Philippines Typhoon Dead Remain Unburied

More than 1,000 victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan have still not been buried, seven weeks after the deadliest storm to ever hit the Philippines, according to locals.

About 1,400 corpses sealed into black body bags have been left in an open field in San Isidro, a village on the outskirts of the devastated city of Tacloban.

"The stench has taken away our appetite. Even in our sleep, we have to wear face masks," Maritess Pedrosa, who lives in a house about 20 metres from the field, said.

Haiyan victims celebrate Christmas with an improvised tree

Haiyan killed 6,111 people as it battered the Philippines on November 8, while another 1,779 remain missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Tacloban and nearby towns were virtually destroyed by giant waves that swept inland as the storm hit.

Eutiquio Balunan, a local village chief, said people in San Isidro were becoming sick because of the rotting corpses.

Tacloban was devastated by huge waves generated by the typhoon

"We are requesting the city government to please bury the cadavers because our children and elderly residents are getting sick," he said.

"This place has become a fly factory."

Forensics experts at the site attemept to identify any bodies brought there before returning them to the families or placing them in a mass grave at a cemetery about two miles away.

Millions of people lost their homes to Haiyan

Eight police officers guard the bodies. One told the AFP news agency they were under orders to prevent stray dogs from eating the corpses.

About four million people remain homeless following the typhoon.

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Tenerife: Two Britons Injured In Explosion

Two British people were among four injured after an explosion in a hotel pool bar on the island of Tenerife.

A woman suffered serious burns to her face and scalp in the blast in Adeje, on the south-west coast of the island, on Friday evening.

Her eight-year-old British daughter was also injured and treated for less severe neck burns.

Two other women - a Belgian national aged 38 and a 34-year-old Spaniard - suffered minor burns and were taken to hospital.

A staff member at the Bahia Principe Costa Adeje hotel confirmed to Sky News there was an explosion on Friday.

A spokesman said the British woman's husband and a second daughter had avoided injury, but were "obviously in shock".

He said: "This was an accident and we still are not sure what went wrong - we are awaiting the investigation of the judicial police.

"The explosion took place in a metal buffet container by the pool which uses a flammable gel to keep food warm.

"The swimming pool is now open again and the hotel is back to normal. We would like to wish those who were injured a speedy recovery."

Local authorities had claimed a British man also suffered minor abrasions in the blast, but this was denied by the spokesman.

Earlier, Ross Browning, editor of Canarian Weekly, told Sky News: "It's awful what's happened and with so many people around, in many ways it's probably a miracle that only five people have been injured.

"The woman has been transferred to La Candelaria in the north of the island with what is being described locally as severe burns to the face, neck and scalp."

A statement from local government in Adeje said: "At 4.09pm on Friday emergency services were called to an explosion in a machine in a poolside bar at a hotel in the town of Adeje, with several people suffering from burn injuries.

"Emergency resources were immediately mobilised. Fire crews attended to inspect the zone, but their intervention was not necessary."

A Foreign Office (FCO) spokesperson said: "We are aware of an incident involving two British nationals and are providing consular assistance.

"We are currently checking, but based on what we know so far there was no British man injured in the explosion."

Adeje is a popular holiday resort, with nearby sandy beaches such as Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos well-known to British tourists.

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New York 'Superheroes' Fighting Street Crime

By Hannah Thomas-Peter, New York Correspondent

On New York's mean streets there is a secretive group of men and women fighting crime, poverty and generally lending a helping hand.

They are part of a loose coalition of people called The Real Life Superheroes.

In the day they do relatively normal jobs, but when the sun goes down the costumes come out and the missions begin.

Nobody knows exactly how many are involved, but Sky News met three of them.

Nicole Abramovici is The Prowler, a 'superhero' who specialises in helping animals and the homeless.

The Prowler helps people declutter during the daytime

She runs her own business as a professional organiser, hired by clients to de-clutter and streamline their lives.

It means there is a ready supply of items to donate to the needy, which she tries to do at least twice a month.

Dressed in her cat costume at Penn Station in midtown Manhattan, she explained to Sky News why she does it.

She said: "It was the way that I could interact directly with the recipients of the goods I wanted to give, and not be held up by any bureaucracy or agency, and if wearing a superhero costume was what it took to do it, I was happy to do it.

The Dark Guardian has filmed himself undertaking his superhero patrol

"It's kind of become exciting for me. It helps with approaching homeless people when you have something that makes you stand out.

"They don't think I'm coming up to arrest them, or pick on them, and obviously something fun is going on, so it's a little bright spot in their day.

"The Real Life Superheroes are amazing," she says. "We all do different things. Some of us do homeless outreach in the streets, some of us break up fights that we see outside bars.

"But everybody has a great big heart, everybody has their own style ... we welcome more superheroes. please join us!"

Chris Pollak works at the more dangerous end of the spectrum.

He is a martial arts instructor by day. By night, he is the Dark Guardian.

Often joined by other superheroes, he patrols high-crime areas to act as a deterrent.

Chris Pollak - aka The Dark Guardian - is a martial arts instructor

He said: "We've gotten in the middle of fights, we've been up against some pretty tough criminals.

"We haven't had to really hurt anybody or do anything like that, most of the time de-escalating the situation, talking it down, will work.

"A vigilante is someone who takes the law into their own hands.

"We follow the law - we're not out there hurting people, putting our hands on people ... if somebody's in real danger that's when we'll step in.

"We're working on the first superhero school," he adds.

"It's going to teach martial arts, self-defence, parkour, but more than that it's going to teach heroic ideas and values, and we're going to teach people how to make a difference in the community and how to help others."

Chaim Lazaros is otherwise known as Life, a superhero who tours New York's addiction centres and homeless shelters.

He said: "The idea of the superhero allows me to explain very simply to them that I'm doing this purely as an individual, that I'm answering to my own authority, and that I'm doing this out of my own volition.

The masked Life tours addiction centres and homeless shelters

"There's a lot of people and they are struggling and holding on by a thread, and then that thread snaps and suddenly they find themselves in free fall and they don't know where to turn.

"There are great organisations that do lots of good and I just try to plug the many holes."

And this group of people are not alone.

There are other superhero collectives at work in the city and some people who work solely as individuals, unaffiliated with any group.

The NYPD does not have an official position on this kind of activity but police sources have told Sky News that they do not believe it is a good idea.

They point out that crime in New York is actually at a record low.

They also say that people are free to act within the law but are concerned they may be putting themselves in harm's way.

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Smacking Children Should Be Banned, Says Tsar

Parents should be banned from smacking their children, according to the Children's Commissioner for England.

Maggie Atkinson told The Independent it was her personal view that the law gives pets and adults more rights to be protected from violence than children.

Dr Atkinson said she favours a total ban on smacking, which would see parents face criminal action for corporal punishment.

Current rules make it illegal for a parent to smack a child if it leaves a bruise, but permit a lighter smack or "reasonable chastisement".

Dr Atkinson said: "Personally, having been a teacher, and never having had an issue where I'd need to use physical punishment, I believe we should move to ban it.

"Because in law you are forbidden from striking another adult, and from physically chastising your pets, but somehow there is a loophole around the fact that you can physically chastise your child."

She added: "It's a moral issue. The morals are that, taken to its extreme, physical chastisement is actually physical abuse and I have never understood where you can draw the line between one and the other."

Dr Atkinson, who has two adult step-children, said that despite her strong feelings about the issue, her office was not planning to fight for a ban next year.

She said in the current climate such a move would be "running up a blind alley".

Her comments are likely to re-open the debate about what constitutes "reasonable" punishment of children, the newspaper said.

Tottenham MP David Lammy said early last year that legislation surrounding the smacking of children needed to be relaxed so working-class parents could instil discipline in their homes without fearing prosecution.

He claimed that Labour's 2004 decision to tighten up the smacking law was partly to blame for last summer's riots, which erupted in his north London constituency.

The former education minister said: "Many of my constituents came up to me after the riots and blamed the Labour government, saying, 'You guys stopped us being able to smack our children.'

"I have to say when this was first raised with me I was pretty disparaging. But I started to listen.

"These parents are scared to smack their children and paranoid that social workers will get involved and take their children away."

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Sandy Hook Shooting Documents Released

A police report into the Sandy Hook school massacre has revealed harrowing new details about the murders and the gunman's family life.

The paperwork, much of which is blacked out, includes several videos and hundreds of photographs from inside Sandy Hook Elementary and Adam Lanza's home.

It reveals how police officers were faced with terrible scenes inside the school and describes how many of the children were killed in a bathroom where they were hiding.

Lanza shot and killed his mother at their home before driving to the Newtown school, where he killed 20 children and six teachers.

