Broadwell 'Devastated' By Petraeus Scandal

Paula Broadwell, whose extramarital affair with General David Petraeus led to his resignation as CIA chief, has confided to friends that she is devastated by the ensuing fallout.

The biographer is said to deeply regret the damage that has been done to her family and everyone else's, and she is trying to repair that and move forward.

Mrs Broadwell's friend spoke on condition of anonymity to the AP news agency because he was not authorised to speak publicly.

A group of friends and neighbours welcomed Mrs Broadwell and her family back to their home in Charlotte in North Carolina at the weekend, after she spent more than a week lying low in Washington.

Paula Broadwell is "overwhelmed" by the support of friends and neighbours

Mrs Broadwell is still being investigated by the FBI over classified documents found on her laptop and in her home.

Investigators say many of the documents are old and Mrs Broadwell told them she did not get them from Gen Petraeus.

The FBI stumbled onto their relationship after tracking anonymous emails that Mrs Broadwell allegedly sent to Tampa socialite Jill Kelley, warning her to stay away from Gen Petraeus.

Mrs Kelley served as sort of an unpaid social liaison for Central Command, hosting parties at her Florida home, where senior officers would mingle with Tampa's elite.

Mrs Kelley kept in near-constant contact with the Gen Petraeus and Afghanistan war commander Gen John Allen, officials claimed.

Jill Kelley received threatening emails from Paula Broadwell, it is alleged

The scandal widened when the Pentagon announced it was looking into copious correspondence between Mrs Kelley and Gen Allen, searching for possible evidence of an inappropriate relationship between the two married people.

Gen Allen's nomination to lead the US European Command has been put on hold, pending results of the investigation, though officials now concede only a handful of the emails are of a flirtatious or questionable nature.

The FBI found no reason to further investigate Gen Petraeus, but the CIA is now investigating whether the former director behaved inappropriately, such as possibly using agency resources to further the affair.

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Austria: 'Ice Lady Hid Lovers' Body Parts'

A woman has gone on trial for allegedly murdering two men and concealing their body parts in concrete under her ice cream parlour.

Goidsargi Estibaliz Carranza Zabala, dubbed the "Ice Lady" in Austrian reports, has been charged with shooting dead her husband in 2008 and new partner in 2010.

Described as the "trial of the year", prosecutors allege she then sliced up the bodies of Holger Holz and Manfred Hinterberger with a chainsaw and hid the pieces in concrete that she mixed in a cellar under her shop in Vienna.

Carranza, who is in her 30s, is accused killing her husband when he refused to leave after she revealed she had a lover, the Austrian Independent reported.

The online news outlet adds she allegedly murdered her boyfriend two years later after discovering he was seeing other women. She took shooting lessons and courses in mixing concrete and bought a new chainsaw before the killing, it is claimed.

Human remains were discovered by chance during maintenance work in June 2011.

After fleeing to Italy, Carranza, who has joint Spanish-Mexican citizenship, was captured and later extradited.

When arrested, Carranza was two months pregnant by another man, whom she married in prison in March this year.

The baby was born in January but the boy was immediately taken away from her and is now reportedly being looked after by Carranza's parents in Barcelona.

The Austrian Independent said a 140-page report into her mental state ruled she is fit to stand trial for the double murder after she admitted to a court psychiatrist: "I could kill again."

The report also said Carranza, now in a unit for the "mentally abnormal", was dangerous and was like a "princess ... who just wants to be 'rescued' by a man".

"She intends to confess. She has already told the court-appointed expert everything that she did, as she also did when she was arrested by the Italian police," Werner Tomanek, one of her defence lawyers, told news agency AFP.

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Massive Waterspout Forms Off Australian Coast

A giant waterspout has formed close to the shoreline at Batemans Bay in the Australian state of New South Wales.

Local residents at Long Beach described it as "a giant twister" that was "swirling with water".

Despite lasting about 15 minutes and having the potential to reach speeds of up to 160km/h, the giant funnel of cloud and water, which occurred about 225km south of Sydney, did not cause any damage.

A meteorologist at Australia's Bureau of Meteorology told the Sydney Morning Herald that waterspouts, were impossible to forecast and could be dangerous to nearby swimmers or surfers.

Pic: Adam Keyte/NSW Rural Fire Service

Forecasters warned of more severe conditions to come in the state, particularly in the north, after a weekend of wild weather.

