No Charges Against Family In Gorilla Death

An Ohio prosecutor said he will not charge the family of a three-year-old boy who got into a Cincinnati Zoo exhibit, leading to the fatal shooting of an endangered gorilla.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said in an afternoon news conference the "attentive" mother cannot be held responsible because the boy scampered off.

"If anyone doesn't believe a three-year-old can scamper off very quickly, they've never had kids," Mr Deters said.

"Because they can. And they do." 

Legal experts had said prosecution on child endangerment or similar charges seemed unlikely. 

The boy apparently climbed over the barrier on 28 May before falling about 15ft into a shallow moat.

A special response team shot and killed the gorilla, 17-year-old Harambe, after concluding the boy's life was at stake.

The zoo says it was the first such breach in Gorilla World's 38 years of existence.

The exhibit will reopen on Tuesday with a higher, reinforced barrier.

The parents welcomed Mr Deters' announcement that there would be no charges.

"The family is very pleased with this decision; it is what we expected," said their statement, reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"This is one more step in allowing us to put this tragic episode behind us and return to our normal family life."

A family spokesperson said there are no plans to pursue a lawsuit against the zoo.

But the US Department of Agriculture is investigating the safety and operation of the attraction.

Banksy Surprises Children With School Mural

Elusive street artist Banksy has secretly painted a mural on a classroom wall after the school named one of its houses after him.

The 14ft artwork of a child with a stick chasing a burning tyre was created on the side of the building during the half-term holidays.

The piece, which has been confirmed as genuine, was discovered by site manager Jason Brady at Bridge Farm Primary in Bristol at 6.55am on Monday.

Headmaster Geoff Mason told Sky News he was "thrilled" by the design and insisted he did not know the artist was turning up beforehand.

Banksy also left a letter addressed to the caretaker where he thanked the school for "naming a house after me".

Pupils copy the design secretly left by Banksy

The artist added: "Please have a picture. If you don't like it feel free to add stuff, I'm sure the teachers won't mind.

"Remember - it's always easier to get forgiveness than permission. Much love, Banksy."

Pupils had taken part in a competition to name the school's houses, with the winners being Brunel, Cabot, Blackbeard and Banksy.

Charlie Luka, seven, won the competition to name one of the houses Banksy, and wrote to the secretive Bristol artist to tell him.

He said: "When I came into school this art showed up on the wall and I was so surprised.

"It's here because I won Banksy for the house design. I chose Banksy because he is so creative. I was so shocked and amazed."

Site manager Jason Brady found the artwork

Mr Mason said: "It was lovely that he responded to the children's letter and we're thrilled he has paid us a visit and left us our beautiful mural."

He added: "It was a shock when we suddenly found on our wall this mural. We didn't know he was coming. I had a phone call to say we had a visit from him.

"We were hoping we would get a response for the children but we weren't expecting anything on his scale, so it's fantastic."

Mr Mason said there are plans to put a transparent covering over the mural and then the pupils could add their own artwork on top.

Playboy Mansion Sold To Billionaire Neighbour

Playboy fans everywhere are mourning the end of an era as Hugh Hefner's iconic Los Angeles mansion is sold to the billionaire businessman who lives next door.

Private equity boss, Daren Metropoulos, 32, is to become the new owner of the vast 29-room property, representatives for Playboy Enterprises and Mr Metropoulos have confirmed.

Both sides have refused to reveal the sale price until the deal is completed.

As part of the sale, Hugh Hefner must remain at the mansion

However, some reports suggest it went for roughly $110m (£76.1m), significantly less than the $200m it was originally listed at.

Mr Metropoulos, who is the co-owner of the Hostess Brands, maker of the American snack Twinkies, bought the house next door from Mr Hefner in 2009 for £18m.

He reportedly plans to merge the two 1920s-era properties, creating an enormous 7.3 acre compound.

But the development will have to wait as, under the terms of the sale, Playboy Magazine's 90-year-old founder will remain in the mansion for the rest of his life.

"If the purchase closes and at some point after Mr Hefner's tenancy ends, Mr Metropoulos intends to reconnect the two estates ..." Metropoulos' business, Metropoulos & Co, said in a statement.

"In the meantime, he is pleased to continue to have Mr Hefner as his neighbour and feels fortunate and privileged for the opportunity to serve as a steward of this historic property."

The Playboy mansion, once the scene of countless debauched celebrity-filled parties, sits on five acres in LA's Holmby Hills.

It is home to a game house, home theatre, wine cellar, gym, tennis court, swimming pool, four-bedroom guest house and the infamous Playboy grotto.

The property was originally bought by Playboy Enterprises in 1971 for $1.05m.

At that time, the purchase was the largest real estate transaction in Los Angeles history.