A rifle magazine clip is seen on the floor in the hallway

The 20-year-old then committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth with a handgun as police arrived at the scene.

Included in the files were photographs showing bullet holes in walls, windows and classroom furniture.

Images of spent magazine clips and empty shell casings on the floor depict the gunman's path of destruction.

The report also included many photographs of the contents of the gunman's family house - including one of a young child holding what appears to be a gun, with ammunition in his lap.

In a letter accompanying the report, Reuben Bradford, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, praised the efforts of all those connected to the horrific shooting.

He wrote: "In the midst of the darkness of that day, we also saw remarkable heroism and glimpses of grace. We saw Sandy Hook Elementary School faculty and staff doing everything in their power to protect their charges.

A gun seen just inside one of the classrooms

"The investigation of this incident is unparalleled in the 110-year history of the Connecticut State Police."

The documents revealed that a former teacher of Lanza's was quoted as telling investigators that Lanza exhibited anti-social behaviour, rarely interacted with other students and obsessed in writings "about battles, destruction and war".

"In all my years of experience, I have known (redacted) grade boys to talk about things like this, but Adam's level of violence was disturbing," the teacher told investigators.

The teacher added: "Adam's creative writing was so graphic that it could not be shared."

The documents also filled in more details about how the shooting unfolded, teachers protected their students and the school janitor confronted the shooter.

Teachers heard janitor Rick Thorn try to get Lanza to leave the school.

One teacher, who was hiding in a closet in the maths lab, heard Mr Thorn yell: "Put the gun down!"

An aide said she heard gunfire and Mr Thorn told her to close her door.

The documents' release marks the end of the investigation into the massacre on December 14, 2012, 

Prosecutors issued a summary of the investigation last month that portrayed Lanza as obsessed with mass murders.

Lanza kept a clipping about the 2008 Northern Illinois University shooting

But the report concluded that Lanza's motives for the massacre might never be known.

Lanza "was undoubtedly afflicted with mental health problems; yet despite a fascination with mass shootings and firearms, he displayed no aggressive or threatening tendencies," it said.

Lanza was diagnosed in 2006 with "profound autism spectrum disorder, with rigidity, isolation and a lack of comprehension of ordinary social interaction and communications".

He also displaying symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Kathleen Koenig, a nurse at the Yale Child Studies Center, told investigators that Lanza frequently washed his hands and changed his socks 20 times a day, to the point where his mother did three loads of laundry a day.

The nurse, who met with Lanza in 2006 and 2007, said Lanza's mother declined to give him prescribed antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication after she reported that he had trouble raising his arm, something she attributed to the drug.

Koenig unsuccessfully tried to convince Nancy Lanza that the medicine was not responsible, and the mother failed to schedule a follow-up visit after her son missed an appointment, police said.

In the documents, a friend told police that Nancy Lanza reported that her son had hit his head several days before the shootings.

And an ex-boyfriend told police that she cancelled a trip to London on the week of the shooting because of "a couple last-minute problems on the home front".

She told a friend two weeks before the shootings that her son was growing "increasingly despondent" and had refused to leave his room for three months.

They only communicated by email, with the mother saying he told her he wouldn't feel bad if something happened to her.

His isolation was so complete that he refused to leave his room during Superstorm Sandy, the report said.

Just before the shooting, Nancy Lanza was in New Hampshire. She told a lunch acquaintance there that the trip was an experiment in leaving her son home alone in Connecticut for a few days.

Photographs from inside the Lanza home show numerous rounds of ammunition, gun magazines, shot-up paper targets, large knives and swords.

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Good Samaritan Dog Guards Dead Pal In Web Hit

Pictures of a dog faithfully watching over his canine companion who had been killed by a car in China have become a hit on the internet.

The sandy-coloured 'Good Samaritan' pooch stayed by his friend's side, despite his pal's body lying in the middle of a busy road.

And he refused to move for a whole night as temperatures plummeted to low as -13C.

Some people who live and work nearby saw the pair and decided to put a stool next to the animals to alert drivers and avoid a second dog death after the first accident on December 22.

Passers-by took pictures and put them online, and the images have been re-posted many times.

One woman called Ma Hongyan said: "It is our stool. A kind-hearted woman put it next to the dogs to protect them from being hit again by another car."

Another onlooker in the city of Yinchuan, in the region of Ningxia Hui, said: "The drivers must be careful and not hit them.

"The dog has been here for his friend all night."

Eventually, the deceased white dog was picked up by a restaurant owner and taken to the side of the road.

But even then, the sandy dog refused to let go. Trotting with his tail held high, he stuck close to his pal.

The unnamed man buried the white dog under a tree in a local park.

The fate of the Samaritan dog is not known.

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Boko Haram Leader Vows To Continue Violence

An Islamic extremist leader in Nigeria has said violent insurgency will continue in the country because Allah has said Muslims must decapitate and mutilate.

In a video released on Saturday, Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for a December 20 attack on a tank battalion barracks.

In it, he claimed his men - members of the al Qaeda-linked Boko Haram -  would have eaten their enemies, but Allah forbids cannibalism.

Witnesses said insurgents put soldiers to flight and set the complex ablaze, before they were driven off by fighter aircraft.

Shekau warned Christians not to go to churches during December, although Christmas passed in Nigeria without any of the feared terrorist attacks.

Five churches were bombed on Christmas Day in 2011, killing dozens of people.

Shekau also ridiculed bounties placed on his head. There is a $7m (£4.25m) bounty from the US and a $312,500 (£190,000) figure from Nigeria.

Earlier this year the Nigerian military had said intelligence suggested Shekau may have been killed. But a video which emerged in September, purporting to be of him, made reference to recent events.

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Irish Skier Killed In Switzerland Avalanche

A 27-year-old Irish man has died after he was buried under three metres of snow during an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.

The man, who has not been identified but was staying in Zurich, was reported missing by his girlfriend and his body was discovered near Realp by Swiss police.

Alpine Rescue Switzerland told the Irish Independent newspaper he had been swept more than 500 metres by the avalanche.

He is thought to have been cross-country skiing at the time.

Poor weather conditions prevented search and rescue teams being deployed and the man's body was not found until Friday when a helicopter was brought in.

Authorities are investigating whether the avalanche was triggered by falling ice. The area was experiencing heavy snow and strong winds at the time the man disappeared.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was providing consular assistance to the victim's family.

He is thought to have been one of a group skiing in the Uri province.

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Weather: New Year Flood Warning For Councils

Prime Minister David Cameron is calling on councils to have plans in place for New Year flooding as forecasters warn of more storms in the days ahead.

Mr Cameron led a Government push for action as thousands of homes were still without power following Christmas storms that swept across Britain and Ireland.

The PM, who was confronted by an angry flood victim in Yalding, Kent, on Friday, wrote on Twitter: "I've asked the Dept for Communities & Local Govt to ensure councils have robust plans in case of bad weather and flooding over New Year."

A Downing Street spokesman outlined action to be taken after ministers held a Cabinet Office Briefing (COBR) via conference call on Saturday.

The COBR meeting was chaired by Defra minister George Eustice, with housing minister Kris Hopkins, energy minister Baroness Verma, trade minister Lord Livingston and officials from the Environment Agency taking part.

Energy Minister Ed Davey is pushing UK Power Networks - which owns electricity lines in London and the south east - for a clear, public timeline for work to get the power back on, the spokesman said.

The Government has also made emergency funding available to councils affected by severe weather and flooding and is urging them to have a clear plan in place if they could face flooding over the New Year.

Around 4,000 homes were still without power on Saturday, according to The Energy Networks Association (ENA), as one of the UK's biggest power distributors promised to almost triple compensation for customers affected.

UK Power Networks said it will increase payments for 48 to 60-hour outages from £27 to £75 for those affected on Christmas Day as "a gesture of goodwill".

Additional payments will be made to customers who have been without electricity for longer than that time - up to a maximum of £432.

Despite forecasters predicting a weekend of more settled weather, the Met Office has issued a yellow warning - meaning be aware - for the early hours of Monday morning.

A woman helps workmen clear water from her flooded home in Yalding, Kent

Heavy rain is expected to spread across the south west of England and south Wales from Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, the Met Office said.

Winds of 60-70mph are expected to hit Wales and parts of south-west and southern England, while exposed areas such as the Isles of Scilly, west Cornwall and west Wales could see gales of up to 80mph.

Scotland is also braced for more heavy rain overnight on Sunday into Monday morning, with 20-30mm of rainfall predicted and much as 50-60mm over high ground.

The Environment Agency (EA) said the predicted rainfall meant there is a "continued heightened flood risk" across southern England, especially south-west England where river levels remain high and the ground is already saturated.

