George Bush defended Donald Rumsfeld against mounting criticism from within the Republican Party both over a lack of body armour for troops in Iraq and his use of a machine to sign letters of condolence.

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In a clearing, I finally saw it: a prehistoric-looking creature almost 2m tall with a bulky grey body, armour-plated skin, robust legs and hooked horn.

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In recent tests at the company's Advanced Technology Centre in Bristol, a special liquid has been used to construct a material that is thinner than normal body armour and yet is able to stop a low-velocity bullet.

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Additionally, it noted that more effective body armour has contributed to "a considerable weight for soldiers to carry whilst on foot patrol, making it challenging to move quickly and freely while under fire".

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Fusilier Gentle was wearing appropriate body armour but this could not protect him from a close quarter explosion.

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They are playing a friendly football match with soldiers from the Afghan Army, body armour off and weapons laid down.

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And in a separate development, Britain said it would provide armoured vehicles and body armour to opposition forces in Syria "to help save lives".

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Mike Ellicock was blown up on a special forces operation to save UK hostages in Sierra Leone, only surviving because he was wearing body armour.

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Head, arms, legs, front torso and back torso had been moulded separately round his body in plaster of Paris and were now fitted separately to him, like a knight's armour.

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