Increasing housing prices and the stock market''s posting all-time highs haven't helped the plight most Americans. The average U.S. household has recovered only 45 percent of the wealth they lost during the recession, according to a report released yesterday from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

This finding is a very different picture than one painted in a report earlier this year by the Fed that calculated Americans as a whole had regained 91 percent of their losses. The writers of the report released yesterday point out that the earlier number is based on aggregate household-net-worth data. However, this isn't adjusted for inflation, population growth or the nature of the wealth. Further, they say much of recovery in net worth is because of the stock market, which means most of the improvement has been a boon only to wealthy families.

"Clearly, the 91 percent recovery of wealth losses portrayed by the aggregate nominal measure paints a different picture than the 45 percent recovery of wealth losses indicated by the average inflation-adjusted household measure," the report said. "Considering the uneven recovery of wealth across households, a conclusion that the financial damage of the crisis and recession largely has been repaired is not justified," the researchers said.

Household wealth plunged $16 trillion from the top of the real estate bubble in the third quarter of 2007 to the bottom of the bust in the first quarter of 2009. By the last three months of 2012, American households as a group had regained $14.7 trillion.

The report says almost two-thirds of the increase in aggregate household wealth is due to rising stock prices. This has disproportionately benefited the richest households: About 80 percent of stocks are held by the wealthiest 10 percent of the population.

The level of gun violence in Chicago, which has caused shock waves nationally, is continuing with eight people having been shot in the nation's third largest city in a 24-hour period that ended Friday morning, including one that ended with the death of a 15-year-old boy.

Chicago police said that the teenager, Patrick Sykes, was shot several times early Thursday afternoon. They said that witnesses offered conflicting versions of what occurred, with the shooters having been either on bicycles or on foot.

Two people were taken into custody for questioning, but they were released without any charges being filed, police said.

The 24-hour period of gun violence also included the shooting of an 18-year-old man, three women and several others.

The high level of violence in the month of May came shortly after the Chicago Police Department announced that crime in the city fell 8 percent in the first quarter of 2013, compared with the same period last year, and 15 percent from the same period of 2011.

Still, there are great concerns about violent crime in Chicago, where Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old honor student, who performed at President Obama's inauguration, was killed by a bullet while standing in a South Side playground.

Willie Smith Ward had five previous felonies and four convictions for misdemeanours

A habitual offender may have committed his final felony, after a jury sentenced him to 50 years for stealing a rack of ribs from a shop.

Willie Smith Ward, 43, attempted to steal the $35 large rack of ribs at the H-E-B store in Waco, Texas, by smuggling it underneath his shirt. Ward was then apprehended in the car park by a shopping assistant, who noticed the bulge and tried to stop him leaving.

According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, his act of theft was heightened to robbery when he threatened the employee by telling him he was in possession of a knife. According to the employee's testimony, he added: "If you don't leave me alone, I'll show you what I got," before running off. He was later arrested.

A jury in Waco's 19th State District Court took just two minutes to convict Ward for robbery and an hour to recommend a sentence. Ward already had five previous felonies and four convictions for misdemeanours. His previous convictions have been for crimes including burglary, attempted robbery, aggravated assault, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of cocaine.

Assistant District Attorney J.R. Vicha, prosecuting, told Ward: "This verdict shows that the citizens of this county will not tolerate a continued disrespect and disregard for other people and their property. People who choose to do so will be dealt with seriously and appropriately."

He will have to serve at least a quarter of his sentence before being eligible for parole. He allegedly rejected a 20-year prison sentence in a plea bargain before the trial.

A huge public reaction has erupted over the "vile" and "disgusting" slaughter of ducklings in People's Park - and it may not be an isolated incident.

The RSPCA has launched an investigation after eyewitnesses saw youths smash duck eggs, throw birds to one another and even drop-kick a duckling.

They are also investigating claims that some ducklings were stomped on and that a live bird was posted through the letterbox of a resident living near the park.

The story, published on yesterday's front page, has sparked public outrage, with many claiming both the children and their parents should be severely punished.

And one man contacted the Telegraph to say that he had a duckling posted through his door three weeks before these incidents - proving it has happened before and could happen again.

The Patrick Street resident - who did not want to be named for fear of repercussions - said that afterwards, the children even had the nerve to knock on his door again and ask for it back so they could continue their cruel game.

