A fashion-loving cancer sufferer, who chose to greet each day of her final year of life with a new outfit, has passed away after living more than two years past doctors' predictions. Kim Ferguson, the face behind KLF Design who lived by the motto 'don't give up, dress up', died on March 14 at the age of 57, a decade after her first cancer diagnosis. The NSW Central Coast mother's two daughters, Elle and Lucie, shared a touching tribute on her Instagram page where hundreds of her unique outfits were displayed daily. Kim Ferguson, the face behind KLF Design who lived by the motto 'don't give up, dress up' died on March 14 at the age of 57 . She is pictured with her two daughters, Elle and Lucie, who shared a touching tribute on her Instagram page where hundreds of her unique outfits were displayed daily . It was liked by almost 2000 of Kim's supporters, hundreds of which shared their love and condolences. 'Mum taught us how to breathe, how to walk, talk and hug,' Lucie wrote, adding 'she taught us to shop when our worlds were crumbling.' 'She taught us the strength to go on, no matter the challenges presented to her in life she kept going, showing her girls that we could keep going either side of her, displaying strength and bravery one reserved for battle. She taught us that three hearts beat as one. 'Mumma you will always be with Elle and I for you reside in us, we carry your heart, we carry it in our hearts… we love you mum.' Her daughter Elle is one half of fashion blog They All Hate Us, while Lucie is the designer behind boutique jewellery outlet Baby Anything. On Friday the sisters revealed that the last project they had worked on with their mother, an accessories label that helped to distract her from her illness, had finally been launched . When Kim  found out she had one year to live after a long battle with cancer, she decided to count down her days in a unique way . 'Today my sister and I said 'we'll see you soon mum...' One of the hardest days of my life but was surrounded by love... We dressed in our best for the best @kimlouiseferguson ... And one day at a time,' Elle wrote on her own Instagram page on the day of her mother's funeral. On Friday the sisters revealed that the last project they had worked on with their mother, an accessories label that helped to distract her from her illness, had finally been launched. 'I am driven to get @klf_design out there because it means my mum is still out there in the world,' the Instagram post read. Kim first began her Instagram page when she was given 12 months to live, refusing to 'sit at home and die', and deciding she would battle her cancer with 'one outfit at a time'. With help from her two daughters, she began documenting her outfits, putting her love for fashion and her zest for life on show to inspire herself, and others. She explained that rather than 'sit at home and die', she would battle her cancer with 'one outfit at a time' Left to right outfits 23 29 and 32: 'For me it was an outlet, because I'd always been into fashion, it was part of my identity,' she said in January . Outfit 6 & 14: Kim was given 12 months to live and was not the type of person to 'sit at home and die' 'For me it was an outlet, because I'd always been into fashion, it was part of my identity,' Kim told Daily Mail Australia in January. 'I think the cancer takes your identity, it becomes who you are. 'Then you're put into a box by the type of cancer you have, and then you're a terminal patient and you're put into that box. 'I was trying to claim back a bit of my identity.' Left to right outfits 34, 40, 44 and 54: With the help of her two loving daughters Kim started up an Instagram account to document her outfits, putting her love for fashion and her zest for life on show to inspire herself, and others . Left to right outfits 59 and 65: Kim's Instagram account gave women a look into her wardrobe and each post told her story . The bio on her Instagram page reads: 'Beating cancer one outfit at a time. Prognosis 12 mths to my expiry date. I choose fashion! It may not be brain surgery, but it sure beats chemo!' Kim's journey with cancer began more than a decade ago when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer which led her to endure three 'quite full-on operations'. Doctors were shocked that someone who lived such a healthy lifestyle - Kim was passionate about yoga, swimming, and had always been a vegetarian and light drinker - could develop such a disease. Left to right outfits 68 and 90: Two years after her 'expiry date' Kim continued to document her outfits and put her incredible wardrobe on show . Outfit 102: Kim's daughter Elle is one half of fashion blog They All Hate Us, while Lucie is the designer behind boutique jewellery outlet Baby Anything . Outfit 124: Kim's daughters Elle and Lucie helped her through her journey and feature on her Instagram account . A few years after being given the all-clear for the first time, the mother-of-two fell very ill again, forced to leave her job as a high school teacher for the second time. 'It was bowel cancer this time and moved further up into my body, also into my pelvis and cervix,' Kim said. As part of a trial study she underwent chemotherapy and radiation at the same time, because she was deemed strong enough to withstand such strong therapy. Left to right outfits 126 and 131: Kim's journey began more than a decade ago when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer which meant she underwent three 'quite full-on operations' Outfit 141: Doctors were shocked that someone who lived such a healthy lifestyle - Kim was passionate about yoga, swimming and had always been a vegetarian and light drinker - could develop such a disease . Outfit 152: A few years after being given the all-clear for the first time, the mother-of-two fell very ill again, forced to leave her job as a high school teacher for the second time . Then a few years later Kim was back in hospital once again and a glimmer of hope was seen by her and her girls. After trying a strict juice therapy known as the Gerson Protocol in an attempt to get well enough to access treatment in San Diego she was told that she may not need travel, and that what was making her ill was a treatable ulcer. 'We were in absolute shock, the girls were around my hospital bed when they told us it was just an ulcer. We were overjoyed.' Outfit 154: This was around the point the 57-year-old started her Instagram, as an outlet for herself but which quickly turned into a support network for others . Kim posted this picture on the beach and on the right she is seen in outfit 158 . However 24 hours later the Fergusons' world was turned upside down again when they were told Kim was so unwell that 90 percent of the organs below her waist had to be removed. 'I have no bowel, no bladder, only part of my stomach, I had organs removed I didn't even know I had.' This was around the point the 57-year-old started her Instagram account as an outlet for herself but which quickly turned into a support network for others. Left to right outfits 161 and outfit 166: Making an effort to get up and get dressed even if it just meant walking around the house in her favourite pair of heels for a few hours, Kim was always motivated to keep moving . 'I actually started the Instagram about two years ago, I started it the first time I was told I wasn't going to survive,' Kim said. 'When they told me that I thought well 'what do you do?' 'I met people who had sat at home and died. The girls and I were like that's just not going to happen.' Left to right outfits 167 and 168: The central coast woman said the days she documented were when she felt most herself . Making an effort to get up and get dressed even if it just meant walking around the house in her favourite pair of heels for a few hours, Kim was always motivated to keep moving. 'I think it's just an amazing way to connect...the thing is about getting up and getting dressed and being happy,' she said. 'I guess I just want people to do what makes them happy, everyone has something that makes them happy and I don't want cancer to take that away from them.'

Kim Ferguson passed away on March 14 after decade-long cancer battle . The fashion-lover was well known for starting an Instagram account counting down her final 365 outfits and her motto 'don't give up, dress up' Her inspirational posts were her way of claiming back her identity . Kim's daughters shared a touching tribute to her on the page . They launched the last accessories project she had been working on .

 to her late 60s after having been diagnosed with lung cancer, has left her followers in mourning after the fashionista took to Instagram to announce her passing.
The 65-year-old fashion icon, who was best known as the founder of KLF Design, the fashion brand that was loved by many stars including Kylie Minogue and Holly Willoughby, was first diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 2016. She then passed away on Monday, 8 August, after suffering with the disease for two and a half years.
Sharing the heartbreaking news on Instagram with an image of a woman in a flower-print hat and dress, she wrote: "It is with deep sadness that I let you know that yesterday I lost my long battle with lung cancer. Thank you for all of your love and support over the years. I will miss you all but I'll be forever in your hearts."
Get exclusive celebrity stories and fabulous photoshoots straight to your inbox with OK's daily newsletter. You can sign up at the top of the page.
While Kim made it clear that the coronavirus crisis meant that family and friends were unable to visit her, they were able to send their best wishes in the comments section.
"I love you," one follower wrote, with another saying: "Fly high beautiful lady. I have been thinking about you all through this crisis. We have not been able to see each other recently but I know you know how much I care for you. Xxxxx."
A third penned: "So sad. Your designs will remain in our hearts forever." One social media user wrote: "I'm deeply sorry for your loss Kim. Rest In Peace," with another person simply adding a pink heart emoji.
Speaking about her cancer battle in August 2017, the fashionista told the Daily Mirror: "I'm trying to keep a positive outlook on life. I've done quite a lot with my cancer… I'm an inspiration to my friends who've got cancer. I just don't give up.
"I've never worried about my clothes, they've always been an obsession of mine, especially shoes. I don't think I have a single pair of shoes in the house - they're everywhere! And accessories! I love bags - I have four of them. I just can't help myself, I have a passion for it," she added.
It was revealed that Kim's


