(CNN)Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton and teammate Nico Rosberg resumed where they left off last season as the 2015 Formula One season kicked off in Melbourne. The Mercedes duo, who took pole position in all but one of last season's qualifying sessions and won 16 of the 19 races, were dominant in first and second practice for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix. Rosberg, who won last year's GP at Albert Park, was fastest around the Melbourne street circuit on Friday, finishing 0.1 second ahead of Hamilton with Sebastian Vettel taking third spot for his new team Ferrari -- the German four-time world champion finished 0.715 seconds off  the pace set by his compatriot. Vettel's Finnish teammate, Kimi Raikkonen was fourth, 1.1 seconds behind the lead with Williams' Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Kvyat, who was making his debut for Red Bull since his switch from Toro Rosso, finishing fifth and sixth respectively. "It was great to be back in the car at this awesome track," Rosberg said, the official Formula One site reported. "Today we have the evidence that our Silver Arrow is quick again and it was a great start for the team," he added. "It seems again that it's very close between Lewis and me and he is a great driver, so I need to nail the setup every time to come out on top. This year will be a big battle again against him, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to the first weekend of the new season with all the great fans out there." Hamilton, who was forced to retire from last year's race with engine trouble, was satisfied with his pace. "It feels great to be back on track and back into a race weekend. In general it's been a good first day," Hamilton said. "Today seemed to confirm that we have pretty good pace. But there are still other quick cars out there and we can't go into tomorrow's sessions not thinking that they will be close." The opening day's racing was somewhat overshadowed by an ongoing dispute between Sauber and the Swiss team's 2014 reserve driver Giedo van der Garde. The 29-year-old Dutchman recently started legal proceeding against the Swiss team claiming they had reneged on a promise to make him one of the lead drivers for the 2015 season. Van der Garde won the case held in a Swiss court earlier this month, with the decision being upheld by Supreme Court of Victoria in Australia on Tuesday after Sauber had appealed the original ruling. During practice Van der Garde could be seen in the Sauber garage wearing his race overalls, but he did not make an appearance on track as Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr completing both practice sessions. Following the initial court ruling, team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said that changing drivers hours before a Grand Prix could be dangerous. "What we cannot do is jeopardize the safety of our team, or any other driver on the track, by having an unprepared driver in a car that has now been tailored to two other assigned drivers," she said, Formula1.com reported. Brazilian Nasr was the highest placed of the two finishing 11th while Swede Marcus Ericsson was 15th. Elsewhere there was also a uncertain start for McLaren who finished way down the pecking order. Jenson Button was 13th, almost four seconds off the pace for the CNN-sponsored team while teammate Kevin Magnussen, who was deputizing for the absent Fernando Alonso, was 16th following second practice. Local favorite Daniel Ricciardo completed just nine laps of practice after his Red Bull suffered engine failure. Qualifying for Sunday's race gets underway on Saturday.

Nico Rosberg fastest ahead of team Lewis Hamilton in Australia GP practice . Mercedes duo dominated last season winning all but three of 19 races . Giedo van der Garde doesn't race for Sauber despite court ruling . Sebatian Vettel makes good start for new team Ferrari finishing second practice in third .

's races, were again the fastest in Australia as they finished in the top two spots in qualifying. Hamilton clocked a new lap record on his final flying lap to claim pole with a best of one minute 25.140 seconds for the 5.309-kilometre Albert Park circuit. His Mercedes team-mate Rosberg was second quickest with 1:25.220. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, last season's runner-up, was third quickest in 1:25.283. Read: Mercedes confirm Hamilton and Rosberg have both signed new deals Hamilton has been crowned champion by the BBC for five straight years, and looks to be on the cusp of another campaign to match his legendry predecessor Michael Schumacher. Last season Hamilton won seven times to put him level with the great German -- the only other man to win more than one World Championship. The Briton's 2014 campaign ended in dramatic fashion as he led home teammate Nico Rosberg over the line in a thrilling duel for first place in the final round at Abu Dhabi. But with five drivers out of the 24-car grid switching teams for this year, a new battle is set to erupt in Melbourne. Read: 'Ferrari and Mercedes have no clear No. 1' - Hamilton Mercedes, who have never won a title in F1's 65-year history, have recruited reigning three-time champion Rosberg and his former teammate Valtteri Bottas from Williams and have enjoyed a strong winter testing period. But even with that momentum and the presence of the two-time and reigning title-winning German, they have the daunting task of toppling Mercedes and Hamilton in Melbourne. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was fourth quickest in 1:25.323, while Daniel Ricciardo was fifth in 1:25.346 for Australia's Renault-powered Red Bull team. McLaren's Jenson Button was sixth quickest for Honda and Toro Rosso's Daniil Kyvat was seventh. Read: Mercedes confirm Hamilton and Rosberg have both signed new deals Red Bull's former champion Mark Webber was eighth for the team's Renault unit, but he was later stripped of his best time after he was found to have jumped across the track at the end of his flying lap. Webber was immediately told to pull over and allowed the other 23 drivers to take to the track. Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn said his drivers' performances in Australia were very encouraging


McAllen, Texas (CNN)For residents of this town just across the bridge from Mexico, it's hard to understand how a Washington political fight could end up threatening the livelihood of people charged with securing the border. "What incentive do they have to keep protecting us if they're not getting paid?" asked Cecilia De La Cruz as she sat at a coffee shop with a friend. "It is troubling." The latest example of congressional dysfunction has real world implications here, where thousands of agents monitor the U.S. border with Mexico. The agents, along with other employees vital to national security such as TSA screeners, will have to show up to work without being paid if Congress misses a Friday deadline to keep the Department of Homeland Security funded. Thousands of other agency workers will be furloughed. The employees are caught up in a fight over immigration policy. Republicans want to tie funding for the department to legislation that would roll back President Barack Obama's immigration executive orders -- a nonstarter for Democrats. The battle reached a fevered pitch last week when Congress narrowly missed a deadline to avoid a partial DHS shutdown, giving themselves an extension until March 6 to broker a deal. Speaker John Boehner could try to avert another showdown by holding a vote as early as Tuesday on a DHS bill that doesn't touch Obama's immigration order. But the political intrigue isn't registering for some residents here. Angelea Remorin, a nurse who works nights at a hospital, said she wasn't concerned yet because she hadn't read or heard anything about the potential shutdown. "Me, personally, I peek into the news every now and then, but it's things like ISIS, you know, those big headline things, that I look at on the news," she said. "None of my friends have been talking about (the shutdown), and I haven't been keeping up with it." At the coffee shop with De La Cruz, Ronaldo Delacruz said he'd heard of the potential shutdown but didn't feel unsafe. "I don't know what's going to necessarily happen to the department itself," Delacruz said. "I don't know how that's going to affect the protection of the border or border patrol, but I guess we're going to find out." Marco Solis said he was mad after hearing that Congress agreed to keep DHS running for only a few days. He said he wonders why lawmakers don't realize how their decisions affect local areas. "They're a bunch of incompetent men who just can't figure it out," he said. "And I know not all of them are men, but say predominantly, old white men screwing up this country." Local employees of the Department of Homeland Security stationed along the border said they weren't allowed to speak to newsgroups on the record because of orders directly from Washington. But speaking without attribution, they did express frustration with Congress for defunding their department in 2013 as part of the broader government shutdown and possibly again later this week if a longer term funding bill isn't passed. The agents argued they have families to feed and mortgages to pay, just like anyone else. Chris Cabrera, the vice president of the Local 3307 National Border Patrol Council, a union for border agents, echoed those sentiments. He said that in the McAllen area, about 2,000 agents would be affected by this funding bill. He said the problem is in Washington, where Congress won't feel the direct effect of a possible funding gap. As a border patrol agent for 13 years who also felt the effect of the 2013 shutdown, he remembers how it went down last time. "It's pretty much out of our hands" he said. "The sad part is that we're the football in this political game, and we're just caught in the middle getting tossed around while somebody is trying to push their own agenda, one way or the other." In the meantime, he said he's working with local agents to help them send letters to their mortgage companies to alert them of the possible problems because most of them are considered essential personnel and will have to continue working without a paycheck. For now, he said that's all that the union can do to help. "At some point, people will jump ship," he said. "I don't think there's going to be a rush for the door, but we will have some people that are gonna say 'Enough is enough. This is twice in two years, and I'm done with this.' " If a shutdown were to happen later this week, Cabrera said that nonessential personnel, such as administration positions in the department, would not report to work. Agents would continue to work securing the border, but depending on how long the shutdown lasts, they'd eventually have to work in some of the administrative positions as well to make up for employees who were furloughed. "Most likely what will happen is that they'll have to pull agents who do frontline work, processing work, or stuff in the station," he said. "They're going to have to backfill them -- you know somebody has to answer the phones at the front of the building." He added that he believes the cartels in Mexico are keeping up with American news so that they can take advantage in case DHS does shut down. "They know," Cabrera said about anyone across the border hoping to bring people or drugs. "They scout us when our shift changes. They know everything that's coming along. And when they see stuff like this, when it hits the media, they start mobilizing." McAllen Mayor Jim Darling agreed and said he believes cartels and gangs are more tuned in about what's going on in Washington than his own constituents. "I would think there's Gulf Cartel guys listening to Washington right now," he said. "If they think there's a porous border, they're going to come and make some money." Darling says that Washington's actions have a "ripple effect" across the country, of which they should be more aware and considerate. "I don't know about you, but I seriously doubt a congressman can go without a paycheck," he said. "It's a bipartisan problem, and they have to come up with a bipartisan solution, and they're not."

