Legendary University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith passed away last month aged 83 to heartfelt tributes from fans, colleagues and former players . Legendary former University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith passed away last month aged 83 to heartfelt tributes from fans, colleagues and former players. Now those very same players have another reason to salute one of the greatest NCAA basketball coaches of all-time after he left each of them $200 in his will along with a request to treat themselves to a nice meal. Smith's former players have all received a letter from Miller McNeish & Breedlove, PA, informing them that the great man had requested each of his former players be sent a $200 check to 'enjoy a dinner out compliments of Coach Dean Smith.' The enclosed checks also included the notation, 'Dinner out.' Smith coached an estimated 184 players from 1961 to 1997, reports SI.com. A host of sporting legends - led by Michael Jordan - paid tribute to Smith after he passed away on February 7. Jordan described Smith, who was the former basketball coach for the University of North Carolina as 'a second father.' He said: 'Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith.' Smith, who died peacefully at his home, left behind his wife and five children. Jordan, played under Smith from 1982 to 1984 before embarking on his legendary NBA career. In a moving statement Jordan added: 'He was more than a coach - he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father.' Smith's former players have all received a letter from Miller McNeish & Breedlove, PA, informing them that the great man had requested each of his former players be sent a $200 check to 'enjoy a dinner out compliments of Coach Dean Smith' Tributes for Coach Smith poured in from all over the sporting world in a series of messages on social media. Tar Heels senior Jackson Simmons wrote on Instagram that Smith's 'impact on the game is one that will stand the test of time.' Fellow UNC alum Harrison Barnes also honored the late coach by tweeting thanks for all the things you stood for and believed in #CarolinaWay.' Born on February 28, 1931, in Emporia, Kansas, Dean Edwards Smith was the son of public school teachers. Players: Former UNC players Sam Perkins, far left, James Worthy, and Michael Jordan, second right, stand alongside former coach Dean Smith. Jordan described Smith as like 'a second father' He graduated from Topeka High School in 1949 and went to the University of Kansas on an academic scholarship, according to goheels.com. He played varsity basketball and baseball and freshman football for the Jayhawks. He was a member of Jayhawk basketball teams that won the NCAA title in 1952 and finished second in 1953. Smith also served in the US Air Force as a lieutenant and played and coached basketball in Germany. In 1958, Frank McGuire hired him as an assistant coach at North Carolina where he served as an assistant under McGuire for three

Summary: Ex-University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith passed away last month aged 83 . His will included a request that each of his former players receive a $200 check to 'enjoy a dinner out compliments of Coach Dean Smith' Smith coached an estimated 184 players at UNC from 1961 to 1997 . Basketball great Michael Jordan paid tribute to Smith last month and described him as like 'a second father'


Three family members named in a $100million wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of a Georgia teen who was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat have countersued with a $1million defamation suit. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson filed the wrongful death suit after their son Kendrick was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, in January of 2013. The suit lists 38 defendants and claims that brothers Brian and Branden Bell as well as their father Rick, an FBI agent, were behind the 17-year-old's death. Scroll down for video . Brian Bell (left) and older brother Branden (right) filed a $1million defamation suit along with their father Rick . The suit, which seeks $1 million in damages, was filed against Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson (pictured) The Johnsons filed a wrongful death suit after their son Kendrick, 17, was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat . The Bells' countersuit denies any of the three family members were involved in Kendrick's death, according to the Valdosta Daily Times. It states the wrongful death suit lacks 'substantial justification' and contains 'a complete absence of any justiciable issue in law or fact'. Kendrick's parents say the Bells attacked him after their father instructed them to do so . The countersuit also addresses the Johnson family allegedly asking Florida State University to take a football scholarship offer away from younger brother Brian. The Bells claim the Johnsons directed a Facebook post at FSU officials which stated Brian 'exhibited violent tendencies and a highly unusual appetite for fighting'. The post also reportedly said Brian's 'social media activities expose the likelihood of him being a psychopath'. FSU pulled its offer to the linebacker off the table. The suit claims similar slanderous statements were made to the University of Louisville and Clemson University. The Bell brother were notified by US Attorney Michael Moore a federal grand jury's investigation into Johnson's death is targeting them, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The Johnsons' suit, which was filed in DeKalb County Superior Court just after the second anniversary of their son's death, alleges the brothers were 'seeking revenge' after one of them had been in a fight with Kendrick. It also says the boys acted on a 'parental command' from their father to assault Johnson . The countersuit claims the Johnsons interfered with Brian's chances to play football at Florida State University . A state autopsy ruled Johnson's death was an accident but his parents have always insisted foul play was involved and there was a cover-up by law enforcement authorities and school officials. The lawsuit states: 'Defendants from the various law enforcement agencies deliberately and maliciously mishandled the subject investigation in such a way that anyone who might ever be charged with (Johnson's) death would never be convicted.' Requests for comments from representatives from both families on Sunday did not get a response. An attorney for the Bells, Brice Ladson, previously said the lawsuit against his clients was 'frivolous'. He said: 'The Johnsons know the allegations against my clients are completely baseless.'

Summary: Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, in January of 2013 . His parents Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson filed a civil lawsuit after death . State autopsy ruled death was accident but parents insist it was foul play . Wrongful death suit asked for $100million in damages from 38 defendants . FBI agent Rick Bell and sons Brian and Branden were named in the suit . They have filed a $1million defamation countersuit against the Johnsons .


Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie insists expanding the Aviva Premiership is not a formality but the issue must be dealt with as a priority. Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty has confirmed that the English club body is 'looking at' adding two teams to the top-flight domestic league by imposing a temporary suspension on promotion and relegation. The situation must be clear ahead of the start of the 2015-16 season in order for teams to know what they are playing for in 2016-17, when the changes could begin to come into effect. Saracens prop Mako Vunipola charges over Wasps flanker Ashley Johnson at the Ricoh Arena in March . 'It's not as simple as saying 'let's go from 12 to 14',' Ritchie said. 'We've not had or seen a formal proposition about this. I don't think anybody's suggesting it's a fait accompli. 'We have not had a formal sit down conversation with PRL (Premiership Rugby Ltd). I'm happy to sit down and do that. 'We all appreciate the urgency of it. We know it would be more than a little helpful to get this done in the next few months and I think there's a willingness to do that. 'It's important to resolve this. We will, with good will on both sides. Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie insists expanding the Aviva Premiership is not a formality . 'I don't have any problem with the concept of 'should you examine change' and then 'is the change a good or a positive one?' 'There's a myriad of issues which I think are really significant. You need to go through all of those in some detail. 'We haven't done that and I haven't seen that yet. If that analysis shows certain things, then we'll have a constructive and rational discussion about it.' Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty has confirmed that the English club body is 'looking at' adding two teams to the league by imposing a temporary suspension on promotion and relegation . The decision has to be made by the RFU and Premiership Rugby Ltd in partnership and, Ritchie says, must be subject of careful analysis. 'There's been a lot of discussion about it. We need to have a proper analysis of it and see what the pluses and minuses are,' Ritchie added. 'We've got to be in a partnership, because I fervently believe that's the best thing for the game as a whole. 'This is something that ultimately has to go to the RFU council, but has to go to various routes to get to that.'

