New images have emerged showing dozens of black balaclava-wearing extremists graduating from an Islamic State-run school of terror in northern Syria. Brandishing AK47 assault rifles and waving flags carrying the sinister black and white ISIS logo, the photographs showing the jihadi 'Class of 2015' are believed to have been taken in Raqqa city. Although the are dressed in head-to-toe black  and wear balaclavas that cover most of their faces, it is clear that the majority of the graduates are teenagers who have been brainwashed into thinking they are holy warriors, when the reality is they will be used as little more than cannon fodder. School of terror: A senior militant is seen giving the jihadi graduates a final lecture before they are sent off to wage jihad in the various provinces - known as wilayats - under the control of the Islamic State . Militants: Brandishing AK47 assault rifles and waving flags carrying the sinister black and white ISIS logo, the photographs showing the jihadi 'Class of 2015' are believed to have been taken in Raqqa city . Graduates: Having been given a final speech by their commanders, the fighters are seen waving ISIS flags in celebration before taking part in what appears to be a passing out parade . The images are believed to have been taken somewhere in the city of Raqqa - the eponymous capital of the province and a stronghold of the terrorists' self-declared caliphate, which covers vast swathes of land in northern Syria and western Iraq. The photographs show dozens of militants sitting on seats in what appears to be a school hall, while chilling black and banners carrying the ISIS logo are seen been waved. A senior militant is seen giving the jihadi graduates a final lecture before they are sent off to wage jihad in the various provinces - known as wilayats - under the control of the Islamic State. Having been given a final speech by their commanders, the fighters are seen waving ISIS flags in celebration before taking part in what appears to be a passing out parade. In a courtyard outside the school the newly-graduated fighters march in highly choreographed formations, still brandishing assault rifles and with their faces still covered by black balaclavas. Passing out: In a courtyard outside the school, the newly-graduated fighters march in highly choreographed formations, still brandishing assault rifles and with their faces still covered by black balaclavas . Ready for war: Heavily-armed graduates take part in the parade outside ISIS' school of terror in Raqqa . Graduates: Militants wave the chilling black and white banner of ISIS during the passing-out parade . Kneeling: ISIS militants listen to a senior commanda give them their final lecture before graduating . Other images in the collection show the militants clambering on to what appears to be a school bus, which will no doubt transport them to the frontline of fighting in the area outside Raqqa city. While hardened militants with experience of warfare and knowledge of battlefield strategy may be of use to ISIS, the vast majority of new recruits - especially teenagers and foreign fighters - are used as little more than cannon fodder during an assault or for suicide bomb attacks. Others are kept far from the frontline and given mundane jobs such as guards or toilet cleaners that are a far cry from propaganda images portraying ISIS membership as a life of glory and honour. The  images emerged as thousands of Syrians fled Idlib province over the weekend, fearing government reprisals a day after opposition fighters and a powerful local Al Qaeda affiliate captured the northwestern town, activists said. Idlib, with a population of around 165,000 people, is the second provincial capital to fall to the opposition after Raqqa, which is now a stronghold of the Islamic State group. Its capture by several factions led by the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front underscores the growing power of extremist groups in Syria, who now control about half the country. Instructions: A senior Islamic State militant is seen giving the jihadi graduates a final lecture at the school . School trip: The militants are then seen clambering on to what appears to be a school bus, which will no doubt transport them to the frontline of fighting in the area outside Raqqa city . Jihadis: The heavily armed military are photographed being transported to the frontlines by school bus . Militants fighting for the Islamic State have now turned their savagery on the dead, tearing down graves and smashing tombs at a cemetery in Syria. Not content with the rape and massacre of the estimated four million brutally oppressed people living under the terror group's control in  Syria and Iraq, ISIS jihadis are now victimising the dead. Claiming gravestones and tombs are a form of veneration of the dead and only distract from the worship of Allah, the heavily-armed, camouflage-wearing militants are seen happily reducing the hilltop cemetery to piles of rubble. The chilling images are believed to have been taken in the Syrian province of Raqqa and shows a hilltop cemetery overlooking what appears to be farmland. Having parked their motorcycles at the gates of the graveyard, the militants are seen inside pulling over tombstones while sympathisers stand alongside them taking photographs. The Nusra Front and Syrian rebels have controlled the countryside and towns across Idlib province since 2012, but Assad's forces had maintained their grip on Idlib city, near the border with Turkey, throughout the conflict. Now that the city is in the hands of rebels, who stormed government buildings and tore down posters of Assad, many residents fear that troops will retaliate harshly. Muayad Zurayk, an activist based in Idlib province, said via Skype that 'residents are fleeing the city to nearby villages and towns.' He added that the situation was relatively quiet in the city yesterday despite some government shelling. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed some people were fleeing the city. Also in Idlib, activists said members of a Syrian security agency killed more than a dozen detainees before withdrawing from a detention center in the city. The activists said the killings were conducted shortly before rebels took the so-called security compound in Idlib on Saturday. The Idlib Media Center showed a video of what it said were at least 12 bloodied bodies inside a room at the Military Intelligence Directorate. The Observatory said 15 men were found shot dead inside the compound. The group said 53 other detainees, including two women, were freed by the rebels in the compound. More than 220,000 people have been killed in Syria's conflict, which began with an Arab Spring uprising in March 2011 and turned into an insurgency following a military crackdown.

Islamic State's 'Class of 2015' were seen graduating from a school in Raqqa . Militants were given final lectures by senior commanders in the school hall . They then took part in a passing out parade, waving ISIS flags, carrying AK47 assault rifles and covering their faces with black balaclavas . Graduates were then ordered on to school bus to be driven to the frontline .

 fighters' graduation ceremony show the hard line fighters were taught how to use weapons, bomb-making and military tactics. The jihadis were photographed after leaving the school, wearing their trademark black & white clothing in images the terror group published on its propaganda website Amaq.
The pictures were also uploaded to the online accounts of the terror group's al-Barakah Province and Wilayah Faraoun media cells.
ISIS has been forced to abandon most of the Syrian territory it once ruled.
But the terror group's black flag continues to fly high over its bases in the desert, where ISIS fighters plot attacks against Western interests, and its ideological campaign carries on.
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has become notorious for his violent rhetoric against those who do not meet the terror group's narrow interpretation of Islam.
His hardline rules have been branded "grotesque" by a senior security officer.
Al-Baghdadi has even used children as human shields as the terrorist organisation has been forced out of territory it once ruled in Iraq and Syria.
"Baghdadi has always been a charismatic leader. He has charisma in his personality, and in his speech and his actions," Col Douglas McAuthur, a US Army lieutenant colonel who worked at Baghdad's Camp Taji, told Insider.
"His message of a return to Islamic orthodoxy has clearly resonated with a lot of young people in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria."
Al-Baghdadi was born in the city of Samarra in January 1971, to a father who was the head of a local branch of the Baath Party.
He was forced to grow up extremely quickly due to the Iraqi revolution in the early 1970s.
His mother was killed by Saddam Hussein’s agents when he was just ten years old.
He spent much of his childhood in Syria and Iraq, and by the mid 1980s al-Baghdadi was involved in the Iraqi Baath Party’s military wing - which had formed during the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
Baathism is an ultra-nationalist movement that espouses the idea of “pan-Arabism”, meaning the creation of a secular "Umma", or religious-social state, based on Arab nationalism.
The Baathist regime was overthrown following the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The US


I can’t wait to compete at the European Indoor Championships in Prague, which is the biggest competition of the season so far. For multi-eventers, packing your suitcase to go abroad can be a bit of an ordeal. I noticed it more last year when I just did long jump at the World Indoors and I only had to take one pair of trainers. With pentathlon I’ve got five different pairs of spikes for the hurdles, high jump, shot putt, long jump and 800m. All kinds of things come with being a multi-eventer and making sure you have room in your case is just one of them. It was easy for this weekend because I’m not away for long so will pretty much live in my GB kit and a couple of pairs of jeans. Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson spoke about her preparations for the European Indoor Championships . The 22-year-old athlete will be competing in the pentathlon in this year's indoor championships in Prague . Normally at Championships I room with Holly Bleasdale or Jodie Williams but neither of them are competing in the indoors this season so I don’t know who I’ll be in a room with this time – you get the chance to pick but I just left the box empty. Sprinters normally have their events in the afternoon so they can stay up later and sleep in whereas I’m always on first thing so it’s more about trying to find someone that matches your timetable than your personality. I’m just competing for the one day on Friday so I’ll have the rest of the weekend just to relax and be a spectator so it will definitely be good to do that. As well as being supported by the National Lottery I am supported by the philanthropist Barrie Wells, who also sponsors Jenny Meadows so I’ll be with him in the crowd cheering her on and holding a banner for the 800m final on Sunday. If I’m rooting for any athlete other than myself it’s going to be Jenny because she’s had such a tough past. She’s been so unlucky not just with injuries but competing with lots of drugs cheats in her event. I’m glad athletics is being cleaned up because to have an equal playing field means so much to us as athletes. You dedicate your life to it and it’s so upsetting to think someone might be getting an unfair advantage and there’s literally nothing you can do about it. It’s definitely good that all the drugs cheats are getting exposed and it’s going to be a clean sport. I’ve got personal bests in the long jump and high jump already this season. The last time I did pentathlon was 2012 because I didn’t do an indoor season in 2013 and last year I was ill. I was a little kiddy in 2012 so I definitely should be getting one this time. The Liverpudlian is confident after recording personal bests in the long jump and high jump this season . I feel like a different person since I had a foot injury, which ruled me out of the Commonwealth Games and European Championships last year. I can’t really pinpoint what has changed I just enjoy being out there and I’m not nervous to compete any more. Sometimes before the injury I used to think: “I just want to be a normal teenager or young person” but I realised it was this that I love and enjoy. It made me realise what I will be missing out on. I’ve been focussing so much on the indoors that I haven’t had chance to do a lot of javelin training which is one of my weakest events. I’m really looking forward to my next session with the British number one Goldie Sayers, who is helping me work on my technique, in April. Away from competition, there’s been a new addition to my household - I’ve got another sausage dog as a companion to Chorizo. I’ve called him Bronx. I wanted to call him Richmond to stick with the sausage themed names but my boyfriend said it was too posh and I was trying to push the sausage names too much! He’s well trained though, much better than Chorizo. I think it’s like having children - you make more mistakes with the first one and then correct them with the second! As well as funding the Road to Rio athletes, every week National Lottery players raise over £33 million for arts, heritage, charity, community projects and grass roots sports clubs and facilities. Find out where your money goes at lotterygoodcauses.org.uk .

