Former Nanny Praises 'Brave' Peaches Geldof

Peaches Geldof's childhood nanny has written a moving tribute to the mother of two, calling her a "brave, beautiful girl" who "almost made it".

Anita Debney was employed by the 25-year-old's parents Bob Geldof and Paula Yates when she was a toddler.

In a message posted on Instagram alongside a photo of Ms Geldof, Ms Debney said she had been the "greatest joy, the most tender part of my heart and soul".

The nanny became something of a surrogate mother following Yates' death in 2000 and Ms Geldof's nickname for her was "Nee Naw".

The pair were still in close contact right up until Ms Geldof's death.

Ms Geldof was found dead at her home in Wrotham

Police were called to the home she shared with her husband Tom Cohen and their two young sons in Wrotham, Kent, on Monday.

Her death is being treated as "non-suspicious but unexplained".

A post-mortem examination on Wednesday was inconclusive and toxicology tests are being carried out to establish a cause of death.

Ms Debney, who has photos of Ms Geldof's sons Astala, two, and 11-month-old Phaedra, on her Instagram page wrote: "I loved her through the good times and the bad. We struggled and survived the darkest of times.

"I never lost faith in her spirit and strength. Always held out my hand to help her when she struggled and fell.

"She overcame so much and my love and appreciation of her indomitable spirit never wavered.

"The joy we shared in her beautiful babies was so deep and meaningful and filled both of our hearts with love and devotion.

"She blossomed in motherhood and excelled at raising the sweetest, happiest babies in the world.

"She was passionate in her zeal to speak up for the needs of babies everywhere and lives have been changed because of that.

"What a wonderful legacy she has left to the world. My darling girl. You almost made it."

Ms Geldof's body was released to her family on Thursday and it is understood plans for a funeral are under way.

Her elder sister Fifi Honeyblossom Geldof also used Instagram to say goodbye, writing: "My beautiful baby sister ... Gone but never forgotten. I love you, Peaches x"

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Cyclone Ita Bears Down On Northern Australia

Tens of thousands of people have been told to leave their homes as Cyclone Ita bears down on coastal towns along Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

The country's Bureau of Meteorology said the cyclone made landfall at Cape Flattery in northern Queensland on Friday.

It said: "(Ita) is crossing the coast near Cape Flattery with very destructive winds to 230kph (143mph) near the core and gales extending out to 185km (112 miles) from the centre."

The bureau said the storm was predicted to move further south over the coming hours, hitting the coastal resort of Cooktown with winds up to 78mph (125kph).

Despite being downgraded from a maximum level five to a weaker level three storm, Cooktown residents in particular are being told to batten down the hatches.

The northern town of Cooktown is in the eye of the storm. Pic: bom.gov.au

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said: "It's still a destructive cyclone which has very strong winds."

He said the region was "staring down quite a destructive cyclonic event".

He urged residents in the area to head to local storm shelters, adding that homes built before 1985, when new building regulations were put in place, may not withstand the winds.

A total of 30,000 people have been told to evacuate and a warning zone has been extended beyond Cooktown to Port Douglas and Cairns, the main transit hubs further south.

Shopkeepers have taped up their premises in preparation

Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott told Australian broadcaster ABC: "Anything over 80kph (50mph) is dangerous.

"Anything over 80K will put a piece of tin through you and chop your head off, it will lift roofs off, it will make severe damage so the best place to be is staying inside."

He added that one senior police officer in the area had warned: "the Cooktown you see today won't be here tomorrow".

Authorities said that, alongside strong winds, the storm could bring heavy rain leading to flash flooding. Power failures are also likely.

Residents are warned of winds, rain and power failures. Pic: bom.gov.au

Mr Newman said: "I want people to know the government has done everything it possibly can and after the event, we're mobilising to get in and help the affected communities."

He added that telephone and electricity lines could be down temporarily after the storm passes.

Category three storms are defined as carrying destructive winds of 102.5-139mph.

Tropical storms are fairly frequent in north eastern Australia. The biggest in recent years was the category five storm, cyclone Yasi.

It devastated large swathes of Queensland in 2011 after hitting the state with winds of up to 170mph.

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Man Who Incinerated Wife's Body Jailed For Life

A bank worker who murdered his wife and burned her body after she threatened to expose his homosexuality has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.

Jasvir Ginday stared down at the floor as he was told his decision to throttle Varkha Rani and set fire to her remains in a home incinerator in his back garden was "unbelievably casual and callous".

He carried out the crime just months after they tied the knot to cover up his homosexuality, which his 24-year-old bride had been threatening to reveal to friends and family.

A jury of seven women and five men took around 17 hours to find him guilty of murder after a three-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Ginday initially told police that his Indian wife had packed her bags and walked out on him following a row at their home in Victory Lane, Walsall, West Midlands.

Jasvir Ginday and Varkha Rani on their wedding day

The 29-year-old claimed throughout his trial that he had accidentally killed Ms Rani while restraining her with a vacuum cleaner hose. 

But the jury believed the prosecution's case that the Royal Bank of Scotland employee had planned the killing of his wife, who had only been in the country for about a month.

In 2008, Ginday had confided in a friend that he was attracted to men but could not tell his family as his mother was very strict.

It later emerged that he was frequenting gay bars and having relationships with men around the time of his engagement to Ms Rani in 2012.

The following year, after his new wife arrived from India, the pair moved into a house with his parents.

The court heard that on the morning of the crime, on September 12, he was caught on camera filling a two litre bottle with petrol at a service station.

Later that day, while the rest of the family were out, Ginday claimed that his wife had attacked him and run off with £500.

The family told police who, the following day, carried out a full search of the house and garden where they found the incinerator which was still emitting smoke.

A police officer lifted the lid off the metal bin to discover the gruesome remains of a human skull.

