Posts by Ellie

A Los Angeles chef has invented a tomato ketchup slice because he was fed up with soggy burger buns.

Ernesto Uchimura, head chef at LA restaurant Plan Check created the handy sized squires  - named ‘Ketchup Leather’ - by blending tomato paste, soy sauce, garlic and spices and drying it out in the oven.

A video showing the process shows the chef spreading the paste in large tins before cooking and cutting them into bun-sized squares.

The video shows Chef Ernesto topping Plan Check's signature burger with the Ketchup Leather, bacon, mixed pickles, schmaltz onions, a fried egg, and a homemade American dashi cheese.

Chef Ernesto creates the squares by drying a tomato paste mixture in the oven (YouTube/Food Steez)

And when the ketchup square comes into contact with the hot juicy burger it apparently melts and rehydrates itself. 

However, the reaction to the culinary invention was a little lukewarm.

“I want to open my heart but I fear change,” wrote user Pourmecoffee, while Leigh Luna tweeted: “LA I just want a burger, not whatever leather ketchup is- Help.”

And Ian Bogost asked: “Are soggy burgers a problem? Wouldn't ketchup leather sog when it reconstitutes anyway?”

Twitter user Laura Silverman added: “Hold the "ketchup leather" pretentious burger restaurant, I just peeled some fresh off the top of a bottle I found in the back of my fridge.”

Pope Francis has declared in a sermon that Christmas this year will be a “charade” because “the whole world is at war”.

The pontiff’s speech at the Vatican came after terrorist attacks in France claimed the lives of 129 people; a Russian plane was bombed and dozens of people were killed in a double suicide attack in Lebanon.

Speaking during Mass at the Casa Santa Maria, he said: “We are close to Christmas. There will be lights, there will be parties, bright trees, even Nativity scenes - all decked out - while the world continues to wage war.

“It's all a charade. The world has not understood the way of peace. The whole world is at war.

“A war can be justified, so to speak, with many, many reasons, but when all the world as it is today, at war, piecemeal though that war may be - a little here, a little there - there is no justification.”

The sermon cast a serious note on the beginning of the festive season at the Vatican where a giant Christmas tree was unveiled - set to be decorated by December 8 - the start of the the Vatican's Holy Year.

Pope Francis also spoke of the “innocent victims” of war and also condemned arms dealers for their role in world conflicts.

"What shall remain in the wake of this war, in the midst of which we are living now?" he asked. "What shall remain? Ruins, thousands of children without education, so many innocent victims, and lots of money in the pockets of arms dealers.

Andrew Neil has blasted the “scumbags” of ISIS in a rant on BBC show This Week.

The former newspaper editor labelled the so-called Islamic State, “Islamic Scumbags”, adding: “Whatever atrocities you're currently capable of committing, you will lose.

“In 1,000 years' time Paris, that glorious city of lights, will still be shining bright, as will every other city like it.

“While you will be as dust, along with the ragbag of Fascists, Nazis and Stalinists who have previously dared to challenge democracy and failed.”

The rant, which has been shared thousands of times on Twitter, was delivered late last night on BBC politics show This Week in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks which claimed the lives of 129 people last Friday.  

“Welcome to This Week,” began Neil. “The week in which a bunch of loser jihadists slaughtered 132 innocents in Paris to prove the future belongs to them rather than a civilisation like France.

“Well I can't say I fancy their chances,” he declared, adding that France is the country of “Descartes, Monet, Cézanne and Gauguin,” name checking a slew of scientific and cultural names along with French fashion designers, food and musicians. 

“Cutting edge science, world class medicine, fearsome security forces, nuclear power, Coco Chanel, Chateau Lafite, Coq Au Vin, Daft Punk, Zizou Zidane, Juliette Binoche, liberté, égalité, fraternité, and crème brûlée,” he listed.

Andrew Neil on This Week, top pic (BBC/Twitter) and the Eiffel Tower lit up in the colours of the French flag in the wake of the Paris attacks (Rex)

And ISIS would have little chance, said Neil, with their “Beheadings, crucifixions, amputations, slavery, mass murder, medieval squalor, a death cult barbarity that would shame the Middle Ages.”