Summary: Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty has confirmed that the English club body is 'looking at' adding two teams to the league . This would be achieved by imposing a temporary suspension on promotion and relegation . The situation must be clear ahead of the start of the 2015-16 season in order for teams to know what they are playing for in 2016-17 .


It's a common practice for people to leave honest appraisals of a hotel after their stay, and they are often scathing and highly critical. However, after one too many rude guests, a hotel group has decided to start reviewing their guests and publishing their scorecard online. Art Series Hotel Group will trial a new program, 'Reverse Review' at their six hotels in Victoria and South Australia. It gives the hotel staff the opportunity to rate guests' behaviour and post their scorecard online. Scroll down for video . The six hotels that are part of the Art Series Hotel Group will trial a 'Reverse Review' system to rate the behaviour of their guests - including cleanliness and manners . The Art Series Hotel's hotels (pictured) intend the program as a fun activity for guests with a chance to reward their best guests with free accommodation . 'Think you're the perfect hotel guest?' the ad asks. 'Stay and request to be reviewed at any of our hotels from April 17 until May 31. 'Get four or five stars and get a free night to stay again. But be warned, if you misbehave, everyone will know!' Art Series Hotel Group Marketing Director Ryan Tuckerman said the program has been inspired by online review website 'TripAdvisor' and is intended as a fun activity for guests and staff alike. 'Reverse Reviews flips the process on its head and provides a way for us to recognise and reward good behaviour in a fun and light-hearted way.' 'These days everyone's a critic. The internet has enabled people to rate every film, restaurant or latte they experience, good or bad,' the hotels' website explains. 'So what would happen if we made it a two way street? 'We have many guests who fail to meet our standards but we didn't have a forum of our own - until now.' 'We have many guests who fail to meet our standards but we didn't have a forum of our own - until now,' the company says, explaining that guests are known to steal from or trash hotel rooms . The Hotel Group are curious to see if the fear of dirty laundry being aired in public affects their guests' behaviour. It comes after a study by Galaxy Research unveiled the truth about awful behaviour in Australian hotels and the filthy acts that go on behind closed doors. The number of people game enough to admit that they are guilty of trashing rooms, parading naked in front of windows and stealing proves that even grown adults run amuck when they're away from home. One in ten people steal items like bedding, irons and light globes from hotels. 'We even have guests who pilfer the batteries from our television remotes, bless them,' added Tuckerman. The number of people game enough to admit that they are guilty of trashing rooms, parading naked in front of windows and stealing proves that even grown adults run amuck when they're away from home . 400,000 people confess that they have trashed a hotel room, with the hotel remarking: 'I'm

Summary: A hotel company will start rating their guests and posting feedback online . The new initiative will award well-behaved guests with free accommodation . It will expose those that trash or plunder the hotel, or those that are rude . Art Series Hotel Group says 60 per cent of people staying in their penthouse have been upgraded due to their kind, amiable behaviour . 400,000 Australians have reportedly confessed to trashing a hotel room . Customers who opt to take part in the 'Reverse Review' trial between April 17 and May 31 will have their behaviour appraisal posted online .


In the vast, white expanse of Antarctica, one glacier bleeds a shocking red. Known as Blood Falls, the dramatic colour comes from the two million-year-old iron-heavy brine trapped under the ice. Now, for the first time, scientists have taken uncontaminated samples from deep beneath the glacier in the hope of finding microbial life. In the vast, white expanse of Antarctica, one glacier bleeds a shocking red. Known as Blood Falls, the dramatic colour comes from the two million-year-old iron-heavy seawater trapped under the ice . They believe that 'extremophiles' possibly living under the surface could be unique in their ability to survive – and they may even help in the search for alien life on other planets. Scientists recently sent a probe into the ice of Taylor Glacier to extract salty samples of water from the main vein that feeds the red-stained feature. 'This is going to be an exciting sample to play with,' Jill Mikucki, an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Tennessee told The Antarctic Sun. She explained that Blood Falls' deep red hue is caused by the discharge of iron-rich, brine liquid. Its chemistry is changed by bacteria, which transforms sulphur and iron compounds in order to survive. Pictured is the drill camp on top of Taylor Glacier. Blood Falls' deep red hue is caused by the discharge of iron-rich, brine liquid.Its chemistry is changed by bacteria, which transforms sulphur and iron in order to survive . The Midge (Minimally Invasive Direct Glacial Exploration) project, led by Professor Mikucki has developed a unique probe, dubbed EnEx-IceMole. Pictured is the IceMole poised for action . When the liquid oxidises at the surface, it creates a blood-red colour. But to learn more about the bacteria, scientists needed samples that were oxidised. The Midge (Minimally Invasive Direct Glacial Exploration) project, led by Professor Mikucki developed a unique probe, dubbed EnEx-IceMole. It looks like a rectangular metal box with a copper head and ice screw that can melt through ice, . 'It can drive curved trajectories through bulk ice. It can go sideways, up and down. If you want to reach any point, you can go there,' Dirk Heinen, a German physicist told The Antarctic Sun. To help the probe navigate, scientists sent acoustic pulses from the surface into the ice. This is similar to a GPS but uses different kinds of waves that use sound to track the position of the IceMole. Cold-loving, fresh-water algae known as Chlamydomonas nivalis that contain a bright red pigment can cause snow to appear red . Snow appears white because it reflects most visible light that strikes it. Anything that does this means you see the whole spectrum of visible light, which looks white. Other objects appear different colours because they absorb certain wavelengths of visible light but reflect others - a green apple, for instance, reflects only mostly the green wavelength. But, as reported by JSTOR, when snow is deep enough it can actually appear blue. The reason for this is due to ice crystals in the snow, according to the National Snow

Summary: Blood Falls is an outflow of an iron oxide-tainted saltwater in Antarctica . Organisms living there have been able to survive in extreme conditions . Their ability to survive could aid search for alien life in our solar system . For the first time, scientists have captured an uncontaminated sample . They are now analysing it to learn more about these extreme creatures .


Nemanja Vidic's agent has quashed speculation that the defender will leave Inter Milan at the end of the season. The former Manchester United captain has been strongly linked with a return to England after joining the Nerazzurri as a free agent last summer. Asked if Vidic would stay at Inter, his agent Silvano Martina told Gazzetta dello Sport: 'I think he should, yes, because he has another two years left on his contract. In fact, I want to reveal something. Nemanja Vidic will stay at Inter Milan next season despite speculation linking him with a move back to England . Vidic's agent Silvano Martina said he made a specific decision to come to Milan and that had not changed . 'Last year he (Vidic) made a specific choice to come to Milan, even though Manchester United wanted to keep him and kept calling up to December.' The Serbian defender has played in 16 of Inter's 28 league games and Martina said he has a good rapport with coach Roberto Mancini, who took over from Walter Mazzari in November. Manchester United tried to convince Vidic to stay at Old Trafford before his Italy move, said Martina . 'Vidic is a great professional and never had problems with anyone, not Mancini or Inter,' he said. Vidic, 33, has a contract with Inter until June 2017. The 18-time league champions are struggling this season, however, and sit 10th in Serie A, in increasing danger on missing out on European football next season as they have suffered through a six-game winless run in all competitions. Vidic has a contract with Inter until 2017 and has not problem with manager Roberto Mancini, says his agent .

