police officials on trial for their alleged role in a deadly stadium riot.

A nearby police club in the Egyptian capital was also set ablaze - and the mob, known as the Ultras, was said to be marching towards the interior ministry as well, according to state television.

The fire rages at the football headquarters

Security was beefed up and riot police deployed in the streets around the complex in central Cairo, as the twin fires sent plumes of thick black smoke billowing out over the city skyline.

A protester was killed in clashes with the police, according to a health official who said he suffocated after inhaling tear gas and died in the ambulance.

Several other people were reportedly hurt in the demonstrations.

Hundreds of the club's supporters took to the streets in celebration after a court earlier on Saturday upheld death sentences on 21 Port Said football fans for their role in the stadium riot last year.

Some 74 people were killed and around 1,000 injured at the end of a match between Cairo's Al Ahly and Al Masry, the local side, on February 1, 2012.

Spectators were crushed when panicked fans tried to get out the stadium after a pitch invasion by Port Said supporters.

Al Ahly fans take to the streets of Cairo after the verdicts are announced

In a live televised ruling, judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid confirmed "the death penalty by hanging".

Al Ahly fans had warned police they would retaliate if the defendants, including nine policemen, were exonerated.

The city's former security chief, Major General Essam Samak, was jailed for 15 years along with several others including Brigadier General Mohammed Saad, who during the riot had the keys to the stadium gates, which were locked.

A further five people were also sentenced to life imprisonment for the riot, while 28 others - including seven police officers - were acquitted.

The rest of the 73 defendants involved received shorter prison sentences.

In Port Said, crowds gathered by the Suez Canal to protest against the verdicts.

The stadium deaths occurred on February 1, 2012

A military helicopter hovered overhead and army checkpoints were set up on main streets as protesters tried to disrupt shipping on the canal.

"Today's verdict is unfair - we are demanding a fair verdict. This judge is unjust," said Mohamed Al Sayed.

The death sentences - originally handed down in January - have previously provoked deadly clashes in Port Said and Cairo.

The riot - the worst case of football violence in the country and the deadliest worldwide since 1996 - erupted after the home team Al Masry beat Egypt's top club Al Ahly in the league fixture.

Subsequent widespread violence and protests have sparked fresh concerns about Egypt's stability.

Political turmoil is sweeping across the country with demonstrators demanding concessions from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, while others want him removed altogether, saying his Muslim Brotherhood is monopolising power.

His government is struggling to halt the slide in law and order, hampered by a strike by some protesting police.

At least eight people have been killed in Port Said this week, including three police officers.

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Abu Qatada: Hearing Over Alleged 'Bail Breach'

A special hearing is to be held later over Abu Qatada's alleged breach of his bail conditions which could result in the radical preacher staying in custody.

He has been arrested for allegedly breaching bail, days ahead of a new Government attempt to have him deported.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) is due to hold an urgent telephone hearing this afternoon to determine whether Qatada will be granted bail.

The radical cleric, who has been convicted of terror charges in Jordan, was arrested by UK Border Agency officials on Friday following raids by the Metropolitan Police Service Counter Terrorism unit.

Searches at two residential homes and a business in northwest and west London began on Thursday, while a search on a third property in northwest London is ongoing, Scotland Yard said.

The searches were carried out in connection with ongoing inquiries by the Counter Terrorism Command, a spokesman for Scotland Yard said.

However, no arrests have been made in connection with the police investigation, he added.

The Home Office said: "The UK Border Agency arrested a 52-year-old man from north London for alleged breaches of his bail conditions imposed by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC)."

He added that the breach will be considered by SIAC at the earliest opportunity.

Qatada was reportedly arrested by officials outside his family home in London.

The Sun newspaper showed pictures of him being escorted out of his house with his hands hidden under a jacket.

Qatada is due to appear at the Court of Appeal on Monday for Home Secretary Theresa May's attempt to overturn a judge's decision to allow him to stay in the UK.

Ms May will challenge the decision in front of three Court of Appeal judges led by Lord Dyson, the Master of the Rolls.

Once described by a Spanish judge as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", Qatada has used human rights laws to fight deportation for more than a decade.

SIAC decided last November that Qatada could not lawfully be deported to Jordan, where he was convicted of terror charges in his absence in 1999.

SIAC judges ruled there was a danger that evidence from Qatada's former co-defendants Abu Hawsher and Al Hamasher, said to have been obtained by torture, could be used against him in a retrial in Jordan.

He was granted bail following the ruling by three SIAC judges and released from Long Lartin prison in November last year.

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Justin Bieber Video Shows Singer 'Struggling'

Justin Bieber is planning to perform at London's O2 Arena tonight despite feeling "under the weather" after becoming unwell during last night's concert.

The Canadian pop star, 19, left the stage midway through a song after suffering from shortness of breath.

Some reports said the singer collapsed on stage but new video that has emerged suggests he stopped singing, put his hand to his face, and stooped forward looking tired. 

He took a 20-minute break backstage where he reportedly fainted and was given oxygen by doctors. He then completed his set and was later taken to hospital.

Bieber has now been released and is expected to finish the last of four concerts at the O2 this evening.

A spokesman said: "Justin has been released from the hospital after a check-up and while he's feeling a little under the weather, he's planning on going ahead with tonight's show."

Prithvi Pandya, who filmed the video of Bieber, said: "When he started Beauty And A Beat you could see he was struggling.

"He took lots of drinks of water, that seemed unusual, and he was really sweaty, sweating a hell of a lot.

"Toward the end of it, he went backstage. We didn't see him fainting. They brought on dancers to entertain, and I knew something was wrong at that point."

Bieber posted this picture of him in hospital (Instagram/Justin Bieber)

Bieber messaged his 35 million Twitter followers overnight that he was "getting better", adding: "Thanks for everyone pulling me thru tonight. best fans in the world. figuring out what happened. thanks for the love."

He also posted a photograph on web service Instagram of him lying shirtless on a hospital bed, wearing earphones and smiling.

In a video posted by a fan on YouTube, Bieber's manager Scooter Braun told the audience: "Justin got very light of breath, the whole show he's been complaining. He's backstage with the EMTs (paramedics) and the doctor.

"They're telling him they want him to go and see somebody and find out what's going on with his lungs, he's just told me that in five minutes, if it's okay with you guys, he's going to come out and finish the show.

"So he might not be jumping around as much and everything else, you guys need to be patient with us, we're not trying to be disrespectful, we're not trying to get you guys home late, we're truly trying to put on a show for the people who love him."

Fans of the Canadian singer expressed shock on Twitter

A spokeswoman for the singer later said he had ignored doctors orders to rest and insisted on finishing the concert.

