A plane skidded off a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport while landing during a winter storm today

A plane skidded off a runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport while landing during a winter storm today, shutting down the airport's runways, officials said.

Initially, there were no reports of injuries.

Delta Flight 1086, an MD-88 arriving from Atlanta, skidded off runway 13 at 11:10 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Officials said they were checking for a fuel leak.

"Customers deplaned via aircraft slides and have moved to the terminal on buses," Delta said in a statement. "Our priority is ensuring our customers and crew members are safe. Delta will work with all authorities and stakeholders to look into what happened in this incident."

Images of the plane showed that it apparently crashed through a fence after skidding off the runway.

The FAA said LaGuardia Airport's runways are closed and expected to reopen at approximately 7 p.m. ET.

U.S.

White House counsel reportedly kept in dark on Clinton’s personal email use

The White House counsel's office reportedly was kept in the dark about Hillary Clinton's exclusive use of personal email while secretary of state, in the latest detail raising questions over how and why she stayed off the government system despite administration guidance to the contrary.

Clinton used non-official personal email, and also used a server traced to her New York home.

An unnamed source told The Associated Press the White House counsel's office only found out about her heavy personal email use as part of the congressional investigation into the Benghazi attack.

The person said Clinton's exclusive reliance on personal email as the nation's top diplomat was inconsistent with the guidance given to agencies that official business should be conducted on official email accounts. According to the source, the counsel's office asked the State Department to ensure that her email records were properly archived, after finding out in the course of the Benghazi probe she did not follow the guidance.

Meanwhile, lawmakers and others were stepping up efforts to get to the bottom of the issue.

The House select committee investigating the 2012 attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi subpoenaed her personal emails on Wednesday. And the Republican National Committee's chief counsel formally requested a State Department inspector general investigation.

Amid the pressure, Clinton said on Twitter late Wednesday she has asked the State Department to make her emails available to the public, in her first public response to the controversy.

"I want the public to see my email," she tweeted. "I asked State to release them. They said they will review them for release as soon as possible."

This means the State Department will vet the 55,000-plus pages she handed over, leaving the diplomatic agency with the intensely politicized task of determining which can be made public.

The State Department said it would review the emails as quickly as possible but cautioned it would take some time.

The email saga has developed as the first major test for how the White House and President Obama's administration will deal with Clinton's likely 2016 presidential campaign -- and the inevitable questions that will only get louder as 2016 approaches.

In his letter to department Inspector General Steve Linick, RNC Chief Counsel John Phillippe urged an investigation into whether Clinton's system posed a cybersecurity risk, what the department email policies were, how Clinton was allowed to use the personal system and other issues.

"The American public deserves to know whether one of its top-ranking public official's actions violated federal law," he wrote. "With transparency and openness in government being one of President Obama's guiding principles, it is incumbent upon your office to determine the facts surrounding this issue."

Since the revelations surfaced this week, the Obama administration has been pummeled by endless questions about Clinton, who hasn't formally announced a run. In the absence of an official campaign to defend her, the White House press secretary has been put in the awkward position of being a de facto Clinton spokesman and the most public voice speaking on her behalf.

While trying to avoid doing political damage to Clinton, the White House has put the onus on her aides to explain exactly what happened.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest acknowledged Wednesday that Clinton would have emailed White House officials on a non-government account. But the source familiar with the matter who spoke to the AP said the White House was not aware that was her sole method of email and that she wasn't keeping a record of her emails at the State Department.

The person said the White House's concern was that agencies must maintain records for historical and legal purposes in the case of a Freedom of Information Act request or subpoena.

Kim Kardashian reveals startlingly blonde hair in all its glory and looks like a completely different woman!

The 34-year-old has revealed her new hair after keeping it hidden

Wow! Kim Kardashian has gone blonde - and when we say blonde we mean REALLY blonde.

The mother-of-one, who gave a sneak peak of her hair earlier, revealed her lighter locks in all their glory as she stepped out with Kanye in Paris.

And boy does she look different! The blonde looked particularly dramatic against her all- black outift, creating a rather high fashion feel overall.

We bet Kanye loves

Clever girls, stupid boys?