Summary: Nemanja Vidic will stay at Inter Milan this summer, according to his agent . Former Manchester United defender had been linked with move to England . His agent says United wanted to keep the Serbian centre back last season .


New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's youngest daughter was briefly hospitalized after she was found unconscious in her home earlier this week. Michaela Kennedy Cuomo, 17, was found in the Westchester home she shares with her mother, Kerry Kennedy, on Wednesday evening. She was taken to Westchester Medical Center where she was treated and released. Michaela Kennedy Cuomo, 17-year-old daughter of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (right), was found unconscious on Wednesday in the Westchester home she shares with her mother . A Bedford Police Department spokesman confirmed that officers responded to a medical emergency at the address and transported one person from the home to the hospital, according to the New York Daily News. The office of Gov. Cuomo was unavailable to comment. Michaela Cuomo is the youngest daughter of Gov. Cuomo and Kerry Kennedy. She has older twin sisters, Cara and Mariah, aged 20. Her parents were married for 13 years before divorcing in 2003. Her father now lives with his longtime girlfriend, TV chef Sandra Lee. Michaela, pictured here in 2002 in her mother's arms, along side her two sisters, grandmother and father, was treated at the Westchester Medical Center Wednesday evening and has been released . Michaela Kennedy Cuomo (left), pictured with Kyra Kennedy in December, has been active in the political scene, having just raised money for awareness of sexual assault . The teenager has been active in the political community in recent years, with her latest endeavor delving into awareness of sexual assault. Last month she sold T-shirts that read, 'My having a good a** does not give you the right to be one', and gave proceeds to the Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. In 2014 Michaela Cuomo lobbied democratic former New York Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk to reverse her position on the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act. Michaela Kennedy Cuomo (left) walks into a Manhattan funeral home with her father and his girlfriend Sandra Lee (right) for the wake of her grandfather, former three-term governor Mario Cuomo on January 5 .

Summary: Michaela Kennedy Cuomo, 17, was found in the Westchester home she shares with her mother, Kerry Kennedy, on Wednesday evening . She was taken to Westchester Medical Center and has been released . Michaela is the youngest of Gov. Cuomo's three daughters .


A middle-school teacher in China has inked hundreds of sketches that are beyond be-leaf. Politics teacher Wang Lian, 35, has created 1000 stunning ink drawings covering subjects as varied as cartoon characters and landscapes to animals, birds according to the People's Daily Online. The intricate scribbles on leaves feature Wang's favourite sites across the city of Nanjing, which include the Presidential Palace, Yangtze River Bridge, the ancient Jiming Temple and the Qinhuai River. Natural canvas: Artist and teacher Wang Lian has done hundreds of drawings, like this temple, on leaves she collects in the park and on the streets . Delicate: She uses an ink pen to gently draw the local scenes and buildings on the dried out leaves . 'Although teaching politics is my job, drawing is my passion and hobby,' said Wang. 'I first tried drawing on leaves about 10 years ago and fell in love with it as an art form immediately. 'It's like drawing on very old parchment paper, you have to be really careful that you don't damage the leaf because it is very fragile and this helps focus your attention and abilities.' Wang started giving the drawings away on Christmas Eve in 2012 when her junior high school son came home saying he wanted to prepare some gifts for his classmates. Being an avid painter, Wang decided to give her son's friends unique presents of gingko leaf paintings. Wang loves gingko leaves and will often pick them up along Gingko Avenue, near to her school, in Nanjing in east China's Jiangsu province. Every autumn she collects about 2,000 leaves from the ground to ensure she has enough to cover spoils too. Intricate: Teacher Wang has drawn hundreds of local scenes on leaves she has collected from the park . Hobby: The artist collects leaves every autumn and dries them out so she can sketch these impressive building scenes . 'The colour and shape of gingko leaves are particularly beautiful,' she said. 'I need to collect around 2000 leaves because this will include losses'. She takes them home where she then presses them between the pages of books. 'Luckily, I have quite a lot of books and I try to use old ones or ones that I've already read so I don't end up with nothing to read.' Once they are dried, she carefully takes each one and using an ink fountain pen creates her masterpieces. She said: 'Some people are into capturing beauty through photography, but for me, a digitalised image just isn't the same. New leaf: Politics teacher Wang Lian has drawn hundreds of doodles on leaves for the last 10 years . 'By drawing what I see I become far more a part of the process and part of the final piece. 'One day I hope to be able to put my collection on display, but for now it's really just for my own pleasure.' Wang's leaf paintings are turned into bookmarks, postcards and sometimes even given as gifts to her her students so she can share the beauty of leaf paintings. But locals

Summary: Works include pictures of Presidential Palace and Yangtze River Bridge . Has inked 1,000 pieces of art on leaves in last two years . Gives work away to students in form of bookmarks and postcards .


Women are big fans of the latest fitness fads to help us stay in shape, and now a new video has captured exercise trends from the an entire century in just 100 seconds. The YouTube film, starring an energetic professional dancer, showcases fitness fads and movements from the 1910s to the current day. And the clip has already attracted almost 12,000 views since its launch five days ago. Created by Benenden wellbeing services, the video is intended to shed light on the changeable nature of women's exercise. The UK fitness industry is worth £4 billion and growing, with a record 13.2 per cent of the population belonging to gyms, but the landscape of female fitness has dramatically changed from 100 years ago. A new YouTube video showcases fitness fads and movements from the 1910s to the current day, starting with the gentle stretches of the 1910s which were used to improve the hips and even ease constipation . Ten years on and women had moved on to more dynamic stretches, often while wearing silk night gowns . The Women's League of Health and Beauty aimed to bring fitness to the masses in the 1930s . Travelling through time, decade by decade, 100 Years of Fitness begins with a look at the gentle stretch exercises favoured in the 1910s and 1920s: a time when perspiration was seen as 'unfeminine.' The hula hoop and twister fads of the mid-20th century are also featured. The video ends with the biggest fitness movement of the millennium, Zumba. The 1940s saw an early form of sit-up as a 'sweat reducing' excercise . The hula hoop was an almighty craze in the mid century but also provided a form of exercise . The Trim Twist was an exercise board popular among Sixties housewives and office workers . Jazzercise was introduced to Seventies fitness fans by former Broadway star Judi Sheppard Missett . A spokesman for Benenden, says that we often unaware of how long the notion of keeping fit has been around: 'Keeping fit didn't begin with Lycra and aerobics classes. Both sexes have been keeping themselves in shape in different ways for centuries, so this showcase of the past 100 years is Benenden's own tribute to the passage of time.' Eighties-style aerobics is a high energy cardiovascular exercise that is still popular today . Tae Bo combined taekwondo and boxing and was popular ahead of the millennium . Fitness through dance returned in the form of Street Dance in 2000s . Zumba has remained a favourite over the past five years for its fun approach to fitness . 1910s: Women's main form of exercise was comprised of gentle stretches that were said to improve the hips and, believe it or not, ease constipation! 1920s: Fitness costumes included silk nightgowns. 1930s: The genteel Women's League of Health and Beauty aimed to bring fitness to the masses. Its motto: 'Movement Is Life.' Members attended group classes and wore black shorts and white satin vests. 1940s: Sweat-reducing exercises were the order of the day, including an early form of sit-up.