Large rivers such as the Thames, Severn and Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire are most at risk of flooding, while high water levels on the River Medway and Stour in Kent will cause continued flooding and travel disruption, the EA said.

A sad-looking Christmas decoration sits in a puddle in Yalding

Some 1,300 properties have been flooded during the recent storms in England, the EA said, while flood defences have protected more than 80,000 properties.

Craig Woolhouse, the EA's head of flood incident management, said: "Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by flooding over Christmas.

"Our teams remain out on the ground working around the clock to protect communities from flooding.

"With more wet weather expected early next week we are monitoring rivers and working to protect communities from flooding with our partners in the emergency services and local authorities.

"We urge people to stay safe and avoid driving or walking through flood water and visit the Environment Agency website for advice and sign up for flood warnings."

Some 81 flood alerts and 16 more serious flood warnings remained in place across the country this afternoon.

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Facebook 'Dead And Buried' As Teens Turn Away

Facebook is "basically dead and buried" with many UK teenagers feeling embarrassed even to be associated with it, new research says.

Young people are apparently turning away from it "in their droves" and are using "cooler" websites and apps such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp.

Professor Daniel Miller, from University College London which helped carry out the research, said: "Where once parents worried about their children joining Facebook, the children now say it is their family that insists they stay there to post about their lives.

"Parents have worked out how to use the site and see it as a way for the family to remain connected. In response, the young are moving on to cooler things."

He added: "What appears to be the most seminal moment in a young person's decision to leave Facebook was surely that dreaded day your mum sends you a friend request.

"You just can't be young and free if you know your parents can access your every indiscretion.

"The desire for the new, also drives each new generation to find their own media and this is playing out now in social media.

"It is nothing new that young people care about style and status in relation to their peers, and Facebook is simply not cool anymore."

With Snapchat, pictures disappear seconds after you have been sent

The EU-funded research, which questioned 16-18 year olds in the UK, suggested the newer sites and apps were not as good as Facebook in terms of functionality.

Facebook is more integrated, better for photo albums, organising parties and more effective for observing people's relationships, said the survey.

But WhatsApp is better for messaging and is now said to have overtaken Facebook as the number one way to send mobile messages, it added.

A lot of teenagers have also turned to Snapchat, a picture-sharing service that allows you to send pictures that disappear seconds after they have been sent.

With Facebook, there have been concerns about privacy as it was revealed this year that the US National Security Agency (NSA) was accessing data from the site.

But the migration away does not appear to be down to young people making a statement about mass surveillance or big corporations.

One of the most popular alternatives is Instagram, which allows you to upload and share photos, and which is owned by Facebook.

Mike Butcher, from Techcrunch.com, told Sky News: "Facebook used to be quite a private place, especially among university students.

"And gradually because Facebook needs to make money it had to open up and become more public.

"So that's what happening and they (young people) are going towards new kinds of platforms like Instagram or Twitter."

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Search For Woman Swept Out To Sea Called Off

A major search for a woman believed to have been swept out to sea has been called off due to appalling weather.

Coastguard rescue officers, lifeboat crews, police and a helicopter looked for the 36 year old in the Brighton beach area through the night and during first light.

But they were unable to locate her amid "very difficult and dangerous weather", said police.

Sussex officers called Solent maritime rescue centre at 2.24am saying a woman had gone into the water opposite the Digital nightclub, just west of the town's Palace Pier.

After leaving the seafront club she had walked along the beach with a man she knew and then she ran into the sea and was almost immediately swept off by a large wave, officers said.

The coastguard said both people were believed to have gone into the water and one managed to get back out while the other was taken out to sea.

The woman had been at a nightclub before she went in the water

A police spokesman said: "The man tried to grab her but was unable to drag her to safety.

"Police officers arrived within minutes and, together with club staff and her friend, approached the sea edge.

"But the woman was being washed further away and was inaccessible due to the very heavy sea conditions.

"Coastguards swiftly assisted the search by land and sea but the body has not, so far, been recovered and the immediate search has been discontinued at this time."

Solent Coastguard said: "We conducted a thorough search of the area and nothing was found. The conditions down there are appalling. It's force eight with severe gale warnings."

Police do not know why the woman, believed to be from Brighton, ran into the water and the incident was not being treated as suspicious.

Her next of kin have been contacted by family liaison officers.

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Nasa Astronauts Start ISS Repair Spacewalk

Nasa astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins have begun the first of three spacewalks to replace a broken cooling pump at the International Space Station.

The spacewalk is set to last six and a half hours, Nasa said.

As the ISS orbits Earth at a speed of five miles per second, veteran spacewalker Mr Mastracchio is leading the way, followed by Mr Hopkins, who is making his first venture outside the global research lab.

From the inside, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata will operate the station's 50ft (15m) robotic arm, hoisting Mr Mastracchio and hefty equipment from one section of the lab to another.

"There are quite a bit of arm manoeuvres throughout all of these EVAs so I'm sure Koichi will be getting a workout," said lead spacewalk officer Allison Bolinger, using the Nasa acronym for spacewalk: extravehicular activity (EVA).

Mike Hopkins prepares for his first spacewalk earlier. Pic: Nasa

While flight engineer Mr Mastracchio, 53, soars around with his boots attached to a foot-plate on the robotic arm, Mr Hopkins, 44, will be the designated free-floating astronaut of the day.

The men's first task is to disconnect the ammonia pump, which is about the size of a refrigerator.

On the second spacewalk, set for Monday, the astronauts are to remove the pump so it can be replaced with a spare that was already stowed at the ISS.

A third spacewalk is planned for Christmas Day, when the failed pump will be shuttled away and final installations made on its replacement.

However, there is a chance the astronauts will be able to complete all their work in two spacewalks, Nasa has said.

If not, the Christmas Day outing would be the first since 1974, when a pair of Nasa astronauts "stepped outside the Skylab space station to retrieve film from a telescope and photograph Comet Kohoutek", the US space agency said.

Thanksgiving in space for Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins. Pic: Nasa

The urgent spacewalks were called for this week due to a faulty valve that caused a partial shutdown in the system that regulates equipment temperature at the space station.

Engineers tried to fix the problem from the ground, but eventually decided they needed to replace the ammonia pump.

The six-man crew was never in danger, but Nasa wanted to fix the problem sooner rather than later, agency officials said.

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Shrek Wedding: Going Green For Cancer Charity

A couple painted themselves green and dressed as movie characters Shrek and Princess Fiona to get hitched in a fairytale wedding.

Amanda and Nathan Gibbs dressed as the fairytale couple

Amanda and Nathan Gibbs used their big day to raise money for charity.

The pair had planned a small ceremony but after losing several friends to cancer, they decided on the Hollywood theme to increase awareness of the disease.

Instead of wedding gifts, the couple - who have been together for eight years - asked people to donate money to Cancer Research.

The Gibbs, from Kingswinford, tied the knot at Priory Hall in Priory Park, Dudley, West Midlands.

The pair's marriage is sealed with a kiss

Guests also got involved in the themed celebrations, dressing up as the Gingerbread Man, Mickey Mouse and Jack Sparrow from Pirates Of The Caribbean.

Former bricklayer Mr Gibbs, 39, said: "In the last 15 months we've lost seven of our customers to cancer. It just broke our hearts.

"We wanted to do something to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage more people to go and get checked out."

The pair used to joke that if they ever got married, they would have a fairytale wedding.

Their friends also joined in the Hollywood theme

He added: "It was a standing joke between us. All our friends started getting married and I said 'When we do it we'll have a fairytale wedding. I'll be Shrek and you can be Princess Fiona'.

"Earlier this year we held a fundraiser for Cancer Research and we were talking about what else we could do when Shrek came on the TV. We turned to each other and laughed."

Plans got under way for the wedding but he and Mrs Gibbs, 44, were then hit with more bad news.

"My sister Donna was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was such a shock. We were trying to do something to help others and then it happened to us."

Luckily his sister has been given the all-clear but it made the couple even more determined to highlight the disease.

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Billionaire Feared Dead In Helicopter Crash

A Chinese billionaire and his young son are among four people feared dead after the helicopter from which they were viewing his newly-purchased French chateau crashed into a river.

Lam Kok, the 46-year-old head of the Hong Kong-based Brilliant group, had just bought Chateau de la Riviere, a major Bordeaux vineyard.

The accident happened at the end of a festive day marking Thursday's sale of one of the region's oldest wine estates reportedly worth 30m euros (£25m).

He and his 12-year-old son were on the helicopter piloted by James Gregoire, the former owner, when the accident happened on Friday. An interpreter was also a passenger.

