Happy Halloween....The artist who carves petrifying pumpkin portraits in just two hours

Bogus bride who fell in love with an illegal immigrant on Facebook is spared jail

Cindy Bonsu leaving Manchester Crown court after she was spared jail

A woman who was persuaded into agreeing to marry an illegal immigrant she fell in love with on the internet has been spared jail.
Cindy Bonsu, a Dutch national, and Dennis William, who is from Nigeria, met on Facebook and formed a genuine relationship, Manchester Crown Court heard.
But the pair hastily arranged a wedding using false papers after William begged her to save him from deportation.
The couple were about to tie the knot at St Chrysostom's church in Victoria Park, near Longsight, Manchester, when UK Border Agency officials intervened.
The paperwork had aroused suspicions and Miss Bonsu raised eyebrows by changing into her dress and doing her hair with straighteners after arriving at the church.
The 20-year-old and her prospective groom were arrested alongside his 22-year-old friend Ganiyu Ajao - another illegal immigrant who was going to witness the wedding knowing it had been arranged using false documents.
William, 26, had used utility bills with a bogus address to claim he and Miss Bonsu were living together. In reality, she lived in Barking, London, and he was sharing a house with Ajao in Worsley, Salford.
Bonsu and William also signed documents at the church which indicated they lived together.
Both William and Ajao had entered Britain using visas with fake names, Joanne Rodikis, prosecuting, told the court.
Bonsu, Ajao and William all admitted assisting in unlawful entry. William also admitted having a false driving licence.
Judge Anthony Gee QC, sentencing, locked up William for 15 months and Ajao for 12 months. But he spared Bonsu an immediate jail sentence after hearing claims that she had been manipulated by the man she loved.

Dennis William wooed Bonsu on Facebook then jetted in from Nigeria so the couple could marry

She was handed a seven-month suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
Defending Bonsu, Saul Brody said his client was a 'victim of her own naivety and the depredations of others'.
He said: 'She is ashamed, she is certainly contrite and to some extent embarrassed at her involvement in this offence.'
Adrian Palmer, defending William, denied that his client had manipulated Bonsu, saying that it was a genuine relationship and that it hadn't been his 'primary objective' to stay in the country by marrying her.
Sentencing, Judge Gee said: 'You, William, played the leading role, you had the most to gain if you had indeed proceeded to marry Miss Bonsu you would have had a claim for residence as the spouse of an EU citizen.'
A spokesman for the UK Borders Agency said the Church of England was working with the department to stop immigration fraud.

J-awesome! Man's massive mouth is proclaimed the widest in the world

So that's where it is: Francisco Domingo Joaquim from Sambizanga in Angola has been awarded the dubious title of World's Widest Mouth, by the Guinness Book of World Records

Contestants crammed their cake holes with a whole host of items including saucers, coffee cups and beer bottles but nobody's mouth could beat Francisco and his can of coke.
He shot to stardom performing his jaw-dropping talent on the streets of Luanda, capital of Angola, and even performed on an Italian TV show, popping a can in and out of his mouth 14 times in one minute.

A man who can fit a whole can of pop in his jaws sideways has been recognised as having a world-record sized mouth.
Francisco Domingo Joaquim's 6.69 inches wide rubbery yap has earned him the bizarre title of the 'World's Widest Mouth' by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The 20-year-old, who is also known as the Angolan Jaw of Awe, put his elastic skills to the test at the the 'Big Mouth' competition in Rome this month.
Francisco, known as Chiquinho, and his unique talent was discovered by Guinness Book of World Record researchers scouring YouTube.
After two years of searching, they tracked him down to his hometown in Angola.
Since then Francisco has become an Internet sensation with his videos racking up thousands of hits.
Joaquim said it was a 'dream come true' to be honoured by Guinness World Records

Final moment of joy: Nurse arranges for dying patient to listen to unborn grandson's heartbeat

A grandfather with just hours to live was given a final moment of joy when he was able to listen to his unborn grandson's heartbeat.
Roy Smith, 83, knew that he would not survive to meet his new grandson but a nurse arranged for his seven months pregnant daughter Vicci Smith Scott to have a scan by his bedside.
Sandra Wood, a sister at Greater Manchester's Tameside Hospital's intensive care unit, was so moved by their plight she contacted midwifery colleagues to arrange a scan.