Summary: A new video reveals women's fitness developments over the past century . Early forms of exercise were used for alternative health benefits as well as fitness, including squats to ease the symptoms of constipation . Later forms of fitness sees women opting for dance related methods as a fun form of exercise including Street Dance and Zumba .


A Philadelphia man has been charged with stabbing a member of Nikki Minaj's tour crew to death during an argument over a barmaid. Pierce Boykin was charged with the murder of 29-year-old De'Von Pickett on Tuesday, Homicide Captain James Clark confirmed. Pickett - who was Minaj's tour manager - was stabbed to death in the early hours of Wednesday, February 18, outside a bar in Philadelphia. Charged: Pierce Boykin, 31, (left) was charged with the murder and attempted member of members of Nicki Minaj's (right) tour crew - who had arrived in Philadelphia for rehearsals for the singer's upcoming tour . He and the rest of the crew had just arrived in the city to rehearse for Minaj's tour, which is supposed to begin in Europe this month. Fellow crew member Eric Parker, 27, was also stabbed in the attack, but was expected to survive his injuries. Boykin, 31, was originally charged with attempted murder of Parker, but Clark says the murder charge was tacked on after additional evidence pointed to Boykin for both stabbings. According to NBC 10, the argument began inside Che Bar & Grill in Philadelphia’s West Oak Lane neighborhood. 'We believe that both of the victims, as well as the perpetrator, were all inside of this bar and that’s when an argument started,' said Chief inspector Scott Small. Boykin is in custody, and an attorney for him could not be reached to comment on the charges. De'Von Pickett (left), Nicki Minaj's tour manager, died while Eric Parker (right) was left in a critical condition .

Summary: Pierce Boykin, 31, charged with the murder De'Von Pickett, 29 . Tour manager was stabbed to death outside a Philadelphia bar last month . Also charged with attempted murder of fellow crew member Eric Parker . Pickett and Parker in the city to rehearse for Minaj's new European tour .


Boris Berezovsky was killed in his bathroom because he was preparing to give Vladimir Putin evidence of a plot involving leading oligarchs to topple the strongman in a coup, it was claimed today. The exiled Russian tycoon was slain by Western secret services linked to the plan to overthrow the Kremlin leader. The theory comes from Berezovsky's former long-time head of security Sergei Sokolov, who disputed the version of British police that the ex-billionaire took his own life, aged 67, in Berkshire in March 2013. Scroll down for video . 'Convinced': Berezovsky's former head of security Sergei Sokolov says he knows his boss did not take his own life - and alleges he was killed by Western secret services over evidence of a plot to overthrow Putin . 'I am convinced it was done by the Western secret services,' he said. 'If Berezovsky's death is a puzzle for you, it is a problem solved for me. Boris was killed simply because he possessed certain secret information and was going to make it public. This is not just my guess, I know it for sure.' Sokolov, the head of a major Moscow private security agency, said his ex-boss was intent on returning to Russia, and had opened negotiations with Putin on allowing him back despite years of bitter opposition to the president. 'Boris forwarded Vladimir Putin a letter with repentance,' he said. Deceased: Boris Berezovsky, left, was found dead at his ex-wife's home in Berkshire in March 2013. An outspoken critic of Putin, he is said to have sent the Kremlin leader a 'letter of repentance' and was planning his return to Russia . 'It was a part of the big venture he had been planning. Berezovsky was living and looking forward to his return to Russia. Of course, he was hoping for indulgence. 'Boris was killed only because he possessed information which he was going to share with Putin. 'I am absolutely sure that Boris had video and audio evidence about certain oligarchs who offered to organise a coup in the country, promising him to be seen as being at the head of the attack. 'Berezovsky planned to come back to his motherland with this sensational material. 'You understand it now: those people he had gathered compromising materials for, considered him to be a serious threat.' Berezovsky - who had a penchant for secretly recording conversations - had hidden his treasure trove, claimed Sokolov. Allegations: The explosive theory was made by Sergei Sokolov, who claimed his former boss had gathered 'compromising material' as part of his plan to return to Russia . 'Western secret services are still chasing it. Boris was not a predictable guy, who would keep precious information under the pillow in his house.' He claimed that Berezovsky had inside information from MI6 about Russia. 'I knew that Boris was in close relations with MI6, Mossad and the CIA,' he claimed. But 'when he became dangerous for their recruited residents such as Russian politicians and oligarchs, the Western secret services decided to get rid of him.' He alleged: 'Berezovsky's murder

Summary: Sergei Sokolov says he doesn't believe Russian tycoon took his own life . The 67-year-old was found hanging at ex-wife's Berkshire home in 2013 . Berezovsky had evidence of plot to topple President Putin, it is alleged . Sokolov claims Russian tycoon was killed by Western security services . An outspoken critic of Putin, Berezovsky had sent him 'repentance' letter .


These incredible photographs show dogs hard at work in the most dangerous job in the world - clearing mines in the war fields of Afghanistan. The mines are a legacy of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s and children are particularly vulnerable to the blasts when they go out to play or tend to their herds of cattle. Mine Detection teams work with the highly-trained dogs, typically Belgian or German Shepherds, to find and neutralise the lethal explosives in the Namak Ab District of Afghanistan. Scroll down for video . Highly trained: German Shepherds (left) are being used to detect mines in Afghanistan. The devices are destroyed in controlled explosions once they've been found (right) The mines are a legacy of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980's . The heroic dogs are from the Afghan Mine Detection Center and funding comes from government donations around the world and international charities . The dogs are selected as puppies based on health and their fixation on a rubber ball, which is used as a reward for them during the mine-hunting sessions . The humbling and inspirational pictures were taken by Craig McInally, a 40-year-old former US Army bomb disposal expert who has been working in explosive ordnance disposal and mine action since 1999. Craig has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, El Salvador, and Nigeria and has been stationed in Afghanistan since January 2014. He said: 'Some mines are intentionally designed with minimum metal to make detection difficult. 'Dogs can search much faster than a person with a detector, especially in areas where mine contamination is low. This is particularly helpful in reducing the total size of a suspected area.' The humbling and inspirational pictures were taken by Craig McInally, a 40-year-old former US Army bomb disposal expert . Devices found in Afghanistan: (From the left) The Italian TC-6 antitank blast mine - minimum metal and hard to detect- the Russian PMN-2 antipersonnel blast mine and finally a Russian PMN antitank mine, perhaps the most abundant mine on Earth . The mines are often buried several inches into soil, making them extra hard to detect . The dogs are used because they can normally find mines much more quickly than humans can, even if they have a detector . An unidentified mine-hunter kneels down next to an unexploded device that he's found buried in the ground . Those tending to farmyard animals in the countryside are particularly vulnerable to minefields . These heroic dogs are from the Afghan Mine Detection Center and funding comes from government donations around the world and international charities. They are selected as puppies based on health and their fixation on a rubber ball. This rubber ball is the reward for all their hard work. The handler will start the dog in a warm-up box, then show the dog where to start based on wind direction and previous cleared areas. The dogs then know to sniff along in a straight line searching for the explosives. When the dog reaches the end, it is called back and their

