Pentagon Grounds Fleet Of F-35 Fighter Jets

The Pentagon has grounded the US military's entire fleet of F-35 fighter jets after discovering a cracked engine turbine blade in one plane.

The problem was discovered during what the Pentagon called a routine inspection of an F-35A Lightning II, the US Air Force's version of the new plane.

The US Navy and the US Marine Corps are buying other versions of the F-35, which is intended to replace older fighter jets like the Air Force's F-16 and the Navy and Marine Corps' F/A-18.

All versions - a total of 51 planes - were grounded on Friday pending an investigation.

The Pentagon said it was too early to know the full impact of the newly discovered problem.

It said: "On February 19, 2013, a routine engine inspection revealed a crack on a low pressure turbine blade of an F135 engine installed in a CTOL test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

"Engineering teams are shipping the turbine blade to Pratt & Whitney's Engine Facility in Middletown, CT, to conduct a thorough evaluation and root cause analysis.

"It is too early to know the fleet-wide impact of this finding, however as a precautionary measure, all F-35 flight operations have been suspended until the investigation is complete and the cause of the blade crack is fully understood.

"The F-35 Joint Program Office is working closely with Pratt & Whitney and Lockheed Martin at all F-35 locations to assess the integrity of the engine, and to return the fleet safely to flight as soon as possible."

The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons programme, with a total estimated cost of nearly $400bn (£262bn).

The Pentagon has planned to buy more than 2,400 F-35s, but some members of Congress are hesitant due to the hefty price tag.

The UK has ordered 48 F-35s to fly off the Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth carrier once it is built in 2018. Britain has also invested in the development of the jet.

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US Snow: Storm Leaves Four Dead In America

At least four people have died after a massive snow storm blanketed much of central US, causing road accidents and disrupting travel.

The winter storm, which prompted tornado warnings, affected millions of people in 24 states before the system petered out over the Great Lakes.

Places in Kansas and Missouri saw a foot (30 centimetres) or more of snow, with emergency crews spending hours digging out and clearing miles of roadways.

Gusty winds and snow-covered roadways made commutes dangerous.

Local television cameras in Kansas City, Missouri, captured a large bus slipping in the snow and crashing into a large lamppost. No one was hurt.

A man stands next to his trapped car in Kansas City, Missouri

In Gladstone, also in Missouri, a dance studio's roof collapsed from the weight of snow.

Further north in Cincinnati, Ohio, slippery roads meant a dangerous situation many drivers. One lorry ended up partially hanging off an overpass of a busy road after the driver lost control.

In Cleveland, Ohio, a Continental Airlines plane skidded off runway, ending up resting on its nose, but no one was hurt.

A family attempts to clear a driveway in Overland Park, Kansas

Scattered power cuts were also reported as ice weighed down power lines and strong winds knocked down trees.

Roads and even major highways became completely impassable in some areas

The Minnesota State Patrol blamed the snow for over 500 accidents on Friday.

One driver was killed when she lost control, came to a stop in oncoming traffic and was broadsided by another vehicle in a St Paul suburb.

A 12-year-old boy died from injuries suffered in a collision on an icy highway in northern Nebraska.

A woman in Iowa was run over by her car, which had gotten stuck on her steep, slippery driveway. And a 70-year-old woman from Kansas died after her car slid and collided with a train.

Nobody was hurt when a plane skidded off the runway in Ohio

The National Weather Service said as much as 17 inches of snow had fallen in parts of Colorado and Kansas.

Over the weekend, a second system of winter weather is expected from the Gulf of Mexico - smothering parts of the East Coast with up to two feet of snow on Saturday and Sunday.

The governor of Missouri declared a state of emergency as the storm lashed the midwestern state with a dangerous mix of ice and snow.

A dance studio's roof collapsed under the weight of the snow in Missouri

"I urge all Missourians to keep a close eye on the weather and avoid unnecessary travel," Governor Jay Nixon said.

The state of Kansas shuttered government offices on Thursday to keep non-essential workers off the treacherous roads and scores of business owners and school officials followed suit.

The blizzard conditions were so intense in some areas that snow ploughs were getting stuck and ambulances had trouble getting patients to hospitals.

The storm comes after play at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson, Arizona, had to be postponed after a blizzard covered the course.

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Italy: Briton Held Over Tour Guide Murder

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

A Briton has been arrested in Italy for the murder of a tour guide and the attempted killing of another man.

Jason Peter Marshall, 24, was held by police early on Saturday after they traced him through his mobile phone signal to a late night bus.

Police believe he met both men through gay internet chat rooms.

He was arrested after a 55-year-old man was found severely beaten in the bedroom of his apartment in central Rome, following calls to police when neighbours heard screams and calls for help.