Vicci Smith Scott, right, with son Lorca, whose heartbeat was heard through a scanning machine by dying grandfather Roy Smith. The scan was organised by nurse Sandra Wood, left

A Doppler machine - which detects a baby's heartbeat and allows it to be heard -  was then brought up to Mr Smith's room after doctors delivered the devastating prognosis.
They scanned Ms Smith Scott, 40, so her father could hear his grandson inside the womb.
Sadly, Mr Smith died just two hours after the scan but Mrs Smith Scott gave birth to Lorca, who weighed 6lb 11ozs, two months later.

The mother-of-three, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, said: 'I was devastated that my dad wasn't going to meet Lorca.
'I was seven months pregnant and my emotions were all over the place but it was incredible for Sandra to go out of her way to help us.
'We can't put into words how grateful we are. Being able to allow my dad to hear his heartbeat means the world to me and gives me a lot of comfort.
'When Lorca was born the first thing we said to him was "your grandpa really loved you, we're sorry he's not here to meet you but he heard your heartbeat".
'He's happy and healthy and has a look of my dad about him. Sandra got quite emotional when she saw him for the first time because she also thought there's a definite likeness.'
Former RAF man Roy, from Werneth, Oldham, was admitted with a chest infection but failed to recover despite weeks of treatment.
His daughter says the care he received at Tameside brought the family 'huge comfort'.

 

Latin America 'best placed for wiping out malaria'

A Tanzanian child is tested for malaria

Latin America has the best chances of any malaria-affected continent of wiping out the disease, while sub-Saharan Africa has the least hope, according to a study published on Friday in The Lancet.

Researchers led by Andrew Tatem of the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida assembled a database of malaria incidence and the political, economic and technical capacities of countries for dealing with the disease.
The deadliest parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, would be eliminated in most parts of the world in 10 to 15 years if transmission could be reduced by 90 percent from 2007 rates, they determined.
Of the 99 countries that have endemic malaria, 32 are making progress towards wiping out the disease, the paper said.
Countries that have relatively advanced economies, are on the fringes of the malaria map or have small, fairly accessible populations at risk have the highest feasibility for eradicating the disease.
They include the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Iran, as well as Honduras, Djibouti and Botswana.
"In general, elimination from countries in the Americas is most feasible using current tools, and least feasible for most sub-Saharan countries," said the authors.
In South Asia, political instability and weak health systems gravely hamper Pakistan and Afghanistan in eradication efforts. In Southeast Asia, where the threat is mainly from the Plasmodium vivax parasite, the main concern is about resistance to artemisinin drugs.
According to the World Health Organization's website, nearly one million people died from malaria in 2008, most of them African children.

Mother delighted after having black and white twins

A mother has no problem telling her newborn twins apart - because  one was born black and the other white.
Shirley Wales, 21, who gave birth by caesarean section, was astonished when the midwife handed her her children.
For while son Leo resembled his Grenadian mother, with dark skin, brown eyes and thick hair, her daughter Hope was the image of her father, with light skin, blue eyes and fair sparse hair.

'Ebony and Ivory': Leo (left) and Hope are twins but have inherited different skin and hair colours from their parents

Leo was born first weighing 5lb 14oz closely followed by his sister Hope at 6lb  3oz at Dewsbury District Hospital, West Yorkshire.
Shirley said: 'I knew I was having twins, and I knew one was a boy and one was a girl, but I couldn't believe it when the midwife told me they had different skin tones after I'd given birth to them.
'Throughout the pregnancy I'd joked about the babies being black and white, I  even said to my friends that if one was black and one was white I'd call them Ebony and Ivory. When they were born though, I realised it would be cruel to actually call them that.
'I immediately noticed that Hope was completely white and although they didn't  look that different when they were first born, because they both had a bit of  jaundice, I could tell Leo's skin was going to get darker and Hope's was going to stay white.'
Shirley texted all her friends with the surprising news.
She said: 'I had about 100 visitors in the first couple of days because people wouldn't  believe me until they had seen it for themselves.'
Shirley's parents are both Grenadian while the non-identical twins' father, who  she is no longer in a relationship with, is white. She discovered she was pregnant just nine days after her babies were conceived.
'I knew I was pregnant, I just had a feeling something wasn't right. My birth dad is a twin so obviously I realised I could be having twins but it wasn't until the 20-week scan that the midwife confirmed it.
'I was over the moon when I found out, I wanted to have one boy and one girl,  so it was perfect,' the hairdresser from Batley, West Yorkshire said.