Katarina Johnson-Thompson blogs about her road to the Rio Olympics . The pentathlete is preparing for the European Indoor Championships . The 22-year-old is glad that athletics is cracking down on drugs cheats .

 in 2016, when my first two events on a competition day were javelin and the 60m. My luggage consisted of a bag for my javelin and a small roller suitcase. I didn’t want to be carrying a lot of stuff around but I wanted to take my javelin. It was easy with the bag, but it wasn’t so easy to fit the javelin into the roller suitcase.
This time it’s going to be much easier because I’ll only be taking one suitcase. But even then, my main event, the 60m, is at 11:30 on Saturday. So on Thursday night I’ll be watching the Men’s 60m Hurdles final on the TV. I can’t wait to see it because of the Jamaican champion, Hansle Parchment. I think I’ll watch it again on Saturday, to see if I could improve my technique. Then I’ll have enough inspiration for the 60m.
The Men’s 60m final will be a very strong one, with six guys having run under 6.50 seconds so far this year. I like to say I’m the oldest competitor in the field, but that will probably change. I have to perform better and do my best to win the title, because I want to go to Tokyo 2020, to see if I’ll be fast enough to win a medal.
I’ll also be doing the long jump on Thursday, because I love to jump. I was quite pleased with my performance at the European Indoors last year, when I had my furthest jump since 2011, when I jumped 8.38m at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow. And now I’m looking forward to jumping far again.
I’m also going to compete on the last day of the Championships, in the Combined Events. I won my last four competitions in this event, in my favourite competitions, those in the United Kingdom. And as you know, you can win a lot of medals from competitions in this discipline. I will start off with the high jump, long jump and pole vault. It won’t be my best event, but hopefully I will jump close to my personal best, which is 2.35m.
I can’t wait to get started. The Prague Championships will be a great competition, and I’ll show everyone how well I am doing.
By Yul


A new two-part television show will offer a glimpse into the harsh reality of life for those living on Darndale, dubbed Ireland's toughest estate. The first episode of Benefits Estate airs tonight and viewers will see how some of the 600 residents of Darndale struggle to make ends meet on the estate where unemployment is high and drugs and crime rife. One of those appearing in the first episode is new mother Gemma Geraghty, who is struggling as she balances the demands of a newborn with decisions on whether to spend her benefits on lighting or food. Scroll down for video . Teenage mother Gemma Geraghty cradles baby Alfie on the first episode of Channel 5 show Benefits Estate . The 19-year-old faces a daily battle to make ends meet as she cares for her mum, Roseanne, and newborn son Alfie on the estate where teenagers ride horses bareback through the streets. 'I get 100 Euros a week, which is nothing really, not with a baby to care for,' says Gemma, who also shares the house with her brother, sister, two dogs and two cats. 'By the time I've bought things for him, there's not much left. 'Running the house entirely on benefits is a constant struggle. We haven't run out of heating yet. But every Monday and Wednesday the lights go out. New mother Gemma (centre) with her sister Rebecca, brother Anthony, baby Alfie and her friend James . The teenager is one of a number of residents who will be seen on Benefits Estate tonight on Channel 5. 'I got most of my baby's clothes off my sister whose own baby has just passed away and from nice people on Facebook,' said Gemma. 'And when I'm done with them I'm going to hand them over to whoever wants them.' One of the Gemma's two cats sits on top of the rubbish that is piling up because the family can't afford to have it collected . Her mother, Roseanne, cradling four-week-old baby Alfie, said she had been battling depression for a long time and rarely went out. 'On a bad day I won't get out of bed at all,' she said. In Ireland, families have to pay to get their waste removed, and  as they haven't had any spare cash to do this, the rubbish has piled up, says Gemma. A mouse, which had been scurrying over the rubbish, is caught by one of the cats . 'The rubbish has got stuck in the drains and flooded the garden, so we can't do any washing,' said Gemma. 'I don't know what that rubbish carries, it's unhygienic!' Roseanne says she is embarrassed by the amount of litter in bin bags.' 'It's embarrassing for me and when you suffer from depression, things just get on top of you.' Two horses stand outside a house on Darndale . Single mother, Angelique, who has a young son, Brody, has spent her whole life on the estate and knows the alleyways well. 'As a kid if you wanted to be a bully, you would go in the alleyway and not let anyone pass until they gave you money,' she said. 'Or the boys and girls would each have their own bit of alley where they would go. It was all kids stuff, but then you grow up into the big bad world.' Single mother Angelique Louthe, pictured with son Brody, knows the alleyways of Darndale well, having lived on the estate all her life . Father-of-three Noel O'Reilly can be seen battling his own demons - he's about to enter a rehabilitation programme to overcome his heroin addiction once and for all. Looking after his twin daughters, Lexi and Lali, he can be seen preparing to leave the family home for therapy. Noel O'Reilly gets ready to say goodbye to his daughters Lexi and Lali ahead of entering a drug rehabilitation programme . Having been on the waiting list for two years, he know he has to go, but is upset as he says goodbye to his daughters. 'When I got into drugs, I was you,' said Noel. 'Two friends asked me to buy a bag of heroin and I did. Just one quick decision, that takes a minute, can turn your whole world upside down so you don't have a life any more.'

First episode of Channel 5's Benefits Estate airs tonight at 9pm . Programme offers glimpse into daily grind for some families in Darndale . Among those appearing are teenage mother Gemma . The 19-year-old fears for her newborn's health as rubbish piles up . Watch Benefits Estate on Channel 5 tonight at 9pm .

adults and children living on Darndale are surviving with just €35 per week - less than half the amount provided for someone living alone in the State. The programme will feature residents giving viewers a glimpse of their daily lives on the estate - which was designed and built as a model community in 1968 but has since descended into poverty, drug dealing and deprivation. A former police officer who grew up in Darndale says many of the estate's residents are in a desperate situation. "I've lost count of the number of friends who I know have been killed there," said the 53-year-old who moved out of the country to Australia. "I have been beaten up in Darndale. There was a riot in a school once. It's a terrible place and now it is full of drug dealers." The man said the area, which is now full of illegal halting sites, was a "ghost town" when he was growing up in the 1970s. "It was a very frightening place," he said. "I remember being there when a man was murdered in the middle of the street - I was about eight. "There were gangs, lots of shootings and murders. You were always on your guard, it was like a prison in there." The man said he remembers how life in Darndale was good when he was growing up in the 1970s. "It's a great shame it has gone the way it has," he added. "When I was growing up, it wasn't the most beautiful place but it was a good place to live and it was safe. It really was a beautiful place to bring up a family. "But a lot of the housing was built as temporary housing. In the 1960s, they were saying 'come to Dublin and you'll have this and that'. But you don't. "My cousin's mother was a nurse and she wouldn't come here. She stayed in Dublin. "My school was closed but I had a great life. I played Gaelic football on the streets. "There was no one going from there to the All-Ireland final. But if you played in other schools you were lucky." The man said his mother and father, who both worked and were both very sick when he was growing up, eventually decided to move to Australia so he could get away from the violence. "