Despite Neil’s speech being shared 8,000 times, comic Jenny Eclair was first to criticise it as being too similar to a recent televised tirade from HBO host John Oliver. 

“@bbcthisweek @afneil this is a rip of viv the vastly superior John Oliver rant - sack your second hand script writers,” she wrote. 

However, the speech won many fans among social media. Caroline Morris tweeted: “Thank you Andrew for this excellent monologue - from the heart,” while Joani Walsh wrote: “Awesome. Freakin' awesome. Even more stirring than footie fans singing the Frenchie national anthem.”

“Proof that you can be opinionated on the BBC. @AfNeil superb as ever,” added Twitter user Iain Dale. 

Andrew Neil’s speech in full

Good evening all, welcome to This Week. A week in which a bunch of loser Jihadists slaughtered 132 innocents in Paris to prove the future belongs to them, rather than a civilisation like France. Well I can't say I fancy their chances.

'France - the country of Descartes, Boullée, Monet, Sartre, Rousseau, Camou, Renoit, Berlioz, Cezanne, Gogan, Hugo, Voltaire, Matisse, Debussy, Ravel, Sanson, Bizet, Satie, Pasteur, Moliere, Franc, Zola, Balzac, Poulenc.

'Cutting edge science, world class medicine, fearsome security forces, nuclear power, Coco Chanel, Chateau Lafite, coq au vin, Daft Punk, Zizou Zidane, Juliette Binoche, Liberté, égalité, fraternité, and creme brûlée.

'Versus what? Beheadings, crucifixions, amputations, slavery, mass murder, medieval squalor, a death cult barbarity that would shame the Middle Ages. Well I.S. or Daesh or ISIS or ISIL, or whatever name you're going by, I'm sticking with I.S. - as in 'Islamist Scumbags'. I think the outcome is pretty clear to everybody but you. Whatever atrocities you're currently capable of committing - you will lose.

A frustrated man has posted his passport photograph on Facebook to prove his rather unfortunate name is genuine.

Vietnamese-Australian Phuc Dat Bich, 23, told followers his Facebook account had been shut down “multiple times,” adding that he has been accused of using a “false and misleading name.”

He wrote: “I find it highly irritating the fact that nobody seems to believe me when I say that my full legal name is how you see it.

“I've been accused of using a false and misleading name of which I find very offensive. Is it because I'm Asian? Is it?

The Bank Of Australia worker’s name is actually pronounced “Phoo Da Bic.”

“Having my fb shut down multiple times and forced to change my name to my ‘real’ name, so just to put it out there. My name.”

His passport picture, which clearly shows his name, has received nearly 70,000 shares on the social networking site. 

The man has already received many messages of support from Facebook fans.

Craig Turner wrote: “Mate ignore any disbelievers as they are only jealous of your name we think it's the best name man can have!!”

Shocking footage has emerged of the moment a young bullfighter lost two teeth after a bull shoved one of its horns into his mouth.

Peruvian toreador Andres Roca Rey, 19, was participating in a traditional bullfight at a venue called Plaza Nuevo Progreso in the Mexican city of Guadalajara when he was attacked.

Andrea Roca Rey suffered broken teeth after a bull’s horn went into his mouth (CEN)

The ‘performance’, which saw Roca Rey end up on the ground several times, finished with the bull violently hitting the toreador with one of its horns, shoving it into his mouth and breaking two of his teeth.

Video footage shows the man with blood on his face being treated by one of the organisers.

The bullfighter was taken to a local hospital for treatment and medics said he was lucky not to have suffered a more serious injury.

The dramatic moment was captured on video (CEN)

They have put provisional implants into the man's mouth to prepare the tissue for his new teeth, which are due to be put in place within the following weeks.

Meanwhile the torero told local media that he is anxious to participate in his next bullfight due to take place on November 29 in order to rebuild his reputation.

