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Four women, three of them former employees, have accused Mario Batali (pictured with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, top right), 57, of inappropriate touching dating back to the 90s, which on Monday prompted him to step away from his vast culinary empire, which includes restaurants Babbo and del Posto and the specialty food store Eataly. Batali also will be taking time off from co-hosting the ABC cooking show The Chew while the network review the allegations against him. Batali's wife of 23 years is Susi Cahn (bottom right), the daughter of the late Miles Cahn, co-founder of Coach Handbags.

A pregnant mother retracted her request to work with an Alabama photographer after sifting through her social media page and seeing an LGBT pride flag. It seems the woman initially reached out to the Mobile-based photographer, Faith Grace, 21, at some point this week and asked her to take her maternity photos, which she accepted. A day later, the woman texted her again, concerned, inquiring about her sexual preferences after browsing through her Instagram page in search of her work and finding the pride flag.

Donald Trump, according to his many critics, is the single most divisive, stupid, bigoted and unpopular president in American history. To say Trump is ‘polarizing’ is to massively understate the sheer enormity of hatred that exists toward the billionaire tycoon who won the White House just over a year ago. On social media, every minute of every day, I see hysterical liberals screaming themselves digitally hoarse with rage at his very existence.

A paleontologist and construction workers have found multiple fossils in a Los Angeles subway. The most important discovery is a a few hundred pound mammoth skull. Other fossils include a partial rabbit jaw, mastodon tooth, camel foreleg, bison vertebrae, and a tooth and ankle bone from a horse. Some of the fossils are 10,000 years old and from the last Ice Age.

Stunning photos show indigenous Kamaiurá people diving underwater and swimming beneath a waterfall in the Amazonian basin in a remote part of Brazil. The Kamaiurá, whose name means 'a raised platform to keep meat, pots and pans', were first contacted by the outside world in 1884. Its population was ravaged by disease in the 1950s but the region was declared a national park by the Brazilian authorities in 1961 to prevent the spread of deadly epidemics.

Wu Yongning, 26, filmed himself doing pull-ups at the top of the Huayuan International Centre in Changsha, China, when he lost his grip and fell 45ft to his death on a terrace below. Uncle Feng Shengliang said Wu was planning to propose to his girlfriend two days after this video was filmed, and was going to offer her a bridal gift of £8,000. He was due to earn around £11,000 from the footage. Wu died on November 8, but the tragedy was only made public on December 8 when his family confirmed it.

Self-described feminist Meghan Markle, 36, wore the saucy ensemble while working as  'Briefcase Babe' on the US TV show Deal or No Deal back in 2006. Working on the series saw Meghan wearing a whole host of risque outfits. Another episode sees the future royal pose in a blue satin mini dress while in another she wears a black satin catsuit. Meghan joined NBC's Deal or No Deal in 2006, in which contestants choose from sealed briefcases that contained a marker for various amounts of money.

The 2.7-acre Tavern Island in Norwalk, Connecticut, which was first inhabited by European settlers in 1651, is just an hour from New York City. Just a five-minute boat ride from the mainland, the showpiece of the property is the 6,000-square-foot stone manor, which is accompanied by a one-bedroom boat house; a tea house; a two-bedroom caretaker's cottage; and a maintenance shed. The property also boasts two private beaches and a 75-foot-long swimming pool.

Mei Rui, 34, her son Lukas and her parents were flying from Houston, Texas, to New York City on December 8 when they were booted off the plane. They had been sitting on the tarmac for almost three hours because of a de-icing delay, she claims, when she began to breastfeed her 'exhausted' two-year-old son.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles (pictured centre) got their vows wrong and Diana even said the groom's name wrong. The Queen (far left) broke her tiara, which had been made for Queen Mary in 1919, on the day of her wedding and at Kate and William's wedding there was a horse that bolted and threw its rider off its back. Meanwhile, newly engaged Prince Harry and Meghan will be hoping their own big day goes smoothly.

This fiendishly hard word puzzle contains 15 images that represent words or phrases, and some are so difficult they're bound to leave you scratching your head. From a metal bed frame festooned with flowers (top left), to a piece of furniture carved out of a vegetable (top centre), you may just be kicking yourself when you find out the answers to these play on words.