Detective Chief Inspector Elizabeth Belton said an 18-year-old who was raped near a Leeds bus stop was 'left for dead' and found lying in a pool of blood . A teenage girl was 'left for dead' after being raped at a bus stop, police confirmed as they said they are hunting for a man who would likely have been left with blood on his hands or clothing after the violent attack. The rape of an 18-year-old girl at a bus stop in Leeds in West Yorkshire is now being treated as attempted murder after the youngster suffered severe injuries and was left needing surgery. Detective Chief Inspector Elizabeth Belton, of West Yorkshire Police, said: 'We are now treating this as an attempted murder because she has been left there for dead.' The officer has encouraged people to come forward with information about the attack and said this is 'no time for family loyalty.' The Asian teenager was grabbed from behind by a man,  in his 20s and also believed to be Asian, in the Beeston Hill area of Leeds. He dragged her into a garden and raped her just before 11pm on Friday night. She was assaulted over a considerable period of time which left her with head injuries, a possible broken hip, and lying in blood. DCI Belford added:  'It has been a very nasty attack that has been sustained over some time. 'The nature of her injuries are that she has suffered facial and head injuries and also a suspected broken hip.' The suspect is described as an Asian man in his early 20s with a slim build and dark receding hair. Police said they believe he had been in the area for a while before the attack took place. Scroll down for video . Police found the girl lying on the ground suffering head injuries but it later emerged she was subjected to a serious sexual assault. Officers said the road was very busy at the time of the attack and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. DCI Belford said: 'I would encourage people to think – was there something out of place – or did someone come home with blood on their shirt? A team of specialist forensic officers spent Saturday recovering evidence from where the girl was found . Police said they are looking for an Asian man in his early 20s of slim build with receding dark coloured hair . 'This is no time for family loyalty – this was an horrific incident and the victim is lucky to be alive.' Officers said they do not believe the attack was racially motivated and wanted to put an end to any speculation. They confirmed the victim was Asian. 'I think it is possible that someone will know [the attacker] as there was a considerable amount of blood that was at the scene,' said DCI Belford. 'It's possible that the person responsible will have had blood on their hands and possibly blood on their clothing.' The teenager was raped as she waited at a bus stop, pictured, near Leeds City centre late on Friday night . Officers were looking for any hair or fibres that could help them identify the suspect who is in his 20s . The 18-year-old was attacked near Malvern Road and Beeston Road in Leeds at about 22:40pm on Friday. Police are appealing for people to come forward - including a woman who is believed to have been standing at the bus stop shortly before the attack who then got on a number 1 or 47 bus. They also want to speak to a man who was jogging in the area. DCI Belton said the crime had 'shocked the community.' Anyone with any information are asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Teenage girl found by police on Friday night having suffered head injuries . It then emerged 18-year-old had been raped by unknown man in Leeds area . He grabbed her from behind and dragged her into a garden to assault her . Girl was left lying in a pool of blood and with a suspected broken hip . Police are treating the case as an attempted murder and hunting attacker . Officers said teenager was 'left for dead' at busy bus stop on Friday night . Police appealed for information and said it is 'no time for family loyalty'

 by a man who raped her near a Leeds bus stop before disappearing, police have said. The victim - who is from the Wakefield area - was at a bus stop at about 1.25am on Monday, April 1 after taking a taxi to the city centre from Leeds city airport.
Crime. Police arrest man who allegedly raped teen girl at Leeds bus stop. Posted 8:29 pm, April 4, 2019, by Chris Bianchi. Facebook;. Police say the suspect and victim know each other, though they wouldn't say how the two are connected. It's reported that the teen was attacked after leaving a nightclub near the bus.
In this post we'll take a closer look at a rape case I handled back in 2008. I was a Detective Constable at the time. The victim was a 17-year-old girl - the details in this blog have been changed to protect her identity. What do I mean by being raped and the rape happening? By being raped, I mean that the victim was a victim of a sexual assault - it doesn't matter.
An 18-year-old woman has died of suspected food poisoning after eating at a Pret A Manger in Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire Police have said. West Yorkshire Police says that the young. Leeds has been a city with a history of industrialization, and as such, it was one of the first places to become affected by the industrial revolution and the textile industry (which was a booming business at the time), attracting migrant workers from all over Europe. As the city grew, more and more people came to Leeds in search of work. Leeds is also in close proximity to major transportation routes, making.
Rape suspect shot, killed at a Houston apartment complex. Updated: 11 hours ago. KHOU 11 NEWS is learning new details in a deadly shooting in southwest Houston. A woman is accused of shooting to death a 36-year-old man after the two had sex, then called police to report the incident A 22-year-old man charged with killing a Leeds teenager on New Year's Eve says he was looking for revenge for the death of his brother a year ago, a jury has heard. Joshua Rainey was arrested after police.
LEEDS COUNTY, Ky. - A man has been arrested following a burglary and rape at an Ashland home, the Rockcastle County Sheriff's Office


They show the wonders of the world around us in incredible detail, providing views that could never be seen without the latest in imaging technology. These striking pictures have been selected as the best scientific images of the year in the Wellcome Image Awards 2015. Among the winners are the bulging eye of a greenfly magnified through an electron microscope and the papillae that create the rough surface of a cat's tongue. This image of a greenfly's eye (left) shows the thousands of lenses pointing in all directions on its surface while the aurora-like image of a cross-section of a mouse brain reveals the complex network of neurons at different depths, with red being the nearest and green the furthest away . Others show the strange beauty of a goat's stomach and the neuron connections inside a mouse brain lit up like a multi-coloured aurora. Another gruesome, but also strangely touching image, shows the dissected uterus of a New Forest pony preserved in perspex at the Royal Veterinary College, with the fetus still inside the placenta. Dr Adam Rutherford, the geneticist and broadcaster who was a member of the judging panel, said: 'The breath-taking riches of the imagery that science generates are so important in telling stories about research and helping us to understand often abstract concepts. 'It's not just about imaging the very small either, it's about understanding life, death, sex and disease: the cornerstones of drama and art. 'Once again, the Wellcome Image Awards celebrate all of this and more with this year’s incredible range of winning images.' A scanning electron microscope allowed scientists to reveal the long snout of a boll weevil (left), while the dissected uterus of a New Forest pony reveals its foal still in the placenta and preserved in perspex (centre) and the strange beauty inside a goat's second stomach (right) The super-resolution micrograph of a natural killer cell (left) in the immune system shows it examining a second darker and rounder cell for signs of disease while the multicoloured image (right) is a map of a mouse's nervous system showing how signals are passed between nerves . In total there are 20 images that have been selected as winners in the awards by a panel of nine judges. The overall winner of the competition is due to be announced at a ceremony in London next week. The images are to go on show in exhibitions around the world including Bristol, Glasgow, Dundee, Cornwall, Galveston, Texas, Belfast and Boston, Massachusetts. In one picture - which looks more like a Jackson Pollock painting - the colour coded map of a fruit fly's nervous system is revealed. The image on the left shows an interactive multi-sensory unit that vibrates, bubbles and lights up to distract and comfort anxious children receiving treatment in hospital while the image on the right reveals bundles of nerve fibres inside a healthy adult living human brain are revealed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to virtually slice the brain from front to back, with the front of the head on the left side of the image . The image on the left shows a map of a mouse kidney as it breaks down food to make energy while the tiny bumps on the image on the right are the papillae - tiny bumps - that make a cats tongue feel rough seen using a light microscope in a slide made by Victorian scientists . The yellow neuron is able to sense vibrations while messages entering and leaving neurons at synapses are shown as blue and red circles. The orange circles are mitochondria. Another of the images shows the curved spine of a 79-year-old woman suffering from kyphosis, or dowagers back, taken by Mark Bartley at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. The picture on the left shows the badly curved spine of a 79-year-old woman at Addenbrooks Hospital in Cambridge while the picture on the right shows a 3D printed set of human lungs inside the ribcage viewed from the back with the bones of the spine (vertebrae) visible in the centre . The close up view of the greenfly eye shows in detail the thousands of tiny lenses facing in different on its surface that enable the insect to see very fast movements. The insects are unable to see fine details or distant objects however. A scanning electron microscope also helped researchers capture the image of the head of a boll weevil found on the front porch of a suburban house in the USA. The curved snout of these pests are used to feed on cotton plants and they can devastate entire crops. An image of an almost transparent parasitic wasp, called Wallaceaphytis kikiae, shows the recently discovered species in incredible detail. When the wasps larvae hatch, the eat their hosts from the inside out. Catherine Draycott, head of Wellcome Images and a member of the judging panel said: 'This year’s selection of winning images is not only beautiful - they bring to life an incredible array of innovative imaging techniques, and hint at stories and ideas that go beyond the visual. 'We are thrilled that they will be displayed in so many venues, and look forward to seeing the range of exhibitions, as diverse as the images themselves.' The picture on the right shows a scanning electron micrograph of a single brain cell while on the right there is a tiny parasitoid wasp called Wallaceaphytis kikiae viewed from above. This wasp was recently discovered in the rainforests of Borneo and measures just 0.75mm in length .

The 20 scientific pictures and illustrations have been selected as final winners of the Wellcome Image Awards 2015 . Scanning electron microscopes were used to show thousands of lenses giving a 180 degree view in a greenfly's eye . Cross section of a cat's tongue reveals tiny bumps on the surface that give it the feel of sandpaper when they lick . One heart-breaking image shows the badly curved spine of a 79-year-old woman with a condition called kyphosis . The images, chosen by a panel of nine judges, will on display in exhibitions around the world from next week .