Police arrived at a Gloucestershire pub in a riot van after a row over an overcooked steak got heated.

The dispute happened after Nicola Kendal, 42, received her 16oz T-bone steak “very well done and tough” rather than the “medium” style she requested.

She complained to staff and told them she would not cough up the £18.95 price for the dish, so was stunned when she was charged £10 for her steak when the bill came.

Amid the escalating row, landlady Joanne Keane pressed a discreet "panic button" under the bar - and police arrived to sort out the dispute.

Secretary Nicola claims she was threatened with arrest if she did not settle the bill and reluctantly paid up.

The management of the White Hart Inn at Iron Acton, south Gloucestershire, claim they were forced to request police help due to Nicola’s “threatening behaviour.”

But Nicola, from nearby Frampton Cotterell, denies this and claims the landlady was "rude and aggressive".

She said: "I had ordered a medium steak and when it came out I thought it was very well-done, overcooked and tough.

"A few minutes later I said to the waiter that I wasn't happy with the meal and the landlady came over and was rude and aggressive."

She was offered a fresh steak in exchange but says she refused it because she did not want to be eating after her friends had finished.

Nicola Kendal (top pic) had a row about an overcooked steak at the White Hart Inn in Iron Acton (SWNS)

"Then the bill came and I saw that she had charged me £10 for the steak," she said.

"We paid the rest of the bill, but I went over to her and said, 'I'm sorry, but I am not paying anything for my meal.'

"It went back and forth for a bit, and all of a sudden her partner said 'I've pressed the button, no one is leaving until the police arrive'.

"By this point I was scared and crying. I just couldn't understand what was happening."

The pub was placed into lockdown and Nicola claims two police cars and a "riot van" arrived shortly after 9.30pm last Thursday. 

Nicola claims she was threatened with arrest if she did not pay the outstanding £9.99.

She said: "I was just so shaken by it at this point. I eventually paid the money so I could just get out of there. My partner and my friends were horrified and gobsmacked by the situation.

"The landlady didn't say outright that I was barred, but suffice to say I won't be going back."

The row over a steak led to police being called (SWNS)

Landlady Joanne Keane insisted Nicola was "lairy and aggressive" during the row and she had a sense she would complain when she arrived.

She added: "She was rude to my young staff and we called the police because it was a situation I couldn't control.

"We have been in the pub for five years and this is the first time I have had to call the police in. I have never had someone go off the boil like that."

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said one car was sent to attend the incident.

A headteacher has asked parents not to smoke or swear at school gates after complaints from pupils.

Liz Bird, executive head of Eythorne Elvington Community Primary School in Dover, Kent, told parents that “appropriate language should be used in the vicinity.”

The request came via a school newsletter which read: “The school council have mentioned that parents are smoking and using inappropriate language when waiting at the school gates. We ask that smoking takes place well away from the school.”

The complaints were made by children at a school council meeting where kids at the 95 pupil school for 5-11-year-olds are able to air their views.

Mrs Bird told MailOnline: “It came out that children had heard some parents swearing. They brought it to the school council where they can share their concerns and can discuss them. They feel very strongly about these things.”

Liz Bird (top) and the school with the section in the November 2 newsletter (Google Maps/Eythorne Elvington website)

After a discussion with the pupils, it was agreed the problem should be brought up in the school newsletter.

Mrs Bird said: “It was probably only a small number (of adults swearing and smoking) and the children have said there hasn't been an incident since.

“With the parents seeing it is the children who have brought it up, it's going to have more of an impact than the school saying it.”

However, some parents were not too happy with the request, with one saying:  “The headteacher can't tell us how to behave - we're not her pupils.”

Another mother, however, applauded the head’s actions, telling the Mail: “Sometimes when I drop off my daughter I hear lots of bad language from some of the parents. 

An enterprising hamster used a glass bottle for his own personal doomsday shelter when an earthquake struck in Japan.

Twitter user @mnt0217 was playing with her furry friend when tremors hit, scattering books and sending furniture flying.