The political battle in Washington has real economic implications for McAllen, Texas . The border town is home to people who depend on their paychecks from their Homeland Security jobs .

our Border Patrol agents have to continue enforcing the law and to do their jobs and make sure that people are obeying the law, when we're going to make them go home?" McAllen resident Cesar Saldivar asked rhetorically. "So, what happens?" Saldivar's fears are real. Last year, at the peak of a debate about whether or not to build a border wall, Congress approved only $1.6 billion for increased security along the Southern border. And this week, the Justice Department notified Congress that money for the border wall was likely to be redirected to fund President Donald Trump's proposed wall with Mexico. As the deadline for Congress to act approaches, the White House is again threatening a shutdown. The border wall fight has been raging for the better part of two years -- it was at the center of the immigration debate during the 2016 presidential campaign, and it's likely to remain at the center of the immigration fight for the remainder of the president's first term. So as lawmakers debate whether to fund more security along the Southern border, and whether that security includes a massive border wall, the fight will inevitably come down to the status of DACA. And if the White House has its way, it will threaten to shut down the government over the status of those beneficiaries. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program gives temporary relief from deportation and work permits to immigrants brought to the country as children. And the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program would give similar relief to parents. The White House announced in September that the programs will be rescinded next week. That decision, made by the President himself, provoked immediate legal challenges, and a flurry of Congressional activity to block the move. In Texas and elsewhere, Democrats and Republicans are trying to undo the President's decision before a federal judge rules. If a judge sides with the plaintiffs in the cases, the programs will remain in effect. But if not, that will put a lot of pressure on Congress to come up with a permanent solution. It will also leave thousands of dreamers and their parents in limbo, which is something Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said would be unacceptable. "It would be the most un-American thing we could do," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer earlier this week. "In fact, I can't think of another issue that divides us more than this." Here are three


The captivating motion of various satellites orbiting our planet has been revealed in a fascinating Nasa video. Created by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland, it shows their entire Earth-observation fleet and the paths they take around Earth. While the ISS sweeps across ‘diagonally’, in the video at least, others like the Landsat series are seen travelling from pole to pole. Scroll down for video . Nasa scientists in Maryland, US have created a satellite visualisation (shown). It shows dozens of Earth-observing satellites currently orbiting our planet. They include Landsat 7 and 8, part of Nasa's long-serving series. And the ISS can also be seen sweeping diagonally across Earth . The animation solely shows Nasa's Earth-observing satellites, and not any run by other space agencies or private organisations. The satellites measure rainfall, solar irradiance, clouds, sea surface height, ocean salinity and other aspects of the global environment. ‘Together, they provide a picture of the Earth as a system,’ said Nasa. The animation shows the day of 16 February 2015 from 00.00 GMT to 12.00 GMT. While the satellites might look close together, the amount of space in Earth orbit is vast, and there is little to no chance of any colliding. In fact, they are all placed on specific orbits within their orbital bands that ensure the minimal chance possible of colliding with another satellite. This doesn't always go to plan, though. In 2009, a US Iridium satellite and a defunct Russian Cosmos satellite collided, creating hundreds of new pieces of debris in orbit. But the precision of modern satellites is best seen by a quartet of satellites known as the ‘A-train’ - Aqua, Aura, CloudSat and Calipso - which follow each other closely in their orbits. The two closest, Cloudsat and Calipso, are just 12.5 seconds apart, but this equates to 58 miles (93km) in distance. The four satellites work together to provide even better observations of Earth. ‘It’s acting like one satellite with 15 instruments onboard,’ Ernie Wright, an animator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, told Wired, referring to the 15 instruments shared between them. The Landsat series of satellites have, since 1972, been used to measure Earth’s continental and coastal landscapes at a scale where human impacts and natural changes can be monitored. Shown is an illustration of Landsat 8, which launched on 11 February 2013 . Construction of the ISS began on 20 November 1998. It supports a crew of up to six, with crews split into groups of three. The station orbits at a height of about 255 miles (410km). It has a total mass of about 990,000 pounds (450,000kg) and has living space roughly equivalent to a five-bedroom house. It completes an orbit of Earth every 92.91 minutes and moves at 17,100 miles (27,600km) per hour. It has now been in space for more than 5,900 days, during which time it has completed more than 92,000 orbits of Earth, and has been continuously occupied for more than 13 years. Some satellites, like Landsat 7 and 8, orbit from pole to pole, known as a polar orbit. This allows them to see almost the entirety of Earth as the globe rotates underneath them. The Landsat series of satellites have, since 1972, been used to measure Earth’s continental and coastal landscapes at a scale where human impacts and natural changes can be monitored. The ISS, meanwhile, has a diagonal orbit that keeps it relatively near the equator, which enables various command centres across the world to stay in contact with the crew. Recently launched satellites on the animation include the Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP) mission, which measures the surface soil moisture on Earth, and was launched on 31 January 2015. A full list of the satellites and their missions is available at Nasa’s Scientific Visualisation Studio website. The ISS has a diagonal orbit that keeps it relatively near the equator (shown), which enables various command centres across the world to stay in contact with the crew. As the Earth rotates underneath, the ISS appears to move up and down in curves, although in reality it is always moving in one direction .

Nasa scientists in Maryland, US have created a satellite visualisation . It shows dozens of Earth-observing satellites currently orbiting our planet . They include Landsat 7 and 8, part of Nasa's long-serving series . And the ISS can also be seen sweeping diagonally across Earth . Many Earth-observing satellites orbit pole to pole to see the whole planet .

 the planet. You can also see the sun, the ISS and the Moon making their way across the sky.
The clips were filmed from July 15, 2019, to April 29, 2020. They show how the Earth is illuminated, and how the Sun is the only light source.
The video shows how the Sun and Earth’s rotation makes the appearance of the satellites change as they cross different parts of our planet.
The 40-minute compilation also includes “glimpses of the Moon as it traverses the night side of Earth.
READ MORE: Nasa finds a rare ‘blue marble’ picture of Earth
It also provides an overview of the entire Earth-observation fleet. The mission operators at the centre use these spacecraft to study everything from the impact of natural disasters, like floods and volcanic eruptions, to the impact of human activities on Earth, from desertification to the spread of deforestation to the expansion of global crop yields.
The Nasa video has been shared by the agency’s Earth from Space channel on Twitter.
It has received more than 50,000 likes and thousands of retweets in just over a day.
READ MORE: Incredible NASA footage shows ‘Earth’s heartbeat’
Many people who watched the short video were impressed by the footage.
One person tweeted that the video was “mind blowing,” while another described it as “so mesmerising.”
Another said it “reminds” them of “the majesty” of the Earth, while another shared they were “blown away” by the footage.
While one person commented that the video was “fascinating” and “breathtaking.”
However, not everyone thought the footage was breathtaking. One person thought it looked like “another planet that’s been destroyed” while another person compared it to a scene from the movie Interstellar.
Another person shared that the video is “not actually that interesting” while another person said they were “unimpressed.”
READ MORE: How Nasa will create human colonies on the Moon
While this is not the first time Nasa has published an overview of its Earth-observing fleet.
In January this year, the agency announced that the fleet would be used to “monitor Earth and space” in the coming decades.
A statement from Nasa reads: “Our current fleet was built between 2009 and 2017. Together they have


Ahead of this weekend's FA Cup action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for Aston Villa's home quarter-final clash with West Brom... Aston Villa vs West Bromwich Albion (Villa Park) Team news . Aston Villa . Captain Ron Vlaar could return for Aston Villa's FA Cup quarter-final with West Brom as he battles a calf injury. Alan Hutton is suspended after collecting his 10th booking of the season in the 2-1 Barclays Premier League win over the Baggies on Tuesday. Ron Vlaar is set to return after missing Aston Villa's last two matches with a calf injuy . Philippe Senderos has suffered a set-back in his recovery from a calf injury and is sidelined while Kieran Richardson, Aly Cissokho, Nathan Baker and Libor Kozak are out. Provisional squad: Given, Guzan, Lowton, Clark, Vlaar, Okore, Bacuna, Sanchez, Cleverley, Cole, Westwood, Delph, Gil, Sinclair, Grealish, Benteke, Weimann, Agbonlahor. West Brom . West Brom will be without injured forward Victor Anichebe (groin) and cup-tied midfielder Darren Fletcher for Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa. Albion boss Tony Pulis has said he has a few 'knocks and niggles' in his squad to assess. Winger Callum McManaman (foot) is a doubt, while frontmen Saido Berahino and Brown Ideye have both been playing recently with pain-killing injections. Darren Fletcher played in West Brom's 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League on Tuesday but cannot feature in the FA Cup clash as the midfielder is cup tied . Pulis also said the club 'have to go careful' with Stephane Sessegnon, with the forward understood to have suffered a family bereavement, and it remains to be seen whether goalkeeper Ben Foster keeps his place after his costly late error in the 2-1 Barclays Premier League loss at Villa Park on Tuesday. Provisional squad: Foster, Myhill, Pocognoli, Wisdom, Lescott, Baird, Dawson, Olsson, McAuley, McManaman, Gamboa, Morrison, Yacob, Mulumbu, Brunt, Gardner, Sessegnon, Berahino, Ideye. Kick-off: Saturday, 5.30pm - BBC One . Odds (subject to change): . Aston Villa 17/10 . Draw 21/10 . West Brom 19/10 . Referee: Neil Swarbrick . Managers: Tim Sherwood (Aston Villa), Tony Pulis (West Brom) Head-to-head FA Cup record: Aston Villa wins 9, draws 3, West Brom wins 3 . Key match stats (supplied by Opta) Aston Villa have won nine of their last 10 home FA Cup matches (L1). West Brom have won only five of their last 19 FA Cup matches against teams from the top two tiers of English football (W5 D7 L7). Saido Berahino has five goals and four assists in three FA Cup appearances this season. Victor Anichebe has scored four goals in his last three starts in the FA Cup. Villa and West Brom have been drawn together 12 times in the FA Cup. The Baggies have won three, twice after a replay. Villa have won nine times, once after a replay. Dwight Yorke quickly struck twice past West Brom keeper Alan Miller just after the hour mark to help Aston Villa towards a 4-0 win against the Baggies at Villa Park in a fourth round FA Cup clash in 1998 . Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion have met in three FA Cup finals; 1887, 1892 and 1895, the Villans winning two and West Brom the middle one. In 18 Premier League meetings between these two teams, eight have been draws and the 10 wins have all been by a single goal margin (seven for Villa, three for WBA). Four of the seven goals in Aston Villa’s three FA Cup ties this year have been netted in the 88th minute or later. Aston Villa have kept just one clean sheet in their last 19 FA Cup matches.

Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar could return to face West Bromwich Albion . Alan Hutton suspended after picking up tenth booking of the season . West Brom are without Victor Anichebe and cup tied Darren Fletcher . FA Cup quarter-final clash to kick off at Villa Park on Saturday at 5.30pm .

 Villa v Liverpool.
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
Date: Saturday, January 4, 2014
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Television coverage: Live Sky Sports 1
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This will be the 57th league meeting between the two sides and Villa lead the head-to-head record by seven wins.
Liverpool have also beaten Villa the last two seasons and have won 13 of the 49 FA Cup matches between the two, with a total of 34 goals scored.
Villa have won the last two FA Cup matches at home to Liverpool, although those wins occurred in the 2000-01 and 2004-05 seasons.
THE MATCH OFFICIALS
Mike Jones will be the referee for the fixture. He has shown 60 yellow cards and five reds this season, and has given Liverpool four out of five home matches this season.
Liverpool have not won at Villa Park since January 2009 but have won two and lost two of their four FA Cup matches there since.
Villa have lost four home FA Cup matches since their last victory - against Manchester City in 2008, Chelsea in 2010 and Blackburn and Manchester United last season.
Paul Lambert will be without Alan Hutton because of a hamstring problem, but defender Carlos Cuellar could be back after recovering from concussion.
Liverpool will be without captain Steven Gerrard due to suspension.
Dalglish is likely to start with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge up front ahead of the FA Cup clash, despite the fact that Raheem Sterling has scored in the last two league and cup outings.
THE OPTA FACTS
Liverpool have won more away matches (11) than any other Premier League side this season, although that's not enough to get them off the bottom of the away table.
There have been two red cards this season and three penalties in the last two Premier League matches between Villa and Liverpool.
Villa are averaging three goals at home but they have failed to score in three of their last six home matches, conceding twice in four matches.
Liverpool have averaged more than two goals in their last three away matches.
Liverpool have scored 50 per cent of their goals from outside the area this season, while Villa have scored 60 per cent of theirs from outside the box.
Villa are yet to draw a game at home in the Premier League this season and


Beautician Sarah Bryan has made a dress that is good enough to eat - adorned with 700,000 multi-coloured sugar strands. Sarah, 26, from Ossett, West Yorkshire, spent 30 hours gluing the sweets - normally used to decorate trifles and cakes - to the fabric of the two-piece outfit at the rate of 250 per square inch. And she worked her way through 18lbs of the micro-sweets at a cost of £96. And the tubes of glue cost her another £60. Sarah Bryan, 26, spent 30 hours gluing the two-piece dress with £96 worth of sugar strands. She even spent three hours sorting out the pink sweets so she could decorate the skirt with a pink heart . Sarah, a mother-of-two, said: 'I think the dress looks fantastic - although the sweets made a terrible mess in the house while I was making it. They ended up all over the place.' She first sewed a crop top and constructed a long hooped skirt stiffened with wire. Then she squirted glue on the fabric and delicately placed the sugar strands with a make-up brush. She even spent three hours sorting out all the pink ones - a couple of millimetres long - so she could decorate the skirt with a pink heart. Sarah, from Ossett, West Yorkshire said: 'I stuck loads of the sugar strands on but I would lose a lot whenever I moved it. 'Loads of the them ended up all over the floor and I was always having to vacuum them up. They were all over the house. Sarah would squirt glue onto the fabric and then dab sugar strands on with a make-up brush . 'I am now lacquering the dress to make them completely secure.' She is now planning to auction the dress off for charity - one she made last year out of 14,000 Skittles sweets ended up being shipped to Florida where it was to be displayed at Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum. But it was damaged in transit. Sarah came up with the sweet idea for the first dress as a way of raising money for a cancer charity. She said: 'After making one dress out of sweets I got hooked and decided to make another. People think I am mad but I think they look great. Bryan first sewed a crop top and then constructed a wire hoop for the skirting. She plans on auctioning off the dress to raise money for a cancer charity . 'This one has been messier than the first to make. I thought using sugar strands would be easier - but it was harder and more intricate. She said her partner Nick Webster, 31 would come home from his night shift as a store assistant and finding evidence of the sweets crunched into the carpet. She added: 'He thinks I am crazy and he's getting fed up with the mess and smell of the sweets. I must admit it is pretty sickly. Not only that, when you tread on them you ended up with multi-coloured powder all over the place. 'But I think the dress is well worth the trouble. The dress looks great although admittedly you can't go out in the rain as the colours would run. Bryan created a dress last year out of 14,000 Skittles sweets which was shipped to Florida and displayed at Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum . 'Sunshine is all right..as long as you are not anywhere really hot like Egypt.' She also had to watch daughter Isabella 18 months and son Keegan, 11 didn't try eating the dress. She said: 'When I made the Skittles dress I kept finding patches where some of the sweets had vanished. 'I eventually realised that it was Keegan who was secretly snacking when my back was turned. This time he has been on his best behaviour.'

Sarah Bryan, 26, has made a dress with 700,000 sugar strand sweets . Mum-of-two spent 30 hours gluing sweets onto the fabric of the two-piece . Bryan, from West Yorkshire, will auction off the dress for a cancer charity .

 in their original shapes - into the frock in a world-record attempt to create the world's largest dress. The dress is now up for auction and is expected to fetch up to £20,000 to aid the research charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Sarah, a 30 hour dress and cake decorator at St John's Church, Halifax, West Yorkshire, spent almost a year hand-cutting the sweets and sewing each one into the dress by hand.
She said her dress weighed 30kgs (66lbs), the same as a small horse, and 1,000 people have already bought tickets to the wedding she is due to hold at the end of the year, if her dress fails to break its own world record.
Sarah said: "To get it all to stick and to work as one piece is amazing. As a dressmaker and decorator, it's quite difficult to sew with something so sticky - the dress is heavy with a lot of sugar and there's a lot of space in there but you have to make sure you sew it through all the layers of sugar or it won't work."
Sarah said she chose to make the dress using sugar as she liked to "play with sugar" and had made a life-size angel out of the sweet before.
After winning Miss Wakefield in 2008, Sarah spent a year designing and manufacturing her own dress for the event which was inspired by the fairies and elves of Peter Pan and Tinker Bell.
Sarah, who has been using the sweetener for the past 12 years since first experimenting at the age of 12, has designed dresses out of sugar, as well as shoes, vests, bras and lingerie. She has also experimented with the sweetener in the form of liquid for her first ever cake design, "The Sugarscape", which was entered into the British Bake Off.
Sarah said that after being awarded a Certificate of Merit by a panel of judges, she was told that she had "pushed the boundaries of cake decorating".
Sarah now works as a 30 hour a week decorator at St John's Church, Halifax, but says: "It's not quite enough, so I'm going to start doing wedding dresses as well. It's something I love doing and it means I'm able to do it all the time which is brilliant."
Sarah added: "I'm also starting up a YouTube channel


