Lostprophets Singer In Court On Abuse Charges

Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has appeared in court to face allegations of plotting to rape a baby.

The 35-year-old, whose band has sold more than 3.5m records worldwide, was arrested with two women earlier this month.

As well as being charged with conspiring to rape a child under the age of 13, Watkins faces five other sex abuse charges.

They include conspiring to engage in sexual activity with two young children as well as making, downloading and distributing child pornography and accessing "extreme pornography" relating to animals.

During a previous hearing at Cardiff Magistrates Court, Watkins' legal team said the Last Summer singer would be denying the charges against him.

He was remanded in custody over the Christmas period with two other women – who face similar child sex charges.

The pair, aged 20 and 24 from Doncaster and Bedford respectively, cannot be named for legal reasons.

Watkins and his co-defendants appeared in Cardiff Crown Court via video-link.

All three only spoke to confirm their names at the preliminary hearing, a formality in the legal process, which lasted less than 10 minutes.

Among those looking on from the public gallery was his mother Elaine.

Watkins was refused bail and remanded in custody with a plea and case management hearing scheduled at Cardiff Crown Court for March 11.

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Kim Kardashian Pregnant! Kanye's Big News

Reality television star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West are expecting their first child, it has been revealed.

The performer announced the news that his girlfriend is pregnant at his concert on Sunday night.

He told the crowd of more than 5,000 fans at the Ovation Hall at the Revel Resort in Atlantic City by singing: "Now you having my baby."

West also told concertgoers to congratulate his "baby momma" and that this was the "most amazing thing".

Kardashian's family have also been talking on Twitter about the news.

Her sister Kourtney Kardashian tweeted: "Been wanting to shout from the rooftops with joy and now I can! Another angel to welcome to our family. Overwhelmed with excitement!"

While her other sister Khloe wrote: "I'm excited for Kanye and my sister! There's nothing like bringing life into this world! Let's keep Gods blessings coming!"

Messages of congratulations also came from Kardashian's younger sisters Kendall and Kyle Jenner, who tweeted: "Whos excited about the KIMYE babbyyy?!", and "Congrats to this beautiful couple. I love you guys."

Her mother Kris Jenner also tweeted, writing: "Oh BABY BABY BABY!!"

Kim and her family star in the television reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, as well as a number of spin off series.

Representatives for the couple have not yet issued a statement about the pregnancy.

The rapper and reality TV star went public with their relationship in March.

Kardashian married NBA player Kris Humphries in August 2011, but separated just two months after their lavish wedding.

It was aired on US television channel E! as a two-part special with magazines paying for exclusive pictures.

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Novak Djokovic: Star Hurt Signing Autographs

The world's top tennis player Novak Djokovic suffered a bizarre injury scare as he was signing autographs for fans at a tournament in Australia.

The star hurt his leg after a board surrounding the court collapsed as a group of supporters, including children, pushed towards him.

The Serbian left his racquets and bag on the court and limped along the players' tunnel to get a medical assessment in the locker room.

Djokovic was unable to complete a television interview he had agreed to after his victory over Italian Andreas Seppi in the Hopman Cup.

However he later recovered to take part in a doubles match which was won by Italy 7-6, 6-4.

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Hillary Clinton In Hospital With Blood Clot

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been admitted to hospital after the discovery of a blood clot stemming from an accident earlier this month.

Mrs Clinton, 65, initially fell ill with a stomach bug that led to her fainting and sustaining a concussion. Officials had insisted she was recovering.

But her spokesman Philippe Reines said in a statement: "In the course of a follow-up exam today (Sunday), Secretary Clinton's doctors discovered a blood clot had formed, stemming from the concussion she sustained several weeks ago.

The New York Presbyterian Hospital

"She is being treated with anti-coagulants and is at New York Presbyterian Hospital so that they can monitor the medication over the next 48 hours.

"Her doctors will continue to assess her condition, including other issues associated with her concussion. They will determine if any further action is required."

Mrs Clinton has been off work since her return from her last foreign trip on December 7, although her staff have said she was working from home.

Her lengthy absence from public life had sparked claims from critics that she is trying to avoid testifying in a congressional investigation into a deadly attack on a US mission in Libya.

Earlier this month, the State Department said Mrs Clinton had contracted a bad stomach virus during her five-day stay in Europe. She had to cancel a planned trip to North Africa and Abu Dhabi due to the illness.

A week later, Mrs Clinton's doctors said she had become severely dehydrated due to the effects of the stomach bug and had fainted, suffering a concussion.

They recommended she rest at home and avoid the high-intensity travel she had been accustomed to taking as secretary of state.

Mrs Clinton has flown almost a million miles since taking office four years ago, visited 112 countries and spent some 400 days in a plane.

Mr Obama (L) announcing Mr Kerry's (R) nomination as secretary of state

Her health kept her from giving evidence on December 20 about the attack on the US diplomatic post in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on September 11.

The assault, in which the US ambassador and three other American officials were killed, sparked a political firestorm in the United States, and Republicans criticised Mrs Clinton's absence from the hearings, calling on her to testify in January.

Mrs Clinton, who is due to step down from her post in early 2013, also stayed away from the White House last week when President Barack Obama nominated her replacement, veteran Senator John Kerry.

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Northern Ireland Bomb: Family's Lucky Escape

A policeman in Northern Ireland targeted by a car bomb was taking his family for Sunday lunch when he found the device, it has emerged.

Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton revealed that the officer was going out with his wife and two young children when he checked his car as a matter of routine.

He found the bomb - believed to have been planted by dissident republicans - underneath his vehicle outside his home in Belfast.

The property is close to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) headquarters at Knock and the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont.

"If that officer had not checked his car, we would have been looking at a murder or multiple murders," Mr Hamilton told a news conference as he appealed for witnesses to come forward.

Army robot used to examine the device

"We believe the consequences of this would have been absolutely devastating for the officer, his family, for the police family and for the communities across Northern Ireland.

"For some reason, those people who are anti-peace, who are still hanging on to the past, who aren't prepared to move forward, have tried to murder this officer and his family.

"We consider that completely repugnant. It's inhumane. By any standards in any society, this is wrong and we utterly condemn this attack."

He warned that there was a severe threat level across Northern Ireland and appealed to officers to be vigilant and check under their cars.

It is hoped that the bomb will be useful as evidence because it was discovered and did not engage.

Justice minister David Ford said: "It is ironic that this latest attack was carried out so close to Stormont, where those who are democratically elected seek to move matters forward through debate.

The bomb was planted on Upper Newtownards Road

"The people responsible for this and other recent attacks have no mandate and speak for no one. They need to recognise the futility of their campaign and respect the wishes of the vast majority of our community who want an end to all violent acts."

A second device was found close to a police station in County Armagh on Monday, prompting residents to be evacuated.

The bomb in Tandragee was declared "viable" after it was examined by army technical officers but it was made safe without anyone getting hurt.

Dissidents have repeatedly targeted security force members in recent years.

Over the last five years there have been 115 arrests and 35 charges and 64 officers have had to leave their homes, a police spokesman said.

In November, long-serving prison officer David Black, 52, was shot dead in a motorway ambush in Co Armagh as he drove to work.

A group styling itself the "new IRA" claimed that attack. The faction was formed in the summer when a number of splinter groups joined forces.

In April 2011 newly qualified police officer Ronan Kerr, 25, died when a dissident booby trap car bomb exploded under his vehicle at his home in Omagh.

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Iraq Violence: '22 People Killed' In Blasts

A series of bombings across Iraq has killed at least 22 people, including three policemen, officials said.

Around 50 people are also believed to have been injured in the violence, which struck the northern ethnically-mixed provinces of Kirkuk and Diyala and south of Baghdad in Babil province.

The attacks targeted government officials, security forces and Shi'ite Muslims in the lead-up to major commemoration ceremonies.

No one has yet claimed responsibility.

Tensions between Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni factions in Iraq's power-sharing government have been on the rise this year.

Militants continue to strike almost daily, and carry out at least one big attack a month.

The latest violence followed more than a week of protests against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki by thousands of people from the country's minority Sunni community.

Seven people from the same Sunni family were killed by a bomb planted near their home in the town of Mussayab, south of Baghdad.

And in the Shi'ite majority city of Hilla, also in the south, a parked car bomb went off near the convoy of the governor of Babil province, missing him but killing two other people, police said.

"We heard the sound of a big explosion and the windows of our office shattered. We immediately lay on the ground," said Mohammed Ahmed, 28, who works at a hospital near the site of the explosion.

"After a few minutes I stood up and went to the windows to see what happened. I saw flames and people lying on the ground."