Rescuers search the Dordogne river for the victims of the helicopter crash

Emergency workers pulled a still-unidentified body from inside the helicopter after finding the wreckage in the Dordogne river, said local officials.

A large search operation was called off just before midnight with the helicopter's other three occupants still missing. The search is due to resume.

Lam Kok's wife had pulled out of the aerial tour at the last minute, saying she was "scared of helicopters", said a photographer at the event.

After a press conference, an introduction to the staff and dinner, Mr Gregoire was taking his buyer on a short tour of the 65-hectare (160-acre) vineyards and surrounding grounds.

When they did not return after 20 minutes, employees at the vineyard contacted emergency services.

A major search operation was launched using emergency helicopters, inflatable boats, rescue divers and around 100 officers on foot.

Lam Kok and his wife pose among the vines hours before the crash

Emergency workers managed to locate the wreckage in the river after police received a call from a witness who had seen the helicopter go down.

A previous owner of the Chateau de la Riviere, Jean Leprince, was killed in a plane crash in 2002.

Mr Gregoire bought the property, the largest in Bordeaux's Fronsac wine-producing region, the following year.

Earlier on Friday, the vineyard's managing director, Xavier Buffo, said during a press conference the sale marked the largest Chinese investment in Bordeaux property to date.

Hong Kong-based Brilliant, which specialises in rare teas and luxury hotels in China, had said it wanted to turn the chateau into a high class tea and wine tasting centre with a hotel nearby.

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Row Over NHS 'Too Powerful To Criticise' Claim

The chairman of the NHS watchdog has sparked a political row after saying the health service has become "too powerful to criticise".

Care Quality Commission (CQC) boss David Prior says people have become scared of complaining about poor care.

He warned the service's perceived status as a "national religion" fuelled the problem and some areas of care were "out of control" because honesty about failings was not tolerated.

Even the most senior staff were afraid of speaking out despite millions of patients receiving a "wholly unsatisfactory" service from GPs and hospitals, Mr Prior added.

NHS watchdog boss David Prior

But Labour, which created the CQC when in government, denied the NHS is 'too powerful' to be criticised.

It is precisely the watchdog's role to identify problems and failures and ensure criticism was used to improve patient care, according to the opposition.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph Mr Prior said of the NHS: "It became too powerful to criticise. When things were going wrong people didn't say anything. If you criticised the NHS - the attitude was how dare you?

"No organisation should be put on such a high pedestal that it is beyond criticism. Now it is getting more honest about our failings - which I think makes it more likely that we will address them."

Mr Prior said he has found a "chillingly defensive" culture where even the most "alpha male surgeons" felt frightened to speak out for fear of ending their careers.

"I had not realised that the culture in some of our hospitals was so damaged," he said. "That was an awakening."

He called for the "out of control" system of emergency care to be made a priority for reform and said it was "wholly unsatisfactory" that so many patients struggled to get an appointment with their GP.

And Mr Prior branded Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt "crazy" for telephoning round hospital chief executives who had missed A&E targets.

He said: "Of course he's doing it, because he's held accountable but what it all leads to is more money being put into A&E departments when that money should probably be put into primary and community care to stop people falling ill."

Shadow health minister Jamie Reed said: "The focus now needs to be on the winter crisis engulfing A&E. When Labour left office 98% of patients were seen within 4 hours, but the Government continues to miss its own lowered A&E target."

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Chessington Fire: Blaze At Surrey Theme Park

The Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Surrey has been closed for the day after a fire at a restaurant near a zoo.

The theme park was not open to the public when emergency crews were alerted at 9am and no people or animals were injured, London Fire Brigade said.

It had been due to open at 10am for a "festive zoo day" according to its website, but a decision was made to shut the site.

Eight fire engines were called to the scene of the blaze at the Creaky Cafe and firefighters later managed to bring it under control.

Fire station manager Craig Carter said the blaze "affected a large part" of the restaurant.

Flames are pictured rising from the site. Pic: Kingston Police

He added: "There were a lot of flames and the area was quite smoky when we arrived."

All animals in the zoo were evacuated to a safe place, said the fire service.

The park posted a message on Twitter saying: "Due to unforeseen circumstances Chessington will be closed today.

"If you had tickets booked for today, they will be valid for another day in the future."

A company statement said: "This morning, prior to the park opening, a fire broke out in Chessington World of Adventures.

"Well-practised emergency procedures were immediately put into operation and the emergency services were called and several fire engines were on site within minutes.

Npbody was hurt in the blaze: Pic: London Fire Brigade

"The theme park and zoo were closed at the time of this incident and, therefore, no guests were involved. All staff areas were immediately evacuated and all staff and animals are safe and well."

An investigation will be carried out to discover the cause of the fire.

Surrey Police had said people should avoid the area around the park as the A243 was closed - but it was later fully re-opened to traffic.

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South Sudan: Gunfire Hits US Military Aircraft

At least one US military aircraft has been fired at during an evacuation mission in South Sudan, leaving four personnel injured.

One individual is said to be in a critical condition.

The US military confirmed four people had been wounded when the aircraft was hit by gunfire. Earlier reports said two aircraft had come under fire.

South Sudan has blamed the attack on renegade troops.

Officials said the aircraft was heading to an evacuation site in Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei and the scene of some of the country's worst violence in the past week.

After being fired at it reportedly turned around and headed to Kampala in Uganda. From there the wounded service personnel were flown to Nairobi, Kenya for medical treatment.

Men displaced by the fighting in South Sudan

Fighting broke out in the South Sudanese capital Juba between rival army factions last Sunday and has since spread to other regions, claiming at least 500 lives.

Kenya said on Saturday it was sending troops to South Sudan to evacuate some 1,600 citizens. Many are trapped in Bor, which has been taken by rebels.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has "ordered the KDF (Kenya Defence Force) to commence immediate evacuation of the 1,600 Kenyans stranded in South Sudan", a spokesman said in a statement.

"Despite the relative calm in Juba, a number of other South Sudan towns have come under fire," he added, saying that Kenyans "are mainly in the town of Bor".

People being evacuated to Uganda in a RAF C17 plane

Others, in the towns of Rumbek, Ayod, and Panyabol "will also be airlifted to safety."

"The president has also ordered the immediate delivery of food, water and medicine to South Sudan (to help) tackle the emergency," the spokesman added.

"The delivery of these emergency supplies started this morning. Kenyan military aircraft are delivering consignments to South Sudan."

Kenya, which hosted the peace talks that ended the 1983-2005 civil war in Sudan, and which paved the way for South Sudan's independence two years ago, is also supporting efforts to end the latest crisis.

On Friday Uganda deployed troops to South Sudan to boost security and help its people escape safely.

A number of other nations including Britain have sent in emergency flights to evacuate their citizens.

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Australia: Pair Clinging To Ice Box Rescued

Two fishermen who clung to an ice box in the ocean for 15 hours after their boat sank have been saved - in a rescue caught on video.

The "exhausted" men were winched to safety one by one into a helicopter and then taken to hospital for treatment.

The pair, aged 25 and 34, issued a mayday call on Friday afternoon before abandoning their cabin cruiser off Ballina in New South Wales, Australia.

A search was then launched and the following morning the upturned 18ft boat was spotted in the Pacific Ocean by a helicopter crew eight miles off Yamba.

A diver helps one of the fishermen to safety

The fishermen were found a short distance away, wearing lifejackets and clinging to the large white box.

One of their rescuers, Jethro Lampe, said: "They were pretty exhausted.

"I didn't get too much of a hand getting them into their seats, which is to be expected. They've been out all night."

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Lockerbie 25th Anniversary: Victims Remembered

Relatives of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing have gathered in the Scottish town for a special memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21 1988, killing 270 people - everyone on board and 11 on the ground.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Lord Wallace, Advocate General for Scotland, are attending a service at Dryfesdale Cemetery, to be followed by a 30-minute wreath-laying ceremony.

Families and friends attend a memorial service at Dryfesdale Cemetery

Mr Salmond said: "As the community of Lockerbie marks the milestone, memorial events will be held in Westminster Abbey, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and at Syracuse University which lost 35 students in the bombing.

"But, inevitably, a focus of the day will be on the memorial in Lockerbie and it is there that I will pay my respects and condolences on behalf of the people of Scotland."

Later, simultaneous remembrance services in Lockerbie and Arlington National Cemetery in the US - where most of the victims were from - will get under way from 6.30pm (1.30pm EST in the US).

Relatives will read the names of the victims and hold a minute's silence at 7.03pm (2.03pm EST in the US) marking exactly a quarter of a century since the tragedy.

Westminster Abbey in London will also hold a service for the victims, from 21 countries, which will begin at 6.45pm and will include readings and a moment of silence.

