'£1.8m Lotto win wrecked our lives': How chasing rock stardom and bingeing on bags left us with just £7... and a broken marriage

Roger and Lara Griffiths

Lara Griffiths (pictured left) tells the Daily Mail how winning the Lottery may not be all it's cracked up to be after it effectively destroyed her marriage to Roger Griffiths (pictured with Lara celebrating their 2006 windfall. The couple won £1.8 million pound on the Lotto in 2006 and enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle - until Roger revealed the money had ran out, and then ran out on their marriage.

Could we face gas rationing? British gas reserves could run dry in 36 HOURS after freezing householders turn the heating up

The shortfall is likely to push up the long-term price of gas and could result in household tariffs rising by up to 15 per cent before next winter

If this happens, businesses and power stations will be restricted first, but then householders will be ordered to cut down on the amount of gas they use for heating their homes. Britain’s gas stores are dangerously low as unexpectedly low temperatures have forced people to keep their heating on. The crisis deepened yesterday when a crucial undersea pipeline connecting Britain and Belgium shut down without warning, pushing the price of gas up by 50 per cent to a record high.

On benefits in Birmingham, the African war criminal we can't kick out: Rant of 'murderer' staying on human rights grounds is being funded by tax payer

Benefiting from Britain: Ex-Sudanese Janjaweed fighter Mohamed Issa Salim at home in Birmingham

Mohamed Salim, 27, was part of the Janjaweed militia that ‘wiped out entire villages’ in his native Sudan, but now lives on benefits in a large house in Birmingham.

Worst parkers in Britain revealed: How Audi drivers are the ones to avoid in a car park and definitely give anyone in a Vauxhall Vectra a wide berth

Badly parked: A Renault MPV mounted up on a kerb

The results come from a study of more than 8,000 cars were analysed during February by online company www.StressFreeAirportParking.com, the UK's biggest provider of 'meet and greet' parking at UK airports.

Eating too much salt blamed for 2.3 million deaths a year worldwide... ten times more than sugary drinks

Salt and sodium intake among Americans could be the cause of 1 in 10 deaths a new study from Harvard has found

Fifteen per cent of all deaths from heart attacks, strokes and other heart-related diseases throughout the world in 2010 were caused by eating too much salt.

Bing

Debenhams cancels orders for £90 coat after price glitch gives it away for 72p - a 99% discount

Debenhams cancels orders for £90 coat after price glitch gives it away for 72p - a 99% discount

Retailer says reduced Lands' End range was an error and orders will not be fulfilled. A spokesman for Debenhams said: 'Hands up, we've made a mistake with the discounts.'

How 2,200 NHS staff were paid off... then re-hired months later, costing the taxpayer tens of millions

The Mail revealed this week that the NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson urged managers to wait six months before returning because of the 'reputational damage' it would cause the NHS

NHS managers have walked into new NHS jobs weeks after pocketing redundancy payoffs. Chief executive David Nicholson (pictured) them to wait six months before returning because of 'reputational damage'.

Half of the squatters in London are Romanian as MPs warn of thousands coming to UK next year

eu

The figures will fuel growing concern about the number of Romanians and Bulgarians who will come to the UK when controls are lifted on January 1.

Britons' most embarrassing moments revealed: Texting the wrong person and bumping in to an ex (or lamppost) top the list

Britons go red in the face an average of seven times each week, but women are more likely to get embarrassed than men

The study of 2,000 people found Britons embarrass themselves seven times a week on average with bumping into an ex and thinking you've hung up the mobile phone, but haven't among the most common embarrassing moments.

Charles Dickens... or the world's worst writer? Blind reading test found 48% couldn't tell difference between literature great and ridiculed novelist

People are none the wiser about whether they're reading a Charles Dickens masterpiece or one of the works of Edward Bulwer-Lytton, billed as 'the worst writer in history'

A new study has found that people really are none the wiser about whether they're reading a Charles Dickens masterpiece or one of the works of Edward Bulwer-Lytton, billed as 'the worst writer in history'.