Ginday's back garden and the incinerator in which Ms Rani's body was burnt

An unburned black plastic bin liner was found partially covering her body. A ring was also found in the incinerator which bore the inscription "V and G 2013" - Ms Rani's wedding band.

Her cousin Sunil Kumar said: "No words can truly express the sadness and hurt my family and I are experiencing at the loss of Varkha, she was loved dearly by all, she had a great passion for life and doted on her family.

"Varkha attained a masters degree and was driven to make her life a success, unfortunately she fell prey to Ginday who had ulterior motives which Varkha would not have appreciated."

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Sarbjit Johal said: "Ginday got married as a matter of convenience - he tricked a poor innocent girl into marriage but was living a lie.

"When she uncovered the truth he could not live with it and killed her quickly then tried to dispose of her body and her possessions by burning them.

"Had another day passed before police attended, Ginday may well have successfully removed all traces of Varkha.

"I hope that this verdict brings some comfort to Varkha's family who have travelled from India to see justice is brought for their daughter."

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Clinton Dodges Shoe During Las Vegas Speech

Hillary Clinton has dodged a shoe thrown at her at a Las Vegas convention - before cracking a couple of jokes and continuing with her speech.

The former secretary of state was speaking to some 1,000 people attending a metal recycling conference when the shoe was hurled at her.

"Is that somebody throwing something at me?" Mrs Clinton said after the object flew past her.

"Is that part of Cirque de Soleil?"

Mrs Clinton drew applause for her quick response

She then quipped: "My goodness, I didn't know that solid waste management was so controversial.

"Thank goodness she didn't play softball like I did."

A woman was taken into federal custody after the incident. She faces criminal charges.

While still on stage, Mrs Clinton reflected on what she called "an atmosphere and attitude in politics" that she said rewards inflexibility and extremism.

"That is not the way democracy works," she said.

"People bring their beliefs and their concerns to the table, and work them through."

George W Bush had to dodge two shoes thrown at him in Iraq in 2008

The former first lady and Democratic senator from New York has been travelling the country giving paid speeches to industry organisations and appearing before key Democratic Party constituents.

She is considering a presidential bid.

In December 2008 former President George W Bush dodged two shoes thrown by an Iraqi journalist during a news conference in Baghdad.

Shoe-throwing is considered an insult in Arab cultures.

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Inmate 'Orchestrated Kidnapping From Cell'

A prison inmate used a smuggled mobile phone to orchestrate the kidnapping of the father of a prosecutor who put him away for life, authorities said.

The hostage, Frank Arthur Janssen, was held for five days until he was rescued on Wednesday by an FBI elite squad in an Atlanta apartment. Five people were arrested.

Authorities believe that Mr Janssen's kidnapping was related to his daughter's prosecution of Kelvin Melton, who is serving a life sentence for ordering the shooting of a man in 2011.

Authorities say Melton exchanged at least 123 calls and text messages with the alleged kidnappers in the past week.

The phone had been smuggled inside his cell at Polk Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina.

Melton is believed to be a high-ranking member of the Bloods street gang from New York City.

In 2012, he was convicted of ordering a subordinate member of his gang to kill his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. The intended victim survived the attack.

The admitted hit man, Jamil Herring Gressett, testified during the trial that he had followed Melton's orders for fear he or his loved ones would be killed if he did not.

At the trial, Melton protested that the prosecutor, Wake County Assistant District Attorney Colleen Janssen, had not followed proper legal procedure.

FBI Special Agent John Strong said Mr Janssen was targeted as "part of an elaborate kidnapping plot".

During the abduction, the kidnappers took a picture of Mr Janssen tied up in a chair and sent it to his wife, threatening to torture and dismember him if she went to police, the FBI said in court documents.

Authorities are now investigating how the phone Melton used was smuggled inside his cell.

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Sarah Payne's Mother Praises Rebekah Brooks

Sara Payne, whose daughter Sarah was murdered in 2000, has praised ex-newspaper editor Rebekah Brooks and said the News Of The World had been a "force for good".

Mrs Payne gave her support to Brooks and retired managing director Stuart Kuttner as a witness at the phone hacking trial at the Old Bailey, saying the pair had provided personal support during the search for her daughter and the Sarah's Law campaign.

"It's easy to forget in these dark times the NOTW has often been a force for good and it has something to do with the people who worked on it," Mrs Payne said.

"I do not pretend they are perfect or always got things right."

Brooks was "always in the foreground" of the campaign, Mrs Payne said, going on to explain: "I did not sleep. I could call at two o'clock in the morning and she would pick up the phone."

Mrs Payne, called by Kuttner's legal team as a character witness, said he was a "gentleman".

"He is everything my parents taught me about being a gentleman and having manners. He is a good guy. He has always been there to listen," she added.

Sarah Payne's murder led to the creation of Sarah's Law to protect children

Mrs Payne, who wrote an article for the last edition of the NOTW, described being in the newsroom during the last week in 2011.

She said: "I spent some time in the newsroom and they were very, very down about stories going on in the media around the world. I felt they were almost mourning something."

She had a big picture of Sarah Payne brought in to remind them of "what they had achieved". Sarah's Law allows anyone to formally ask police if someone with access to a child has a record for child sex offences.

Brooks, 45 and Kuttner, 74, deny conspiring with others to hack phones between 2000 and 2009.

Kuttner's legal team also called former director of the Press Complaints Commission Guy Black as a character witness.

Lord Black told the court how Kuttner was a man he turned to for help during his time in the role between 1993 and 2003 and he "never did let me down".

After the Omagh bombing, he said Kuttner and the NOTW "led the way" for the media to leave the scene, allowing the community to "grieve and to heal" and he acted the same after the Dunblane tragedy.

He also helped "deliver real change" in the media in the wake of the Princess of Wales's death in 1997, Lord Black said.

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Pope Asks For Forgiveness For Abuse Scandal

Pope Francis has asked for forgiveness for the damage done by Roman Catholic priests who abused children.