While having a baby is a joyous time for families, nine months of pregnancy followed by the sleepless nights, the challenges of breast feeding and hormonal changes have their own effect on new mums. As the Duchess of Cambridge prepares to have her second child next month, she’ll no doubt be prepared for any post-birth eventuality. But just in case, we’ve helped prepare a shopping list of must-have products that have been tried and tested by from other A-list mothers including Jessica Alba, Kim Kardashian, Kate Hudson and Gwyneth Paltrow. Scroll down for video . The Duchess of Cambridge is now preparing for the arrival of her second child, thought to be due on April 25 . KIM KARDASHIAN'S STRETCH MARK SOLUTION . They're the silvery streaks caused when skin is suddenly stretched either during a growth spurt or weight gain and are the bane of many pregnant women's lives. Kim Kardashian has long been a fan of Bio-Oil, £8.95, a mixture of calendula, lavender, rosemary oils and vitamins A and E, that claims to soften skin to prevent the marks and also reduce the appearance of stretch marks after pregnancy. She said: 'It [Bio-Oil] prevents wrinkles around my eyes and stretch marks over my body.' For best results the makers of Bio-Oil, recommend that it's applied twice daily for at least three months . Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West apparently loves Bio-Oil, £8.95, for preventing stretch marks on her body . For best results Bio-Oil, which includes vitamin A and E, should be applied twice daily for at least three months . KATE HUDSON'S HAIR SUPPLEMENT . Post-natal hair loss is an issue for many new mothers. This is because pregnancy hormones stop womens’ usual daily hair-shedding, giving the appearance of extra-thick hair. But once the hormones return to normal about three to six months after birth, the extra hair finally falls out. Although many mums fear they're going bald, in fact their hair is returning to normal in a process that can take up to a year. Kate Hudson noticed her hair was thinning after having both her children Ryder, aged 11, and Bingham, now three. She told Redbook magazine in 2012: ‘When I had [first son] Ryder, I was 24 and didn’t really experience any changes to my hair or skin. But with my second child, I got acne, all my hair fell out after he was born, and I definitely had to work out to drop the weight. No pregnancy is easy to bounce back from.’ But her stylist David Badaii credits the supplement Viviscal for restoring her tousled locks to their full thickness. Viviscal, £49.95 one month supply, contains an amino acid called AminoMar C, discovered by a Scandinavian dermatologist who was studying the Inuit population of Greenland and noticed their thick, healthy hair, which he linked to the protein now used in the capsules to boost hair growth. Like many new mothers, actress Kate Hudson experienced post-partum hair loss and thinning after having both of her children, Ryder, aged 11, and son of Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy, Bingham, now aged 3 . JESSICA ALBA'S MUM-TUM GIRDLE . While 'waist training' by wearing a structured corset for several hours a day to cinch in your waist has recently become a celebrity craze, Jessica Alba swore by a similar practice after giving birth to her two daughters Honor, seven, and Haven, four. It's thought that compression from the girdle helps the uterus to return to normal size. Also, during pregnancy the muscle that runs down the centre of the stomach separates and it's thought that the corsets can help push them back together again more quickly. The Fantastic Four star said: 'I wore a double corset day and night for three months. It was brutal; it’s not for everyone. It was sweaty, but worth it.' Jessica has said that after having both of her children, she started wearing her corset immediately, until the 'loosely-goosey' feeling had disappeared. Jessica Alba revealed that she wore a post-partum girdle for two to three months to get rid of her 'mum-tum' Post-natal corsets promise to hold stomachs in place and support backs after birth . GWYNETH PALTROW'S NATURAL BODY OIL . Gwyneth Paltrow might have landed herself in hot water for many of the extreme health recommendations featured on her website Goop, but her top pregnancy tip appears to be less controversial. Talking about how she fended off stretch marks while pregnant with her two children, Moses, eight, and Apple, 14, the actress says she slathered herself with sweet almond oil. She wrote on Goop: 'Use copious amounts of sweet almond oil on your belly, thighs, and breasts. 'Apply the oil in an infinity symbol or figure eight pattern around your breasts to help stimulate lymphatic drainage and relieve any chest ache or discomfort.' Gwyneth Paltrow suggests applying Sweet Almond Oil to your belly, thighs and breasts to help stretching skin . MOLLY SIMS' BREAST MILK BOOSTER . The American model has recently given birth to her first child Scarlet May Stuber and hasn't wasted any time in dishing out tips for other mothers. Writing on her website mollysims.com, the model consulted a lactation consultant to advise on the problem of low milk supply. She wrote: 'Most treatment plans for low milk supply call for increased caloric intake, plenty of fluids, and herbal supplements such as fenugreek or goat’s rue.' Available at most health food shops, the herbal supplements are both widely recognised as ancient remedies used by women to increase breast milk supply. American actress and model Molly Sims recommends herbal supplements to help with low breast milk supply . Herbal remedy Goat's Rue has been been used for centuries by women to boost breast milk supply naturally (left); Gwyneth Paltrow recommends rubbing sweet almond oil into breasts . CHLOE GILL'S NIPPLE RESCUE BALM . Sore nipples are a common complaint of many women who choose to breastfeed. Chloe Gill, professional dancer and wife of former JLS bandmember JB Gill, has revealed that while breastfeeding her baby Ace Jeremiah, who arrived in September last year, she has relied on Lansinoh HPA Lanolin nipple cream, £10.99. 'That has been my saviour for breastfeeding. I would have started putting it on before he arrived if I had known! It’s like magic cream,' she told Hello. Specially developed to help soothe and protect sore, cracked nipples, the cream is natural with no preservatives or additives. It also has no taste, colour or perfume, and is hypoallergenic, so there's no need to remove before breastfeeding. Chloe Gill, professional dancer and the wife of former JLS bandmember, says she swore by Lansinoh HPA Lanolin nipple cream, £10.99, while breastfeeding baby Ace Jeremiah, who arrived in September last year . Specially developed to help  sore, cracked nipples, the cream is natural with no harmful preservatives .

Are these the post-natal products the Duchess will be stocking up on? Kate Hudson's £50 vitamin supplement to boost thinning post-baby hair . Kim Kardashian's  £8.95 body oil to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy .

 month, here is what you need to know about the common issues faced by new mums.
How do you stay fit and healthy during pregnancy?
Staying healthy during pregnancy is very important for both mother and baby’s wellbeing. During pregnancy it is advisable to eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables and foods rich in iron, zinc and folate. A good diet will also provide the mother with energy for the long days ahead.
If possible you should have some form of exercise during pregnancy such as walking, swimming or swimming classes. Although you may be nervous about exercising during pregnancy - don’t be! Exercise has been shown to help relieve symptoms of morning sickness, boost energy levels, improve circulation and can even help prepare you for labour. It is also thought to reduce the chance of complications such as gestational diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy.
How should I cope with tiredness and the hormonal changes during pregnancy?
Tiredness and pregnancy are a common problem for expectant mums. The changes that happen to your body such as swollen ankles and a lack of energy can cause new mums to be more anxious and irritable, which can lead to further problems with stress levels and coping.
How to cope with tiredness and the hormonal changes
Try to ensure you have enough sleep, don’t try to ‘catch up’ on it the following night. Also make sure you are eating the right amount of nutritious food, keeping your energy levels up can also help. A warm shower or bath can also be a good way to relax and help sleep patterns by lowering your core body temperature. Another way to ease tiredness is to take naps during the day, if possible. If you are not used to napping it might be worth trying to get into the habit.
Tiredness can also be eased by avoiding caffeine, alcohol and smoking and reducing your stress levels by going for a walk or chatting with friends.
What causes vaginal discharge during pregnancy?
Vaginal discharge during pregnancy is quite common and nothing to worry about. The discharge will not normally become foul smelling but you may notice it becoming a little more watery. During pregnancy your vaginal tissue will grow in preparation for the birth of your baby. As your baby grows, so will your pelvis and ligaments to make room for him or her – this in turn may increase the pressure on your bladder, so you may notice you need to pass urine more often. The change in the way your body handles pregnancy hormones can also cause


This is the blood-stained rock a rapist used to smash his victim over the head before leaving her in a pool of her own blood in a horrifying sexual attack at a bus stop. The 18-year-old victim was hit over the head 20 times and dragged into a garden to be brutally raped and left for dead in the Beeston area of Leeds last Friday. West Yorkshire Police have released CCTV footage of the man they believe is responsible for the attack with two others claiming he followed them in the hours before the attack. He is wanted for attempted murder and rape having left the woman for dead after the 'appalling' assault. Scroll down for videos . This is the blood-stained rock used by a rapist to hit his 18-year-old victim over the head 20 times before sexually assaulting her in a harrowing attack . Police have also released CCTV footage of a man they believed to be her attacker. He is seen walking in the Burley area of Leeds in a green Puma sweatshirt, dark jacket and jeans in the hours before the incident . Wearing a distinctive green Puma hooded jumper and jeans, the man was filmed near a Tesco Express three miles from where the Beeston bus stop where he attacked his victim between 9 and 10pm. He is described as being of Pakistani or Middle Eastern origin, in his early twenties and slim with a receding hairline. Detective Superintendent Nick Wallen of West Yorkshire Police urged members of the public to come forward if they recognised any details from the newly released footage. 'These are the most detailed images yet of the man involved in this terrible crime and they paint a very clear picture of him,' he said. 'We are urgently appealing for anyone who thinks they know who he is to contact us immediately. 'We are asking people to think very carefully about all these elements and put them together with the e-fit image we have released and the other CCTV footage showing his size, build and movements, particularly his distinctive walk that shows he possibly has a limp. West Yorkshire Police produced this computer generated image after taking a description of the suspect from his victim. He is described as of Pakistani or Middle Eastern background and in his early twenties . In a graphic CCTV sequence the man is seen dragging the woman from the bus stop and into a garden to rape her . Police released the chilling footage in a bid to track down the suspect who is wanted for attempted murder . The woman was waiting at this bus stop in the Beeston area of Leeds last Friday when she was targeted . 'I cannot stress enough how important it is that we trace and arrest this man at the very earliest opportunity.' His 18-year-old victim was left with serious head injuries and a broken hip after last week's attack. Earlier police released a video of the 'harrowing' moment she was dragged from the street into a garden to be raped. Alongside CCTV footage of the man, police have released photographs of the rock he used to beat her over the head. Investigators believe he may have brought the weapon with him in a premeditated assault. Speaking of the object, Det Supt Wallen said: 'It is quite distinctive as an object and we would ask people to let us know if they recognise it as something that has come from their garden or elsewhere, particularly if they live somewhere on his route towards the crime scene along Cemetery Road from the direction of Holbeck. 'The stone has been subject to extensive forensic examination and we are working with a specialist geologist to establish where it may have come from.' Police described the incident as both 'harrowing' and 'appalling' and are urging anyone with information to come forward .

