U.S. Shooting Deaths Since Sandy Hook Top 100

The night after Sandy Hook, a gunman pulled behind a car in Kansas City's east side and opened fire, striking 4-year-old Aydan Perea in the head. The boy had just gotten into his father's car. “He was innocent and he was just lifeless,” said the first bystander to reach Aydan. “All my life I’ve never seen nothing so devastating. I’m unable to eat, I’m unable to sleep because I see this baby in my head."

It was not the pre-schooler's first brush with gun violence. A year earlier, a gunman fired a shotgun at the house where Aydan had been staying. No one was injured, but bullets shattered a front window and riddled a parked car. This week, days after the drive-by shooting, doctors declared the boy brain dead. Aydan's mother said her world has "stopped."

WHO head warns infectious diseases set to rise

THE head of the World Health Organisation says infectious diseases will spread more easily in the future due to globalisation, changing lifestyles and rising population densities.

Rising population density, more international travel and industrial food production will help boost a rise in infectious diseases, WHO has warned. Above, an deadly E. Coli outbreak caused by tainted cucumbers last year. Source: Getty Images

"The future looks very bright for microbes, not so good for humanity," Margaret Chan told a luncheon in her hometown Hong Kong, the site of a major outbreak of the SARS virus in 2003 that killed almost 300 people in the city. Higher population density, industrialisation of food production and the increase in international travel have provided many opportunities for communicable diseases to spread, she said. "Given this unstable and unpredictable situation, only one generalisation is possible - there will definitely be more new diseases capable of causing outbreaks in humans," Ms Chan said at the event organised by the Asia Society.

Schoolies blinded by spiked cocktails in Bali

A TEENAGE girl has been blinded after drinking a tainted cocktail while on a schoolies trip to Bali.

Schoolies can enjoy themselves while on a break in Bali but should be cautious of cocktails. Picture: Bintoro Lukman S

The 18-year-old is believed to be the worst affected of a number of people who have fallen seriously ill after drinking cocktails spiked with methanol. An 18-year-old boy was also temporarily blinded during a schoolies trip to Bali last month. The girl, from Sydney's northern suburbs, went to the emergency department of Royal North Shore Hospital after returning from overseas last week. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed girl had been admitted, saying: "There was a female patient that apparently had received treatment in Bali and had then presented to Royal North Shore." The hospital would not say what symptoms the teenager had displayed but The Sunday Telegraph can confirm she has been discharged and is continuing to recover at home.

IVF Method Linked to Size of Babies

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A super-receptive uterus may be responsible for some recurrent miscarriages in women, research reported Aug. 24, 2012, suggests. CREDIT: Pregnancy photo via Shutterstock

The way in which embryos are prepared during in vitro fertilization may  influence the size of the baby that's born, a new study from Finland suggests. Embryos that spend long periods growing in culture (around five to six days) before being transferred to the mother’s womb are more likely to be born heavier than normal for their gestational age, compared to embryos that spend a shorter period in culture (two to three days), the study found. (Gestational age refers to how far along a pregnancy is.)

On the flip side, embryos that spend long periods in culture are less likely to be born small for their gestational age, the researchers said. Previous studies have shown babies born as a result of  IVF treatment are at an increased risk for preterm birth and low birth weight. Factors related to the pregnancy, or to the IVF technique itself, may be responsible for the association. Few studies have looked at the effect of culture time on the baby's birth weight, however. Still, additional, larger studies are needed to confirm the new findings, the researchers said.

In the study, researchers at the University of Helsinki analyzed information from 1,079 singleton babies (not twins) who were born after their mothers had undergone IVF. During IVF, eggs from the mother are fertilized in a laboratory, and allowed to grow in culture for about one to six days before they are transferred to the mother's uterus. Typically, embryos are transferred to the uterus after two to three days, according to the American Pregnancy Association.

Amoxicillin Doesn’t Help Some Respiratory Infections

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CREDIT:  Woman with cold via Shutterstock

The next time you develop a lower respiratory tract infection, don't expect amoxicillin, the go-to antibiotic for these infections, to wipe it out. According to a new study, amoxicillin isn’t any better than a placebo at treating the symptoms of a lower respiratory tract infection or preventing them from worsening. Amoxicillin is typically used to treat lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia and acute bronchitis.