According to Vatican Radio, the Pope told members of a children's rights group he felt "compelled... to personally ask for forgiveness for the damage they have done for having sexually abused children".

He said that members of the clergy who had molested young children were "quite a few in number".

The Pope said: "The Church is aware of this damage."

He added: "It is personal, moral damage carried out by men of the Church and we will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem and the sanctions that must be imposed.

"On the contrary, I think we must be even stronger. You don't play around with the lives of children."

The Vatican says the Church has begun enforcing prevention and detection measures to eradicate abuse, however the success of these measures is said to vary widely between countries.

Thousands of abuse claims, dating back decades, have come to light in recent years.

The Church's handling of the allegations has been a subject of controversy with frequent reports of cases being covered up.

Pope Francis has also faced personal criticism for not taking a tough enough stand on the issue.

In February a UN committee released the findings of a month-long investigation into clerics "involved in the abuse of tens of thousands of children worldwide".

It raised concerns that sexual abusers were moved from parish to parish or across borders and that there was a "code of silence" among the clergy.

The UN committee urged the Holy See to share information on all cases of abuse, amid reports the Vatican had declined to provide any data relating to the scandal.

The Pope's predecessor Benedict XVI also issued an apology for abuses.

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MH370: 'Confidence' Over Black Box Search

Searchers are "very confident" that signals detected in the hunt for missing flight MH370 are from the plane's black box, Australia's prime minister says.

Tony Abbott told reporters during a visit to China that authorities have "very much narrowed down the search area" in the southern Indian Ocean.

"We are very confident that the signals that we are detecting are from the black box," Mr Abbott said.

"Nevertheless, we're getting into the stage where the signal from what we are very confident is the black box is starting to fade.

"We are hoping to get as much information as we can before the signal finally expires."

The search is currently focused on an 18,000 square mile search area after a fifth ping was detected around 1,400 miles off Perth, in western Australia.

The signal was captured on Thursday by an Australian Air Force P-3C Orion surveillance plane, which has been dropping sonar buoys into the ocean.

Zhang Zhiliang looks at photos of his fiancee, who was on board the flight

However, Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) chief Angus Houston says an initial assessment of the latest signal indicates it is not related to an aircraft's black box.

Speaking from Perth, Sky's Nick Martin said there were "mixed messages" from Australia this morning as the hunt for the plane continued.

Mr Abbott was first quoted as saying he was confident the black box had been found, and then later said he was confident signals picked up by search teams were from a black box.

"Either he's been misquoted or he has slightly jumped the gun," said Martin.

And search teams said there had been no breakthrough yet, according to Martin.

Joint Agency Coordination Centre chief Angus Houston

Twelve military aircraft, three civil planes and 13 ships have joined the search today. The Royal Navy vessel HMS Echo is also part of the operation.

Authorities have been racing to locate the plane's data and cockpit recorders, as the ping-emitting beacons are expected to fade.

No floating debris from the Malaysia Airlines aircraft has yet been found, despite the major multinational air and sea operation.

The renewed search operation comes as Malaysia's acting transport minister admitted that mistakes were made in how authorities treated the victims' families.

Hishammuddin Hussein said the missing plane had posed an "unprecedented situation without benchmark".

The Malaysia Airlines plane went missing on March 8 with 239 people on board.

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Pistorius Accused Of 'Tailoring Evidence'

Oscar Pistorius has been accused of "tailoring his evidence" at his murder trial, where he denies murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel repeatedly challenged the Paralympian's "improbable" account of events while questioning him about the details of the night he shot Ms Steenkamp.

At one point the confrontation led an emotional Pistorius to admit he could be giving inconsistent answers because he was tired - prompting the judge to ask if he was able to continue with his evidence.

Pistorius told the court that his first intention when he heard a noise on February 14 was "to put myself between the intruder and Reeva" and that he reached for his gun under the bed and told Ms Steenkamp to call the police.

Mr Nel put it to him that a "reasonable person" would have done more to ensure that his partner "was okay or scared".

Pistorius said that he started screaming at the intruder to "get out of my house" and at Ms Steenkamp to call the police as he rushed down the passage to the bathroom in his home.

Mr Nel said: "The safety was off and you wanted to shoot someone. If you saw someone you were ready to shoot."

Pistorius replied: "I never wanted to shoot anyone."

The athlete said he could not explain why he had rushed toward the danger instead of taking the opportunity to escape with Ms Steenkamp through the bedroom door.

He said he kept quiet as he reached the bathroom door, telling the court: "I wanted to peer around the corner. I wasn't sure if the person was waiting for me. I was kneeling down."

He said that after hearing the toilet door slam, he was "sure" that there was an intruder in his house.

He said: "I was fighting for my life, my lady. I was not sure who was in the bathroom."

Mr Nel told Pistorius his claim that Ms Steenkamp was in the toilet but did not respond to his shouts was "the most improbable part of your story".

He said: "She was talking to you, that is why she was standing there before you shot her in the head. She was scared of you, not an intruder. She was scared of you."

Pistorius has faced a gruelling week of questions in the Pretoria court

Pistorius became emotional again when asked: "Did she scream while you shot her four times?"

Mr Nel said it was not possible for Pistorius to say that there had been no screaming, when he admitted he could not hear properly because of the sound of the gunshots.

Mr Nel also claimed the athlete was lying about an incident when he claims he was shot at while driving on a highway in 2008 or 2009, because he could not remember who he had called for help that night.

He said: "It is so improbable that you can not remember - the only reason you can not remember is that it didn't happen."

Mr Nel cast doubt on the defence's assertion that a number of items in the couple's bedroom must have been moved in the hours after the shooting.

Pistorius was given flowers by a fan outside court

Proceedings were briefly adjourned after Pistorius broke down in the witness box.