He had not been suffering from any health complaints before the show, she added.

It was not the first time Bieber has collapsed on stage. He suffered concussion during a concert in Paris last June after falling into a glass wall.

Some fans have been asking whether the stage collapse at the O2 was calculated to win back their affection after he was slammed for a late appearance earlier in the week.

One tweeted: "Justin Bieber was not sick, it's a publicity stunt to make up for his late show."

He turned up as much as two hours late for the first concert - although the star tweeted hours later that he had only been delayed by 40 minutes and blamed "technical issues".

The singer, known for his high-energy stage dancing, has been pictured making the most of London's nightlife since he arrived in the capital last week.

After completing the London leg of his world tour, he is due to travel to Lisbon, Portugal, for two gigs on March 11 and 12.

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Teen Bus Stabbing: First Picture Of Suspect

Police are trying to piece together the movements of the chief suspect in the stabbing of 16-year-old schoolgirl Christina Edkins.

A CCTV image of the suspect wearing a black jacket with a distinctive tiger motif on it was released by police in Birmingham in an attempt to try to track his movements before and after the attack.

Christina was killed on a busy double-decker bus as she travelled to school during rush hour in what police branded a "senseless and random" attack.

Speaking at a news conference, Detective Superintendent Richard Baker said that they believed that the man "continued using buses in the hours after the tragic event".

Det Supt Baker also appealed for witnesses to the attack saying there were 16 people travelling on the number 9 bus when the attack happened but that only half of them had spoken to police.

Police have released a CCTV image as part of their investigation

He said: "We know there are a number of passengers who were on the bus yesterday morning when Christina was attacked while she was sitting upstairs.

"Some of these passengers were sitting downstairs on the bus and they haven't yet spoken to police. They may not even have known what happened but may have vital evidence and it is crucial they contact us as soon as possible on 101."

Christina died of a single stab wound to the chest, a post-mortem examination found.

A woman claiming to have witnessed the attack on the bus said she waited for the girl's attacker to get off the vehicle before performing CPR on the teenager.

Writing on Facebook, Stephanie Bent said: "I was on that bus i knew what he had done and he was stood next to me when he was getting off, all i could think of was i hope he gets off this stop so i can go upstairs and help the girl.

"Thankfully he got off and i was able to go upstairs and help the girl as best i could i gave CPR until medics arrived and am deeply traumatised i could not save her, i certainly wasn't going to confront a knifeman knowing he had just stabbed someone i thought me may stab me too all i cared about was getting up to the girl to help."

Christina was described as "bright and popular"

Officers are continuing to question a 22-year-old man who was arrested after a manhunt was launched following the 7.30am stabbing and were granted an extra 12 hours to quiz him.

Police today provided extra patrols on public transport after attack prompted concerns among residents about knife crime and many voiced fears over travelling on the city's transport system on social network sites.

A police spokesman said: "Extra police officers will be patrolling public transport this morning in the wake of yesterday's tragedy to reassure commuters."

Christina, who was described as a "bright and popular" pupil at Leasowes High School in Halesowen, was killed shortly after she boarded the double-decker.

The bus on Hagley Road after the rush hour stabbing

The stabbing happened nearly a month after the teenager had voiced concerns on Twitter about the behaviour of a passenger on another bus trip.

On February 8 she wrote: "This man is worrying me on the bus keeps getting up and walking up and down stairs, and sitting in different place."

However, police said there was no evidence to suggest Christina knew her attacker but that they were aware of her "social media presence".

Police officers stood guard at the Edkins' semi-detached house near Birmingham city centre for much of the day on Thursday while family liaison officers sought to comfort relatives.

Forensic officers get to work at the scene of the attack

Neil Shaw, the headteacher of Leasowes High School, led tributes to his pupil and said friends and family were "deeply saddened" by her death.

 

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Bin Laden Son-In-Law Ghaith Pleads Not Guilty

By Sky News US Team, in New York

The son-in-law of Osama bin Laden has pleaded not guilty to plotting against Americans in his role as al Qaeda spokesman.

Sulaiman Abu Ghaith entered the plea through a lawyer Friday to one count of conspiracy to kill Americans in federal court in New York.

Prosecutors say Ghaith praised the attacks of September 11, 2001, and warned there would be more.

Authorities say the Kuwaiti-born Ghaith was captured in Jordan over the last week.

President Barack Obama's administration has sought to charge senior al Qaeda suspects in US courts instead of military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Republicans in Congress, however, have fought to keep high-threat terror suspects from being brought into the country.

More follows...

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Boy, 4, Dies After Falling From Flat Window

A four-year-old boy dies after falling from the window of a block of flats in Glasgow, police say.

The child fell from the third floor of a building in Pollokshields at around 10.20am on Friday.

He was rushed to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Yorkhill but Strathclyde Police said he died a short time after arriving.

The force is investigating the incident, which happened in St Andrew's Drive.

A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.

More follows...

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Teenage Schoolgirl Stabbed To Death On Bus

Police have chased down and arrested a man suspected of stabbing to death 16-year-old Christina Edkins as she travelled to school.

Christina was on a packed double-decker bus during rush hour in Birmingham when she was killed in what police believe was a random attack.

Passengers, paramedics and police officers were called just after 7.30am and tried to save Christina's life but nothing could be done and she died at the scene.

Armed police were sent to patrol in the city as police hunted for what they described as an "extremely dangerous" suspect who they believed could have been armed.

Forensic officers search the double-decker bus where the attack happened

Officers arrested a 22-year-old, who was seen acting suspiciously, after a short chase near a Morrison's supermarket in the city.

Christina, a pupil at Leasowes High School in Halesowen, was an avid user of the social networking site Twitter and on February 8 the @christinaedkins  account included a post that read "This man is worrying me on the bus keeps getting up and walking up and down stairs, and sitting in different place :|"

West Midlands Police have confirmed they are "aware of her social media presence".

Officers said that there was "nothing immediately" to suggest that Christina knew her attacker and that he had already been on the bus when she got on board.

The headteacher at Christina's school, Neil Shaw, said: "Christina was a bright and popular student much loved by staff and students alike. We are deeply saddened to hear this tragic news and our thoughts and hearts go out to her family and everyone who knew her.

"The school is working closely with the police and a team of counsellors to provide support to our pupils and staff."

Christina had recently taken part in Twitter "meet ups" where social media users get together to socialise.

Christina was stabbed on the crowded number 9 service

Joe James, 18, from Bristol got to know Christina through these events and told Sky News: "I'm still not believing it. I just can't understand - why her?

"She had everything, she was very popular and generous – she was the kind of girl to help an old lady across the road."