An Australian mother-of-two has been left red-faced after spotting a very embarrassing mistake in her children's Santa photo. Tammie Hopley, 29, paid $35 for a selection of meet and greet photos of her children Ryder, two and Ledger, 10 months. But it wasn't until the next day when she realised the photos she had purchased weren't quite as innocent as they appeared. So can you spot the mistake?

NEW Martini Smith was tasered when she was 20 at the Franklin County Jail in Ohio. She was pregnant and had been taken into custody on domestic violence charges which were later dropped. Smith, now 26, lost her baby five days after being tasered. She won a $27,500 payout in 2011 but has since spoken out as part of a wider investigation into excessive police use of tasers.

The world is one huge, must-see place. Breaking it down into manageable priorities can be tricky and even the most seasoned tourist can find decision-making overwhelming. Fortunately for us, the experts at National Geographic Traveler have created a bucket list for 2018, including Hawaii (main), Albania (bottom left) and Jordan (top right).

People from around the world took to Reddit to share photos of the very worst roommate behaviour, including unwanted pranks (top right), passive aggressive notes (bottom left) and a kitchen sink left piled high with dirty dishes (bottom right). One disappointed diner shared a photo of a partially-eaten pizza (top centre) while another flatmate was disgusted to find a box filled with urine on their fridge shelf (top left).

American Ryan, whose last name and location haven't been made public to protect his privacy, has come in eight position in Forbes' ranking of this year's 10 highest-paid YouTubers across the world. The little boy has gained a whopping 10 million subscribers on his channel, Ryan ToysReview, since he got his start on the platform two years ago. With $11 million to his name, Ryan surpassed his fellow YouTube sensation Lilly Singh, who follows him closely with $10.5 million worth of revenue. Ryan also tied with the comedy channel Smosh, originally started by Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, who stopped their partnership in June this year.

North Korean state media has made another dubious claim about Kim Jong-un's 'superhuman powers' after insisting the overweight tyrant had climbed an 8,000ft mountain. Pyongyang media said the 33-year-old had managed to scale Mount Paektu - a sacred spot for North Koreans - after walking 'through thick snow' to reach the summit. But pictures show Kim wandering around on the snow-capped mountain with hardly a bead of sweat and wearing spotless and shiny shoes.

Several celebrities have come out in support of a young Tennessee boy pleading to be left alone by bullies. Keaton Jones (left), of Knoxville, asked his mother, Kimberly Jones, to record a video of him asking why bullies at school were bothering him. In the clip he explains through tears that bullies make fun of him because of his nose, call him ugly and have even poured milk on him. Celebrities among the likes of (clockwise from top left) Hailee Steinfeld, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Hamill, Cardi B, Kevin Jonas, Chris Evans, and Demi Lovato have all shown their support and have even offered to take Keaton on trips and to premieres.

From boasting about their criminal past (bottom centre) to scrawling in pen across the page (top centre), these job-seekers struggled to understand even the most basic rules of putting together a resume. One childish applicant added a picture of a monkey to his resume (top left) while another features a bizarre portrait (bottom left). Some kept information to a minimum on their applications (top right). Meanwhile one callous person tried to use an employee's death to their advantage (bottom right).

In shocking scenes, the woman - wearing sunglasses and a straw hat - roars in the face of airline staff. She yells: 'I will kill everybody on this f****** plane! I will kill everybody on this f****** plane! I will!' There were 141 people aboard the aircraft. The terrifying video was captured by another passenger on the Portland to Sacramento Southwest Airlines flight. According to KOIN6 , the woman had been caught smoking a cigarette and tampering with the smoke detector in the aircraft's bathroom.

Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson attempted to climb the railings to confront a fan at the end of a losing game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jefferson was running off the field after being ejected when a drink was thrown at him from the stands. He turned back and began arguing with fans dressed in Jaguars clothes. When more drinks were thrown at him, including one that nearly hit his head, Jefferson rushed toward the railing and began climbing it. A member of the Seahawks' staff pulled him off. Several other Seahawks staffers escorted him into the tunnel.

A huge fire yesterday destroyed a 16-storey Buddhist pagoda inside China's Nine Dragons Monastery. The Lingguan Tower, billed as 'Asia's tallest wooden pagoda', burnt to the ground after being engulfed in the flames for about four hours. The fire reportedly started from a hall underneath the pagoda and quickly spread to the wooden structure.

