Berezovsky Estate: Daughter Applies To Court

One of the daughters of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky has denied that her father was millions of pounds in debt when he died.

Ekaterina Berezovskaya has gone to the High Court asking to be allowed to become an executor of his estate.

Her plea comes amid questions as to whether or not there is any money in the estate to distribute.

Judge Mr Justice Morgan said reports from receivers who had analysed Mr Berezovsky's financial affairs suggested there was not, and that he had left debts that could amount to more than £300m.

"The dispute is whether the estate is solvent or insolvent," said the judge. "Information from receivers points to insolvency.

Berezovsky had earlier lost a court battle against Roman Abramovitch

"The receivers have told me a great deal about what they have uncovered."

The judge said he had seen detail of alleged debts and said the level of insolvency could be as high as £309m.

However, Ms Berezovskaya, questioned the receivers' analysis.

Anthony Trace QC, for Ms Berezovskaya, said the judge was not in a position to decide whether Mr Berezovsky's estate was insolvent.

He said there were a "number of things" receivers had not done and questioned the adequacy of their investigation.

Mr Trace said Ms Berezovskaya had been appointed executor by her father who had "died in tragic and mysterious circumstances".

The judge is being asked to decide whether Ms Berezovskaya should be made a temporary administrator of her father's estate pending further litigation.

Mr Berezovsky, 67, was found dead at his home in Ascot, Berkshire in March.

He was reportedly found on a bathroom floor with a ligature around his neck.

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BBC Boss Pay-Offs £1.4m More Than Needed

The BBC paid senior managers £1.4m more than their contracts demanded in pay-offs over a three year period, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said.

The NAO examined a further 90 severance payments made to corporation bosses after its initial study of 60 cases earlier this year, which showed some staff were paid more than they were entitled to.

The new report states: "Across all 150 severance payments to senior managers in the three years to December 2012, the BBC paid more salary in lieu of notice than it was contractually obliged to in 22 cases, at a total cost of £1.4m.

The NAO said that in 18 of the additional 90 cases, severance deals had been agreed "before the supporting business cases had been through the relevant scrutiny and approval process".

BBC director-general Tony Hall is reforming severance pay arrangements

It said: "In one case, approval to pay severance of £141,000 was not provided until after the payment was made."

The BBC also paid £687,333 in redundancy to executive Jana Bennett, a former head of television at the corporation, after she left a new position at its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, before it "reversed its decision and recovered the money".

The NAO report says the review confirms the conclusion set out in the earlier report, "namely that weak governance arrangements led to payments that exceeded contractual entitlements, provided poor value for money and put public trust at risk".

It also highlighted the case of a senior manager who received a pay-off of £179,200, but then returned to the BBC for 20 days and was paid £9,650.

The BBC has also published a separate report by auditors KPMG examining severance payments from July 2006 to December 2009.

BBC director-general Tony Hall said: "Reforming severance pay arrangements and addressing these problems of the past have been a priority for me from day one as director-general.

"I commissioned today's KPMG report to ensure that we can get everything out in the open and help bring this difficult chapter to a close.

"Both these reports underline what we already knew - approvals, record keeping and oversight were poor. Although as a result of these deals the BBC delivered savings of £37m a year in management costs, it did it in the wrong way."

The KPMG report showed 176 managers left the corporation in the period examined with an average payment of £130,068.

Former BBC boss Mark Thompson is due before MPs on Monday

Among the senior executives who left in that period was former BBC1 boss Peter Fincham who reportedly got a £500,000 pay-off when he left the corporation in the wake of a scandal sparked by misleading footage of the Queen.

Mr Fincham, who is now director of television at ITV, quit in 2007 after an independent inquiry revealed a catalogue of "misjudgments, poor practice and ineffective systems" at the corporation.

Lord Hall has already announced a cap on severance pay of £150,000.

Rob Wilson, Conservative MP for Reading East, said former director-general Mark Thompson would "have to answer" for the "unnecessary and excessive golden goodbyes" when he appears before the Public Accounts Committee on Monday.

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China Eye Gouging: Aunt Suspected Of Attack

The aunt of a six-year-old boy whose eyes were gouged out is suspected of carrying out the attack that has horrified China.