England fan, 65, suffers 'serious head injuries' after being punched by fellow supporter in Bologna bar brawl ahead of San Marino World Cup qualifier

Violence: The incident happened late on Thursday night outside the Bounty pub in Bologna (pictured) where dozens of England fans had gathered ahead of the journey to nearby Rimini for the World Cup match

The incident happened late on Thursday night outside the Bounty pub in Bologna (pictured) where dozens of England fans had gathered ahead of the journey to nearby Rimini for the World Cup match.

Nigella Lawson built her seven-bedroom dream home... but has led 'two-year campaign' to stop her neighbour doing the same

GV of TV cook Nigella Lawson's home

Nigella Lawson and her husband have been accused of leading a to stop their next-door neighbour carrying out similar improvements to her property (centre), claiming it will 'erode the character' of the London street. Flora Mascolo (inset), the widow of Toni & Guy hair salon chain founder Guy Mascolo, claims the couple have used their celebrity status to turn residents against her, saying it is ‘like living next to the Vatican’.

MoD executive found guilty of sex attack on lone train passenger he pretended to help after she fell asleep and missed her station

Guilty: MOD official Mark Scully found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman he offered to help after she missed her train station

Mark Scully, 37, assistant head of support for operations at the MoD, attacked the woman after offering to help her home from Woking, Surrey after missing her station.

British tourist found frozen to death after skiing holiday drinking session in the French Alps lay undiscovered for a DAY-AND-A-HALF

The British tourist has died after freezing to death during a skiing holiday in the resort of La Plagne in the French Alps (file photo)

The 26-year-old, named locally as Louis Robertson, from Glasgow, originally went missing from La Plagne resort on Wednesday night. He is believed to have got lost trying to find a short cut home in the dark.

Roofer who weaned himself off vertigo medication fell to his death while pruning a tree

Craig McNulty died in August last year after falling from a tree. A coroner gave a verdict of accidental death and said he believed Mr McNulty had blacked out before the fall

Craig McNulty, from Batley, West Yorkshire, landed on his feet on the concrete below the tree before falling back and hitting his head, suffering 'catastrophic' injuries on August 1 last year.

'The Germans are trying to take our lives and our money': Angry Cypriots protest on streets as leaders battle to agree tax on bank accounts to stop country collapsing on Monday

Anger

The respected Cypriot newspaper Filelftheros made the allegation about Cypriot president Nikos Anastasiades which was picked up eagerly by German media.

Harrowing video montage 'documents Serbian woman's year of domestic violence' but could it be a fake to promote awareness of attacks on women?

'I do not know if I will get to see tomorrow': Harrowing video documenting a Serbian woman's diary of horrific domestic violence goes viral

The unnamed Serbian woman documented her injuries over the course of 2012, which get progressively worse as the year draws on.

Take wads of cash... but watch out for muggers: Extraordinary Foreign Office advice for Cyprus-bound Britons

Foreign Office has warned Britons to be on their guard when visiting Cyprus

The Foreign Office amended its advice as officials warned the island had just ‘hours’ to prevent financial collapse.

Another blow for Osborne as top ratings agency puts UK's AAA credit score on review for downgrade days after austerity budget

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne delivering his Budget to the House of Commons

Fitch Ratings agency cited forecasts indicating that Government debt will peak later and at a higher level than previously expected.

'We need a politician who will fight on rather than fight about the past': Lord Mandelson blasts Ed Balls over his 'negative' strategy on economy

Harsh words: Lord Mandelson attacked both Ed Balls and former Labour leader Gordon Brown

Lord Mandelson has launched a devastating attack on Ed Balls - and admitted that the last Labour Government left behind a wrecked economy.

Cable torpedoes Clegg’s attempt to get tough on immigration as he warns crackdown will damage the economy

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg insisted British society has been shaped by migrant communities, but unveiled tougher action against illegal immigration

The Deputy Prime Minister today used his first speech on immigration since the general election in 2010 to set out a vision of a 'tolerant Britain, zero-tolerant of abuse'.

Seven years for financial adviser who strangled mother of his baby to death after a 12-hour row by text message

Paul Keene with his girlfriend Carmen Miron-Buchacra

Carmen Miron Buchacra, 28, can be heard begging for her life on a voicemail recording as her partner Paul Keene, 32, strangled her and repeatedly punched her in the face in the Bath home. The terrified mother called a friend when Keene arrived at their home following an all-day drinking binge at a boules match - but she went through to his voicemail and her death was caught on his answerphone.