A tribute page has been set up on Facebook for "beautiful angel" Christina, with users calling her death "a waste of a beautiful young life" and saying "justice will prevail".

Detective Superintendent Richard Baker from Force CID said: "This is a tragic case and the victim's family are devastated.

 "We are still anxious to hear from anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident this morning to speak to us via the dedicated hotline 0800 096 0095.

"There will be a high police presence across the city this afternoon following this morning's tragedy particularly on buses and in schools in the area to provide reassurance to local people.

He said that he thought a number of people travelling on the bus at the time of the attack on Hagley Road had yet to come forward and that officers were trawling through CCTV footage for evidence.

Paramedics were called but nothing could be done to save the teenager

National Express West Midlands said the vehicle was heading out of the city when the stabbing happened.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm that a tragic incident occurred on a number 9 service this morning.

"Our thoughts and condolences are with the friends and family of the person involved and we will offer all possible support to the police in their investigation of this matter."

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said they had been called to the scene shortly after 7.35am.

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Boy Raped And Drowned 'By Babysitter's Ex'

By Sky News US Team, in Los Angeles

An American toddler was raped and then drowned after his babysitter's ex-boyfriend threw him into the pool of a Mexican holiday home, officials have said.

Axel Charrette, two, and his seven-year-old brother were being watched by a local woman when her ex-boyfriend entered the property and attacked Axel, authorities in Mexico said.

The brother was locked up in his family's home at the time and did not witness the attack.

Prosecutors in the Mexican state of Nayarit said Eleodoro Carlos Rodriguez Sanchez had been arrested and charged with murder in the February 28 attack, details of which have just emerged.

He is said to have been high on drugs during the assault.

Sanchez and Perez have been charged over Axel's death

The babysitter, Nancy Saralee Solorio Perez, has been charged with homicide for failing to intervene.

She is also charged with lying about the attack to medical personnel.

A family spokesman said Axel's parents, Randy and Jen Charrette, had been renting the home for about two months and had hired 19-year-old Perez to watch their children.

In a statement published online by The Watch newspaper, the Charrettes said the babysitter let her boyfriend into the house, but soon realised he was "in a violent, drug-induced state".

"Out of fear, she locked herself in a bathroom, leaving Axel outside ... The boyfriend, for reasons unknown, hurt Axel then threw him in the pool, leaving him to drown," the statement says.

"There are no words to express our grief - but we wanted you to know what happened because the truth, as horrible as it may be, is important."

The prosecutor's office said Perez reported being too terrified to alert police during the crime.

The parents returned to their home in Ridgway, Colorado, earlier this week.

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Jihad Boy Wears 9/11 Bomb T-Shirt To School

A woman and her brother have appeared in a French court after a three-year-old child named Jihad was sent to school wearing a T-shirt with the words "I am a bomb" printed on it.

The principal and teachers at the school in Sorgues, southern France, notified authorities after Boucha Bagour sent her son to classes dressed in the shirt.

Le Parisien reported that the words "I am a bomb" were inscribed on the front, and the words "Jihad, born September 11" on the back.

The expression plays on the popular French saying "Je suis la bombe", which translates roughly as "I am the best".

Ms Bagour, 35, and her brother, Zeyad Bagour, 29, were summoned to appear before the court after the school and local mayor complained.

Mr Bagour gave the shirt to the boy as a gift. He told the court he "had no intention to provoke or shock".

Speaking to the court, Ms Bagour defended herself, saying: "For me, this is the name of my son and his date of birth."

She also apologised to the court, saying she thought the shirt might "make people laugh".

However, lawyer Claude Avril said: "Idiocy is often the best alibi to hide the real intentions.

"The most scandalous thing is that they've used and manipulated a three-year-old child to voluntarily convey the words of a terrorist," she added.

Ms Bagour and her brother are facing fines of €1,000 (£860) and €3,000 (£2,600) respectively if they are found guilty of any offences.

The case will be decided on April 10.

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Vicky Pryce: Huhne's Ex Is Found Guilty

Vicky Pryce has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice for taking her husband's penalty points a decade ago.

A jury of seven men and five women returned their verdict almost exactly 48 hours after going out to deliberate.

Pryce, 60, looked open-mouthed with shock as the foreman told Southwark Crown Court they had reached a unanimous guilty verdict.

Judge Mr Justice Sweeney granted bail until sentencing but warned she should be "under no illusions" about what punishment to expect.

The former couple are now both facing jail and will be sentenced together, at a date yet to be fixed.

Former Cabinet minister Huhne, 58, last month admitted lying to police about who was driving just as he was about to go on trial.

His ex-wife and mother of his three children continued to protest her innocence, arguing that she had been forced her to take the speeding points against her will.

Chris Huhne and his girlfriend Carina Trimingham

She had to explain herself in two trials, after the first was abandoned because the jury was unable to reach a verdict.

The former Government adviser told the retrial Huhne had bullied her into pretending she was driving because he feared losing his licence would threaten his political career.

He was an MEP at the time and was trying to get selected as the Lib Dem candidate for Eastleigh in Hampshire.

Ironically, he was caught talking on his mobile while driving later that year which meant he lost his licence anyway.

To illustrate the senior Lib Dem's hold over her during their 26-year marriage, Pryce told the court he had forced her to have an abortion in the 90s.

But prosecutor Andrew Edis QC called her a liar and described her as "manipulative and deceitful".

"She is one of the most powerful, talented, intelligent and trusted women in the country. She is not someone who could be reduced to a quivering jelly," he insisted.

He pointed out that Pryce had not argued she was given no choice when she was first arrested, instead refusing to answer police questions.

The points swap only emerged in 2011 when Pryce herself tipped off two newspapers because she was furious that Huhne had left her for another woman.

The Lib Dem abruptly walked out on their 26-year marriage in 2010 because his affair with PR advisor Carina Trimingham was about to be revealed by the press.

During Pryce's trial, the bitterness over their marriage split was laid bare and angry phone calls - taped in a bid to trap Huhne admitting his crime - were played to the jury.

Text messages between the politician and his then 18-year-old son Peter, in which the teenager said his father made him "sick", were also revealed.

The court heard Pryce had told Sunday Times political editor Isabel Oakeshott before the story broke that Vince Cable and his wife knew about the points swap.

"Actually I had told Vince and Rachel (Mrs Cable) about points before when the three of us were having supper about a month ago," she wrote.

"They were horrified at the time, but VC has probably forgotten it by now. He was very tired that night."

She also claimed to have told senior Lib Dem Lord Oakeshott and the party leader Nick Clegg's wife Miriam.