British researchers treated 1,038 patients who had an acute lower respiratory tract infection with amoxicillin three times per day for seven days. A second group of 1,023 patients who also had a lower respiratory tract infection were treated with a placebo for the same period. The patients were age 18 or older and hailed from 12 European countries. All had had a cough for less than 28 days and were not suspected of having pneumonia.

NRA calls for armed police officer in every school (USA)

The nation's largest gun-rights lobby called Friday for armed police officers to be posted in every American school to stop the next killer "waiting in the wings." The National Rifle Association broke its silence Friday on last week's shooting rampage at a Connecticut elementary school that left 26 children and staff dead. The group's top lobbyist, Wayne LaPierre, said at a Washington news conference that "the next Adam Lanza," the man responsible for last week's mayhem, is planning an attack on another school. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," LaPierre said.

'Britain's worst waxwork museum' to close after slump in visitor numbers

The Louis Tussauds House of Wax gained cult popularity when pictures of its exhibits were revealed - as almost all of them were laughable likenesses of famous faces.

A waxwork museum dubbed the 'worst in Britain' is set to finally closed its doors - after becoming an international laughing stock for its hilariously-terrible celeb lookalikes.

The Louis Tussauds House of Wax gained cult popularity when pictures of its exhibits were revealed - as almost all of them featured laughable likenesses of famous faces.

Now the dream is over for bosses of the Great Yarmouth tourist attraction, as a slump in visitor numbers has forced it to close.

It was put on the market after visitor numbers fell, the wax modeller retired and no buyer could be found.

Owners Peter Hays, 85, and his wife Jane, 82, who have run the business in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, for 58 years, have now said the museum must close. They plan to turn the comedy attraction into a private home and have already been granted planning permission by Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

Bizarre: Prince William and Adolf Hitler are two of the stars at the museum (Rex)

Unwrapping The Dangers Of Heavy Metals In Toys

CREDIT: ISNS

Despite the best intentions of parents, relatives, and friends, seemingly safe toys given to children this holiday season could contain another difficult-to-recognize surprise: unsafe levels of lead, mercury, cadmium, selenium, barium, and arsenic. Toys can present many risks to children, and the problem isn't confined to seemingly obvious dangerous items -- such as the Red Ryder BB gun coveted by nine-year-old Ralphie Parker in the popular holiday movie "A Christmas Story." Other dangers include choking on small parts, lacerations from sharp edges or broken pieces, electric shocks, strangulation from cords or string, and hearing damage from loud noises. But the greatest risk to children may come from the chemical makeup of the toys themselves.

IVF Method Linked to Size of Babies

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A super-receptive uterus may be responsible for some recurrent miscarriages in women, research reported Aug. 24, 2012, suggests. CREDIT:Pregnancy Photo via Shutterstock

The way in which embryos are prepared during in vitro fertilization may influence the size of the baby that's born, a new study from Finland suggests. Embryos that spend long periods growing in culture (around five to six days) before being transferred to the mother’s womb are more likely to be born heavier than normal for their gestational age, compared to embryos that spend a shorter period in culture (two to three days), the study found. (Gestational age refers to how far along a pregnancy is.)

On the flip side, embryos that spend long periods in culture are less likely to be born small for their gestational age, the researchers said. Previous studies have shown babies born as a result of  IVF treatment are at an increased risk for preterm birth and low birth weight. Factors related to the pregnancy, or to the IVF technique itself, may be responsible for the association. Few studies have looked at the effect of culture time on the baby's birth weight, however. Still, additional, larger studies are needed to confirm the new findings, the researchers said.

Where polio is a weapon of war

HIS bargaining chip was the lives of children. In June, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a government-backed warlord in the lawless Pakistan province of North Waziristan, issued his ultimatum: until American drone attacks on the territory he controls stop, there will be no polio vaccinations. The unilateral decision, made by the old men of the High Council of Mujahideen and announced by Bahadur, declared the villages of his dominion were willing to chance a polio outbreak in an effort to force America's hand. ''As long as drone strikes are not stopped in Waziristan there will be a ban on administering polio jabs,'' a statement from the council said.

