Life-Size Superman Plane Takes To Skies

A life-size, radio-controlled Superman has taken the Man of Steel's powers to new heights in the US.

Designer and engineer Otto Dieffenbach, from southern California, has created planes that look like famous comic book characters.

The robots, which are made out of very light Styrofoam, can reach speeds of up to 30mph.

The planes are currently used for commercial promotions, and Mr Dieffenbach and his business partner Ed Hanley said they were not planning to make the planes available to sell at the retail level because of the man hours it takes to construct them.

Mr Hanley said: "We envision just about any character you can think of flying and add a dimension that's never been used before.

"There are banners and there's planes that fly pulling a big banner - but to actually see a character, a life-size character fly in the stadium or at an event, down the beach, wherever, is just brand new.

"No-one's ever seen that, it just blows everybody's mind."

Plane spotters could also catch a glimpse of Iron Man and Ms Emerson, a flying lady who has wings, speeding across the skies.

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CCTV: Man 'Unable To Feed Himself' Dies In Cell

Footage has been released which suggests an inmate spent the last two days of his life lying naked on a blanket in his cell, unable to feed himself the food placed beside him.

Elliott Earl Williams was pronounced dead five days after he was booked into Tulsa County Jail in Oklahoma.

Williams' estate is suing Sheriff Stanley Glanz and the jail's healthcare provider, claiming wrongful death and civil rights violations.

The estate alleges a lack of mental and physical care contributed to his death.

Between the time he was placed in the cell and the time he died - 51 hours - prison workers gave him one cup of water that was initially placed at his feet and then at his side.

He was also given what appeared to be two servings of food, put next to him, according to the video.

And then just hours before his death, what appeared to be another meal was pushed through the slot in the cell door.

The footage showed him dipping his fingers in the water cup, and bringing them to his lips. He also placed his hand on one of the meals but appeared otherwise immobile.

The video, which lasted 10 minutes, began with Williams being dragged into the cell on a blanket at 8:27am on October 25, 2011.

Firefighters and jail workers tried to resuscitate Williams

Two days later, at 8:41am on October 27, jail workers checked the bottom of Williams' feet for a response before returning at 11:04am to begin CPR.

Workers and firefighters were unable to revive him and the video ended at 11:29am, with a photographer taking pictures of his body after he was pronounced dead.

The lawsuit alleged officers had arrested Williams following a disturbance call, and cited a police report, saying it was "readily apparent" he was having a "mental breakdown".

The 37-year-old was taken to Owasso police headquarters to be booked on a misdemeanour obstruction charge.

During that time, the lawsuit said he crawled on his hands on knees, barking and screaming. It said he slammed his head against a wall many times.

Police reportedly moved him to the Tulsa County Jail shortly afterwards. The lawsuit states that during the time he was booked in, Williams said he could not walk and begged staff to "cut it out of my belly".

The lawsuit states that he was not initially separated from other inmates. Following an examination from a psychiatrist later on, he was moved to what is called a "suicide cell".

The medical examiner's office reports it was likely a spinal injury from blunt force trauma that caused his death.

Under-sheriff Tim Albin called the death an "unfortunate" incident, adding: "We're looking forward to defending the case in court."

Attorney Guy Fortney, who is representing the Sheriff's Office in the lawsuit, has said previously that the Tulsa Jail is one of the best in the country.

And he accused the Williams estate's attorneys, Daniel Smolen and Louis Bullock, of attempting to try the case in the court of public opinion.

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Adopted Boy Sexually Abused By Gay Fathers

Police in Australia have described the case of a six-year-old boy who was sexually abused by his adoptive gay fathers and other people as "depraved".

The men, who obtained the baby from a Russian surrogate in 2005, had presented themselves as loving fathers before their arrests in California last year.

Authorities in Australia and the US worked together to bring the men to justice after it emerged that the child had been offered to others for sexual exploitation from a very young age.

Last week one of the men, an American, was jailed in the US for 40 years while the other, who is from New Zealand, is still to be sentenced.

"None of these cases are very good," Queensland Detective Inspector Jon Rouse, who heads the task force which investigates online child exploitation and abuse, told the AFP news agency.