Asked why he was getting emotional, he told the prosecutor: "Because this is the night that I lost the person that I cared about. I don't understand why you can't understand it."

Pistorius was asked about security measures at his house, as the lawyer known as the "Pit Bull" sought to undermine his claims that he was concerned about crime.

Pistorius told the court he had never been a victim of crime at his Silver Woods home, apart from an occasion when he said police stole his watches.

Reeva Steenkamp's mother watches Pistorius as he gives evidence

He said security measures in the area had been upgraded several times, but he had never attended meetings of a home owners association where those issues were raised.

Mr Nel again suggested the athlete was a selfish person, raising his previous statements that Ms Steenkamp had often prayed for him and his training.

At one point, the barrister's combative approach earned him a reprimand from judge Thokozile Masipa, who warned him, "mind your language" after he called Pistorius a liar.

Mr Nel has sought to dismantle the Paralympian's heroic life story and portray him as self-centred, short-tempered, gun-obsessed and eager to shirk responsibility for his actions.

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition in relation to Ms Steenkamp's death.

He also denies two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

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Missing Three-Year-Old Girl Found Alive

A three-year-old girl who vanished from her bed overnight has been found alive and well.

Police feared Chloe Campbell had been snatched from her home in Childers, Queensland, after her father discovered her missing on Thursday morning.

But police say they discovered her "quite randomly" at the local showground at around 1am local time (4pm UK time). She was reunited with her parents and taken to a nearby hospital to undergo checks.

Inspector Kevin Guthridge told ABC: "It's one of those dreams that came true ... the greatest possible outcome for everyone."

Her father, Garth Campbell,  had said Chloe, who normally sleeps in the living room, had vanished along with her sleeping bag and stuffed, blue toy dog.

He had said a window was open and that there was an adult-sized footprint on the family's car outside.

"I don't think there's any possible way she's wandered off," he said.

"She wouldn't leave the yard by herself."

He added that the family would normally have closed the windows at night, but that one of the latches must have failed to lock properly.

"That's why we are blaming ourselves," he said.

More follows...

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Maria Miller Resigns As Culture Secretary

Maria Miller has been warned accepting a £17,000 pay-off would be a "further insult" to the taxpayer and she should turn it down.

The former Culture Secretary is entitled to three months' pay on leaving her post under law, however, she can refuse the amount.

The sum is significantly more than the £5,800 she has been ordered to repay in wrongly-claimed expenses and the Labour MP John Mann has said that given her conduct the payment would be "inappropriate".

Mrs Miller resigned this morning after a week of mounting pressure following an investigation into the expenses claims she made for a second home.

Mr Mann, who made the initial complaint about her allowances claims, said: "It is a ridiculous and outdated practice to pay off ministers when they return to the backbenches.

"In light of Maria Miller's conduct, it would now be inappropriate for her to claim severance pay following her resignation. For her to accept a payoff would be a further insult to the taxpayer."

Mrs Miller has insisted she was not pushed from her role as Culture Secretary but had to go because the scandal over her expenses was becoming a "distraction".

Maria Miller's 32-second apology in the Commons was incendiary

In an interview after her resignation, a clearly upset Mrs Miller said she took "full responsibility" for her decision to step down.

She said: "This has been a really difficult 16 months. Because I was cleared of the central allegation made about me by a Labour Member of Parliament, I hoped that I could stay. But it has become clear to me in recent days that it has become an enormous distraction.

"It is not right that I am distracting from the incredible achievements of this Government."

She denied she thought there had been a "witch-hunt" against her because of her role overseeing the reforms on press freedom suggested in the Leveson report, as had been claimed by her aide on Tuesday.

Asked if she was sorry, she replied: "I have made it clear and apologised unreservedly to the House of Commons and made sure that it was clear to everybody that I took full responsibility for those findings.

"I want to make that the situation is clear to everybody and make sure that I can move on."

In her resignation letter to David Cameron, Mrs Miller, 48, told him she was "very grateful" for his personal support during the growing row over her expenses.

Mr Cameron repeatedly backed his Culture Secretary

Mr Cameron, who consistently offered public support for his minister, said he was saddened by her departure but hoped the Basingstoke MP could make a return "in due course".

Mrs Miller finally stepped down six days after she was forced to apologise in the House of Commons for her attitude to an inquiry into the allowance claimed on her second home.

The Prime Minister had been under pressure in recent days to sack her from Tory activists and MPs, and Mrs Miller's position had become untenable.

Following criticism over his handling of the case from both Tory and Labour MPs Mr Cameron robustly defended his actions at Prime Minister's Questions.

When Labour leader Ed Miliband asked him what he had learned from the situation, he said: "I hope that one lesson that won't be learned is that the right thing to do as soon as someone has to answer allegations is just to instantly remove them, rather than give them a chance to clear their name and get on with their job.

"If people clear themselves of a serious offence, you let them get on with their job, you let them try to do their job. That is actually the right thing to do.

The second home at the centre of the row

"Firing someone at the first sign of trouble ... that is not actually leadership, that is weakness."

Mrs Miller's camp had, on Tuesday night, attempted a fightback after days of newspaper headlines and the faltering support for her from within Government.

Her aide, Mary Macleod, appeared on Sky News to claim she was a victim of a witch-hunt because she was dealing with press reforms recommended in the Leveson report. She had sent a text to MPs attempting to garner support for Mrs Miller.

She also claimed that Mrs Miller was unpopular because she was responsible for steering through the legislation on gay marriage.

In her resignation letter Mrs Miller said: "Of course, implementing the recommendations made by Lord Justice Leveson on the future of media regulation, following the phone hacking scandals, would always be controversial for the press.

"Working together with you, I believe we struck the right balance between protecting the freedom of the press and ensuring fairness, particularly for victims of press intrusion, to have a clear right of redress."