A polio worker gives vaccine drops to a child in Lahore. Photo: Reuters

Prisoner Allegedly Set Up Child Porn Site In Jail

ABC ©

An man on remand suspected of being involved in a child pornography website being run from the Canberra's jail, has been refused bail by the ACT Supreme Court. Indian national Navin Edwin has been on remand in the Alexander Maconochie Centre for more than two years on child sex charges. On Friday Edwin applied for bail which police opposed, saying it could take months to properly investigate the allegations. They told the court a computer disc found in Edwin's cell may have been used to override the prison's computer firewall, allowing unlimited access to the internet.

Edwin is an experienced computer programmer. Police have seized video players, computers and the prison's Internet server in their investigation of the suspected paedophile ring. Edwin was also accused of contacting one of his alleged victims via instant message. Justice John Burns refused Edwin bail.

Source: Yahoo News

Amazingly, World Survives Maya 'Apocalypse'

AFP ©

A global day of lighthearted doom-themed celebration and superstitious scare-mongering culminated Friday at the temples of the Mayan people, whose calendar sparked fears of apocalypse. December 21 marked the end of an era that lasted 5,200 years, according to the Mayan "Long Count" calendar. Some believe the date, which coincides with the solstice, marks the end of the world as foretold by Mayan hieroglyphs. But "No, no," scholars and native elders said -- it just marks the end of the old Mayan calendar and the beginning of a new one. That didn't stop thousands from gathering at this ancient Mayan stone pyramid in the Guatemala jungle, where actors in costumes and head-dresses staged elaborate dances to a mournful pan-pipe tune.

Japanese Diplomat Agrees Plea Deal Over Wife Abuse

AFP ©

A US-based Japanese diplomat charged with domestic violence has reached a plea deal in the case, reducing his maximum sentence from 20 years to one year, prosecutors said Friday. Yoshiaki Nagaya, vice-consul at Japan's consulate in San Francisco, was charged in May with 17 felony offenses, 14 of domestic violence and three of assault, including stabbing her with a screwdriver and knocking a tooth out. He pled no contest to two counts of domestic violence in court Thursday, under a deal in which prosecutors agreed to drop other charges including assault with a deadly weapon. "Mr Nagaya pled no contest, which is the same as guilty in our system, to two counts of felony domestic violence, San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe told AFP.

Whole grains linked to lower prediabetes risk

Eating whole grains is associated with a decreased risk of prediabetes, a blood sugar elevation that can precede diabetes in adults, according to new research. Swedish residents who ate food containing more than 59 grams -- roughly two ounces -- of whole grains per day were 27 percent less likely to become prediabetic compared with residents who ate 30 grams or less, according to the research.

Bulgar salad with arugula, zucchini and pine nuts (Gary Friedman, Los Angeles Times/MCT)

"This is of great importance because prediabetes is increasing," lead author Tina Wirström, a postdoctoral fellow at the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden, told Reuters Health. The American Diabetes Association estimates that one in four Americans older than 20 have prediabetes. Nearly a quarter of people with prediabetes eventually develop full-blown diabetes. Previous research has linked whole grain rich diets with a decreased risk of diabetes, but the new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition makes the connection to the disease precursor. Whole grains range from oatmeal to popcorn, from brown rice to whole wheat - as long as the entire kernel is consumed.

Chest compression-only CPR shows long-term benefit

People who suffer cardiac arrest - in which the heart stops beating - were less likely to die in subsequent years when bystanders performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation using chest compressions only, a new study found. That builds on previous research that found no short-term survival differences in adult victims given compression-only CPR instead of the standard kind, which includes mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

A plastic CPR training mannequin is seen at Dinamo stadium in Bucharest (Bogdan Cristel Reuters, REUTERS / July 26, 2011)

And it supports an American Heart Association recommendation that the simpler form of CPR is appropriate for bystanders, who may feel so intimidated by the prospect of combining chest compressions with rescue breathing that they give no aid at all. This study shows "we were on the right track in 2008," said Dr. Roger White of the Mayo Clinic, who was on the advisory group that wrote the AHA's statement. The recommendations don't apply to CPR performed in the hospital, nor in the community by medical personnel or people who are proficient in rescue breathing. They also apply only to adult, not pediatric, victims.