A spokesman for Mr Cable said: "Vince and Rachel have no recollection of the issue of points being raised with them over the course of dinner with Vicky Pryce on 28 January 2011.

"They have consulted their personal records which confirm that the issue first came to their attention in May 2011 when the story broke in the press." 

Miriam Clegg also said in a statement: "I have never ever been told by Vicky or anybody else about the traffic points story. I got to know about this when everybody else did."

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Car Thief Strangles Baby Left In Vehicle

A Chinese car thief strangled a two-month-old baby after stealing a vehicle with the infant inside, according to police.

In a crime that has sparked revulsion across the country, officers said the baby was killed and then buried in the snow.

The baby's parents had left the child alone for 10 minutes with the car doors unlocked and the engine running, according to state-run media.

Reports suggested the father had run into the shop where he worked to turn up the heat because he wanted to keep the baby warm.

Zhou Xijun, 48, stole the car in the north eastern Jilin province, triggering a major hunt involving thousands of police officers and taxi drivers.

He handed himself in a day later and confessed, according to reports.

Jilin police said in a statement that Zhou had "discovered a baby in the back seat of the stolen car, stopped at the side of a road before strangling the baby to death and burying it in the snow".

The child's body has been recovered.

The South China Morning Post reported that the child's mother had a heart attack when told of the killing and was being treated in hospital.

The case caused a storm in China, generating far more attention than the annual meeting of China's parliament which opened on Tuesday.               

Changchun citizens mourn the death of the two-month-old baby

Internet users expressed their disgust at the crime and many called for Zhou to be put to death.

"Killing him once would not be enough," one user of Sina Weibo, a website similar to Twitter, wrote.

Another added: "I would never have imagined that what people most feared would actually happen ... The killer should be severely punished."

However others entered into debates about negligent parents, calling for harsher punishments for those who fail to protect their children.

A candlelit vigil for the baby was held in Changchun on Tuesday evening. Lights were dimmed at 10.10pm and a moment of silence was observed.

The latest UN figures on the murder rate in China puts it at one per 100,000 people, among the lowest in the world.

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UK To Supply Military Aid To Syria Opposition

The UK is to supply armoured vehicles and body armour to opposition forces in Syria, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said.

In a statement to the Commons, William Hague said Britain would increase aid to Syrian opposition forces, including providing "new types of non-lethal equipment for the protection of civilians", after EU sanctions had been amended.

He said the UK, along with the National Coalition, was in the middle of trying to identify "the protective equipment that will be of most use to them and likely to save most lives".

"It will certainly include armoured four-wheel drive vehicles to help opposition forces move around more freely as well as personal protection equipment including body armour," he added.

Testing equipment to provide evidence of any use of chemical weapons by the regime and training for armed groups in international human rights and legal standards is also being sent.

Mr Hague said £3m had been allocated this month for the work with another £10m to follow - urging other countries to do the same.

The deadly conflict has been going on since March 2011

"The Cabinet is in no doubt that this is a necessary, proportionate and lawful response to a situation of extreme humanitarian suffering, and that there is no practicable alternative," he said.

"All our assistance will be carefully calibrated and monitored as well as legal, and will be aimed at saving life, alleviating this human catastrophe and supporting moderate groups.

Mr Hague told MPs that the conflict in Syria, where President Bashar Assad is trying to defeat attempts to overthrow his regime, had reached "catastrophic" proportions.

The British Government could not stand aside as Assad used Scud missiles against civilians, Mr Hague said, adding that diplomacy was "taking far too long and the number of dead continues to rise".

The death toll is reported to have reached 70,000 since the fighting began two years ago, with more people having been killed so far this year than during the whole first year of the conflict.

Some 40,000 people were fleeing the civil war each week, many of them children, he added.

There are now more than a million Syrian refugees according to the UN

His speech came as the UN refugee agency revealed official figures showing the number of Syrian refugees leaving their homeland had topped the one million mark.

Mr Hague described it as a "sad milestone".

The Foreign Secretary also warned that there was a danger Syria could become a "top destination for jihadists anywhere in the world".

Meanwhile, there were risks that the Syrian government could use chemical weapons against civilians, he said, telling MPs there was "credible information" that Iran was providing "considerable military support" to Mr Assad.

Sky News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland said Mr Hague's announcement marked "a new phase in what Britain is going to do for the opposition".

The effort to try to move forward the stalemate in the Syria crisis follows a visit last week by new US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Speaking in London, he said the Syrian opposition would not be "left dangling" and that Western leaders had "new ideas" on Syria in the face of growing frustration by the opposition over the lack of help they have received.

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Nani Red Card: Man United Fan Dials 999

A football fan was so outraged with the referee's decision to send off Manchester United's Nani during a Champions League clash with Real Madrid, that he dialled 999.

The 18-year-old Manchester United supporter was watching the second-leg tie at Old Trafford from his home in a village near Bingham, Nottinghamshire, at around 9.20pm on Tuesday when he made the call.

He felt the moment the Reds' Portuguese midfielder was controversially shown the red card by Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir for a high challenge on Real's Alvaro Albeloa was a crime and called police.

The fan later apologised for his actions, claiming to have been caught up in the excitement.

Nani reacting to the dismissal as he leaves the field

United, who were leading 1-0 at the time of the dismissal, were reduced to 10 men and went on to lose the tie 2-1 and exited the competition 3-2 on aggregate.

Police are now urging Nottinghamshire residents to think before they dial.

There were 6,933 recorded hoax calls to Nottinghamshire Police in 2012, with calls increasing during holiday periods, particularly in August. This amounted to around 2% of all reported incidents.

Control Room Chief Inspector Ted Antill said: "While this recent example may be amusing, it illustrates the sort of insincere calls we have to deal with on a daily basis in the control room.

"They waste our time and they direct us away from genuine victims of crime, particularly if we dispatch officers out to something that turns out to be a bogus report.

"I would ask people to think before picking up the phone for emergency services. I would also advise parents to ensure your children are aware that prank calls and the reporting of made-up crimes is a crime in itself.

"There may be people out there in real trouble who need our help and they have to wait because we are tied up with calls like this one, reporting a referee from the television.

"It's no joke. In this case, the man realised his bad judgement and apologised and we decided not to pursue it further - but we can and we do prosecute people for wasting police time and making false reports."

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Hugo Chavez: Coffin Paraded Through Streets

A military parade is being held to carry the remains of President Hugo Chavez through the streets of the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

The country's foreign minister, Elias Jose Jaua Milano, declared seven days of mourning for the controversial socialist leader, who died at the age of 58 after losing his battle with cancer.

His coffin left Caracas' military hospital earlier for his body to be escorted through the city.