. The annual awards, organised in association with the University of Oxford’s Department of Experimental Psychology, highlight the artistry of image making, as well as the creativity behind the research. The 12 images were selected from more than 130 images from 14 countries.
The overall winner is ‘Cave diving in the Grand Canyons’ by James Rebman, who won the award for his photograph of two divers in the Cenotes of San Juan (below). The winner was selected by a judging panel consisting of neuroscientist Professor David Nutt, and Dr Martin Godfrey and Professor Steve Young, from the Department of Experimental Psychology, for its ability to “grab the viewer’s attention”.
“These images represent the best work in visual research from around the world. It’s been quite a challenge to whittle down 145 entries to just 12 winners – I’m sure you’ll agree, we had some very strong contenders,” said Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel laureate and President of the Royal Society. “We are all used to seeing scientists presented in the media as serious researchers, but when we see them represented through this creative medium, a new and more vivid image forms in our minds.”
The awards recognise the work of science and medical image professionals working to promote and celebrate their special craft. “We are thrilled to recognise the very highest level of visual research,” said Professor Nutt, chair of the judging panel. “These images are not just scientifically-validated facts, but they have been made into an exquisite work of art - something all of us can enjoy.”
The awards are funded by a legacy from Sir Andrew Huxley, who was a physiologist at the University of Oxford from 1955-62. Huxley was a pioneer in the field of electrophysiology and imaging, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is regarded as the grandfather of experimental neurophysiology, having discovered a way to use electrodes implanted in the brain to record electrical activity. His legacy lives on through the Sir Andrew Huxley Awards, which fund an annual research prize to the best PhD student in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics.
The prize has been awarded to Dr Martin Godfrey from the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Dr Godfrey recently won a £50,000 fellowship award from the Medical Research Council to fund his project into how the brain adapts to new circumstances. It is hoped that


Dusseldorf, Germany (CNN)Years before he was at the controls of a Germanwings plane that plunged into the French Alps, Andreas Lubitz told the airline he worked for that he'd had a bout with depression. Lubitz, the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 who authorities accuse of deliberately crashing the plane, told his Lufthansa flight training school in 2009 that he had a "previous episode of severe depression," the airline said Tuesday. Email correspondence between Lubitz and the school discovered in an internal investigation, Lufthansa said, included medical documents he submitted in connection with resuming his flight training. The announcement indicates that Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, knew of Lubitz's battle with depression, allowed him to continue training and ultimately put him in the cockpit. Lufthansa, whose CEO previously said Lubitz was 100% fit to fly, described its statement Tuesday as a "swift and seamless clarification" and said it was sharing the information and documents -- including training and medical records -- with public prosecutors. What was mental state of Germanwings co-pilot? It's a development that will likely be a part of the crash investigation, but it's only one piece of the puzzle, CNN aviation correspondent Richard Quest said. "We need to know what happened after he returned in 2009 and finished his training, because that tells us whether there was the correct procedure and process," he said. A Lufthansa spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday that Lubitz had a valid medical certificate, had passed all his examinations and "held all the licenses required." Check out the latest from our correspondents . The details about Lubitz's correspondence with the flight school during his training were among several developments as investigators continued to delve into what caused the crash and Lubitz's possible motive for downing the jet. Earlier, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in Dusseldorf said Lubitz suffered from suicidal tendencies at some point before his aviation career. Medical records reveal that Lubitz was suicidal at one time and underwent psychotherapy before he got his pilot's license, prosecutor's spokesman Christoph Kumpa said. Kumpa emphasized there's no evidence suggesting Lubitz was suicidal or acting aggressively before the crash. Investigators are looking into whether Lubitz feared his medical condition would cause him to lose his pilot's license, a European government official briefed on the investigation into last week's crash told CNN on Tuesday. While flying was "a big part of his life," the source said, it's only one theory being considered. Another source, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation, also told CNN that authorities believe the primary motive for Lubitz to bring down the plane was that he feared he would not be allowed to fly because of his medical problems. Lubitz's girlfriend told investigators he had seen an eye doctor and a neuropsychologist, both of whom deemed him unfit to work recently and concluded he had psychological issues, the European government official said. Lubitz told the neuropsychologist that he was too stressed with work, the official said. But no matter what details emerge about his previous mental health struggles, there's more to the story, said Brian Russell, a forensic psychologist. "Psychology can explain why somebody would turn rage inward on themselves about the fact that maybe they weren't going to keep doing their job and they're upset about that and so they're suicidal," he said. "But there is no mental illness that explains why somebody then feels entitled to also take that rage and turn it outward on 149 other people who had nothing to do with the person's problems." Reports say a cell phone video shows the nightmarish final seconds of Germanwings Flight 9525, but a police spokesman said the accounts were "completely wrong." French magazine Paris Match and German newspaper Bild reported that a video recovered from a phone at the wreckage site showed the inside of the plane moments before it crashed. "One can hear cries of 'My God' in several languages," Paris Match reported. "Metallic banging can also be heard more than three times, perhaps of the pilot trying to open the cockpit door with a heavy object.  Towards the end, after a heavy shake, stronger than the others, the screaming intensifies. Then nothing." The two publications described the video, but did not post it on their websites. The publications reported that they watched the video, which was found by a source close to the investigation. "It is a very disturbing scene," said Julian Reichelt, editor-in-chief of Bild online. An official with France's accident investigation agency, the BEA, said the agency is not aware of any such video. Lt. Col. Jean-Marc Menichini, a French Gendarmerie spokesman in charge of communications on rescue efforts around the Germanwings crash site, told CNN that the reports were "completely wrong" and "unwarranted." Cell phones have been collected at the site, he said, but that they "hadn't been exploited yet." Menichini said he believed the cell phones would need to be sent to the Criminal Research Institute in Rosny sous-Bois, near Paris, in order to be analyzed by specialized technicians working hand-in-hand with investigators. But none of the cell phones found so far have been sent to the institute, Menichini said. Asked whether staff involved in the search could have leaked a memory card to the media, Menichini answered with a categorical "no." Reichelt told "Erin Burnett: Outfront" that he had watched the video and stood by the report, saying Bild and Paris Match are "very confident" that the clip is real. He noted that investigators only revealed they'd recovered cell phones from the crash site after Bild and Paris Match published their reports. "That is something we did not know before. ... Overall we can say many things of the investigation weren't revealed by the investigation at the beginning," he said. While investigators search for clues to Lubitz's motivation, recovery workers continue the grim task of searching for the remains of those killed in the March 24 crash. The remains of at least 78 people on board the plane have been identified so far using DNA analysis. Naffrechoux warned Monday that "it may not be possible to find the human remains of all the 150 passengers, as some of them may have been pulverized by the crash." But French President Francois Hollande, speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, was more positive, saying that it should be possible to identify all the victims by the end of the week. A simple stone memorial has been set up at Le Vernet, where grieving relatives of those killed have laid flowers and held prayers. Germanwings crash compensation: What we know . Who was the captain of Germanwings Flight 9525? The BEA, France's accident investigation agency, said its ongoing safety investigation was focusing on a more detailed analysis of the flight history leading up to the crash, based on the audio recovered from the cockpit voice recorder and any other available data. "A deliberate act by a man with a disturbed psychological profile is a possible scenario," BEA spokeswoman Martine Del Bono told CNN. "The first step of the investigation is to describe more precisely what happened." This will be based mainly on analysis of the cockpit voice recorder, to be supplemented by data from the flight data recorder if it is found, she said. "But we will also look at other events with possibly similar scenarios, try to understand if there are systemic weaknesses which may contribute or facilitate such scenarios. "We will in particular look at the cockpit door locking as well as the criteria and procedures applied to detect specific psychological profiles." CNN's Pamela Brown reported from Dusseldorf and Frederik Pleitgen from Cologne, while Catherine E. Shoichet wrote from Atlanta. CNN's  Laura Smith-Spark, Josh Levs, Pamela Boykoff, Antonia Mortensen, Sandrine Amiel, Margot Haddad, Anna-Maja Rappard and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report.

Andreas Lubitz had informed his Lufthansa training school of an episode of severe depression, airline says . A police spokesman say reports about video found in Germanwings wreckage are "completely wrong" Journalists at Bild and Paris Match are "very confident" the video clip is real, an editor says .

, a 27-year-old co-pilot who crashed the plane into a mountain in March, killing everyone on board, was on sick leave for one month at his job at Germanwings in 2009 after he sought treatment for his condition and failed to get clearance to resume his job.
In addition, Lubitz had trouble focusing, his memory was impaired and he became increasingly aggressive over small issues, a doctor in Essen, Germany, where the pilot lived with his parents, told CNN, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect his professional relationship with Lubitz.
A friend of Lubitz's says the pilot went on a diet and began to exercise when he had a relapse of depression in 2013, although a psychiatrist at a hospital in the city of Essen told CNN that he doesn't consider Lubitz to be clinically depressed, and would be unlikely to prescribe medication to treat it.
After Lubitz completed the one-month medical leave and resumed his job as co-pilot for Germanwings, the airline, which is owned by Deutsche Lufthansa, sent him to a psychiatric hospital for another month, then put him on four months of sick leave. He finally received clearance to work in February 2011, the Essen-based psychiatrist told CNN.
The Germanwings pilot had been prescribed the antidepressant citalopram (Celexa) and a sleeping pill, according to the psychiatrist who spoke with CNN.
After that prescription ran out in early 2013, Lubitz sought another prescription from a doctor at the same hospital. "The physician did not want to prescribe that drug to him," the psychiatrist said. He also told CNN that Lubitz had been tested for a thyroid condition and was deemed to have no thyroid abnormalities, and had a normal blood sugar level and no sign of kidney disease.
The psychiatrist said Lubitz complained that it was difficult for him to sleep since being put on the medication, which is also used for panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.
The psychiatrist said Lubitz was also undergoing psychotherapy, but there's no indication when that treatment began or how long it continued, after he left the hospital. According to the medical history he submitted as a pilot, Lubitz had sought psychotherapy in 2008 for "severe social anxiety" and "panic attacks."
He told CNN he had a relapse in 2013 but didn't go back to therapy. "If he was depressed when he stopped the