Church treasurer Jill Gover (pictured) killed herself days after being confronted about  missing funds . A church treasurer who stole more than £140,000 from organisations she volunteered for after amassing huge debts killed herself after being confronted over the thefts. Jill Gover, 54, from Wool, in Dorset, was a respected and trusted member of her local community, serving as a church warden, book keeper for the village hall and trustee of a wealthy colleague's trust fund. But she racked up debts of £225,000 which included a £112,000 mortgage on a Grade II listed country cottage, £38,000 for two BMW cars, three bank loans of £50,000, five maxed-out credit cards totalling £21,000 and a £5,700 clothing catalogue bill. She kept the debts and subsequent thefts hidden from her husband Martin. Mr Gover said he was 'lost for words' after hearing the full extent of his wife's duplicity at her inquest. The inquest heard Mrs Gover siphoned off £50,466 from the coffers of  Holy Rood Church, in Wool, over a number of years. As treasurer she made numerous church cheques out to herself after forging the second signatory. But her deceit started to unravel after a cheque of £20,000 from the church to the Diocese of Salisbury bounced due to a lack of funds in its bank account. Two days before her death last year Mrs Gover was called to a meeting with vicar Rhona Floate to discuss the discrepancies. On March 31 Mrs Gover's body was found by her husband in the woodshed on the grounds of their home in the hamlet of Moreton. Detective Constable Richard Evans from Weymouth CID then investigated Mrs Gover's finances which revealed the full extent of the thefts. The inquest heard Mrs Gover siphoned off £50,466 from the coffers of Holy Rood Church (pictured) He told the inquest she had been misappropriating church funds since 2008, had not presented financial statements to an independent auditor since 2009 and had forged the audit reports to the diocese to cover up her thefts. His inquiries found Mrs Gover had also stolen at least £3,000 from the accounts of East Burton village hall in Wool which she was the treasurer of between January 2013 and March 2014. Mrs Gover had also stolen £91,200 from the recipients of a trust fund she had been a book keeper for. DC Evans told the inquest he discovered she wrote several fraudulent letters to Scottish Widows requesting sums from the trust account - five separate payments of between £5,000 and £30,000 over a seven-month period in 2012 to 2013 and then a final withdrawal of £1,200 in July 2013. Two days before her death last year Mrs Gover was called to a meeting with vicar Rhona Floate (pictured) to discuss the discrepancies . Mrs Gover had also agreed to a loan from the trust of £150,000 in 2010, which she said she would pay back over a ten-year period - but the hearing was told the majority of this remained unpaid. Mr Gover said he was shocked at the information revealed at the inquest. He said: 'I was completely unaware of what was going on. There's  bits and pieces we have been told today that have shocked me immensely. I'm lost for words. 'She was a wonderful, caring person. She was always there for people but sometimes she carried her life on her shoulders because she spent so much time doing things for others.' In an interview with the police Mr Gover suggested that some of the money may have been used to prop up a hardware shop the couple ran which had been struggling. Mr Gover also told officers that Mrs Gover was not depressed and her suicide was completely out of character. He said he could only surmise that the financial situation got on top of her. A month before her death Mrs Gover had consolidated her debts by arranging with a company to pay off £74,000 through monthly payments. Her brother Robert Ewan said: 'She was a caring and loving sister, a friend to my wife and a doting aunt to my three children. 'After the death of our mother Jill took on the role of family matriarch and provided a home for our father in his old age at her house in Dorset.' Deputy coroner Brendan Allen said although there was no suicide note he believed Mrs Gover intended to kill herself and recorded a verdict of suicide at the Bournemouth inquest. Mr Allen said: 'Mrs Gover was a book-keeper for a number of different organisations and a trustee of a trust and seems to have used her roles to misappropriate funds. 'She was in significant debt and with what happened the preceding weekend and the bounced cheque becoming apparent on March 31, I take the view she intended to end her own life.' Mrs Gover racked up debts of £225,000 which included a £112,000 mortgage on this Grade II listed cottage . The Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, expressed his condolences to the family and urged anyone in a difficult financial situation to seek help. He said: 'On behalf of the diocese, I express my deepest condolences to Martin and all of Jill's family and friends. 'Now that the inquest has established the facts, I hope this grants people some measure of closure and allows the healing process to begin. 'I urge people to seek help if they are in a difficult situation, no matter how desperate it seems, no matter how much they feel they may have contributed to it. 'The first step to solving any problem is to talk to someone. There are always options and alternatives.' A memorial service for Mrs Gover was held at Holy Rood Curch three weeks after her death with donations going to the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon. Police found Mrs Gover had also stolen at least £3,000 from the accounts of East Burton village hall (pictured)

Jill Gover, 54, stole £140,000 from her church, village hall and a trust fund . Killed herself two days after being confronted by vicar over discrepancies . She secretly racked up £225,000 worth of debts on Grade II listed cottage, two BMWs, three £50,000 loans, five credit cards and a £5,700 catalogue bill . For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details .

thefts, an inquest heard today. "It is our belief that Jill killed herself after being confronted," said deputy coroner Caroline Church. The inquest heard that Jill Gover, 70, who lived alone with her dog in the village of Stoke St Michael, Somerset, had been suffering from depression for six years due to a serious head injury. When she was admitted to hospital for the first time in June 2011, she appeared to have been drinking 10 units of alcohol a day. ( “There’s a lot to do, and if I start, I might as well finish. I like to feel that if I start a job I must finish it.”” - Jill Gover) Her GP put this down to her alcohol dependency. Mrs Gover, whose body was found by a friend in her home on December 6 last year, had “lost a lot of weight” at the hospital in Glastonbury before her suicide, the inquest heard. She had also told her partner at the time, who she was not living with, that she had suicidal thoughts, the inquest heard. “I have known Jill for about 15 years and she had told me she had a lot of anxiety. She always told me how much she was worrying about a particular thing or about money. She said she had had suicidal thoughts,” the partner told the hearing. Mrs Gover had not said that to her GP, but did tell her friend, who she would have seen almost daily, that “she was struggling”. She had also told her friend that the thefts and the stress of this were making her ill, and that she felt “physically sick.” When the friend asked how much she had taken, she said she did not know and could not remember the exact amount. Mrs Gover’s partner last saw her in October last year, at which time she was still trying to get to grips with her finances, and was asking questions about it. But at the time, “she did not seem to be worrying about it,” the hearing heard. The partner said Mrs Gover also told her about the suicide of a friend who was struggling with alcohol dependency. Mrs Gover had also told her friend she did not want to be found before Christmas because she had lots to do with the church which she volunteered with. “She really enjoyed her volunteering at the church. This is why she didn’t want to be found early, because she was doing so much and wanted to finish it.”


Twins born via caesarean section minutes after a car crash that killed their mother have been released from hospital. Ashton Hughes was driving home from a doctor's appointment in Spartanburg, South Carolina on January 6  when she ran into the back of a stopped SUV. The 19-year-old, who was seven months pregnant and had her 11-month-old daughter Dixie in the car, was conscious after the crash but complained of pain to her abdomen. She was taken to hospital where her twins - a boy and a girl - were born. The young mother suffered internal bleeding and sadly passed away after briefly holding her children, her devastated family revealed after the crash. Saved: Newborn twins Ashton Gailann Jennings and Brantley Wayne Jennings, pictured, were born on Tuesday January 6 after their mother was in a car crash. They survived but she later passed away . Tragic: Their mother, Ashton Hughes (pictured with her fiance Zack Jennings) died from her injuries following the c-section but saw the babies before she passed away. They will now be brought up by Zack . But the twins have now been released from hospital and will be brought up by Ashton's fiance Zack Jennings, with help from his mother and Ashton's family, Fox Carolina reported. Ashton Gailann Jennings, named after her mother, was born weighing 2lb 12oz, while Brantley Wayne Jennings was 3lb 2oz. The babies stayed in intensive care at Spartanburg Medical Center for around 12 weeks. It is thought the babies survived because they were delivered so soon after the crash, doctors said. They are now doing well and visited their grandfather Eric Hughes on Sunday. Ashton's mother, Misty Fink, told WYFF shortly after the crash that her daughter lost too much blood during the emergency delivery. Her cause of death has not yet been determined. After his daughter's death Eric Hughes said: 'It just hurts my heart so bad. I wish that I could take her place any day.' He added that he was relieved her babies survived, including her toddler Dixie, who was in the back of her car at the time of the crash and only suffered a few minor scrapes,The State reported. Loved: She also leaves behind an 11-month-old daughter Dixie, pictured left after her birth, who was in the car but only suffered a scrape. Pictured right with Zack . 'That's the best part about this,' he said. 'I'm thankful for them being here, but totally saddened by her being gone. The only thing I know we can do is pray and hope for the best.' Ashton had recently left her job at Chick-fil-A in Duncan to focus on bringing up her children. Zack worked as an assistant manager at the same Chick-fil-A. A former co-worker described Ashton as 'one of the sweetest people I've ever met'. Her family said she loved to wear camouflage clothing and chose a casket for her lined with camouflage material. The Spartanburg County Coroner's Office and S.C. Highway Patrol are still investigating the crash to determine what happened. Heartbroken: The family, including Zack (second right) are now trying to come to terms with her death. Her eleven-month-old daughter Dixie, who was in the car at the time, is also pictured . Eric said he believes his daughter was distracted before driving into the back of the SUV, which had stopped at a traffic light. Its driver was not injured and the SUV was able to be driven from the scene. After the crash, she was able to talk and complained of pain to her stomach, likely from the steering wheel, airbag or seat belt, which she had been wearing. Friends  raised more than $2,300 for her funeral costs and children on a gofundme page. The last post, written two months ago, read: 'The family is very thankful for every penny that is donated to help with the cost of the funeral plus this is helping towards the beautiful twins that will have to stay in the hospital for another six to eight weeks.'