Official Chinese media reported that the woman, named as Zhang Huiying, committed suicide by jumping into a well six days after the boy, Guo Bin, was injured.

Police in the city of Linfen, in northern Shanxi province, identified her as a suspect because the boy's blood was found on her clothes, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

They gave no suggestion of motive and the family has denied reports of a dispute over the cost of paying for the care of an elderly relative.

Initial reports said the boy, nicknamed Bin Bin, had been playing outside his home on the evening of August 24 when he was lured by an unidentified woman into a field where she used a tool to gouge out his eyes.

Family members found the boy late at night in a remote area, his face covered in blood and eyelids swollen.

The latest police finding seemed to conflict with an earlier suggestion from the family that the woman spoke with a strange accent and had hair that was dyed blonde.

Bin Bin's mother Wang Wenli said that the boy was disorientated after the traumatising attack but was recovering steadily. "It is easy to understand that he wasn't clear about the situation," she said.

Surgeons in China hope they can give Guo Bin artificial eyeballs

Of the attacker she added: "He said her accent was from another region, but he later amended that. He then said it was a local accent, but he did not say that it was his aunt."

She declined to talk about the police evidence against her sister-in-law, saying: "The police did not tell us anything. I do not know."

Her brother Wang Wenjun, one of the boy's uncles, said that Zhang might have been mentally ill and that it was unclear why she committed suicide.

Of the boy's recovery Ms Wang said: "He talks to me, and he plays with toys that people have sent him. He still doesn't know that he likely will be blind the rest of his life."

Meanwhile, doctors from an eye clinic in Shenzhen visited the boy earlier this week to assess the injuries and possibilities for providing new artificial eyeballs in a complicated surgery.

Dennis Lam, the doctor who heads the clinic, told China News Service, a government-owned news agency, that the surgery would take place in four to six weeks once the evaluation of the damage in the eye sockets is conducted and the family agrees to the procedure.

"The first plan is to make sure there is some healthy tissue in the injured eyes, so the tissue can cover and hold the artificial eyes. If that is not possible, we need to perform significantly more difficult surgery," said Dr Lam.

The attack has horrified the Chinese public with internet users expressing dismay as they circulated reports of the attack and links to footage showing Bin Bin writhing in pain on a hospital trolley.

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Rachel Manning: Killer Jailed For Murder

A man has been jailed for life for the murder of Rachel Manning 11 years after her boyfriend was wrongly convicted over the killing.

Shahidul Ahmed, 41, will serve a minimum term of 17 years for the 19-year-old's murder.

The teenager's boyfriend, Barri White, was wrongly convicted of the killing and said he was "over the moon" after the sentencing.

The entrance to Woburn Golf Club where Rachel's body was dumped

He added that "justice has finally been done" and that he was "really happy that Rachel's family have finally got justice and the closure they deserve."

Mr White was convicted in 2002 of Rachel's murder, but five years later this was quashed by appeal judges and he was acquitted in 2008 after a re-trial.

This came after the case was featured on a BBC Rough Justice documentary which raised questions about key scientific evidence in the first trial.

The steering lock left near where Rachel's body was found

Mr White's friend Keith Hyatt was also cleared of any wrongdoing after he was wrongly convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by helping to dispose of Rachel's body.

Ms Manning had been to a 70s themed fancy dress party with Mr White and her friends on December 9, 2000.

They went on to Chicago's nightclub and left at around 2.15am, where Ms Manning walked off alone to catch a taxi.

She phoned her home in Wolverton at 2.43am and spoke to her flat mate to say she was upset. She then phoned Mr White and said she did not know where she was and he agreed to pick her up.

When they arrived at 3.13am she was not there.

The 19-year-old telephoned her boyfriend from this phone after getting lost

Ahmed was suspected of Ms Manning's murder after he was arrested over a sexual assault in May 2010.

Thames Valley Police said a woman got into his car after a night out in Milton Keynes thinking he was a taxi driver.

She escaped after being indecently assaulted and was helped by a passer-by who got the car's registration. The arrest led to a DNA match connecting Ahmed to a steering lock he used to repeatedly hit Ms Manning after she was dead.