Rich women AREN'T too posh to push: Research shows poorer mothers are twice as likely to have a planned C-section

The proportion of mothers having Caesarean sections in the UK has increased since the 1980s

Even taking into account health factors such as smoking and obesity, women of lower social class were at greater risk of needing a Caesarean, say researchers from University of York.

Pure horsemeat was sold as 'diced beef' to shoppers on market stall

Lancashire County Council has discovered horsemeat being sold as beef on a market stall in Preston

The meat was imported by Hungarian Food Ltd in Preston, Lancashire, and sold on its market stall in the town and a shop in Liverpool called Taste of Hungary.

'No weirdy beardies in my pub': Historic bar axed from national beer guide 'because it discriminates against visitors who aren't regulars'

Blue Bell pub in Fossgate, York

The Blue Bell pub in York has been dropped from The Good Beer Guide's 2014 edition over accusations it discriminates against tourists, after holding 'locals only' nights.

Google joins the war of the watches with new gadget to take on Apple and Samsung

Google's patents for a smartwatch show a traditional looking screen with a 'flip-up' second display which can show directions or private messages

Google is developing a watch to work alongside its Glass wearable computer, it has been revealed. The search giant is set to use its Android software to power the gadget.

Apple unveils massive overhaul of password security as global hacking epidemic spreads

Apple's iCloud will now send a code to user's mobile phones when they enter their password for the first time from a new device

The technology giant has followed Google by introducing a system that sends a code to a user's mobile phone to verify their identity.

A REAL screen saver: Apple's plan for iPhone that protects itself when you drop it

The new system could mean an end to expensive smashed iPhone screens

A new patent application by Apple reveals a gadget that can automatically protect itself.

Girls, dirty money and the fall of Russia's playground in the sun: Millionaires keep on partying as Cyprus faces bankruptcy

Cyprus

The party was in full swing at the glitzy 7 Seas club on Wednesday. A hundred Russian girls turned up (as they always do) for the weekly Ladies' Night, cavorting in Louboutin heels to loud music as they downed vodka cocktails, chilled Cristal champagne or both. Without a care in the world and with Daddy's credit cards in their pocket, they giggled as swarms of young Russian and Cypriot men in leather jackets and designer jeans chatted them up. The truth is that the fun might not last very long.

The dreams that can be an early sign of dementia: Men who walk, talk or hit out in their sleep have an increased risk of the disease

If a middle aged man acts out his dreams while he is asleep he is five times more likely to develop dementia in old age

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic, Florida, have discovered that the strongest predictor of whether a man will develop a common type of dementia is whether he acts out his dreams.

Are men biologically designed to avoid having affairs with their friends' wives?

Purely platonic

A University of Missouri study that found adult males' testosterone levels dropped when they were interacting with the spouse of a close friend.

Grandmother, 68, killed after her flat was crushed by landslide in heavy rain

Collapse: A house in Looe, Cornwall has partially fallen after a night of heavy rain

Susan Norman, who lives on the ground floor of a house in Looe which collapsed thanks to flooding this morning, has been unaccounted for since 6pm yesterday.

'It's not about the size, it's about the presentation': Nightclub criticised for offering free entry to women who expose their cleavage

The Casino Rooms Nightclub in Rochester, Kent, has come under fire after promoting its 'National Cleavage Weekender' complete with flyers showing seven busty revellers in low-cut tops

The Casino Rooms Nightclub in Rochester, Kent, has come under fire after promoting its 'National Cleavage Weekender' complete with flyers showing seven busty revellers in low-cut tops.

Boss of renowned English vineyard who crashed his sports car after getting 'tipsy' at a wine tasting sued for £300,000 by injured girlfriend

Lucinda Stevens and Art Tukker on holiday together

The owner of an English vineyard Art Tukker (right) who crashed his sports car after getting 'tipsy' at a wine tasting is being sued for £300,000 by his injured former girlfriend (left).

Parents of eight-year-old boy who allegedly died from scurvy appear in court charged with child neglect

Glynn and Julie Seabridge, pictured outside Swansea Crown Court, are charged with child neglect after their son Dylan died of scurvy

Dylan Seabridge, eight, died suddenly at his home in Crymych, Pembrokeshire, from the illness linked to a deficiency of vitamin C in December 2011.

