World Briefs

A British skier who went missing in the Alps on Christmas Day has died after being caught in an avalanche, French police said.

The body of Nigel Jackson, who was staying in the resort of Chamonix, was found by a rescue team on Boxing Day.

Police said Mr Jackson, 43, was discovered just off piste and had been caught in an avalanche.

Mr Jackson, who was originally from Liverpool but had moved to London, is believed to have gone skiing on Christmas Day with his girlfriend and two friends despite bad weather and very poor visibility. He was found the next day in a part of the resort which is known for its gentle ski runs and is accessible to skiers of all levels.

A police spokesman said: "We found the body of a British man on Saturday afternoon at Le Tour Col de Balme. It was clear he had been caught in an avalanche. A search was launched at around 5.30 p.m. on Friday when one of his friends raised the alarm." (PA)

Tallest man seeking love

The world's tallest man says it is high time he found love. The eight feet one inch towering Turk is ready to fall head over heels.

But finding the right girl is proving a tall order.

Guinness World Records unveiled Sultan Kosen as the tallest human on the planet back in September.

At the time he said he was hoping his new-found fame would bring him love for the first time.

He has since toured the world and been interviewed for countless television shows, newspapers and magazines.

In Greece - one of his favourite countries - he met Betty Kourakou, a top model, as well as Petroula Kostidou, who delivers the weather forecast in her underwear.

He also starred on a daytime chatshow where the audience was made up of beautiful models who were all between 1.85 metres and 1.90 metres tall.

But alas, his search for true love continues.

"My quest is ongoing," he said.

"I still haven't found a girlfriend.

"I had a fantastic time (on tour), especially in Greece, because I met a nice Greek girl called Dora, but no contact since." (PA)

£107m bill for police rail travel

More than 34,000 Metropolitan Police and City of London officers enjoy free travel on trains up to 70 miles from the capital.

Officers show their warrant card to ticket inspectors to obtain free travel, even when off duty.

The two forces have negotiated a new deal with train companies after facing pressure from the government to review its rising cost. It came after they were forced to pay a premium price of £24 million for a one-year extension to the perk in the last financial year.

The cost first spiralled in 2006 when HM Revenue and Customs reversed an earlier decision and said free travel was taxable.

Officials faced an £8 million annual tax bill but reduced this by paying a higher sum to the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc).

Free travel for officers was introduced on the Tube and buses in London in the early 1970s and it was extended to overground trains in 2002. Senior officers believe it helps to recruit and retain officers who live outside London while cutting on the railways. (PA)

Ancient Chinese ruler tomb 'found'

Archaeologists in China claim to have found the tomb of Cao Cao, a legendary ruler who features as a cunning politician in folklore stories.

They have excavated a 740-square metre chamber in Xigaoxue, a village in Henan province, according to the China Daily newspaper.

Cao Cao's military talents in the third century AD led him to be the inspiration behind many popular stories.

Several unscrupulous villains in operas and historical novels are based on him.

In one fictional tale, he is quoted as saying: "Better for me to wrong the world than for the world to wrong me."

Officials excavating the tomb found the remains of a man aged around 60, and the bodies of two women. The bones suggest Cao, who died in 220 AD, was burried alongside his empress and servant, the archaeologists said. (PA)

Al Qaeda responsible for kidnapping

Al Qaeda's north African wing said yesterday it was responsible for the kidnapping this month of an Italian couple in Mauritania, Al Arabiya television reported.

Salah Abu Mohamed, a spokesman for in the Islamic Maghreb, said in an audiotape recorded on December 27 the seizure of the Italians was connected to the "crimes of the Italian government in Afghanistan and Iraq," Al Arabiya said.

The television channel posted on its website a photograph of the couple surrounded by armed men.

Italy's government said the report would not affect efforts to secure the release of the couple, whose bullet-ridden car was discovered on December 19 in eastern Mauritanian, an area where armed groups with links to al Qaeda are known to operate.(Reuters)