Ashton Hughes crashed into a stopped SUV after a doctor's appointment . 19-year-old complained of stomach pain and had emergency c-section . She passed away after briefly holding the newborn twins - a girl and a boy . They have now been released from hospital and will be raised by her fiance .

 the back of a lorry.
The force of the crash propelled her vehicle, which was carrying Ashton and her unborn twins, off the road.
Ashton was rushed to hospital, and was diagnosed with a brain injury, three broken vertebrae, and the amputation of her left foot.
Twins born via caesarean section minutes after a car crash that killed their mother have been released from hospital
But her eight-week premature triplets had also been seriously injured in the crash.
The boys, named Aiden and Gavin, were born via caesarean section. They were taken to Spartanburg Medical Center, and have now been moved to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in Pennsylvania.
Despite their premature birth, their conditions are described as stable.
“When you’re in that situation, you take each day as it comes. You take each moment as it comes,” said Ashton's husband, Chris Hughes. “Today is a good day. It’s better than yesterday.”
He said the hospital staff in Pennsylvania has been incredibly supportive of the family.
“They’re incredible, they have been so great in taking care of our family and looking after our babies. They’re phenomenal.”
Ashton will remain in the hospital for another two weeks
Ashton said he believes Ashton’s 23-year-old friend, Autumn Black, the other passenger, is also going to survive.
“Autumn, we still don’t know what’s wrong with her,” said Mr Hughes. “She was flown into a trauma centre, so I’m sure they’ll determine what has happened to her and it will take time to diagnose her. I just know that she’s stable and she’s alive.”
Mr Hughes said Ashton is currently back in the hospital after suffering complications.
The cause of the crash is currently unknown, as police and the highway patrol are still investigating.
“This was, quite frankly, an accident that shouldn’t have happened. We can’t pinpoint the exact cause but we’ve all concluded that it was the driver of the truck. As she struck my wife’s car, it sent the car airborne and my wife’s car struck the car in front of her, and the force of the impact caused my wife’s car to overturn,” he said.
“All this happened in maybe two seconds. The


They are the haunting, hooded figures, who walk the streets of Spain's towns and villages during the last week of Lent. And these penitents, in their white robes and heavy hoods, were no different as they took part in the annual commemoration of the Passion of Jesus Christ, a mesmerising week-long celebration throughout the country. In Zamora, in the region of Castile and Leon, penitents from 'Cristo de la Buena Muerte' or 'Good Dead Christ' brotherhood carry a Jesus Christ figure as they take part in a haunting night time procession. Scroll down for video . The 'Cristo de la Buena Muerte' brotherhood carries a depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ during a procession in Zamora, Spain . During the emotional festival, penitents from several religious brotherhoods take part in processions, carrying life-size effigies of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary through cobblestone city streets, accompanied by dramatic drum beats and mournful music. Also known as Semana Santa, during the week-long celebrations, participants wear gowns and conical hoods - a tradition that was meant to maintain their anonymity - during their hauntingly beautiful penance processions. Although the most-visited city during the Catholic celebration is Seville, in Andalucia, Zamora, in the north-west of the country, is also well known for its 16 religious brotherhoods and fraternities. In 1986, Holy Week in Zamora was declared a tourist interest of Spain and visitors continue to descend on the city in the lead-up to Easter, particularly to line the streets to view the scheduled processions. The fraternities weave their way through the city streets from early morning until late into the night. The 'Good Dead Christ' brotherhood take part in one of hundreds of Easter Holy Week processions on Tuesday, March 31 . Brothers from the 'Cristo de la Buena Muerte' fraternity turn off their torches as they walk barefoot through the streets of Zamora . Visitors and locals watch from balconies as the procession weaves its way through the cobblestone streets . Clad in heavy robes, the penitents carry large effigies of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary as mournful music sounds behind them . Each confradia (or religious brotherhood) is represented by different coloured robes and masks, designed to protect anonymity . Each confradia (or brotherhood) is represented by different coloured robes and masks. In Seville, there are more than 50 church brotherhoods, some of which date as far back as the 13th century, while in Zamora, some documented references to celebration can be traced back to 1279. The first cofradia founded is believed to be La Santa Vera Cruz or True Cross, which dates back to the 14th century, though most brotherhoods as we know them today were created in the 20th century. Another brotherhood, the 'Jesus en su Tercera Caida' group, lead their children through the streets of Zamora on March 30 . In Zamora, the traditions date back as far as 1279, with the founding of the first cofradia: La Santa Vera Cruz or True Cross . In Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, in the southwest of the country, the celebration is in full swing . A penitent holds a girl by the hand while taking part in a Holy Week procession in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain . The most-visited city during the Catholic celebration is Seville, in Andalusia, though other smaller cities are also frequented . Hooded penitents from the La Paz brotherhood take park in a procession in Seville, Spain on Monday, March 30 . While at first glance, the marches may appear sinister, they are a stunning celebration of emotion as brothers make their way to cathedrals . Penitents in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, hold candles as they take part in one of many Holy Week processions . In maintenance of tradition, many brothers will carry processional candles and may even walk barefoot while wearing their heavy robes. Though at first glance, the processions may seem sinister, Holy Week is truly a stunning celebration of pageantry and raw emotion. The brothers make their way from parish churches to the cathedral and back again, each bearing their own Virgin Mary and Jesus statues, as well as colourful misterios (depictions of bible scenes) and pasos (floats). Holy Week, as its known, begins the Sunday before Easter (known as Palm or Passion Sunday) and continues through to Easter Sunday.

The last week of Lent marks the annual commemoration of the Passion of Jesus Christ in many Spanish cities . Easter Holy Week begins on the Sunday before Easter (Palm Sunday) and continues through to Easter Sunday . For the festival, penitents from several Catholic brotherhoods take part in haunting processions in the city streets .

 filed into the Church of Saint Paul at the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Zaragoza. As they filed past, the church was plunged into an intense silence. A few people were sitting or standing at the back of the church. The procession entered the sanctuary to a crescendo of singing, their robes now swaying with the music, before the bishop, accompanied by priests, processed forward, and made a symbolic cleansing of the place, before a service of penitence and reconciliation began.
Zaragoza, or Aragón in Spanish, is a city in the north of Spain, capital of the Aragón province. It's located just off the Via de la Plata, the major road from Madrid to Barcelona, and the AVE, the high-speed train. The Pilar is the main centre of worship for the capital, and the Church of Saint Paul is a prominent one in a town which has been a religious centre since the 16th century. Zaragoza is famous for a number of its buildings and monuments, including the Basílica, the Church of Santo Domingo, the Plaza de España, the Puerta del Sol, and El Palacio de Nájera.
In this church, a procession of "penitents" is called a Pilgrimada. At the service I attended, a priest dressed in red and carrying a crucifix started the processional hymn. As the congregation joined, the procession entered the church. The penitents are followed by men carrying candles, the first candles in the procession, followed by people holding the images of saints. This is the group who followed the leader. Following the second procession of saints was a choir with men, women and children, chanting. These two processions made their way slowly around the church. The music was an unusual combination of songs and hymns. It was sung without hymnbooks and without reference to music sheets. It was just voices lifted in harmony.
After the hymns and chants came a procession of children with the Blessed Sacrament. As the children approached the sanctuary, the congregation sang the first verse of "We three kings", to which the children responded by singing the second and third verses. The children then took turns to hold the Tabernacle as the rest of the congregation sang a