'Absolutely emotional' Mariah Carey reveals previous heartbreak over miscarriage as she announces she is pregnant

 Getting married might be a once-in-a-lifetime event for most people – but not for Nick and Mariah. In 2010, the America's Got Talent host revealed that he and his pop star wife would be renewing their vows to mark their second wedding anniversary. "I encourage everybody to do it," he said. "If you are happy and in love, celebrate it!" 

After months of speculation, Mariah Carey has finally confirmed she is expecting her first child  but revealed the difficult time the couple went through after she suffered a miscarriage two years ago.
The 41-year-old singer made the announcement on The Today Show, and admitted both she and husband Nick Cannon are 'absolutely emotional' about the news.
In a sneak peek of Mariah's Access Hollywood three-part interview due to air this week, Mariah is seen saying: 'Yes, we are pregnant. This is true.'
'It’s been a long journey. It’s been tough because I’ve been trying to hold on to a shred of privacy.'

In the interview with Billy Bush, which will air in the US on Thursday, she said the experience had been both traumatic and painful.
She said: '“It kind of shook us both and took us into a place that was really dark and difficult.
'When that happened, I wasn’t able to even talk to anybody about it. That was not easy.'
Cannon added: 'It definitely brought us closer together. It strengthened our relationship so much… She handled it so well.'
He hailed his wife's strength for being able to laugh in front of the cameras, but later, 'crying herself to sleep'.

 It was the second wedding for the curvaceous star, who was married to American music exec Tommy Mottola (21 years her senior) from 1993 until 1997 

How to show off your bosom without looking like a glamour model

Do you have big boobs?
Boobs are big this season, in every sense of the word. Designers such as Marc Jacobs have embraced fuller figures on the catwalk. And since the average UK breast size is now 36D, women everywhere are clamouring for advice on how to dress them with finesse.
But flaunting your bosom isn’t as easy as it may seem. There’s a fine line between class and brass. So, to avoid looking like a glamour model, avoid plunging necklines or anything too high-necked. Don’t be seduced by frills and make sure you are wearing the correct bra.
If it’s a lower-cut look you want, go for a v-neck, but be sure to team it with a vest underneath. Similarly, wrap dresses should only ever be worn over a camisole.
With the help of a supportive bra, you’ll be dressing like a Hollywood goddess before you know it. Men have always known it and the fashion world now is waking up, too: the bosom is here to stay.

Scientists hope to record our dreams after successful experiments using brain implants

A system which could one day allow scientists to record people's dream has been developed.
In a remarkable breakthrough which would allow researchers a unique insight into the human mind, a dream recorder that could interpret electronic data is planned.
Experiments in which volunteers had electrodes surgically implanted into their brains has so far allowed the scientists to 'read' their minds, said Dr Moran Cerf.
He said: 'We would like to read people's dreams.  It would be wonderful to read people's minds when they cannot communicate, such as people in comas
In tests on 12 epilepsy patients, electrodes recorded the activity of neurons in the part of the brain called the medial temporal lobe, which plays a role in memory retention.
With practice, the volunteers were able to control the appearance of 'hybrid' images consisting of one picture superimposed on another.
On cue they could quickly make a particular image, such as Marilyn Monroe or former US president George Bush, 'fade in' or 'fade out'.
During the tests, patients worked out their own strategies for conjuring up the right images.
Some simply thought of the picture, while others repeated the name of the image out loud or stared at a particular aspect of the image.
All the participants quickly mastered the task and were successful in around 70 per cent of trials.
Dr Cerf, from the California Institute of Technology, who worked on the research reported today in the journal Nature, said: 'The patients clearly found this task to be incredibly fun as they started to feel that they control things in the environment purely with their thought.
'They were highly enthusiastic to try new things and see the boundaries of 'thoughts' that still allow them to activate things in the environment.'
Scientists have previously used the activity of neurons in the brain to control a cursor on a computer screen.
This was also achieved by the Caltech team. By thinking of individual images, the volunteers were able to move a cursor up and down and even play a computer game.
But Dr Cerf said the team wanted to go a step further and 'tap into the competition for attention between thoughts that race through our minds'.
The 'hybrid' images experiment did just that - by allowing two mingled images to compete for dominance in the brains of the volunteers.
In each session, a participant was asked to 'fade in' a 'target' image and 'fade out' a competing 'distractor' image.
Even in cases where the 'distractor' image made up 90% of the whole picture, the volunteers were able to seize upon the target in their mind and 'pull it back', said Dr Cerf.