Rapist used the rock to hit 18-year-old victim over the head 20 times . She was dragged from a bus stop into a garden to be brutally raped . Attacker left the woman in a pool of her own blood in Beeston, Leeds . Two more women have come forward to say the suspect followed them . Anyone with any information  is urged to phone police on 01924 334710 . WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . Anyone with any information on the attack is urged to contact West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team on 01924 334710.

 the head with a large pebble before being raped in a darkly lit corner of a bus station at around 10pm on a Sunday night last October.
The woman, known by the pseudonym ‘L’, described in a victim statement the attack, which came as a bus service she was using terminated and everyone else left the bus station. She told the jury that her attacker was “big” and “strong” and she said he took her to the far corner of the bus station to “hide it from other people”, the court heard.
After her attacker pushed her against a metal bus shelter, she said she feared he would kill her. She said he then grabbed her by the hair and punched her.
“He pulled my hair so hard I was crying and my arms were stinging, my head hurt really bad,” she said.
“I thought he was going to kill me – it felt like an animal was trying to kill me. He was hitting me so hard in my head that I thought I was going to die.”
As well as the punch to her head, the attacker is alleged to have kicked her, punching her in the face and hitting her in the body. He is also alleged to have dragged her by the hair, causing her scalp to rip. The woman said she tried to fight back and grabbed a stone as the attacker’s hand reached into her jeans.
L said that she hit him on the hand with the rock. In her statement, she said: “I hit him over his hand and as it hit his hand, I knew it hit a bone, as it sounded a thud, I saw his hand start to close up and he started crying, I was happy, but I was still in fear for my life.”
After this, the attacker, who the victim said was heavily sweating, let go of her, leaving her in a pool of blood, in a corner of the station. She was treated in hospital for cuts and bruising all over her body.
The incident happened in October but was reported to the police four months later. It was then investigated by officers from Thames Valley Police’s sexual offences unit.
On the statement, the 18-year-old victim wrote: “The man took advantage of me being in this situation, where I felt alone and scared to fight for myself and try to protect myself.
“I know that I was left injured and vulnerable and that I was vulnerable again leaving the bus


The so-called King of Instagram, Dan Bilzerian, is no longer being investigated for allegations he kicked a model in the face at a South Beach nightclub last December. Miami police recently told People that the millionaire poker player is no longer being investigated for Vanessa Castano's claims he kicked her in the head with his military-style boot. Bilzerian has also recently sewed up some legal issues he'd faced for allegedly detonated a home-made bomb at an unofficial firing range outside Las Vegas . Cleared: The so-called King of Instagram, Dan Bilzerian, is no longer being investigated for claims he kicked a model in the face in December . Civil suit: Miami-based model Vanessa Castano alleges the internet playboy intentionally kicked her in the face at a South Beach club while wearing military-style boots. Her civil suit is still pending . Still pending is Castano's civil suit against the playboy, which reads, in part: . 'Bilzerian was on an elevated dancing platform...and violently and intentionally kicked plaintiff in the face while wearing what resembled military boots.' Bilzerian told People he did no such thing. 'I don't believe in violence against women...I would never assault a woman. It got blown so far out of proportion,' he said. Bilzerian said his name was cleared after Miami Beach police did a 'full investgation.' 'They got the club's [surveillance] video, which is much better and clearer than the handheld video that was posted online. And it shows that I didn't kick anyone.' Just after news of Castano's allegations broke, grainy phone footage of Bilzerian in the club that night surface and some believed it was damaging to the 34-year-old. Likes guns: Bilzerian was also recently in hot water for blowing up homemade explosives in the Nevada desert in November . Pleaded no contest: Police alleged that Bilzerian and a friend fired a rifle from a distance to detonate more than 90 pounds of a powdered explosive mix packed into a beverage cooler to destroy a tractor-trailer cab they'd brought to the site. They left behind a small wildfire . Also in December, Bilzerian and a friend were arrested in Los Angeles for the detonation of a homemade explosive beneath a tractor-trailer cab. The November 4 explosion sparked a small wildfire and Bilzerian in February entered a no-contest plea to misdemeanor failing to extinguish a fire. He and the friend coughed up $20,000 in restitution. Bilzerian's lawyer, David Chesnoff, told a judge his client would also record a public service announcement for the federal Bureau of Land Management to resolve the criminal case. Police alleged that the men fired a rifle from a distance to detonate more than 90 pounds of a powdered explosive mix packed into a beverage cooler to destroy the tractor-trailer cab, which they brought to the site. Truck parts scattered some 300 yards, investigators said. The fire was quickly contained. An online boast about shooting a 20-mm rifle put Bilzerian at the scene, according to a police report, and a Bureau of Land Management ranger reported stopping Guymon driving Bilzerian's truck shortly after the blast a short distance away . 'I don't believe in violence against women...I would never assault a woman. It got blown so far out of proportion,' Bilzerian said . An online boast about shooting a 20-mm rifle put Bilzerian at the scene, according to a police report, and a Bureau of Land Management ranger reported stopping Guymon driving Bilzerian's truck shortly after the blast a short distance away. Bilzerian entertains millions of Instagram followers with accounts of his exploits and photos featuring parties, private jets, scantily clad women, piles of cash and weapons. Some show him shooting guns in the desert. He made a splash in April throwing a naked porn actress from a roof into a pool during an adult magazine photo shoot. The woman broke her foot and threatened to sue, drawing a mocking response from a Bilzerian lawyer who said that if she went to court she'd lose everything. Previously: Bilzerian made a splash in April throwing a naked porn actress from a roof into a pool during an adult magazine photo shoot. The woman broke her foot and threatened to sue, drawing a mocking response from a Bilzerian lawyer who said that if she went to court she'd lose everything. Bilzerian entertains millions of Instagram followers with accounts of his exploits and photos . His Instagram commonly featuring parties, private jets, scantily clad women, piles of cash and weapons .

Dan Bilzerian did not boot Vanessa Castano in the face in South Beach in December, police say . The millionaire playboy said after his name was cleared he 'would never assault a woman. It got blown so far out of proportion' Bilzerian's troubles over a homemade bomb police said he detonated in December also came to an end recently with a no-contest plea and fines .

 for the incident, which caused serious damage to the model's lip, but it's unclear if the alleged victim has stopped pursuing charges altogether.
"The victim has decided not to pursue the case at this time, so we have moved on with the investigation," Miami police Lieutenant Juan Morado told the publication.
The victim has since moved out of state, the Miami Herald reports, and a new law has come into effect making it more difficult to prosecute sexual battery cases without police intervention, as well as increasing the amount of time victims have to press charges.
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In a statement to the Herald, Bilzerian said that he "had nothing to do" with the incident. "This woman is a liar," he said. "I have no idea why she did this but she did do it. I did no kick her in the face, it was my security guard who jumped in and I think I actually broke the woman’s jaw by jumping in and grabbing her before my security guard did. I know for a fact that I was not there when this occurred."
His statement, however, did not address the model's claims of having security forcibly remove her from his table so that he could leave with a group of friends.
The woman, whose name is Katie Koshko, first revealed the alleged incident in a video published by TMZ in January. Bilzerian had previously denied knowing the model (and the other men in the clip), but he said he had previously come in contact with Koshko at a bar in Palm Beach, Florida.
"She came up to me at a bar that I was at with friends and asked me for a cigarette," he said to Page Six. "We had a short conversation and I gave her a cigarette and she said 'Thank you.'"
He went on: "I never kicked anyone. She made a video and in the video it shows 15 security guards that were hired by the club, all large guys, and I'm walking right into it. She claims she was just there and she was kicked by me. I was trying to leave and she decided to get in the way of my bodyguard, and it's a bunch of lies. My security guards came down and took her off of me. I know for a fact I didn't touch her."
Bilzerian later said he had found Koshko "stalking him and his friends" and that she had taken