Although the levels of violence have dropped since 2006 and 2007, about 2,000 people have been killed in Iraq this year following the withdrawal of troops last December, who led an invasion in 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

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Facebook New Year Message Flaw Found

Facebook has disabled a New Year messaging feature after a student uncovered a flaw which let him read strangers' private messages.

The New Year's Midnight Delivery feature was set up on Facebook Stories so users could write messages to friends which would automatically be sent after midnight.

But Aberystwyth University student Jack Jenkins discovered that by tweaking the Url after sending a message, he could read and even delete other users' messages.

He blogged about the error, writing: "I just wanted to share this. I don't know how a site like Facebook can continue to take these kinds of risks.

"PLEASE Don't go deleting random messages, but try and delete one of mine that I set up especially if you want."

Facebook promptly disabled the feature upon discovering the issue.

A spokesman confirmed the site was back up and running again, having been taken offline while staff dealt with the issue.

Facebook Stories is a separate site from the main Facebook site, and does not affect messaging on Facebook itself.

The error comes after a picture posted by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's sister Randi led to her claiming her privacy had been breached.

A marketing director tweeted the private family photograph that Ms Zuckerberg had shared on her personal Facebook page.

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Hong Kong And Shanghai Latest To See In 2013

Celebrations marking the New Year are continuing on a grand scale with Hong Kong and Shanghai the latest to welcome 2013.

This year's 12.5 million Hong Kong dollar (£0.99m) fireworks display is said to be the biggest ever in the southern Chinese city, with police expecting as many as 100,000 people to watch.

Meanwhile, North Korea has welcomed 2013 with reportedly the first ever New Year's fireworks display the country has held as Tokyo reverberated to the sound of the city's Watch-Night Bell.

The bells are struck 108 times at temples all over Japan to symbolise the beginning of a prosperous new year.

The simultaneous celebrations follow one of the most impressive New Year fireworks displays which took place in Sydney, Australia, as it became the second major city to welcome 2013.

Shanghai ushers in the new year

Some 1.5 million people are estimated to have turned out to watch the event centred on the Sydney Harbour Bridge with more than 100,000 firework patterns, costing 6.5m Australian dollars (£4.2m).

The countdown to 2013 began with a spectacular fireworks display in Auckland, New Zealand.

Crowds packed the city centre to watch the annual event at the city's Sky Tower, ensuring the new year was seen in with a bang.

There had been concerns that poor weather might hinder the pyrotechnic display but conditions held up and revellers were treated to a dazzling display of lights.

In London, the night sky is set to be illuminated with pyrotechnics to round-off a momentous year in the capital city.

North Korea put on a pyrotechnic display in Pyongyang

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who has organised the event, said: "Our New Year's Eve fireworks will cap a triumphant year for London.

"As we welcomed the world to the magnificent celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the glorious success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, London was at its very best.

"From the thrilling sporting action to the breathtaking cultural celebrations, it has been an unforgettable year and I am immensely proud of the contribution that our Ambassadors made to that success.

"As we go into 2013 with a spectacular fireworks display I hope we can build on that energy and enthusiasm to make ours the best big city in the world."

Up to 250,000 people are expected to crowd on to the banks of the Thames to watch the display, with millions more seeing it on television.

Following their hard work during the London 2012 Games, more than 150 of the mayor's 'Team London Ambassadors' will volunteer at the event to help ensure it is a success.

Auckland began the countdown to 2013

They will be giving out maps, helping direct people to the viewing areas, and providing guidance and advice on getting home safely.

Scots rockers Simple Minds will be headlining the Hogmanay concert and street party in Edinburgh.

The View, Bwani Junction, Reverend and the Makers and The OK Social Club will also be playing to an anticipated crowd of 80,000, and fireworks will be set off to mark the start of 2013.

Celebrations got under way in the city last night with a torchlight procession. A record crowd estimated at 35,000, including 7,000 torch carriers, were led by the massed pipes and drums and the Up Helly Aa' Vikings from Shetland.

The procession made its way through the city streets to the burning of the effigy of a Viking boat and a spectacular Son et Lumiere display on Calton Hill.

The central Pacific Ocean island of Kiritimati (Christmas Island) and the eastern-most island in the island nation of Kiribati were the first to usher in the new year at 1000 GMT.

American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the US in the southern Pacific Ocean, will be the last place on Earth to herald in the new year on Tuesday at 1100 GMT.

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No Deal As US Nears Fiscal Cliff Deadline

Investors are reacting nervously as the clock ticks down to the New Year deadline for a deal to prevent the US falling over the so-called 'fiscal cliff'.

A series of costly tax rises and spending cuts worth more than $500bn will come into force as 2013 begins in America, unless Congress and the White House can agree compromise measures to stop them being implemented.

The 'fiscal cliff', as it came to be known, was designed to help tackle the country's huge debt pile in the event squabbling politicians could not do a deal beforehand to ease the burden.

The fiscal cliff worries investors as economists fear the pain of implementing the measures will tip the US back into recession and therefore hit world demand and growth prospects.

In London, the FTSE 100 lost 0.5% of its value to close at 5897 in what was a shortened trading day because of the New Year holiday.

The CAC 40 in France bucked the trend as legal opposition to the country's controversial plan to tax the rich at 75%, helped add value.

While Germany's DAX is closed, the Dow Jones will be open for business on Wall Street later as Democrats and Republicans begin their final push for a deal to avert the fiscal cliff.

Dow Futures currently point to a higher opening after five days of falls despite a deal palatable to both sides remaining elusive.

US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he has made a counter-offer to a Republican proposal put forward on Saturday but later admitted "serious differences" remain.

The two sides have reportedly moved closer on tax increases while Republicans have indicated they could withdraw a contentious proposal to slow the growth of social security retirement benefits.

Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid still heading in different directions

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he had asked Vice President Joe Biden to become involved in a last-minute effort to reach an agreement.

He added that there was no single issue blocking an agreement but that "the sticking point appears to be a willingness, an interest, or courage to close the deal."

"I'm willing to get this done, but I need a dance partner," Mr McConnell said.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives now have little time to debate and then pass a deal that has eluded the White House and Congress for weeks.

President Obama, who called congressional leaders to the White House on Friday, addressed the crisis once more as he appeared on NBC's Sunday morning talk show Meet the Press.

The President said Republicans were unwilling to see tax rates raised for the richest taxpayers.

"They say that their biggest priority is making sure that we deal with the deficit in a serious way," Mr Obama said.

"But the way they're behaving is that their only priority is making sure that tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans are protected.

"That seems to be their only overriding, unifying theme," he added.

If a compromise can be found, the two parties will then decide whether to put it to the vote on New Year's Eve in the Senate and then the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

President Obama has pressed lawmakers to clinch a deal, even if they must reach a compromise that lacks the significant deficit-reduction measures both sides had sought.

"I was modestly optimistic yesterday, but we don't yet see an agreement," the President told NBC in the interview recorded on Saturday. "And now the pressure's on Congress to produce."

At least one senior Republican said he was optimistic of a deal, and a "political victory" for Mr Obama.

Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News that the odds are "exceedingly good" a deal can be done.

"I don't think people want to go over the cliff," he said.

The US is facing the fiscal cliff because tax rate cuts dating back to George W Bush's presidency expire at the end of the year.

Mr Obama originally insisted on letting the tax cuts expire on households earning more than $250k (£154k) but later upped that threshold to $400k (£246k).

The pending reductions in spending, which will hit everything from social programmes to the military, were put in place last year as an incentive to both parties to find ways to cut America's soaring deficit.

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Fears For Woman Missing From North Sea Ferry

Police say they fear for the safety of a woman who went missing from a North Sea ferry.

Teresa Cowley, from Mickleover, Derby, was last seen heading towards the deck of the Pride of Rotterdam ferry in the early hours of Friday.

The 43-year-old's disappearance is being investigated by Harbour Police in the Dutch port of Rotterdam, who are liaising with Derbyshire police.

In a statement, Derbyshire Constabulary appealed for anyone with information about Mrs Cowley's whereabouts to come forward.

Mrs Cowley, who had no money with her when she went missing, boarded the ferry with her husband at about 8.30pm on Thursday in Hull.

After visiting a bar, the couple returned to their cabin but the door key did not work and Mr Cowley went to a reception area to resolve the problem, leaving his wife sitting outside the cabin.

The police statement said: "CCTV and witness accounts show Mrs Cowley go alone to a sun lounge on the ship shortly after 1am on Friday.

"Searches of the ship failed to locate Mrs Cowley, who has since been reported missing."

Mrs Cowley is described as white, of medium build, around 5ft 4ins. She has black bobbed hair with red highlights.

She was last seen wearing a grey jumper, black leggings and black boots and has several distinctive tattoos, including the words "Mrs Cowley" written on her forearm.

She also has a tattoo of a black panther on one of her ankles, and a large tattoo on the right side of her body made up of a dozen roses joined together.