Thousands of lightning strikes and wind gusts of up to 100km/h were reported on Saturday and Sunday, causing power lines to come down and at least one home to collapse.

Authorities advised residents to take precautions, such as moving cars under cover or away from trees, securing or putting away loose items around the house, and keeping clear of fallen power lines.

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South African Found Guilty Of Dewani Murder

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent

The man found guilty today of the murder of honeymooner Anni Dewani is the last of the South African killers to face justice.

Xolile Mngeni protested his innocence throughout the three-month trial but was convicted as the "trigger man" - the man who fired the fatal shot which killed Anni on November 13, 2010.

Two of the men accused of being his accomplices are already serving lengthy prison sentences after entering into plea bargains.

But both Zola Tongo and Mziwamadoda Qwabe had implicated Mngeni and both claimed they had been hired by Anni's new British husband Shrien Dewani to kill his bride during a fake hijacking in Gugulethu township.

Xolile Mngeni has been found guilty of shooting Anni Dewani

Mngeni claimed he was not there during the shooting, but Western Cape High Court judge Robert Denney did not believe him.

He told the court: "I am satisfied that the accused has committed the crime of murder.

"Mngeni did not take the court into his confidence. He came with a rather late alibi which proved unconvincing."

The court heard how Mngeni's left palm print was found on the car in which Anni's body was found. Her watch, bracelet and mobile phone were also discovered in Mngeni's friend's shack.

The National Prosecuting Authority believes without doubt that Mngeni was part of a conspiracy to kill 28-year-old Anni Dewani.

Taxi driver Zola Tongo was jailed for 18 years for his role in the murder

She was fatally shot in the neck on the fourth day of her honeymoon in Cape Town two years ago.

Prosecutors said Mngeni, Qwabe and Tongo were paid 15,000 rand (£1,066) for the killing.

The court heard the couple went out for a night-time tour of the city's townships.

In CCTV footage taken from the Cape Grace hotel where they were staying, the couple are seen kissing and cuddling in the hours before her death.

A motive has never been clearly explained for why Shrien Dewani would want his new bride killed and he is still in Britain fighting extradition to South Africa, claiming he will not get a fair trial.

Mngeni (L) and Mziwamadoda Qwabe on February 10

The legal battle is on hold while he receives treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder following the murder.

His health will be reviewed again in the London High Court on December 3 but the conviction of Mngeni in Cape Town is sure to intensify the pressure to send Dewani to South Africa to stand trial.

Anni's family said they were still going through turmoil.

Ashok Hindocha, her uncle, told Sky News from their home in Sweden: "There were four people in the car apart from Anni. Three of them have now been sent to jail.

"We have yet to hear what happened from the fourth (Shrien). We just want the truth. It is eating our family up from inside."

Mngeni, 25, will be sentenced on Wednesday.

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Silvio Berlusconi Aide Spinelli Held Hostage

Silvio Berlusconi's accountant was taken hostage by armed intruders who demanded a 35m euro (£28m) ransom from the former Italian prime minister, police have revealed.

Three Italians and three Albanians have been arrested and accused of taking Giuseppe Spinelli, 71, one of Berlusconi's closest allies and friends, and his wife Anna hostage last month.

Three intruders forced their way into Mr Spinelli's apartment on October 15 and ordered him to call Berlusconi for a ransom in the early hours of the following morning, police said.

In exchange, the trio also offered to hand over documents they claimed would overturn a guilty verdict for corrupt practices against one of the former leader's companies, according to media reports.

"Spinelli was suffering from shock. He could not say he had been taken hostage because he feared for his wife's life during the telephone call to Berlusconi," said Niccolo Ghedini, one of the media magnate's lawyers.

"He was terrified, he was still being threatened with weapons," he said.

The suspects had been tracking Mr Spinelli's movements since June and took the building's video surveillance tapes with them.

Police said there was no evidence the ransom had been paid.

Berlusconi, who is currently on trial accused of paying a 17-year-old call girl for sex, entrusted his accountant with giving cash presents to young girls invited to his parties.

His lawyers did not alert police to the hostage situation and extortion attempt until Saturday, reports said.

The suspects claimed the documents they had would overturn a court ruling in 2011 which ordered one of Berlusconi's family companies to pay 560 euros (£450m) to a rival group as compensation for corrupt activities in a takeover battle.

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Astronauts' Soyuz Capsule Lands In Kazakhstan

Three astronauts have landed in Kazakhstan in a capsule after a three-month stay on board the International Space Station (ISS).