At first, the owner was unaware that the furry creature had scampered off into the glass bottle which was the perfect size to protect itself from the earthquake.

The hamster hid in a glass bottle during an earthquake (CEN)

But after checking her pet was okay, the owner took these adorable snaps of the hamster and posted them on Twitter.

One user on the social media network said: "What a good hamster! He’s got a great awareness of disaster procedures."

Another commented: "Where can I buy a bottled hamster?", while one user  said: "That would be a great way to carry them around."

The hamster was able to constrict himself in the bottle (CEN)

Yet another added: "All animals get scared when there’s an earthquake. My dog also finds a spot to hide in."

Getting a hamster into a bottle may seem a tight squeeze, but apparently the critters are equipped with strong muscles which allow them to contract their body and fit into the smallest of places.

Odds have been slashed for a white Christmas in Britain as the winter chill begins to hit this weekend.

With eight inches of snow predicted in some areas of the UK on Saturday and Sunday, odds on a white Christmas in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Belfast are all 4/1 while Edinburgh and Glasgow are 2/1.

Leeds is 7/2 and Cardiff is 5/1 for a white Christmas - the lowest odds so far this year, according to a Mirror Online report.  

Arctic winds in the wake of Storm Barney are likely to see British temperatures falling lower than Moscow this weekend, while parts of northern Scotland will see thick snow.

Ladbrokes spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said: “Storm Barney might be causing havoc in Blighty, but as far as the odds are concerned it looks like punters are in for a treat with an early festive flutter of snow this weekend.

“With Storm Barney bringing snow to the UK, it has seen punters dare to dream of a White Christmas already, which has seen the odds cut. “

Britain will experience a harsh winter (Rex Features)

Experts say the chilly conditions are due to the coldest Atlantic temperatures since records began 80 years ago and have previously predicted 36 days of snow or ice this winter. 

The Met Office has warned of Atlantic storms including gales, washouts and floods until the end of December.

Signage: Comedian Jeff Wysaski left signs in U.S. supermarkets (obvious plant/Imgur)

A comic has been attempting to help supermarket shoppers navigate the tricky fruit and vegetable aisles of supermarkets with his own ripeness guides.

However,  Jeff Wysaski’s suggestions are rather unusual to say the least, with one helpful tip on the edibility of pears reading: “Bite it. If it tastes gross, put it back.”

Luckily for supermarkets (and customers), Jeff’s signs are part of his latest public prank, shared on social networking site Imgur, with tips including how to test the ripeness of an eggplant

He advises: “1. Hold eggplant up to ear. 2. Listen. 3. Do you hear that? 4. It's the sound of people laughing at you because you're listening to an eggplant like a freakin' idiot.”

Don’t follow this: The comic advices biting into a pear to test its ripeness (obviousplant/Imgur)

Jeff, who goes by the handle ‘obviousplant’ on Imgur, plants the joke signs in public to “give people a laugh.”

And his latest stunt has been a viral hit with half a million views.

Another popular sign advices shoppers to bypass the cauliflower section entirely.

“How to tell is a cauliflower is ripe,” the note reads. “1. Who cares? 2. It’s cauliflower 3. You’re not going to eat this. 4. Just keep walking. 5. The cookies are on aisle 14.”

Advice: Cantaloupe and eggplant signs (obviousplant/Imgur)

Checking a watermelon involves placing the fruit under your shirt and pretending to be pregnant. 

“Slap tummy and exclaim ‘that’s my babyyy”, he advises, adding: “If you hear a hollow sound then call a doctor because ‘Hey Mama it’s melon time’.”

And when squeezing a cantaloupe for ripeness, ensure it doesn’t ‘scream’. 

The sign reads: “Did it scream? 4. Oops, that's some kid's head. 5. Put him down! 6. Walk away!”

Hollow sound? Jeff’s watermelon sign advises pretending pregnancy (obvious plant/Imgur)

The supermarket joke isn’t the first in Jeff’s public pranks, with the comic recently putting a lengthy dating advice sign in florists and notices on book drops.