In Darwin’s theory of evolution, life is able to evolve through a process of ‘natural selection’, where certain traits become more or less common in animals based on their benefit. And now researchers are starting to emulate the same process in robots, so that they can learn how to perform complex tasks. The research involves a similar process of selection but on a larger and faster scale, allowing artificial brains to pick out the most worthwhile traits and continue evolving. Research carried out by a team from Michigan State University used genetic algorithms to model a large population of robot brains (stock image shown). These were asked to perform tasks, such as finding the exit to a maze. Those that performed the task best had simulated 'offspring', creating a better brain . The research, led by computational biologist Dr Chris Adami from Michigan State University, involves using genetic algorithms to model a large population of robot ‘brains’ working on a task. For example, this could be finding the exit to a maze. The brains that performed the task best had the largest number of simulated ‘offspring’, meaning the smartest robots multiplied. The researchers ran this genetic algorithm over thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands of generations, and then downloaded the surviving brains into robots that executed the tasks in the outside world. One of the more complicated tasks the team's robots worked on required multiple machines to figure out and remember in which order they would leave a room. The robots were then asked to come back into the room, either in the same order as they left, or in the reverse order. ‘This is difficult because the robots have to ID each other,’ Dr Adami said. In December 2014 scientists mimicked evolution in the laboratory for the first time using droplets of oil. The researchers behind the study claim their work proves that a non-biological system composed of chemicals can be made to evolve. The findings mark an important step towards creating synthetic life and may also help scientists to explain how the first biological cells appeared on Earth more than 3.6 billion years ago. Evolution was long believed to be a process that only biological creatures were capable of, but recent research aimed towards creating synthetic life has begun to question that idea. Professor Lee Cronin, regius chair of chemistry at the University of Glasgow who led the new research, used a robot to create tiny oil droplets from a mixture of four chemicals. Each droplet was dropped into a petri dish of water and analysed for three different types of 'fitness' over the course of a minute using video cameras. The robot then selected the droplet that performed best and the chemical composition of this was used to replicate the experiment, tweaking the mixture slightly each time. Over the course of 21 generations, the oil droplets became more stable in the watery world in which they were being dropped. This, according to Professor Cronin, mimicked the process of natural selection, which Charles Darwin proposed for driving evolution. After the genetic algorithm had run its course, the robots seemed to solve the problem by indicating roles to each other with certain motions. Dr Adami believes that evolving robot brains in complicated worlds that force them to interact with each other is the best path toward self-aware intelligence. ‘When robots have to make models of other robots' brains, they are thinking about thinking,’ he said. ‘We believe this is the onset of consciousness.’ The researchers ran their genetic algorithm over thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands of generations, and then downloaded the surviving brains into robots that executed the tasks in the outside world. One of these included finding the exit to a maze (stock image shown) Charles Darwin, British naturalist, is shown here in a portrait from 1878. Darwin started his career on board the HMS 'Beagle' and spent six years surveying the South American seas. He is remembered for his momentous contributions to biology and as the originator of the theory of evolution . Thinking robots will be extraordinarily useful, Dr Adami says, adding that humanity should have no reason to fear a rise of the machines. ‘When our robots are "born", they will have a brain that has the capacity to learn, but only has instincts,’ he said. ‘It will take a decade or two of exploration and training for these robots to achieve human-level intelligence, just as is the case with us.’ He added: ‘Previous attempts to design human-like intelligence have failed because we don't understand how our own brains work. ‘But we know how evolution works and we can speed it up inside of a computer.’

Research was carried out by a team from Michigan State University . They used genetic algorithms to model a large population of robot brains . These were asked to perform tasks, such as finding the exit to a maze . Those that performed the task best had simulated 'offspring' and multiplied . In so doing they could learn to perform tasks better and better . It simulates Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection .

 using the same criteria of natural selection to determine the best design, and hence evolution, for an object.
The concept of evolution is not a new one – humans for a long time now, have understood that if there was sufficient time and variation, then life could potentially evolve into other forms. In fact, it is this ability that is at the core of Darwin’s theories of evolution – that a species could change over time if it was better at survival.
However, the key thing here is the ability to change over time. When thinking of robots, this is an important thing to keep in mind. Whereas humans have the ability to change their behaviours, animals and robots do not.
The idea of ‘evolvable robots’ was explored in a study in 2013, which used a robot with a design where it’s legs moved based on their proximity to objects. But researchers now, at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of British Columbia in Canada, have gone a step further and developed an algorithm which can control the shape of a robot’s legs.
The key, it seems, is a measure of fitness, defined as whether a robot ‘survives’ in the environment. Robots were placed in a ‘population’, where they could see and hear other robots, which were similar to them. If the object in front of the robot changed, the robot would try to make its shape change to allow it to see more of the new object or if it was not able to, the robot would freeze. And the robot that froze the longest became the ‘winner’.
The researchers have also built the first-ever robot which is actually capable of being selected (and this may in itself be an evolutionary breakthrough, so if you’re an AI researcher, keep this in mind). In fact, the robot was better than any other human in the robot population at performing tasks, without human assistance. And with the ability to change itself during its evolution, the robot also started to evolve at an astonishing speed.
“The robot will change to an adaptive shape that works optimally in its new environment – in this case, one where it has to ‘see’ a ball rolling across an area,” said Professor Daniel Lidar. “This is just like in nature – the ball is the new food source and the robot is our ancestors. And now there are robots that can change to take advantage of this change in the environment.”
These changes occurred over a


(CNN)In an unusual turn of events last week, a terror plot suspect's desire to talk to local media put him at odds with his attorneys and landed a Cincinnati television station in federal court. At issue was a taped audio interview with Christopher Cornell and whether the station could broadcast that interview. Cornell is accused of plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol. The 20-year-old  -- who claims in the interview that he is affiliated with ISIS -- was arrested on January 14, months after his social media habits and talk of jihad put him on the FBI's radar, according to court documents obtained by CNN at the time of his arrest. Two days after his arrest, a court order was issued barring public contact with Cornell, who is being held at the Boone County Jail across the river in Kentucky. Last week, Cornell made a collect call to CNN affiliate WXIX, said news director Kevin Roach. That phone call initiated what ended up being an hourlong interview, Roach said. Cornell's attorney, Richard Smith-Monahan, argued that WXIX was in contempt of court for violating a January order "directing the detention facility holding the Defendant not to permit outside contact by anyone with the Defendant without [defense counsel's] express approval." Cornell spoke with reporter Tricia Macke. In that interview, he refuses to tell Macke how or when he first came in contact with ISIS, but he did give the reporter details on a plot to kill President Barack Obama, members of Congress, as well as an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Washington. "I would have took my gun," he said.  "I would have put it to Obama's head.  I would have pulled the trigger.  Then I would unleash more bullets on the Senate and House of Representative members.  And I would have attacked the Israeli Embassy and various other buildings full of Kafir who want to wage war against us Muslims." When Macke asked him why he would plot such an attack, he said "Obama is an enemy of Allah, therefore an enemy of us, of Islamic State."  He said his plan for an attack on the U.S. Capitol was retaliation for "the continued American aggression against our people and the fact that America, specifically President Obama, wants to wage war against Islamic State." Cornell told Macke he was planning what would have been a "major attack" to take place in Washington on September 20, repeatedly referring to himself as a member of ISIS.  "I'm with the Islamic State," he said at one point.  "I have connections with many brothers over there.  We've been corresponding for quite some time now, actually.  The FBI finally caught on this past year." Cornell told Macke that he used "encrypted messaging" to communicate with ISIS members.  He said they discussed "how we should wage jihad in America.  We should form our own groups and alliances with the Islamic State," he continued. Cornell said he was serious about his plans.  "I'm very dedicated," he told Macke.  "Like I said, I'm a Muslim.  I'm so dedicated that I risked my life.  That should say a whole lot." He also warned that there were others like himself.  "We are indeed here in America," he said.  "We're in each and every state.  We're here in Ohio.  We're more organized than you think." The interview was taped in three 20-minute segments and was recorded by the jail and WXIX. Roach said the jail's taping system only allows for 20 minutes of taping at one time, so each time the recording would stop and the phone call ended, Cornell called the station back to tell his side of the story. CNN listened to the audio recording. During the 6:30 p.m. newscast on Thursday, the station aired a brief clip of the audio recording, previewing a longer story that was to air later that night, in the 10 p.m. newscast. According to Mike Allen, legal analyst and attorney for WXIX, a producer from the station called him about 7:30 Thursday evening; Cornell's attorney had filed a "show of cause" order in Cincinnati's federal court and an emergency hearing was scheduled for 8:30 p.m. During that hearing, the judge continued the case for Friday morning and WXIX agreed to delay broadcasting the interview until Friday, pending a decision. In addition to the contempt of court argument, Smith-Monahan was also asking the court to issue a restraining order against the station, an order that would keep the station from broadcasting the interview with Cornell, according to court documents. During the hearing, which lasted five hours, a lieutenant at the Boone County facility testified that one of Cornell's attorneys had given him a phone. In that testimony the lieutenant stated that he reminded the attorney that giving Cornell a phone meant he would be able to call anyone he wanted to, which seemed at odds with the spirit of the January court order. At the end of Friday's hearing, U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith ruled that the order prohibiting Cornell from contact with the public was vaguely written and the station was not in violation of the order. Additionally, the judge ruled it would be unconstitutional for the news station to be barred from broadcasting the interview, according to Allen. The judge also stated in court that while Cornell has the right to remain silent, he also has the right to freedom of speech. "At the end of the day, the judge made the right decision," Allen said. CNN on Saturday reached out to Smith-Monahan, Cornell's defense attorney, but so far has received no response. WXIX aired a portion of the interview on Friday night, and plans to broadcast more this week. CNN's Vivian Kuo contributed to this report.

Cincinnati reporter interviews Christopher Cornell on the phone . Cornell is accused of plotting an attack on the U.S. Capitol . Cornell claims to have ties to ISIS .