Although detectives from Dutch Harbour Police are currently investigating the disappearance, it is not thought that anyone else is involved or any criminal offence has taken place.

Anyone with information is asked to call Derbyshire police on 101 and ask to speak to Peartree CID.

Mr Cowley, who is now believed to have returned to the UK, is said to be too upset to speak to the media about his wife's disappearance.

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Madejski Stadium: Woman Found Dead After Party

A young woman found dead after a Christmas party at a Premier League football ground died from head injuries consistent with a fall from height, police have said.

The 22-year-old was found at the bottom of a fire escape stairwell in the early hours of Saturday morning at Reading's Madejski Stadium.

She was discovered at 12.50am in the Millennium Madejski Hotel, which forms part of the football ground.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. Next of kin have been informed, but she has not been formally identified.

Detective Inspector Phil O'Neil of Thames Valley Police said: "The woman had been attending a Christmas party at the time of the incident.

"We are treating her death as unexplained and there are a number of inquiries taking place to establish the full circumstances of what happened."

"Inquiries such as this can take some time but we are keeping the woman's family fully informed of our progress."

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said a post-mortem examination by a Home Office pathologist was carried out last night.

Anyone with information is asked to call the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Protests: Indian PM Urges Calm Over Gang-Rape

The Indian Prime Minister has appealed for calm and vowed to protect women as police struggle to quell outrage over sex crimes following the gang-rape of a student.

As authorities shut down roads in the heart of India's capital, Manmohan Singh said he understood the public anger at the "monstrous crime" but added that "violence will serve no purpose".

"There is genuine and justified anger and anguish at this ghastly incident," he said in a televised address.

"I feel deeply sad at the turn of events leading to clashes between protesters and police forces. I assure you that we will make all possible efforts to ensure security and safety to all women in this country.

"As a father of three daughters myself, I feel as strongly as you. We will ensure justice is delivered," he added.

His pleas for calm were echoed by the victim's father.

"Please pray for my daughter and do not resort to any violent activity. She needs your support and your prayers," the father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the Hindi-language News 24 network.

"My daughter is fighting for her life, but she is very strong and has a strong will to live."

Protests have been taking place across India over the last week to denounce the police and government over the gang-rape of the 23-year-old student in the capital and the surge of violence against women.

Official figures show that 228,650 of the total 256,329 violent crimes recorded last year were against women, with the number of rapes in the capital rising 17 per cent to 661 this year.

The biggest protests were in New Delhi on Saturday, prompting police to cordon off areas around government buildings.

However, fresh clashes erupted on Sunday and police said more than 100 people were injured including 60 policemen.

The clampdown was further tightened on Monday, with commuters having to make lengthy detours to get to work.

Thousands of armed police and paramilitary troops blocked roads in central New Delhi to prevent protesters from marching to the presidential palace. 

A small group of demonstrators gathered at a venue less than a mile away from India's parliament to press the government to ensure the security of women in the city.

The city ground to a halt as commuters found themselves caught in massive traffic jams after most roads in central Delhi were barricaded by police.

A television journalist was shot dead in the Indian town of Imphal on Sunday by police trying to control a protest over the attempted rape of an actress whose attacker remains at large.

Five police have been suspended over the shooting, the Press Trust of India reported.

Police have said some of the Delhi protesters have been intent on causing trouble and the demonstrations have been "hijacked by hooligans".

While many of the protesters have been women carrying placards, the crowds have drawn increasing numbers of young men who have been hurling stones at security forces.

The government has been on the defensive not only over the levels of crimes against women but also over the notoriously slow criminal legal system.

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Paul Daniels Reveals He 'Kissed Schoolgirl'

Veteran TV magician Paul Daniels has revealed his shock after discovering a girl he picked up as a hitch-hiker more than 40 years ago and began kissing was a schoolgirl.

The 74-year-old entertainer, writing in his blog The Life and Times of Paul Daniels, said he gave the girl a lift after spotting her as he drove home from a late-night show on a country lane, The Sun newspaper reported.

He wrote: "I kissed her goodnight and it got a bit more passionate.

"Thank God it didn't get too passionate because something she said sent a shiver down my spine - she said she was still at school.

"I had her out of the car as fast as I could and I drove off with the lights off so she couldn't see my number plate! I felt sick."

In his blog, Daniels said the encounter occurred when he was 30. The blog has since been taken down.

The Sun reported that the magician described showbusiness in the 1970s as plagued by teenage "groupies" and added it was difficult to know their age.

He added: "The super-short mini-skirts, the teetering high heels, the full slap made it, as I say, impossible.

"Did I have such a life? Yes. I would be lying if I said I didn't. Were they all over 16? OMG I hope so. Can I remember them? No."

The father-of-three, married to former assistant Debbie McGee, 54, added that performers and pop stars were surrounded by female fans in the 1970s.

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Piers Morgan: Thousands Want Him Deported

Thousands of Americans have signed a petition calling for British CNN host Piers Morgan to be deported over his criticism of the country's gun laws.

By noon on Christmas Eve, the petition - which is posted on the White House website - had garnered more than 31,000 signatures, surpassing the 25,000 required to get a response from the US government.

Mr Morgan tweeted about the petition: "If I do get deported from America for wanting fewer gun murders, are there any other countries that will have me?"

The outspoken former Daily Mirror editor has called for tighter gun control measures in the wake of the December 14 massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Morgan hit out following the Sandy Hook school shooting

On Tuesday, he interviewed Gun Owners of America executive director Larry Pratt, and appeared incredulous when Mr Pratt suggested more weapons were a credible solution.

"You're an unbelievably stupid man, aren't you?" Morgan asked during the heated debate.

"You have absolutely no coherent argument. You don't actually give a damn about the gun murder rate in America."

Following the interview, a Texas journalist posted a petition on the White House website alleging Morgan "is engaged in a hostile attack against the US Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment".

"We demand that Mr Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens," the petition says.

Many Americans follow a literal interpretation of the Second Amendment, which enshrines the "right to bear arms" in the US Constitution.

Mr Morgan insists America can outlaw military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines without infringing on people's constitutional rights, and says he has no quarrel with the Second Amendment.

A defiant Mr Morgan refused to back down from his position.

"Ironic US gun rights campaign to deport me for 'attacking Second Amendment rights' - is my opinion not protected under 1st Amendment rights?" he posted earlier on his Twitter feed, referring to freedom of speech provisions.

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China: 11 Children Killed In Minivan Crash

A van carrying 15 children has crashed into a roadside pond in a rural area of eastern China, killing 11.

Three children died at the scene of the accident in Guixi city, in Jiangxi province, and another eight died later in hospital, said an official from the propaganda office of the city's Communist Party committee.

Four children survived, the official added.

The accident is the latest in a string of deadly crashes in China involving school children.

Police detained the driver for questioning and were investigating the cause of the accident, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Photos on the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post's website showed a silver minivan partially submerged in a grassy pond, with one of its three windows on the right side broken.

The minivan belonged to Chunlei kindergarten, which does not have a government license to operate, according to an article on the website of state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).

The van taking the children to school was travelling too fast and swerved to avoid a vehicle parked on the side of the road, ending up in the pond, CCTV said.

Photos on its website showed pairs of tiny shoes and brightly coloured school bags lined up on the ground near the scene and an injured child being treated.

Overcrowding on school buses is common in rural China, where the education system is short of funds and children are forced to travel far to get an education because of school closures.

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Edinburgh Car Crash Leaves Three Men Dead

Three men have died and three other people were injured in a car crash near Edinburgh.

Witnesses to the crash are being asked to contact police

The accident happened about 1.5 miles south of Pathhead, Midlothian, at around 7.30am.

A gold-coloured Nissan Note carrying five people was in collision with a silver Skoda Octavia and ended up on its roof, Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue said.

The accident happened on the A68

The female driver of the Nissan managed to get out before emergency services arrived and fire crews cut one man free. Three male passengers sitting in the back of the Nissan died at the scene.

The man cut free from the overturned car was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary along with the female driver and the male driver of the Skoda.

Three people with injuries were taken to hospital after the accident

Their injuries are not life-threatening. The A68 is closed while officers investigate the crash.

Inspector Simon Bradshaw said: "This is a tragic incident and we are currently in the process of carrying out inquiries in order to establish the full circumstances of the collision.

Rescue workers cut one man free from the vehicle

"At this time I am appealing to anyone who noticed the gold-coloured Nissan Note or the silver Skoda Octavia on the A68 this morning to get in touch."

Anyone with information about the accident was asked to contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0800 555111.

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Navy Seal Commander Dies In Afghan 'Suicide'

US military officials have launched an investigation after the apparent suicide of a Navy Seal commander in Afghanistan.