Oscar Wilde may have said ‘I can resist everything except temptation,' but he didn't have a smart safe to help him. The cylindrical device, called kSafe, keeps various forms of temptation locked away - whether it is fattening cookies, cigarettes or a time-consuming games controller. And the only way to unlock it is to reach pre-determined fitness goals, such as walking a set number of steps in a day. Scroll down for video . No more temptation: The cylindrical device, called kSafe, locks up a form of temptation - whether it is fattening cookies, cigarettes or a time-consuming games controller (pictured) The San Diego-based start-up behind the device said on its Kickstarter site: ‘kSafe is part of a research proven system that turns temptation into motivation, so you always achieve your goals.’ Users place an object of temptation into the safe and then set a goal using the accompanying app. There are three types of goals to choose from including activity goals, location goals and time goals. For example, for an activity goal, users could set the safe to unlock once they have taken a certain number of steps or burned enough calories, while a location goal may help motivate students. Strict: The only way to unlock the kSafe is to reach pre-determined fitness goals, such as walking a set number of steps in a day, which can be set and tracked on an app (pictured left and right) Users will place temptation into the kSafe, whether that is a bar of chocolate or iPad, for example. They will then set a goal using the smartphone app and lock the kSafe. There are three different types of choose from and the level of difficulty can be set - but not lessened once the safe has been locked. The kSafe will only unlock once a user has reached their goal. Users will be able to follow their progress on a light-up button and app. ‘Set kSafe to only unlock once you've arrived and checked-in to a location, like a gym or library,' the company said. The safe will be able to be instructed to open on certain days or at certain times, which the firm added can be used to break bad habits, such as snacking between meal times. It claimed the safe ‘crams years of willpower and behavioural research from MIT, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Princeton in to a fun, effective, and easy to use product.’ It uses pre-commitment, an example of which is moving an alarm clock out of reach so the user can’t reach the snooze button, to make people commit to a smart choice, knowing that they'll probably be tempted later. The device also capitalises on the idea of reward substitution, much like at school when a person may have worked hard on homework to earn going to a party. ‘Even though making your boss happy or acing a test has more long term benefits, it's wanting that beer with our friends that motivates us to finish,' the company wrote. Motivational: Users will be able to view their progress in meeting their goal on the light-up ‘button dial’ on the top of the kSafe (pictured) or via the app . Compact: The safe can also be used in a conventional way using a password code to keep items safe, or off-limits to children, for example. This diagram shows its dimensions . ‘Both of these concepts have been thoroughly researched and tested and they are consistently shown to improve our chances of reaching our goals.' Users will be able to view their progress in meeting their goal on the light-up ‘button dial’ on the top of the safe or via the app. When they achieve their goal, the safe will pop open. The company said: ‘kSafe won’t open until you’ve reached your goal. No overrides!’ The safe could also be used in a conventional way using a password code to keep items safe or off-limits to children, for example. As well as allowing users to check their progress, the app will let them raise the bar if they are feeling particularly motivated to burn extra calories or study into the night. But it won’t let users get away with making their challenge easier. The device is available in three colours: black, white and transparent, and can be pre-ordered via Kickstarter for $89 (£60) with an estimated delivery date of November.

kSafe locks up a form of temptation such as cookies or a games controller . It will only unlock once a goal has been met, which is set on a smartphone . Users will be able to check their progress on a light-up dial or via an app . Device can be pre-ordered on Kickstarter for $89 (£60)

ing foods or money you can spend on non-essentials - and only dispenses them after the appropriate period has elapsed.
K-Safe's creators are trying to raise a modest amount of money on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter to help finance their idea. The device is set to cost $500 (£312), but as the website warns, the final price will ultimately depend on the funds raised through the project.
'This is a breakthrough device, so we have the freedom to design it as we see fit,' the team behind the kSafe wrote on its Kickstarter page. 'That means we will be able to include all the features we envision, while avoiding compromises we would have to make with a lower budget. We also have the option to expand the functionality of the kSafe beyond just helping people lose weight.'
If all goes to plan, kSafe's creators hope to start manufacturing their product sometime next year.
In addition to kSafe, 28-year-old developer Matt Brown is also working on a different sort of slimming aid, which he describes as 'a weight loss game you can buy at the toy store that helps you lose weight the way kids lose their virginity - by doing it for the first time without any foreknowledge'.
The 'Game of Weight' is designed to encourage users to lose weight by playing computer games and answering questions, which is, Brown says, 'infinitely more engaging than going on a diet and reading some dumb diet book.'
The Game of Weight will be released for Android phones and tablets in December 2013.
'We decided to start with Android because that's the operating system that everyone already has,' he explained. 'We'll be able to deliver the product to market much more quickly than if we had started with iOS, which would have taken longer because we'd have to build the iOS version of the app and then figure out what would happen when Apple releases the newest iPhone/iPad and we had to update the app.'
Brown hopes to fund his idea by selling the game to an existing games publisher, with a view to being able to sell it on mobile and tablet devices through Apple's App Store.
He has already completed a working prototype of the game, and has set up a Twitter account to give potential customers regular updates. 'It's working perfectly so far,' Brown writes. 'If you'd like to be among the first to know about the


Out there in celebrity land, in the mink-lined nurseries of the filthy rich, a new breed of fearsomely spoilt children are being raised by their fearsomely spoilt parents. These indulged tots are hatched into a world where budgets have no bounds and reality is a misty blur on the ever-golden horizon. Look at them. They are in furs before they are five, Chanel before six and in bed by seven. And while dressed in the finest of clothes, they eat in the best restaurants, are entertained like emperors and hot-housed in luxury that would make a sultan blush. Meanwhile, the gruesome irony of being given designer shoes before they can walk and expensive birthday parties before they can talk seems to be lost on their crazed, doting, cash-scattering parents. Scroll down for video . First birthday bling: Tama Ecclestone's little girl Sophia . Thank goodness the tots always have a gem-encrusted rattle to hand, perhaps to shake at the folly of it all. Take Tamara Ecclestone. You can always depend on Tams to raise the pamper bar to hitherto unheard of heights of deluxe lunacy — and this week she did not let us down. The 30-year-old daughter of Formula One billionaire Bernie Ecclestone and her husband, Jay Rutland, have just returned from a holiday in Italy to celebrate his birthday. Before their next holiday, they had the small matter of celebrating daughter Sophia’s first birthday this week — and Tamara was determined it was an event that would never be forgotten. Not by Sophia, who is too young to have a coherent thought running through her gorgeous little head. But by everyone else who goggled at the £70,000 or so spent on turning the front courtyard of their London home into Sophia’s very own petting zoo, complete with puppies, Shetland ponies and a baby zebra. A rather glum-looking zebra, to be honest, but in terms of competitive party-throwing, the little critter certainly earned his stripes. There was also a real live princess, complete with a wimple, and a platoon of security men delivering gift-wrapped presents for the lucky baby. In pride of place was a rather garish gazebo made entirely of pink balloons with Sophia’s initials picked out in white. As well as a petting zoo with puppies, Shetland ponies and a baby zebra, Sophie was also lucky enough to have a decadent princess palace created out of pink and white balloons . If you have ever wondered what a doctor would see while performing liver surgery on Mr Blobby, wonder no more. Tamara also posted photographs on social media of Sophia enjoying her birthday breakfast in her couture pyjamas, surrounded by giant soft toys and a whispering forest of helium balloons. Another gift, wrapped with a pink velvet ribbon, awaited her perusal on her high chair tray. What and who was all this lavish fuss for? Certainly not for the child, who would have been as puzzled as the zebra about what was going on. However, events like this somehow seem to be more about making an affluent statement than celebrating a birthday. That’s not to say Tamara is not a lovely mother. Her utter joy and delight in her baby is clear for all to see. Yet one wonders what will happen to all these poor little rich kids, barely out of the crib before they are bombarded by all the good things in life — and then some. This torrent of luxury is supplied by no doubt well-meaning parents who seem not to know the meaning of restraint, the value of a pound or the concept of modesty. Few of them have ever had to worry where the next million is coming from and sometimes there is the uncomfortable thought that children are just another accessory, a toy to pamper, a blank canvas upon which they can express how very, very rich they are and how very, very different their lives are from ours. A few years ago, women like Paris Hilton indulged themselves by carrying around teacup dogs in their handbags; now we have the likes of Kim Kardashian dressing her little girl North West — she wasn’t even given the dignity of a decent name — as a mini-me version of herself. And you don’t have to look far to see where Tamara found inspiration for her sumptuous birthday party. Last year North — the child of Kim and her husband, the rapper Kanye West — had a first birthday party themed on California’s annual Coachella rock festival. There was a karaoke stage, a Ferris wheel, a groovy three-tier birthday cake decorated with tie-dyed icing — and a very confused little birthday girl herself, togged out in hippie fringes and a headband. Not only was Sophia treated to a fancy birthday breakfast in couture pyjamas but she even had a real zebra attend her first birthday party . Elsewhere, Jay-Z and Beyonce gave their daughter Blue Ivy a horse for her second birthday. Not just any old nag or cute Shetland pony. Blue Ivy was given a full blood Arabian stallion — and you don’t get many of them for sixpence. ‘Blue expressed an interest in having a horse,’ said an insider, explaining why Mr and Mrs Z went to such extravagant lengths. Did she really? The kid probably just shouted ‘Horsey-horsey!’ at something on the TV — and the rest is birthday history. What on earth are they going to do if she shows an interest in dinosaurs? The Beckhams — perhaps the UK’s answer to the Kardashians — once spent a spent a six-figure sum on building son Brooklyn a brick castle playhouse, complete with drawbridge and tower, at their old Beckingham Palace estate, just outside London. For daughter Harper’s first birthday, they bought her Damien Hirst’s Daddy’s Girl painting costing £600,000. The pink heart-shaped artwork, complete with butterflies, now hangs in her bedroom, squeezed in beside her designer wardrobe of gorgeous kidult clothes. The Beckham children, particularly little Harper, always look like they have stepped off a kiddie Milan catwalk — but what else are rich, fashion-conscious millionaire parents going to spend their money on? At least they are beautifully turned out — and genuinely look like a loving, well-adjusted family. Somehow they have negotiated their way through the wealth maze with sense — not everyone is quite so smart. When the singer J.Lo and her then partner Marc Anthony had twins, their godfather Tom Cruise threw a ‘welcome to the world’ party for them. The bash cost more than £100,000, not including the diamond rattles he gave them as gifts. And there is no shortage of excess with his own daughter Suri, the child he had with ex-wife Katie Holmes. Suri was wearing high heels before she went to school and has a wardrobe of designer clothes that would make Naomi Campbell jealous. When her parents split in 2012, her father bought her a mansion in Manhattan. Not a place for Suri, now eight, to live, but as a kind of luxury warehouse to stash and store all the presents and toys he has bought for her over the years. Tamara Ecclestone and husband, Jay Rutland (pictured), threw a lavish bash this week to celebrate their daughter Sophia's first birthday . As a temple to parental excess, it has no peer. Still, the new breed of wealthy celebrities are hardly going to be counting out the Maltesers and wondering if they have buttered enough Marmite sandwiches for their darling little one’s birthday party, are they? The impulse of any parent to spoil children and give them the best is understandable — but some extravaganzas go too far. Once upon a time, in a world long gone, a child’s birthday party was a simple affair. Sandwiches and cake, balloons and Smarties, musical chairs and then home before bedtime. Younger readers may be astonished by this, but we didn’t even get a party bag. If you got a clip on your ear on your way out the door, you would consider yourself lucky. Look at these children, as the diamonds rain down on their tiny shoulders and zebras clop up to their front doors. It might be fun for the doting parents to show off and bask in all the luxury — but what chance do these children have of growing up normally, with even a faint grasp of reality? Answers on a birthday card, please. An expensive one.