Sunita Williams, Yury Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide touched down at 7.56am local time (1.56am GMT) - about 15 hours and 30 minutes after starting their return to Earth.

Their Soyuz capsule missed its planned landing site and toppled onto its side, but the crew was rescued by search and recovery teams who rushed to the scene in eight helicopters.

The astronauts were lifted onto reclining chairs and wrapped in blankets to shield them from below freezing temperatures of -11 Celsius (12 Fahrenheit).

The landing site

The chairs allow them to acclimatise gradually, after months of living in gravity-free conditions.

During their time in orbit, Ms Williams, of Nasa, and Mr Hoshide, of Japan's Jaxa space agency, carried out a crucial spacewalk to repair a leaky radiator system.

Their fellow astronaut, Mr Malenchenko, has now spent 642 days in space, making the Russian the sixth most experienced space traveller in history.

The two-metre tall Soyuz capsule is the only way international astronauts can reach the ISS since the US shuttle fleet was decommissioned last year.

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Teen Paralysed In Car Crash Gets £23m Payout

A teenager who was paralysed in a car crash that killed her mother is to receive record compensation worth £23m.

Cheltenham Ladies College pupil Agnes Collier, now 17, was left with no use of her legs and little function in her arms after the March 2009 accident on the A436 in Gloucestershire.

Damages were awarded against the insurers of motorist Anthony Norton, who caused the accident when he pulled out of a side road. The manoeuvre led to the car Ms Collier was travelling in to be hit by an oncoming lorry.

Composed of a £7.25m lump sum plus annual payments of £270,000, the payout is believed to be the highest ever for personal injury, topping the previous record of £12.2m.

The youngster's 48-year-old mother Karen Hood, a teacher, died in the crash.

Norton, of Andoversford, Gloucestershire, was sentenced to six months jail suspended for a year for causing death by driving without due care and attention.

Agnes's father, investment banker Dominic Collier, and stepmother Jannene, were at London's High Court for Monday's hearing.

Agnes' counsel William Norris QC, told Mr Justice MacDuff that she was a "truly remarkable young lady" and a very bright girl who had done astonishingly well in returning to school and taking her AS-levels.

But he said the need to use a scribe and the overwhelming burden of tiredness had affected her exam results to some extent.

She is unlikely to achieve the university place she had hoped for, but the teenager already had one offer and was set on a career, he added.

"Her determination is extraordinary, but she has been blessed with a family who are thoroughly supportive, and her stepmother has been a tower of strength," Mr Norris said.

After the hearing, the family's solicitor Paul Paxton, of Stewarts Law, said the award would be paid out over her lifetime.

He added: "While it is a lot of money, Agnes's needs are great and she needs those for the rest of her life.

"The family want to be able to move on with their lives now this chapter has closed."

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One Killed As Blast Rocks Gaza Media Centre

One person has been been confirmed killed after a large explosion shook a central Gaza building used by local and foreign media, including Sky News Arabia.

Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said the dead man was Ramaz Harab, one of its senior commanders.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) later said it had targeted a "hideout" used by senior operatives from Islamic Jihad. It named four individuals, including Ramaz Harab, who were in the building and said they had been involved in firing rockets at Israel.

Health officials said several others were wounded in the attack, which is the second strike on the building in two days.

The IDF accused militants of "cynically (using) those inside civilian-populated institutions as human shields".

Gaza, left, and Ashkelon, in Israel, right, have been targeted

The Hamas TV station Al Aqsa is located on the top floor of the building. The third floor took brunt of the explosion.

The building is also said to house communications equipment used by Hamas.

Both sides continued their attacks on Monday as efforts to bring about a truce gathered pace.

Israeli aircraft struck several crowded areas in the Gaza Strip, driving up the Palestinian death toll to above 90 over the six-day offensive, including 50 civilians, according to reports.

Thousands of Israeli troops have been readied for a ground offensive

Hamas fighters have fired hundreds of rockets into Israel since Wednesday, including one that hit an empty school in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on Monday.

On the Israeli side, three civilians have died from Palestinian rocket fire since the violence erupted and dozens have been wounded. An Israeli rocket-defence system has intercepted hundreds of rockets bound for populated areas.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said on Monday that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a truce - a claim denied by Israel - and he called on Israel to initiate a ceasefire because "they started the war".

Speaking at a news conference in Cairo, Mr Meshaal called on rights groups to "expose" Israeli "crimes" and said Gaza-based Hamas would not yield to any Israeli conditions.