"What's pretty sad about this one is the way this child came into their lives. It's just really a tragedy. It's extremely depraved."

It is not known whether the boy was conceived with one of the men's sperm. But he had been living as the couple's son when a chance discovery in New Zealand put police on their trail.

Authorities investigating a child sex offender in Wellington found images of the boy on the man's computer.

The images were not illegal, but raised a red flag with Australian police who saw them as "modelling shots". Further investigations unearthed chat logs between the couple and other child sex offenders.

When police raided the couple's home while they were in the United States, they found enough material on laptops and other devices to ensure their arrest and the boy's removal from their care.

DI Rouse said police were determined to ensure that all offenders were tracked down.

"We are talking about a fairly extensive network of child sex offenders," he said.

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Egypt Sex Attacks Reach 'Horrific' Levels

Almost 100 women have been sexually assaulted in Cairo's Tahrir Square in just four days, according to Human Rights Watch.

The charity described the attacks as "rampant" and said they highlight the "failure of the government and all political parties to face up to the violence that women in Egypt experience on a daily basis".

Some of the 91 women assaulted were reportedly beaten with metal chains, chairs and sticks, while others were attacked with knives.

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said: "These are serious crimes that are holding women back from participating fully in the public life of Egypt at a critical point in the country's development."

The assaults come amid escalating protests in the square around the first anniversary of President Mohamed Morsi's election.

He faces mounting pressure to resign, as well as an army deadline to resolve the country's political crisis that could lead to military intervention.

Some say the attacks are staged by thugs who are abusing a lack of security and are confident of escaping prosecution.

Others claim they are organised to scare women into not joining anti-government protests.

Human Rights Watch cited figures from a hotline for victims of sexual assault and Nazra for Feminist Studies, a women's rights group.

The watchdog called on Egyptian officials and political leaders to "condemn and take immediate steps to address the horrific levels of sexual violence" in the square.

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Arizona Fire: Survivor 'Deserves Good Life'

The widow of one of the 19 elite firefighters killed in a raging blaze in Arizona has said the sole survivor of the hotshots crew "deserves to have a good life".

It comes as fire crews made some progress as they tried to contain the dangerous and unpredictable wildfire, which is among dozens burning across the western US.

The blaze turned deadly on Sunday when the specially trained outfit called the Granite Mountain Hotshots were suddenly engulfed by wind-whipped flames in a matter of seconds.

The only survivor was Brendan McDonough, 21, who was on a hilltop as a lookout and warned his crew the weather was changing rapidly.

He told his colleagues the fire had changed directions because of strong, erratic winds and was heading straight for them.

Juliann Ashcraft pictured with Andrew Ashcraft

Mr McDonough made it to safety, but the rest were overwhelmed by the blaze.

Juliann Ashcraft, the widow of 29-year-old Andrew Ashcraft, said of Mr McDonough: "I hope he knows we love him and losing one more would not have been what we wanted.

"We are so grateful he made it home.

"The first time I saw him after the fire, I gave him a big hug and he still smelt like the fire - the same way my husband would smell when he'd come home."

Mrs Ashcraft said Brendan McDonough was 'a great guy'

Speaking to NBC, she also said Mr McDonough: "He's a great guy and I'm so glad that his outcome was different. He deserves to have a good life with his daughter."

Prescott fire department spokesman Wade Ward said of the survivor: "He did exactly what he was supposed to.

"He's trying to deal with the same things that we're all trying to deal with, but you can understand how that's compounded (by having been) there on the scene."

The hotshot crew were killed in the fire

As well as Mr Ashcraft, the other victims were Kevin Woyjeck, 21, Anthony Rose, 23, Eric Marsh, 43, Christopher MacKenzie, 30, Robert Caldwell, 23, Clayton Whitted , 28, Scott Norris, 28, Dustin Deford, 24, Sean Misner, 26, Garret Zuppiger, 27, Travis Carter, 31, Grant McKee, 21, TravisTurbyfill, 27, Jesse Steed, 36, Wade Parker, 22, Joe Thurston, 32, William Warneke, 25, John Percin, 24.