Summary: The mines are a legacy of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980's . Children are particularly vulnerable to the blasts when they go out to play . Mine Detection teams work with highly-trained German Shepherds . Dogs are able to find mines faster even than someone with a detector .


MAGIC FROM MATA . At times I’ve felt like a bit of an apologist for Juan Mata. At Anfield on Sunday, he showed his class. All game his touch was like velvet and he showed fantastic technical quality with two devastating finishes. I’ve heard some United fans and ex-pros saying he’s got no pace or he can’t do this or that. When he gets in the right place at the right time, he can cut open any team. He has a fantastic football brain and his decision-making is so quick that he doesn’t need to be fast. If you can read the game that well and take up intelligent positions then pace is not necessary. Nothing moves faster than the ball. Juan Mata scored twice as Manchester United beat Liverpool at Anfield - he showed his class throughout . Mata has a fantastic footballing brain his decision-making is so quick that he doesn’t need to be fast . Juan Mata has made 91 passes in his last two games, more than any other Manchester United midfielder . Sunday’s performance was a nod to all those who have written him off. He was good against Tottenham but he was sensational at Anfield. The acid test for any player is how well you perform in big games and they don’t get any bigger than Liverpool against United. It was a game for cool heads and that’s what Mata had. It’s a shame the same can’t be said for Steven Gerrard. Watching on, he will have been at boiling point. He must have been wondering why he was on the bench when players not in his class were struggling to make an impact on the pitch. But even though I have some sympathy, that’s still no excuse. Steven Gerrard will have been fired up after coming off the bench but there is no excuse for what he did . IT'S PERFECT FOR PARDEW . Alan Pardew was delighted after Crystal Palace came back to win at Stoke. And no wonder. When he left Newcastle for Palace, even he couldn’t have seen things going this well. He is at a club where he’s loved and since the switch Palace’s results have been far superior to Newcastle’s. Six wins and a draw means Palace have overtaken Newcastle, so all credit to him. HARRY MUST BE IN DREAMLAND . What a week for Harry Kane. He gets called up for England duty and responds with a first Premier League hat-trick. The boy is on fire. Last month I picked him out as my player of the season. A few people might have laughed at me for that, but I’m sure they’re not laughing any more. Only one player could take it off Kane now, and that’s Eden Hazard, but with three more goals, Harry’s done nothing to make me change my mind. Harry Kane scored his first Premier League hat-trick against Leicester and is still my player of the season . BRISTOL BOOMING . Bristol has always been a big rugby area, but it’s got a great football

Summary: Juan Mata was excellent against Liverpool and can cut open any team . Alan Pardew deserves credit for the job he is doing at Crystal Palace . Harry Kane is still my player of the season after his first top flight hat-trick . Bristol City deserve success and should dream big after Wembley win . West Ham have more points than last season - what more can Big Sam do?


While Tony Abbott is in New Zealand spruiking his national security plans, it looks like the security of his job as Prime Minister is, for the second time this month, in question. As he remains 'undistracted and undeterred by the hyperventilating which seems to be taking place at least amongst the media', Liberal backbenchers have reportedly given Mr Turnbull the go ahead saying he has the numbers for a successful spill. But they've said the move would have to be initiated by senior ministers from the Cabinet. Since these reported emerged on Saturday, supporters of Ms Bishop have claimed the Foreign Affairs Minister is against the move however she would stand against Mr Turnbull if the spill were to eventuate. Scroll down for video . Speculation has been rife about a second leadership challenge - less than three weeks since Mr Abbott (front) survived a spill motion - as Mr Turnbull (right) has reportedly been told by MPs that he has the numbers to beat the Prime Minister. However it is believed Ms Bishop (left) is against another spill motion but will stand against Mr Turnbull if it goes ahead . Ms Bishop publically backed Mr Abbott on Saturday saying she supported the 'the leader that the party has elected'. 'I am not aware of any attempt to bring a spill motion to challenge the leadership.' Ms Bishop isn't alone with rumours that Trade Minister, Andrew Robb, is vying for the role, however, Mr Robb has also publically backed Abbott, saying he had earned the right to contest the next election. Senior cabinet ministers claim Mr Robb has labelled the Communications Minister as 'not conservative enough' to lead the party, reports the Daily Telegraph. Trade Minister, Andrew Robb, stands by Mr Abbott claiming Mr Turnbull isn't conservative enough to lead the party . Reports say although a significant group of frontbenchers are publicly loyal to the Prime Minister, many admit behind closed doors, he will not make the next election. They argue that party polling suggests the Prime Minister is 'toxic' and will drag Mr Baird's vote in NSW by up to seven per cent in some key seats. With a state election looming and the party rife with the same instability that was Labor's undoing, some ministers are claiming the Prime Minister is 'toxic' and will drag Mike Baird's vote in NSW by up to seven per cent in some key seats. Ms Bishop (left) and Mr Abbott (right) have been fielding questions about the leadership challenge while in New Zealand for the annual Australia-New Zealand leaders' meeting . Communications Minister, Malcom Turnbull, has been told he has the numbers to take leadership in a spill motion . Mr Turnbull has chosen to stay tight lipped about the speculation, instead focusing his and the media's attention on the upcoming election. 'The question the people of New South Wales have is do they want to put back into power the party of Eddie Obeid,' said Mr Turnbull. Federal MP Bob Katter chimed in, likening the Liberal Party to a 'pit of snakes'.

Summary: Tony Abbott has been questioned in New Zealand about leadership challenge this week . Julie Bishop still publically backs Abbott but says she will put her hand up if a spill eventuates . MP's report to Malcom Turnbull that he has the numbers for a sucessful challenge . Trade Minister, Andrew Robb, stands by Mr Abbott claiming Mr Turnbull isn't conservative enough to lead the party .