Richard Scudamore’s elevation to the role of Premier League executive chairman reinforces his commitment to the organisation, which he has led for the last 15 years. His promotion and the appointment of two non-executive independent directors in Claudia Arney and Kevin Beeston, as revealed by Sports Agenda, was finally rubberstamped at Thursday’s club summit. The three-strong board will meet monthly to ensure proper scrutiny of Scudamore’s increased powerbase, with the newcomers also attending the PL’s club summits six times a year. Richard Scudamore was elevated to the role of Premier League executive chairman on Thursday . Scudamore, who has recovered from serious heart surgery last summer, said: ‘This is almost a re-commitment. This isn’t something you would do if you were about to leave. ‘Look at me, I’m up for it and my health is absolutely fine. This is a very enjoyable job. My enthusiasm for it has never waned.’ Arney, an Arsenal season ticket-holder, is a non-executive director of Halfords. She used to work at Goldman Sachs and the Treasury. Beeston is chairman of housebuilder Taylor Wimpey. He was a board member of Ipswich during their financial troubles and is a Chelsea season ticket-holder. Oddly, the Premier League say he enjoys watching rugby and tennis. Incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves vows an inquiry if England don't beat West Indies in their Test series . Colin Graves, the incoming chairman of the ECB, has already stated he expects England to beat a ‘mediocre’ West Indies side in the Caribbean next month. And Graves will be in Barbados for the last of the three Tests, when head coach Peter Moores and England managing director Paul Downton will surely have to be shown the door if a series defeat follows the World Cup debacle. Barclays will definitely not be renewing their title sponsorship of the Premier League when their £40million-a-year contract expires at the end of next season, clubs were told on Thursday. The PL will not be short of offers, even at a higher price, to endorse the world’s richest league, with Guinness said to be interested. Barclays first raised doubts about their deal at the start of 2014, when a senior executive was alleged to have said the sponsorship had ‘zero value’ in the UK. On top of that, group chief executive Antony Jenkins doesn’t like football. Barclays have sponsored the Premier League since 2001 but the 2015-16 season is set to be their last . It will not help promoter Barry McGuigan’s negotiations with ITV over Carl Frampton’s next fight that foreign exchange traders CWMFX, who heavily sponsored his first super-bantamweight world title defence on the network, have had their London offices raided by police. Thirteen people were arrested on suspicion of fraud. ITV declined to comment. The Webb Ellis trophy will be contested for at the home World Cup, which begins in September . Around 350,000 World Cup tickets being returned by the International Rugby Board to ER2015 are not expected to include many for England matches at Twickenham. This is much to the annoyance of the official England Rugby Supporters Club. They are upset at the number of Twickenham tickets that have gone to official hospitality, especially after being told they had priority status for World Cup matches — apart from England at Twickenham. ER2015 say they will have a ‘few thousand’ extra England tickets to put on sale, while corporate hospitality were given 21,000 tickets for England group games at HQ. FA chairman Greg Dyke is adamant more homegrown players need to play in Football League sides . Premier League clubs and FA chairman Greg Dyke had a remarkably civil encounter on Thursday considering their conflicting positions on Dyke’s campaign for more homegrown players. It was agreed there would be consultation on the issue after a club asked Dyke whether he would force through changes. The FA and Milltown Partners, their PR advisers, had been very bullish about making it happen after Dyke announced his campaign last Monday, but the FA chairman rode back on Thursday, telling clubs he only wanted debate. England rugby head coach Stuart Lancaster has just been told by RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie that four runners-up finishes in the Six Nations is ‘unacceptable’. So it’s not the best week for the Leaders in Sport website to be promoting a video about Lancaster ‘creating a winning formula for one of the most physical sports in the world’. Not yet he hasn’t.

Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore has been made chairman . It coincides with the appointment of two independent directors . Barclays have sponsored the Premier League since 2001 . The bank will not renew their agreement when it expires next year .

 and Amanda Staveley will bring a wider perspective and deeper understanding to the company.
“Our business is bigger and more complex than it has ever been before. It is therefore right and proper that the leadership is strengthened to match this,” said Scudamore, who has been credited with transforming the global appeal of the Premier League.
“Claudia and Amanda bring impressive credentials from other fields. Both understand not just sports but also how to build businesses. And both share a sense of fair play and have a determination to ensure that the Premier League continues to be a force for good,” added Scudamore, in the statement.
The league had earlier this week said that Scudamore’s successor would be named by the end of the financial year (March 31, 2021). It is speculated that Scudamore will remain in office till then and would then formally hand over the baton to his successor. He will also continue to be paid as the Premier League chief until then, said sources.
Scudamore will be remembered for growing the Premier League into a brand that today rules the world of sports in the digital age, including in India which is home to more than 350 million football fans. Under Scudamore’s watch, the league introduced the round-robin format for teams to compete for a top four finish, a play-off for the top four to qualify for the European league and the ‘Gameweek’ format that saw fixtures every mid-week. All these have proved successful and replicated across other sports leagues including IPL.
He also brought in a lot of revenue for the clubs. In 2016, the league signed a new 13-year, $4.5 billion deal with US media giant NBC. This deal was the highest ever in sports with the new partnership expected to be worth $4.5 billion, $1 billion more than the previous contract.
He was also instrumental in the club owners’ push to take the control of the domestic broadcasting rights. The league had a deal with Sky Sports that gave it a monopoly for broadcast rights and was criticised for the high fees it paid to the broadcaster. That changed in 2015 when the league struck a $7 billion deal for the next three-and-a-half years with Disney’s Sky News unit, Fox and Amazon.
The Premier League is also among the first sports league to launch its own streaming service, the Premier League Pass, in India in 2014


Royal Bank of Scotland provoked fury last night after handing out lavish bonuses – including an £859,000 windfall to its former boss. The State-backed lender’s annual pay report showed 110 staff received more than 1million euros (£720,000) last year, despite it racking up a £3.5billion loss. This marked its seventh consecutive annual loss since the financial crisis, when it was rescued with a £46billion bailout from taxpayers. Still on the books: Stephen Hester, left with a Warwickshire Hunt,  is set to pocket a £1million bonus from the Royal Bank of Scotland - one of around 70, £1million-plus, payments in 2014 . One of the biggest winners was former chief executive Stephen Hester, who pocketed £859,000 from a long-term bonus awarded in 2012. He handed in his resignation in June 2013, after being pushed out by Chancellor George Osborne. Last night the awards were branded ‘excessive’ and ‘unacceptable’, with campaigners criticising Mr Osborne for failing to stamp out fat-cat pay at RBS. To avoid a new pay row, current chief executive Ross McEwan waived his entitlement to a £1million fixed shares allowance introduced last year to bolster his basic pay package and dodge the EU bonus cap. This restricted his total pay for 2014 to £1.85million. Mr McEwan has also waived his £1million allowance for this year. But yesterday it emerged he could still receive up to £3.9million for 2015, including a long-term shares award of up to £1.6million that will pay out for several years. Warning: Boss Ross McEwan admitted it could be several years until taxpayers finally get their money back after seven consecutive losses . He will also receive a £1.5million ‘golden hello’ shares payment in August to compensate him for bonuses he forfeited when he left his previous job at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in 2012. Finance chief Ewen Stevenson received £3.1million last year, including a similar £1.9million ‘golden hello’ payment – this time for giving up for his old job at Credit Suisse. Last night Labour MP John Mann, a member of the Treasury select committee said the awards were ‘unacceptable’. He added: ‘Here is a bank that’s not doing very well that the taxpayer owns and has underwritten, so why should these few not very successful bankers get paid so much money?’ The boss of RBS’s so-called ‘bad bank’ also hit the jackpot as separate filings to the stockmarket revealed he received a £2million shares windfall yesterday. Rory Cullinan, who is responsible for getting rid of the lender’s most toxic loans, was among seven senior figures to pocket a total of £5.5million from bonuses awarded in previous years. The generous payout for Mr Cullinan is particularly sensitive as he is responsible for shrinking the investment bank. There are fears that up to 14,000 jobs could be at risk. Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, criticised Mr Osborne for not doing more to curb pay at RBS, which is still 79 per cent owned by taxpayers. He said: ‘Ultimately pay deals need to be approved by shareholders, and at RBS that includes taxpayers. In the money: RBS, which is based in Edinburgh, pictured, has paid £7.6bn in bonuses since it was bailed out . ‘The Chancellor needs to be far more engaged in the process than he is now, and ask the board to justify these salaries. ‘Until the bank is able to stand on its own two feet, rather than being propped up by taxpayers, it should show more restraint on pay.’ Mr Osborne has admitted he made a mistake by not radically shrinking its investment bank when the Coalition came to office in 2010. He was convinced by the bank’s former management, including Mr Hester, that it could trade its way out of trouble. ‘I certainly regret that,’ Mr Osborne told the Financial Times. ‘I did what I could to correct it.’ Mr Osborne also said he would look to start selling off RBS as quickly as possible after the election, but admitted this could take years. Before the 2008 financial crisis, Royal Bank of Scotland was one of the largest and most aggressive banks in the world. The bank was founded in Edinburgh in 1727, but by the end of the 20th century it was a major player in the City of London too as the UK capital became the world's leading financial centre. RBS sealed its place at the top table of British banking in 2000 when it bought NatWest, which dates back to 1650 and was considered one of the 'Big Four' retail banks in the UK. Fred Goodwin, right, became chief executive of RBS the following year and pioneered a gung-ho expansion strategy with resources poured into its investment banking division. One of the biggest deals came when RBS joined a consortium to buy Dutch bank ABN Amro for £49billion, which was later revealed as a major overvaluation. With the advent of the 2007 credit crunch and subsequent global financial turmoil, RBS was exposed as being dangerously indebted and unable to meet its obligations. The Labour Government felt it had no option but to step in, and in October 2008 it took a 57 per cent stake in the bank in return for £37billion of new capital. As the bank's losses spiralled and it required even more bail-out money, the state share of the firm rose to 82 per cent. It is now at 79 per cent. Much of the blame for RBS's troubles was attributed to Goodwin, who was forced to resign and subsequently stripped of the knighthood he had received in 2004.

Former boss Stephen Hester is also set to pocket a £1m bonus from RBS . Bank announced £3.5bn loss for 2014 - its seventh consecutive fall . Yet around 70 people were still paid more than £1m, 'modest' fall from 2013 . The taxpayer pumped £46billion into the troubled bank after the 2008 crash . Boss Ross McEwan says it could be years before bank could be sold off .