During winter some people lose their cool over blocked roads and cancelled trains. But others embrace the seasonal weather with impressive winter wit. Specifically, people have been producing very creative - and hilarious - snowmen, with everything from superheroes and celebrities to the occasional letterbox. Here, we reveal some of the very best.

Chandler Self won the women's division of the BMW Dallas marathon with a time of 2:53:58 - but not without the help of 17-year-old Ariana Luterman, who helped her cross the finish line. Luterman, of Addison, Texas, was running the final two miles of the race with Self, a psychiatrist from New York, as part of a relay team with her elite high school, the Greenhill Academy. In the final half mile of the race, Self began to collapse, and in the final 200 yards she fell to her feet several times. Each time, Luterman helped her to her feet. As they reached the finish line, Luterman pushed Self ahead, and with the support of the teen, Self lunged across and won the race.

Our four legged friends are equally excitable about the appearance of a blanket of snow, as these snaps from around the world, shared online, prove. Clockwise from top left: A new winter coat; winning at snowballing; a new frosty friend; the first taste of winter; playing hide and seek and a very convincing snow twin.

A shocking internet gallery shows fans of the second amendment proudly brandishing their weapons on their big day. While the choice of ceremony might seem odd to most couples, gun-themed weddings appear to be becoming increasingly popular in the US. In fact, The Gun Store in Las Vegas even offers packages giving couples the chance to start their happily ever after 'with a bang'.

Huge crowds packed a public memorial in Zagreb, Croatia for a service to remember war criminal Slobodan Praljak whose final act was to kill himself in front of UN judges (right). Public buses ran free of charge to the ceremony for the wartime military commander, who swallowed potassium cyanide last month during a court hearing broadcast live around the world. About 2,000 people filled the main concert hall (left) where the memorial was held, while hundreds more crowded into the building's entry and hallways to watch on giant screens.

The Su-30 fighter jet emerged behind a cargo plane while on an apparent airdrop mission over Syria. The crazy pilot comes within metres of the open cargo hatch - much to the delight of the aircrew who caught the stunt on camera. The jet holds its position for some while pointing its nose into the open hatch. The jet then dramatically turns upside down and flies off.

An unfortunate video shows a mom posing with her small son on camera before he barfs all over her. The brief clip show the two about to share a loving kiss before the toddler pukes on her hand, chest and shirt. It is unknown where the video was filmed.

A doting owner has taken a series of photographs of her Grinch-like dog - who definitely isn't feeling the Christmas spirit. Jasmine Milton, 20, adopted Siberian husky Anuko (pictured looking festive, left and right) when he was just eight-weeks-old and claims he's always had a grumpy face. Having fallen in love with him as a puppy, Ms Milton, from Telford, Shropshire, watched her husky grow - however his fed-up face always remained the same. Even at the most magical time of the year when he is decked in a scarf and antlers, and is frolicking in the snow, Anuko finds it impossible to crack a smile. Ms Milton (shown inset with the pooch) met Anuko when he was just five-weeks-old to help with her mental health, and quickly the two became inseparable.

Ichi is one of just 100 Cross River gorillas in Nigeria - and he's looking for a mate. Researchers have been forced to warn local villagers to leave the huge animal alone after he was spotted venturing from the forest in a rare move to try and find a partner.

Animal lovers around the world have been sharing snaps of their beloved pooches out for their count on social media - and many are enjoying a nap in the unlikeliest of positions. Clockwise from top left: This dog lets it all hang out during a snooze; a pooch snoozes with its hind legs in the air; dogs need stuffed toys too; this hound has no interest in the view; it might look uncomfortable, but it doesn't stop this pet conking out; a dog spread-eagled on its owners' bed.

A Christmas Carol author Charles Dickens (inset) suffered post-traumatic stress from a train disaster that killed 10 and wounded 40, a newly-discovered letter (pictured, right) suggests. Seven carriages plunged off a bridge in the Staplehurst rail crash of 1865 after a train derailed crossing the Kent viaduct (pictured, left, a sketch of the aftermath). Not only did the great novelist survive, but he tended to victims, some of whom died in front of him.