Commander Job W Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, died on Saturday from a non combat-related injury while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

An official said the death "appears to be the result of suicide".

Captain Robert Smith, Commander of Naval Special Warfare Group Two, said: "The Naval Special Warfare family is deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate.

"We extend our condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, and NSW community during this time of grieving.

"As we mourn the loss and honour the memory of our fallen teammate, those he served with will continue to carry out the mission."

Commander Price was a member of Seal Team Four, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The team is part of the mission to train Afghan local police to hold off the Taliban in remote parts of Afghanistan.

He is survived by a wife and daughter.

Seal Team Four centres its operations on Latin America.

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Weather: Rain Hits Roads And Rail Amid Floods

Flood victims are facing a festive washout as people hoping to get home to friends and family for Christmas are warned rain could prompt travel misery.

Persistent downpours across large parts of the UK caused widespread flooding over the weekend, with a number of routes still affected.

Southwest England, Wales and northeast Scotland have been worst affected, although the Midlands is also on high alert.

Almost 400 flood warnings have been issued by the Environment Agency - which said up to 30mm of rain was expected to fall between midnight and noon - contributing further to the possibility of flooding.

Sky News Weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "We're really looking at unsettled weather for the rest of the year.

"Rain this morning will move north-eastwards across southern and central England, Wales, the Midlands and up to Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

"It should clear off into the North Sea just after midday but this rain will add further to the flooding problems in the west as it falls on already saturated ground."

CrossCountry, East Midlands Trains, First Great Western and First TransPennine Express are all experiencing major delays, according to National Rail.

Flooding in Stonehaven

In the South West there were no trains running between Bristol Parkway and Swindon because of flooding, while services between London Paddington and Swansea were diverted.

Trains will not run between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway until Friday at the earliest, with replacement buses and diverted routes offering passengers some alternatives.

But First Great Western warned that poor road conditions mean that buses will not be able to travel on many routes.

London Midland is also facing disruption on most of its routes today - this time because of a shortage of train crew - while flooding means services between Derby and Nottingham are suspended.

Network Rail (NR) on Sunday said it was working closely with the Environment Agency and its weather service to try and keep things moving where possible.

Environment Minister Richard Benyon praised the response to the floods but said there was always room for improvement.

"I'm really impressed with the way the emergency services, the Environment Agency, the local authorities are working together, and humbled by the incredible community spirit in places like Broughton," he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.

"But we all have to realise that whatever we spend and whatever we do, there are 5.2 million homes in this country that are at some sort of flood risk.

"There are going to be houses flooded in the future, we have just got to be better at warning people, we have got to be smarter at how we build defences (and) what defences we build.

"Government is doing a lot better, we have always got to learn from every single flood and realise it's the most miserable experience for people to have their homes flooded, and it's very damaging to the economy as well."

Meanwhile, numerous roads were flooded, many of them in areas which were under water only a few weeks ago.

Worcestershire was one of the worst-hit counties, with roads also closed due to floods in Worcester, Bromsgrove and Evesham.

It comes as a clean-up continues in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, after flooding forced dozens of people out of their homes and a rest centre set up at Mackie Academy to keep the victims safe and warm.

Devon and Cornwall were also among the worst-hit regions, with RNLI flood rescue teams across the area.

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Nelson Mandela To Spend Christmas In Hospital

Nelson Mandela continues to respond to treatment more than two weeks after being taken to hospital and will remain there for Christmas Day, the South African government said.

The 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero and Nobel Peace laureate has been treated for a lung infection and gallstones after being admitted to a Pretoria hospital on December 8.

South African President Jacob Zuma said in a statement that Mr Mandela "will recover from this episode with all our support".

"Knowledge of the love and support of his people keeps him strong," he said.

It will be the first Christmas that Mr Mandela has spent away from home since 1989, when he was still in prison. 

He was jailed for almost three decades for his role in the struggle against white minority rule.

In January 2011, Mr Mandela was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for what officials initially described as tests but turned out to be an acute respiratory infection.

Only limited details of his condition have been made public by the South African government, which has repeatedly called on the public to respect the former president's privacy.

Mr Mandela, often known by his clan name Madiba in South Africa, was released from prison in 1990.

He went on to use his unparalleled prestige to push for reconciliation between black and white people as the bedrock of the post-apartheid "Rainbow Nation".

Mr Mandela was elected South Africa's first black president in 1994.

He stepped down five years later after one term in office and has been largely removed from public life for the last decade.

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Firefighters Killed While Battling NY Blaze

At least four volunteer firefighters have been shot, two of them killed, while responding to a house fire in the state of New York, authorities said.

Officials in the town of Webster, around 340 miles (550 km) northwest of New York City, said "one or more shooters" opened fire as the firefighters arrived at blaze around 6am on Monday, sparking a shootout with police.

Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn said the first police officer who arrived on the scene exchanged gunfire with the shooter, but there were no active shooters at the scene at 10am,

He had no further information about the shootout.

Webster fire marshal Rob Boutillier said it was not clear whether any additional firefighters were shot.

The fire gave off thick smoke

The fire spread to a total of three homes near the Lake Ontario shore, and all were still burning.

A man answering the phone at the fire station said firefighters are unable to battle the blazes until police secure the area.

The neighbourhood's residents were being evacuated and searched by police, and a SWAT team was on the scene.

Firefighters at the scene

Webster, a middle-class, lakeside suburb, has now become the scene of violence linked to house fires for two Decembers in a row.

Last December 7, authorities say a 15-year-old boy doused his home with gasoline and set it ablaze, killing his father and two brothers, ages 16 and 12.

His mother and 13-year-old sister escaped with injuries. He is being prosecuted as an adult.

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Newtown Shooting: Young Survivor Recalls Horror

By Tom Parmenter and Brian Donathan, Sky News

An eight-year-old consoled his classmates as Adam Lanza went on his shooting rampage, reassuring them his policeman dad was on the way to save them.

Luke Santana, a third grader at Sandy Hook Elementary School, said he was ushered into an adjacent classroom by teachers as the gunman began his killing spree.

He told Sky News: "It was awkward because everyone was piling up on each other, and I was saying, 'Don't worry ... stop crying. My dad is a police officer, he's going to help'."

Luke said his father was physically sick after facing the traumatic task of dealing with the aftermath of the massacre of 20 children and six adults at the school.

Luke's mother Lisandra Santana said her husband heard the call go out on the radio and rushed to the scene both as a father and a first responder.

"He wasn't sure if his son was alive," she said.

The Santanas did not have to confront the nightmare that has been thrust upon the parents of 20 murdered children in Newtown, Connecticut.

"I was really happy to know that he was OK," said Mrs Santana as she stood next to her son near a makeshift memorial not far from the school. "I just ran in there and hugged him and started kissing him."

"I just pray for those who didn't make it," she added.

Luke's father, also named Luke, agreed to allow his son to speak to Sky News, but declined to comment himself.

With his mother looking on, the younger Luke expressed his condolences for the families who lost loved ones, including a classmate whose little sister was killed and his former first grade teacher Victoria Soto.

Ms Soto has been praised for saving students by hiding them in a closet before Lanza entered her classroom.

"She shielded her students," Luke said.

Mrs Santana acknowledged her son's bravery as well.

"He's gone through a lot, but I'm so proud of him," she said.

"I'm glad he was brave and that he was able to talk to his classmates and tell them everything was going to be OK."

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Amy Winehouse Inquest To Be Reheard

The inquest into the death of Amy Winehouse will be reheard after it emerged the original coroner was not eligible to deal with it.

Deputy Assistant Coroner Suzanne Greenaway recorded a verdict of misadventure after the Back To Black star was found dead at her north London home last year, aged 27.

It has now emerged that she was not qualified to oversee the inquest.

Winehouse had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse and was found to have five times the drink-drive limit of alcohol in her blood when she died.

The singer was found dead at her north London home in January 2011

The original inquest into her death heard that she had died after going on a drinking binge following a long period of not drinking.

The St Pancras Coroner's Court heard that Winehouse turned to drink after kicking a drug habit in 2008. She had been taking drugs to stop her from drinking but refused therapy.

Dr Christina Romete told the inquest: "She was one of the most intelligent young women I've ever met. She was very determined to do everything her way, including her therapy. She had very strict views on that."

Ms Greenaway was appointed to the role in July 2009 by her husband, Andrew Reid, who was the coroner for Inner North London, after she had worked as a solicitor and barrister in Australia.

Amy Winehouse with her father Mitch

But she stepped down in November when it emerged she did not have the requisite five years' experience in the Law Society.

Dr Reid resigned from his position this month after investigators found he had not "thoroughly" checked his wife had the requisite qualifications for the position.