British Prime Minister David Cameron described the bombing as "one of the worst aviation disasters in history and the deadliest act of terrorism" ever committed in the UK.

Eleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie

He said: "Though 25 years have passed, memories of the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents who lost their lives on that terrible night have not dimmed.

"Over the last quarter of a century much attention has been focused on the perpetrators of the atrocity. Today our thoughts turn to its victims and to those whose lives have been touched and changed by what happened at Lockerbie that night.

"To families, friends, neighbours, loved ones, and all those caught up in the painful process of recovery, let us say to them: our admiration for you is unconditional. For the fortitude and resilience you have shown. For your determination never to give up. You have shown that terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit. That is why terrorism will never prevail.

"And even in the darkest moments of grief, it is possible to glimpse the flickering flame of hope."

Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the disaster, told Sky News: "Anniversaries aren't in a sense that big a deal for the families of victims because we have to live with the lovely memories of those that we lost all that time ago, every day of every year. Bereavement in itself is sometimes a life sentence."

Graham Herbert, former rector at Lockerbie Academy which lost three students in the atrocity, said the market town "has always tried to move forward".

Abdelbaset al Megrahi was the only person to be convicted of the bombing

He told Sky News: "I know today there will be a lot of closed doors. A lot of people will not go out of their houses. The memories are just too bitter, there are still open wounds there.

"There are quite a lot of American families in the town today. Each year it just comes back to them, they are not allowed to heal. They want to commemorate, they want to be here where their loved ones fell, but it's hard, it's tough."

Jane Schultz lost her 20-year-old son Thomas, who was part of the Syracuse University group on board the flight.

She said: "In my heart, to me this is home and there was no other place I felt I should be on this very sad and special occasion. It means that I'm where I should be.

"I wanted to be here to honour my son as well as the 269 other victims and I wanted to stand in the place where my son took his last breath and say a small prayer."

Libyan Abdelbaset al Megrahi was found guilty of the bombing in January 2001 and given a life sentence.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, leading to a decision to free him under compassionate release rules.

Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill took that decision on August 20 the following year, sparking a row among politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Megrahi died in Tripoli, Libya in May last year. His family is considering lodging a fresh appeal to clear his name.

British relatives of victims who believe he was wrongfully convicted of the bombing are also planning another appeal against the conviction when they meet with lawyers in the new year.

A joint statement from the UK, US and Libyan governments said: "We want all those responsible for this most brutal act of terrorism brought to justice, and to understand why it was committed.

"We are committed to cooperate fully in order to reveal the full facts of the case."

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David Coleman: Veteran Sports Broadcaster Dies

David Coleman, the veteran sports commentator and long-time A Question Of Sport presenter, has died at the age of 87.

The Grandstand and Sportsnight presenter, who retired in 2000, died peacefully with his family at his bedside after a short illness.

The BBC's director general Tony Hall said: "David Coleman was one of this country's greatest and most respected broadcasters.

"Generations grew up listening to his distinctive and knowledgeable commentary. Whether presenting, commentating or offering analysis, he set the standard for all of today's sports broadcasters."

The renowned athletics commentator worked for the corporation for almost 50 years, covering 11 summer Olympic Games, his final one in Sydney in 2000.

He also covered six football World Cups and was the host of the Question Of Sport for 18 years. He was awarded an OBE in 1992.

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Twitter: "Sad to hear David Coleman has died - the voice of BBC Sport for as long as I can remember."

David Coleman - "a giant of sports broadcasting"

Sky News Sports Editor Nick Powell described Mr Coleman as a "giant" of sports broadcasting.

He said: "A lot of sports broadcasting has been shaped by what David Coleman did all those years ago."

Olympic athlete Linford Christie said: "My deepest condolences go out to David's family at this sad time. 

"David was a no nonsense, straight-talking true gentleman and an iconic voice of sport, but at the heart of it all was a massive sports fan and supporter of good performances."

Former Home Secretary David Blunkett described him as "a thoroughly decent guy", having been quizzed by Mr Coleman 45 years ago on BBC1's Feedback show.

"David Coleman had to deal with a man who couldn't see talking about a film which David Dimbleby had produced and which had caused enormous controversy by displaying dead and naked bodies.

"Why I ever wrote in I shall never know, but it was certainly a way of being blooded in terms of future interviews over the past 45 years.

David Coleman, Frank Bough and Tony Gubba mark 21 years of BBC Grandstand

"I know that as well as his family and friends, many of us will mourn him as someone who represented the best in broadcasting and of decency in public life."

Former England striker Gary Lineker was among those remembering Mr Coleman - whose brevity at the microphone, including his signature "one-nil" catchphrase, earned him many fans.

He wrote on Twitter: "Sad to hear, David Coleman has died. A giant of sports broadcasting. Brilliant, gifted, precise and concise. Much more than 'one-nil' #RIP"

The father-of-six, who lived in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, was awarded the Olympic Order in 2000. The award is the highest honour of the Olympic movement.

Mr Coleman also found himself the subject of a regular column in satirical magazine Private Eye, with its Colemanballs feature documenting commentators' gaffes to this day.

One of his comments the magazine immortalised was: "That's the fastest time ever run, but it's not as fast as the world record."

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Jayden Parkinson: Police Launch Murder Inquiry

Police investigating the disappearance of teenager Jayden Parkinson now believe she was murdered.

Jayden, 17, from Oxford, was last seen leaving Didcot Parkway train station at 4.27pm on December 3 - and did not return home that evening as planned.

In a news conference this afternoon, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray revealed that police have upgraded the case to a murder investigation and are looking for a man who was seen in an open field near Upton on December 9 at 2am.

"The father in me would like to think that Jayden is still out there, but I'm afraid the detective in me leads me to conclude that Jayden may well have been murdered," said Mr Murray. 

The man spotted in Upton was carrying a large suitcase in the rural area and notably struggling to "manage" the heavy case.

"This man was having difficulty wheeling that suitcase," said Mr Murray.

He said the same man was seen in Didcot around 30 minutes later with the same suitcase, and police are appealing for sightings of the man or the case. 

The man is described as a white male in his early 20s, with short dark hair and of medium to slim build. 

The case was approximately 3ft long and 2ft wide, likely a pale blue colour, and had an extendable handle and wheels, said Mr Murray. 

Police said a recycling bin has been recovered as part of the investigation from the former Crown Pub in Queensway in Didcot. 

An address in Abbott Road, Didcot, is also cordoned off by police while a search is carried out on the property.

Thames Valley Police are currently holding two people - a 22-year-old man and 17-year-old boy - in relation to the case.

Police said earlier this week that the 22-year-old was in a relationship with Jayden. 

Jayden was living with her mother in Didcot until November this year, when she found herself homeless.

The teenager relocated to an Oxford service called One Foot Forward, which offers assisted and supported accommodation for young people.

Police said Jayden has made no financial transactions, or accessed the internet or her phone since she went missing 12 days ago.

A team of 50 detectives are currently assisting with the case and specialist teams will be scouring the Upton area for the next week.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact Thames Valley Police on 101 and quote URN 542 10/12, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Iran Claims 'MI6 Spy' On Trial After Capture

Iran says it has arrested a "spy" accused of working for the British secret intelligence service.

A court official said the man had confessed to his alleged crimes and was on trial.

He was detained in the town of Kerman in southeast Iran after authorities spent months tracking him down, the semi-official ISNA news agency said.

The suspect is accused of meeting four British intelligence operatives and giving them information.

Dadkhoda Salari, head of the Kerman revolutionary court, said: "Through the efforts of Iranian security forces, an MI6 spy has been arrested.

"He has met British intelligence officers in person 11 times, both inside the country and abroad, and provided them with intelligence."

It has not been suggested the alleged spy is a Briton, and Tehran has a history of announcing the arrest of people it claims are spying without releasing more details.

But the news is potentially embarrassing at a time when diplomatic relations between the UK and Iran had been improving after a two-year freeze.

On Friday, Iran's new envoy to Britain, Hassan Habibollah-Zadeh, held talks in London on his first visit since his appointment in November.

And a British diplomat, non-resident charge d'affaires Ajay Sharma, said he had "detailed and constructive discussions" about the UK's relationship with Iran during talks earlier this month.

He visited the site of the UK's embassy in the Iranian capital to assess the damage caused when it was ransacked by a mob in 2011, an incident which prompted the Government to pull its staff out of the country.

The thaw in relations between Tehran and the international community has also seen a deal reached over its nuclear programme.

Responding to the reported arrest a Foreign Office spokesman said: "We don't comment on intelligence matters."