By  Sean Coughlan

   The gap is so great that the UK's university admissions authority has warned that being male could soon be seen as a new form of social disadvantage.
In the UK, the gender gap in university entry has never been wider - and in a remarkable statistic from Ucas, the gap is more than 50% in a quarter of parliamentary constituencies. And no doubt this disparity will play out over future generations.
But hold that bandwagon there.
Because a global study from the OECD, based on more than 60 countries, has thrown up some very interesting challenges to generalisations about girls always doing better than boys.
Teacher bias
First of all, it suggests that school systems give greater rewards to girls rather than boys, even when pupils are of similar ability.
Teachers are more likely to "mark up" girls' work, says the study. It suggests that this leniency in marking is an unacknowledged reward for girls being more school-friendly.

Women are much more likely to go to university than men
Girls are more likely to be better behaved, more likely to get homework finished, less negative about going to school. And even when boys' work is just as good, the higher grade is more likely to go to a girl.
Where coursework is important to grades, could this have an influence on results?
The study also shows that in science and maths, boys are likely to be at either extreme on the ability spectrum.
Among the lowest achievers, boys predominate. It's an international pattern, with boys much more likely to be among those who get the worst results, drop out and leave education unskilled and poorly qualified.
But boys are also right at the top of the scale too, occupying more of the places among the very highest achievers.
Computer games 1 Homework 0
The biggest gender gap in school is usually associated with literacy, with girls runaway leaders in exams and international reading tests.
But the OECD has come up with the unexpected finding that this advantage in school does not last into adulthood. When young men and women get to the end of their twenties, their reading skills are not that much different.

The study also has some nuggets about the influences that shape how well pupils do at school. Girls do much more homework than boys and this has a direct impact on results.
Boys are much more likely to spend long hours playing on computer games and this can have a direct impact on the likelihood of doing homework.
But there are a couple of big conclusions delivered by the OECD's education guru, Andreas Schleicher.
There is no "maths gene", there is nothing inherent about boys or girls doing particularly well or badly in different subjects.
If boys can do better than girls in maths tests in some western countries - and then girls in Shanghai can do better at maths than those western boys, it shows the variable factor is not gender, but those education systems.
Mr Schleicher says the study shows there is nothing innate, immutable or inevitable about gender differences in education.
There might be a blizzard of overlapping influences - self-confidence, parental expectations, society's stereotypes, gender bias, school support - which can affect how young people behave.
But it's nothing that is hardwired by gender.

Pregnant woman beaten with baseball bat by gang of intruders as she gave birth

Her contractions were six minutes apart and she was about to leave for hospital when five masked thugs used crowbars to smash their way into her house in Beambridge, Pitsea, Essex.

They beat her with a baseball bat and slashed her face with a knife in the attack on Monday night.

The unnamed 22-year-old woman was rushed to Basildon Hospital and suffered a haemorrhage.

Fortunately despite her injuries and the trauma, she gave birth to a healthy baby on Tuesday.

The horrific attack happened while the woman’s partner was upstairs collecting her hospital bag and her two-year-old child was asleep in bed.

Detectives from Basildon CID are hunting the masked gang which smashed its way in to the house, in Beambridge, Pitsea, with crowbars on Monday night.

The woman’s partner, who does not want to be named, said: “My partner’s contractions were about six minutes apart, so I went upstairs to get her hospital bag and to phone the babysitter to come and look after our two-year-old.

“The next thing I heard a loud smash – like a fish tank shattering.

“My partner started screaming my name and I just heard these men shouting something like ‘where’s the money?’, ‘give us the money!’.”

The five-strong gang beat the mother with baseball bats and crowbars before slashing her across the face.

Her 32-year-old partner, said: “I came down running down the stairs and they were attacking her. I just threw my arms round her to protect her.

“They carried on beating us. I was just shouting back at them, ‘you are wrong man, she is in labour.

“Me and my girlfriend just started screaming and shouting for help.”

Police Hunt: Detectives are trying find the five thugs who carried out the twisted attack
The yobs grabbed the couple’s iPad, a Sony Experia mobile phone and £60 in cash they had taken out for cabs to the hospital and food. They then ran off.

Her partner said: “I can’t even describe to you how angry I am. My partner is too traumatised to even go back to our home.

"She is going to need counselling to help her get through this. To do this to a woman who is in labour – it’s sick.”

The gang included five men – three of them wore balaclavas and dark clothes. The fourth gang member was white and the fifth was mixed race.