When officers arrived on the scene, the victim identified Marshall as his attacker and described how he had been threatened with a gun, badly beaten with a telescopic cosh and smothered with a pillow.

Marshall is said to have fled the apartment with €400 (£348), credit cards and the victim's iPad as he allegedly tried to erase all traces of contact between him and the victim.

Marshall, who is originally from Greenwich, southeast London, is said to have arrived in Italy last month and police in Rome have confirmed he is also the prime suspect in the murder of tour guide Vincenzo Iale.

The 68-year-old was found strangled and stabbed to death in his flat at Torvajanica, on the outskirts of Rome, four weeks ago with his bank card missing.

Police said Marshall was being held in Rome's Regina Coeli jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, kidnap and possessing offensive weapons.

Sources said the victims had been targeted through gay internet chat rooms.

A Rome police source said: "This could easily have been a double murder investigation and the second victim - although badly hurt - can think himself lucky he is not dead."

No one from the British Embassy in Rome was immediately available for comment and Marshall is expected to be questioned further by prosecutors ahead of appearing before an investigating judge.

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British Man Drowns At Egypt Resort

A British man has drowned while swimming in the sea off the popular Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh.

A British embassy spokeswoman in Cairo confirmed that the 50-year-old had drowned while swimming on Friday.

However, she said she could give no further detail on the circumstances surrounding his death.

The Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh

Sharm el Sheikh is one of the main Red Sea resorts and attracts millions of tourists each year.

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Pistorius: Oscar 'Will Never Be The Same'

Oscar Pistorius says he just wants to "be alone" since his release on bail and is feeling "a lot of remorse" over the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The Olympic athlete is staying at his uncle's home in Pretoria after a court banned him from returning to the luxury home where he shot Ms Steenkamp through a bathroom door.

His spokeswoman in South Africa told Sky News: "He told me, 'I just want this time to be alone'. He is in his room, he's spending time alone and he's feeling lot of remorse."

Ms Steenkamp was killed on Valentine's Day

The athlete's family has also released a new statement, saying: "Oscar will never be the same ... having to live with the knowledge that he caused the death of the woman he loved, and that he can never undo the immense pain and loss this has caused Reeva's family and friends".

His uncle Arnold added: "We are acutely aware of the fact that this is only the beginning of a long road to prove that, as we know, Oscar never intended to harm Reeva, let alone cause her death."

Pistorius, 26, is accused of premeditated murder after the Valentine's Day shooting. He denies murder.

Lawyers for the defence and prosecution are starting work on the trial phase of a case that is likely to grip South Africa and the world, with the next hearing set for June 4.

The athlete arrived at his uncle's house on Friday after paying 10% of his one million rand (£73,000) bail at Pretoria's Brooklyn police station, where he had been held for a week.

Meanwhile, Ms Steenkamp's father has told a South African newspaper that Pistorius will "suffer" if he is lying about how she died.

Pistorius is staying with his uncle Arnold

The Beeld newspaper quotes Barry Steenkamp as saying Pistorius will have to "live with his conscience" if his assertion that he accidentally shot the 29-year-old law graduate is false.

Horse trainer Mr Steenkamp said he might be able to forgive Pistorius one day if the double-amputee Olympian is telling the truth.

Her mother said that Pistorius' family had sent a card and flowers offering condolences for the death of her daughter but she added it meant little because: "They are not to blame."

However, Mike Steenkamp said the timing of the family's actions was poor and that they had not initially tried to contact Reeva's bereaved parents.

Chief magistrate Desmond Nair approved bail for Pistorius on Friday at the end of a two-hour summary in which he found the accused was unlikely to skip bail, be violent or approach any witnesses.

Nair said he had been influenced by Pistorius' decision to submit a detailed affidavit, in which he claimed he accidentally shot Ms Steenkamp through the bathroom door at his home in the east of Pretoria, thinking she was an intruder.

Under his bail conditions Pistorius must surrender any firearms and his passport and can not enter any international departure hall.

Ms Steenkamp's friend Kim Myers attended the bail hearing on Friday

He is also is banned from using any prohibited substance or alcohol and must report to police twice a week as part of his bail conditions.

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Three French Children Found With Throats Slit

Three French children - two brothers and their sister - have been found with their throats slit at their home near Paris.

A search has been launched for the missing mother of the children, aged nine, 11 and 17.

Their father, who is a doctor, raised the alarm after returning home in the morning from work, police and judicial sources said.

The authorities said: "The children had their throats slit but we are still awaiting forensic reports."

Forensic officers leaving the house after gathering evidence

The bodies of the nine-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother showed multiple stab wounds.

When the emergency services arrived the eldest brother was still alive but he later died of his injuries.