Coalition curse strikes again: Cameron's adviser on children becomes the latest new Tory MP to split from her husband

Last year Mrs Perry was appointed by David Cameron to be his advisor on preventing the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood

Devizes MP Claire Perry announces her 17-year marriage to Clayton is over, amid warnings one in six Conservatives elected in 2010 have seen their relationships collapse.

MPs to probe claims that the U.S. is operating a secret 'drone war' from Britain's RAF bases

Evidence: MPs from the all-party parliamentary group on drones will now consider evidence as to whether US Predator drones are being operated from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire

MPs from the all-party parliamentary group on drones will now consider the evidence of a US ‘operations centre’ at the RAF Waddington base in Lincolnshire at their next meeting.

Maggie doesn't know who I am, says Archer: Lady Thatcher's friend reveals extent of her failing health

Former Prime Minister Lady Thatcher waves as she stands with Prime Minister, David Cameron, on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street

Lady Thatcher (pictured) is suffering memory loss to the extent that she no longer recognises her long-term friend Lord Archer, he revealed in an interview.

'We must focus our fight on Labour': David Cameron makes plea for Tory party unity after leadership speculation

'I'm up for it': David Cameron told activists that, with less than 1,000 days until the next election, the Tories have 'a real fight on our hands'

The Prime Minister told activists the Tories had a 'real fight' on their hands at the party's spring conference in London today, with less than 1,000 days to go until the next election.

Revealed: Osborne's 50 meetings with bank bosses in just two years

Close relations: George Osborne met executives of Britain's banks 50 times between 2010 and 2012

George Osborne had 44 one-on-one discussions with bank bosses as well as four meetings with a small group of executives, Government records reveal.

The 'single' mother-of-six on benefits, the £2.5million Belgravia mansion she wants you to pay for... And the mystery of her VERY elusive fashion boss husband

Lavish living: Belgravia is one of the capital's most exclusive neighbourhoods where properties cost more than £6million

Stephanie Demouh, originally from west Africa, lived in the four bedroom house in Belgravia, near Sloane Square, for about three years with her family. She was moved after a cap on housing benefit. Pictured left is her former home, and (right) Belgravia.

Patient who went into scandal-hit Stafford Hospital with broken leg 'died after getting head stuck in bed railing'

A patient died at scandal-hit Stafford Hospital as she pleaded with nurses ¿Help me¿, a disciplinary hearing was told today

The woman had got her head stuck between a bed railing and begged for help, but nurse Ann King told an auxiliary worker: 'Sit down - she's fine', the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard.

Farce of the new £545m NHS hospital which is too SMALL: Flagship unit forced to re-open old wards at the site it replaced

Too small: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, where the unprecedented demand on A&E admissions is forcing health bosses to reopen old wards after running out of beds

The number of patients being admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham means two wards will be brought back into action at the neighbouring old Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which was built in the 1930s and closed in 2010.

Bank of England's physio sues children's theme park after breaking his back on trampoline 'because it was positioned too close to the ground'

Businessman: Mr Edwards, pictured with his wife Nicky, runs his own physiotherapist in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, as well as working for the Bank of England

Paul Edwards, who provides physio for Sir Mervyn King and some of the nation's other top bankers fractured his spine on a visit to Willows Farm Village and Park near St Albans, Hertfordshire, in May last year.

The boy born with no ankles or knees who can now own a pair of shoes for the first time - thanks to his amazing new legs

Ted

Three-year-old Ted Johnson, from Melbourne, Australia, had his legs amputated when he was a year old. Unlike his old prosthetic legs, these blue fibreglass prosthetic legs have feet.

The father who has FOUR kidneys and THREE pancreases thanks to transplant surgery to cure his diabetes

Carl Jones

Carl Jones, 32, from Carmarthen, west Wales, has had two organ transplant operations which have left him with four kidneys and three pancreases.

Doubles all round! Two golfers beat odds of a 'million-to-one' to hit two holes-in-one seconds apart on same hole

Hole-in-one: Bob Wood (left) and Jeff Roberts immediately after they discovered they had achieved one of the rarest moves in golf

Golfers Bob Wood and Jeff Roberts both managed to beat the odds and score a hole-in-one on the same hole at Queen's Park Golf Club, Bournemouth.