Mr Cameron has announced that Sajid Javid, MP for Bromsgrove, is to become the new Culture Secretary.

Nicky Morgan will replace him as Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Andrea Leadsom will become Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Mrs Miller's departure leaves three women in the Cabinet: Home Secretary Theresa May, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, and International Development Secretary Justine Greening. Baroness Warsi sits in the Cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio as is Ms Morgan, in her role.

Conservatives in Mrs Miller's constituency voiced disappointment at her departure.

Stephen Marks, a Conservative councillor on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said: "She did Leveson on press complaints and I feel the press were going to get their own back on her. I am saddened that she had to resign, but that is the way it is."

Mrs Miller issued a much-derided 32-second apology on Thursday after Parliament's sleaze watchdog upbraided her for her attitude to an expenses inquiry into claims for a second home.

She was also ordered to pay back £5,800 of wrongly-claimed allowances on the house in Wimbledon, southwest London, which she sold for a £1.2m profit in February.

However, it emerged that the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards had found that Mrs Miller should have paid back £45,000 in expenses claimed on the home but this was overruled by the Standards Committee of 10 MPs and three independent members, who do not have a vote.

It led to calls for an end to a system where MPs are allowed to police their own expenses, with the head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, Sir Ian Kennedy, saying they should not "mark their own homework".

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Trainee Lawyer Jailed Over Dog's Death

A trainee solicitor has been jailed for 18 weeks after being convicted of locking her pet dog in a kitchen and leaving it to die.

Katy Gammon, 27, abandoned five-year-old boxer Roxy without food or water when she left her home in Bristol.

The dog's remains were not found for 10 weeks, until neighbours reported a large amount of flies around the property.

RSPCA inspectors were forced to remove Roxy's remains from the kitchen floor with a snow shovel.

The dog suffered a "prolonged and painful" death over a six-day period, a post-mortem examination found.

Bristol Magistrates' Court was told that the dog had shredded part of the kitchen door in an attempt to escape and emptied mops and buckets from cupboards to find water.

Shockingly, Gammon had piled tins of dog food and dog treats outside the kitchen - just feet away from where Roxy was locked inside.

Gammon showed "limited remorse" for her actions

Gammon later admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dog and failing to prevent causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Dressed in a black suit, she remained emotionless in the dock as she was told her actions were "deliberate".

"This was prolonged neglect of a dog where she was locked in a house and left to die of starvation and dehydration," said Rod Mayall, chair of the bench.

"You have shown limited remorse. Although you were somewhat depressed, you failed to take up at least two offers of alternative housing for the dog. You failed to act as any normal person would.

"This is the most serious incident of animal cruelty that we have encountered in these courts."

Roxy suffered a "prolonged and painful" death

Gammon was also banned from keeping animals for life.

The trainee solicitor, whose career is now at an end, had acquired Roxy while living with her boyfriend, Adam Taylor, in December 2012. The couple separated in April 2013.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Taylor said he had felt "physically sick" after seeing photographs of Roxy's remains in the kitchen.

"Roxy was mistreated by her previous owner. She used to panic if she was left alone and would become distressed," he told the court.

"I don't understand why Katy did this. She had so many friends and family who would have taken Roxy and would have helped her."

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Peaches Geldof Post-Mortem 'Inconclusive'

A post-mortem examination into the death of Peaches Geldof has proved inconclusive pending the results of toxicology tests.

The 25-year-old was found dead at her home in Wrotham, Kent, on Monday and police are treating the death as "non-suspicious" and "unexplained".

A statement said: "Officers continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death in order to compile a report for the coroner.

"The result of a toxicology report can take several weeks."

Peaches (L) and her sister Fifi Trixibelle. Pic: fifigeldof Instagram

Ms Geldof, who had two young sons with her second husband, musician Tom Cohen, was a prolific tweeter and the final message she sent on Sunday was a picture of herself as a child with her mother, with the message "me and my mum".

In a column for Mother & Baby magazine, she wrote how she was now "happier than ever" after becoming a mother.

Mr Cohen said he would bring up Astala, 23 months, and 11-month-old Phaedra, "with their mother in their hearts every day".

Ms Geldof's body was found on Monday afternoon after officers were called "following a report of concern for the welfare of a woman", a Kent Police spokesman said.

Her father Bob released a touching tribute in which he said the family was suffering "beyond pain".

Her elder sister Fifi Trixibelle Geldof posted a picture on Instagram on Tuesday of the two of them together when they were children and wrote: "My beautiful baby sister .... Gone but never forgotten. I love you Peaches x."

Ms Geldof was just 11 when her mother, TV presenter Paula Yates, died from an accidental heroin overdose in 2000, aged 41.

She often spoke about her struggle to cope with her parents' break up when she was seven and admitted to experimenting with drugs during her teenage years.

A decision on whether to hold an inquest will be made depending on the final results of the post-mortem examination.

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Why Is MH370 Search Chief So Optimistic?

Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston is a military man, and military men deal in certainties.

He won't commit himself to say they have found the plane. Not yet. Not until he sees some wreckage for his own eyes.

"How confident are you?" he was asked by an Australian reporter. "50%, 70%, 90%?"

He laughed it off. He wouldn't be drawn. Of course he wouldn't. He's a military man. Certainties, certainties, certainties, remember?

There's no "we think we've found it". In his way of thinking, you've either found it or you haven't.

But they have found it, and he knows it.

You only need to read his demeanour and body posture in the press conferences, and how he has relaxed in recent days.

Crews are searching the southern Indian Ocean

And he's absolutely right not to commit himself. Because he wouldn't just be making a judgement without the full facts, he would be sealing the fate of the 239 people who were on that plane, and he would be telling the families that any remaining hope was now lost.

He will have to do that at some point, in the coming days I suspect, but only when he is ready, only when he is sure.

And that's right.

I think his media management has been top notch.

