Andes: Man Eats Rats To Survive Four Months

A man who disappeared in the Andes four months ago has been found alive after he ate rats and raisins to survive.

Raul Fernando Gomez Circunegui set off in May to cross the mountains from Chile to Argentina on foot because his motorbike broke down.

The 58-year-old Uruguayan then reportedly lost his way after becoming disorientated during a snowstorm.

Officials from Argentina's northwestern province of San Juan stumbled upon Mr Gomez in a shelter 2,840m (9,318ft) above sea level when they travelled there to record snow levels.

Mr Gomez was able to hobble over and open the shelter's door, alerting the crew to his presence.

San Juan Governor Jose Luis Gioja told the local Diario de Cuyo newspaper: "The truth is that this is a miracle. We still can't believe it.

Mr Gomez lost 44lb during his time in the Andes

"We let him talk to his wife, his mother and his daughter ... I asked him: 'Are you a believer?' He told me, 'no, but now I am.'"

Mr Gomez told rescuers he ate sugar, raisins, rats that he trapped and the shelter's leftover supplies to stay alive during the brutal winter.

But he lost 20kg (44lb) during the ordeal and is reportedly dehydrated, with photos of an emaciated, bearded Mr Gomez resting on a bed featuring prominently in a number of Argentinian newspapers.             

Uruguayan newspaper El Pais said a doctor who examined him was surprised by his resilience.

"He's a patient with high blood pressure, a history of smoking and signs of undernourishment," the doctor was quoted as saying.

"But he's going to be fine and in a few days we're going to discharge him."

In 1972, a plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team to Chile crashed in the Andes.

Some of the survivors survived for more than two months by eating dead bodies.

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Brazil Football Team Masseur 'Saves' Goal

A football team's masseur ran on to the pitch and saved a certain goal to secure his team a place in the play-off semi-final of Brazil's fourth division.

The Aparecidence employee sneaked on to the field with the score locked at 2-2 and opponents Tupi looking sure to score a last-minute winner.

He appeared to prevent two goal-bound shots crossing the line, before clearing the ball from danger.

Match officials apparently took no action and the masseur could be seen sprinting away as furious Tupi players aimed kicks at him, before escaping through a door into the stands.

His team look set to benefit from his intervention, as the rules mean they go through to the semi-finals despite the 2-2 draw because they were the away team.

But local media reported that Tupi officials planned to take the matter to court in an effort to get the result overturned.

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England Fans Injured In Ukraine Knife Attack

A group of England football fans have been attacked in Kiev ahead of the World Cup qualifier with Ukraine, local media reports.

Around 30 hooded Ukrainians armed with knives brawled with England supporters in a coffee shop, the Komsomolskaya Pravda reported.

The attackers then fled, and no one has been arrested.

Three of the England fans were taken to hospital – one with a stab wound, one with a head injury, and a third with severe bruising.

It is understood all three have been released from hospital and have decided no to help the police with their investigation.

Amateur video showed one of the injured men lying on the pavement with other people attending to him while police and ambulances arrived.

The Foreign Office said: "We are aware of incidents in Kiev involving British nationals. We are providing consular assistance."

Three England fans were taken to hospital

England will take on their Ukrainian opponents in Kiev's Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night.

A win for England would move them to within touching distance of a place in next summer's finals in Brazil.

The British police delegation in Kiev for the match warned fans to be cautious in the city before and after the game.

Rachel Barber, head of the UK police delegation, said: "We are aware of what happened last night and we will be going round most of the major bars, including this particular one, to make sure there are no problems.

"We would urge supporters to enjoy themselves but to do so without upsetting anybody.

"I am pleased to say that currently the atmosphere in the town is good, so in that sense what happened last night was out of the blue.

"Sometimes there can be an element of bravado on social media and you can never legislate for something happening but hopefully the England fans will just have a good time in what is a fantastic city."

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Osborne: Economy Showing Signs Of Recovery

George Osborne has said the British economy has "turned a corner" with the latest financial growth figures a vindication of the government's long-term strategy.