It will then lie in state at a military academy until a public funeral on Friday.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans filled the streets with many crying, hugging each other, or shouting slogans of support.

Clusters of women with tears streaming down their faces clung to each other and wept near the Miraflores presidential palace. Some wore T-shirts with slogans that read: "Go forward commander!"

Nearby, men pumped their arms in the air while shouting: "Long live Chavez! Long live Chavismo!"

Vice President Nicolas Maduro fought back tears as he announced the death on Tuesday night in a national television broadcast.

He said Mr Chavez, who had been in power for 14 years, died at 4.25pm local time "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Emotional vice president Nicolas Maduro announced the death on national TV

Amid fears of unrest, Mr Maduro also said the army and police had been deployed "to accompany and protect our people and guarantee the peace".

Mr Jaua Milano said Mr Maduro would take over the presidency until fresh elections can take place in around 30 days.

Ideological allies across Latin America lined up to salute former paratrooper Mr Chavez, a standard bearer of the region's "anti-imperialist" left.

Cuba has declared three days of national mourning, with the government saying Mr Chavez had "stood by Fidel Castro like a true son".

Bolivia's socialist President Evo Morales said he was "crushed", while Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou said "all of Latin America" was in mourning.

President Barack Obama responded by expressing hopes for improved relations with the oil-rich state, voicing American "support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

He added: "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."

Some Venezuelans in the US say they are glad the 'dictatorship' has ended

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "saddened" by the death of a leader who had left a "lasting impression on the country and more widely".

Mr Chavez had been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011 - when he was first diagnosed with the illness.

The announcement of his death came just hours after Mr Maduro announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country.

He had said Mr Chavez's illness had been induced by foul play by "the historical enemies of our homeland".

People have been gathering outside the military hospital where Mr Chavez died. Soldiers in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder guarding the complex.

"I feel such big pain I can't even speak," said Yamilina Barrios, a 39-year-old office worker weeping at a street corner. "He was the best thing the country had ... I adore him. Let's hope the country calms down and we can continue the tasks he left us."

The government announced late on Monday that Mr Chavez's condition was "very delicate" due to a "new, severe" respiratory infection.

Mr Chavez had not been seen in public or heard since undergoing a fourth round of surgery in Cuba on December 11.

Mr Chavez with daughters Rosa Virginia, right, and Maria

The government said he returned home on February 18, and had been confined to Caracas' military hospital ever since.

During his time in power, Mr Chavez routinely challenged the status quo at home and internationally.

The fiery populist leader declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against US influence, championed a leftist revival across Latin America, and over time, gradually placed all state institutions under his personal control.

His death sets up a snap presidential election after his illness prevented him from taking the oath of office when he was re-elected last year.

Under the constitution, the head of Congress, Diosdado Cabello, would assume the interim presidency.

However, Mr Maduro is Mr Chavez's self-anointed successor and has been holding the reins since the president's health worsened.

The man Mr Chavez defeated in October's presidential elections, Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles, is expected to represent the opposition in any new national polls.

He called for unity and offered his condolences to Mr Chavez's family and supporters.

Venezuela's defence minister pledged the military would remain loyal to the constitution in the wake of Mr Chavez's death.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Chavez "used a mixture of brute force, persuasion, passion and charisma to keep himself in power".

"Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics.

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

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Costa Concordia Victims' Last Moments Revealed

By Nick Pisa, Sky Reporter

Details of the final moments of the 32 people who died in the Costa Concordia cruise ship tragedy have emerged in a prosecution report.

The 60-page document makes up the official request to have captain Francesco Schettino - who was in charge at the time - sent for trial.

He is accused of multiple manslaughter, causing a disaster, failing to inform authorities of what had happened and abandoning ship while dozens of passengers were still onboard.

More than 4,000 passengers and crew were onboard the doomed Costa Concordia when it struck rocks after Schettino allegedly changed course in order to carry out a sail-by salute of a Mediterranean island to impress holidaymakers.

Victims of the Costa Concordia disaster

The 70-metre gash allowed water to pour in and the ship eventually capsized and came to rest on its side at a location known as Seagull Point, just outside the harbour on the island of Giglio in January last year, hours into a seven-day cruise.

The chaotic scenes of panic and disorganisation that gripped the ship as it started to sink are evident throughout the report.

In one part, Francecso Verusio relives the moment when the youngest victim of the disaster, five-year-old Dayana Arlotti, and her father, William, drowned.

Mr Verusio wrote that they died ''because they were unable to find any space in a lifeboat on deck four, on the left-hand side, and they were then directed to the right-hand side by crew members on the same deck but as they were crossing the inside corridor ... they fell into a hole that had been created when the ship rolled onto its right side.

"They dropped into an area that was already flooded and they died from drowning," he added.

Relatives of the victims staged a memorial last month

Other stories include that of bartender Erika Fani Soria Molinala, who fell from a lifeboat as it pulled away from the Concordia but as she was not wearing a lifejacket she was dragged underwater from the current created as the Concordia tilted on its side.

It also emerged that holidaymaker Maria D'Introno - whose body has yet to be recovered - was told to get out of a lifeboat because it was too full and the tilt of the ship made it impossible to launch safely.

She was later seen terrified by the edge of the ship, jumping into the water without a lifejacket despite not being able to swim.

The last moments of musician Giuseppe Girolamo are described in another section of the report.

It emerged he had been directed to the right-hand side of the boat to get into a lifeboat and had actually got into one when he decided to give up his place - only to later drown.

The prosecution report also details how Schettino was distracted by the ''inopportune presence of unauthorised persons'' on the bridge of the Concordia, including several crew members and passenger hostess Domnica Cemortan - who was seen enjoying dinner with the captain minutes before the ship struck the rocks.

It also details how Schettino was distracted as he was speaking on the telephone while he was ''in close proximity to the coast in a dangerous situation and with the helm under manual control".

Francesco Schettino said he "tripped and fell" into a lifeboat

It goes on to list 157 passengers who are suffering from post-traumatic stress following the disaster.

Schettino, 52, has insisted he is innocent of all charges and that the rocks were not marked on his charts. He says he should be thanked as his actions in steering the ship back towards the port at Giglio saved hundreds of lives.

However, he was ridiculed by the world's media after it emerged he had told coastguards he "tripped and fell" into a lifeboat as the Concordia began to list to one side, while recordings later emerged of him refusing orders to get back onboard and co-ordinate the rescue efforts.

Some other crew members also face charges, as do management figures from the company Costa Cruises, which owns the ship that is still lying on its side and not expected to be removed until September at the earliest.

The initial part of the trial is expected to last a week and once again will take place in a theatre in the town of Grosseto.