Israeli officials said earlier that the country was ready to launch a ground offensive but that it preferred a diplomatic solution.

After an initial lull in attacks on Monday morning, airstrikes escalated as Egypt was trying to broker a ceasefire with the help of Turkey and Qatar. Egypt's prime minister said a peace deal between the two sides could be close.

In Gaza City, thousands of mourners attended funerals of four children who were killed on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike. The missile reduced their home to rubble - the Israeli navy said a wanted militant was hiding inside.

Turkey's foreign minister and a delegation of Arab foreign ministers were expected in Gaza on Tuesday.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, who is travelling to Egypt, has also called for a truce.

Middle East envoy Tony Blair met Israel's president, Shimon Peres, for talks earlier and said he hoped both sides could find a way to end the violence.

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Kazenga LuaLua 'Sparked Mass Newcastle Fight'

An ex-Premier League footballer's arrogance sparked a "large-scale" fight outside a nightclub between groups of black and white men, a court has heard.

Kazenga LuaLua, formerly of Newcastle United and now playing in the Championship for Brighton and Hove Albion, his friend Andy Mogwo and co-accused Kevin Ashong, who claimed to have heard a racial insult, deny affray at Newcastle Crown Court.

James Adkin, prosecuting, said there was serious disorder outside the Riverside club on the city's quayside in the early hours of June 26 last year.

The jury heard LuaLua started the violence after he argued with a man called Michael Ball outside the club, and punched him in the face.

"He seemed to admit it was his arrogance and attitude that had caused the trouble," Mr Adkin said.

"Whatever the precise circumstances of the argument, that confrontation between Kazenga LuaLua and Michael Ball was the spark that caused the significant upsurge in violence.

"A group of black males surged over to Michael Ball and friends. At one stage some witnesses suggest someone blew a whistle which seemed to galvanise the black males into action."

It was only good fortune that prevented more serious injury in the fighting that followed, the jury heard.

A man called Jordan Bogie, who tried to help Mr Ball, was punched to the floor and was repeatedly kicked while he was unable to defend himself, Mr Adkin said.

"The men in the dock were part of that aggressive group of black men who surged over to the white males and kicked and punched them unlawfully," he added.

Mr Bogie was saved by a Royal Marine who was out separately that night, and who later told the police he believed the black men were the aggressors.

Mr Bogie was knocked unconscious for eight minutes after the five-on-one attack, the court heard.

Another man was knocked over after trying to help Mr Ball and curled into a ball to protect himself from kicks, the court heard.

When police interviewed LuaLua later, the court heard he admitted being outside the club and that he had walked between Mr Ball and a friend.

The footballer, 21, from Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, claimed he was pushed and so he slapped the man back, then moved away from the violence that followed.

Mogwo told officers he was punched by a man and hit back once in self-defence, while Ashong told police "someone was being racist towards Kaz", Mr Adkin said, and after seeing what was happening, he acted in self-defence.

The jury was told another man, Orivaldo Neto, 20, has pleaded guilty to affray.

The trial continues.

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More Jobs To Be Slashed At Troubled Comet

Struggling retailer Comet is to cut a further 735 jobs, administrator Deloitte has announced.

It said some 600 jobs have been lost from the company's home delivery network, which operates from 12 hubs across the UK.

It has made a further 57 employees redundant from Comet's head office at Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, as well as 56 from a call centre in Clevedon.

A further 17 staff have been made redundant from an office in Hull.

The sites were also the subject of 330 redundancies announced by the administrator last week.

There have been no job losses to date at Comet stores, but Deloitte warned on Saturday that up to 41 stores may have to close before the end of this month.

The collapse of Comet marks one of the biggest high street casualties since the demise of Woolworths in 2008 and came a month after the failure of JJB Sports.

The group was hit by weak high street trading conditions, competition from online rivals and being unable to secure the trade credit insurance needed to safeguard suppliers.

In particular, it was knocked by the lack of first-time home buyers, who have been key customers for Comet, according to Deloitte.

The high street electricals market in the UK has come under huge pressure as cash-strapped shoppers put off purchases of big-ticket items, such as TVs and large appliances, and online rivals take a bigger slice of the sector.

Comet's administration comes just months after it was taken over by investment firm OpCapita, which bought the chain for a nominal £2 in February.

Angry staff at the chain have called for ministers to investigate the retailer's collapse and the way its former private equity owners ran the company.

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