Four firefighters died in a five-alarm blaze that broke out at a restaurant Friday afternoon along U.S. 59 in southwest Houston, according to the mayor's office.

The Fire Department released a statement on Friday evening identifying the fallen firefighters:

Capt. EMT Matthew Renaud, 35, of Station 51; EMT Robert Bebee, 41, of Station 51; EMT Robert Garner, 29, of Station 68; and Fire Station 68's Anne Sullivan, 24, a recent graduate of the Houston Fire Department Academy.

"The Houston Fire Department has never seen four firefighters pass away from the same incident in the history of the department," the statement says. "Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with not only those friends and family of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice today but also those who were injured and all members of our department."

Five firefighters were also reported injured, two critically, while fighting the blaze that broke out about 12:09 p.m. at Bhojan Restaurant at 6855 Southwest Freeway. It engulfed the neighboring Southwest Inn along the Southwest Freeway near Hornwood, according to the Houston Fire Department. The flames also burned a sports bar and disco.

The entrance of the European Central Bank (ECB) was blocked by over 3,000 'Blockupy' protestors in a march against austerity.

Anti-capitalist protestors have taken to the streets the financial heart of Frankfurt a day ahead of Europe-wide gatherings planned for June 1 to protest leaders handling of the three-year euro debt crisis.

"We call up everyone to join our protests."

The crowd, estimated at 2,500 by local authorities, is clutching signs demanding 'humanity before profit'.

'Blockupy' has become a top-ten Twitter trend in Frankfurt, and at 10:09am (08:09 GMT), user Enough14 tweeted, "Strong Powerful blockade at Kaiserstr. Not one banker will come through here," in reference to the ECB headquarters, The Guardian reported.

Banff, Alberta -- Parks Canada officials are advising people in Banff to be on alert after a man told them he fought off an attacking cougar with his skateboard.

Bill Hunt, the resource conservation manager for the Banff field unit, said the man was attacked Thursday and originally reported the incident anonymously.

But Hunt said officials tracked him down to get more information in order to find the cougar.

"I think he was reluctant to contact us right away because he'd be in trouble for striking an animal inside a national park. But of course, in that situation you're in defence mode and it's totally appropriate," Hunt explained Sunday.

Hunt said the man told them he was listening to music through earbuds while walking between the townsite and an industrial area when the cougar attacked.

"He was hit from behind, knocked to the ground and instantly reacted properly. With a cougar, the correct thing to do is fight back hard and convince that cougar that you're not going to be available for prey," Hunt said.

An ostrich has survived being struck twice by different cars while running through oncoming traffic on a highway in China.

CCTV footage from Chinese state television shows the animal on the loose during the evening rush hour in Zhangzhou City, Fujian province on Tuesday.

Washington state - Officials executed a difficult horse rescue on Tuesday, lifting an 800-pound Norwegian fjord out of a deep Redmond ravine without any injuries.

But the most incredible part, says the stable's owner, is how caretakers found the horse - with the help of a telepathic animal communicator.

Gemma, a 4-year-old with a history of escaping and other behavior problems, apparently got out of her stall at the Saddle Rock Stables, in the 24000 block of Northeast 115th Street, and slipped 70 feet into a steep ravine nearby before settling on a ledge.

Owner Barbara Linstedt said caretakers searched for her for hours before getting connected to acclaimed horse communicator Joan Ranquet on Monday night.

The decision made by expectant couples to have their births in water attended by dolphins has raised eyebrows.

According to a CBS News story, "Dolphin-assisted childbirth is an option that some expectant parents are embracing, claiming it is a more natural, relaxing way to deliver a baby. Adam and Heather Barrington, a North Carolina couple expecting their baby to be delivered in July, have traveled to Hawaii to plan a dolphin-assisted birth at the Sirius Institute, the Charlotte Observer reports. 'It is about reconnecting as humans with the dolphins so we can coexist in this world together and learn from one another,' Heather Barrington told the Observer."

Why it is important to Heather Barrington that her newborn connect with dolphins in the first few seconds of his life? The answer can be found in the mission statement of the Sirius Institute, a New Age center dedicated in part to "raising the level of human consciousness to that of the dolphins and integrating the consciousness of the dolphins ... with human consciousness." It's not clear what that means - or why human consciousness needs to be "raised" to dolphin level - but the center provides dolphin-assisted underwater births.