Depressed mother dies under speeding train with her three-year-old son in morning rush-hour tragedy

Tragic

Donna Oettinger, 41, had taken blond-haired Zaki to the railway station at the end of her road during the morning rush hour. The little boy only celebrated his third birthday a week ago.account. Miss Oettinger, who worked for a haulage company, was understood to have been suffering from severe depression.

Schoolgirl, 18, pretended to be a boy called Scott for THREE AND A HALF YEARS to get another teenage girl, 16, into bed and take her virginity

Confused: Justine McNally arrives at Wood Green Court Court today having admitted posing as a boy to get a teenage girl into bed

Justine McNally, 18, duped her 16-year-old victim into believing she was male as they dated online and carried on tricking her after they met in London by strapping a sex toy to her waist.

Gangster accused of four murders 'fantasised about decapitating his enemy'

Dale Cregan, who killed PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone in September, is on trial for the murders of David and Mark Short

Cregan, 29, admitted the murder of PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone in Manchester last year, but is on trial for the murders of father and son David and Mark Short in the months before, which he denies.

'I wish they'd just send my thieving daughter to jail': She burgled her parents three times and was shopped by her mother... but judge lets her go

Ruth and John Lynch hoped 19-year-old Jennice would be sent to prison as a 'wake-up call' after years of stealing and poor behaviour.

Ruth and John Lynch hoped 19-year-old Jennice would be sent to prison as a 'wake-up call' after years of stealing and poor behaviour.

Killer copied torture scene from horror film Saw by slicing through victim’s spinal cord to make him reveal his PIN number

Matthew Tinling

Matthew Tinling, 25, knifed former soldier Richard Hamilton, 45, 17 times in the head, neck and legs in their London hostel, mimicking scenes from a DVD found in his room.

Saudi Prince jailed in Britain for sexually abusing and murdering his male servant flies home to serve the rest of his life sentence

Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud.jpg

The prince was jailed in 2010 for killing Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz in a London hotel after subjecting him to a 'sadistic' campaign of violence and sexual abuse.

Magistrate, 48, who appeared on C4 show Coach Trip 'stole £22,500 in disability benefits while working as salsa instructor'

Magistrate Wayne Middleton was shown enjoying downhill grass skiing during his appearance on Channel 4'S Coach Trip in 2011

Wayne Middleton, 48, also abseiled down a 150ft tower and tried downhill grass skiing during an appearance on Channel 4's Coach Trip in 2011, a court heard today.

World famous artist, 70, accused of being a paedophile tells court there is 'no shame' in nude child portraits

Allegations: Acclaimed artist Graham Ovenden, 70, is accused of abusing children who posed as models for him in the 1970s and '80s, a court heard

Graham Ovenden, who told police he had a 'major reputation' for having 'some of the best portraits of children in the last 200 years', is accused of sexually abusing children over the past 40 years.

Joss Stone murder plot man 'had diary of people he wanted to kill naming Beyonce and Girls Aloud'

Kevin Liverpool is alleged to have wrote his thoughts about Joss Stone, pictured leaving Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday, in a diary

Kevin Liverpool, 35, wrote down in a diary his thoughts about the Devon-based soul singer. One entry said: 'God doesn’t give a f***. Protect yourself from this.'

One-woman crimewave who raids stores for perfume, aftershave and meat has 230 convictions to her name

Paula Alderson was jailed for 16 months at Newcastle Crown Court for theft and already has 230 convictions behind her

Paula Alderson targeted shops across the North East of England while she was already on a suspended sentence, community order and bail.

Come on, Mum - let's get you dating again: So many families have been there. An adored husband dies. A lonely widow pines. One daughter decided to take radical action

Catherine Eade and Virginia Eade

Virginia Eade, right, with her daughter Catherine, who is helping her mother get dating again after her father died, by signing her up for singles' websites. Virginia had been happily married to David (left) from 1962 til his death in 2006. This year she went on her first date for 52 years.