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Double-Murder Probe Launched As Bodies Found

A double-murder inquiry has been launched following the deaths of a man and a woman in a house in Belfast.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the incident in the Ravenhill area in the south east of the city is thought to be domestic-related.

Police said the suspect may have been in a relationship with one of the victims but don't consider they are a threat to the wider public.

Police said they did not want the identities of the middle-aged victims to become public at this stage as not all of their next of kin had been informed of what had happened.

The incident in the Ravenhill area is thought to be domestic-related

Officers found their bodies in the living room of the flat in the Ravenhill Court area yesterday afternoon.

They had been alerted by a member of the public who noticed the front door of the property had been badly damaged.

Detective Chief Inspector Una Jennings, senior investigating officer with the PSNI, said: "We are treating this at the moment as a suspected domestic homicide."

She appealed to whoever was responsible to come forward.

The detective added: "I would describe it as a domestic incident, we believe that the perpetrator of this crime may well have been in a relationship with one or other of the victims."

She said the exact causes of death would not be confirmed until post-mortem examinations were carried out in the coming days.

Asked if the perpetrator posed a danger to the wider public, Ms Jennings said: "We don't consider they pose a risk to the public at this time."

Detectives have appealed for anyone who noticed anything suspicious in the Ravenhill Court area between 3pm on Wednesday and 3pm yesterday to contact them.

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Mandela Funeral: Mourners Angry At Procession

Tribal Traditions At Mandela Burial

Updated: 11:05am UK, Saturday 14 December 2013

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Qunu

He is Qunu's most famous son and the return of Nelson Mandela's body to his ancestral homeland is not just for sentimental reasons - it is part of Xhosa tradition that those who pass away are returned to the soil from where they came.

This weekend sees a stark shift in tempo, organisation and ceremony as the state funeral meshes with the centuries-old traditions of Mr Mandela's countrymen and women in the rural Eastern Cape.

"We feel very represented by Nelson Mandela," Mandisi Tshaka, a young Xhosa man, resplendent in his traditional robes and big beaded necklace, told me.

"Everyone in the world knows the Xhosa tribe because of him and we're saluting him."

The South African government has announced the former president's state funeral is a "first for the country" and means full military ceremonial honours will be laid on and led by the armed forces.

There will be 21-gun salutes and a fly-over by the South African Air Force.

But there is a strong importance being put on performing the Xhosa rites as Mr Mandela is laid to rest.

There will be a ritual slaughtering of an ox in the early hours before receiving his body at Mthatha airport in the Eastern Cape.

The AbaThembu king, Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, is expected to lead a group of traditional leaders as well as Mandela elders in welcoming him home to the village of Qunu, where he spent much of his childhood.

Xhosa custom dictates a welcome ritual is performed to ensure the ancestors are informed of the arrival of Mr Mandela's remains.

Mr Mandela will be called on by his praise name Dlibhunga and the AbaThembu king will shout this three times as he greets the body when he arrives home.

Despite the pomp and ceremony of the state funeral, there will be equal, if not more, importance put on the traditional Xhosa burial rituals to ensure the man they call Madiba has an easy transition into the afterworld.

The Xhosa king, Zwelonke Sigcau, told Sky News: "The Xhosa people believe Nelson Mandela is not leaving us. It is just his body which is going into the ground. His spirit will remain."

In the African culture many believe a dead person's spirit lives on beyond death and joins other ancestors who guide, help and protect the living.

It is a belief which greatly helps alleviate the pain felt by the loss of a loved one - and Mr Mandela may assume even greater importance amongst his people because of his exalted status as a spiritual ancestor now.

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Egypt Sees First Snow Storm In Years

A winter storm has brought snow to Cairo for the first time in decades and has blanketed parts of the Middle East.

Bad weather closed two of the country's Mediterranean ports and two ports on the Red Sea as "several" in inches fell in the Sinai Desert and elsewhere.

Ali Abdelazim, an official at Egypt's meteorological centre, said it was "the first time in very many years" since the last snowfall in the suburbs of Cairo.

Precipitation of any kind is rare in Egypt so the rare sight of snow has been much talked about on social networking sites such as Twitter.

In Syria's contested northern city of Aleppo, soldiers and rebels took a break from fighting as the temperatures on the deserted streets hovered around zero.

"All the fighters are cold and hiding," the activist who uses the pseudonym Abu Raed said.

A man walks through the snow in Jerusalem

The cold weather was part of a storm, dubbed Alexa, which has been pounding much of Lebanon and parts of northern Syria since Wednesday, pushing temperatures below zero in mountainous areas and dumping snow and heavy rains.

The snow has heaped another layer of misery on the already grim existence of many of the more than two million Syrians who have fled the civil war raging in their homeland.

In Lebanon, snow fell on northern and eastern regions where tens of thousands of Syrian refugees are staying, many of them in flimsy plastic tents.

Up to 13cm (5in) have fallen in refugee camps in Lebanon with 8cm (3in) in the wartorn Syrian city of Homs.

Jerusalem was left blanketed by up to 50cm (20in) of snow, forcing police to block access to and from the city as the army was called in to help restore power to more than 35,000 homes.

The city's heaviest snowstorm for 50 years forced Israeli authorities to lift a ban on public transport on the Jewish Sabbath - Saturday.

The unusually large fall allowed children to build snowmen but left elderly residents shivering.

John Kerry and Benjamin Netanyahu look out at snow-covered city Jerusalem

The weather even featured in talks between visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Kerry, a former Massachusetts senator, said the snow in Jerusalem made him feel "at home".

"I have heard of making guests welcome and feeling at home. This is about as far as I've ever seen anything go ... giving me a New England snowstorm."

In the West Bank and Gaza, UN relief teams offered emergency services to the worst-hit communities.

In Gaza, which was experiencing its first snow in a decade, more than 500 people were evacuated from their homes, according to Hamas spokesman Ihab Ghussein.

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Driver Shot By Cops After Car Chase And Crash

A driver has been shot by police after an hour-long high-speed car chase ended with a crash into another vehicle.

Television footage showed the man getting out of his silver Corvette and then clutching his stomach and falling to the ground after officers opened fire.

Pictures also showed emergency services treating the suspect on the pavement before he was taken into an ambulance.

It is not known what his condition was.

The collision took place as the Corvette driver tried to cross a junction in central Los Angeles and appeared to have struck a Nissan Maxima from behind.

Police say the driver of the other car ran out of his vehicle after the smash but was later taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The chase and shooting were both reportedly broadcast live by KTLA-TV.

The pursuit began in Cudahy and involved three separate police agencies - the LA County Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol and the LAPD.

LA police officer Rosario Herrera said: "It was in our jurisdiction and it just happened that the officers were in the area.

"We did go into tailing mode and then we went into pursuit."

Lt. Josh Barton of the LA County Sheriff's Department said the pursuit started at 9.30pm, when deputies attempted to pull the driver over on suspicion of drink driving and reckless driving.

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Belfast Bomb: Attackers 'Stoop To New Low'

A bomb attack in Belfast city centre is a "new low" for dissident republicans opposed to the peace process, the Northern Ireland Secretary has said.

Theresa Villiers described the blast in the bustling Cathedral Quarter as a "despicable attack that could have put lives at risk and injured many people".

"It's particularly callous to carry out this sort of attack at a time when people are starting their festive celebrations or maybe finishing their Christmas shopping," she told Sky News.

"An attack at this time of year is stooping to a new low."

The attack was described as 'an attempt to kill or injure innocent people'

Christmas partygoers were evacuated when the device exploded just before 7pm on Friday evening, although there were no reports of any injuries.

The bomb, which had been placed inside a holdall, consisted of explosives and flammable liquid, police said.

A warning call was made to a newspaper but the device was left about 150 metres away from the location named.

Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum, of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said: "This was an attack on the people of Belfast going about their normal lives on a busy night for socialising in the city.

The security threat level in Northern Ireland remains at severe

"Those who carried out this attack have nothing to offer except disruption and destruction."

Stormont's Justice Minister David Ford said the blast was an "attempt to kill or injure innocent people".

"The people carrying out these attacks have set out no reason and explained no cause for their acts of senseless violence," he said.

"Their only aim seems to be to injure and disrupt. They ignore the strength of public support for normality and peace, especially at this Christmas season."

Hundreds of people were evacuated. Pic: Mark Ashbridge

First Minister Peter Robinson said the bomb was "the work of a mindless minority who are intent on taking the heart out of the city", while his deputy, Martin McGuinness, said the attackers had shown "complete disregard for life".

Security measures have been ramped up in Belfast on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

The threat level remains at severe and police urged local residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious behaviour.

The blast comes less than three weeks after a bus driver was forced by masked dissidents to drive a car bomb to a shopping centre that faces a police station.