"We held our nerve when many told us to abandon our plan," the Chancellor told an audience of academics, think tank members and business leaders in central London ahead of the Conservative Party Conference later this month.

Mr Osborne said there were "tentative signs of a balanced, broad based and sustainable recovery," but warned of the need to make "many billions" more in savings after the next election.

"The plan is working, but the recovery is still in its early stages, plenty of risks remain, and more years of hard decisions lie ahead. Our economy is turning a corner, but we must not take anything for granted," he said.

"This is a hard, difficult road we have been following. But it is the only way to deliver a sustained, lasting improvement in the living standards of the British people.

"More tough choices will be required after the next election to find many billions of further savings and anyone who thinks those decisions can be ducked is not fit for government."

Labour dismissed the Chancellor's speech as a "desperate attempt to rewrite history".

"Three wasted years of flatlining under George Osborne have left ordinary families worse off and caused long-term damage to our economy," shadow Treasury minister Chris Leslie said.

"This desperate attempt to rewrite history will not wash when on every test he set himself, this Chancellor's plan A has badly failed - on living standards, growth and the deficit."

Opposition leader Ed Miliband is expected to use his speech to the TUC conference to lambast the Chancellor for being "out of touch with ordinary families" by celebrating while they face the squeeze.

But the Chancellor said that those who argued for a Plan B, like Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, had "lost the argument" as the economy has shown signs of recovery in recent months.

Mr Osborne has been buoyed by revised gross domestic product figures showing the UK economy grew by 0.7% in the second quarter of the year, with predictions it could reach 1% for the third quarter.

The respected OECD think tank has almost doubled its prediction for UK growth this year to 1.5%.

Rising property prices and a summer retail splurge as well as booming car sales have also contributed to the feel-good factor, with surging manufacturing figures for June also helping fuel the improved mood.

Goods exports excluding oil plunged however by 9.3%, and the overall trade deficit more than doubled from £1.3bn to £3.1bn, with real terms wages also in decline.

The economy remains 3% below its pre-crisis level.

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Van Gogh Painting Discovered After 100 Years

A landscape painting banished to a Norwegian attic after it was decided it was a fake or wrongly attributed has now been identified as a genuine work by Vincent Van Gogh.

It is the first full-size canvas by the Dutch master discovered since 1928.

Sunset at Montmajour depicts twisted holly oaks and a distant ruin bathed in the light of the setting sun, painted with Van Gogh's familiar thick brush strokes.

Experts at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam said the painting was authenticated by letters, style and the physical materials used.

The exact date it was painted can be identified because Vincent described it in a letter to his brother, Theo, and said he painted it the previous day which was July 4, 1888.

He said the painting was done "on a stony heath where small twisted oaks grow."

Museum director Axel Rueger described the discovery as a "once-in-a-lifetime experience" at an unveiling ceremony.

"What makes this even more exceptional is that this is a transition work in his oeuvre, and moreover, a large painting from a period that is considered by many to be the culmination of his artistic achievement, his period in Arles," he said.

Artist Vincent Van Gogh depicted in a self-portrait

The museum as recently as 1991 dismissed the painting as a work by another artist or a fake, in part because it was not signed.

But now the work, belonging to an unidentified private collector, will go on display in Amsterdam from September 24.

New research techniques, including analysis of the pigments in the paint used and their discolouration, used during a two-year investigation convinced experts of its authenticity.

Researcher Teio Meedendorp said he and other researchers "have found answers to all the key questions, which is remarkable for a painting that has been lost for more than 100 years."

The painting was listed among Theo van Gogh's collection as number 180, and that number can still be seen on the back of the canvas.

The work was sold in 1901.

Vincent Van Gogh struggled with bouts of mental distress throughout his life, and died of a self-inflicted gun wound in 1890, just as his work was beginning to win acclaim.

He sold only one painting while he was alive.

The Van Gogh Museum, which houses 140 of the Dutch master's works, receives more than a million visitors annually, and Van Gogh paintings are among the most valuable in the world.

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Ex-BBC Boss: We Didn't Lose Plot On Pay-Offs

Mark Thompson has told MPs the BBC had not "lost the plot" when it agreed a pay-off of almost £1m for his former deputy.