Mr McDonough attended a vigil in Prescott for the dead on Tuesday evening, but did not wish to speak to the media.

Thousands of mourners were at the memorial at a high-school football stadium.

It was the first opportunity for many in the community to gather together since the men fighting the fire in nearby Yarnell died in the line of duty.

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Woman Falls Asleep And Goes Under Train

A woman miraculously survived after falling asleep while stood on a subway station platform and tumbling under an oncoming train.

CCTV footage from the Prague underground on Monday appears to show the young commuter dozing on her feet, staggering towards the edge before falling forwards onto the tracks.

Luckily the woman landed in the groove between the rails, giving her enough room to avoid being hit by the undercarriage of the train that quickly pulled into the station.

Police spokeswoman Eva Kropacova said in a statement: "Miraculously the woman stood up, dusted her trousers and walked off."

She added that the woman refused both medical treatment and a breathalyser test, telling police she was "merely tired".

One bystander on the platform had tried to pull the woman back but missed by seconds, but a group of men were then on hand to help her out through the gap between the carriages.

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Pelka Case: Sibling Says Boy Had Head 'Bashed'

The sibling of Daniel Pelka, who died after allegedly being starved to death, has told a court how the four-year-old had his head "bashed" in the bathroom.

The jury at Birmingham Crown Court was played a tape of evidence given by the child, whose age and gender cannot be published for legal reasons.

The prosecution claims Daniel died of head injuries after being subjected to a campaign of "incomprehensible" cruelty at the hands of his mother and stepfather.

Magdelena Luczak and her partner Mariusz Krezolek deny murder and causing or allowing Daniel's death.

During the interviews with police, the sibling claimed that Daniel hit his head on a bath after being pushed over.

Responding to questions from a female police officer, the witness said: "When Mariusz was too much drinking, my brother had a cold bath and I asked Mariusz to stop it.

"I got my brother from the bath and I pulled the plug out and I hugged him."

Asked by the police officer to give further details of the incident, the witness replied: "I was downstairs, I heard him screaming.

"I came upstairs and smashed Mariusz to stop it, and he stopped it.

"I got my brother from the bath and put a towel on him and hugged him."

The child said the last time they saw Daniel he was "sleeping in my bedroom" and they "tried to wake him up ... I listened to his heart ... I couldn't hear his heart ... it couldn't beat".

The child said they used to hide and cook food to give to Daniel "because he's not allowed to come down the stairs".

The court heard that the boy's bedroom "smelled disgusting" and the sibling said they had seen bruises on his legs.

The child said: "I love him and I didn't want him to be hurt."

Daniel, whose physical condition was likened by a doctor to that of a concentration camp victim, is alleged to have been deliberately starved over several months.

The primary school pupil was pronounced dead in the early hours of March 3 last year after paramedics were called to his home.

Krezolek, 33, and Luczak, 27, are alleged to have "imprisoned" Daniel in an upstairs room.

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Dewani: 'Better To Get On With' Extradition

Delaying the extradition to South Africa of the man accused of murdering his wife on their honeymoon could make things worse for him, a court has heard.

Shrien Dewani, who has depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, is accused of orchestrating the death of his 28-year-old wife Anni, who was shot on the outskirts of Cape Town in November 2010.

The 33-year-old strongly denies any involvement in his wife's murder.

Psychiatrist Dr Ian Cumming told London's Westminster Magistrates' Court: "It could be six months, then another six months, then on and on.

Dewani has strongly denied involvment in his wife's murder

"It could make things worse and could be better to get on with it. Actually it may be a kind thing for him - to actually get on."

Dr Cumming has visited South Africa and been reassured that the businessman would be admitted to a general ward at Valkenberg Hospital in Cape Town, rather than a unit where people are sent by the courts.

He is confident the standard of Dewani's ongoing medical treatment will be "robust" and will not drop once he leaves Britain.

"The receiving hospital there will prepare themselves very well," he said. "There will be exchange of information and reports and a handover. It is likely a nurse will accompany him from the UK to South Africa.

"I think they would make it as robust as possible. They would not stop whatever medication he is on - that would be bad practice and they would not do that."