They were all in their 20s and spoke with local accents. Anyone with information can call Basildon CID on 101.

Det Insp Joel Henderson, from Basildon CID, said: “This was a shocking attack on a young woman who was in labour.

"It is vital we get those people responsible off the streets of Basildon.”

ISIS:Twisted militants throw 'gay' man off building then stone him to death after he survives fall

Harrowing images have emerged of the young man being hurled off the building as large crowds gather to watch the brutal execution

This is the sick moment Islamic State butchers pushed a man off the top of a building - because they believed he was gay.

The blind-folded man was held at the top of the tall block in Raqqa, Syria, while his captors took pictures of his final moments on mobile phones.

Below, hundreds of people gathered to watch the barbarous killing of the man, believed to be in his 20s.

One depraved IS member had a camera set up on a tripod on top of a car to photograph the man as he hurtled to his death.

Incredibly, the victim survived the fall, however that only marked the opening to the sick execution.

The man was thrown off the building but survived the fall
As he lay lifeless on the ground, men with AK47s across their backs pelted the body with rocks taken from plastic baskets.

Justice IS-style has also seen two men beheaded for blasphemy and dishonesty and a man stoned to death for adultery in the same week.

The men all faced Medieval-style public executions in the captured Syrian city of Aleppo.

Three men were also shot dead in the IS stronghold after being accused of being spies.

A man named Muhammad Aladdin was pictured having his head chopped off for being a 'swindler' in front of a crowd of locals.

More disturbing images showed a Jihadist with a giant Scimitar-style sword execute a man called Abdul Latif Ajjur.

The execution drew a significant audience
This time, onlookers were told he was guilty of cursing God.

Also in Aleppo, a dad had his had chopped off for allegedly stealing chocolate.

Campaign group Raqqa is being Slaughtered Silently said the pronouncement was that the man 'had taken goods'.

He told his executors it was chocolate for his children because they were hungry. But it was not enough to spare his life.

"People cheered but I believe only because they did not want to betray that they do not support Islamic State," said the site.

"This is the grim reality of life every day in Islamic State. It is like never-ending night-time in our country."

Their reports are difficult to independently verify due to the difficulty reporting from what is effectively an occupied territory.

But the Wall Street Journal recently interviewed the founder of the site, who gave a detailed account of his courageous filming under cover, in fear of his life.

Becky Watts' stepbrother shows no emotion as he appears in court charged with teenager's murder

The stepbrother of 16-year-old Becky Watts showed no emotion today as he appeared in court charged with her murder.

Nathan Matthews, 28, walked into the dock wearing a short sleeve black tee-shirt for a brief hearing in packed Court Two at Bristol Magistrates' Court.

During the one-minute hearing, unshaven Matthews spoke only to confirm his name, address date of birth.

The court clerk told him: "You are charged that between February 18 and March 1 in Bristol that you murdered Rebecca Watts."

Becky Watts accused seen leaving court
Inside, the public gallery was filled with about 40 people - mostly journalists - with no members of Becky's immediate family present.

Three uniformed police officers sat in front of the glass dock. Matthews had arrived in a marked police van shielded by four uniformed officers.

District Judge Lynne Matthews told the court: "As we all know, this case will have to go to the Crown Court.

"I cannot entertain any application for bail this morning and thus I will remand you in custody until tomorrow."

No details of the case against him were revealed to the court and he did not enter a plea to the single murder charge.

Court artist sketch of Nathan Matthews appearing at Bristol Magistrate's Court, Bristol, where he was charged with the murder of his stepsister Becky Watts.
According to the charge sheet, Matthews is charged with the "murder of a person aged one year or older, namely between February 19 and March 3, murdered Rebecca Watts".

Matthews was handcuffed to a female dock officer and led to the cells. He was remanded in custody until a video link hearing at Bristol crown court tomorrow.

A few minutes later Matthews' girlfriend Shauna Hoare, 21, walked into the dock in the same court for a separate hearing.

The court clerk then read out the charge she faces during a hearing which lasted just over a minute.

The clerk told Hoare: "Between February 18 and March 1 you did a series of acts which had a tendency to pervert the course of justice in that you hindered the police investigation and assisted Nathan Matthews intended to help him evade detection."