However, Jeff has yet to be caught out in his public capers. “You'd be surprised how in their own worlds people are when they are out shopping,” he told Mail Online. “I’m sure I will get called out eventually, but so far nothing.”

Tesco have started to hand out free paper bags to some customers/Creative Comms

Tesco have launched a scheme to give free paper bags away to customers.

The supermarket giant’s plan comes weeks after the government introduced a 5p fee for plastic bags in a bid to reduce litter and protect wildlife.

However, while Tesco are giving its bags away free, retailers House Of Fraser and Debenhams have been slammed for introducing charges for their cardboard bags.  

Furious retailers accused the department stores of “cashing in on the law”, but the House Of Fraser maintains their bag charges are part of an ethical and moral decision.

Twitter user Brian Farmer shared a snap of a paper bag given to him free from Tesco/BrianfaFarmer/Twitter

Twitter user Jimmyyrw tweeted the store saying: “Absolutely disgusted! Just spent £180 on shoes and you have the audacity to make me pay 5p for a 'cardboard' bag #shocking.”

House Of Fraser responded: “We have made the ethical and moral decision to support the introduction of a charge on all bags. All proceeds will go to charity.”

Anthony Bongos added on the social networking site: “I can't understand why you are charging for paper carrier bags. This isn't the law, is it you cashing in on the law?”

While House Of Fraser is charging 5p for its bags, some customers are reporting a 10p fee at Debenhams, according to the Mail Online. 

House Of Fraser is charging 5p for its cardboard bags/Creative Comms

All this is in stark contrast to Tesco, who are handing out the environmentally friendly bags with the logo "love food hate waste" on the side along with a tip on how to keep food fresher for longer.  

Twitter user Brian Farmer tweeted an image of the freebie with the caption: “Staff at least one Tesco branch offering customers free paper carrier bags - which can be re-cycled.”

A source at Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told The Evening Standard the law allowed shops to give out free paper bags.

“The key thing is encouraging people to reuse bags,” they said. “The best thing to do is to have a plastic bag in your pocket.

An infestation of False Black Widow spiders have forced two London schools to close/Rex Features 

An infestation of spiders has forced the closure of two London primary schools.

Pupils at Thomas Buxton School and Osmani School in Tower Hamlets were sent home after false black widow spiders were found on the premises.

A false black widow spider bite can cause a painful and sometimes severe swelling but is generally not thought to be life threatening.

The Osmani School in Tower Hamlets has closed until Monday/Google maps

Both schools will be closed until Monday while the council works to remove the spiders and nests, according to The Evening Standard.

In a statement, Tower Hamlets Council said: “Pest control teams are currently on the premises of both schools, dealing with the infestation of false widow spiders. The spiders are not considered to be dangerous but do bite.

“Due to health concerns for staff and pupils the schools will be closed until next week. Please check the two schools’ websites for more information."

The Thomas Buxton School in East London also experienced the infestation/Google Maps

The spokesman continued: “If you are worried about the health of your child – in particular around spider bites – please do make sure that you refer your child to a local GP.”

False black widow spiders are not usually aggressive towards humans and being bitten by one is rare.

Aki Rahman plans to deliver curry takeaways by drone/SWNS

Your favourite takeaway curry could soon be winging its way to you via drone delivery, if restaurant boss Aki Rahman has his way.

The restaurant owner has applied for a Civil Aviation Authority licence to fly curry dishes straight to customers’ homes using the futuristic technology.

"I'm determined to beat Google and Amazon and be the first to use delivery drones," he said. 

“We’ve done a trial run to my grandmother’s house and it went really well.”

Aki, who owns The Don restaurant in Milton Keynes, plans to fly his chicken tikka masalas and vindaloos using a tough thermal takeaway bag which fits securely on the bottom rails of the four-propeller £650 DJI Phantom 3 drone.

He’s even practiced landing it gently to ensure even the lightest poppadom stays intact.