Prosecutors have also requested the indictment of five other crew members, including two officers Ciro Ambrosio and Silvio Coronica and the Concordia's helmsman Jacob Rusli.

In an unusual move, Mr Verusio has posted details of the case on a Facebook site in various languages and invited those who may have a claim to contact him.

It has also emerged that Costa Cruises asked for a plea-bargaining agreement, which would see them pay a fine of one million euros. They insist Schettino is solely to blame.

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'Fast Eddie' Jailed For Stealing Security Van

Notorious fugitive Eddie 'Fast Eddie' Maher has been jailed for five years for stealing a security van containing £1.2m two decades ago.

The former security guard admitted the theft from his employer Securicor after being extradited from the United States where he had been on the run for 19 years.

Judge Mr Justice Nichol told him: "You committed a gross breach of trust. You made a very substantial gain even if, as you say, the money has now gone."

Maher, 57, was delivering cash for Securicor in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in 1993 when he left a colleague at Lloyds Bank and drove off in the van.

Eddie Maher admitted stealing a Securicor van in 1993

Witnesses later saw up to four people transferring "sacks" from one vehicle to another, before Maher's own car was found burned out some miles away.

The same day he flew to the US using his brother's passport and a green card resident's permit.

Last year Maher, originally from South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, was shopped by his daughter-in-law, who discovered his past and hoped to collect a reward.

He had denied the charges and was due to stand trial but entered a last-minute guilty plea at Southwark Crown Court in London.

Maher had bought a number of properties with the spoils of his crime

Maher, who used the false identities of Stephen King and his brother Michael Maher while on the run, intended to fight the allegation on the grounds that he had been forced to commit the crime after racking up "significant debts".

But Suffolk Police and the Crown Prosecution Service built up evidence proving that the former soldier and firefighter had profited to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

During his time on the run, Maher built a new life with his partner, Deborah Brett, and their son Lee, who was three-years-old at the time of the theft.

After his conviction, detectives revealed details of a series of property investments they say he funded from the proceeds of the crime in Suffolk.

This included a house in Colorado bought with $120,000 (£79,300) in cash just six months after the theft.

Later Maher built a ranch on 80 acres in Colorado before moving around various US states.

The false passport used by Maher

At the time of his arrest on February 9 last year, he was working as a cable engineer in Missouri.

But his attempts to escape justice unravelled as he was arrested for illegally possessing firearms.

Speaking outside court, Detective Inspector David Giles, from Suffolk Police, said: "Maher said he was forced to carry out this crime and that he only got a small amount of money from it.

"He never named the people who he claimed forced him into it and never put forward a credible story.

Another of Maher's homes

"We have succeeded in proving that he profited substantially from the theft and was a key player in the planning and execution of it.

"Since his arrest, he has displayed no remorse for what he did - but I get the impression he has spent 20 years looking over his shoulder and hoping the law would not catch up with him."

None of the £1.2m stolen from the van, which filled 30 sacks, has ever been found.

Ms Brett, 47, Maher's sister Margaret Francis, 64, and a 54-year-old man, from Woodford Green, east London, are all on bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft.

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Kate Keeps Mum Over Royal Baby's Gender

The Duchess of Cambridge can feel her unborn baby kicking but is remaining silent on whether the potential heir to the throne is a boy or a girl, it has emerged.

Kate, whose baby is due in July, made the revelation to a member of the public she met on a royal visit to Grimsby.

When asked by a woman: "Can you feel the baby kicking?", the Duchess replied: "Yes. I can feel it kicking."

The Duchess met dozens of well-wishers while on a visit to Grimsby's National Fishing Heritage Centre - her first of three engagements.

It is not known whether she knows the sex of her unborn baby, but when asked by those she met, she avoided giving any clues.

The Government has proposed changing the law of succession to allow a first-born female to become queen in the event that Prince William's wife gives birth to a girl.

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Justin Bieber Blames Technical Issues For Delay

Justin Bieber has blamed technical issues for his late arrival on stage at last night's gig at the O2 Arena.

In a series of tweets to his 35 million followers the teenage singer apologised to his fans.

"Last night i was scheduled after 3 opening acts to go on stage at 935 not 830 but because of some technical issues i got on at 10.10..so ...

"I  was 40 min late to stage. there is no excuse for that and I apologise for anyone we upset. However it was great show and Im proud of that.

Bieber claimed he was not due on stage until 9.35pm, not 8.30pm

"And tonight we will run on time and look forward to putting on an amazing show for everyone in attendance."

The 19-year-old Canadian - who disputed fans' claims he was two hours late - went on to grumble about the media and added he was "trying".

"My relationship with the media is not always easy but im trying. Im all about the music and the performance and i respect my fans."

The singer said that tonight's show will be 'great'

But some fans have claimed this is not the first time the star has left them disappointed. Rachel Leslie paid £330 a ticket for her and her daughter Freya, 14, to meet Bieber after he played an earlier gig at Nottingham at the weekend.

She claimed they arrived at 2.30pm to start queuing for check-in at 3.45pm but no one was allowed through until 5.55pm.

"When we eventually got in there it was 'click', 'click' and we were ushered out again - the whole thing lasted no more than 20 seconds," Mrs Leslie told the Nottingham Evening Post.

Two upset Beliebers leave the O2 after the concert

"My daughter came out and was absolutely distraught about the whole thing. She didn't even want to stay for the show.

"I spoke to so many people afterwards and they were all very disappointed, and when we came out there were kids everywhere in floods of tears, not because they'd met him, but because it was over so quickly."

At the O2, some fans claimed Bieber had not taken to the stage until 10.30pm, but the singer insisted this had been "exaggerated".

"I never have any intent to upset or let anyone down," he tweeted. "Im not okay with things being exaggerated. once again sorry for anyone upset.

Parents arrived at the O2 to collect their children before the gig started

"Now we have a show to do today and Im gonna focus on the positive and put on a great show tonight here in London.

"NIGHT 2 at the 02 is gonna be even better. get ready. thanks."

The Canadian star had infuriated parents and upset fans who waited almost two hours for him to appear on stage.

Many complained they had been left waiting with no explanation or apology from O2 staff.

Gemma Ferguson from Chessington told Sky News her five-year-old daughter was falling asleep by 10pm: "I can't quite believe what just happened.

On time? Bieber was pictured last month wearing two watches

"He spent more time changing his clothes and showing videos of his childhood than he did singing.

"When we complained were were told 'Justin will come out when he is ready,' but he had all day to get ready."

A spokesman for the O2 Arena backed up Bieber's account of what happened.