He has answered all the many detailed questions the media have asked, and built trust.

But there is one thing that has me wondering...

"We're being transparent, we're hiding nothing," he said as he left the podium at the end of a recent press conference.

Mr Houston has appeared more relaxed in recent days

Well, I don't quite believe him. There was something that led them to that spot in the Indian Ocean, some clue, some intelligence, something that meant Ocean Shield heard the first pings on the very day the black box batteries were due to start weakening.

Sure, Inmarsat has been recalculating its data and narrowing down the search area, but that alone can't be enough.

They have found the plane's black box, potentially 14,700 ft (4,500m) below the Ocean in the middle of nowhere, and not a single piece of wreckage has been picked up to guide them.

Something told them to look there...

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Mummy Scan Reveals Spatula Lodged In Skull

A scan of an ancient mummy has shown that the person's brains had been scooped out with a spatula.

Researchers at the British Museum made the grim find after the scan showed the instrument had been left lodged in the skull of the body of the man, from Thebes in modern-day Egypt.

The body is believed to have been mummified around 600 BC.

The image of the man's mummified body clearly shows the spatula in his head and a series of dental abscesses that would have given him bad toothache.

The scanner produces high-resolution data that can be turned into 3D images

The mummy is part of a new exhibition at one of London's most famous museums that also features the remains of a female singer called Tamut who lived in the same area in around 900 BC and whose high status was reflected in her body being buried with jewellery.

Her scan showed she had suffered from blocked arteries - the blockage may have contributed to her death.

They are among eight mummies examined with advanced CT scanners that produce high-resolution data.

The data can be turned into 3D images using software originally designed to make cars.

Singer Tamut suffered from blocked arteries

The museum's director Neil MacGregor said: "This new technology is truly ground-breaking, allowing us to reconstruct and understand the lives of eight, very different, individuals.

"This is a project which has only been made possible through recent technological advances and I am delighted that the museum is at the forefront of this kind of research and presentation."

The exhibition starts on May 22 and lasts until November 30.

The museum started x-raying its mummies in the 1960s and used CT scanners for the first time in the 1990s.

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Student 'Flashing Knives' Stabs 20 At School

A 16-year-old boy who stabbed 20 people in a bloody 30 minute rampage at a high school was eventually subdued by a school security guard and an assistant principal.

At least four students were seriously injured at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, when the student, who police said was "flashing two knives around", carried out the assault.

Thomas Seefeld, chief of police in the suburb 15 miles east of Pittsburgh, said the 16-year-old walked down a hallway and ended up stabbing 19 fellow pupils and security guard as they began arriving for what should have been a normal school day.

The assault began at 7.13am (12.13 GMT) and was over by 7.45am.

The school was locked down and students were kept inside while officials checked the premises was secure.

The suspect, who has not been named, was taken to hospital for treatment for a minor hand wound.

The assault lasted half an hour

A motive has not been established, but authorities are investigating reports of a threatening phone call between the suspect and another student the night on Tuesday night.

Forbes Regional Hospital is treating eight of the victims. Doctor Mark Rubino said he expected everyone to survive, despite "deep penetrating" stab wounds.

Three victims are in surgery there, while the other five are still being evaluated.

Dan Stevens, a spokesman for Westmoreland County emergency management, told AFP the teenage victims are aged 14 to 17.

Mr Stevens said some of those injured suffered cuts and scrapes as they attempted to flee the scene.

Twelve victims have been sent to four different hospitals.

Four students suffered serious injuries

One student told the television channel WTAE he saw "students holding their stomachs, bleeding."

Morris Hundley said his 14-year-old daughter Morriah called him in tears. He rushed to the school still wearing his slippers, hoping for more information.

"My first thoughts were I think we need to home school now that this has happened," he said.

"The words can't describe how I feel. I'm just thinking of the victims."

Mr Seefeld praised staff, telling a news conference things could have been much worse "if there was not (the) immediate interaction that occurred".

The attack follows on from a long line of US school shootings that have provoked a nationwide debate about gun control laws.

The December 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, which claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults, failed to tighten the rules surrounding gun ownership.

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Pistorius: Angry Clashes Over Grisly Photo

Oscar Pistorius was repeatedly branded a liar today amid angry clashes with a prosecutor over a gruesome picture of Reeva Steenkamp's bloodied head.

Pistorius raised his voice and refused to look at the photograph after barrister Gerrie Nel said Reeva's head had "exploded like a watermelon".

As Pistorius sobbed in the dock, Mr Nel referred to a Sky News video showing Pistorius shooting and hitting a watermelon on a firing range.

Pistorius arrives for the trial today

"You know that the same happened to Reeva's head - it exploded," Mr Nel said.

There were gasps in court and some in the public gallery were forced to leave as a picture of Reeva's wounded head was beamed on screens across the courtroom.

As the picture was shown in court, the barrister continued: "Have a look. I know you don't want to because you don't want to take responsibility. Take a look."

Appearing to lose his composure, Pistorius replied: "I will not look at a picture. I touched her head that night. I know how it felt.

A photograph of Reeva Steenkamp with a head injury was shown to the court

"I am taking responsibility, by standing here today - I am not looking at that picture."

The photograph showed a side view of Miss Steenkamp's bloodied head, with her eyes closed.

Mr Nel said: "It's time that you look at it."

Judge Thokozile Masipais eventually asked for the picture to be taken down and ruled that the line of questioning was inappropriate, as Pistorius was forced to take a break.

Earlier, Pistorius shook in the dock as Mr Nel asked: "You killed Reeva Steenkamp, didn't you?"

Pistorius said: "I did, I made a terrible mistake."

Mr Nel replied: "Won't you take responsibility? Take responsibility - say 'I shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp'."

Again and again, Mr Nel accused Pistorius of lying to the court, something the athlete repeatedly denied.

During one heated exchange Mr Nel said: "But Reeva does not have a life any more because of what you have done.