Tamara Ecclestone had a zebra at daughter, Sophia's extravagant bash . Tom Cruise bought a flat in Manhattan, New York for Suri . While the Beckham's bought a Damien Hurst painting for Harper .

 the limelight before they’re old enough to learn to walk, let alone say “No”.
It’s the age of the celebrity tot, and the number of young tots who have an official press agent is growing, faster than ever, thanks to a proliferation of “mums” who write them fan blogs and get them TV cameos.
So we should probably get used to it. The question is, can we? Because the answer is a big old fat “NO” — and it’s not just because of some residual feeling of unease at seeing tots treated like royalty.
What bothers me about this new generation of little princesses and princes is that we are losing something vital.
We’re talking about the development of language. Because it seems obvious that if we teach our tots how to speak to the press at the tender age of two, and we encourage them to put a little “winky face” emoticon at the end of each sentence they send out to the world, then we’re inhibiting their development. Because we’re not teaching them to learn the most crucial human skill of all: listening.
The skill of listening, it’s often said, is one you are born with. And as any baby will tell you, it is a most precious asset in any conversation.
But it has to be nurtured. And the skill of really listening can only come after years of practice, listening to the little things and the big things.
Take the example of my son Harry, who is only two. Every time I ask him how he is, he now answers me with a very thoughtful “I’m OK” or “I’m well” or “I’m great”. It sounds like a lot of tosh, but the fact is this — he’s being truthful.
Last month, on a trip to the pub to meet friends, he became aware of a group of strangers talking about him. He went as stiff as a board. All his little muscles contracted as if in a fit. And he suddenly said in a very serious voice, “Harry’s not too happy.” He hadn’t been listening to any of it, and as soon as he heard the sound of his own name, it was like a message from on high (or down low, if you want to be rude). It was a message about his position in the world. Something he couldn’t have picked


A freshman senator who spearheaded a letter to Iranian leaders, cautioning them that any deal negotiated by the Obama administration would not outlast the current president, defended his actions on Tuesday as necessary to prevent the Middle Eastern country from becoming nuclear capable. 'They’ve been killing Americans for 35 years, they’ve killed hundreds of troops in Iraq, now they control five capitols in the Middle East,'Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said Tuesday on MSNBC. 'They are nothing but hardliners in Iran and if they do all of those things without a nuclear weapon, imagine what they would do with one.' Cotton's remarks came after Vice President Joe Biden, the official president of the Senate and a former representative for Delaware to the upper chamber, sent out a biting statement Monday evening accusing letter signers of acting 'beneath the dignity' of their office. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . 'They’ve been killing Americans for 35 years, they’ve killed hundreds of troops in Iraq, now they control five capitols in the Middle East,' Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said Tuesday on MSNBC program Morning Joe while defending his controversial letter to Iranian leaders . The letter, signed by 47 Republican senators, told Iranians the Senate will 'consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei.' Reminding the foreign government that U.S. President Barack Obama is ineligible for a third term and will leave office in January 2017, ' the GOP lawmakers said 'most of us will remain in office well beyond then – perhaps decades.' In previewing the letter to Bloomberg, Cotton said Monday 'Iran's ayatollahs need to know before agreeing to any nuclear deal that … any unilateral executive agreement is one they accept at their own peril.' The White House, State Department and Democratic leaders denounced the audacious move and warned that it could have the intended effect - the dismantlement of the Obama and other world leaders' blossoming agreement with Tehran. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said it 'undermines' negotiations. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said it 'certainly interferes' with ongoing talks. Republicans' effort to 'essentially throw sand in the gears here is not helpful,' Earnest told reporters during his daily briefing on Monday. Vice President Joe Biden lashed out at Republicans on Monday night in a statement distributed to reporters through the White House's massive press list. The message, 'expressly designed to undercut a sitting President in the midst of sensitive international negotiations, is beneath the dignity of an institution I revere,' Biden said, arguing that he had never seen anything like it during his thirty-six years in the Senate. 'I cannot recall another instance in which Senators wrote directly to advise another country—much less a longtime foreign adversary— that the President does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them,' he said. 'This letter sends a highly misleading signal to friend and foe alike that that our Commander-in-Chief cannot deliver on America’s commitments—a message that is as false as it is dangerous.' Firing back at the VP on Tuesday morning during an appearance on Morning Joe, Cotton said if Biden 'respects the dignity of the institution of the Senate he should be insisting that the president submit any deal to approval of the Senate, which is exactly what he did on numerous deals during his time in Senate.' He also attacked Biden's foreign policy credentials. 'Joe Biden, as Barack Obama’s own secretary of defense has said, has been wrong about nearly every foreign policy and national security decision in the last 40 years,' Cotton said in remarks captured by Politico. The Arkansas lawmaker was referring to former DOD head Robert Gates, who deprecated Biden in a memoir released after he exited Obama's cabinet. Biden, another likely candidate for president in 2016, is a former chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relation's Committee. He was initially added to Obama's ticket in 2008 to counter the freshman senator's relative lack of experience with world affairs. He was not alone in his condemnation of his former colleagues' actions. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Republicans' 'very blatant effort to undermine the legitimacy' of the president and 'disrespect' his as a negotiator is 'unconscionable.' They essentially said the president 'doesn't speak for the Constitution,' he told CNN Tuesday morning. Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine lambasted Cotton and his co-signers Tuesday on the Senate floor, even while conceding that he partially agrees with their position. 'I share many of the concerns of my colleagues, the 47 who wrote the letter,' Kaine said. 'But I deeply believe, ' he added, 'we should not try to tank a deal, critique a deal, undercut a deal, before there is a deal. ' He criticized Cotton without naming him, for writing 'to the leader of a nation that we characterize as a terrorist state.' 'The message that is communicated to the American public and to the world is, we will never accept any deal,' he said of the letter. 'We are not interested in diplomacy. We are not interested in negotiation.' 'And that attitude plays directly into the hands of the nation of Iran, which is currently engaging in terrorist activity. Thy would want to be able to blame the absence of any deal on an intransigent the United States that is unwilling to negotiate in good faith.' Iran's foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said Tuesday, 'This kind of communication is unprecedented and undiplomatic.' 'In fact it implies that the United States is not trustworthy,' he said according to Iran's state-run news site. The letter, signed by 47 Republican senators, told Iranians the Senate will 'consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei' The White House on Monday reproached senators for acting outside 'the role our Founding Fathers envisioned Congress for to play when it comes to foreign affairs' and questioned the 'wisdom of their strategy.' 'The rush to war, or at least the to the military option that many Republicans are advocating is not at all in the best interest of the United States,' Earnest said. Republicans have not specifically lobbied for military engagement with Iran, but its the White House's view that war could come about if world leaders do not at least attempt to negotiate a deal with Iran in good faith. Psaki contended Monday that senators wrongly implied that they have any say over a possible agreement. 'Congress doesn't have the power to alter the conditions of international arrangements negotiated by the executive,' she said. Additionally, the State Department is of the opinion 'that this letter, designed to score political points, ignores the fact that executive agreements between countries provide things like protections for troops, that we rely on every day, allows for the basing of American service members overseas, allows for us to obstruct the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction on the high seas,' she said. While it is true that Congress does not currently have the authority to authorize the pact as it's not technically a treaty, the Senate will soon vote on a bipartisan measure that would give the legislative body the power of review over any package the administration offers Iran. And, as Cotton noted Tuesday morning on CNN's New Day, several of the Republican senators who lent their name to the letter are considering presidential bids and could, in two years, potentially be calling the shots in the Oval Office. 'I welcome even Hillary Clinton to join us because I suspect she might have reservations about this ill-fated nuclear deal as well,' he said, name-checking the Democratic front-runner for president. Vice President Joe Biden, pictured here at the International Association of Firefighters Legislative Conference and Presidential Forum on Monday, sent out a biting statement that evening accusing letter signers of acting 'beneath the dignity' of their office . From left, Secretary of State John Kerry, Biden and National Security Adviser Susan Rice listen as President Barack Obama meets with European Council President Donald Tusk in the Oval Office on Monday. The State Department said the GOP's letter to Iran 'undermines' nuclear negotiations. The White House said it 'certainly interferes' with ongoing talks . Asked about the GOP senators' attempt to undercut his foreign policy strategy on Monday, Obama said he thought it was 'ironic' that they were aligning themselves with Iran's hardliners, who also don't want a deal to go through. In his unusually long statement, Biden said the senators' letter, sent 'in the guise of a constitutional lesson, ignores two centuries of precedent and threatens to undermine the ability of any future American President, whether Democrat or Republican, to negotiate with other nations on behalf of the United States.' 'Around the world, America’s influence depends on its ability to honor its commitments.' The United States must 'maintain our credibility and global leadership even as Presidents and Congresses come and go,' he wrote. 'The decision to undercut our President and circumvent our constitutional system offends me as a matter of principle,' he continued. 'As a matter of policy, the letter and its authors have also offered no viable alternative to the diplomatic resolution with Iran that their letter seeks to undermine.' Republicans have said that instead of diplomatic negotiations and a deal that would allow Iran to continue working toward a peaceful nuclear program, they would like to bury the country with sanctions until it completely abandons its Uranium enrichment program. Blumenthal said Tuesday that Cotton and other legislators had polarized and undermined a bipartisan coalition of senators 'which is now in tatters' that were demanding the White House allow the Senate to have the final say over any deal it negotiated with Tehran. The Democratic senator said he was determined to 'stitch it back together,' however. Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said the irony of the situation was that the Senate's bill, sponsored by Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, requiring congressional oversight was headed toward a veto-proof majority before this. Now, Republican have 'blown that,' he said on CNN, and 'literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.'