"He was due onstage at 9.30pm, which makes him 49 minutes late," the spokesman said.

"He was always due on at 9.30 - possibly the media have got the wrong end of the stick here.

"There were three support bands first who played on time - Jaden Smith (Will Smith's son) played at 7.30, followed by Cody Simpson at 8pm and Carly Rae Jepson at 8.30pm."

He added: "We will do everything in our power to make sure Justin gets on stage tonight at a reasonable time."

The singer has three more gigs planned at the O2 on March 5,7 and 8.

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'Bradford Batman' Hands Suspect In To Police

A suspect wanted in Bradford has been handed in to police by a man dressed as the Caped Crusader.

A police spokesman said: "The person who brought the wanted man into the station was dressed in a full Batman outfit.

"His identity, however; remains unknown."

The 27-year-old was handed in to Trafalgar House police station and arrested on suspicion of burglary, fraud and breach of a court order.

He was later charged with handling stolen goods and fraud-related offences.

He will appear before magistrates on Friday.

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Woman Jailed For Life For Grandmother Murder

A woman has been jailed for a minimum of 37 years for murdering a stranger in a knife attack in the street.

Nicola Edgington had killed her mother six years earlier, but was released to live in the community.

She was found guilty at the Old Bailey last month of murdering Sally Hodkin, 58, and attempting to murder Kerry Clark, 22.

Both women were on their way to work in Bexleyheath, southeast London, in October 2011 when Edgington attacked them with a knife.

She bought one knife from Asda and attacked Miss Clark, who was waiting for a bus.

When Miss Clark grabbed the blade and kicked her away, Edgington ran to a butcher's shop and grabbed a larger knife.

Edgington took the knife from a butcher's shop

She attacked Mrs Hodkin, a law firm accounts clerk, with such force that she almost decapitated her.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found that a number of police blunders led to Edgington carrying out the attacks.

The 32-year-old made five 999 calls just hours before asking to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act because she believed herself to be a danger.

But Metropolitan Police staff failed to carry out a police national computer (PNC) check on her which would have alerted them to her previous conviction for the manslaughter of her mother, the IPCC said.

Edgington also sought help at a local hospital from where she called 999.

But after delays in admitting her, she walked out.

The IPCC found officers only contacted the hospital following her fourth phone call and said Edgington's second 999 call from the A&E department was downgraded because she was considered to be in a place of safety.

Sally Hodkin was on her way to work

An officer was not dispatched at this stage despite Edgington's claim she could be very dangerous, it found.

Edgington was said to have a borderline personality disorder and was found to be emotionally unstable and regularly blamed others for her situation.

She was ordered to be detained indefinitely at a secure hospital after stabbing her mother nine times in 2006.

Doctors diagnosed schizophrenia and she pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But medics ruled she was well enough to be treated in the community after three years.

At the Old Bailey Judge Brian Barker told Edgington her behaviour had been "consistent and calculated".

He said: "You are manipulative and exceptionally dangerous. What you did could not have been more selfish.

"I disagree that the responsibility for these acts can be laid on others.

"You made your choice and these were terrible acts for which you must take responsibility.

"You have come as near as can be to having three deaths on your hands."

Edgington was jailed for life with a minimum term of 37 years for murder and given a concurrent sentence of life with a minimum term of 20 years for attempted murder.

Mrs Hodkin's widower, Paul, told the court in a statement: "Forty years of marriage gone, wiped out in seconds by someone that should not have been on the streets."

His solicitor, Daniel Rubinstein, said outside court: "While the family are relieved that a very dangerous woman has been taken off the streets, they remain concerned at the very many questions that remain over the actions of authorities and the alleged failure to treat clearly dangerous people in a secure environment.

"They will be considering further action to get answers in the hope that other families won't have to go through the same appalling experience that they have."

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Baby Born After New York Hit-And-Run Dies

A baby delivered by doctors after his parents were killed in a hit-and-run car crash in New York has died, a community spokesman has confirmed.

Nachman and Raizy Glauber, both 21, died in the crash in Brooklyn but their baby initially survived after doctors performed an emergency caesarean section on the mother.

However, Isaac Abraham, a spokesman for the family's Orthodox Jewish community, said the child died on Monday morning.

Police are searching for the driver and passenger of a BMW who fled the scene on foot.

"This guy's a coward and he should pay his price," said Mr Abraham, adding that the community wants a murder prosecution.

The registered owner of the BMW, who was not in the car at the time of the crash, has been charged with insurance fraud.

Raizy and Nachman Glauber pictured on their wedding day

Many of the Glaubers' fellow Orthodox Jews attended the couple's funeral, which was held hours after their deaths. Jewish law calls for the burial of the dead as soon as possible.

Mr Glauber was described as "the sweetest, most charming human being, always with a smile on his face".

His cousin, Sara Glauber, added of the couple: "If one had to go, the other had to go too because they really were one soul."

The hit-and-run happened in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn, as the couple made their way to a local hospital in a cab.

Mrs Glauber, who was seven months pregnant, was sitting in the back of the car. Her body was thrown from the vehicle and landed under a parked lorry, according to witnesses.

Her husband was trapped in the vehicle and emergency workers had to cut the roof off to free him from the wreckage.

The cab driver was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released.

Hundreds attended the couple's funerals on Sunday

The Glaubers were married about a year ago and had started a life together in Williamsburg, relatives said. He was studying at a rabbinical college nearby.

At their funeral, men in black hats gathered around the coffins in the middle of the street, while women in bright headscarves stood on the pavement, in accordance with the Orthodox Jewish tradition of separating the sexes at religious services.

A man could be heard sobbing as he spoke through a loudspeaker, while Yitzchok Silberstein, Mrs Glauber's father, said: "I will never forget you, my daughter."

Brooklyn is home to the largest community of ultra-Orthodox Jews outside Israel, with more than 250,000 living in the New York borough.

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Queen Leaves Hospital After Stomach Bug

Queen Has Rarely Fallen Sick In Her Reign

Updated: 9:19am UK, Saturday 02 March 2013

During her six decades as monarch, the 86-year-old Queen has rarely taken time out of her active schedule of public engagements because of ill health.

She has had occasional problems with her back. In October, she was forced to cancel an appearance at a Windsor Castle investiture ceremony, and she also had to miss a church service in Scotland a few days earlier.

In 2006, she suffered a strain to her back during her annual summer break at Balmoral which led to her cancelling a tour of Arsenal's new stadium.

A firm believer in homeopathy like her son the Prince of Wales, the Queen has often supplemented more conventional medical opinion with herbal remedies.

As a young woman, in January 1949, she caught measles and had to be separated from the newborn Charles.