Takeaway currys could be delivered in a whole new fashion/Creative Comms

The enterprising 30-year-old will track the progress of the drone with a specialist camera, with customers getting the chance to see footage of their food being delivered.

Permission is needed from the CAA to use the aircraft for commercial purposes and to fly with a camera within congested areas.

Aki said: "I'm 80 per cent sure I will be allowed. But if not, I will stick to delivering in rural, open areas - perhaps delivering to a park if people want a special occasion picnic.”

The Don only opened four months ago and prides itself on offering "real" Indian cuisine without colourings or additives.

Craig Finn was left with severe burns and a leg amputated/SWNS

A man who set his friend on fire for a prank - causing him to lose a leg - has been jailed for five years.

Craig Finn fell asleep on his bathroom floor in in Spennymoor, County Durham after a night drinking with friends when James Gillibrand set him on fire in what has been described as “a prank that went horribly wrong”.

Durham Crown Court heard how Gillibrand poured 200ml turpentine fluid on his friend’s legs and buttocks, before igniting kitchen roll and setting him on fire.

The burns were so severe that Finn was left fighting for his life in hospital before having to have his left leg amputated below the knee.

Gillibrand, 25, of Seaham, was today jailed for five years and three months after admitting GBH without intent and committing arson reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Prosecutor Richard Bennett said: “There was no bad blood or malice between the complainant and the defendant. The crown's view has always been that this was a prank that went horribly wrong.

“When the complainant woke in hospital he recalled he had needed to go to the toilet. The last thing he recalls is passing out on the bathroom floor.”

Craig Finn pictured heavily bandaged in hospital/SWNS

Mr Bennett described how Gillibrand took pictures of Finn on his phone before closing the bathroom door, leaving him to be engulfed in the flames. 

He then called emergency services but played down Finn’s injuries, saying he had burned himself on a cigarette, meaning no ambulance was dispatched until the next morning when Finn’s housemate woke up and saw the extent of the burns. 

Finn was taken to Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary in February 2014 where doctors had to amputate his left leg below the knee, while his right ankle had to be reconstructed.  

He remained in a coma for a month suffering 70 per cent third degree burns across his lower body and minor burns to his arms and face. 

In a victim impact statement reported by MailOnline; Finn told the court: “I still can't sleep at night as I am scared to go to sleep because of the bad dreams I suffer from. I dream about being set on fire and I have the fear of dying.

“I have problems with trust, James was a good friend who I always stuck by, even when he fell out with others.

“In the future, if I was to have children of my own, I worry that I would not be able to look after them because of my injury.

“My life has changed forever. Every morning I have to wake up and put my leg on.”

Craig Finn told the court his life “has changed forever”/SWNS

Defending, Barry Robson said: “This is a tragic case particularly that there was no malice involved from Mr Gillibrand, it was not a revenge attack.

“He did not realise how serious the injuries were and thought it was a good idea at the time but is now appalled by the injuries he has caused.

“He apologises to the family of Mr Finn and Mr Finn himself for what they have been put through.”

Judge Simon Hickey said there was no sentence which could do justice to what Mr Finn had suffered.

He said: “To lose a leg in that way will always affect that man. When he looks forward to becoming a father and a family man he said he does not know how he will cope.

“His mother spoke about how she had to watch him suffer in hospital, and saw him attached to machines, I can't imagine what that must be like.”

A freak hailstorm in an Argentinian province caused hundreds of thousands pounds worth of damage to cars and property.

Huge ice balls weighing up to two kilogrammes (4.4 lbs) rained down in the north-eastern province of Entre Rios.

The storm only lasted a few minutes but telephone lines were cut and roofs badly damaged in the city of Conscripto Bernardi which was one of the worst areas to be affected.

Some of the ice stones were the size of tennis balls/CEN

Shocked resident Johana Monsalvo filmed the potentially-lethal ice balls - some the size of tennis balls - hammering down around her house in Conscripto Bernardi and the footage was also show on TV channel C5N.

Head of Civil Defence for the province, Roberto Destri, confirmed that Conscripto Bernardi was one of the localities worst affected by the storm, which caused "trees, branches and cables to come down."