 Lee Cornell, 23, a self-proclaimed white supremacist and confessed "accelerationist" that he recorded before the attempted bombing of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in suburban Cincinnati, according to court documents and the Associated Press.
Cornell had initially chosen one of two options: The station's online news service, or the print edition. But in a taped interview that the station said it hoped would help boost his profile, Cornell said he wanted to go with television to make an impact. The station complied.
"I want to have the face of America to see that this is a true threat," Cornell said. "So I'm glad they gave me an opportunity to let it be seen by the public."
A federal magistrate judge rejected the request last Thursday, according to a statement from WXIX, the station where Cornell had interviewed. The TV station is asking for the decision to be reconsidered, a request that has been denied.
"We believe that allowing the interview would not only be in the public interest, but could make a difference in how this case is handled," said Andy Treinen, vice president and general manager of WXIX-TV. "We're not trying to change a jury or appeal to jurors; our intention is to expose a threat to the public so they'll be more aware of it."
A new attorney
Cornell is accused of mailing pipe bombs to several high-profile figures, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and De Niro, and others.
The case is also unusual because Cornell had changed attorneys in less than a week. He had been represented by Michael C. Mancuso, a defense attorney appointed to defend him, but resigned a few days before last week's taped interview.
That left Cornell's next available attorney, Eric J. Juergensmeyer, without much time to prepare for the scheduled interview or the case. Juergensmeyer's first contact with the FBI occurred the day before the interview, and his first meeting with Cornell occurred after the interview, Juergensmeyer told CNN.
Still, Juergensmeyer thought there was enough reason for Cornell to talk to the press after being told "he had nothing to lose," and the interview did not go over the topics that Juergensmeyer said he discussed with Cornell before the interview.
"I feel like it's an important first step for him to try and be known to a larger population


The dog captured in the heartbreaking image showing her being abandoned at a gas station has been taken into care by an animal agency and will be put up for adoption. The German Shepherd mix, Butterbean, was taken into custody by the Humane Society of Louisiana after the owner released her for $400. While the animal was initially thought to be abandoned on the side of the road in Slidell, Louisiana last week, she was reportedly abandoned as a puppy and had been allowed by her owner to live at large  in a nearby neighborhood for six years. Her apparent owner, who is reportedly Lisa Pearson, said that Butterbean loves the man in the truck and that she was following him to work the morning the picture was taken, according to WDSU. The German Shepherd mix captured in the heartbreaking image showing her being abandoned at a gas station has been taken into care. Butterbean, was taken into custody by the Humane Society of Louisiana after the owner released her for $400 . This is the heartbreaking moment from last week when Butterbean was seen desperately chasing after a car where it appeared she was being abandoned at a gas station on the side of a road in Slidell, Louisiana . Butterbean is currently at the Furry Friends Animal Hospital in Harvey, Louisiana, according to ABC. 'We're delighted that this story will have a happy ending,' said Jeff Dorson, the Human Society's founder and executive director, in a memo on Tuesday. The agency has already received applications to adopt Butterbean, and prospective applicants will be interviewed as they work to put her in the best suited home. The dog was captured in the photograph that surfaced last week by witness Lorie Hollis, who said she saw a man drop off the dog near a gas station on Highway 11. She said the man yelled 'Go! Go over there!' Hollis said the animal was confused and jumped up, putting her paws on the tailgate of the man's pickup truck before giving chase after the truck sped off, trying desperately to keep up. After the animal took off after the truck, Hollis got into her car and tried to follow the dog and vehicle, watching the shepherd cross two lanes of traffic as the animal attempted to reach the man. But after driving for a couple of miles, Hollis lost sight of them both. 'My heart is broken,' she told WDSU at the time of the incident. 'I am in shock that someone would treat a dog like this.' Dorson said when animals are abandoned in a 'random location' they have 'almost zero' chance of survival. Butterbean is currently at the Furry Friends Animal Hospital in Harvey, Louisiana, and she will be put up for adoption soon . Applications to adopt her have already been submitted, and prospective applicants will be interviewed as the agency works to put her in the best suited home . Employees at the gas station and neighbors told WDSU last week that the dog was not being abandoned and that the man driving the truck lives in the neighborhood. The Humane Society wrote a post on Facebook about successfully locating Butterbean on March 20. 'When Butterbean was found, she was on the property of a family claiming to have owned her for 6-7 years,' the post said. 'They admitted to allowing her to roam at large during that time and reported that the man in the truck is actually a neighbor who the dog is attached to, who she follows routinely to the gas station. 'Given this information, we are truly amazed that Butterbean has survived these many years.' After Butterbean was found, Pearson said that she intended to keep the dog tethered outside. But following the agency bringing the case to the attention of St. Tammany Animal Control, the owner was issued a warning, and agreed to release the dog for cash. The Humane Society wrote a post on Facebook about successfully locating the animal on March 20 . The owner also signed an agreement not to chain or tether any animal in future or allow them to roam at large. 'We certainly don't like to reward this kind of behavior, but sometimes it simply takes too long for cases to move through the legal system,' said Dorson. 'Our first concern was Butterbean's safety. We were convinced she could be let loose again to run in traffic at any time, and we might miss our opportunity to intervene.' By claiming ownership, the family in question may still be held accountable for violating several ordinances relating to the dog's behavior. Following the incident, the Humane Society is launching a Butterbean's Buddies campaign, which will run for a year, and will help reach more deserving dogs in need. Dorson said Butterbean's story can help shed light on the fact that other Louisiana dogs are chained, abandoned or  neglected each year. A nearby woman snapped the photograph after she saw a man drop off the dog on Highway 11 (pcitured) and yelled at his pet to 'Go! Go over there!' The dog then gave chase after the truck sped off .

Butterbean, a German Shepherd mix, appeared in the photo to have been dropped off at a gas station in Slidell, Louisiana last week, causing outrage . She has been taken into custody by the Humane Society of Louisiana after the owner agreed to release her for $400 . Humane Society said she had been abandoned as a puppy and had been allowed to live at large in nearby neighborhood . The owner said the man driving the truck is a neighbor the dog is attached to, and Butterbean was just following him to work when picture was taken . She is currently at the Furry Friends Animal Hospital in Harvey, Louisiana, and she will be put up for adoption soon .

 Tampa Bay on Wednesday, June 2, and is estimated to be about 5 years old.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Butterbean was found tied to a fence at a gas station with a collar and a leash. She was also in a cage in the car that had been left in the parking lot. An attendant at the gas station contacted the animal agency because of her age and her behavior.
The dog was given medical attention before being taken in by the agency. The dog was hungry and was in shock and had “badly matted” fur. Her nails were long, and she had ticks on her body. But the most shocking thing for the animal agency was her story of what had happened to her.
Someone abandoned this German shepherd mix #tbt at a gas station because she was “too old.” pic.twitter.com/QPbzPtWfMk
— Humane Society (@HumaneSociety) June 4, 2021
Her story
A woman had taken the dog to a vet, and they had estimated her to be between 12 and 18 months old, the Humane Society said. They had also told the woman that the dog had not had any puppies in the past. However, this had turned out to be a lie.
The vet also had said that the dog had been fed a “bad diet.”
The staff at the Humane Society have named her Butterbean and describe her as a “sweet and shy” dog. She will require training and socialization to help her get used to living in a home again and with other dogs.
“I’m so proud and honored she chose to trust us enough to take us home with her,” said Rachel Blum, the adoption supervisor. “We look forward to helping her heal and grow.”
What to do about animal cruelty
Animals are the most misunderstood creatures on the planet, but they do not deserve to be abandoned or mistreated in any way. If you witness animal abuse or cruelty in your area, please contact the authorities. The authorities have the correct training and education to deal with the situation correctly.
The Humane Society and other rescue organizations also need your support. They have the resources and the knowledge to take in the dogs and offer them a good home. By donating what you can, you will be helping them to do their jobs more efficiently. It is vital that these organizations are funded and given the resources to deal