China probes Yum Brands' KFC over safety of chicken products

Yum Brands Inc's fast-food chain KFC was supplied with chicken in China that contained excessive amounts of antibiotics, said food safety authorities investigating allegations of tainted KFC products. The finding by the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) deals a blow to KFC's reputation in China, where it is facing fierce competition from the likes of Taiwanese-owned fried chicken chain Dico and Japanese-style noodle chain Ajisen (China) Holdings Ltd. Yum Brands has forecast a drop in same store China sales in the fourth quarter.

People dine at a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlet in Shanghai (Aly Song Reuters, REUTERS /February 3, 2010)

Two cups of milk daily enough for most kids: study

Two cups of cow's milk per day may be enough for most kids to have the recommended amount of vitamin D in their blood while maintaining a healthy iron level, suggests a new study. "One of the common questions I get from parents when their kids become toddlers is, how much milk should they be drinking?' But we didn't have a good answer," said Dr. Jonathon Maguire, the study's lead author from Toronto's TARGet Kids! Collaboration.

One reason for the confusion, according to the researchers, is the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends children between 2 and 8 years old drink two cups of milk per day, but in another guideline, the organization also says children need supplemental vitamin D if they drink less than four cups per day. The researchers write in the journal Pediatrics that previous studies showed cow's milk increases the amount of vitamin D in a child's blood while also reducing iron levels. Iron, which the body can get from meats and beans, is important for developing brains and protecting against anemia.

We're all fatter than we think, with women underestimating their weight by an average of 5lb

It will be little consolation to any woman who has stood in a changing room fretting about whether her bottom looks big – and any man who has desperately tried to convince her that it doesn’t. We’re all fatter than we think  we are, a study claims, and women are most likely to be guilty of underestimating their size. It seems the average woman is actually 5lb heavier than she believes she is – and those in their late 30s are the most optimistic, convinced they weigh half a stone less than they really do.  Men, meanwhile, underestimate their weight by a more modest 3lb, the poll of 9,000 adults found. Psychologists say it is all down to misguided optimism, with both men and women trying to convince themselves that they are not that far from the size they’d like to be.

Struggling to fit into clothes? Most of us underestimate how much we weigh, a survey reveals

FBI hunt for 'Jane Doe' child sex abuser: Nationwide appeal to trace woman seen in horrific internet film - and to rescue her young victim

Have you seen her? Video has appeared on the internet of this woman abusing a young child

The F.B.I. is appealing for help to catch this woman who is suspected of producing child pornography and to rescue the vulnerable youngster she was filmed abusing. U.S. Immigration and Customs were alerted after a video appeared on the internet showing the woman, who is believed to be between 23 and 29, engaging in explicit sex with a four to five-year-old victim. Investigators believe the footage was uploaded on or around November 27, raising fears that the child could still be being exploited. The woman is of medium build with hazel or green eyes and brown hair with blond highlights. She has a mole on her left thigh and a tongue piercing with a white round stud with a pink dot.  It is believed the video was made in the U.S., and that both victim and abuser are in the country.

Mother cleared of killing four-month-old son who died after television set weighing five stone fell on his head

A woman was today cleared of killing her four-month-old son who died from 'catastrophic injuries' when a television weighing five stone dropped on his head. Kian McMillan was lying below on his changing mat and died a day later in hospital after the incident at his home in Burnley, Lancashire, on December 6 last year. Natalie McMillan, 25, initially told detectives she accidentally knocked over the TV set as she attempted to move it to plug in a scart lead and watch a DVD.

Accident Natalie McMillan who has been cleared of killing her four-month-old son who died from 'catastrophic injuries' when a television weighing five stone dropped on his head

What DOES it take to get jailed? Father who abused and punched a headmistress only has to pay £100 as thief with 9,000 victims walks free

A thug who launched a violent assault on a headmistress when she told off his son for racial abuse walked free from court yesterday. Paul Stratford punched and swore at Zita McCormick after she told him his eight-year-old son Brendan would be excluded for a day. Flanked by colleagues, the teacher told the 31-year-old to calm down. Instead he made for her, punching her and pushing her backward.

Aggression: Paul Stratford, left, punched and forcefully shoved Zita McCormick, right, in front of shocked staff after a showdown over his eight-year-old son Brendan's behaviour

Despite the gravity of the offence, magistrates decided to impose only a community sentence, telling Stratford to pay his victim £100. In another astonishing case yesterday, a Romanian thief who ran a £3million cashpoint scam with 9,000 victims also escaped jail. Leonid Rotaru was given an 18-month suspended jail sentence. Last night, an education expert said law and order seemed to have ‘gone out of the window’. Another said Stratford, who already had a conviction for violence, should have been jailed to deter others from attacking teachers.