The killings took place in the suburban town of Dampmart, 30km (19 miles) east of Paris, in the Seine-et-Marne region.

The father was found in a state of shock.

Police surround the crime scene

Police are "actively looking" for the mother, who is in her forties.

The couple were having marital problems, investigators said.

The residential street where the children were found was closed off by police.

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Athens Floods: Woman Saved Amid Traffic Chaos

Hours of relentless rainfall have flooded roads and homes in Athens, causing gridlock across the Greek capital and forcing authorities to close a central metro station.

A woman was rescued after getting stuck with her car north of Athens

The Greek fire brigade has been inundated with more than 600 calls to pump out water in the greater Athens region.

No injuries have been reported, but a woman whose car was caught in the flooding in Chalandri suburb, north of the city, had to be pulled to safety. 

With muddy waters racing by, a man comes to her rescue

In some areas, ankle-high water filled the streets and parked vehicles were swept away by racing waters.

Police closed underpasses and motorways in low-lying parts of the city after they were submerged in floodwaters.

"There are cars immobilised on several Athens highways and we have dispatched tow trucks to clear the roads," Dimitris Papanagiotou, a senior traffic police officer, told state television NET.

A parliament employee narrowly avoided injury when a glass roof on the building's ceiling gave way as she tried to clear away rainwater from it.

The damage was quickly repaired, a parliament press officer said.

The city's tram system had to be shut down, while urban rail schedules were disrupted after a tree fell on the tracks.

"We have around 60 fire crews operating, we believe the rain will abate before midday," deputy fire chief Vassilis Papageorgiou told NET.

Meanwhile in Catania on the Italian island of Sicily, torrential rainfall caused flooding and disruption, turning streets into rivers, and dragging along parked cars, motorcycles, chairs and tables.

A flooded road in Athens following a severe thunderstorm

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Rapper Kenny Clutch Dies In Vegas Shoot-Out

A rapper was one of three people killed when gunmen in a 4x4 opened fire on a Maserati on the Las Vegas Strip, causing a pile-up that triggered a giant fireball.

Kenny Clutch, whose real name was Kenneth Cherry Jr, was driving the sports car when occupants in a Range Rover opened fire.

The car veered out of control and smashed into a taxi carrying two people.

Mr Cherry, 27, an aspiring rapper, was regularly filmed for music videos, which appeared on YouTube, driving a silver Maserati along the Las Vegas Strip.

Kenny Clutch in a rap video with his Maserati

Attorney Vicki Greco, who has represented Mr Cherry for what she described as minor traffic issues and in a civil case, said she had been in touch with his family and friends and that they were "devastated" by his death.

The incident occurred near to where rapper Tupac Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, while riding in a BMW with Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight after the two men had attended a Mike Tyson boxing match.

Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie told a news conference that police had few leads on the Range Rover or its occupants.

The Maserati after the shooting crash

He said the men were considered "armed and dangerous", and they had launched a multi-state search and were seeking help from the public.

Sheriff Gillespie said: "I have been asked by many of you this morning, 'Is the Las Vegas Strip safe?' Yes it is."

After being hit by Mr Cherry's out-of-control Maserati, the cab exploded into flames in the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, a popular tourist area in front of several casino resorts, killing the driver and a passenger.

The shooting happened near to where rapper Tupac Shakur was shot in 1996

"This doesn't happen where we come from, not on this scale," said Mark Thompson, who was visiting from Manchester, England, with his wife.

"We get stabbings, and gang violence, but this is like something out of a movie. Like Die Hard or something."

Another witness said: "There was a loud bang and I hear two other booms. I looked out my window at Caesar's Palace ... and could see the fireball."

The cars crashed at a busy intersection near the Bellagio

The gunfire and collision near the Bellagio and Caesar's Palace hotels triggered another crash involving four other vehicles.

At least four people were hurt, including a passenger in the Maserati.

The Range Rover sped off and was last seen near the Venetian resort as it headed north from the scene.

Police investigate the incident

Sky's Jeff Randall, who was on the Las Vegas Strip, said: "People here are utterly bewildered because this is a city that has tried to portray itself as family friendly and the last thing in the world the leisure barons want here is a rolling gun battle and what police are describing as a massive crime scene."

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Beheading: Man Guilty of Brit Gran's Murder

A man has been found guilty in Tenerife of murdering a British grandmother, who he decapitated on the Spanish island.

Bulgarian Deyan Deyanov has been convicted of killing 60-year-old Jennifer Mills-Westley in 2011.

The homeless 29-year-old drug addict was found guilty by a jury of nine at the Provincial Court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

He repeatedly stabbed and then beheaded Ms Mills-Westley, who had been shopping in the popular resort of Los Cristianos on May 13, 2011.