The Nigerian presidential elections has been won by the opposition party for the first time in the country's history. General Muhammadu Buhari beat incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan by 2.1million votes in a historic win which has seen thousands take to the streets in celebration. Jonathan  conceded this afternoon and called 72-year-old General Buhari to congratulate him, Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka said. Scroll down for video . Bad luck, Jonathan: General Muhammadu Buhari, 72, (right) beat incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan(left) by 2.1million in a historical opposition win . Jonathan's concession came before the final announcement of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission and as Buhari prepared to address the nation. After the votes from the country's 36 states and small Federal Capital Territory were in this evening, Buhari was found to have won with 15.4 million votes against Jonathan's 13.3 million. The win marks the first time in Nigeria's history that an opposition party has democratically taken control of the country from the ruling party. General Buhari, who has previously made three failed attempts to win the presidency, ruled Nigeria from  1984 until mid-1985, after a seizing power in a military coup. His brief dictatorship saw him rule the nation with an iron fist, jailing people for trivial missteps such as public littering, and punishing civil servants who arrived late to work with gruelling physical exercises. Buhari was eventually was overthrown by his own soldiers after attempting to cover up Nigeria's deepening economic crisis, by silencing the press and jailing journalists. Supporters: Residents celebrate the anticipated victory of Buhari  in Kaduna, northern Nigeria . Big win: General Buhari has enjoyed most support in the mainly Muslim north, but also won several key-states in the Christian southern states . Incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan, seen voting in his home town at Ward 13 in Otuoke, Bayelsa state, on Saturday, has reportedly called General Buhari to congratulate him on his win . Buhari's fourth, and successful, bid for presidency was made possible by the  formation of a coalition of Nigeria's major opposition parties two years ago, the All Progressives Congress (APC). A united opposition and its choice of Buhari as a single candidate presented the first real opportunity in the history of Nigeria to oust a sitting president. Buhari has also been able to count on considerable voter dissatisfaction with the performance of Goodluck Jonathan, who has been president since 2010, and his failure to take proper action against Boko Haram. In Kano state, where Boko Haram's guerilla war on the civilian population has been most prominent, Buhari delivered a crushing defeat to Jonathan, winning 1.9 million votes for Jonathan's 215,800. This came despite Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau vowing to disrupt the election, which the group sees as 'un-Islamic', prompting unprecedented security measures at polling stations. Buhari has promised to stamp out the insurgency in the north, which has seen the Islamist group murder tens of thousands of civilians, kidnap hundreds of young girls and force more than 1.5 million people from their homes. When Buhari's win was announced, spontaneous celebrations sprang up in Kano, the nation's second city, and Kaduna in Kano state. Many brandished the wicker broom, symbol of Buhari's APC coalition, which claims it will sweep Africa's most populous country clean years of government mismanagement and corruption. Crowds were heard chanting 'change, change' as hundreds of people climbed onto rooftops to watch the celebrations. Drivers performed stunts, filling the air with thick smoke, as veiled women and the crowds shouted 'Sai Buhari' (Only Buhari) in celebration. Nigerian men watch as the election commission announces electoral results for certain states, on a television at an outdoor butchery in Kano, northern Nigeria . Nigerian men look at the morning newspapers and discuss the partial election results released, at a newspaper stand in Kano, northern Nigeria . While the topic of the government's response to militant group Boko Haram has been a significant electoral topic, provision of basic services such as electricity and water remains an important election issue . Residents watch the vote count on a television set in Kaduna,  Nigeria Tuesday . 'We must see this as a triumphant show of democracy, a change for the better,' Buhari's wife Aisha Buhari said in one of a series of jubilant Twitter messages. Earlier today a U.S. official said said The United States is ready to work with anyone democratically elected as Nigeria's president. 'I would reiterate that the U.S. is ready to work with . whichever candidate the Nigerian people elect through the . democratic process,' the U.S. State Department official said. 'Buhari has peacefully contested the last few presidential . elections and accepted the results of those votes, even when he . questioned the credibility of the process,' the U.S. official . said. The official said Buhari's leadership of the opposition . suggests a commitment to democracy as part of a new era in . Nigeria that began after military rule ended in 1999. Buhari's APC declared Buhari's victory over Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) this afternoon, but the incumbent president has yet to make any official comments on the election result. Earlier today, an APC spokesperson said Buhari fears his victory could be stolen by 'tricks' from the government. 'As for the election, we have won it!' Garba Shehu said outside the APC headquarters. Accusing Goodluck Jonathan's government of possibly meddling with the election results, he added: 'We are not out of the woods yet, we don't know what tricks the government is going to play.' Because of decades of military dictatorship, this is only the eighth election since the country won independence from Britain in 1960, and the fifth since democracy was restored in 1999.

Muhammadu Buhari has won the Nigerian presidential elections . Beat incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan by 2.1million votes . First time the opposition has won a democratic presidential vote . This is 72-year-old General Buhari's fourth run at the presidency . Buhari previously ruled Nigeria in 1984-1985, after a military coup . His strict ruling eventually saw him ousted by his own soldiers .

 streets in celebration of the win.
Buhari has taken to Twitter to thank his supporters and voters who voted him into office:
Thanks to God who heard the voice of His people. Nigerians have spoken - a new chapter begins in Nigeria. #NigeriaDecides2015 #ChangeHasCome— Muhammadu Buhari (@MuhammaduBuhari) March 30, 2015
The people have spoken - Nigerians have given me a mandate to lead our country. God bless you all. #InshaAllah— Muhammadu Buhari (@MuhammaduBuhari) March 30, 2015
President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari tweeted a thank you, saying "It is not a moment for jubilation but a moment for sober reflection, prayer and commitment to the task ahead, to consolidate our democracy, to restore hope and unity to our dear nation".
Thank you all for your generous support. The best is yet to come for Nigeria! Insha Allah #NigeriaDecides2015 #ChangeHasCome— Muhammadu Buhari (@MuhammaduBuhari) March 30, 2015
Nigerian pop star Davido has also tweeted a congratulatory message to President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari.
Muhammadu Buhari to emerge victorious as the next president of Nigeria; congratulations to my brother! #NigeriaDecides2015 #AllNigeriaVotes— Davido (@iam_Davido) March 30, 2015
As a Nigerian you have to be happy. Congratulations @MBuhari for winning the Presidential election #NigeriaDecides2015 #NigeriaMustChange— #VoteCYN (@SymplyCYN) March 30, 2015
More than two dozen people have been killed in the aftermath of Nigeria's election on Saturday.
The results are being declared in many of the states where voting occurred on Saturday as voters were allowed to vote in a run-off election.
In the aftermath of the vote it has been reported that one person died in the state of Plateau when a gunman opened fire on a church during Sunday mass.
In the state of Benue it has been reported that a policeman guarding a polling station was killed by suspected members of the Boko Haram in a northern town.
The same Boko Haram insurgent group has taken responsibility for the "massacre" of


A mother has revealed her horror after she discovered she married a paedophile. Mel Alford, of Exeter, Devon, said she only found out her husband Jonathan's past when he appeared in court to admit grooming an underage girl for sex. The 37-year-old, who has three children, first met the man she knows as JR, in April 2012 through Facebook as she was friends with his older brother. Mel Alford said she had no idea her husband Jonathan was a paedophile until he was in court . Ms Alford said she agreed to go on a date with him after he ‘kept sending nice messages’. She revealed: ‘We ended up getting engaged in August and brought the wedding forward to November that year when I found out my dad was dying from cancer. 'We were together most of the time and the start of our marriage was really good. He was great with my kids and treated me like a queen. 'I had no idea what he was really like until a social worker visited me and told me he was on bail for sleeping with an underage girl. 'That girl had come to my children's dad's house and told him and he contacted social services.' Ms Alford said that her husband denied it and pulled up what he told her was the girl's Facebook page which had a message to him saying 'sorry I lied’. Mel - pictured with Jonathan on their wedding day - said he treated her 'like a queen' She said: 'It turns out he had set up a fake account to send that message. 'Myself and the kids believed him so we just carried on. But he became so jealous after we got married and I could not answer the door in case it was a man and he would sleep outside in his car if we had a row. 'In September 2013 I kicked him out. But I didn't know the allegations were true until I saw he was in court.’ At Exeter Crown Court, Jonathan Alford admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child, seven of making or possessing indecent images of children, three of having extreme pornography and one of perverting the course of justice. Alford was also caught with child abuse and bestiality images on his computer and was jailed for seven years and three months in July last year. Ms Alford said she was totally unaware of his charges until he appeared in court and said struggled to believe that the man she loved and brought into her family was capable of such crimes. Jonathan Alford was jailed for more than seven years after he admitted admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child and other related offences . 'I went along to the court and shouted and screamed on every plea. I heard all about his sickening crimes,’ Ms Alford said. 'It was so disturbing I don't think it was really sinking in on the day. 'I walked into the middle of the court and called him a “dirty bastard”. He smiled at me and I just wanted to kill him. 'He had been brought into my family and been around my kids. I was sickened. Still all I know is what I heard in court that day. I still don't really know the full story. 'I never saw him again after that. I wanted to go to his sentencing hearing but because I had kicked off at the previous hearing the police wouldn't let me in. 'I have asked my kids if he ever tried it on with them and they have said no. But he should not have been allowed anywhere near me and my three children while he was on bail. 'There should have been checks done.' Ms Alford said she is now awaiting her final divorce papers to come through, and has set up an unofficial website to ‘name and shame’ offenders – which the police have told her to take down. She said: 'It has certainly made me a lot more cautious about people and I am passionate about what I am doing. 'I am proud to have met so many people and victims. I am not a counsellor but they tell me their story and I try and help them.’ She added: 'You have no idea who is a paedophile. I was married to one and did not know. 'I hear so many stories - many of them extremely heart-breaking. I just want people to be more aware of who they are dating and allowing to be around their children.’ She said: 'I carry a lot of guilt that I put my children in danger by having this man around them. I don't think I will ever get over that.’

Mel Alford, 37, married Jonathan  in 2012 after meeting on Facebook . Mother of three said he 'treated her like a queen', 'was great with my kids' Had no idea of his past until social worker visited her home in Devon . But husband managed to convince her underage sex claims were lies . However, he became jealous so Ms Alford 'kicked him out' Alford was jailed for seven years over the offences . Ms Alford said she has started unofficial sex offender website .

 Alford, 50, said her world "crashed" when she saw his details on the public sexual offender's register following his sentencing in March.
Jonathan Alford, 49, admitted five offences after grooming a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him. He was jailed for two years for three counts of grooming a child, one count of causing or inciting a child under 16 years to engage in sexual activity, one count of possession of a sexual communication with a child, and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child.
Mel, who is a nurse and did not know about his previous offences, discovered Alford had groomed other girls. She has now split from her husband and hopes a criminal investigation will get him jailed for longer. Alford was arrested by Exeter police at the family home in January after DevonLive.com revealed he was on a sexual offenders register. He told the court he had been a paedophile for "nearly 50 years". He has since been re-incarcerated for breaching his suspended sentence.
"It was a bombshell for me," Mel said. "I could never have imagined we were going to be married to someone like him." Alford's previous offences include befriending an 11-year-old girl and trying to lure her into an online chatroom for sex in 2009. His victim did not tell her parents, as they had moved home in 2008 and she was worried she would get in trouble. The pair met again online, when Alford was 34 and the girl was 13. He told her he was 16. Alford was arrested by Devon & Cornwall Police in January 2012 after they found out he had breached his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
At that time, he was still not on the register for grooming offences but later that month, he was, along with two other sexual offenders from Exeter. At the time, Mel says she had no knowledge of his past. But she said she is trying to put the pieces together of her late husband's history of grooming young girls.
"In the early stages of our marriage he was charming," Mel said. "He had been living abroad in Spain and Italy and he would tell me all of these great stories about his travels. He's not a very bright man, so I guess I thought he was having to make them up, but he was telling them from