Family of Rebecca Watts pay tribute to her beautiful life
Judge Matthews said: "This case also has to go to the Crown Court and is connected to the previous case.

"I understand that there is no application for bail. I send your case to the Crown Court at Bristol."

Hoare, dressed in a short-sleeved charcoal coloured tee-shirt, was remanded in custody to appear at Bristol crown court on April 2.

Four men and one woman, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, remain in police custody.

Matthews and Hoare, who uses the surname Phillips on social media, were arrested on suspicion of Becky's kidnap on Saturday.

They were later rearrested on suspicion of her murder after body parts were found at an address in Bristol.

They were charged yesterday.

Hoare was previously taken to hospital by officers after "feeling unwell" in custody but returned after being seen by a doctor.

Becky, described as "wonderful" by her family, vanished from her home in Crown Hill, Bristol, at 11.15am on February 19.

Avon and Somerset Police launched a huge search operation - involving six police teams each day - after she was reported missing the following afternoon.

On Monday night, detectives received information that Becky's body had been "cut up" and they attended a house in Barton Court, Barton Hill, Bristol.

Body parts were discovered at the address, which continues to be combed by forensics teams. A private ambulance was seen leaving the property on Tuesday afternoon.

Bouquets, teddies and cards have been left at the family home and at the site where body parts were found.

Boy lives after plunging 2,500ft down mountain - and his iPhone withstands fall too

Jack Fox, 14, fell on the last run of the last day of a skiing trip in the Alps - he wants to encourage others to wear helmets, as he says his saved his life

A teenager survived a terrifying 2,500ft skiing plunge - and was surprised to find his iPhone had also miraculously withstood the fall.

Jack Fox, from Crossens, near Southport, Merseyside, is recovering at home after his Austrian ordeal.

He also wants to encourage others to wear helmets, as he says his saved his life.

The 14-year-old, who attends Tarleton Academy and wants to be a nuclear power engineer, fell on the last run of the last day of a school skiing trip in the Alps.

He suffered ice burns to his arms but miraculously survived the ordeal relatively unhurt, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Jack said his iPhone 4s, containing the last picture he took, also survived the fall.

He said: “The battery goes quite quickly now, but there is not a crack on it.

"After I had stopped falling I just saw it there and tried to turn it on but it wouldn’t, then when I got to the hospital and it had dried out, it turned on.”

Mum Amanda, 41, said Jack had been hoping for a new iPhone 6 if his current 4s model had been broken.

She said: “Jack has been after an iPhone 6 for ages and when he thought it wouldn’t turn on – he thought he was going to get a new one.

"But we are glad it came on because that was when he first spoke to me.

"My husband had been told that he had been airlifted off, but we didn’t know about any injuries. His phone coming back on was like it was meant to be really.”

Jack said: “I was facing forwards taking pictures of the scenery and I was about to put my phone away and started to slip and lose my footing.

"I was shouting for help as I was falling – but then I couldn’t because I had snow in my mouth.”

Amanda said: “Jack said when he got to the bottom of the mountain he knew he hadn’t broken anything as everything moved.”

At the top of the mountain, Jack said, a lot of people had taken their helmets off to take photos.

His mum Amanda said: “Luckily he hadn’t, because his helmet was all smashed.

"Kids think helmets are not cool but Jack has now realised that they are.”

“It was cracked and bits had fallen off it,” said Jack, “As I was going down I was trying to stop myself by digging my boots in, but it flipped me over and hit my head – it was a scary experience and was the first time I’ve ever thought I was going to die.”

The award-winning showjumper added: “Whether you ride horses or whatever you do, you do need a helmet. It has saved my life.”

After being airlifted off the mountain near Salzburg, Austria, Jack was treated at Alder Hey for severe ice burns.

He said: “As I fell, my jacket pushed up to my elbows and I got to one point when I started to slow down and I moved over on to one arm because the other one was hurting.

"That is when the left arm went bad.”

Amanda said his right arm shouldn’t be too bad, but his left arm was “quite a mess”.

She added: “He is lucky to be here, it could have been a totally different story.

"He is here and can tell the tale, which is the important thing.”

Jack has another skiing trip planned for next year – and said it was his photography – not his skiing – that was the problem.

He said: “It will be strange going back on the mountain, but I think the skiing won’t be a problem.”