He caroused with West End call girls and proposed to THREE society beauties - who turned him down. A startling portrait of Winston Churchill in his youth

Churchill chased after Pamela Plowden, the daughter of a colonial officer, as well as stage siren Ethel Barrymore

For a time, it seemed the whole of London was enraptured with Ethel Barrymore — and none more so than a certain young Tory MP.

Clarifications and corrections

Clarifications and corrections

If you wish to report an inaccuracy please write to the Readers’ Editor, Daily Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email corrections@dailymail.co.uk

'I ran to the toilet to be sick': Disgusted shopper tucks into Asda meat pie... and finds whole FINGERNAIL inside

Disgusted: Lewis Newton from Ashford Kent holding a photo of the fingernail he found in his ASDA pie

Lewis Newton, from Ashford, Kent, found a fingernail inside his Smartprice minced beef and onion pie. Asda gave him a £40 voucher in compensation and have launched an investigation.

Pictured: Devastating damage caused to car in which motorist died after it was hit by London-bound train on level-crossing

A driver has died after being hit by a high-speed passenger train in Somerset

Police, fire crews and the ambulance service were called to the crash near Athelney in Somerset at around 6.30am this morning.

'Sorry, no tourists': Antiques store owner bans all customers who live outside a 30-mile radius 'because they never buy anything'

Mark Galpin has put up a sign outside the front door of his furniture and antiques shop in Christchurch, Dorset, which reads in bold letters 'No Tourists'

Mark Galpin claims his profits have risen by 30 per cent since he put up a sign outside his Aladdin's Cave shop in Christchurch, Dorset last month.

Janoaworramean? Frustrated Teesside mother pens 'Smoggie dictionary' with translations into Standard English to help others understand her

Nichola Ridley, 25, moved from her native Middlesbrough to Gateshead and has written her own 'Smoggie Dictionary' which translates the Teesside dialect

Nichola Ridley, 25, who grew up in Middlesbrough and moved nearly 40 miles away to Gateshead five years ago, says she still finds herself having to repeat words because people are not familiar with her dialect.

The great spring white-out: Up to 16 inches of snow expected as days of blizzards and flood warnings across the UK expected

Snow

Britain's miserable March continued today as the country was hit with flooding, storms and even snow - and the foul weather is set to continue this weekend. The weekend is expected to be the coldest March weekend for more than 50 years with a foot of snow in some areas. North-West England and Wales were particularly badly hit yesterday - this picture shows how motorists in North Wales were forced to carve out a path between snowdrifts as tall as their cars.

She's got (half) a ticket to ride: Beatles fan, 61, hunts for childhood friend to retrieve other half of signed ticket which could be worth a small fortune

Worth a fortune: The ticket is signed by John Lennon, George Harrison and original drummer Pete Best

It was February 1962 and a breathless Beatles fan had just been to see the Fab Four in concert. She managed to get every member of the band to sign her ticket.

Zoom with a view: Welcome to the northern hemisphere's longest zip wire which offers 100mph rides along MILE-LONG route over Welsh mountains

The northern hemisphere's largest zip wire opened in Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda, Bangor, North Wales today

Views from Zip World will include Snowdonia, Anglesey and the Isle of Man on a clear day, but riders of the wire may not be able to take it all in as they reach speeds of nearly 100mph over a disused quarry.

Mesmerising pictures reveal the incredible beauty of animal eyes

Seething? A Madagascan tomato frog

Professional wildlife photographer Daniel Heuclin travelled the world to capture the images of various tropical frogs and lizards peering straight into the lens.

'I can see again! Flo the mastiff has sight saved by £1,000 FACE LIFT after her overly wrinkled forehead nearly blinded her

Before: One-year-old Mastiff Flo suffered from cherry eye disease as her droopy skin caused her to get infection in her eye

The one-year-old is being cared for by Happy Endings Rescue in Faversham, Kent, and is now looking for a new home.

The wonders of nature: Camouflaged stick insects and fighting seals among winners of ecological photography competition

This brutal photograph of two male Southern Elephant Seals (Mirounga leonina) fighting over a harem of 127 females was taken by Laltitia Kernal Eguen, a PhD student at Deakin University, Australia

This picture of two bloodied seals battling for supremacy over 127 females is just one of the stunning pictures that were winners in the journal BMC Ecology's annual image competition.