The climatic phenomenon of sudden rain, wind and hail also badly affected nearby town Parana, where a roof was torn off.

One resident filmed the storm which only lasted ten minutes/CEN

However, it only lasted only a few minutes before it suddenly stopped.

Destri said that although properties were damaged, nobody was harmed or had to abandon their homes.

He said: "The authorities are working at the scene to help the locals fix their homes, but we want to highlight that there were no families evacuated."

Jihadi John is though to have been killed in U.S. airstrikes/Rex Features

The Islamic State (IS) executioner known as Jihadi John, real name Mohammed Emwazi, rose to notoriety when he first appeared in a video showing the death of an American hostage. Following U.S. airstrikes which yesterday may have claimed Emwazi’s life, here is a timeline of events, starting with the days leading up to that execution.

-Summer 2014 - A rescue mission fails to free US journalist James Foley from a secret location where he is being held by IS. The 40-year-old American was captured two years earlier.

-August 13: Mr Foley's family receive a message that he will be murdered.

-August 19: al-Furqan Media, which is controlled by the terror group, releases a video appearing to show Mr Foley's killing. His death apparently happened some time during the previous week. Social media bosses are forced to act swiftly in banning both the video and still images of the beheading, while concerns mount for fellow reporter and captive Steven Sotloff, who is seen pleading for the US to stop air strikes in Iraq at the end of the video.

-August 20: Prime Minister David Cameron cuts short a family holiday to hold meetings in Downing Street over the “shocking and depraved” murder. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama remains defiant over his country's war on terror. He says: “We will be vigilant and we will be relentless.”

-August 21: Mr Foley's killer is reported to be a British man who goes under the moniker ‘Jihadi John.’

-September 2: Mr Cameron condemns the “disgusting and despicable” video apparently showing Mr Sotloff in an orange jumpsuit being beheaded by IS militants. The alleged killer speaks with a British accent, prompting suggestions he is the man who murdered Mr Foley. It emerges that a British hostage, now known to be aid worker David Haines, is also under threat.

-September 4: At the start of a Nato summit in Wales, leaders of the Western alliance show a united front in response to terror threats. Mr Cameron and Mr Obama insist they will not weaken in the face of threats from IS terrorists. The Prime Minister refuses to rule out joining the US in air strikes on IS. He says Britain must “use everything we have in our armoury” to squash the terrorists out of existence.

-September 5: Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says the Government will not hold back on launching air strikes, adding the threats to Mr Haines's life by his captors will not deter the UK from taking action. The Nato summit ends with a pledge to “degrade and defeat” IS militants.

-September 9: Defence Secretary Michael Fallon confirms Britain will supply £1.6 million of machine guns and ammunition to Kurdish forces fighting IS militants in northern Iraq as part of an international effort to drive back the jihadists.

-September 10: Mr Obama authorises air strikes inside Syria for the first time as well as an expansion of strikes in Iraq.

-September 13: A video showing the murder of British aid worker Mr Haines is released. The film, which involves the 44-year-old saying Mr Cameron and former PM Tony Blair should be held responsible for his death, is widely condemned. It comes hours after Mr Haines's family issue a plea to his captors to contact them. The clip also includes a threat to kill a second British hostage.

-September 14: Mr Cameron calls an emergency meeting of the Cobra committee in the wake of the murder. The next British hostage, 47-year-old minicab driver Alan Henning, is named as the man shown in the video.

-September 19: Islamic militants release a propaganda video featuring a British hostage believed to be journalist John Cantlie.

-September 23: Islamic extremists release a new propaganda video appearing to feature Mr Cantlie. The clip is the second showing the journalist to be circulated by IS militants in less than a week. It comes as the US - backed by Arab allies - carries out its first wave of air strikes on IS militants in Syria.

-September 24: Britain appears ready to ramp up its military involvement in the struggle against IS, as Mr Cameron addresses the United Nations in New York.