Ahmed, of Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, sold his car eight days after the murder.

He was arrested on suspicion of her murder in September 2010 and charged in December 2011.

The father-of-five, who sat with an interpreter in the dock, bowed his head as the verdict was read out.

The court was told he took out his "anger and frustration on her much-loved face and disfigured it by great violence, having sought to dispose of her where she would not be found for a sufficient time to enable you to cover your tracks".

After the hearing, Ms Manning's mother, Liz, said in a statement: "We are relieved with the verdict which has been reached today and appreciate that although the jury has been presented with many complexities during the evidence, they've been able to reach what we consider a just conclusion."

Detective Chief Superintendent Rob Mason, of Thames Valley Police, said: "I cannot praise Rachel's family enough; they have remained dignified and courageous throughout despite the unimaginable nightmare they have endured.

"I hope that today will give some comfort to the family after the ordeal they have been through over the past 12 years."

He added that both Mr White and Mr Hyatt had received an apology.

Baljit Ubhey OBE, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: "Rachel Manning, who was trying to find her way home after a night out, had the misfortune to come across Ahmed.

"We may never know for sure what happened that night, or why Ahmed murdered Rachel, but what we do know is that Ahmed is an extremely dangerous man who was convicted last year of a sexual assault against another young woman.

"Had it not been for his arrest for that offence Ahmed may never have been brought to justice for Rachel's murder.

"This case represents a tragedy for the family of Rachel Manning. And there are others whose lives have also been affected. Two innocent men were imprisoned as a result of this terrible crime and we hope that this conviction represents closure for them too."

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Iraq Probe: Soldier 'Shot At Twitching Bodies'

A British soldier fired a volley of bullets into the "twitching" bodies of Iraqis after a firefight, a public inquiry has heard.

The Al Sweady Inquiry is examining allegations that British troops mistreated and unlawfully killed Iraqi detainees after the Battle of Danny Boy in southern Iraq in May 2004.

Former army private Duncan Aston told the inquiry he also saw a fellow private stamp on the head of a dead Iraqi, and other comrades punch and kick a detainee.

He did not report the incidents, because he did not want to "grass" on his friends, he said.

Mr Aston, who was serving with the 2nd Battalion the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, said his platoon sergeant demanded his weapon from him then opened fire on the bodies.

Detainee 772, who allegedly was punched and kicked by soldiers

In a witness statement to the inquiry, Mr Aston - who has since left the Army - described how, after a firefight with Iraqi insurgents, he was collecting weapons from dead gunmen in a ditch when he noticed two were "twitching".

"At the time, I assumed that because they were twitching this meant that there must be some life there," he said.

He said the men appeared to be "somewhere between life and death" but looked past the point of first aid.

Mr Aston recalled his platoon sergeant, Paul Kelly approach the ditch "looking very angry" and try to fire at one of the twitching men, but his weapon did not work.

"He then threw his rifle to the ground and said words to the effect of 'give me your weapon'."

Sgt Kelly had seemed "worked up" he said. "He had been injured earlier in the tour when he was shot in the finger and he had returned to Iraq after a spell in the UK a lot angrier than he had been before."

He assumed Sgt Kelly wanted to fire his rifle at the bodies, but did not feel he could say no, Mr Aston told the hearing in central London.

"He put a full magazine of bullets into both bodies that had been twitching but he also fired into the bodies of the other dead gunmen in the ditch.

"The bodies of the two twitching gunmen stopped twitching. There was no other reaction from the bodies. They did not make any other noise, they just stopped twitching."

Sgt Kelly gave the gun back, and the incident was not mentioned between them again, he said.

The Ministry of Defence has denied the allegations, saying bodies handed back to Iraqis had died on the battlefield.

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Syria: Russia Warns US Over Military Action

US Draft Resolution On Syria

Updated: 1:35pm UK, Wednesday 04 September 2013

The full text of the US draft resolution on action in Syria:

JOINT RESOLUTION

To authorize the limited and tailored use of the United States Armed Forces against Syria.