Cheap vitamin D 'would boost health'

Greater access to cheap vitamin D supplements would improve the health of at-risk groups, experts say.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) says up to 25% of UK children are vitamin D deficient, leading to a rise in rickets cases. The government said those with the greatest need already received free supplements. The RCPCH said other options to increase vitamin D levels, such as fortifying a wider range of foods, should be considered. Half of the UK's white population, and up to 90% of the black and Asian people in the country are thought to be affected by vitamin D deficiency. The first signs of deficiency include muscle and bone pain as well as swelling around the wrists and ribs.

A lack of the nutrient is linked to a higher incidence of diabetes, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis as well as rickets - a disease that causes bones to become soft and deformed.  

The number of cases of rickets has been rising, from 183 in 1996 to 762 in 2011. In January this year, the chief medical officer for England, Dame Sally Davies, recommended all pregnant and breastfeeding women, children aged six months to five-years-old and the over-65s should take vitamin D supplements.

So THAT'S why slimming makes us depressed: Ditching fat and sugar is similar to drug withdrawal

The sight of a solitary carrot on your plate while your friends tuck into bags of crisps and chocolate is enough to make anyone feel glum. But new research reveals that ditching a high-fat diet causes chemical changes in the brain that could make you vulnerable to a cycle of bingeing and fasting.

Scientists from the University of Montreal said their results suggested going on a diet could have a similar effect on the brain as drug withdrawal. Study leader Dr Stephanie Fulton said: 'By working with mice, whose brains are in many ways comparable to our own, we discovered that the neurochemistry of the animals who had been fed a high fat, sugary diet were different from those who had been fed a healthy diet. 'The chemicals changed by the diet are associated with depression. A change of diet then causes withdrawal symptoms and a greater sensitivity to stressful situations, launching a vicious cycle of poor eating.'

Forget mouth-to-mouth: Giving chest pumps alone saves MORE heart attack victims and reduces risk of brain damage

Most of us have seen the arresting TV ad starring hard man Vinnie Jones illustrating (in his unique rough and ready manner) how best to resuscitate a cardiac arrest victim. The advert shows him foregoing mouth-to-mouth, instead to explaining how apply chest compressions.

The idea is that mouth-to-mouth is often ineffective if performed by an untrained member of the public. It also gets in the way of the crucial chest compression’s need to keep the victim’s heart beating. Now, Japanese researchers say chest compressions alone really do save more lives - and can reduce the risk of brain damage.

They found that CPR recipients were actually more likely to survive with good brain function if they received hands-only or compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compared with traditional CPR with chest compressions and rescue breathing.

The latest findings suggest hands-only CPR is more effective than traditional CPR in emergency situations, adding that not only is hands-only CPR easier to learn, it is more comfortable to perform on a stranger.

The cancer girl cured by the HIV virus: Seven-year-old makes extraordinary recovery after U.S. doctors re-wire her immune system to destroy leukaemia cells

In April this year, Emily Whitehead's family had almost given up hope. The brave six-year-old had been fighting leukaemia for two years, only to relapse for a second time during intensive chemotherapy treatment in February.

Doctors had exhausted all the traditional treatments as Emily could not remain in remission for long enough to attempt a bone marrow transplant. So her desperate parents, Kari and Tom, started looking at more radical options. 'We made the decision that we needed to go somewhere else,' said Mrs Whitehead. 'We needed to try something new, different and cutting-edge.' So they turned to the Cancer Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which is involved in testing a pioneering new therapy.

Doctors suggested they sign Emily up to a clinical trial that would use a disabled form of HIV to carry cancer-fighting genes into her T-cells (disease fighting cells). The hope was that this would re-programme her immune system to recognise the cancer cells and start killing them.

Hundreds of women may be losing healthy babies due to mistaken diagnosis of miscarriage

Hundreds of women may be losing healthy babies every year because they are incorrectly diagnosed as having suffered a miscarriage, experts have warned.