Dozens of angry protesters have descended on the wealthy Dallas neighborhood where racist Oklahoma frat boy Parker Rice lives - hoping to shame his parents for their son's participation in the horrific racist chant that shocked the nation. Rice, a former Sigma Alpha Epsilon brother at University of Oklahoma, and his parents Bob and Jan say they have been forced to flee their $650,000 home in the elite suburb of Preston Hollow - home to the likes of George W. Bush, Mark Cuban and Ross Perot. Neighbors looked on in dismay as about two dozen protesters marched up the street on Wednesday night, shouting, 'racism is taught' and 'Teach your kids another way. No modern-day KKK.' On Tuesday, 19-year-old Rice was first identified by Daily Mail Online as one of the leaders of the racist chant 'there will never be a n***** SAE' that was filmed on a chartered bus full of members of the fraternity. . Scroll down for video . A group staginged a peaceful protest outside the childhood home of University of Oklahoma student Parker Rice in Dallas, Texas . Charletteria Mathis, second from left, Albeta Wellington, far right, and her son Mark Wallace, 5, protested outside the home of Rice's parents in the exclusive Dallas neighborhood of Preston Hollow . Neighbors looked on in dismay as protesters rallied down the street of three-quarter-milling dollar ranch homes in Preston Hallow on Wednesday night . The Rices have been forced to flee their $650,000 ranch home in North Dallas after receiving threatening calls and death threats online, they said . The other SAE brother identified in the racist chant video is Levi Pettit, who grew up in this six-bedroom, 7,500-square-foot home, which is valued at $4.1million in the Dallas suburb of Highland Park . The other SAE brother pictured prominently in the shocking video is Levi Pettit, who grew up in a $4.1million mansion in the wealthy Dallas suburb of Highland Park, Texas. Protesters from the Dallas-area group Next Generation Action Network staged the protest, hoping to call attention to the rarefied Texas upbringings they they say fostered the racism seen on the SAE video. 'I know that he was only taught this. So, that means going to his parents, the environment that he was raised in that taught him this,' protest leader Dominque Alexander told WFAA-TV. The protesters remained peaceful as they marched in Preston Hollow, though several Dallas police officers stood guard outside the Rice home. At one point, a masked woman shouted at one of the officers, who is black: 'You are a brother! They talk about killing you and you're standing on his property? How can you do that? You're a brother,' according to WFAA. When Rice issued an apology to the Dallas Morning News on Tuesday night, he revealed that he and his family have been getting threats and were forced to flee their home. 'Sadly, at this moment our family is not able to be in our home because of threatening calls as well as frightening talk on social media,' he said. Parker Rice,

Summary: A group is staging a peaceful protest outside the childhood home of University of Oklahoma student Parker Rice in Dallas, Texas . This after Rice was captured on video leading a racist chant at a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity event over the weekend . The protesters chanted 'Racism is taught' as they walked up and down the street . Rice issued an apology for his actions saying he was 'deeply sorry' and that what he did was 'wrong and reckless' He and his family have left their home due to threatening phone calls, and he has been expelled from Oklahoma .


Swansea manager Garry Monk feels his former boss Brendan Rodgers is capable of managing Barcelona or Real Madrid one day. Monk crosses swords again with Rodgers at the Liberty Stadium on Monday night having lost all three of his previous meetings with the Liverpool manager and the Northern Irishman's stock at Anfield is rising rapidly again. Liverpool have gone 12 games unbeaten in the Barclays Premier League as they close in on a top-four spot which would secure Champions League qualification for the second successive year after almost ending the club's 24-year wait for the title last season. Garry Monk believes former boss Brendan Rodgers is capable of managing Barcelona or Real Madrid one day . It is a far cry from the autumn when Liverpool were struggling to emerge from the post-Luis Suarez era at a time when Daniel Sturridge was injured and they lost four successive games in both league and cup. But the upturn in their fortunes has led to reports that Manchester City are making admiring glances towards Merseyside and, asked if Rodgers was equipped to manage Barcelona or Real sometime in the future, Monk replied: 'Yes, he can manage at the top, for sure. 'He's got the knowledge, know-how and capabilities in man-management. He's got the package to do it at the elite of Europe. Rodgers admitted earlier this month that he feared the sack at Liverpool prior to changing squad formation . 'Whether that's an ambition he has at Liverpool or it is an ambition to be at the really elite I don't know. 'But I'm sure he wants to take Liverpool to those heights again.' Rodgers admitted earlier this month that he feared the sack at Liverpool prior to changing the formation to three at the back which sparked their climb up the table. But Monk, club captain at Swansea when Rodgers steered the Welsh club into the Premier League in 2011 via the Championship play-offs, says that would have been a foolish move and applauds his courage to change a system which had proved so successful last season. Monk knows all about Rodgers' managerial ways having been club captain during his time at Swansea City . 'I've spoken to him about it and the pressure at the bigger clubs is constant but I think he handles it very well,' said Monk, who remains in regular contact with Rodgers. 'Transition's never easy, especially after a fantastic season, and just missing out on that title will have knocked the confidence of the players initially. 'It takes time to get that confidence back but he's done that and he also had quite an influx of players in the summer. 'All credit to Brendan for having the bravery to change it to what players probably weren't used to. He did it at a period where it could have been a risk but it's paid dividends.' Rodgers shows off the play-off trophy after winning promotion to the Premier League with Swansea . Liverpool's renaissance has taken them to within two points of fourth-placed Manchester United and Monk feels they

Summary: Garry Monk says Brendan Rodgers can manage Barcelona or Real Madrid . Monk was Swansea captain when Rodgers was in charge at Swansea . Current Swansea manager believes Rodgers can go all the way to the top . Liverpool have gone 12 games unbeaten in the Barclays Premier League .


Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach both boosted their Champions League ambitions with victories on Sunday. The Wolves look guaranteed of qualification for Europe's top competition as a 3-0 win at home to Freiburg strengthened their hold on second place, behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich. Former Chelsea playmaker Kevin de Bruyne put Wolfsburg ahead in the 19th minute, but the result was in the balance until Ricardo Rodriguez added a second from the penalty spot with 12 minutes to go. Kevin de Bruyne opened the scoring for second-placed Wolfsburg in their 3-0 win over Freiburg on Sunday . Ricardo Rodriguez added a penalty 12 minutes from time before Maximilian Arnold completed the scoring . Maximilian Arnold added a third late on to leave Wolfsburg nine points clear of third-placed Gladbach. Gladbach were 2-0 winners at home to Hannover to move two points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen. Patrick Herrmann netted both goals for Lucien Favre's men in the 43rd and 75th minutes. Patrick Herrmann netted both goals for Borussia Monchengladbach in their 2-0 win over Hannover .

Summary: Wolfsburg look certain for Champions League after beating Freiburg 3-0 . Kevin de Bruyne, Ricardo Rodriguez and Maximilian Arnold all scored . They are nine points clear of Gladbach in third position . Gladbach beat Hannover 2-0 courtesy of two Patrick Herrmann goals .