Whereas Syria is in material breach of the laws of war by having employed chemical weapons against its civilian population;

Whereas the abuses of the regime of Bashar al-Assad have included the brutal repression and war upon its own civilian population, resulting in more than 100,000 people killed in the past two years, and more than 2 million internally displaced people and Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, creating an unprecedented regional crisis and instability;

Whereas the Assad regime has the largest chemical weapons programs in the region and has demonstrated its capability and willingness to repeatedly use weapons of mass destruction against its own people, including the August 21, 2013 attack in the suburbs of Damascus in which the Assad regime murdered over 1,000 innocent people, including hundreds of children;

Whereas there is clear and compelling evidence of the direct involvement of Assad regime forces and senior officials in the planning, execution, and after-action attempts to cover-up the August

21 attack, and hide or destroy evidence of such attack;

Whereas the Arab League has declared with regards to the August 21 incident to hold the "Syrian regime responsible for this heinous crime";

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1540 (2004) affirmed that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security;

Whereas in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Congress found that Syria's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction threatens the security of the Middle East and the national security interests of the United States;

Whereas the actions and conduct of the Assad regime are in direct contravention of Syria's legal obligations under the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the Geneva Protocol to the Hague Convention on the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, and also violates standards set forth in the Chemical Weapons Convention;

Whereas Syria's use of weapons of mass destruction and its conduct and actions constitute a grave threat to regional stability, world peace, and the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners;

Whereas the objectives of the United States use of military force in connection with this authorization are to respond to the use, and deter and degrade the potential future use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government;

Whereas the conflict in Syria will only be resolved through a negotiated political settlement, and Congress calls on all parties to the conflict in Syria to participate urgently and constructively in the Geneva process; and

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to use force in order to defend the national security interests of the United States:

Now, therefore, be it,

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This joint resolution may be cited as the "Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against the Government of Syria to Respond to Use of Chemical Weapons".

SECTION 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) AUTHORIZATION-The President is authorized, subject to subsection (b), to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in a limited and tailored manner against legitimate military targets in Syria, only to: (1) respond to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria; (2) deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons; and (3) degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future.

(b) REQUIREMENT FOR DETERMINATION THAT USE OF MILITARY FORCE IS

NECESSARY- Before exercising the authority granted in subsection (a), the President shall make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that-

(1) the United States has used all appropriate diplomatic and other peaceful means to prevent the deployment and use of weapons of mass destruction by Syria;

(2) the Syrian government has conducted one or more significant chemical weapons attacks;

(3) the use of military force is necessary to respond to the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government;

(4) it is in the core national security interest of the United States to use such military force;

(5) the United States has a military plan to achieve the specific goals of responding to the use of weapons of mass destruction by the Syrian government in the conflict in Syria, to deter Syria's use of such weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and to protect our allies and partners against the use of such weapons, and to degrade Syria's capacity to use such weapons in the future; and

(6) the use of military force is consistent with and furthers the goals of the United States strategy toward Syria, including achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict.

(c) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS-

(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. § 1541, et seq., the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section

5(b) of the War Powers Resolution, within the limits of the authorization established under this Section.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS- Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.

SECTION 3. LIMITATION. The authority granted in section 2 does not authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces on the ground in Syria for the purpose of combat operations.

SECTION 4. TERMINATION OF THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

The authorization in section 2(a) shall terminate 60 days after the date of the enactment of this joint resolution, except that the President may extend, for a single period of 30 days, such authorization if -

(1) the President determines and certifies to Congress, not later than 5 days before the date of termination of the initial authorization, that the extension is necessary to fulfill the purposes of this resolution as defined by Section 2(a) due to extraordinary circumstances and for ongoing and impending military operations against Syria under section 2(a); and

(2) Congress does not enact into law, before the extension of authorization, a joint resolution disapproving the extension of the authorization for the additional 30 day period; provided that any such joint resolution shall be considered under the expedited procedures otherwise provided for concurrent resolutions of disapproval contained in section 7 of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1546).