The first time the Queen was admitted to hospital was in July 1982 when she had  a wisdom tooth extracted at the exclusive King Edward VII Hospital in central London.

In March 1993, she was forced to cancel several engagements because she had the flu.

However, in the same month, she refused to cancel a visit to a handbag factory despite having had three stitches in her left hand after being bitten by one of her corgis.

In January 1994, she wore a plaster cast after breaking her left wrist when her horse tripped during a ride on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

The injury was not diagnosed until almost 24 hours later after she had remounted and ridden back to Sandringham unaware of the damage. Her wrist was X-rayed and set in plaster at a hospital in King's Lynn.

She was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital in January 2003 for keyhole surgery on her injured right knee.

She had torn cartilage when she jarred the knee walking on rough ground during a private visit to Newmarket, Suffolk.

A 45-minute operation to remove the cartilage was a complete success and the Queen used a walking stick during convalescence when her official engagements were scaled down.

In December the same year, the Queen, then 77, returned to the King Edward VII for a similar operation on her left knee.

This time the damage appeared to be due to her advancing age or general wear and tear rather than a specific injury.

At the same time, surgeons removed minor - non-cancerous - lesions from her face in a double procedure lasting an hour and a quarter.

The Queen cancelled and postponed engagements but was fully active again in a few weeks.

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Retired Cop Found Shot Dead Alongside Partner

A man found shot dead alongside his female partner was a retired police inspector of 30 years' service, a detective has said.

The pair were found dead at a property in Wiltshire on Saturday morning after neighbours alerted the police having heard gunshots.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Saunders said Bill Dowling retired about five or six years ago.

The detective also confirmed that the woman was the man's partner.

Mr Saunders said the bodies were discovered inside the porch.

"The investigation has so far identified that yesterday morning some neighbours overheard a number of gunshots from the address," he said.

"The investigation continues to try and establish what led to this tragic incident."

He added that formal identification would happen later on Sunday.

"We understand him to be a retired police officer - he retired some five years ago from Wiltshire Police Service," said Mr Saunders.

"The female was not the wife of the retired officer, she is his partner.

"We have recovered a weapon from the scene. My working assumption is that weapons were discharged and the victims had sustained some form of gunshot wounds."

One man who lived near property said he believed Mr Dowling had a firearms licence.

He said: "I have known him for more than a decade and he was into shooting.

"I'd seen him load what looked like a big gun case into his car a few times, I think he went pheasant shooting.

"It was a big gun - it looked like it could've been a shotgun or something.

"He had long had an interest in shooting but over the last couple of months I saw him in his shooting gear a lot more."

The neighbour added: "It just doesn't make sense. They were a lovely couple, and he had recently spent a lot of money doing up the house."

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out on Sunday.

Officers are not looking for anybody else in connection with the shootings, which happened on Moonrakers estate in Devizes.

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Sinkhole Swallows Man: Home Being Demolished

Crews are demolishing a house where a man was presumed dead after being swallowed up by a sinkhole that opened up under his bedroom.

A heavy digger started taking apart the property in Florida and some personal possessions were seen in boxes in the front garden.

It comes after rescue teams called off their efforts to find Jeff Bush's body as they considered it too dangerous to continue.

They feared the "seriously unstable" house could collapse on them if they tried to search for him.

"Our data has come back, and there is absolutely no way we can do any kind of recovery without endangering lives of workers," said Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Jessica Damico.

Before the search was abandoned, engineers found the soil in the slowly growing sinkhole around the home was very soft and believed the entire property could eventually be swallowed up.

Jeff Bush is presumed dead after being swallowed by the hazard

"At this point it's really not possible to recover the body," Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill said, adding "we're dealing with a very unusual sinkhole".

Mr Bush, 37 vanished when the ground opened up in Seffner, east of Tampa Bay.

It dragged him down along with everything else in the bedroom.

Five other people were at the property as the floor began to fall through into the hole estimated to be six metres across and six metres deep. But no-one else was injured.

Jeremy Bush, who tried to rescue his brother, was taken to the front of the house by police before the heavy equipment was moved into position.

He repositioned some flowers from a makeshift memorial to a safer location, where he and an unidentified woman knelt in prayer.

Crews have been testing the unstable ground surrounding the home and evacuated two nearby houses as a precaution.

Sisters Soliris and Elbairis Gonzalez, who live on the same street, said neighbours were worried about their safety.

"I've had nightmares," Soliris Gonzalez, 31, said. "In my dreams, I keep checking for cracks in the house."

Jeff Bush's cousin Kyle Balcom (L) and brother Dustin Bush

They said the family has discussed where to go if forced to evacuate, and they have taken their important documents to a storage unit.

"The rest of it, this is material stuff, as long as our family is fine," Soliris Gonzalez said.

"You never know underneath the ground what's happening," added 30-year-old Elbairis Gonzalez.

Florida is highly prone to sinkholes because there are caverns below ground of limestone, a porous rock that easily dissolves in water.

They are so common that state law requires home insurers provide coverage against the danger.

Mr Bush said someone visited the home a couple of months ago to check for sinkholes and other things, apparently for insurance purposes.

"He said there was nothing wrong with the house. Nothing. And a couple of months later, my brother dies. In a sinkhole," he said.

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Couple Killed On Way To Birth Of First Child

A young couple on the way to hospital for the birth of their first child have been killed in a hit-and-run in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Police said the couple's baby boy was delivered prematurely after the accident early on Sunday in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighbourhood. He was taken to a hospital in a serious condition.

Nathan Glauber and Raizy Glauber, both 21, were taken to area hospitals where they were pronounced dead.

The driver of their car is in a stable condition.

Authorities said the driver and passenger of a car which collided with their vehicle fled on foot. A search is underway.

Brooklyn Hasidic community activist Isaac Abraham said the Jewish couple were using a car service to get to the hospital when the accident took place.

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Queen Admitted To Hospital Over Stomach Bug

The Queen has been taken to hospital after suffering symptoms of gastroenteritis.

Her Majesty, who is 86, is being assessed at the King Edward VII Hospital in central London.

She had spent the weekend at Windsor Castle.

As a precaution, all official engagements planned for this week will be postponed or cancelled, Buckingham Palace said.  

She was due to attend a military celebration in Swansea on Saturday for St David's Day celebrations, but was forced to cancel because of the sickness.

She and the Duke of Edinburgh were fly out to Rome for a two-day visit this week, which will now not go ahead.

The Queen has rarely missed a royal engagement due to ill health in recent years.

She was last forced to pull out of an investiture ceremony in October last year after suffering with a bad back.

She also missed a visit to the British Museum in October 2011 because of a cold.

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