The former director general is one of seven senior BBC staff - past and present - appearing before the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer MPs' questions about who knew what about golden goodbyes which saw senior executives leave with thousands of pounds more than their contracts demanded.

Several current and former BBC executives are giving evidence to MPs

He said the move, which saw Mark Byford leave the BBC with a total payout of £949,000, was part of a move to axe senior executives which would give the BBC "£19m of savings for every year into the future" and he believed he "had the full support of the BBC Trust" to order it.

The committee's chair, Margaret Hodge, said people were looking at BBC management in "dismay" and asked Mr Thompson if the BBC had, under his management, lost the plot.

He said: "I do not think we lost the plot."

Ms Hodge asked Mr Thompson why Mr Byford needed an extra payment saying: "Why was £500,000, which is for most people mega bucks, not enough?"

Lord Patten has denied misleading the committee

Mr Thompson, who said he did not believe there was any "favouritism" in deciding pay-offs, said the pay-off to Mr Byford was needed so he would remain "focused" on his job and not be distracted.

He said he had inherited a way of doing things at the broadcaster, telling MPs: "I did not loosen the financial controls in this area."

At one point during the tense hearing, BBC human resources boss Lucy Adams apologised for partially inaccurate evidence at an earlier hearing.

Ms Hodge later said: "We will have no more lies this afternoon."

In written evidence published ahead of today's meeting, Mr Thompson accused BBC Trust boss Lord Patten and trustee Anthony Fry of "fundamentally misleading" committee members at a previous hearing.

Mark Byford left the BBC with a pay-off of almost £1m

At their last appearance before the committee, Lord Patten and Mr Fry told MPs members of the Trust were not always included in decision-making.

Lord Patten said he took the charge of misleading the committee "very strongly" and said his induction to the job included no references to severance pay and a media briefing he was given before the publication of the annual report said pay-offs to Mr Byford and former marketing boss Sharon Baylay were "contractual payments".

He said: "I'm in the position in which I'm accused of having misled the committee on something I didn't know and couldn't have been expected to know."

More follows...

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Syria Urged To Hand Over Chemical Weapons

Russia has urged Syrian President Bashar al Assad to hand over his chemical weapons to avert a US-led military strike on Damascus.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Mr Assad to put the arms under international control so they could be destroyed to avoid a conflict that he warned would cause an "outburst of terrorism" and spark a new wave of refugees.

He said he had already conveyed the message to his Syrian counterpart, Walid al Moualem, at talks in Moscow, who welcomed the move to "prevent American aggression".

British Prime Minister David Cameron said such a move "would be a big step forward", but warned the international community needed to ensure that discussion of the idea did not become a "distraction" to "the problem on the table".

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said if inspectors confirmed the use of chemical weapons and Damascus responded "positively" to the Russian proposal, he would propose UN supervised zones in Syria where the country's chemical weapons could be destroyed to overcome what he described as the 15-nation Security Council's "embarrassing paralysis" over the conflict.

Earlier, Mr Assad warned America "to expect everything" if it attacks in retaliation for his alleged use of chemical weapons that killed more than 1,400 civilians.

A Free Syrian Army fighter in Raqqa province, eastern Syria

Speaking in an interview to US television network CBS, Mr Assad denied he was behind the chemical atrocity on August 21 and said the US had provided "not a single shred of evidence" that his forces were involved.

When pressed by CBS correspondent Charlie Rose about what would happen if the US attacked Syria, he replied "every action".

Asked if that could include the use of more chemical weapons, he said: "That depends. If the rebels or the terrorists in this region or any other group have it, it could happen. I don't know. I'm not a fortune teller to tell you what's going to happen..."

America has urged Mr Assad to hand over his chemical weapons, saying it was the only way to stop a military strike against his forces.

US Secretary of State John Kerry made the demand after flying into London for talks with British Foreign Secretary William Hague in the latest stage of his diplomatic tour to garner support for attacking Mr Assad's regime.

