A former police officer suspected in the deaths of two women whose bodies were stuffed into suitcases and discarded on a rural Wisconsin highway met victims online, in one case possibly through a bondage website, according to police.

An expedition to discover whether George Mallory and Andrew Irvine conquered Mount Everest before their deaths has found a sock and mitten thought to belong to the men, it emerged today.

British officials are trying to clear up a VAT problem that has stalled the return of artifacts recovered near the body of English climber George Mallory, who died on Mount Everest more than 75 years ago.