Dewani's post-traumatic stress is severe, his depressive illness is moderate to severe, and his current risk of self-harm is real and significant but not immediate, the court was told.

He has received treatment for his mental condition since his wife's death, most recently at two units near Bristol.

The place where he is currently being treated seems to be a "protective mechanism for him", Dr Cumming noted.

Previously, Dewani's lawyers have expressed concerns he would be a high suicide risk if he returned to the country, and his human rights could be breached because of the risk of violent and sexual assaults in jail, and of contracting HIV.

Newlywed Mrs Dewani was shot when a taxi in which the couple were travelling was hijacked in the Gugulethu township.

Mr Dewani and driver Zola Tongo were ejected from the car before Mrs Dewani was driven away and killed.

She was found dead in the back of the abandoned vehicle with a bullet wound to her neck.

Last year, South African Xolile Mngeni was convicted of premeditated murder for shooting Mrs Dewani.

Prosecutors claimed he was a hit-man hired by Shrien Dewani to kill his new wife, something that Dewani has consistently denied.

Tongo was jailed for 18 years after he admitted his part in the crime, and another accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, also pleaded guilty to charges over the murder and was handed a 25-year prison sentence.

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Egypt's Morsi Fights On As Army Deadline Passes

A military coup is reportedly under way in Egypt after an army deadline for a resolution to the country's political crisis elapsed with rival protesters out in force on the streets of Cairo.

President Mohamed Morsi, sworn in around a year ago, was given until around 5pm (4pm BST) to act on the ultimatum to "meet the demands of the people" and step down or face military intervention.

According to the Egyptian security forces, orders banning Mr Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood chief Mohammed Badie and his deputy Khairat al Shater from travelling abroad have been issued to airport officials.

The army, which has entered the presidential palace as well as state TV buildings in Cairo to monitor content in the station's newsroom, could dissolve parliament and take control of the country.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians have staged protests across the country

Sky's foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall, in Cairo, said: "The pieces are in place for a coup. The army has put tanks on the outskirts of the city, it's positioned people."

Mr Morsi has refused to step down, saying he will protect his democratic "legitimacy" with his life.

Crisis talks involving military chiefs, political and religious leaders continue, with Mr Morsi offering a coalition government as part of a solution to the standoff, but no new compromises.

Thousands protest in Tahrir Square in Cairo

As the army deadline passed, he warned his elected leadership was the only safeguard against violence and instability - and that it was a mistake for the military to "take sides".

"The presidency envisions the formation of a consensus coalition government to oversee the next parliamentary election," his office said in a statement on Facebook.

Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei is also believed to have held talks with army chief General Abdel Fattah al Sisi.

The crisis meetings followed reports in the state-run media that Mr Morsi would either step down or be removed from office when a political road map for the future of the country was drawn up by the military.

A protester sits in front of anti-Morsi artwork on a Cairo building

The Al-Ahram newspaper said the plan would establish a three-member presidential council to be chaired by the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, although the claims were rejected by an Egyptian military source.

In a 45-minute televised address to the nation on Tuesday, Mr Morsi said he had been voted for in a free and fair election and it was his job to "safeguard the revolution" that put him in office.

He called for calm and said Egyptians should not attack the army, police or each other. He said he was attempting to get the army to return to its normal duties and withdraw its ultimatum.

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood ride on a truck through Cairo

The armed forces, which took control of the country after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, have intensified their presence in Egypt's cities in recent days.

Thousands of people gathered in Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the revolution, while a giant crowd protested outside the Qasr el Qobba presidential palace where Mr Morsi has been working in recent days.

Meanwhile, Muslim Brotherhood supporters who witnessed clashes near Cairo University told Sky News demonstrators were attacked with automatic gunfire.

They claimed many protesters were killed and said they expect similar attacks after the deadline passes.

The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to most of Egypt and said any Britons in the country should consider "whether they have a pressing need to remain".

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Ex-Police Chief Bettison Faces Lawrence Probe

Ex-Police Chief Sir Norman Bettison referred to the police watchog over claims officers tried to smear Stephen Lawrence's family.

West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson referred Sir Norman, saying he had "significant concerns" about his conduct when he was Assistant Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police in 1998.

More follows...

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