He told a news conference at the Foreign Office that the US "was not going to war" with troops on the ground, but was instead planning a "very limited, very targeted, very short-term" strike.

Congress will vote on whether to launch military action in Syria

But, conversely, he added: "Let me be clear, the United States, President Obama, myself, others, are in full agreement that the end of the conflict in Syria requires a political solution. There is no military solution, we have no illusions about that."

He again set out the evidence America claims it has that the Syrian government was behind the Damascus gas attack, saying the "risk of not acting is greater than the risk of acting".

Mr Kerry also stressed the importance of the "special relationship" between the US and Britain and said the two countries were "enormously tied together".

Mr Hague said the US has Britain's "full diplomatic support" and supported "mustering a strong international response" to Mr Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons.

US politicians are set to discuss backing for military action against Syria as President Barack Obama prepares to make a series of TV appearances on six US TV networks later, ahead of delivering a live address to the nation on Tuesday, to push his case.

Congress is set to start debating the issue today and is expected to vote later this week on whether to authorise force against the Syrian regime.

While the White House believes an endorsement from the Senate could be within reach, Mr Obama faces a wall of opposition from both Republicans and from many of his Democratic allies in the House of Representatives.

The White House has refused to state whether Mr Obama, elected in 2008 promising to end foreign wars, would order a strike even if Congress votes "no".

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Rebecca Godden Detective: Misconduct Case Call

An experienced detective who failed to caution a murder suspect, leading to the case against him being dismissed by a judge, should face a gross misconduct case, an independent investigation has found.

Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher was found to have breached the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and ignored orders from his own force while head of the Wiltshire Police investigation into the murders of Sian O'Callaghan and Rebecca Godden in Swindon.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigated Mr Fulcher's conduct during his running of Operation Mayan - the inquiry into the murder of Miss O'Callaghan in March 2011.

Taxi driver Christopher Halliwell, 49, was subsequently jailed for life for her murder.

Rebecca Godden's and Sian O'Callaghan's bodies were found in March 2011

A second murder charge against the father-of-three - that of killing Miss Godden - was dismissed, however, after a High Court judge ruled that Mr Fulcher had breached Halliwell's rights by failing to caution him and denying him a solicitor in an attempt to force information out of him.

The IPCC said it investigated three separate matters.

The first followed a complaint from Miss Godden's father, John, that Mr Fulcher's actions led to the charge against Halliwell for murdering his daughter being dropped.

The second and third were matters referred to the IPCC concerned Mr Fulcher's release of information to the media and his contact with members of the media in connection with Operation Mayan.

Christopher Halliwell was jailed for life for Miss O'Callaghan's murder

IPCC Deputy Chair Rachel Cerfontyne said: "This investigation has been a highly unusual one, as the majority of facts, in particular in relation to Mr Godden's complaint, are undisputed and already in the public domain.

"We will never know what may have happened if the Pace (Police and Criminal Evidence Act) codes had been followed.

"However, Detective Superintendent Fulcher's actions were in deliberate breach of Pace and we find that he has a case to answer for gross misconduct."

She added that despite no longer having responsibility for Operation Mayan and against an express order, Mr Fulcher went ahead with meetings with journalists from the BBC and ITV.

"We find that he has a case for gross misconduct for this as well and it will now be for Wiltshire Police to decide what action to take and I await their proposals," she said.

Flowers left at the site where Miss O'Callaghan's body was found

A Wiltshire police spokeswoman said: "We are taking this matter very seriously and we are currently in the process of carefully considering the recommendations made within the report and our subsequent response to the IPCC.

"We will be taking into account the needs of the families whilst deliberating the recommendations.

"Wiltshire Police are continuing to offer welfare support to D/Supt Fulcher throughout this on-going process.

"It would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage."

It emerged earlier this year that Mr Fulcher had returned to work after a period of suspension.

The force refused to say when the experienced detective returned or what post he holds.

Miss O'Callaghan, 22, disappeared after leaving a nightclub in Swindon on March 19, 2011. Her body was found five days later in Uffington, Oxfordshire.

