Palin's Husband Injured In Snow Machine Crash

Sarah Palin's husband has been seriously injured in a snow machine crash.

Todd Palin was recovering in an intensive care unit, the former Alaska governor told Donald Trump supporters at a campaign event in Florida on Monday.

Mrs Palin, who is expected to fly back to Alaska later on Monday, did not provide details on her husband's condition, only describing the incident as a "big wreck".

Earlier, the Trump campaign said in a statement that Mrs Palin would be "returning to Alaska to be with her husband and looks forward to being back on the campaign trail soon".

"Mr Trump's thoughts and prayers are with the Palin family at this time."

The former governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate cancelled a rally at The Villages, near Orlando, before making her scheduled appearance at a town hall in Tampa.

Mrs Palin officially endorsed Mr Trump in January.

She appeared on the GOP front runner's behalf at a rodeo and strawberry festival in Florida on Sunday.

Pair 'Accidentally' Shot Dead In Wildlife Park

An Italian father and son have been shot dead by a ranger in Zimbabwe, after being mistaken for elephant poachers, a wildlife agency has said.

Claudio Chiarelli and his son Max Chiarelli were members of the volunteer anti-poaching organisation, Zambezi Society.

The pair were on patrol in Mana Pools National Park on Sunday when they were shot, said the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. 

The two men had been with a group sent out to relieve a team of rangers deployed the previous day to follow a trail of suspected poachers.

"The rangers ... saw movement in the thicket, heard voices and opened fire, accidentally shooting and killing on the spot the pair," the parks agency said.

"Unbeknown to them these were fresh deployments who had come to replace the rangers and had stopped to attend to a mechanical problem on their vehicle."

It said investigations were under way. An official from the Italian embassy in Harare confirmed the deaths.

The official said Claudio Chiarelli, a professional hunter, had been taking eight park rangers in his vehicle to relieve the previous group.

It is understood he had lived in Zimbabwe since 1982 and his son had been born in the southern African country.

Mana Pools adjoins the Zambezi River, which runs along Zimbabwe's border with Zambia.

Authorities have for years been battling poachers, most of whom come from Zambia and who have recently been using cyanide to kill elephants.

Poachers cut off the dead animals' tusks and sell them to dealers for up to £45,500/kg according to conservationists.

The ivory is ultimately used for ornamental carving in China and other parts of east Asia.

RAF drill sparked 'real world' crash rumours

An RAF drill was mistaken for a real event and sparked reports of a tornado crash and ejections on social media.

An exercise at RAF Marham in Norfolk on Monday is understood to have included a call sign which was misinterpreted.

The RAF was forced to admit there had not been a "real world" incident shortly afterwards.

"We conducted a routine air safety drill involving RAF Marham's emergency services. We confirm there has been no actual incident," RAF Marham tweeted.

By mid-afternoon, tweets from various sources had claimed one of the two crew had ejected from the aircraft, and "witnesses reporting crashing tornado and ejections".

Shortly after 15:00 GMT, the RAF tweeted: "We can confirm there has been no "real-world" incident; ops continue, safely, as normal."

Efforts to end Syria war gain momentum five years on

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his defence minister to begin pulling out "the main part" of Russian troops in Syria.

The announcement came just hours after peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition got under way in the Swiss city of Geneva on Monday.

"The task presented to the defence ministry and the armed forces has been completely fulfilled," Putin told Sergei Shoigu, according to the state news agency TASS.

"Thus, I order the defence minister to begin withdrawing the main part of our troops from the Syrian Arab Republic."

Putin said he hoped the withdrawal of Russian troops from Tuesday will be a stimulus for a political resolution of the conflict.

"I hope today's decision will be a good signal for all conflicting parties. I hope it will sizeably increase trust of all participants in the process," he said.

"I ask the Russian foreign ministry to intensify Russia's participation in organising the peace process to solve the Syrian problem."

Shoigu said the Russian troops killed more than 2,000 rebel fighters, including 17 rebel leaders, since the start of the operation.

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, said Putin discussed and coordinated the decision with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

"Everything voiced at the meeting [of Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu] was told our Syrian colleagues and coordinated with President [Bashar] Assad," Peskov said.

Russian bases in Syria's Tartus and Khmeimim are to continue operating in routine regime, Putin said.

"Our bases - the naval base in Tartous and the airbase at the Khmeimim airfield - will operate in a routine mode. They are to be safely protected from the land, from the sea and from air," he said.

Those Russian soldiers who will stay in Syria will be engaged in monitoring the ceasefire regime, Putin said.

Pavel Felgenhauer, a Russia defence analyst, says Russia is seeking a compromise with the West.

"This is Russia's air force that is in action," he told Al Jazeera from Bucharest, Romania.

Man Jailed For Fatal Bulletproof Vest Stunt

A man who fatally shot his friend during a video stunt involving a bulletproof vest has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Mark Ramiro shot Darnell Mitchell in his Baltimore home in 2014 while they attempted to record the Jackass-style stunt, prosecutors said.

Authorities said both men had been drinking and using drugs when they decided to attempt the stunt and post the footage online.

Darnell Mitchell was killed in the stunt. Pic: Facebook

The plan called for Ramiro to fire a .22-calibre pistol at his friend who was wearing a bulletproof vest.

But prosecutors said Ramiro aimed too high and the bullet struck Mr Mitchell in the upper chest. He later died from the wound.

Ramiro rushed his friend to hospital, where he was arrested.

He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year.

The Baltimore Sun reported that two other men were in the basement at the time of the shooting.

Ramiro was the only person charged over Mr Mitchell's death.

His attorney argued that Ramiro should be spared jail and allowed to continue with a treatment programme.

Kim Kardashian’s Nude Selfie Is Now a Mural In Melbourne

Kim Kardashian West sparked a conversation about body imageand celebrity after posting a nude selfie on Instagram. So naturally, a two-story tall mural is recreating the picture in a Melbourne alley.

The massive mural of the reality TV star and selfie enthusiastappeared on the side of a building in Cremorne, a suburb of Melbourne, on Monday. A local street artist who goes by Lushsux is taking credit for the eyebrow-raising painting, which shows a nude Kardashian with black modesty bars transforming the image from R-Rated to merely PG-13.

The mural apparently upset a local worker who alerted local radio station 3AW to the massive nude selfie decorating the alleyway. The worker told 3AW that “nobody had been consulted about the mural being painted.” While the mural stands, Melbourne parents should probably brace themselves for a conversation about body image, proper uses of social media, and Kim Kardashian with their children (who have probably already seen it on the internet anyway).

Criminal Probe Into Kellogg Urinating Video

A criminal investigation has been launched after video emerged appearing to show someone urinating on an assembly line at a Kellogg factory.

The breakfast cereals maker said it learned of the graphic footage on Friday and "immediately" alerted law enforcement and US regulators.

"We are outraged by this completely unacceptable situation, and we will work closely with authorities to prosecute to the full extent of the law," the company said in a statement.

The US Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigation is looking into the incident, Kellogg said.

The company said its own investigation determined the video was recorded at its Memphis, Tennessee, factory in 2014.

The footage posted online appeared to show a man urinating on the assembly line, before panning to a sign with the Kellogg logo.

The company said the food items potentially impacted "would be very limited and past their expiration dates".

Kellogg has not identified the person in the video, a spokeswoman said.