David Cameron today puts the prospect of Alex Salmond ‘calling the tune’ in a deal with Labour at the centre of the Tory election campaign. As he launches a poster showing a tiny Ed Miliband in Mr Salmond’s pocket, the Prime Minister warns of the ‘chilling and real prospect’ of Labour being propped up in government by the Scottish National Party. His offensive comes after a day in which four members of Labour’s shadow cabinet refused repeatedly to say whether they would do a deal with the SNP in the event of a hung parliament. Scroll down for video . Pocket-size: Ed Miliband is dwarfed by Alex Salmond in the new Conservative election poster . Polls last week suggested the nationalists could win 50 out of the 59 Westminster seats in May, including those seen as the safest Labour strongholds such as Gordon Brown’s in Kirkcaldy. This would sink any prospect of Mr Miliband winning a Commons majority. Mr Cameron says today: ‘Britain needs to wake up to a chilling and real prospect – Ed Miliband as prime minister, propped up by Alex Salmond who says he’ll call the tune. ‘Again and again, Ed Miliband refuses to rule out this possibility. He is so weak, everyone knows he would be in Alex Salmond’s pocket. On every vote, every budget, every decision, the SNP would exact a high price for his support. ‘Everyone in Britain will pay with higher taxes, more spending, more debt and weaker defences in dangerous times. To keep the recovery on track and avoid this nightmare, vote Conservative.’ The Prime Minister's offensive comes after a day in which four members of Labour’s shadow cabinet refused repeatedly to say whether they would do a deal with the SNP in the event of a hung parliament . A Labour parliamentary candidate has rejected a £1,000 donation from Tony Blair towards her election campaign. Lesley Brennan, who is standing in Dundee East, said on Twitter her ‘instinct’ was to turn the offer down. The former Prime Minister has pledged £106,000 to help Labour campaigns in 106 marginal seats. But there has been unease about Mr Blair’s links to foreign corporations and dictatorships and candidates have been under pressure to hand back the so-called ‘blood money’. Mr Miliband is under huge pressure from his Scottish MPs to rule out a deal with the nationalists. Yesterday his deputy Harriet Harman dodged the issue eight times on the Murnaghan show on Sky. Labour energy spokesman Caroline Flint refused four times to rule out a deal with the nationalists on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1. She said: ‘We are focused on winning a Labour majority government. Let me say this. We do not want, we do not need and we do not plan to have any coalition with the SNP.’ Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan dodged the question four times on Pienaar’s Politics on Radio 5 Live and shadow Scotland secretary Margaret Curran did so nine times on the BBC’s Sunday Politics. On Friday, Mr Salmond, the former SNP leader who is expected to lead the party in Westminster after the election, said Scotland could ‘call the tune’ in the Commons. ‘It is now clear that neither Tory nor Labour will win an overall majority,’ he said. ‘Neither are fit to govern. ‘It is also clear that Scotland is swinging behind SNP candidates the length and breadth of the country. In that situation Scotland can call the tune in the next Westminster Parliament.’ At the same time, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon removed the biggest obstacle to a Labour-SNP deal by ditching her red line on Trident. She said her party could back a minority Labour government in key votes even if it had not secured an agreement to scrap the nuclear deterrent. Labour MPs say the party has ‘decided internally’ not to rule out an SNP pact before the election. This will be particularly concerning to English voters who fear the price of concessions the SNP will seek to extract from Labour in return for handing Mr Miliband the keys to No 10. Peeping from the breast pocket of a giant Alex Salmond, Ed Miliband is portrayed as a mere plaything of the SNP in the Tories’ latest poster. Lips pursed, he appears pensive and childlike as the larger-than-life Scottish nationalist looks down on him with a patronising smirk. The poster’s clear aim is to suggest Mr Salmond will have free rein to boss Mr Miliband around if their parties form a coalition in May. Last night the pair were immediately dubbed ‘Big Eck and Little Ed’. The Tory campaign drew comparisons to ITV’s Spitting Image, which mercilessly lampooned politicians in the 1980s and 1990s. Its targets included David Owen and David Steel, joint leaders of the SDP/Liberal Alliance. Mr Steel was lampooned as Mr Owen’s adoring sidekick and sometimes appeared in his pocket, left. The Tory campaign drew comparisons to ITV’s Spitting Image, which mercilessly lampooned politicians in the 1980s and 1990s .

PM warns of the ‘chilling and real prospect’ of a Labour and SNP coalition . Polls suggest nationalists could win 50 out of 59 Westminster seats in May . Tories have gone on offensive  portraying Milband as Salmond's plaything .

, the prime minister is also preparing to go on the offensive against Mr Miliband, branding the Labour leader as indecisive and an economic ‘lightweight’.
In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Cameron accuses Miliband of being as ‘reckless’ as Gordon Brown was in office and being ‘very slow’ to get behind a Tory recovery. He warns: “We should be under no illusions – the Labour Party is a danger to Britain’s economic credibility.”
In a new ad campaign, the Tories target Ed Miliband by saying: “At what point did he grow a spine?”.
Cameron also attacks Labour ‘scandals’ and the ‘shambles of the Scottish elections’ – suggesting Labour has lost the support of Scots and should not govern on its own.
Cameron is set to say: “No one can seriously imagine Labour would win again this year, yet with the SNP doing so badly [in the Holyrood polls] one has to ask: where’s the strategy? The problem for Labour is that Ed has no plan, even on day to day issues like the NHS. No one knows who is running the ship. Even Ed Miliband himself is struggling to cope. His decision not to appear in any of the referendum debates last week was astonishing. He wanted to be the prime minister of a country, and yet he did not want to be seen.”
Meanwhile, Downing Street sources said: “What’s interesting about the SNP is you’ve got to question whether it is a party capable of coming to terms with the practical day to day realities of being in government. The fact they are refusing to talk to the Conservatives is an issue. It’s clear what the SNP’s position is.”
Cameron has also raised the stakes in Labour’s negotiations with the SNP by warning that no deal with the party could be allowed if Mr Salmond refused to give a commitment on the ‘West Lothian question’.
Labour and the Tories have discussed a possible alliance on a ‘confidence and supply’ basis which would allow both sides to govern until at least 2015 without the need for a coalition. Such an arrangement would not require any change to the law. But Downing Street sources say that is not in the Tories’ gift and that they would have no choice but to refuse to take part in a ‘coalition of the


Kris Commons says he wants Celtic’s arch-rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership as soon as possible — despite the Ibrox club suffering a lamentable 2-2 home draw with Alloa on Tuesday night. Championship leaders Hearts could clinch automatic promotion to the top tier if results go their way this weekend. That would leave Rangers embroiled in a grim battle for the second promotion spot under new manager Stuart McCall, although on current form they could even miss the play-offs. Celtic forward Kris Commons, pictured training on Tuesday, wants Rangers back in the top flight . However, in a view unlikely to curry unanimous favour amongst Celtic supporters, Commons — who scored in the recent League Cup semi-final between the Glasgow giants — admits he wants the Old Firm fixture back next season. ‘Personally, yes, because the games with Rangers are the best games,’ said the Parkhead forward. ‘They draw the best crowds and a large TV audience for people around the world. It makes people want to get out of bed in the middle of the night in Australia. ‘My mates down south don’t know much about Scottish football but they want to see that game. I love playing in them. ‘There are a lot of fans who are on the fence (about) whether it’s right or wrong but I love them.’ The new board still hope the return of Ibrox icon McCall can spark an improvement as they battle Hibernian for second place. The Ibrox side were hot favourites to finish top of the league at the beginning of the season, but Commons remains unsurprised to see them struggle. Rangers suffered a disappointing 2-2 draw against Alloa on Tuesday - their fifth in a row in the league . Ben Gordon (centre) is congratulated by his team-mates after his goal gave the part-timers a shock lead . ‘I have played in the Championship in England with teams trying to get back up and it’s not easy,’ he continued. ‘Some teams go down from the Premier League and they end up in League one, like Blackpool, Sheffield United and Wednesday. ‘Not only does it affect the players, the manager, coaches and fans, it’s a city thing. It’s a massive thing. ‘It’s very difficult to have the wind knocked out of your sails. ‘When you are struggling — as Rangers are — that’s when you need to call on experience and that’s why they have tried to go with Stuart McCall.’ Commons scored the opener as Celtic secured the League Cup with a 2-0 win over Dundee United on Sunday. The Parkhead side can take a huge step towards their target of a rare domestic treble by beating the Tannadice side again in Wednesday night’s Scottish Cup quarter-final replay at Parkhead. Celtic are bidding to win a domestic treble this season after claiming the Scottish League Cup last Sunday . Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill completed domestic clean sweeps when Rangers were strong, but Commons rubbishes any suggestion of a diminished achievement in the absence of their Glasgow rivals. ‘I think the last time it was done was in an era when money and wages were massive,’ he said. ‘You look at the teams — (Chris) Sutton, (Neil) Lennon, (John) Hartson and (Henrik) Larsson — people who were on fortunes and I think that they got a huge amount of credit for what they did. ‘If we can get across the line and achieve this Treble, I don’t think it should be looked upon as a lesser achievement. It’s the same level.’ Last season’s Player of the Year, meanwhile, plans to take any penalties against United after admitting the on-field spat between James Forrest and John Guidetti over a missed spot-kick on Sunday was regrettable. James Forrest (right) celebrates with John Guidetti after scoring in the League Cup final . ‘I don’t think that has ever happened before at Celtic,’ he said. ‘It’s the sort of thing you see on The Football Years on TV. It was like a (Paolo) di Canio-(Frank) Lampard moment. ‘I can understand from John’s point of view because he has taken a couple of penalties and scored. He has not been on the score sheet a lot of late. He’s a striker and he wants to get goals. ‘But they were not great scenes — probably just an eagerness to score and win. ‘It perhaps put a little dampener on the way that we won. The manager bases a lot on team spirit and team bonding. ‘We are meant to have this good unit as a team but, clearly at the end of the game, it looked as though people were doing things on an individual basis. ‘I don’t think any player should throw a strop on a football field. You should never do that.’