Bats are often associated with vampires, caves and other dark, creepy or dingy imagery. But this adorable little fruit bat wolfing down a banana is bound to change your perception. Filmed by Denise, a lady who rescues and cares for fruit bats, the video shows a much sweeter side of what is usually considered a rather spooky animal. Hungry fellow: The tiny fruit bat calms down completely when it spies a banana . The bat appears to pull hilarious facial expressions as it tucks into the fruit snack . Munching on the banana, the wide-eyed bat looks extremely excited as it fills its mouth before lifting its head back in satisfaction. Going in for another bite with even more enthusiasm, the bat opens its mouth as wide as it can and stuffs its face once more. Looking at the camera while it finishes its mouthful, the bat takes one last big bite of the banana and uses its pointed tongue to help shovel down the food. Before lifting its head one last time as if completely full and entirely satisfied. According to Storyful, an abundance of rainfall in Brisbane, Australia in recent weeks has resulted in food supplies becoming scarce - as a result, this bat was rescued by a lady called Nanette. At one point the bat is even seen poking its tongue out as it makes sure it has eaten every last morsel . Denise is among the people rescuing the bats from fruit netting during the poor weather. Referencing the video, Denise said the fruit bat was initially a little feisty until it spied the banana. After that he was happy once and began stuffing his face with the food – as is seen in the video. There's no need to be scared of these bats judging by the adorable rescue animal at Denise's shelter . Denise told MailOnline: 'Rain is good news for the coming winter but it's not such good news for hungry bat bellies. 'Although there is a magnificent array of native flowering occurring, rain washes the nectar and pollen out of the blossom and flying-foxes are forced to seek sustenance elsewhere. 'As a result we get an increased number of calls for bats trapped in large aperture fruit tree netting during and after rain events.' Denise added: 'Please net, grow and harvest sustainably. Never use any netting you can poke your finger through and use shadecloth or a similar weave to protect your fruit. Even better still, take what you need and share the rest with our wildlife.'

Summary: The bat is wide-eyed in excitement as it munches on the banana . Bats in Brisbane have suffered from lack of food due to excessive rain . Carer said the bat was a little feisty until it spotted the banana .


Labour's flagship energy price freeze was in further chaos last night as Ed Miliband was forced to re-launch it as a drive to cut fuel costs. His pledge to freeze bills for 20 months was left in turmoil earlier this year by tumbling wholesale prices. Today, the Labour leader will announce that he would pass a law to force the regulator Ofgem to push prices down by up to £100 this winter. Scroll down for video . Ed Miliband has been forced to clarify his energy policy after tumbling wholesale prices demolished the concept of a price freeze, and now he says he will force suppliers to drop bills by £100 this winter . But critics pointed out that when he announced the price freeze, in a blaze of publicity in 2013, he called for Ofgem to be abolished. His officials are now drafting legislation to allow Ofgem to ‘put an immediate end to the overcharging by the Big Six energy firms’ which costs families and business around £2.5billion a year. Labour was forced to ‘rebrand’ the proposed freeze as a price cap when power companies started reducing household fuel bills earlier this year in response to falling wholesale costs. The party had to issue a ‘clarification’ that they would also allow household energy bills to fall and they would not be frozen at a higher level than necessary. Mr Miliband had been criticised for intervening in the market and the industry warned it would put investment in jeopardy. The Conservatives have pointed out that if energy prices had been frozen when Mr Miliband announced the policy, it would have meant families paying bills £100 higher than necessary today. If Miliband had frozen gas prices when he announced his policy back in 2013, households would now be paying £100 more than necessary after falling wholesale prices drove down bills . Opponents of Mr Miliband say this mistake reveals the danger of meddling in a free market, and warn that any further intervention could risk investment and jobs . Last night energy minister Matt Hancock said: ‘This is now the sixth version of a chaotic Labour energy policy that would have put up families’ bills by £100 and could do the same again – their record at setting prices has been a disaster. ‘And only Ed Miliband could propose giving a new power to a regulator he plans to scrap. This incompetence is exactly why Ed Miliband isn’t up to the job. Hardworking taxpayers would pay the price with higher bills.’ Mr Miliband will say today that in one of his first bills of the next Parliament, he would give Ofgem ‘a legal duty to review prices by the autumn – and the power to order price reductions in time for the winter’. He will accuse the Conservatives of failing to stand up to ‘vested interests’. ‘We live in a country where you can’t fulfil one of the foundations of family life – keeping your home warm – without being overcharged by one of the big energy firms’, he will say. ‘It’s been

Summary: Miliband had promised to freeze gas and electricity bills back in 2013 . Falling prices mean freeze would have made households £100 worse off . Now says he will get Ofgem to force energy companies to drop prices . However opponents point out that he promised to scrap the regulator .


Rafael da Silva's time at Manchester United appears to be at an end with the club willing to listen to offers for the right-back. The Brazilian, 24, is a cult hero at Old Trafford but has not impressed manager Louis van Gaal. He has made just nine appearances this term and despite overcoming injury was left out of the squad for the last two matches against Sunderland and Newcastle. Rafael has not featured for Manchester United since the FA Cup match against Yeovil in January . Rafael has failed to impress manager Louis van Gaal since he arrived at Manchester United . Rafael's tendency to take risks coupled with a fiery temperament have made him a firm fans' favourite. But it is those traits which are thought to have sealed his fate under the methodical Dutch manager. The writing for Rafael has been on the wall throughout the season. Van Gaal has been willing to play others out of position at right back and has been quick to praise youngster Paddy McNair, who recently signed a new contract. Rafael can do nothing to stop Saido Berahino from scoring during the Premier League clash with West Brom . United are interested in bringing Southampton right back Nathaniel Clyne to Old Trafford . United also retain a keen interest in Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne, while reports in Spain claim they are locked in a two-way battle with Real Madrid for Porto's Brazilian right back Danilo. Rafael, last seen in the 2-0 FA Cup win at Yeovil on January 4, will have 12 months remaining on his contract at the end of the summer. A number of clubs in his homeland are interested, with Cruzeiro thought to be leading the charge.

Summary: Rafael has made just nine appearances for Manchester United this season . Brazilian has failed to impress manager Louis van Gaal since he arrived . Manchester United are now ready to sell the 24-year-old in the summer . There is interest from a number of clubs in Rafael's homeland . CLICK HERE for all the latest Manchester United news .