– enough to buy one of the bank’s Edinburgh headquarters.
Some 400 employees were rewarded for the third consecutive year with £250,000 or more. There were 14 staff with pay packets of more than £1m, while only one in 10 RBS staff took home less than £46,000. Bonuses fell from 9.4% of average salaries in 2014 to 4.6% last year.
And the figures also showed that Sir Fraser Nelson was paid more for just nine months’ work as chief executive than the entire nine months’ salary of the Royal Navy’s Commodore Simon Latcham, who is the senior officer in charge of the Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Mr Nelson received £6.8m, including £4.3m in bonuses, for the nine-month period from April to December 2015, the financial year which ended on September 30. He will now retire from the business at the end of September, with the 51-year-old’s replacement not yet appointed. Mr Nelson’s departure follows that of RBS’s finance director Ewen Stevenson.
The bank’s board said they considered his performance and concluded he should be paid “considerably more” than what was awarded to the boss of National Grid last year – who earned £6.9m.
They were also considering “other appropriate” means of “remunerating him on his departure”. The total pay for the top 250 executives last year was £73m, more than one year’s pay of an army colonel, a RBS spokesman said. RBS and the other five main high-street lenders have faced intense criticism from MPs and former officials for paying out billions of pounds in bonuses.
Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said last night: “The bonuses were obscene at a time of job losses, wage stagnation and an economic slowdown.”
However the Treasury Select Committee said Sir Fraser’s salary, and those of other high-fliers like Stephen Hester, the former RBS chief who succeeded Sir Fred Goodwin, were “entirely justified”. Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie said: “All are hard-working individuals with difficult and complicated jobs.
“These high-achievers are worth the money they earn if they contribute to restoring RBS to profitability and paying back taxpayers.”
Mr Tyrie said the “real problem” with the banking sector was


Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has offered to cover the cost of life imprisonment for Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan if Indonesia agrees to call of their executions. Ms Bishop made the offer in a letter written to her Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, on March 5 saying Australia would pay the bill if the country rejected a prisoner swap offer. The letter, reportedly addressed 'My dear Retno', formally made the one-off offer to swap three convicted Indonesian drug smugglers for Chan and Sukumaran. Scroll down for video . Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has offered to cover the cost of life imprisonment for Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan if Indonesia agrees to call of their executions . Ms Bishop (pictured at a vigil for the two Bali Nine ringleaders in Canberra) made the offer in a letter written to her Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, on March 5 . Ms Bishop noted the Indonesian prisoners were convicted of importing 390kg of heroin to Australia - 47 times the amount Chan and Sukumaran's co-convicted were caught trying to smuggle out of Indonesia. 'As discussed, the Australian Government would be prepared to cover the costs of the ongoing life imprisonment of Mr Chan and Mr Sukumaran should a transfer not be possible,' she wrote. 'The vast majority of Australians very strongly support the government's efforts to seek clemency for Mr Chan and Mr Sukumaran. 'We would not want to see their execution compromise the strong ties we have worked so hard to foster over many years.' Ms Marsudi, in a letter of reply dated March 8, rejected the possibility of a prisoner exchange but did not touch on the reimbursement offer. 'Let me reiterate that there is no legal basis within the Indonesian law that would allow for such exchange to take place,' she said. Sukumaran (centre) and Chan are in quarantine conditions on Nusakambangan island off Java awaiting execution after they were transferred from Bali's Kerobokan prison . The letter, reportedly addressed 'My dear Retno', formally made the one-off offer to swap three convicted Indonesian drug smugglers for Chan (pictured) and Sukumaran . Indonesian President Joko Widodo previously ruled out a prisoner swap arrangement. Ms Bishop also listed alleged corruption from judges in the trial as one of the reasons their executions should be stopped, according to the West Australian. 'A Judicial Commission has invited Mr Chan, Mr Sukumaran and their original lawyer to make statements in a matter relating to alleged corruption of the trial judges,' she wrote. 'These are serious allegations and I request that your Government accord due legal process and institute a pause in the execution preparations.' Diplomatic tension has been high regarding the case with an Indonesian minister threatening to release a 'human tsunami' of asylum seekers towards Australia if the government continued to fight for a stay of execution for the Bali Nine duo. The warning came from the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs -Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno - to remind the government who was working to keep asylum seekers away from Australian shores, according to Fairfax Media. Retno Marsudi, in a letter of reply dated March 8, rejected the possibility of a prisoner exchange but did not touch on the reimbursement offer . 'Bali Nine' enforcer Myuran Sukumaran (left) and ringleader Andrew Chan were locked up in Bali for 10 years before being moved to their place of execution by firing squad . Ms Bishop also listed alleged corruption from judges in the trial as one of the reasons their executions should be stopped . It comes after Indonesian government officials took offence to Prime Minister Tony Abbott's comments about Australia donating $1 billion in aid to help recovery after the Boxing Day tsunami along with threatening to discourage visitors to Bali. The Bali Nine ringleaders are in quarantine conditions on Nusakambangan island off Java awaiting execution, with their lawyers returning next week after their appeal hearing was adjourned. The men's Australian lawyer, Peter Morrissey, described Ms Bishop's offer as attractive but raised doubts about whether Indonesian authorities would take it up. 'Whether that on its own will do the trick, I doubt,' Mr Morrissey told the Seven Network. Andrew's mother Helen Chan was accompanied by Myuran's brother Chintu and mother Raji as they visited the island prison on Wednesday. They were joined by  Australian Consul-General to Bali, Majell Hind . Andrew Chan's fiancee Febyanti Herewila visited the convicted drug smuggler for the first time since his transfer to Nusakambangan in Central Java on Wednesday . Andrew Chan's mother, Helen, was pictured leaving after visiting her son at Nusakambangan prison island, off central Java on Wednesday . 'I think Indonesia will consider the whole range of things that Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott have put forward.' Meanwhile, Australia's most senior Muslim leader has flown to Jakarta to make a personal plea for mercy for the duo. The Grand Mufti of Australia Ibrahim Abu Mohammed told Indonesian leaders forgiveness lay at the heart of Islam, and touched on the 'heritage of mercy' in their shared religion. Virgin founder Richard Branson also wrote a heartfelt letter to Indonesian President Joko Widodo pleading for him to save the lives of those facing the death penalty. The British businessman, who's also a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, said he was willing to go to Indonesia in an effort to save those facing execution. Virgin founder Richard Branson also wrote a letter to Indonesian President Joko Widodo pleading for him to save the lives of those facing the death penalty .

Julie Bishop made offer in letter to Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi . She said Australia would pay bill if Indonesia rejected a prisoner swap offer . Foreign Minister formally offered to swap three convicted Indonesian drug smugglers for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran . Ms Marsudi rejected the possibility of a prisoner exchange but did not touch on the reimbursement offer . Bali Nine duo are  on Nusakambangan island off Java awaiting execution .

.
The pair were convicted of drug trafficking by the Supreme Court in 2005 and sentenced to death by firing squad in 2015.
They've remained defiant in the face of a plea for clemency from Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull — in his letter to Mr Sukumaran on April 4 — that was rejected.
"The government of Indonesia will have the opportunity to exercise its sovereign right to pardon those prisoners whose death penalty has been confirmed," Ms Bishop wrote.
"I write to reaffirm my Government's offer of assistance to facilitate the process.
"Under Australian law, the death penalty has long been a matter for the executive, and not for the judiciary.
"I look forward to hearing from you, and discussing any matters you may wish to raise, at an early opportunity."
Australia's High Commissioner to Indonesia, Greg Moriarty has also urged Indonesia to grant clemency on humanitarian grounds.
Mr Moriarty, who will attend the execution of Sukumaran and Chan in Central Java next Monday, has said he would "welcome and expect" a change of heart from Jakarta after talks with the pair had failed to produce a commutation of their death sentences.
"We have exhausted those options and in the event we are unable to change the situation, then we will do our best to look after their families," Mr Moriarty told the ABC this week.
"I can confirm that my office will do its utmost to make sure that their families are looked after," he said.
"We have had a very good relationship with both Myuran and Andrew, their family have been to our office — we've met with them.
"We have a relationship with (Andrew's mother) Janet, we have been to the house she has been living in, we've been to visit Myuran's parents, and so we feel a good obligation to them as well."
Ms Bishop made the offer in a letter written to her Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi.
Ms Bishop also said Australia was ready to offer other assistance, including supporting post-release re-integration programs in Australia, if her appeal for clemency failed.
Prime Minister Turnbull and Ms Bishop met with Sukumaran and Chan in Bali last week, while Foreign Minister Marise Payne met them briefly in the prison on Friday.
The Indonesian president has confirmed that all foreign embassies had been notified of the execution dates to