Kris Commons wants Rangers to get promoted to the Scottish Premiership . Rangers are third, which would be enough to earn a play-off place . The struggling Ibrox club have not won in their last five league however . Should Stuart McCall's side slip to fourth they would miss out play-offs . Commons says the Old Firm derbies are the best games to play in .

.
“I know the importance of getting Rangers back up here in the Premiership as quickly as possible,” said Commons.
“And when you look at the way the game is being played at the moment, the football that is being served up at Ibrox is the best that you will see in Scotland at this time. It is only a shame that this is not reflected in the club’s league position. It’s just a great shame, and hopefully things will turn around for them sooner rather than later.
“I think the manager will get the players he wants in January to give him the ammunition to get Rangers back up here.
“They will get the players they need, and the quality will be reflected in how they perform over the next few months.”
Rangers slipped 13 points behind Hearts at the top of the Premiership table, and just one point ahead of third-placed Hibernian.
But, in contrast to the champions, the Glasgow side have yet to get on the score-sheet at all this season, apart from a penalty against Hearts in their first league match.
Commons said: “Rangers are finding things hard this season. The biggest thing for them is the lack of goals.
“They had more against Hamilton in the Scottish Cup at the weekend but they needed a late winner to get through to the next round — and that says it all.”
Scottish champions Celtic opened up a 21-point lead at the top of the league after thrashing Hibs 5-1 at Parkhead on Wednesday night, while Hearts edged past Aberdeen 3-2 in a pulsating encounter at Tynecastle.
Hibernian were on the front foot against Rangers at Easter Road, and led after just five minutes when Darren McGregor rose unchallenged to head home the opener.
But Rangers drew level through Daniel Candeias on 14 minutes when he finished well after being played in by a lovely pass from Steven Davis.
Both teams failed to capitalise on plenty of further opportunities before the interval as the tempo dropped in a dour first half, during which Rangers suffered a blow with skipper David Bates the man to be taken off.
And it wasn’t long after the restart that Rangers found themselves behind once again, this time when they failed to deal with a long ball forward, and Lee McCulloch headed the ball past his own goalkeeper.
It was almost the third when a great ball through the defence from


Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen returns with his latest  column for Sportsmail. The Barnet manager admires Jose Mourinho's courage in playing Kurt Zouma against Tottenham but takes aim at the sluggish strikers currently masquerading as Manchester United stars. MOURINHO'S GOT BALLS! Chelsea manager Mourinho threw Kurt Zouma in against Tottenham to shield the back four, to stifle and stop the opposition in the League Cup final. They were rewarded with a clean sheet. How many managers would have the confidence to play a centre-back in central midfield in a cup final at Wembley? In front of 90,000 fans and millions watching across the country - across the world. It must be said, Mourinho’s game management is second-to-none. It was no surprise that their goal in that game came from a set play and their second on the counter attack. Jose Mourinho's game management is second-to-none, particularly when it matters most . He soaks up the pressure, waits for the game to open up and frustrate the opposition. He knows within his ranks he has game winners who will score. The work ethic he has drawn from those technically brilliant players is astounding. His ranting and raving about the injustices from referees puts pressure on the officials into giving Chelsea better decisions. He is the master at it and keeps all the attention and focus off his player. But above all, he’s got balls. The Chelsea manager threw youngster Kurt Zouma in to protect the back four against Tottenham . SLIPPING AT THE TOP . The pressure, the anxiety, the expectancy, not rotating enough? What is it about the top teams slipping up at this point in the season? Getting close to the finishing line, you start looking over your shoulder. We all know running a race it’s better to chase a person in front than to be looking behind you. I don’t know the answers, I wish I did. In the Championship we’ve seen Bournemouth fall from the top, Wycombe Wanderers have done in League Two, my club Barnet have fallen behind in the Conference. Even Mourinho’s Chelsea had a blip, although they are managing it well. We see it right across all sports. We see it in golf in the Masters every Sunday night at Amen’s Corner. We see it when cricketers get into the 90s and are chasing a century. We see it in darts when the players start missing doubles. Over the next two months, the teams who come out on top will be the ones with the goal-scorers, who maintain their self belief throughout it all. Eddie Howe has seen his Bournemouth side slip away from the top of the Championship recently . UNITED’S SLUGGISH STRIKE FORCE . How slow is Radamel Falcao? And Robin Van Persie has lost half a yard of pace from his days at Arsenal. You can’t fault Falcao for his work ethic and atittude. He most definitely has that. But he lacks a yard or two of explosive speed. Manchester United have crept up on to the shoulders of the Champions League places, but there is far from enough pace and athletic ability in the group to make it into the top four. Radamel Falcao has failed to hit the ground running and appeared slow in a Manchester United shirt . Robin van Persie seems to have lost half-a-yard of pace under Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford . ONE PERSON I KEEP HEARING ABOUT... DARRELL CLARKE, BRISTOL ROVERS BOSS . Darrell Clarke has grafted through the lower levels where he had success. As a player he was at Mansfield Town, Hartlepool United and Salisbury City. He’s a young manager, only 37-years-old, who has done a magnificent job galvanising Rovers after relegation from League Two. It showed how much it meant to him when he was reduced to tears after they were relegated out of the Football League for the first time in the club’s history last season. They have kept thousands of very passionate supporters this season and he has guided them to the top of the Conference table. He is a manager to look out for in the future. Bristol Rovers manager Darrell Clarke has grafted through the lower levels and enjoyed success . ONE THING I'D CHANGE ABOUT... GOLDEN EYE . I think there should be a referee in the stand, who has the opportunity to stop play and call back decisions in exceptional circumstances. An extra set of eyes on the pitch. It is something may be to look at for the future. On big decisions in penalty boxes and major incidents there should be a referee in the stand with access to video replays to review key decisions within games. Penalties, sending offs, balls over the line, the odd elbow here and there. If the are in contact with the referee they can give him a heads up. Things happen so quickly it’s often so difficult for the officials to make the right decision. Of course the game would just carry on as normal, but if there was something missed or that the referee or the linesmen got wrong then the man in the middle can get help from Golden Eye in the stands. Something sooner or later has got to be done to help these referees who are now getting criticised left, right and centre every week by managers across the board. Roger East (sending off Sunderland's Wes Brown) would've benefited from an extra official at Old Trafford . THE BIG ISSUE... MANCHESTER CITY'S SQUAD . I must say I do like Mr Pellegrini. He is cool, he is calm and he managed to put out a lot of fires that were raging in that Manchester City dressing room after taking over from Roberto Mancini. It does make me smile when so many so-called experts totally annihilate his tactics, most of whom have never even managed at any level. Criticising him for playing two up front and getting out-numbered and out-played in midfield. Last year, he won the Premier League. So is he really, seriously tactically inept? He would have his reasons for what is going on there, but clearly it is not working. Manuel Pellegrini has struggled in the defence of his Premier League crown with Manchester City . Captain Vincent Kompany hasn't been able to continue his sterling form at the back for City . However, it it not always just about the tactics of the manager. There is clearly something missing in the DNA of the City squad. They look lacklustre and without real fire in their belly. And when you’re dropping your captain, your talisman, it is yet another big, brave decision from the man I always regard with the utmost respect. It looks to me like he needs to move a few on, to move City forward up to the next level.

Kurt Zouma's switch to in front of the back four was a masterstroke . Chelsea won the Capital One Cup thanks to Jose Mourinho's tinkers . Manchester United are struggling up front with players who are too slow . Neighbours Manchester City are missing something in their DNA .

 Chelsea's first-team, and has some home truths for former team-mate John Terry...
I was amazed that Chelsea played Kurt Zouma against Tottenham when they have been so tight at the back and I thought the young Frenchman would have needed to be in full control.
There was always going to be a lot of pressure on Zouma, even though he didn’t do anything wrong in the game last Monday. But you could have seen that coming when he wasn’t starting against Aston Villa, when he was struggling against Tottenham.
Mauricio Pochettino is known for his directness and he likes to take chances in the air and that makes Kurt’s job more difficult, but I think he is starting to get to grips with that now, and he got one really good clearance out of the way.
Zouma isn’t a young player any more and he has got to be experienced enough to get through the game. I feel for him. He has got a big role to play this season and I really hope he comes through it.
I still can’t understand why Jose Mourinho did not bring in an experienced centre-half and it must be a concern for him. It doesn’t matter how many strikers he has got when the back four leaks goals.
There are so many experienced defenders on the market, I mean, John Terry would have been a great signing. He is not a player anymore, he has done his bit for Chelsea but I thought he would have been great for the Blues this season as a leader and an experienced centre-half.
I don’t blame John for where he is now. He has done a good job at Aston Villa and I think the fact that he is playing for Villa is a good thing for Chelsea. He can help the young players. He can show them what happens when you are part of a team at a big club and then what it means when you are down the bottom. And I am sure that will help them.
There is always talk about Chelsea needing another striker and the rumours always point to a big-money move to sign Romelu Lukaku.
I was surprised when I heard Chelsea were interested in him again but this is the type of player that Roman Abramovich likes, he loves the big players and he likes the big names. And that is fine for Romelu but not great for Chelsea.
To be honest with you, Romelu would be a great signing.