Under British law, Ms Greenaway would have needed either five years with the Law Society or five years of experience as a qualified medical practitioner.

She met neither set criteria.

A spokesman for the Winehouse family said: "The family were happy with the way the original inquest was conducted and did not request it to be reheard.

"This seems to be a matter of procedure and the verdict is not expected to change."

The new hearing will be at St Pancras Coroner's Court on Tuesday January 8.

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Bank Eyes Plastic Money To Replace Notes

The Bank of England has made contingency plans for a changeover to plastic bank notes, Sky News has confirmed.

Tender documents for a new contract to print money have included a clause allowing for the polymer-based currency.

A source has told Sky News the printing proviso is to "future proof" the bank's supply of money.

A number of countries already use plastic money, which can be more durable than traditional cotton-based paper notes.

A £5 note has a life expectancy of around six months

Australia, Romania, Vietnam, Mexico and Malaysia are among those to have introduced polymer money.

The Australian $5 note lasts an average of 40 months whereas an English £5 note is worn out after an estimated six months.

Between 2003 and 2011 the Bank of England received claims for bank notes destroyed through washing totalling £747,000, and £8.625m for fire or flood damage money.

It also received claims for £946,000 for notes that had been eaten or chewed.

Claims for notes deemed to be "contaminated" topped £232m in the period, with the total figure for all damaged or mutilated money reaching £263m.

In addition to greater durability the plastic money can incorporate holograms and other security devices to thwart counterfeiters.

"The Bank of England is not doing its job properly if it does not take account any new security measures it can utilise to protect the currency," the source said.

Malaysia is one country which decided to use plastic money

The new printing contract will run from 2015 to 2025 or 2028.

The bank plans for a consultation period of at least 12 months ahead of any changeover, as cash and vending machines need mechanisms recalibrated.

A Bank of England spokesperson told Sky News: "It's incumbent on the Bank, within our general research and development program to look at the pros and cons of various security features and substrates.

"No decision has been made as yet regarding printing on polymer."

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Ofcom Launches Probe Into I'm A Celebrity

I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! is being investigated after a contestant's young daughter was used in one of the show's trials.

Media watchdog Ofcom has launched a probe into the stunt involving the young daughter of EastEnders star Charlie Brooks.

The actress, who was later crowned queen of the jungle, was heartbroken when she realised she had missed out on seeing Kiki, seven.

During the trial, Brooks, who plays Janine in the BBC1 soap, and darts ace Eric Bristow had to choose from various doors with treats behind them.

Brooks, 31, did not know Kiki was behind one of the doors and missed out on a reunion after picking the wrong door.

She had not seen her daughter for 18 days and later attacked the stunt as "heartbreaking".

"I signed up for this show, but Kiki didn't. I didn't want her to be so upset. I had no idea this was happening. It was my lowest point," she said.

"My mum gave the green light for her to be there because it was an opportunity for Kiki to see me - and I think she thought she would."

Viewers also complained, while campaign group Parents Outloud said: "To involve a seven-year-old is sinking to the bottom."

But a spokesman for the show said at the time that a senior producer had seen Kiki afterwards and "she was fine".

"Kiki and her grandma come to the jungle every day with the other friends and family, so the experience wasn't as out of the ordinary as it might look," the spokesman said.

Ofcom received 66 complaints about the trial.

It will investigate whether ITV took due care to protect Kiki's welfare and whether the potential for offence caused by scenes of Brooks appearing distressed following the stunt were justified by the context.

Under the broadcasting code, due care must be taken over the physical and emotional welfare of under 18s irrespective of any consent given by a parent or guardian.

They must also not be caused unnecessary distress or anxiety from their involvement in programmes.

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EastEnders Actor Latham Weeps In Court

Former Shameless and EastEnders actor Jody Latham broke down in tears as he was spared a jail sentence for growing cannabis.

Latham, who recently dated the X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos, began crying in the dock as a judge told him his "sophisticated" production of the drug could only warrant a prison term.

But the 29-year-old's tears of anguish turned to relief when he learned the 12-month sentence would be suspended for two years.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Burnley Crown Court to production of cannabis between March and May last year.

Police seized 24 plants behind the partitioned wall of a garage at former girlfriend Sarah Melia's home in Stacksteads, Lancashire.

Tests later showed 16 of the plants had matured and were capable of being sold for up to £9,000.

Habitual cannabis user Latham told the court he grew the plants because he was worried that buying from dealers would attract attention with his celebrity status.

Judge Beverley Lunt told him the simple solution was not to buy cannabis in the first place.

She warned him he would be brought before her if he committed another offence and would be jailed.

"I hope this will you deter you from offending and make you give up this drug," she said.

Latham, who found fame when he played Philip 'Lip' Gallagher in Channel 4's Shameless and later as pimp Rob Grayson in the BBC1 soap EastEnders, has a number of previous convictions, including two cautions for offences involving cannabis.

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, described how police had found the small cannabis factory after being called to the address over an alleged assault.

Mother-of-three Melia, 31, of Bacup, admitted at an earlier hearing  to permitting the drug to be produced, and was given a 12-month community order and told to perform 40 hours of work.

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Shooting: Lanza's Mum 'Prepared For Worst'

The mother of the Connecticut gunman, who was the first of his 27 victims and was killed with a rifle she owned, was "prepared for the worst", according to people who knew her.

Adam Lanza's aunt said Nancy Lanza had a survivalist mentality and was worried about protecting her home if the US economy nosedived.

She is reported to have been stockpiling food in the large home she shared with her 20-year-old son in Newtown, Connecticut.

Nancy Lanza, 52, who friends said kept her private life private, owned and registered the two handguns and rifle her son used in Friday's shooting.

The weapons were among half a dozen firearms legally registered to her, authorities said.

The divorced mother-of-two was found dead in her pyjamas in bed after being shot four times in the head with the rifle.

After leaving the house, the gunman then went to Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown with the weapons he took from her.

He got inside by breaking a window and began blasting his way through the building and murdering 20 children, all aged six or seven, and six women. Adam Lanza later took his own life.

Nancy Lanza was the first victim before 26 others were shot

Investigators said Nancy Lanza had visited shooting ranges several times and that her son also went to a range.

Ginger Colburn, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said it was still not clear whether Nancy Lanza brought her son to the range or whether he ever fired a weapon there.

Adam Lanza's aunt Marsha Lanza told the Chicago Sun-Times that Nancy Lanza wanted guns for protection.

"She prepared for the worst," Marsha Lanza told the newspaper. "I didn't know that they (the guns) would be used on her."

She also told CBS: "Last time we visited with her in person, yeah, we talked about prepping and 'are you ready for what can happen down the line when the economy collapses?'

"I didn't actually see them (guns), we just talked. I knew she had three."

Lanza in his high school yearbook

Dan Holmes, who got to know Nancy Lanza while doing landscaping work for her, told The Washington Post: "Guns were her hobby. She told me she liked the single-mindedness of shooting."

Mr Holmes said Nancy Lanza never invited him in. She would pay him in the yard and the landscaper never saw Adam.

"I would ring the bell on the front door, and she would come out the side and meet me," he said. "It was a little weird. It's stranger now thinking back on what happened."

One law enforcement officer said Adam Lanza had been diagnosed with Asperger's, a mild form of autism characterised by social awkwardness.

The gunman has been described as "socially awkward", "shy", "a nerd" and "super smart".

As a teenager he would scuttle from class to class, pressing himself against walls and clutching a black briefcase "like an eight-year-old with a teddy bear".

The car Lanza drove to school for his gun rampage is towed away

Marsha Lanza could not confirm reports that Adam Lanza had Asperger's or any other learning disability.

But she said his mother had disputes with the local school district and eventually ended up educating Adam Lanza at home.

"(Nancy) had issues with school ... She battled with the school district. I'm not 100 per cent certain if it was behaviour, learning disabilities, I really don't know. But he was very, very bright. He was smart."

Education officials said they had found no link between Nancy Lanza and Sandy Hook school, contrary to news reports that said she was a teacher there.

Investigators said they believe Adam Lanza attended the school many years ago, but they had no explanation for why he went there on Friday.

Neighbour Rhonda Cullens said she knew Nancy Lanza from get-togethers she hosted where they played Bunco, a dice game. She said her neighbour had enjoyed gardening.

"She was a very nice lady," Ms Cullens said. "She was just like all the rest of us in the neighbourhood, just a regular person."

Louise Tambascio, who became a shopping and dining companion of Nancy Lanza said: "Her family life was her family life when we were together. She kept it private. That was her own thing."

Marsha Lanza described Nancy Lanza as a good mother. "If he had needed consulting, she would have gotten it," she said. "Nancy wasn't one to deny reality."

But friends and neighbours said Nancy Lanza never spoke about the difficulties of raising her son.

