In Brief: EastEnders star: Brother in court

THE brother of former EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie, whose headless body was found in a canal, will appear in court today charged with her murder.

Gemma's torso was discovered floating in Hackney, east London last week, days after she attended a high-profile hospital opening ceremony.

Her 35-year-old brother Tony was formally charged by police on Saturday night as divers continued their searches for remaining body parts.

The actress (29), played Kerry Skinner in the BBC soap in 2001.

Ex-NASA man launches law suit

Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is defending itself in a workplace lawsuit filed by a former computer specialist.

David Coppedge, who worked as a "team lead" on the Cassini mission exploring Saturn and its many moons, alleges he was discriminated against because he engaged his co-workers in conversations about intelligent design -- the belief that a higher power must have had a hand in creation because life is too complex to have developed through evolution alone.

Mr Coppedge lost his "team lead" title in 2009 and was let go last year after 15 years on the mission.

Chemmy frozen out of ice show

Professional skier Chemmy Alcott sloped off Dancing On Ice as she was voted out of the contest.

The sportswoman's run of success came to an end following a circus-themed performance which saw Alcott, dressed in a sparkly silver leotard and top hat, praised for her "really powerful, really strong and really fluid" routine.