The White House, the State Department and Democrats on Capitol Hill are side-stepping questions about Hillary Clinton as the controversy over her cyber hygiene escalates. While some of the presumed presidential candidate's party members have come to her defense, many lawmakers headed for the exits this week as reporters asked them for their opinion on the way Clinton handled her email while at the State Department. Democratic strategists were more willing discuss the scandal - but what they had to say, Clinton probably won't like. Democrats are running for cover this week as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton takes fire from the press for over her cyber hygiene. Officials at 1600 Pennsylvania now claim they didn't know that Clinton was solely using her personal email address to conduct government business . Officials at 1600 Pennsylvania now claim they didn't know that Clinton was solely using her personal email address to conduct government business until Congress reopened an investigation into the Benghazi attack. According to the Associated Press, it was the White House counsel's office that ordered the State Department to retrieve Clinton's old emails. That version of events was never relayed to the press at large, despite the fact that President Barack Obama's spokesman Josh Earnest spent the better part of his briefings with reporters on Tuesday and Wednesday answering questions about what the White House knew about Clinton's exclusive use of her personal email address, when it knew it, and a host of other related inquires. He deflected as often as possible and referred press to the State Department and Clinton. Earnest did note that Clinton's detractors and government watchdogs haven't provided 'any evidence' that would indicate that the former administration official and her team are 'not being forthright' about turning in copies of all of her email communications from her four years in the president's cabinet. His comments were hardly a ringing endorsement of Clinton's honesty, however. The White House got a break on Thursday when a snowstorm bore down on Washington, D.C., giving Earnest cause to cancel his daily meeting with the press corps. A large-scale, public Q and A session isn't likely to make Friday's schedule, either, as the president is travelling to South Carolina for an event at Benedict College. Usually a spokesperson for the president holds a small gaggle with press riding Air Force One on those days. Unwilling or unable to say who in at the State Department was responsible for making sure Clinton fully complied with the demand, the deputy spokesman there, Marie Harf, directed journalists to the former secretary of state. Pressed to declare that she was 'confident' that all of Clinton's pertinent emails were now in the possession of the federal government she said, 'what I’m saying is her staff has stated that anything related to her work has been given to the State Department.' 'But this is obviously a confirmation her staff has to make,' she added, after a reporter asked if she has any 'reason to doubt' the veracity of Clinton's claims. She said she did not. Former Obama adviser David Axelrod said Wednesday night that he thinks the Clinton is adding to her woes by keeping silent.'It would be good to get out there and answer these questions.' Clinton is pictured here in 2008 taking questions from the press during the Democratic National Convention a few months before she was sworn in as Secretary of State . Clinton's former colleagues in Congress were won't to discuss the issue at all. 'Can we talk about it later? I have to go to my vote,' Clinton's successor in the Senate, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, told the National Journal. The news publication said Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, normally outspoken, excused herself for the same reason. 'I don't know enough about it to appropriately respond,' New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said. Congressional Democrats were equally reticent to comment to CNN. 'I'm not up to speed on it. I'm really not,' Montana Sen. Jon Tester told the network on Wednesday - more than a day after story broke. 'Check back,' Tester, the chair of Senate Democrats' campaign arm, said. North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp also asked for a mulligan. 'I don't know enough about what those rules are, honestly, to comment,' she claimed. And the list goes on. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin told National Journal he doesn't 'know the facts' but 'it sounds like somebody made a mistake.' 'She's going to have to give an answer to it,' Vermont Rep. Peter Welch told CNN. Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking member on the House's Select Committee on Benghazi, said it's not his job to protect Clinton, his party's possible nominee for president. 'I want to be clear, I am not trying to defend Hillary Clinton,' he said. 'I am trying to defend the truth … we have some things we are going to try and figure out.' If Clinton can't make the email story go away quick enough, she could go from presidential front runner in 2016 to persona non-grata. Supporters of Clintons are shown here in 2008 after she lost that year's nomination to Barack Obama . Retiring California Sen. Barbara Boxer was one of the few Democratic senators to stand by Clinton. 'That's a nothing burger. Total,' she told National Journal. 'There isn't one secretary of State that ever did that because the law didn't change until after she left, so they're making a mountain out of a molehill,' she added. Likewise, Delaware Sen. Tom Carper said he'd 'be surprised if a number of secretaries of State hadn't done that for as long as we've had email.' 'That's all I'm going to say,' he added. New York Rep. Steve Israel blamed Republicans  for the mess and accused them of 'trying to manufacture or amplify crisis or scandal.' 'That's what they do here,' he told CNN. 'Pretty soon we'll have a special investigative committee for every action that Hillary Clinton takes. There will be a special select committee on her breakfast, her lunch and her dinner and what she had in between. Just add this to the list.' It is true that Clinton's predecessors also used their personal email addresses to conduct official business. But other secretaries of state did not create private email addresses the day before their confirmation votes for the explicit purpose of communicating with their future staff. Nor did they house their email addresses on a privately owned server that is inaccessible to the government and can be wiped clean at their leisure. They weren't actively considering a bid for president, either. Reporters showered White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest with questions on Wednesday about the Clinton email controversy. The White House got a break on Thursday when a snowstorm bore down on Washington, D.C., giving Earnest cause to cancel his daily meeting with the press corps . Former Obama adviser David Axelrod said Wednesday night that he thinks the Clinton is adding to her woes by keeping silent. 'It would be good to get out there and answer these questions,' Axelrod said on MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, according to The Hill. 'Why did she used a separate email? How did she secure that email? Was there another email through which she communicated with people?' he asked. 'By not answering these questions, they are allowing this story to fester in ways that are unhelpful. So lack of speed kills in this case,' the former White House official said. The State Department has said that Clinton had just one email address during her tenure there - the account in question. And Clinton, first through a spokesman, and then through Twitter has touched on the issue. She has not explained why she did what she did, though, or responded to any of the other questions Axelrod - and the media - put forward. A Democratic strategist who spoke to The Hill warned that if Clinton can't make the story go away quick enough, she could go from presidential front runner to persona non-grata. 'We’re probably a month or so away [from the campaign launch] and if this is not handled really well within the next three to six weeks, you’re going to see chatter among Democratic operatives saying, "Maybe we need another person in this race." And that is really problematic.' 'When you do stuff like this, man, you just raise a lot of concerns and red flags,' The Hill's source said. 'It’s kinda weird.'

White House now claims it didn't know Clinton was solely using her personal email address to conduct government business . State Department wouldn't say it was 'confident' that Clinton had turned over all her emails from her tenure there . Clinton's former Democratic colleagues in Congress were won't to discuss the issue at all . New York Rep. Steve Israel blamed Republicans for the mess and accused them of 'trying to manufacture or amplify crisis or scandal,' however . Former Obama adviser David Axelrod said Wednesday night that he thinks the Clinton is adding to her woes by keeping silent . 'If this is not handled really well,' a Dem strategist said,  Dem operatives will begin saying, ' "Maybe we need another person in this race" '

 on the committee that investigated the 2012 attacks against the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, have also criticized her handling of the situation.
The State Department’s former inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, is expected to provide lawmakers with a report on the incident, even though the FBI probe into the attack is ongoing. The committee’s Democratic chairman, Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, said he hasn't received the report from the inspector general and he hasn't seen one that he says will shed light on Clinton’s use of personal email.
“I will not prejudge the document that the State Department inspector general has authored,” Gowdy said on May 20, the day he sent a letter to Horowitz requesting a copy.
Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, has previously said that Clinton should not have been using personal email during her tenure at the State Department.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., has said he, too, has not seen the report.
“The idea that this is all a Republican 'witch hunt' is not only false, it is harmful and destructive," Cummings told POLITICO.
The top Democrat on the House panel, Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California, issued a statement Wednesday that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has received Horowitz's report and is still considering whether it will release it publicly.
"We have received the Inspector General's report concerning Secretary Clinton's email practices and are carefully reviewing its contents," Schiff said. "Given its sensitive nature, we are not yet certain if or when the report can be released publicly, including to the public. As always, there will be an absolute separation between the Chairman and the ranking minority member regarding this report. As our investigation continues, we will determine the most appropriate next steps."
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said Horowitz's findings could "ease some of the tension" about the issue. "I think people have an interest in knowing," he said.
Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., the former chairman of the Oversight committee, said he has not seen the report, but the investigation will move forward. "No way can this be put aside," he said. "The report has to be done, the findings have to be known, and then we decide what to do with the report, but