Mostly she noted how clever he was and that she hoped, even with his problems, that he would find a way to succeed.

Court records show Nancy Lanza and her ex-husband, Peter Lanza, were divorced in 2009. He lives in Stamford and is a tax director at General Electric.

When the couple divorced, he left their spacious home to Nancy Lanza and told her she would never have to work another day in her life, said Marsha Lanza.

The split was not acrimonious and Adam Lanza spent time with both his mother and father, she said.

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US School Shooting 'Sparks Rise In Gun Sales'

Killer's Mum 'Prepared For Worst'

Updated: 4:12pm UK, Monday 17 December 2012

The mother of the Connecticut gunman, who was the first of his 27 victims and was killed with a rifle she owned, was "prepared for the worst", according to people who knew her.

Adam Lanza's aunt said Nancy Lanza had a survivalist mentality and was worried about protecting her home if the US economy nosedived.

She is reported to have been stockpiling food in the large home she shared with her 20-year-old son in Newtown, Connecticut.

Nancy Lanza, 52, who friends said kept her private life private, owned and registered the two handguns and rifle her son used in Friday's shooting.

The weapons were among half a dozen firearms legally registered to her, authorities said.

The divorced mother-of-two was found dead in her pyjamas in bed after being shot four times in the head with the rifle.

After leaving the house, the gunman then went to Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown with the weapons he took from her.

He got inside by breaking a window and began blasting his way through the building and murdering 20 children, all aged six or seven, and six women. Adam Lanza later took his own life.

Investigators said Nancy Lanza had visited shooting ranges several times and that her son also went to a range.

Ginger Colburn, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said it was still not clear whether Nancy Lanza brought her son to the range or whether he ever fired a weapon there.

Adam Lanza's aunt Marsha Lanza told the Chicago Sun-Times that Nancy Lanza wanted guns for protection.

"She prepared for the worst," Marsha Lanza told the newspaper. "I didn't know that they (the guns) would be used on her."

She also told CBS: "Last time we visited with her in person, yeah, we talked about prepping and 'are you ready for what can happen down the line when the economy collapses?'

"I didn't actually see them (guns), we just talked. I knew she had three."

Dan Holmes, who got to know Nancy Lanza while doing landscaping work for her, told The Washington Post: "Guns were her hobby. She told me she liked the single-mindedness of shooting."

Mr Holmes said Nancy Lanza never invited him in. She would pay him in the yard and the landscaper never saw Adam.

"I would ring the bell on the front door, and she would come out the side and meet me," he said. "It was a little weird. It's stranger now thinking back on what happened."

One law enforcement officer said Adam Lanza had been diagnosed with Asperger's, a mild form of autism characterised by social awkwardness.

The gunman has been described as "socially awkward", "shy", "a nerd" and "super smart".

As a teenager he would scuttle from class to class, pressing himself against walls and clutching a black briefcase "like an eight-year-old with a teddy bear".

Marsha Lanza could not confirm reports that Adam Lanza had Asperger's or any other learning disability.

But she said his mother had disputes with the local school district and eventually ended up educating Adam Lanza at home.

"(Nancy) had issues with school ... She battled with the school district. I'm not 100 per cent certain if it was behaviour, learning disabilities, I really don't know. But he was very, very bright. He was smart."

Education officials said they had found no link between Nancy Lanza and Sandy Hook school, contrary to news reports that said she was a teacher there.

Investigators said they believe Adam Lanza attended the school many years ago, but they had no explanation for why he went there on Friday.

Neighbour Rhonda Cullens said she knew Nancy Lanza from get-togethers she hosted where they played Bunco, a dice game. She said her neighbour had enjoyed gardening.

"She was a very nice lady," Ms Cullens said. "She was just like all the rest of us in the neighbourhood, just a regular person."

Louise Tambascio, who became a shopping and dining companion of Nancy Lanza said: "Her family life was her family life when we were together. She kept it private. That was her own thing."

Marsha Lanza described Nancy Lanza as a good mother. "If he had needed consulting, she would have gotten it," she said. "Nancy wasn't one to deny reality."

But friends and neighbours said Nancy Lanza never spoke about the difficulties of raising her son.

Mostly she noted how clever he was and that she hoped, even with his problems, that he would find a way to succeed.

Court records show Nancy Lanza and her ex-husband, Peter Lanza, were divorced in 2009. He lives in Stamford and is a tax director at General Electric.

When the couple divorced, he left their spacious home to Nancy Lanza and told her she would never have to work another day in her life, said Marsha Lanza.

The split was not acrimonious and Adam Lanza spent time with both his mother and father, she said.

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Royal Hoax Nurse's Funeral Held In India

About 2,000 mourners in a small town in India have paid their respects to the nurse who was found dead after taking a royal hoax call.

The funeral for mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was held in the Catholic parish church Our Lady of Health in Shirva, near Mangalore.

"She was a respected member of the community here," said Sky's India Correspondent Alex Rossi, who was in Shirva.

"When you speak to people amongst those crowds, they will tell you that she was extremely well-liked."

Ms Saldanha was found hanged in her living quarters on December 7 at London's King Edward VII's Hospital, where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for pregnancy sickness.

Ms Saldanha with her husband Benedict

Three days earlier, Ms Saldanha had transferred a phone call from two Australian DJs, believing they were the Queen and Prince of Wales, to a nursing colleague who described in detail the condition of the Duchess.

Ms Saldanha's husband Benedict Barboza and their two teenage children Junal and Lisha arrived in India on Sunday with her body from the UK, where the family moved about 12 years ago.

Mr Barboza held a press conference just five minutes after he laid the body of his wife to rest in the cemetery behind the church.

He said it would take him a long time to grieve and he would stay in Shirva over Christmas with the rest of his family before returning home to the UK.

The funeral took place in Shirva, where Ms Saldanha's husband was born

Rossi said: "He looked absolutely exhausted throughout. He was tearful."

A family friend then read out a statement on behalf of Mr Barboza.

"The events of the last week have shattered our lives and we barely have any strength to grieve," the statement said.

"The incidents leading to this tragedy are being investigated by the London Metropolitan Police and they have assured us of a full and fair investigation."

Before arriving in India, the family attended a memorial mass in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday. They paid an emotional tribute to a "kind-hearted, generous and well-respected woman".

Mr Barboza said: "My wife, you were the light in my darkness, who always showed me the way forward.

"From the day we met, you always stood by me in times of hardship and happiness. I feel a part of me has been ripped out."

Ms Saldanha's family paid an emotional tribute to her in London

Ms Saldanha's 14-year-old daughter said: "We will miss your laughter, the loving memories and the good times we had together. The house is an empty dwelling without your presence.

"We are shattered and there's an unfillable void in our lives."

Her son, 16, said: "Our mother, kind hearted, generous and a well-respected woman in both of our lives. You were the core of the family who kept us together."

Memorial services were also held at the hospital where Ms Saldanha worked and in Bristol where her husband and children live.

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'Man With Rifle': Town's Schools In Lockdown

Police are investigating a report of a suspicious man who may be armed in Ridgefield, Connecticut, about 20 miles from the Newtown school massacre scene.

The man was reportedly seen with a rifle near an elementary school and train station in Ridgefield, and all schools in the town are in lockdown as a result.

Ridgefield Superintendent Deborah Low has released a statement saying: "Due to a report of a possibly suspicious person in the Branchville train station area, all schools have been put into lockdown.

"Branchville Elementary buses have been diverted to East Ridge Middle School and Branchville Elementary School students are in the auditorium."

A town official said a motorist travelling on Route 7 told police he saw a man with a rifle.

There is an increased police presence in the area.

And in Los Angeles police arrested a man on Sunday for allegedly posting Facebook threats against local elementary schools.

Officer Venus Hall said the unnamed man was arrested at his home, and that weapons were found there.

Details about the weapons have not been disclosed, and information about the man and the nature of the threats is being withheld.

In Newtown, Adam Lanza killed 27 people before turning the gun on himself

Students in the Los Angeles Unified School District are currently out of school on winter break.

Police Commander Andrew Smith said police are taking the threats seriously.

Meanwhile, police are continuing to investigate Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where gunman Adam Lanza killed 20 children and six adults.

He also shot dead his mother earlier at the home they shared.

Police have revealed that two adults were injured and survived the school massacre.

Officers are working 24 hours a day on the case and are planning to interview "many witnesses".

Police have vowed to analyse all evidence, including every single round of ammunition.

They also warned that anyone giving authorities information that was intended to mislead investigators could be prosecuted.

Barack Obama told the families of the 26 people killed at Sandy Hook that mass shooting tragedies "must end".

Speaking at a vigil in memory of the victims, the US president told an emotional audience: "Newtown, you are not alone."