Miss Godden, 20, was last seen in Swindon on December 27, 2002. Her body was found in Eastleach, Gloucestershire, in March 2011.

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Missing Ferry Passenger: Search In North Sea

A large-scale search operation is under way for a 22-year-old man who went missing from a North Sea ferry.

The man - who is believed to have disappeared shortly before 6.30am on Monday - was last seen at 4am on board the NorthLink MV Hjaltland's overnight service from Shetland to Aberdeen.

The ferry was getting close to Aberdeen when it raised the alarm.

Two rescue helicopters, two lifeboats and a dozen commercial vessels are scouring an extensive area off the northeast coast of Scotland.

Earlier the ferry, carrying around 166 passengers, retraced its route to help with the search but it has since docked at Aberdeen.

Efforts are focused on a long, thin stretch of water on the ferry route from just north of Aberdeen up to Rattray Head, between Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

The search area covers Aberdeen to Rattray Head

An Aberdeen Coastguard spokesman said: "We got the call at 6.23am this morning from the overnight ferry the Hjaltland, the Shetland to Aberdeen ferry. She was approaching Aberdeen at the time and reported a passenger on board missing.

"That person had last been seen at 4am. A search of the vessel confirmed they weren't on board.

"We launched a search and rescue operation. It's (over) a fairly large area."

A RAF helicopter from Lossiemouth and the coastguard helicopter from Shetland have been taking turns to search.

In a statement, the ferry operator said: "NorthLink Ferries can confirm that the Hjaltland arrived back into Aberdeen at 11.45am today. The ferry was turned back to assist the coastguard with a search for a passenger reported missing from the vessel this morning.

"No further details are available but the company's prime concern is for the safety of the missing passenger."

The MV Hjaltland left Lerwick at 7pm on Sunday and was due into Aberdeen at 7am on Monday.

Police have been interviewing other ferry passengers as part of their investigation.

Police Scotland said: "We are currently working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and RAF search and rescue to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident."

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Le Vell Rape Accuser Had 'Nothing To Gain'

The alleged sex abuse victim of Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell had "absolutely nothing to gain" from making the accusations, a court has heard.

Members of the jury at Manchester Crown Court were told they must find the actor guilty if they believe the alleged victim's account.

Le Vell, who has played garage mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV1 soap for 30 years, is being tried under his real name Michael Turner.

The 48-year-old denies five counts of rape, three of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child, and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

The alleged victim cannot be named for legal reasons.

But prosecutor Eleanor Laws QC said his accuser had no reason to lie and the only explanation for her allegations was that it was the "uncomfortable truth".

"Bear in mind what this witness has put herself through over a long period of time," she said.

"What has she got to gain from all of that? Absolutely nothing, unless it is the truth and that is what she wants to tell you.

"If you are sure that she is telling the truth and not lying, then it is your duty to mark her courage from the witness box with convictions."

Ms Laws urged the jury of eight women and four men to concentrate closely on the evidence of the alleged victim.

"You saw her as bubbly, lovely, naive, so lovely," she said.

"She was not twisted. You are the most important people in the courtroom. It is you who decide the facts. At the end of the day it is your collective decision that is important."

She said Le Vell had only come up with one reason for the allegations and that was revenge against him.

That explanation was "absurd", said the barrister, and "just does not hold water".

Alisdair Williamson gave the closing speech for the defence, describing the matter as a "strange case of child rape" without any evidence of blood or semen or injuries to the alleged victim.

"Welcome to the prosecution's hall of mirrors," he told the jury.

"Where up is down and left is right."

He suggested the alleged victim had given differing accounts of the frequency and details of the alleged abuse to her mother, her friends and to the police.

"You are going to throw a man's life away? You are going to cast him to the outer darkness of being a child rapist?" Mr Williamson continued.

"Where is the consistency, the solidity of evidence on which you are going to be sure? Not there, simply not there."

He also accused the alleged victim of making "silly" or "ridiculous" details in her story that "doesn't add up".

Summing up the trial before sending the jury out for deliberations, Judge Michael Henshell said the jury's assessment of the alleged victim was "critical in this case".

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