Turkey Sinks Airbus In Aegean To Boost Tourism

An Airbus A300 has been sent to the bottom of the Aegean Sea in the hope it will become a diving reef and revive the Turkish tourism industry.

The 47-ton plane, which was bought from a private company for about £64,295 was submerged on Saturday off the coast of Kusadasi, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.

Its journey began in Istanbul in April, where the 54m aircraft was divided into parts and taken by truck to the seaside resort town in western Turkey.

Divers and cranes then lowered the 36-year-old plane into the sea, as people and passing ships stopped to watch.

Two-and-a-half hours later, the plane was 75ft underneath the surface, where it is hoped it will lure fish and tourists in droves.

It comes as Turkey's tourism industry suffers due to security concerns and its worsening relationship with Russia, which forms a key part of the market.

There have been a series of deadly suicide bombings during recent months, a renewed conflict with Kurdish fighters in the southeast and the continuing war across its southern border in Syria.

Officials say the number of foreign visitors to the country was down by nearly 30% in April.

Turkish authorities recently sunk three other planes off the coast and other artificial reefs include the USS Oriskany, an aircraft carrier which lies in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida.

Another example is The Cedar Pride, a Lebanese merchant vessel that was damaged by fire in 1982 while in Jordan.

In 1985, Jordan's king took charge of the abandoned - but still floating - ship, had its oil and hazards removed and then scuttled it.

It now sits 82ft deep in the Red Sea.

Nigeria's ex-leader 'investigated for corruption'

Nigeria's ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has said he has been investigated for corruption by his successor Muhammadu Buhari's government.

"Of course, obviously, they investigated and I’ve been investigated,” he said in a Bloomberg Television interview. 

He declined to say what the investigations might reveal, saying he wanted to leave Mr Buhari's government to do its job. 

Mr Buhari has accused former government officials of stealing billions of dollars, but Mr Jonathan said his administration had done "very well" in curbing corruption.  

Mr Jonathan denied Mr Buhari's claim that he left behind a "virtually empty treasury" when he left office last year. 

“There’s no way he would have inherited an empty treasury. It’s not possible,” he said.  

Mr Jonathan was succeeded by Mr Buhari last May. He was the first president to hand power voluntarily after losing elections. 

Ambulances Destroyed In Surrey Hospital Fire

Three ambulances have been destroyed by fire at a hospital in Surrey.

Aerial footage shows the burnt-out remains of the vehicles outside East Surrey Hospital in Redhill.

It is understood that the fire started in one vehicle at around 2.15pm, before spreading to the other two, which were carrying gas canisters.

Fire crews could be seen spraying the wreckage using water hoses, with other ambulances stationed nearby.

Motorist Jeni Comeau told the Surrey Mirror at the time: "I can see lots of thick, black smoke.

Three ambulances have been destroyed by fire at the hospital

"I pulled over to call my friend because she has gone to the hospital with her son.

"She's in the paediatrics unit and I didn't know if she needs to get out.

"There are so many police cars, ambulances and fire engines going into the hospital right now.

"Some lady just said it was a gas explosion - gas canisters - but I don't know what's going on."

The fire has forced the hospital to close its doors to emergency cases, diverting seriously ill people to nearby accident and emergency units.

Michael Wilson, chief executive of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust, which runs the hospital, said: "There were no patients involved and all patients and staff are safe.

"The police, fire and ambulance services were on site within a few minutes and the fire is now under control.

"Currently the hospital is closed to emergencies and patients are being diverted through South East Ambulance Service."

African Union troops in Somalia arrested for selling military supplies

Five soldiers with the African Union mission in Somalia (Amisom) and 10 Somalis have been arrested for selling military equipment, police say.

They were found with improvised detonators, fuel, sandbags and empty ammunition boxes.

Amisom confirmed the arrests saying it would not accept "unprofessional conduct among its personnel". 

The mission is fighting alongside Somali government forces against al-Shabab Islamist militants.

Africa Live: BBC news updates

This is the first time African Union troops have been arrested in Somalia since Amisom was established nine years ago, our correspondent says.

The authorities say the five AU soldiers are from Uganda, which has the largest number of troops in the 22,000-strong mission.

The police said they caught the men as they were trying to sell the equipment to civilians.

Surveillance

Somalia's police chief Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud told reporters that the Amisom troops had been under surveillance for a while after allegations that they were involved in the illegal trade. 

''The Somali police have been investigating repeated claims that equipment and other resources meant for the Amisom forces were ending up in the hands of people who were misusing them," he said.

Somalia's Interior Minister Abdirizak Omar Mohamed said the sale of equipment may "explain why insecurity is increasing in Somalia". 

The 15 men are expected to appear in court in Mogadishu soon.