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

SECTION 5. SYRIA STRATEGY.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this resolution, the President shall consult with Congress and submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an integrated United States Government strategy for achieving a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria, including a comprehensive review of current and planned U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military policy towards Syria, including: (1) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian Supreme Military Council and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar Al-Assad that have been properly and fully vetted and share common values and interests with the United States; (2) the provision of all forms of assistance to the Syrian political opposition, including the Syrian Opposition Coalition; (3) efforts to isolate extremist and terrorist groups in Syria to prevent their influence on the future transitional and permanent Syrian governments; (4) coordination with allies and partners; and (5) efforts to limit support from the Government of Iran and others for the Syrian regime.

SECTION 6. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING.

(a) Notification and Provision of Information. Upon his determination to use the authority set forth in section 2 of this Act, the President shall notify Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of the use of such authority and shall keep Congress fully and currently informed of the use of such authority.

(b) Reports. No fewer than 10 days after the initiation of military operations under the authority provided by Section 2, and every 20 days thereafter until the completion of military operations, the President shall submit to the Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a report on the status of such operations, including progress achieved toward the objectives specified in Section 2(a), the financial costs of operations to date, and an assessment of the impact of the operations on the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capabilities and intentions.

SECTION 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. The authority set forth in Section 2 of this resolution shall not constitute an authorization for the use of force or a declaration of war except to the extent that it authorizes military action under the conditions, for the specific purposes, and for the limited period of time set forth in this resolution.

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Gary Tweddle: Bushland Body Formally Identified

The body of a man discovered in Australian bushland has been formally identified as that of missing Briton Gary Tweddle, police have said.

The 23-year-old, who was originally from Reading, vanished nearly seven weeks ago after a work dinner during a conference in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

Mr Tweddle, a computer salesman, had emigrated to Australia with his family.

He was last heard from when he rang colleagues - who were also staying at the Fairmont Resort in Leura - in the early hours of July 16 to say he was lost.

Mr Tweddle went missing on July 16 while at a work conference

New South Wales police confirmed the body had been identified as Mr Tweddle's on Wednesday.

A force statement said: "The body of a man recovered from a cliff face at Leura in the Blue Mountains has been identified as being that of missing man Gary Tweddle.

"Over the last seven weeks police from Blue Mountains local area command conducted extensive searches for Mr Tweddle but were unable to locate him.

"On Monday September 2 2013, an ambulance helicopter was flying over the area during a training exercise when the crew spotted a body on the cliff face, near Sublime Point, Leura.

Originally from Reading, he emigrated to Australia with his family

"Officers from Blue Mountains Police Rescue Squad and the Police Airwing (Polair) commenced an operation to recover the body.

"A post mortem examination was conducted earlier today with the man being positively identified as Gary Tweddle.

"His family have been notified and police are preparing a report for the information of the coroner."

The area where Mr Tweddle's body was found is known for its rough, inaccessible terrain.

Mr Tweddle was staying at the Fairmont Resort in Leura when he disappeared

His disappearance sparked the biggest ever Blue Mountains search with more than 1,000 officials and volunteers looking for him, local media said.

Earlier this week Mr Tweddle's girlfriend Anika Haigh said she would "never give up hope for a miracle" after police said they were treating Mr Tweddle's disappearance as an "accidental death".

A Facebook page titled "Have you seen Gary Tweddle?" has attracted more than 4,700 likes.

Scores of well-wishers have left messages of support after Mr Tweddle's body was formally identified.

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'Friends Dump Woman's Body By Side Of Road'

A mother is searching for answers after her daughter's body was allegedly dumped on the side of the road by her friends.

Taylor Smith, 20, was reportedly with them on Wednesday night when she suffered an asthma attack and used her inhaler before laying down to recover.

The friends apparently tried to revive her in a shower but then left her body near a trailer park in Jasper, Georgia.

One of the friends, 38-year-old Marty Gaddis, was arrested and faces charges that include concealing a death and abandonment of a body.

Ms Smith's mother, Tanya Smith, said she wants to know why the group allegedly abandoned her daughter and did not seek medical help when she first had the attack.

She said: "I don't know if they knew if she was deceased or not.

"But they put her in a shower and tried to revive her and when that didn't work, they put her in a car and drove her to this location in Jasper and dumped her body in front of a trailer on the side of the road."

Tanya Smith hopes other young women will learn from her daughter's story

She said she does not know the friends her daughter was with that night and does not understand why they did not take her to hospital when she first experienced breathing trouble.