Saracens defeated defending champions Exeter 23-20 to claim the LV= Cup title at a sun-drenched Franklin's Gardens on Sunday. Rob Baxter's side could not follow up last season's success as they struggled to cope with a powerful Sarries outfit who were able to call upon the services of England internationals Alex Goode, George Kruis and David Strettle as well as Argentina centre Marcelo Bosch. Tries from Strettle (two) and Nick de Jager did the damage with Ben Spencer adding eight points from the boot. Maro Itoje (centre) lifts the LV= Cup title after Saracens beat Exeter 23-30 on Sunday . David Strettle led the way for Saracens with two tries against Exeter at Franklins Gardens . Strettle touches down his second try as for Saracens against Exeter in the final for his team . Exeter replied with a brace of tries from Max Bodilly with Ceri Sweeney kicking two penalties while replacement fly half Gareth Steenson kicked two conversions late on. Bodilly's early error handed Saracens an attacking scrum when the Exeter full back's long kick went dead in goal. The Sarries pack capitalised on their first set-piece and decimated the Chiefs pack allowing Ben Spencer to post the first points of the afternoon. The Chiefs responded immediately with winger Tom James making a scything run through the Sarries defence before he was hauled down inches short of the line. Sireli Naqelevuki, Jerry Sexton and Ben White carried on the attack before Brett Sturgess was held up over the line. Their efforts did not go unrewarded, however, as Sweeney kicked a three-pointer to level up the scores. Sarries were dealt a big blow just before the break when Spencer was sent the sin-bin for failing to roll away at the ruck following a powerful break from powerful Chiefs centre Hughes. Sweeney made no mistake from the tee to give his side a deserved lead heading into the break. Sarries began the second half a man down but it was the Chiefs who found themselves under pressure as Strettle intercepted White's wayward past to sprint over for the opening try of the game. Goode, who had replaced winger Mike Ellery late in the first half, could not add the extras from the touchline. Strettle soon has his second try as the Sarries winger pounced on Spencer's perfectly-weighted kick to touch down in the left corner. Goode failed with the extras once more but it mattered little as Saracens established a 13-6 lead. Saracens were in the ascendancy and, following a superb break from Spencer, flanker De Jager powered over from close range in the 62nd minute to further extend his side's lead. Max Bodilly (centre) spearheaded Exeter's response but his side were denied in the final minute . Saracens duo Juan Figallo (left) and Tim Streather celebrate with the trophy after the victory . But Exeter came roaring back into the contest as Bodilly went crashing over in the corner following a superb long pass from James. Steenson fired over the touchline conversion to make it a seven-point game with 10 minutes remaining. The Chiefs were playing with their tails up and monopolised possession in the closing stages and they soon had their crucial touchdown as Bodilly crashed over again. Steenson fired over the conversion to cap off a superb comeback from the Chiefs. Spencer had the final say, though, as he held his nerve to kick a last-minute penalty to break Chiefs' hearts and secure the title for Saracens.

David Strettle crossed the line twice for Saracens against Exeter . Nick de Jager also scored and Ben Spencer kicked eight points . Spencer secured the victory with a penalty in the final minute .

 with a Sarries pack that was too powerful, and a backline that exploited the space in the Exeter midfield.
There were plenty of positives for the Chiefs, who pushed Saracens hard at times, but ultimately they left Northampton with nothing. The Aviva Premiership side started brightly and should have opened the scoring through Andy Saull.
That was after 10 minutes as the England Saxons centre burst through the Exeter defence and the Sarries pack drove forwards but the ball was not moved wide soon enough and Saull was eventually stopped in his tracks.
The Chiefs hit back almost immediately though, and as Exeter worked a way through the Saracens defence, Rob Baxter's side went to the video ref on the advice of Matt Jess. The try was awarded when Alex Walker was called offside.
From the resulting scrum Exeter's forwards pushed and probed but Saracens held out despite a prolonged period of pressure. The hosts finally gave away a penalty though as Saracens pushed them offside again. Danny Cipriani was cool, calmly slotting the kick straight through.
The Chiefs thought they had the opening score of the match on 23 minutes, again working the ball through to Alex Brown, but the Sarries defence was solid and managed to repel the attacks, with Luke Narraway coming in at the base of a driving maul in the end.
The visitors then took the lead when the same Brown broke through the midfield and slipped a pass to James Short on his wing. Brown himself dived over for the try, which Cipriani again converted.
Exeter thought they had restored the lead after 39 minutes when Don Armand had turned his opposite number Will Fraser, but the winger's foot hit the touchline as he looked to score. The Chiefs did go in front with the next attack though as Will Chudley drove through the Saracens defence, allowing Tom Hayes to feed Fraser, who just had to go over.
With the game level at half-time, Baxter may have been disappointed that his team had managed only three points in the first 40 minutes as it is a far cry from the way his side tore Gloucester to shreds just over a week ago.
Saracens took the lead with two minutes of the second half gone thanks to a second Cipriani penalty as they made it 9-6. However, Baxter's men responded to the goal with some great counter-attacking rugby as


A would-be motorist, who has spent more than £5,000 on 250 lessons over a 14-year period has been blacklisted from her local driving schools due to her failure to pass the test. Janine Mars, 31, has had five different driving instructors only to fail her practical test four times. Yet, despite the intensive instruction, Ms Mars is still unable to pull away from a junction without stalling her car. Janine Mars, pictured, has spent more than £5,000 on driving lessons over the past 14 years without success . Ms Mars, pictured, said she lacks confidence when she gets behind the wheel of a car . Ms Mars, left, said her mother Radha, right, will give her money towards a car if she passes the driving test . She said, now the situation is so bad, she cannot find an instructor near her home in Chatham, Kent, willing to take her because of her poor motoring skills. It is estimated that during her driving lessons, Ms Mars has driven the equivalent of a road trip between London and Perth in Australia. According to Ms Mars: 'After a few years I stopped counting how much I’d spent. 'It’s definitely more than £5,000 now, which is crazy. I could have bought a brand new car for that! 'I can’t give up now though, I’ve invested too much to stop.' Ms Mars started driving as soon as she was old enough, but changed instructor after 15 lessons because they didn’t get on. When she moved to her second teacher, she had more than 100 lessons before realising he wasn’t going to put her forward for a test. In 2012 she chose a third instructor, before moving to a fourth expert - even sitting double lessons - without success. Eventually she tried a fifth instructor in August last year, but failed her most recent test. Ms Mars said: 'Every year since 2001, passing my driving test has been my New Year’s resolution. 'I took a break after my last test in October but I want to do an intensive week course. 'I reckon that’s the only way I can pass now. 'The last time I tried to get an instructor in Kent nobody would take me because they know how bad I am. 'It’s as if I’ve been blacklisted. I don’t blame them though!' But Ms Mars, pictured, said she is having difficulty finding a driving instructor willing to take her on . Radha, left, said her daughter, right, is 'the world's best backseat driver' constantly offering advice . Despite her inability to pass her test, Ms Mars has never had an accident and believes her problem is a lack of confidence. 'Driving doesn’t come naturally to me. I can’t quite master using both legs and hands at different times. I’ve had the same problem for the last 14 years. 'I’ve never had a crash or accident. Everything will be going really well, calm driving, and then suddenly I fall to pieces. It might only be a minor thing, like I miss a junction or turn, and I’ll be thrown completely off course. 'Everyone tells me I’ll get over that - but 250 lessons later and I’m still waiting.' Now Ms Mars plans ahead before each driving lesson, having developed a routine to help get her into the correct frame of mind. She revealed: 'Before I get in the car, I eat a big breakfast and drink a mug of tea. 'Then, without fail, I play Happy by Pharrell to get myself into a more relaxed mindset. I’ve experimented with different music, but some of them would get me too pumped up. Even with doing that I still have the same issues.' Ms Mars' mother Radha, 62, has even tried to encourage her daughter with the offer of cash towards her first car. She said: 'I can’t wait for her to pass. “She’s a real diva in the car. Despite the fact she hasn’t passed her test she’s the world’s best backseat driver. She’s always saying "Mum, don’t do that" or "go here". 'I’m so desperate to stop carting her round, I’ve promised I’ll go halves on a new car once she passes!' Ms Mars said she has not given up her dream of owning her own car. She added: 'Maybe I’m just one of those people born to be driven. I’m fed up of planning my life around train and bus timetables too. It takes almost twice as long as driving. My mum has promised to go halves on a new car once I pass so that’s even more of an incentive.' Ms Mars said she might be the type of person who is 'born to be driven' but still plans to continue trying .

Janine Mars has spent more than £5,000 on driving lessons over 14 years . The 31-year-old construction site manager has had more than 250 lessons . She has also failed her test four times and gone through five instructors . Her  mother Radha has offered 'to go halves on a car' if she passes her test .

, from London, has been unable to pass the UK driving test for more than a decade.
Mars, who has had more than 250 lessons from 23 different instructors, has been banned from driving in her home county of Essex under Section 88(2) of the Road Traffic Act 1960, according to the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
While Mars is unable to be licensed as a driver in the UK, she is allowed to take lessons to keep on practicing her skills behind the wheel. Mars has taken lessons from five different instructors, none of whom have managed to get the driving test passed by her.
Read More: UK driving instructor charged over £10m for passing exams he hadn’t taken
The DVSA explains that Section 88(2) of the Road Traffic Act states that if somebody repeatedly does not demonstrate the ability to pass the driving test in the UK, they cannot be granted a license to drive in the future.
This means that if somebody is not successful in passing the UK driving test, they will be placed on the DVSA’s data base.
Mars was banned from driving in the UK at a meeting in October 2017, according to the DVSA’s data base. If Mars had successfully passed the UK driving test or another recognised driving licence – such as one issued by Ireland – in any country overseas, then she would not be placed on the DVSA’s data base.
“A person who is not satisfied with their test result may request a hearing before a Chief Examiner,” the DVSA explains. “There is no guarantee that a Chief Examiner will grant the request for a hearing.”
Mars has previously had a request for a hearing in November 2017 and she had her driving test with instructor Neil Sollars, who was not successful. This is not the first time Mars has been unable to pass the UK driving test and she has reportedly also been banned on two previous occasions.
“The next time I got in the car it was with a man called Neil Sollars,” she said. “He told me at the beginning of the lesson that he was my instructor so I went with the flow and did as he told me.
“We went to an area of the test centre that was completely out of the way and in the middle of the session, he stopped the car and started telling me about the test centre. Then he drove off to finish the lesson. That’s all that he’