He struggled to maintain his composure - and there was audible sobbing throughout the packed hall - as he read the first names of each of the 20 children killed in America's worst school shooting.

Mr Obama's visit comes as the town braces itself for the first funerals for victims of Friday's shooting.

Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto, both six years old, will be buried today.

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Pub Landlord 'May Have Killed Himself'

A pub landlord who vanished after £30,000 disappeared from a Christmas thrift fund may have killed himself, police believe.

Malcolm Levesconte, 59, was last seen on December 9 at the Royal Oak pub in Shrewton, near Salisbury.

Later that evening, he boarded a ferry at Portsmouth to St Malo in France and police launched a missing persons inquiry.

It is understood that a suicide note has been found.

Detective Sergeant Mike Standing, from Wiltshire Police, said: "We continue to treat Malcolm Levesconte's disappearance as a missing person inquiry but at this stage we do have to accept there is a possibility that he did not make it to France and may have taken his own life by jumping into the sea from the ferry.

"I would like to appeal to anyone who has information to come and speak to us - his family are facing the terrible prospect that he may have committed suicide.

"It is therefore imperative that we hear from you if you have heard from Mr Levesconte."

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "(Police) thought initially that he had stolen the money and then vanished, perhaps to go to Europe to spend it, but it now appears that the money has already been used."

Officers are writing to 61 customers at the pub following the theft of the money, which was collected by Mr Levesconte.

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'Beast From East': UK Spared Siberian Blast

Britain looks to have been spared heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures from a weather front dubbed the 'Beast from the East' - but some areas will still struggle with freezing conditions.

Forecasters had suggested parts of the country would see the mercury plunge as low as -6C, with icy winds from Siberia expected to blow in over the eastern coast.

But while coastal areas in the east remain likely to receive sleet and snow from the 7,000-mile wide weather front, the extreme conditions are no longer expected to be felt far inland.

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "It was initially thought that freezing east to northeasterly winds would bring a severely cold spell along with the potential for some heavy snowfalls across eastern and southeastern Britain.

"However, despite a chilly start to this week with concerns of patchy hill snow, ice and freezing fog, most places should escape with dry and sunny weather."

Daytime temperatures in northern England and Scotland could struggle to top 2C on Wednesday and Thursday with some isolated spots failing to get above -1C.

And parts of the South West and South East are being warned of a deluge of rain from the middle of the week onwards, with 17 flood alerts in place for the regions.

The ground in these areas is already saturated after last month's higher than average rainfall.

Lang added: "Later in the week the weather is set to turn wetter from the south and west with strengthening winds.

"Some snow may fall for a time but the general theme will be a wetter and somewhat milder one as we head through the end of the week.

"Whether conditions remain mild or turn colder again from the east is open to question from this coming weekend onwards.

"This flip-flopping between air masses is not uncommon at this time of year."

Freezing winds, heavy snow and blizzards have caused chaos in parts of Europe over recent days, with four people reported to have died in Croatia and two in Serbia.

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X Factor: Christopher Maloney Was 'Bullied'

X Factor finalist Christopher Maloney says he has been "bullied" and subjected to a "witch hunt" since finishing third on the TV talent contest.

The 38-year-old from Liverpool was voted off the show on Saturday, when he secured fewer votes than eventual winner James Arthur and runner-up Jahmene Douglas.

He did not appear in Sunday's final, prompting speculation he had turned up with a hangover for rehearsals and insulted a fellow contestant.

The singer, from Liverpool, found himself at the centre of a backlash on Twitter, when Carolynne Poole, who left the show in week one, retweeted a message from Christopher, which read: "@CarolynnePoole you'll do anything to get a headline! Disgraceful! Week one! Bitter."

This message on Twitter was retweeted more than 1,900 times

Later, Maloney tweeted: "Thank u @TheXFactor had a wonderful time. An amazing experience. Love u all. Sorry I had a sore throat an doctor signed me off. Good luck x."

He told fans to "take no notice" of newspaper reports, accusing them of writing "sensational headlines", before posting: "Yes I am being bullied! Big time. There u go xx witch hunt xx."

He later added: "Thank u all so much for ur love help and support. Thinking everyone wants a final dig. Disgusting xx love u na nite xx."

Maloney was voted in as the show's 'wildcard' during the first week, securing 63.5 per cent of the vote.

James Arthur won the show after securing 54 per cent of the public vote

Figures released by ITV revealed he won the most number of votes for each of the first seven weeks, only to fall behind Arthur and Douglas as the show - now in its ninth series - drew to a close.

Arthur, 24, from Saltburn, near Middlesbrough, hugged his mentor Nicole Scherzinger after being announced as the winner.

Jahmene Douglas finished runner-up to James with 39 per cent of the vote

His prize is a recording contract and a shot at Christmas number one with his debut single Impossible, originally recorded by Barbadian singer Shontelle.

All profits from sales of the single will go to the charity Together For Short Lives, which gives support to children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.

Douglas also 24, from Swindon, was gracious in defeat, telling his rival: "I think it's just a blessing to share the stage with such a talent.

"You're so amazing James, use this platform, use it wisely."

Meanwhile, contestant Lucy Spraggan, who pulled out of the show in November because of ill health, said she did not perform a Christmas medley with other acts because she "didn't think it was my style".

MK1 missed the performance because they were on tour.

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Armed Robbery: Boys Aged 7 And 11 Detained

Two boys, aged just seven and 11, have been accused of trying to rob a woman at gunpoint, police in Oregon have revealed.

The older boy had a loaded handgun in his pocket when officers found him outside a church in Portland on Saturday.

Amy Garrett, 22, claimed the pair had threatened her as she waited for her parents in the family's truck in the church car park.

The woman said the boys demanded cash and her phone, and that the younger boy told the older one to "show her your piece".

Amy Garrett was still shocked as she spoke to a TV reporter. Image: KATU

The 11-year-old then lifted his shirt and showed Ms Garrett the gun.

"He said it was fully loaded and cocked and ready to go. He told me he was going to blow my brains out if I didn't give him anything," she recounted to KATU. 

"My heart was beating a million miles a minute. I'm surprised it didn't completely beat our of my chest. I was very scared," Ms Garrett went on.

The 11-year-old was filmed by the camera team. Image: KATU

She refused and drove away, calling the police as she went.

Incredibly, as a shaken Ms Garrett told her story to the TV reporter on Sunday, the older boy turned up alongside the camera team.

He left soon afterwards, and did not come back when the reporter asked to speak to his parents.

The boys had been tracked down quickly by police after the initial incident and returned to their families.

"Officers told the 11-year-old to keep his hands out of his pockets, but he ignored them and tried putting his hand back in his pocket," Portland police said in a statement.

"Officers grabbed his arms and recovered a cocked and loaded .22 calibre handgun in his pocket."

Neither child is likely to face any charges because of their young age. 

But detectives are investigating how the boys obtained a gun.

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Apple Maps 'Life-Threatening' To Drivers

Police in Australia have warned drivers not to use Apple's map software after a number of people ended up lost in the wilderness in scorching temperatures.

Motorists trying to find the south-eastern town of Mildura became lost after following the map system, which locates it about 43 miles (70km) from its actual position.

One man was stranded for 24 hours in temperatures of up to 46C, and at least three more have had to be rescued, police said.

Tests on the mapping system show that Mildura is incorrectly listed as being in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park.

Mildura police have now issued a warning on their website.

"Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, making this a potentially life-threatening issue," it says.

"Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception."

Parts of the park have no water supply or telephone reception

Inspector Simon Clemence told Australia's ABC News that he is concerned people using the Apple Maps app could find themselves in trouble.

"If it was a 45-degree day, someone could actually die," he said.

"It's quite a dangerous situation, so we would be calling for people not to use the new Apple iPhone mapping system if they're travelling from south Australia to Mildura."

Police have contacted Apple in relation to the issue.

Apple dropped Google as its map provider in September with the launch of its iOS 6 software for the iPhone and iPad.

It was panned by users for putting towns and cities in the wrong place and misspelling locations.

Well-known areas such as Westminster and Shepherd's Bush in London were misspelt "Westminister" and "Shepard's Bush".

And search for Chessington in Surrey initially brought up Chessington Tyres Ltd in Plymouth, then Chessington House.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was forced to apologise for the glitches, and the manager who oversaw the software update has also left the company.

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Eight Die As Freezing 'Beast' Hits Balkans

Blizzards and freezing temperatures have killed at least eight people in the Balkans, as rescue teams struggle to cope with the conditions.

Heavy snowfall blocked roads, closed airports, and shut down public transport across the region.

In Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina, 50cm (20ins) of snow fell in just a few hours leaving scores of motorists trapped in their cars.

Many had to wait hours before the rescue teams could reach them.