"So please tell the truth, rather than think of the implications for you."

On another occasion, as Mr Nel grew more impatient, Pistorius sobbed: "I am fighting for my life."

Pistorius began today's evidence by describing how he carried the model down the stairs of his home after finding her slumped on the toilet.

"She was sitting with her weight on top of the toilet bowl. I checked to see if she was breathing and she wasn't," he told the court.

June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, watches today's proceedings

"I pulled her weight on to me and I sat there crying for some time. I felt her head on my shoulder and I could feel the blood running down me. 

"I thought I felt her breathing. I could see her arm was broken.

"I was trying to pick Reeva up. I could see she was still breathing. She was struggling to breathe." 

Pistorius said that he rang 911 and also security - but did not remember either call clearly.

"After I got off the phone with 911, I ran downstairs to open the front door. I could barely pick Reeva up. I opened the front door," he said.

Pistorius said Miss Steenkamp died in his arms

"I ran back up to my room. I went back to the bathroom and tried to pick up Reeva.

"I got to the second flight of stairs. I was shouting and screaming for help in getting her to the hospital."

Pistorius said he was told to put Miss Steenkamp down as neighbours said an ambulance was on its way.

"I just sat there and waited for the ambulance to arrive," he said.

"I had my fingers in her mouth to help her breathe. I had my hand on her hip to try and stop the bleeding.

"Reeva had already died when I was holding her so I knew there was nothing the ambulance could do.

Pistorius has broken down several times since the start of the trial

"Then the paramedic came to me and said she would like to inform me that Reeva had passed.

"The paramedic asked me if there was some form of ID. I went to get Reeva's handbag."

Pistorius said that police officers then arrived and checked the house to see if anyone else was there.

"I asked the policeman if I could wash my hands because the smell of the blood was making me throw up. I washed my hands and face," he said.

The athlete was later taken to the police station and arrested over the death. Afterwards he was taken to hospital where doctors conducted tests on him.

Sky's Alex Crawford and Jeremy Thompson with a South African newspaper

Asked by his barrister whether he intended to kill his girlfriend, Pistorius responded: "I did not intend to kill Reeva or anyone else for that matter." 

Later, under cross examination, Pistorius was asked about what he meant by "accidently" firing his gun at the toilet door.

"Did your gun go off accidently, yes or no, just answer the question?" Mr Nel said.

Again raising his voice, Pistorius replied: "When I fired my firearm I believed someone was coming out of the bathroom to attack me.

"I thought someone was coming out to attack me." 

Mr Nel asked: "Why are you emotional now the questions are difficult?", to which Pistorius answered: "My life is on the line."

For the second time, Judge Masipais jumped in to stop Mr Nel, explaining that it was unfair to imply that Pistorius had intentionally become emotional. 

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

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Two More Signals Picked Up In Plane Hunt

Search Chief's Manner Says MH370 Found

Updated: 2:10pm UK, Wednesday 09 April 2014

Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston is a military man, and military men deal in certainties.

He won't commit himself to say they have found the plane. Not yet. Not until he sees some wreckage for his own eyes.

"How confident are you?" he was asked by an Australian reporter. "50%, 70%, 90%?"

He laughed it off. He wouldn't be drawn. Of course he wouldn't. He's a military man. Certainties, certainties, certainties, remember?

There's no "we think we've found it". In his way of thinking, you've either found it or you haven't.

But they have found it, and he knows it.

You only need to read his demeanour and body posture in the press conferences, and how he has relaxed in recent days.

And he's absolutely right not to commit himself. Because he wouldn't just be making a judgement without the full facts, he would be sealing the fate of the 239 people who were on that plane, and he would be telling the families that any remaining hope was now lost.

He will have to do that at some point, in the coming days I suspect, but only when he is ready, only when he is sure.

And that's right.

I think his media management has been top notch.

He has answered all the many detailed questions the media have asked, and built trust.

But there is one thing that has me wondering...

"We're being transparent, we're hiding nothing," he said as he left the podium at the end of a recent press conference.

Well, I don't quite believe him. There was something that led them to that spot in the Indian Ocean, some clue, some intelligence, something that meant Ocean Shield heard the first pings on the very day the black box batteries were due to start weakening.

Sure, Inmarsat has been recalculating its data and narrowing down the search area, but that alone can't be enough.

They have found the plane's black box, potentially 14,700 ft (4,500m) below the Ocean in the middle of nowhere, and not a single piece of wreckage has been picked up to guide them.

Something told them to look there...

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Toyota In Global Recall Of 6 Million Vehicles

Toyota has issued a global recall of millions of vehicles because of safety issues.

The Japanese company said the announcement covers three issues affecting RAV4, Hilux, Yaris and Urban Cruiser models.

A total of 35,124 UK-registered vehicles are affected by the recall, of 6.4 million worldwide.

The total bill is forecast to cost the company more than £300m.

The carmaker said: "Worldwide, there have been no reports of any accidents or injuries relating to these issues.

"Toyota is conducting the recalls according to Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) code of practice."

The firm said it would provide a "prompt inspection and repair programme" without charge to owners.

Customers can check if their vehicle is affected by using a registration number look-up function on its website.

It said a spiral cable assembly issue had been identified on airbag modules of some RAV4 and Hilux vehicles.

There is a risk that when the steering wheel is turned damage may occur to the circuitry.

"If connectivity is lost, the airbag warning light will illuminate on the instrument panel and the driver's airbag may be deactivated," Toyota said.

The RAV4 and Hilux vehicles were manufactured between June 2004 and December 2010.

Toyota's Prius Hybrids were recalled last February

The world's largest carmaker also found a fault in the seat adjustment rail for Yaris and Urban Cruisers could fail after repeated usage.

It said: "Should the spring break, the seat may not lock into its adjusted position, and could move in the event of a crash."