The 60kg (132lb) device only partially exploded and no-one was injured.

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China's Moon Rover 'Jade Rabbit' Lands Safely

An unmanned spacecraft carrying China's first lunar rover called "Jade Rabbit' has safely landed on the surface of the Moon, according to state television.

It is the first "soft landing" of a probe there for 37 years and China is only the third country to complete such a feat after the US and former Soviet Union.

Beijing has now taken a big step towards becoming a global player in space.

Scientists burst into applause as a computer-generated image representing the Chang'e 3 spacecraft carrying the solar-powered buggy was seen touching down on the Moon's surface via screens in Beijing.

The craft's camera broadcast images of the surface before it reportedly came down in the Sinus Iridum, or the Bay of Rainbows.

It had hovered for several minutes seeking an appropriate place to land.

Simulation of how the rover was expected to leave the spacecraft

A soft landing does not damage the craft and the equipment it takes.

In 2007, China put another lunar probe in orbit around the Moon, which then carried out a controlled crash on to its surface.

The rover is expected to separate from the lander and then carry out a three-month scientific exploration of the surface, in which it will look for natural resources.

The vehicle will be remotely controlled by Chinese control centres with support from tracking and transmission stations operated by the European Space Agency.

It was launched into space onboard a rocket on December 1 from southern China.

The name Jade Rabbit or "Yutu" was chosen in an online poll of 3.4 million voters indicating just how important this mission is to the Chinese public.

It is the next step in China's ambitious plans to land astronauts on the surface by around 2025.

The rocket carrying the rover blasted off on December 1

As well as space enthusiasts, many private space companies were expected to watch the landing closely.

Teams taking part in the Google Lunar XPRIZE are competing for $30m (£18m) to become the first private organisation to send pictures back from the Moon by 2015.

Alexandra Hall, director of Lunar XPRIZE, told Sky News: "The space community is a truly global endeavour and although there are politics involved, there are many engineers and scientists around the world feeling for those guys and girls in mission control in China right now.

"It is actually quite difficult to land successfully on another planetary body so I think there is definitely a sympathy with the tension that is probably quite high in that control room."

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Worker Dies In Fall At World Cup Stadium

A construction worker has died after falling from the Manaus stadium in Brazil which will host one of England's opening games.

Marcleudo de Melo Ferreira, 22, died in a hospital after falling nearly 35 meters (115 ft) after a cable broke.

The Brazilian firm building the Amazon stadium in Manaus said in a statement that Mr Ferreira worked for a company that had been contracted to build the arena's cover and an internal investigation of the incident would be conducted.

Preparations for the World Cup have also been plagued by delays, accidents and public anger over government waste that contributed to nationwide street protests last year.

Workers have already been killed at three of Brazil's 12 World Cup stadiums including Manaus and Brasilia. Most recently in Sao Paulo two people died in November after a crane collapsed in the arena due to host the opening game in June 2014.

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Mandela Funeral: Tutu 'Heartbroken At Snub'

Desmond Tutu is said to be "heartbroken" after he was apparently left off the guest list for the funeral of his close friend Nelson Mandela.

The 82-year-old retired archbishop said he received "no indication" he had been invited to the burial service.

He worked closely with the former South African president in his long struggle against apartheid and welcomed Mr Mandela into his home after his fellow campaigner's release from jail.

"Much as I would have loved to attend the service to say a final farewell to someone I loved and treasured, it would have been disrespectful to Tata to gatecrash what was billed as a private family funeral," he said.

Contradicting President Jacob Zuma's claim that he was "definitely" on the guest list, Mr Tutu added: "Had I or my office been informed that I would be be welcome, there is no way on Earth that I would have missed it."

The apparent exclusion of the Nobel Peace Prize winner has led to speculation he is being punished for vocal criticism of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

Don Mullan, who travelled from Ireland to South Africa as Mr Tutu's photographer, told Sky News the veteran campaigner is "grieving very, very much" and deserved to be at the event.

"The world needs Desmond Tutu to be here to say goodbye to his old friend," he said.

"This is about Madiba, it's about South Africa and it's about two very important peacemakers saying farewell to each other."

Mr Mullan, who said he will refuse to attend the service in protest against the apparent omission of Mr Tutu, said there was "great confusion" but also "great sadness" at his absence.

"Mr Tutu was the one who kept the flame of freedom alive when Mr Mandela and other campaigners were in prison or in exile," he said.

"He is the one Mr Mandela spent his first night of freedom with and the one he and Graca Machel asked to assist at their wedding."

Zelda la Grange, a former private secretary to Mr Mandela, said South Africa's first black president was "very fond" of the man he affectionately called "The Arch".

"Madiba really adored him," she said. "He respected him, he loved him - there was a very close relationship."

Mr Mandela will be buried in his childhood home of Qutu following South Africa's first state funeral.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Mthatha, as his body was driven towards its final resting place.

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Paul Walker: Vin Diesel's Tribute To 'Brother'

Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel has spoken on Facebook about a touching visit to Paul Walker's mother following the death of the 40-year-old actor.

Diesel revealed how he flew back to California when he heard Walker had died in the crash and "went directly from the plane to his (Walker's) mother's house".

"I thought they needed my strength, but realised when I got there and broke down before his family, that it was I who needed theirs," he wrote on Facebook.

"His mother hugged me and said 'I am so sorry' … I said: 'Sorry? You're the mother who lost a son?'... She said: 'Yes, but you lost your other half'."

Walker died of the 'combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries'

In the post, he paid tribute to Walker, saying: "I will always love you Brian (O'Conner, his character in the movie franchise), as the brother you were … on and off screen".

Walker, who starred in all but one of the Fast & Furious films, was killed when the Porsche he was a passenger in smashed into a lamp-post and a tree before bursting into flames last Saturday.

A coroner ruled that said he died from the "combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries".

Tributes have been left at the scene of the car crash

As a result of the tragedy, Universal Pictures has announced it is delaying filming of Fast & Furious 7.

Other Fast & Furious co-stars have also spoken of Walker's death.

Co-star Tyrese Gibson cried as he visited a memorial left at the scene of the crash, reportedly taking a piece of the wreckage in memory of his friend.

Ludacris, who has appeared in the film franchise, said on Twitter: "Your humble spirit was felt from the start. Wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark, we were like brothers."

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Newlywed 'Thrill-Killers' Met Victim On Web

A newly married couple stabbed a Pennsylvania man to death after contacting him on Craigslist because they wanted to kill someone together, police have said.

The body 42-year-old Troy LaFerrara was found with 20 stab wounds in an alley in Sunbury, a small city northwest of Philadelphia, after he had responded to an advert offering companionship in return for money.

Elytte Barbour, 22, and Miranda Barbour, 18 - who had been married just three weeks at the time of the killing - have both been charged over his death.

According to police, Elytte Barbour told investigators he hid in the backseat of the couple's SUV as his wife collected Mr LaFerrara from a shopping centre on November 11.

He told police that, on his wife's signal, he wrapped a cord around LaFerrara's neck, restraining him while Miranda Barbour stabbed him.

Miranda Barbour was charged on Wednesday after initially denying that she knew Mr LaFerrara

However, according to a police affidavit, her story changed after it was discovered that the last telephone call received by the victim was made from her number.

The affidavit said Miranda Barbour acknowledged meeting the victim in Selinsgrove and driving with him to Sunbury.

She said LaFerrara groped her and she took a knife from between the front seats and stabbed him after he put his hand around her throat, according to the affidavit.

Police said Miranda Barbour had told them she then bought cleaning supplies at a department store before picking up her husband and taking him to a strip club for his birthday.

But Elytte Barbour later said it was him who made the purchase and this was supported by CCTV footage.

Following his wife's arrest, Elytte Barbour told The Daily Item newspaper that his wife hired herself out as a "companion" to men she met on websites and that he supported this because it did not involve sexual contact.

He said his wife made between $50 and $850 for activities including having dinner or walking around a mall.

After he too was arrested, Elytte Barbour said the couple had planned to kill before but it had never worked out, police said.

"LaFerrara was just the one with whom it worked," he reportedly told police.

Sunbury police Chief Steve Mazzeo also  told The Daily Item that investigators will also be looking into the death of a man with whom Miranda Barbour had a one-year-old child.

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Glasgow Helicopter Crash Pilot's Funeral Held

By David Blevins, Sky News Correspondent

The funeral has taken place of the pilot killed when his helicopter crashed onto a Glasgow bar last weekend.

Captain David Traill was one of nine people who died when the aircraft crashed on to the roof of the city's Clutha bar on Friday last week.

He was a decorated war veteran, having served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, but had flown for a private company since his retirement from the RAF.