-September 25: FBI director James Comey is reported to have confirmed that the identity of Jihadi John has been uncovered. However, he refuses to give the individual's name publicly.

-September 26: MPs vote by 524 to 43 to endorse attacks on the militants in Iraq in support of the United States-led coalition. The vote clears the way for RAF warplanes stationed in Cyprus to begin combat operations as soon as suitable targets are identified.

-September 27: RAF Tornado GR4 fighter bombers carry out their first sortie over Iraq since Parliament gave the green light for air strikes without finding any targets to attack.

-October 3: A video showing the brutal murder of Mr Henning, 47, by IS militants is posted on the internet. Mr Cameron vows to “hunt down” the “repulsive” terrorists responsible for the beheading.

-October 7: Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg claims he offered to help the Government secure the release of Mr Henning but was rebuffed. Mr Begg says he believed he knew those who held the murdered aid worker and had helped secure the release of hostages from extremists in Syria in the past.

-October 13: Mr Cantlie's sister urges IS to “restart dialogue” with his family.

-November 16: IS releases a video showing the beheading of American hostage Peter Kassig. The IS militant in the footage speaks with a London accent and appears to be Jihadi John. Mr Kassig was captured in Syria in October 2013 while providing medical training and humanitarian aid to victims of the country's conflict.                                                  2015 -January 20: A video is released in which Jihadi John is seen standing alongside two Japanese hostages and demanding a ransom in exchange for their release.

-January 24: The Japanese government seeks urgent clarification of a video purportedly showing the murder of one of the hostages, Haruna Yukawa.

-January 31: Footage emerges showing the beheading of the second Japanese hostage Kenji Goto. The executioner is again believed to be Jihadi John.

-February 3: Another video appears online appearing to show Jordanian air force pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh being burned alive by IS.

-February 26: An investigation by the Washington Post and the BBC identifies Jihadi John as Kuwait-born Mohammed Emwazi, a computer programming graduate from London. A director with British advocacy group Cage describes the terror suspect as “extremely kind, extremely gentle, and the most humble young person that I ever knew” based on previous encounters between the two.

-March 3: A recording emerges, believed to be of Emwazi, in which he talks of being "threatened” by British security services.

-March 15: Javier Espinosa, a Spanish journalist, tells Sky News he was subjected to a mock execution by Emwazi while being held in the extremists' stronghold in Aleppo, norther Syria. Espinosa was released after being held captive for six months.

-October 18: Cage admits it made mistakes in the way it handled Emwazi's case and the press conference it held in February.

Brian, the cat with three ears who was brought into a rescue centre on Monday/Feline Care Cat Rescue Facebook

There was something rather different about the handsome grey cat brought in to an animal rescue centre on Monday.

The kitty, named Brian after the man who found him, was discovered to have an extra ear - astonishing staff at Feline Care Cat Rescue in East Harling, Norfolk.

Cat rescue manager, Molly Farrar, 38, said: “We've cared for plenty of cats with one eye, three legs or six toes and several cats with no tail left but Brian's our first ever three-eared cat!”

The feline, thought to be between four and ten years old, was found after he kept setting off security alarms at a nearby tyre dealership.

“We expected it to be one of our own cats who'd been causing problems so this handsome, mature gentleman was quite a surprise to us,” added Ms Farrar.

Brian is thought to be between four and ten years old/ Feline Care Cat Rescue Facebook

It is unclear whether Brian is a stray cat or had simply got lost.

“He's obviously very distinctive with his extra little ear so someone must be missing him or would recognise him,” said Ms Farrar. 

“Brian's in a bit of a tatty and skinny state. He's been in the wars a bit and has a fractured canine tooth and ear mites so he obviously needs looking after.”

Brian, named after the man who found him on Monday, will be put up for adoption if his owners don't come forward to claim him.

Vet Marcus Wilson of Knotts Yard Veterinary Practice, who checked Brian over, put his third ear down to a birth defect.

Ms Farrar, who has been at the centre for nine years, said: “He's the first three-eared cat Marcus has seen in all his years of practice.”