Deyanov had denied murder. His defence had argued he was not criminally responsible for his actions because he suffers from acute paranoid schizophrenia.

He faces a sentence of 15 to 20 years in a psychiatric unit.

Deyan Deyanov (right). Photo: Ramon de la Rocha/PA Wire

Ms Mills-Westley, a retired road safety worker originally from Norwich, was attacked while she was in a Chinese-owned general store near the beach.

She had retired to the island to live in 2006 and owned two apartments in Los Cristianos, one of which she rented out.

That morning, Deyanov had walked into another shop and asked for a "big" knife because he was going to kill someone.

At 10.30am he went into the Mas Articulos Mejor Precios shop on Avenida Juan Carlos I, picked up a 22cm-long knife and plunged it into Ms Mills-Westley's neck 14 times.

He then walked out carrying her head, to the horror of onlookers, before being wrestled to the ground and arrested.

Living rough in Los Cristianos, the crack cocaine and LSD user was well-known to police on the island and had been arrested at least four times since January 2011 for violent offences.

A warrant for his arrest had been issued just three days before the killing but officers had been unable to locate him.

He had previously been sectioned in the summer of 2010 under the Mental Health Act in Glan Clwyd Hospital, North Wales, and again at Tenerife's La Candelaria hospital before being bailed in early February 2011.

The jury found that Deyanov was guilty of murder because he took his victim by surprise and she could not defend herself.

Even though he was suffering schizophrenia and his responsibility was diminished, in Spanish law he is guilty of murder.

Wearing an olive green hoodie, black tracksuit trousers and running shoes, Deyanov remained quiet and still as the verdict was read out.

Asked by magistrate Maria Jesus Garcia Sanchez if he had anything he wanted to say, he told his Bulgarian interpreter: "I am the the second reincarnation of Jesus Christ and I will bring the fire of the Holy Spirit to bear against this court."

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Oscar Pistorius Gets Bail Over Killing

Oscar Pistorius has been bailed by a court in South Africa after spending a week in custody charged with murdering model Reeva Steenkamp.

Cheers erupted as Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair read out his decision, which came at the end of a two-hour statement to the highly charged courtroom.

The magistrate set a number of conditions including one million rand (£73,000) in bail.

He will also be required to live at an undisclosed address, hand in his passport and report twice a week to a police station in Pretoria.

Pistorius' supporters prayed after the decision was announced

The double amputee is also banned from drinking alcohol, must hand over his guns and stay away from the estate where he lived.

And the magistrate added Pistorius still has lots questions to answer.

"I have difficulty in appreciating the accused did not ascertain the whereabouts of his girlfriend when he got off the the bed," Mr Nair said.

"I have difficulty with the accused not seeking to verify who was in the toilet when he could of ask.

The magistrate said Pistorius still has a lot of questions to answer

"I have difficulty understanding why the deceased didn't scream back from the toilet."

Sky's Alex Crawford said Pistorius burst into tears when the decision was read out.

"He had been crying quietly anyway, and it just seemed to prompt even more sobbing from him," Crawford said.

"His family are hugely relieved, some of them are crying, they're gathered together in a little huddle … hugging each other, some are sobbing, they are holding hands, and some at least appear to be praying."

The star is charged with premeditated murder over the shooting death of his girlfriend, Miss Steenkamp, in the early hours of February 14.

Pistorius left the courtroom in a silver vehicle

Prosecutors had warned that the star has the "money, means and motive" to flee South Africa if he is given bail.

But the judge said he did not believe Pistorius to be a "flight risk" or "pose a danger to society".

Pausing before he delivered his final decision to the packed courtroom, the magistrate said: "I come to the conclusion that the accused has made a case to be released on bail".

About an hour-and-a-half later Pistorius was driven away from the court in a silver vehicle.

Family and friends cheered and cried as the decision was read out

The case has been postponed until June 4.

After the decision was granted, a representative of the state said the investigation was ongoing and there was more evidence to gather.

The Olympian's uncle Arnold said after the decision: "Although we are obviously relieved that Oscar has been granted bail, this is still a very sad time for the family of Reeva and for us.

"We are grateful that the magistrate recognised the validity and strength of our application.

"As the family, we are convinced that Oscar's version of what happened on that terrible night will prove to be true."

Miss Steenkamp's friend Kim Myers said it was a very sad time

Outside the court, a friend of Miss Steenkamp, Kim Myers, said it has been a very sad time and people must remember the trial has not started.

"The bail application is not a trial and we hope and trust the justice will prevail," she said.

"We need to remember that some still lost their life.

"Our hearts and thoughts and prayers just go out to the Steenkamp family."

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