The affected Yaris and Urban Cruiser models were built between January 2005 and August 2010, covering 10,339 UK-registered cars.

Toyota said there was a potential fault in the tilt or telescopic steering column of some second generation Yaris and Urban Cruisers.

It said: "Toyota is aware that the weld which connects the steering column bracket to the instrument panel on some Yaris and Urban Cruiser models might break when the steering wheel is repeatedly turned with full force.

"The driver may hear an abnormal noise from the bracket area and if the vehicle continues to be driven, it is possible that the bracket will fail, causing the steering column to tilt out of position. However, the driver will not lose steering control."

The potential steering issue affected 1,293 UK cars built between September 2005 and February 2009.

The company said: "Vehicle owners will be contacted by Toyota within the coming weeks by post or telephone and asked to make an appointment to bring their car to their nearest Toyota Centre, in accordance with DVSA guidelines."

Tokyo-listed shares for the company were down more than 3% on the Nikkei after the news was announced on Wednesday, before easing to 2.1% down.

Some of the affected vehicles were made in France, with the majority built in Japan.

The recall of 6.4 million vehicles includes 297,000 in Australia - where it recently announced a decision to stop making vehicles.

Toyota was once renowned for impeccable build quality but that reputation has been hit in recent years.

In 2012, it recalled more than 3 million vehicles over safety issues and last February 1.9 million Prius Hybrids were recalled.

The Toyota announcement is the latest in a series of high-profile recalls to hit the sector.

General Motors (GM) recently recalled more than 2.4 million North American vehicles over ignition switch issues - with its CEO grilled by politicians in Washington DC - while the world's second biggest carmaker, Volkswagen, recalled 2.6m vehicles late last year.

GM has been fined $7,000 (£4,200) a day until they provide all sufficient information required by lawmakers.

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PC Blakelock Murder Accused Found Not Guilty

A man accused of stabbing PC Keith Blakelock during the 1985 Tottenham riots has been found not guilty of murder.

Nicky Jacobs, who was 16 at the time of the attack, had maintained his innocence throughout.

There were cheers from the public gallery as the verdicts were returned by a jury, who took just six hours to clear the 45-year-old with a majority of 10-2.

PC Blakelock was killed by a mob armed with knives and machetes at the height of the riots at the Broadwater Farm estate in 1985.

Estates were devastated during the riots

The 40-year-old was among a group of officers sent out without cover on the night of Sunday, October 6 to protect firemen tackling fires.

He suffered 43 wounds and was left with a knife embedded in his neck.

Mr Jacobs stood and punched the air as he was cleared, before breaking down in tears.

Those supporting him in the public gallery included Winston Silcott, whose conviction for the murder of PC Blakelock was quashed in 1991.

Mr Silcott shouted "Yeah, yeah" and "Brother, brother" from the gallery. Once outside he told reporters: "The police are bitter about what happened, that's why they brought this case.

"Vengeance, that's what the police were out to get."

Winston Silcott at the Old Bailey

PC Blakelock's family, who were in court, have said they are "extremely sad and disappointed at the verdict".

Police have justified pursuing Mr Jacobs almost three decades after the riots in north London and pledged to continue to seek justice for PC Blakelock's death.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said: "No matter how difficult an investigation it has been to carry out - given the many years that have passed, the lack of forensic evidence and CCTV, plus the main witnesses to Keith murder's being those taking part in the riot - it was important we exhausted every possible lead we could.

"Sadly, Keith's widow, family and friends still have not seen anyone brought to justice for his murder. The dignity, extraordinary patience and courage they have shown in their nearly 30-year quest for justice is humbling.

"We will not give up on bringing Keith's killers to justice.

"There are people who know exactly who took part in the attack on Keith and people who took part themselves. It is not too late for you to come forward. Almost 30 years on, people's lives are very different, their allegiances broken or shifted. Help us now."

PC Keith Blakelock's widow, Elizabeth Johnson

The Crown Prosecution Service also insisted "it was right" to bring a case because "there was sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it was in the public interest". 

The trial heard from three anonymous witnesses who claimed to have seen Mr Jacobs take part in the killing.

During investigations into the attack on PC Blakelock a decision was made to give immunity to so-called "kickers" - those who were involved in the attack but did not use weapons.

In exchange they would cooperate with prosecutions, and the jury was told that some witnesses received payments.

Detective Superintendent John Sweeney, who led the investigation for 14 years, insisted: "No-one has been rewarded for this trial."

Mr Jacobs had previously been convicted of affray in 1986 and was photographed at the scene throwing petrol bombs at the police.

Police made numerous arrests at the time

The defendant had written a rap poem during his time in a juvenile detention centre in which he boasted about "chopping" at the officer.

Defending, Courtenay Griffiths QC said: "Bob Marley wrote I Shot The Sheriff but I have not heard of him being put on trial for murder."

The riots on Broadwater Farm are among the worst civil disturbances ever seen in Britain.

Violence erupted on October 5, 1985 after Cynthia Jarrett died of a heart attack following a police search of her home in Tottenham.

This came a week after police shot a black woman in Brixton.

Mr Jacobs was the seventh person to be tried for the Blakelock killing.

Three men, including Mr Silcott, were convicted in 1987 but later cleared on appeal after allegations of fabricated evidence. Three juveniles were acquitted before their case reached a jury.

Stafford Scott, from the Tottenham Rights Group, said the police should now close the case.

Stafford Scott from the Tottenham Rights Group

"This time around we've been given justice. We hope this puts an end to the case," Mr Scott said outside court.

"We feel sorry for the family of PC Blakelock but they shouldn't have been drawn through this because this case should never have happened.

"They've investigated this for 10 years and we've seen a jury release Nicky Jacobs in less than seven hours.

"I think for the police this really is the end of the route."

Mr Jacobs will be released from Belmarsh prison on Thursday.

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