"I can't imagine what they were thinking. It is heartbreaking," Ms Smith, who is a local police lieutenant, told MyFoxAtlanta.com.

She said she hoped other young women will learn from her daughter's story, and not be as trusting around so-called "friends."

"Not everybody that you meet that says, 'I care about you,' actually cares about you. Be cautious and be around people that you can trust," Ms Smith said.

She added that some of the other people with her daughter that night may also be charged.

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Texas School Stabbing: 'Teen Student Killed'

A 17-year-old student has been killed and three other students were injured in a stabbing at a school in Texas, reports say.

The attack happened in a hallway leading to the cafeteria at 7.10am local time on the campus of Spring High School, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO).

Sheriff Adrian Garcia said there was a confrontation that escalated into a fight.

He said investigators had not yet found the weapons used in the attack, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Two male suspects were reportedly seen in handcuffs outside the school, north of Houston.

Sheriff's deputies said one person died at the scene and two others were flown by medical helicopter to Memorial Hermann-The Texas Medical Center, the Chronicle added.

People stand outside the school after the stabbing (Pic: KHOU)

News website KHOU reported a 16-year-old male was one of the two people flown to the hospital.

Two of the victims suffered minor injuries, according to Mr Garcia. The condition of the third victim is not known.

"There is some information that this may have been gang-related," Mr Garcia added.

Three persons of interest are being interviewed by investigators. All three are students at Spring High School, HCSO said via Twitter.

A woman inside the school told MyFoxHouston.com she heard commotion coming from the school cafeteria, which was followed shortly by an announcement over the intercom calling for a school nurse.

Parents have spoken at their concern for their children (Pic: KHOU)

She said she walked outside in the hallway all she saw a blood trail lead from the cafeteria to the back of the school.

KHOU 11 reporter Jeremy Desel spoke to parents who gathered across the street from the school.

One father called Kenneth said: "Well, number one we're concerned about our kids.

"One of my kids was kind of there in the area when they seen it and they're frantic and scared, and here the police are telling us to move our vehicles.

"(My son) told me that he was scared and he wants to come home. We can all understand at this point, right?"

Kenneth said his son described the scene to him, saying the incident appeared to happen in a back hallway.

The attack happened at Spring High School

"They were walking out of the area when it happened, but they sent pictures to me of all the blood everywhere. All they texted and told me was one died and, out of the total, five were stabbed. All students."

Jan, whose son is a junior at the school, said: "I'm just trying to make sure that my child is okay.

"I've actually texted and I've actually called, they are receiving phone calls. They are in their first-period class and everything is calm."

Parents of the students who were affected have all been notified, administrators said.

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Lance Armstrong Told To Reveal Dope Details

A Texas judge is pushing Lance Armstrong closer to his first sworn testimony on his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The former professional cyclist has been ordered to answer questions about 'who knew what and when' about his doping, including his ex-wife and legal team.

Acceptance Insurance Holdings is seeking the information in a civil action to recover $3m (£1.92m) in bonuses it paid Armstrong from 1999 to 2001.

The Nebraska-based company is trying to prove a conspiracy and cover-up by Armstrong to commit fraud, and wants to know when his personal and business associates first learned he was using performance drugs.

The cyclist confessed to using drugs on the Oprah Winfrey show in January

Armstrong has objected to these demands, arguing he has already acknowledged cheating and accusing Acceptance of engaging in a "harassing, malicious ... fishing expedition".

After a decade of denials Armstrong confessed to chat show host Oprah Winfrey in January that he had used performance enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France seven times; titles he was subsequently stripped of.

But the admission lacked details and he has so far refused to provide sworn testimony to a the US Anti-Doping Agency, even when it was presented as his only chance to lift the lifetime ban he received from the sport.

Armstrong has claimed information about his ex-wife Kristin and his solicitor is exempt from disclosure under spouse and attorney-client privilege.

Acceptance has argued there are no protections for spouses and lawyers who may be aware of fraud.

Armstrong has been ordered by the judge to provide documents and written answers to a series of questions by the end of September, with the case set for trial in April 2014.

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