Modern home pregnancy tests are now so sensitive that women are discovering they are pregnant earlier - meaning many who fear they have miscarried are attending hospital at an earlier stage than in the past. Because a hospital scan cannot detect the earliest signs of life, it may fail to pick up a present heartbeat, leading doctors to remove a healthy foetus, according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. As many as 400 women may be losing healthy babies every year because of a mistaken diagnosis of miscarriage.

Glasgow University's Mary Ann Lumsden - who helped to develop new guidance published by NICE today - said in more than half of those cases the misdiagnosis was the result of ultra-sensitive home pregnancy tests.

Magnetic tongue stud warning

Young people are being warned about the dangers of magnetic tongue studs, after reports of serious medical emergencies.

The head teacher of St Matthew's Roman Catholic High School has sent out an alert to parents and spoken to pupils. The studs give the wearer the look of a tongue piercing but without a hole. If accidentally swallowed, the magnets - designed to be worn either side of the tongue - can stick together, trapping parts of the intestine and leading to perforation of the bowel. While magnetic facial studs can be bought online, schoolchildren are thought to be fashioning their own tongue versions using magnetic earrings and ball bearings from toy puzzles.

Sugar 'comforts babies during immunisations'

It appears that sugar really may help the medicine go down - studies suggest a few drops can comfort babies who are having their jabs.

The Cochrane team reviewed 14 studies involving more than 1,500 infants going for routine childhood immunisations or a heel-prick blood test.  Babies given a sugary solution to suck as they were about to be injected cried far less than those given water.  While sugar may pacify, it is unclear if it also relieves pain.  Experts say more research is needed to explore this.

Girl, 7, cured of leukaemia after scientists 'reprogramme' immune cells to destroy the cancer

A seven-year-old girl has been 'cured' of leukaemia after a new therapy in which her T-cells — the immune system's killer cells — were bio-engineered to become 'guided missiles' to seek out and destroy the leukaemia, a new study shows. She had relapsed following conventional treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which can sometimes avoid detection by the T-cells.

Ken Campbell, Clinical Information Officer at Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, said the results of the study were encouraging for both children and adults diagnosed with leukaemia.  'Treatments which modify the body’s own immune system to fight leukaemia have shown much promise in recent years,' he said.  'What is significant about [the] therapy is that the severe side-effects associated with this form of treatment seem to be greatly reduced when combined with other drugs. 'This is a small study of just 12 patients. Larger clinical trials are needed to determine how effective this treatment could be and as a result it should be some time before it is available in the UK.'

Meningitis link to smoking in pregnancy: Cigarettes can treble child’s chance of developing the disease

Smoking during pregnancy can treble the baby’s chance of developing meningitis, researchers warn, and children exposed to smoke from a parent’s cigarettes at home are twice as likely to have the deadly illness.

Scientists estimate that more than 600 children a year in Britain develop meningitis as a result of their parents’ second-hand smoke. They think that passive smoking gradually weakens children’s immune system making them more susceptible to the illness.

Every year around 2,500 people develop meningitis a year in Britain although it is most common in the under 5s. Up to 1 in 20 die and 1 in 6 are left severely disabled.

Meanwhile the latest NHS figures show that 13 per cent of women who give birth are smokers -or 95,000 new mothers in Britain a year.

Unemployed single mother on benefits who spends £2,000 on Christmas with 20 presents for each of her children

While many families are worrying about how to afford Christmas this year, one jobless single mother has revealed she receives so much in benefits she has £2,000 to spend on designer gifts, clothes and partying.

Mother-of-two Leanna Broderick plans to buy 20 presents for each of her children, including Burberry and Ralph Lauren outfits, iPads and gold jewellery. The 20-year-old, who has never worked, claims nearly £15,500 a year in state handouts.

She claims she is better off on benefits and would not get a job unless she could continue her luxury lifestyle, which includes designer outfits, holidays abroad, clubbing, lunches out and expensive gifts for her daughters Zelekah, two, and Zakirah, one. ‘Last year, I saved £2,500 and my kids had 50 presents each, including Burberry and Ralph Lauren clothes and dolls, DVDs and CDs.  ‘This year, I’ve saved £2,000 and they’ll get 20 presents each, including iPads and a new Disney-themed bedroom to share, with designer wall art and bed linen,’ she said. She is also buying gold earrings for Zelekah, who has pierced ears, and keeping £300 for the sales and £150 for a New Year’s Eve outing.