'Hotel Rwanda' hero could face terror finance charges in case against opposition leader

 Possible charges: Paul Rusesabagina who was depicted in the movie Hotel Rwanda is facing terror finance claims
The man who saved more than 1,200 people from genocide and whose heroism was depicted in the movie Hotel Rwanda has been warned he could face terror financing charges.
Paul Rusesabagina was implicated by Rwanda's prosecutor general Martin Ngoga who notified him that charges may be filed against him as part of the current terrorism case against a Rwandan opposition leader.
Mr Ngoga said that Rwandan courts would summon Mr Rusesabagina because investigations indicated he funded terrorism activities that opposition leader Victoire Ingabire is being held for.
He claims Mr Rusesabagina helped fund commanders with the FDLR, or Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.
Ms Ingabire, who is the outspoken head of the unregistered United Democratic Forces (UDF) party was arrested by police on October 14.
She pleaded not guilty at a hearing on Monday and said that the case against her is politically motivated.
Mr Rusesabagina also questioned the prosecutor's motives and said today that Rwanda was embarking on a 'smear campaign' against him because his foundation advocates a reconciliation process in the troubled country.
He claimed that anyone who opposed Rwandan President Paul Kagame was harassed.
Mr Ngoga said: 'We have evidence that Paul Rusesabagina is one of those others who have been financing the same genocidal rebels of the FDLR'

Horrific: The 100 day genocide in Rwanda in 1994 claimed the lives of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus who were massacred

'We have the dates of transactions made. Money was sent from San Antonio, Texas, and received in different banks in Bujumbura and Dar es Salaam. The people who received this money told us what the money was for', he stated.
The prosecutor also called on the U.S. to help Rwanda investigate the case against Mr Rusesabagina.
'The Rwandan law allows prosecution in absentia. The transactions are enough to offer the evidence. Rwanda has already made contacts with the war crimes office in the U.S. and this evidence has been submitted', he said.
He further gained worldwide recognition when he was portrayed by Don Cheadle in the award winning Hollywood film.

Denial: Rusesabagina was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005 has denied the terror claims and said he was the victim of a 'smear campaign'

The Oscar nominated movie showed his attempt to save the lives of his family and more than a thousand other refugees by granting them shelter in a beleaguered hotel.
It showed his real-life story as the hotel manager who used his connections with the Hutu elite to protect Tutsis and moderate Hutus flee militiamen during the genocide.
President George W. Bush awarded Mr Rusesabagina with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony at the White House in 2005.
Mr Rusesabagina now lives in the U.S. and tours Western countries lecturing on Rwanda's 1994 genocide.
Over 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered in the central African nation in 100 days stemming from April 6 1994.

Big screen depiction: Mr Rusesabagina was portrayed by Don Cheadle in the 2004 award winning movie Hotel Rwanda

Oprah joins the Victoria Beckham fan club as she pours her curves into Posh dress

A celebration of womanly curves: Victoria recently said she wants her clothes to make women 'look and feel fantastic'

Honouring Oprah: Ms Winfrey accepted an award at the Maria Shriver's Women's Conference in Long Beach, California yesterday

Oh so Posh: The chat show host wore a design from Victoria Beckham's A/W 2010 collection

Victoria Beckham recently said she wants her fashion line to be a celebration of womanly curves.
And it seems the designer, who is a rail thin size zero, has found herself a new poster girl in the form of one Ms Oprah Winfrey.
The chat show host is the latest celebrity join the Posh fan club, which already includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Hudson, Blake Lively and Nicole Scherzinger