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Officials released the names of four volunteer firefighters killed in last week's deadly fertilizer plant blast in the close-knit town of West, Texas, on Sunday. Authorities have now also identified the center but not the cause of last week's deadly fatal explosion. Meanwhile, hundreds of residents of the town, known locally for its Czech heritage, sought healing at church services. Among the dead named at a news conference outside city hall in West, Texas, were brothers Doug and Robert Snokhous, remembered by their family as 'lifelong best friends' who lived half a mile from each other and worked together at an ironworks in nearby Waco. Destruction: This apartment complex near the fertilizer plant was destroyed by the explosion on Wednesday Reflection: Residents of West bow their heads in prayer during an open air Sunday church service four days after the deadly explosion Assessment: Workers stand among debris at the remains of the fertilizer plant in West,

Not since 1962 has an avalanche in Colorado taken as many lives as the one that struck Saturday. Authorities have now released the names of the five victims of the 600-foot-wide slide. Clear Creek County Sheriff Don Krueger identified the victims Sunday as Christopher Peters, 32, of Lakewood; Joseph Timlin, 32, of Gypsum; Ryan Novack, 33, of Boulder; Ian Lanphere, 36, of Crested Butte; and Rick Gaukel, 33, of Estes Park. Another snowboarder, identified by friends as Jerome Boulay, was buried and survived, but authorities have not released his condition. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Sad: Rick Gaukel, 33, (left) one of the five victims in the April 20 avalanche, was a certified climbing guide and Ian Lamphere, 36, right with his infant child, was another victim and founder of a ski gear company One survivor: Joe Timlin, 32, (left) helped organize and was himself a victim at the ill-fated gathering, while fellow snowboarder Jerome Boulay (right) was the sole survivor of the 6

Holidays are set to get cheaper for British holidaymakers this summer as prices plummet at popular resorts across Europe. Despite the falling value of the pound, European resorts are desperately trying to entice British holidaymakers back in the wake of the Eurozone crisis. With prices down by up to 20 per cent in Spanish holiday hotspots and 15 per cent in the Algarve in Portugal, they have topped the list as the cheapest holiday destinations this season according to the Post Office Holiday Costs Barometer. Top spot, lowest price: Albufeira in the Algarve (pictured) is the cheapest of 20 holiday destinations as resort prices plummet across many European hotspots Measuring the cost of ten typical holiday items – including coffee, beer, cola, wine, mineral water, suncream, cigarettes and a three-course meal for two – the barometer found that Albufeira in the Algarve, Portugal was the cheapest of 20 holiday destinations because of its meal and drinks, closely followed by Costa del So

A mother is accused of having sex with a 15-year-old friend of her daughter. Police arrested Tiffany Maydew, 40, after high school officers were passed information about the alleged relationship with the teenage boy. Maydew, from Troutdale, Oregon, faces third-degree rape, sodomy and sex abuse charges. Investigators accuse Maydew of having sex with the boy throughout the city, according to KPTV. The age of consent in the state is 18 years old. The allegations were made when staff from the Department of Human Services contacted a Sam Barlow High School resource officer from the Gresham Police Department. When the teenager was contacted by the officer, he initially refused to discuss the allegations. The boy's mother was then contacted. Police told KPTV that he then admitted having sex with his friend's mother in her car and at his home. Maydew was arrested on Wednesday and later released. More... Virginia teen convicted of taping himself and friends having sex with scho

From his lavish contemporary mansion to the Aston Martin sports car parked outside it, Lottery winner John Noakes is surrounded by the trappings that come with having millions in the bank. As part of a syndicate of 12 struggling bus drivers who shared a £38million jackpot, Mr Noakes, from Corby, thought all his dreams had come true when their numbers came up a year ago. But the multi-millionaire, who still lives in the Northamptonshire town with his second wife Jean, has told how the windfall brought with it hardship as well as happiness, adding: 'Sometimes I wish I'd never won.' 'Tough': Former bus driver John Noakes, seen with his wife Jean, said there have been some downsides to scooping a share of a £38million Lottery fortune The former Bus Driver of the Year, 50, told the Sunday People how the members of the syndicate - who each scooped over £3million - had been beset by problems since their win; from family feuds to health scares. More... 'They are

Thousands of youngsters openly smoked cannabis in a Central London park this weekend. As they lounged on the grass amid a fog of marijuana smoke, it resembled a scene from the Woodstock music festival. Up to 2,000 gathered in Hyde Park on Saturday to campaign for the legalisation of cannabis. Groups of teenagers smoked what appeared to be cannabis joints as parents with young children played nearby. Scroll down for video Protest: A group of young people holding up a pro-cannabis sign in Hyde Park A handful of police officers made no obvious attempt to arrest anyone for drug offences. Yesterday Scotland Yard said just two arrests had been made in Hyde Park for possession of cannabis. A 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the leg at 5.20pm close to the pro-cannabis gathering. Officers are trying to establish if the stabbing was linked to the rally. Yesterday a regular jogger in Hyde Park said: ‘I think it’s outrageous that people are allowed to come to the park and take illegal drugs. ‘It

Four out of ten student loans may never be repaid, amid fears that university funding is becoming unsustainable. The Treasury is said to be concerned that the new system – which sees students borrow up to £9,000 a year for their course fees – will not recoup its costs. Officials anticipated that 28 per cent of loans would never be repaid. It is now understood that their estimate stands at 40 per cent. Growing debts: New estimates from Treasury officials estimate that 40 per cent of university graduates will not be able to repay their loans From last September, the maximum amount universities could charge for tuition was nearly trebled from £3,290 to £9,000. This leaves students with the prospect of £36,000 of debt for a four-year course, before living costs are taken into account. And graduate salaries have fallen dramatically in recent years, impairing their ability to repay the loans when they start work. More... Top public school to open academy to help teenagers from poor ba

In the popular imagination, Gary Goldsmith is the bête noire of the Middleton clan – tattooed, shaven-headed, an embarrassment to his sister Carole with his louche antics. When undercover reporters filmed the Duchess of Cambridge’s uncle apparently cutting up lines of cocaine at the colourfully named La Maison de Bang Bang – his eight-acre hideaway on the party island of Ibiza – it seemed that the string of lurid headlines that followed would see him banished by his image-conscious family. But predictions of Goldsmith’s downfall have proved to be wide of the mark. For as he reveals today in an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, the reaction of the Middletons was not to cast him off – but, extraordinarily, to apologise for all the trouble they had caused to him. He says: ‘People like to think that I’m this black sheep, a bad boy. I’m not really. I’ve had my moments – I’m not totally innocent – but am I disliked by my family? No, that is simply not true. I’ve got a good heart