Say cheese! Happy swimmer cracks a killer smile as it has a whale of a time catching lunch in the wild

Say cheese! A false killer whale beams with delight as it hunts in the wild off the coast of Kona in Hawaii

Any similarities between the false killer whale and its ferocious namesake are quickly forgotten when you catch sight of the cute creature grinning from ear to ear.

Did Sarkozy 'abuse the weakness' of world's richest woman? Former French president 'in state of incomprehension' as he faces trial for taking millions from 90-year-old L'Oreal heiress

Worried: Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, centre, is pictured leaving Bordeaux' courthouse last night

The former French president now faces a possible prison sentence for allegedly taking millions of pounds from frail l’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, 90.

A rainbow of colour to herald the start of spring: Hindu devotees throw vivid powder at each other to celebrate Lathmar Holi Festival

Burst of colour: A Hindu worshippe dances with coloured paint on his body during Lathmar Holi at Nandagram Temple in Nandgaon

Thousands of Hindus travelled to the small villages of Nandgaon and Barsana in the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to throw an array of striking powders at each other.

'Cannibal killer' known as Black Jesus breaks out of jail with FORTY EIGHT others after being accused of murdering three girls then drinking their blood

'Black Jesus': Notorious cult leader Stephen Tari after he was captured in Papua New Guinea in 2007

Stephen Tari (pictured) escaped with the other inmates from a prison in Madang, Papua New Guinea, while a guard changed shift. Police have warned that some of the escapees are very dangerous.

Assad vows to 'cleanse' Syria after suicide bomber kills top Sunni cleric and MI6 investigates chemical weapon attack

Threat: Syrian president Bashar Assad, pictured here greeting people in Damascus on Wednesday, has pledged to 'cleanse' the country of Muslim extremists following a suicide attack on a mosque

British scientists at Porton Down are testing the soil for traces of the nerve agent Sarin, after rebels claimed state forces used gas during an attack near Aleppo on Tuesday.

WORLD NEWS

Violence: Unrest between Buddhists and Muslims in central Myanmar has reduced neighbourhoods to ashes        

Repeat after me: If 100 experts say it's wrong for children to learn by rote, they must all be nitwits

School pupils

One of the lessons we all learn eventually, whether from history or personal experience, is the correct answer to the question: can 100 leading experts really be wrong? That answer, of course, is a most emphatic ‘Yes’. Writes TOM UTLEY.

The daylight robber... and Ronnie Biggs

Rich Ricci

Two striking images of defiance leapt out of the pages of yesterday’s Daily Mail. The first was that of banker Rich Ricci, the second was that of Ronnie Biggs giving a pathetic V-sign. But are they really all that different? Writes RICHARD LITTLEJOHN.

If Cyprus falls into Putin's grip, the West will have lost the first battle in the new Cold War

Putin, who termed the collapse of the Soviet Union the 'geopolitical catastrophe of the century', sees the humiliation of the hated West as the prime goal in his desire to restore Russia's greatness

The capitalists will sell us the rope on which we hang them, said Vladimir Lenin. And for his successor in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, Cyprus shows the truth of that maxim, writes EDWARD LUCAS.

Two Eds still have no clue on the economy

Most of us recognise the Coalition's leaders as intelligent and decent men, doing their best. Their Labour counterparts, by contrast, seem incapable of grasping the magnitude of what is happening

It has become an all too depressing ritual of modern politics. First comes the Budget, with all its glossy promises. Then, the day after, we discover the inconvenient truths buried in the small print.

We all suffer if you milk the motorist

Some station car parks can charge £6 a day. Take six weeks off for holidays and that works out at £1,380 annually, in a recession. As a result, many nearby residential areas have become far more congested

A recent survey said that 80 per cent of vehicles in the town centre car parks are there all day. But this means there is no room for shoppers. Another blow for the town. And we all know what happens from here, writes MARTIN SAMUEL.

William Shawcross too tame a chronicler for Weidenfeld's so colourful a life, surely?

Colourful: Now 93, George Weidenfeld is composing a new volume of memoirs

Now 93, the doyen of publishing, George Weidenfeld, is composing a new volume of memoirs. Married four times, he has escorted society beauties ranging from Lady Antonia Fraser to writer Barbara Amiel.