Officials said four people died in Croatia and two in Serbia, victims of the weather front dubbed "the Beast from the East" that had been forecast to hit the UK.

In Bosnia two people were found dead over the weekend, on many was discovered in his orchard and another next to a road. Doctors told police that in both cases low temperatures caused the victims' hearts to stop.

Children play with a sledge in snow in Zagreb, Croatia

Croatian authorities said it was the heaviest snowfall in Zagreb in 57 years.

Ivica Dacic, who serves as Serbia's prime minister and interior minister, has ordered all police to help with rescue operations. People have been warned to stay indoors.

According to Serbian state television, a woman gave birth to a healthy baby in a stranded truck on her way to a hospital, and named her Snezana, or Snow White.

As the storms headed east across the Balkans on Sunday, Romania's army was trying to clear roads for the country's elections.

The freezing conditions also hit Germany, causing disruption at several airports. The north east of the country was blanketed in several centimetres of snow.

One 32-year-old man was rescued in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania after getting lost in a forest overnight in temperatures of -6C (-21F). He managed to contact his brother using his mobile phone and was located.

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Royal Prank DJs: 'We Are Both Shattered'

Transcript: Prank DJs Break Silence

Updated: 8:33am UK, Monday 10 December 2012

Here is the transcript of the interview carried out with prank call radio DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian by Clare Brady on the Today Tonight programme on Australia's Seven network.

Brady: Considering what we're about to discuss... do you feel emotionally stable to do this interview?

Christian: Yes.

Greig: Yes.

Brady: When you heard the dreadful results following the days after the prank, describe for me how you felt.

Greig: Unfortunately I remember that moment very well because I haven't stopped thinking about it since it happened and I remember my first question was 'Was she a mother?'

Brady: When you found out she was, of two children, how did you feel?

Greig: Very sorry and saddened for the family. I can't imagine what they'd be going through.

Christian: Gutted. Shattered. Heartbroken.

Brady: Does it feel real to you?

Christian: We're still trying to get our heads around everything. Trying to make sense of the situation.

Greig: It doesn't seem real because you just couldn't foresee something like that happening from a prank call. You know it was never meant to go that far. It was meant to be a silly little prank that so many people have done before. This wasn't meant to happen.

Brady: In hindsight, would you do something like that again?

Christian: I don't think that anyone could have predicted what could've happened. It was just a tragic set of circumstances that I don't think anyone could have thought that we'd be here.

Brady: Who came up with the idea of the prank?

Christian: It was just in a team meeting before the show.

Greig: Everything's done as a team.

Brady: Did you have legal advice or senior producers nursing you through this?

Christian: The call to begin with wasn't about speaking to Kate. It wasn't about trying to get a scoop or anything. The call was just - I mean we'd assumed that we'd be hung up on and that'd be that.

Brady: When you weren't hung up on - and, let's be honest, you thought it was a coup at the time - were you quite shocked that you even got that far to talk to the nurse beside Princess Kate?

Greig: Absolutely. And the accents were terrible. You know it was designed to be stupid. We were never meant to get that far from the little corgis barking in the background - we obviously wanted it to be a joke.

Christian: And I suppose, you know, the joke was always on us, not anyone else. It wasn't about trying to fool someone. I mean we just assumed that with the voices that we put on, you know, we were going to get told off and that was the gag - on us.

Brady: Here at the station, at Austereo, do you get any coaching, any training at all as to what you're allowed to put to air? What you've got to tell people on when they're being recorded and they're going to be put on air? Have you been taught that during your tenure here?

Christian: This phone call is the same with any phone call, with any pre-recorded segment that goes to air, there's processes in place and people that make those decisions. I mean our role is just...

Brady: Have you been taught that - sat down in a legal class?

Christian: There are people that make those decisions for us. Our responsibility is just to...

Brady: Did someone listen to that recording and say?

Greig: It went through the processes of every other recorded bit that we do - from interviews to, you know, anything at all that gets recorded and passed on to the appropriate people, goes through the process, and we're told whether it's yes or no to play.

Brady: What was it, if you can give me a rough, and it probably feels all blurry to you, but the time spent from when you did that call to putting it to air? Was it two hours, three hours?

Christian: In between all of that though it wasn't as though we were sitting around waiting for an answer. You know there was...

Greig: We go about our work and just keep going.

Christian: Getting other things organised.

Brady: But you were pretty giddy with what you'd pulled off, weren't you?

Greig: We couldn't believe that it had worked, absolutely. You didn't expect it to. We thought a hundred people before us would've tried the same thing. We just did not see that actually working.

Christian: But it wasn't to get something that no-one else had. It wasn't about getting...

Brady: But you are aware you were trying to get a medical condition and a medical condition on a royal?

Greig: But we didn't actually want that. We just wanted to be hung up on. We wanted to be hung up on with our silly voices and wanted a 20-second segment to air of us doing stupid voices.

Brady: You didn't think of identifying yourselves at the end of that call?

Greig: That's where the process comes in. We just record everything and pass it to the team. That's what we do.

Christian: And again the call itself is - there's no malice in the call. There was no digging. There was no trying to upset or get a reaction.

Brady: Do you feel now that you're part of a witch hunt? That someone wants someone to pay here? There's hackers here threatening to shut down the station and hack into the whole system if you guys aren't sacked. Does that make you feel vulnerable?

Greig (crying): There's nothing that can make me feel worse than what I feel right now. And for what I feel for the family. We're so sorry that this has happened to them.

Brady: How do you move on? Is someone caring for you guys? Are you having counselling too?

Christian: We're getting the support that we need and we've got those around us that are helping us but you know, right now...

Greig: I care more about the family. I want to know that they've got the support that they need and that the public are, you know, being respectful of their privacy.

Brady: Have you tried to contact the family in any way?

Greig: I don't think it's an appropriate time to do that yet. But this is where we want to say that we are thinking of you and if we could call you we would want to reach out to you.

Brady: Or if you could turn the clock back?

Greig: If we played any involvement in her death then we're very sorry for that. And time will only tell.

Brady: Have you been reading a lot, Mel?

Greig: I've been advised not to but I'm doing it on the intention of finding out more about Jacintha.

Brady: What lessons can other DJs, and worldwide, learn from your horrible experience?

Christian: These are prank calls. They've been around for as long as radios existed and they're done by every radio station.

Brady: But this result is just horrific...

Christian: But no-one could have predicted this result.

Brady: What are you guys going to do then? Are you going to pursue your DJ careers?

Greig: I don't want to think about that right now. There's bigger, more pressing issues and that's making sure that family gets through this tough time. You know our careers aren't important at the moment.

Brady: That Scotland Yard is now involved, and you may be called to an inquest, and that inquest will probably be in London and you'll see the family face to face - are you prepared for that?

Christian: Right now we're trying to wrap our heads around what's happened.

Greig: If that's going to make them feel better then I'll do what I need to do, absolutely. If that's something that they want to do, to get some closure, then I'll do that.

Brady: You have had a lot of support. There's a poll out today of 11,000 people and two-thirds have said they feel you're not to blame for this horrible result. And then you've got the other side of horrible Twitter saying 'many lives ruined', 'shame on you', 'you've got blood on your hands'. How do you balance that - the support and the absolute hostility?

Christian: I think that, you know, what's important right now is, you know, that the family of Jacintha are getting the support and the love that they deserve. And I mean that's what's important here. You know, it was, it is nothing more than a tragic turn of events that no-one could have predicted and, you know, for the part that we played, we're obviously incredibly sorry and you know...

Brady: I feel in you, Mel, that you're all but frozen. Is that correct?

Greig: I'm just so devastated for them. I'm really feeling for them.

Brady: It's a shocking turn of events.

Greig: I just couldn't... If we had any idea that something like this could be even possible to happen, you know, we couldn't see this happening. It was meant to be a prank call.

Brady: Do you feel sick now that you were saying 'This is the highlight of my career' and you were excited about getting the call through, to get to this moment?

Greig: We couldn't foresee what was going to happen in the future.

Brady: When you did call them and you were talking - first to Jacintha and then the second nurse - did you think in the days after 'Oh those poor nurses, wonder how they're feeling'? Because I know I did, but I'm an overly cautious person - I think everything through and through and through. Did you think for them at all, or were you just in that giddy sense?

Christian: The call itself was not malicious and no harm was intended on Jacintha, or the other nurse, or Kate, or Prince William, or anyone. It wasn't - from start to finish - there was no harm intended. And obviously, you know, we're incredibly sorry for the harm that we may have helped contribute (to).

Brady: You've been very brave for talking and I just hope that people are caring for you guys too, because it's going to take (a lot). I feel for two DJs who like to put a few smiles on faces and it'll be a while before we hear the two of you laugh.

Christian: Thank you.

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