Friends, family and colleagues attended a service at Glasgow University, led by chaplain Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie.

Before the memorial, a guard of honour was formed, with police officers on one side and air ambulance pilots and paramedics on the other.

The funeral cortege was led by police outriders and was joined by a friend of Capt Traill who rode his Harley Davidson motorcycle to the service.

The service had been put together by Capt. Traill's fiancee, Lucy, a graduate from the university, and his father, Iain, who sobbed as he read a poem, You Can Shed Tears, to mourners.

The minister read out a tribute from Lucy whom Capt Traill met just over four years ago.

She said: "Dave was the best thing that ever happened to me …He was the most amazing, caring, loving, strong, capable, funny, creative, delicious and sexy boy in the whole world and I cannot even begin to imagine life without him."

The helicopter crashed on the Clutha bar a week ago

She added that some of his passions included cycling, Scotland's west coast, fine dining, kayaking, Take That, and "best of all" karaoke.

"It all seemed too perfect but there was no catch. He just adored me and told me every single day," she said.

Mr Traill Snr read the same poem by David Harkins at his younger son Angus' funeral three years ago.

A close friend from Mr Traill's time in the RAF read a tribute to "the greatest friend a man could hope for".

Andy Rooney said: "David, Dave, Davey, Swampy - he was different things to different people and he touched many lives.

"But there was a consistency to him that few could match and many could envy. The calm he offered, the warmth with which he was received."

He went on: "He was the greatest friend a man could hope for. A steady, loyal brother in arms.

"He wasn't perfect, that would be tedious. He was a helicopter pilot who didn't like heights.

"You could get him in a helicopter, but you couldn't get him up a set of ladders. He was a pilot who got air sick, to be fair this was mostly on fixed-wing planes."

The 51-year-old had played an active role in the lives of his three young nephews since they lost their father - his younger brother Angus - to throat cancer three years ago.

Capt Traill did not make a mayday call before the aircraft crashed onto the Clutha bar, killing him and two police passengers: Kristy Nelis, 36, and Tony Collins, 43.

Six other people, attending a live music event inside the pub, also died: Robert Jenkins, 61, Mark O'Prey, 44, Colin Gibson, 33, John McGarrigle, 57, Gary Arthur, 48, and Samuel McGhee, 56.

Around 100 people were inside the building when the Eurocopter dropped out of the sky "like a stone" last Friday night and 10 of the 32 injured remain in hospital.

There was no black box data recorder on the helicopter but air accident investigators are examining the wreckage in Farnborough, Hampshire, and are expected to publish their initial findings next week.

Bond Air Services described their popular colleague as "the epitome of the consummate professional" and "a legend" whose passing would be mourned with "a sense of intense loss and sorrow".

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Air Traffic Control Problem Delays UK Flights

Flights at airports across the UK - including Heathrow and Gatwick - have been delayed or cancelled by an air traffic control system problem.

Thousands of passengers have seen their flights delayed by a problem switching from night-time to daytime operating capacity at southern England's main air traffic control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire.

Airports in the south east of England - the world's busiest airspace - have been hardest hit, with the knock-on impact disrupting flights across the UK and further afield.

Passengers have complained about a lack of information as they spend hours stuck on planes, while budget airline Ryanair has called for the Civil Aviation Authority to step in to prevent further chaos.

The National Air Traffic Control Service (Nats), which coordinates air traffic control across the UK, has said the technical problem will not be fixed until around 6pm.

A spokeswoman at Heathrow, where 225 flights have been cancelled, said: "Due to a technical issue with air traffic control, flights from many UK airports, including Heathrow, are subject to delay and cancellation.

"If you are flying today you should check the status of your flight with your airline. We are sorry that passengers have experienced disruption to their journeys."

The cancelled flights were 109 arrivals and 116 departures.

The problems stem from a technical issue at NATS air traffic control

Gatwick Airport, which cancelled 14 flights in total, tweeted: "Due to air traffic control systems issues some flights may be delayed. Please check with your airline."

At Stansted, the majority of the airport's 360 arrivals and departures were affected by delays of between 10 minutes and four hours.

Four departures were cancelled. 

There were also reports of delays at  Manchester, Cardiff, Southampton, Luton, London City and flights to the south from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The issue has also affected flights UK-bound flights from Ireland and Europe.

British Airways said passengers on cancelled flights would be able to claim a full refund or be rebooked on alternative flights.

The airline said in a statement: "Given that Heathrow is the world's busiest two-runway airport and Gatwick is the world's busiest single-runway airport, there will be problems for all airlines as a result of the ATC failures."

A Ryanair spokesman said: "While we acknowledge problems can occur, where is the contingency? It's simply not good enough and the CAA needs to act now.

Passengers queue to rebook tickets at Heathrow's Terminal 5

"Over 100 Ryanair flights to and from the south of England have been affected, with 10 cancelled so far. We apologise to affected passengers, however these circumstances are entirely beyond our control."

Dublin Airport tweeted: "Technical issue with air traffic control in southern England is causing a delay to some flights to England & continental Europe this AM."

Nats apologised for the backlog, blaming an internal phone system issue, and said it had handled 20% fewer flights than usual by midday on Saturday.

Operations director Juliet Kennedy told Sky News: "We are able to manage the levels of traffic we would normally see overnight perfectly safely but we're unable to open additional control positions at the moment, which results in a reduction in our ability to deal with busier traffic levels."

She said the military had given up airspace to make it easier for Nats to operate some flights while the technical problem persists.

Daisy McAndrew said she had been caught in the "unholy mess" at Gatwick as she tried to fly to Barcelona for work.

She told Sky News: "As ever, staff have been fantastic but they know nothing other than the fact it is going to be a very, very long delay - very frustrating.

"And also, it's embarrassing, isn't it? When you look around a lot of people on my plane are not British, they are flying British Airways, they are probably trying to get back to Spain and they will inevitably be thinking this is something that could have possibly been prevented.

Cabin crew opened the doors on a grounded flight as passengers milled about

"It doesn't show our air traffic control system or our travel system in a good light.

"I have never heard of an example where every single plane is grounded - it's quite eerie when I look out of the window to see the tarmac in Gatwick, normally so busy, and also the sky above Gatwick which is normally busy - completely static, there's nothing moving."

Mrs McAndrew said the pilot on her flight suggested the delays would cause problems at Heathrow for two or three days.

Alwynne Gwilt, stuck at Stansted, told Sky: "We've just been stuck on the tarmac since we boarded the plane - at that point I don't think they realised quite the extent of the issue.

"Once we were settled in they told us there might be a delay of two hours and 45 minutes but we've had no updates since then.

"I understand that safety comes first. Unfortunately you want to make the most of it when you go away for a short getaway, but at the moment we're only seeing the yellow and blue of the Ryanair planes.

"You have to question why we had to get on the plane if they had known a little bit ahead of time. Now we're stuck with no tea, coffee, all those things you would be able to get if you were in an airport."

Take That singer Howard Donald was also caught up in the chaos.

He wrote on Twitter: "Control tower failure at Heathrow as left me stranded for 2-3 hours at dusseldorf. Anyone know any games besides eye spy?"

Radar engineer Dan Holland told Sky News the air traffic computer system runs at around 15% capacity during the night when there are fewer flights and then switches to near 100% during the day.

The arrivals board at Gatwick Airport, which has been affected

He said: "It seems that when they have made the switch something hasn't gone right and the data isn't being optimised enough for the safety of the passengers and the planes in UK airspace."

Sky News reporter Clare Fallon said problems at Swanwick had caused a similar backlog last summer.

She said: "There were several airports, mostly in the south of England, including Heathrow, and it took several hours then for them to actually deal with that problem."

Aviation analyst Chris Yates said passengers due to arrive at UK airports from overseas could find themselves diverted elsewhere.

He said: "There are contingency plans in place whenever this happens.

"Many of the long-haul flights, coming from China, India, the US and so on, passengers sitting on those planes may find themselves diverted to continental airports.

"But it's going to be a long wait for them. When the system kicks back in and starts working, there will be a backlog of flights.

Travel journalist Simon Calder said the technical glitch was a "disaster".

He told Sky News: "The south-east of England is the busiest airspace in the world. London handles far more passengers than anywhere else including Paris, New York, Tokyo and so on.

He explained that the lack of spare capacity at airports like Heathrow means things get "very messy, very quickly" and airlines are forced to cancel flights to create firebreaks, which allow the system to keep running.

He said there was "no way" that passenger safety would be compromised due to the ongoing problems but that airlines were facing losses of millions of pounds.

He added: "If you are flying today, then good luck, if you're only delayed you're in a pretty good place."

:: Are you stranded? Email us: news@sky.com.

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