Arkansas' Tom Cotton authored the letter that was signed by 47 Republican senators and sent to Iranian leaders on Monday . They are nothing but hardliners in Iran and if they do all of those things without a nuclear weapon, imagine what they would do with one,' he said . The State Department said it 'undermines' negotiations. The White House said it 'certainly interferes' with ongoing talks . Biden said it sends 'a highly misleading signal to friend and foe alike that that our Commander-in-Chief cannot deliver on America’s commitments—a message that is as false as it is dangerous' Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Republicans' 'very blatant effort to undermine' Obama and 'disrespect' him is 'unconscionable' Iran's foreign minister said, 'This kind of communication is unprecedented and undiplomatic' and 'implies that the United States is not trustworthy'

(video) Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., faced a barrage of Democratic criticism at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, as he outlined for the first time since the letter's publication in September his motivations for authoring the 10-page missive to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (READ MORE)
The 'Terrorist' Threat Next Door: Latin America's Growing Militia Problem: One of the world's fastest-growing threats to global security is in Latin America, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. And its source is an unlikely one: small, local militias, which often operate near their homes, according to an April report by the U.S.-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs. A major problem: they often work hand-in-hand with gangs that deal in everything from drug trafficking to migrant smuggling. Here are four of the largest. (READ MORE)
Report: Iran is using money raised from energy to arm Hezbollah:.” (READ MORE)
Iraqi forces clash with Islamic State after deadly suicide bombing: Iraqi forces and members of Shia militias clashed with Islamic State militants in the northern city of Tikrit on Tuesday, a day after a suicide attack blamed on IS killed at least 29 people. The fighters, armed by the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, are battling for Tikrit and other cities, part of a campaign by Iraqi forces and Shiite militias to wrest back control from IS. The Iraqi army and the militias have encircled Tikrit, located about 170 km (105 miles) north of Baghdad. (READ MORE)
Army: 5 U.S. Soldiers Fatally Shot in Afghanistan: The U.S. military says five soldiers serving in Afghanistan have been shot and killed in a suspected insider attack, adding to a grim number for 2014. The Army says in a statement that the shootings were reported at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at a base in southern Afghanistan. U.S. officials say there are indications the killings may have been an "insider attack," in which a current or former soldier killed his colleagues. (READ MORE)
Russian jets buzz U.S. Navy ship, video footage shows - Russia has buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer for the second time in a week, this time in the Sea of Japan


Moscow (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared in public Monday for the first time in about 10 days as he met with Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. Putin isn't generally one to shy away from the limelight -- posing with a (tranquilized) tiger, riding a horse while shirtless, earning a karate black belt. So his unexplained absence fueled speculation about his health, grip on power and even his love life. Although the Kremlin and the Russian state media released photos and video footage of Putin last week, they did not quell the rumors about his whereabouts, because it was unclear when they were taken. So all eyes were turned to St. Petersburg on Monday for Putin's scheduled meeting with Atambayev of Kyrgyzstan. His appearance before the press, looking healthy and relaxed, should help put some of the rumors at least to rest. And he made light of his absence, saying: "It would be boring without gossip." In another sign Putin has a firm hand on the tiller, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said the President had ordered Russia's Northern Fleet to be placed on full combat alert from Monday morning for snap checks, Russia's state-run Tass news agency reported. The checks are intended to test the fleet's capacity to ensure Russia's military security in the Arctic, Tass said. Also on alert are Russia's Western Military District and certain airborne units, with some 38,000 military personnel involved in total. Here's what gave some doubters grist for the rumor mill: On Friday --  three days before the scheduled meeting --  a Russian state media broadcaster prematurely aired a report that Putin had a meeting with Atambayev -- although the event had not yet occurred. The station acknowledged the error, but it only heightened the speculation over Putin and his whereabouts. Social media has been swirling with questions, with hashtags such as #Putindead and #putinmissing. Was he ill? Was he holed away somewhere with his girlfriend and a new baby, as some in the European media speculated? There were even dark rumors of a palace coup in which various Kremlin factions vying for power might have ousted him. The Kremlin vigorously denied that anything was amiss, with Putin's spokesman saying the President was healthy and that his handshake "can break a hand." But his absence came at an uneasy time as the country deals with economic turmoil and strained international relations over the war in Ukraine. "Does Putin ever catch a cold? Does he ever get sick? The Kremlin doesn't want to allow Putin's image of virility and strength to become tarnished by the weaknesses of mere humans," CNN analyst Frida Ghitis wrote. "Putin rules in the old-fashioned style of a personality cult. The system requires propaganda and image control. It needs Putin to be larger than life." Last week, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov sought to allay questions, telling Russian radio station Echo of Moscow that people should not worry and that Putin was "absolutely" healthy. "No need to worry, everything is all right. He has working meetings all the time, only not all of these meetings are public," Peskov said Thursday. He also dismissed European media reports that Putin had a love child. "I am going to ask people who have money to organize a contest on the best media rumor," the Kremlin spokesman said. Rumblings about Putin began last week after a meeting in the Kazakh capital, Astana, between the Russian leader and the presidents of Kazakhstan and Belarus was postponed at short notice. A Kazakh official told Reuters that Putin had fallen ill. On Thursday, he missed his meeting with the Federal Security Service, Russia's counterintelligence agency. Putin's last public appearance was supposedly on March 8, International Women's Day. But some keeping track say he hadn't been seen since even earlier -- March 5. In the course of his many years in power, Putin has cultivated the image of a strong and vigorous leader. His exploits, captured on film and released to the media, have been many. And he enjoys a whopping 86% approval rating, although some critics question the validity of polling they say is carried out in a climate where people are afraid to voice opposition to Putin's government. "Moscow always has been a center for rumors and speculation," said Jill Dougherty, an expert on Russia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a former CNN correspondent. "As soon as the President does not show up, which is really kind of rare for him, people begin to question. "You have to look at this in terms of, why all of this insanity? And one of the problems is, people are very nervous, legitimately. Where is Putin? Is he in charge?" CNN's Matthew Chance contributed to this report.

Official: Vladimir Putin has put Russia's Northern Fleet on alert to check its capacity . Putin makes light of his absence, saying, "It would be boring without gossip" The Russian President meets with President of Kyrgyzstan in St. Petersburg, Russia .

't the only world leader missing for an extended period of time.
Here's a look at notable leaders who have been missing or hard to find since World War II:
1. Adolf Hitler: The first 20 years of World War II have always been considered the greatest and most pivotal years in Hitler's life. In a book on the origins of World War II, Professor Andrew Roberts recounts the period:
"Hitler, like the rest of Germany, has become almost unrecognizable, with no hint of his former military-dictator self. He has grown heavy and shuffled from one room to another, his hands clenched together in a gesture of deep thought, talking in long sentences and rambling on at length about topics which seem to make little sense."
At the height of his powers in 1942, Hitler disappeared for weeks. He had a serious operation to remove an abscess from one of his thighs. During that period, Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's closest deputy, became one of the most powerful men in the Third Reich. His book, "The Goebbels Diaries," became an immediate bestseller in the Third Reich. "The Goebbels Diaries" revealed Hitler's moods and state of health during this period.
Goebbels is described as a "squeak-voiced" man, "furious, tearful and violent."
Hitler appears only rarely to give speeches, and it is obvious he has not been well.
At the start of August 1942, Hitler's state of mind is in doubt, and he may well be approaching death.
2. Kim Jong-il: Kim Jong-il, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, disappeared in June 2008 for more than four months. The mystery surrounding his whereabouts was only unraveled in September. In August, he disappeared with his entourage and was sighted in his capital, Pyongyang, only a few days later. But the reports of his death soon made the rounds and later turned out to be false. Kim resurfaced in Beijing in October 2008.
The 1994 agreement ending the Korean War required North Korea to declare its atomic program, but the country failed to comply. As a result, the 1968 armistice agreement, signed during the Vietnam War, remains in force. Since the end of the conflict, Kim is not allowed to have military forces along the DMZ.