Nine British medical students have travelled secretly to Syria to help treat jihadi fighters in hospitals controlled by Islamic State, it emerged yesterday. The group of five men and four women, all in their late teens and early 20s, fled medical school in Sudan and travelled to Istanbul before crossing the Turkish border. One woman, a surgeon’s daughter, sent a smiling selfie to her sister before entering Syria. Their desperate parents believe they have been ‘brainwashed’ by Islamic fanatics and have now travelled to the region in a bid to convince their children to return home. Scroll down for video . Nine British medical students have travelled to Syria to work in hospitals in Islamic State-held areas. Pictured from left to right: Hisham Mohammed Fadlallah, Lena Maumoon Abdulqadir and Tamer Ahmed Ebu Sebah . The four women and five men apparently kept their plans secret from their families and fled to Syria from a medical base in Sudan. Left to right: Rowan Kamal Zine El Abidine, Sami Ahmed Kadir and Ismail Hamadoun . The medical students are believed to now be in the ISIS-held area of Tel Abyad, according to a Turkish politician. From left to right: Nada Sami Kader, Mohamed Osama Badri Mohammed and Tasneem Suleyman . The students are from the Sudanese community, but were born and raised in England. ‘They have been cheated, brainwashed. That is what I, and their relatives, think,’ Turkish opposition politician Mehmet Ali Ediboglu said after meeting the families. ‘We all assume that they are in Tel Abyad now, which is under IS control. The conflict out there is fierce, so medical help must be needed.’ He insisted that the students wanted to volunteer in hospitals, adding: ‘Let’s not forget about the fact that they are doctors; they were there to help, not to fight.’ It is believed the students had been enrolled in medical school in Khartoum. Last year, a British medical student who attended the same Khartoum medical school was arrested on suspicion of plotting with Islamic State. Tarik Hassane, 21, known to friends as ‘The Surgeon’, allegedly posted on Twitter ‘I smell war’ hours before his arrest. He was Tasered by police who stormed a relative’s flat where he was sleeping after flying into the country. Three of the students had graduated and the others were still studying, it is thought. They were joined by two medics from the US and Canada, also of Sudanese origin. Volunteer: One of the runaway girls, Lena Mamoun Abdelgadir, 19, of King’s Lynn in Norfolk, sent a selfie to her sister just before crossing the border . About a dozen classmates are believed to have flown from the Sudanese capital to Istanbul on March 12, then taken a bus to the border the next day. They are thought to have kept the plans secret from their families. They were named as Lena Mamoun Abdelgadir, Nada Sami Kader, Rowan Kamal Zine El Abidine, Tasneem Suleyman Huseyin, Ismail Hamdoun, Tamer Ahmed Ebu Sebah, Mohammed Osama Badri Mohammed, Hisham Mohammed Fadlallah and Sami Ahmed Kadir. Their parents are now

Summary: Nine medical students were born in UK and studied medicine in Sudan . Group of five men and four women left medical school and fled to Syria . Lena Abdulqadir said she wanted to ‘volunteer to help wounded Syrians' The surgeon’s daughter sent smiling selfie to sister before entering Syria . Their parents believe they have been ‘brainwashed’ by ISIS fanatics and have now travelled to the region to convince their children to return home .


A Missouri teenager sparked a massive online campaign to change his school's strict dress code after he was left in tears when teachers told him to change out of the 'special' ensemble that he wore on his birthday and questioned whether the effeminate look of the outfit meant he had 'gender issues'. Morgan Ball, 17, was called into the office at Lee's Summit North High School on Friday morning, after turning up to class wearing 'jeans, a T-shirt and shoes, a shawl, a necklace, jewelry... and a corset' and was immediately told to remove the more flamboyant parts of his clothing, before being asked whether he had 'gender identity issues'. The news of the school's reaction to his birthday outfit sparked fury among his friends and peers, many of whom took to social media to share their outrage at the situation, using the hashtag #clothinghasnogender in order to generate further interest. Scroll down for video . Fighting back: Morgan Ball, pictured on his birthday last Friday, was asked by his teachers whether he had 'gender identity issues' because he wore jewelry and make-up to school . Totally normal: According to a close friend of Morgan's, who made a video about the incident, the outfit was just like any other outfit that Morgan would normally wear . Shortly after the incident, one of Morgan's closest friends, Lizzie, also created a video, using the popular hashtag as the title, in order to explain in detail what had happened between the teenager and the teachers. 'Morgan is gay but not a lot of people judge him for it... there are a select few in the school,' the high school student said. '...It was his birthday and he had dressed up for his birthday. He wore jeans, a T-shirt and shoes. He also wore a shawl, a necklace, jewelry, he had his nails painted, he had a glove on and a corset. 'He also put on make-up.' Lizzie continues by stressing that this type of outfit is completely 'normal' for Morgan, and for his friends who know him well. 'He was called down to the office and they told him - they asked him actually - if he had gender identity issues. They also said that it was a "distraction to the learning environment for the children" and they told him to take it off and he took it off.' Speaking out: Morgan's story quickly turned his #clothinghasnogender campaign into a viral social media sensation. The teenager is pictured here speaking to a local news outlet in his hometown . She adds: 'Morgan was really upset, he was crying at the end of the day. I've never seen him so hurt before, and I want to do something about it. The young girl goes on to explain that Morgan received an overwhelming amount of support from his classmates, reading out several of the tweets posted by pupils at the school using the hashtag #clothinghasnogender. 'I admire what Morgan did today, he is such a brave soul and I fully stand behind him,' one tweet read. Another

Summary: Morgan Ball, a student at Lee's Summit North High School in Missouri, arrived at school on Friday wearing jewelry and make-up . The teenager was told by teachers that certain elements on his outfit were 'distracting' for the other students . Students at the school created the hashtag #clothinghasnogender, which has been flooded with tweets posted in support of Morgan .


Watford have signed Cardiff City defender Matthew Connolly on loan until the end of the season. The 27-year-old, who can play across the back four, has made 26 appearances for Russell Slade's side this season, including 90 minutes on Tuesday night as they drew 1-1 with Bournemouth. Connolly, a former Arsenal trainee, has won promotion from the Championship previously with QPR and Reading. Cardiff City defender Matthew Connolly has signed for Watford on loan for the remainder of the season . A Cardiff statement said: 'We have accepted a loan offer for Matthew Connolly from Watford FC. 'Matthew will link up with the Hornets immediately, subject to international clearance. The emergency loan spell will run until June 1st 2015 inclusive. 'We wish Matthew the very best of luck during his time at Vicarage Road.' Slavisa Jokanovic now has an additional defender to utilise as Watford look to rise up the Championship .

Summary: Matthew Connolly has moved from Cardiff to Watford on a loan deal . The versatile defender has been a regular under Russell Slade . He has won promotion to the Premier League with QPR and Reading .


Wayne Rooney is on course to break Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time goalscoring record at the club, but the Manchester United captain has struggled to find the net at the home of one their fiercest rivals. Ahead of Sunday's crunch clash at Anfield, Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal will be hoping his star striker can lead by example when United travel to Liverpool. Rooney was on target as United swept aside Tottenham at Old Trafford on March 15 - taking his league tally to 11 this season. Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal will be hoping Wayne Rooney can fire them to glory at Liverpool . Rooney (centre) scored in United's 3-0 win vs Tottenham on March 15 but has struggled at Anfield in the past . However, the 29-year-old's record at Anfield is a poor one during his time at United and at boyhood club Everton. In 10 appearances at the ground, Rooney has only managed to score once. That goal proved decisive though as United ran out 1-0 winners against Liverpool in January 2005. Since then however, the stats make for unimpressive reading for Van Gaal's talisman - with the forward having failed to score in his subsequent seven appearances at Anfield. Rooney has only scored once in 10 matches at Liverpool during his time at Everton and United . Rooney (left) celebrates his strike with Cristiano Ronaldo in 2005 as United won 1-0 at Anfield . Furthermore he has only produced two shots on target in total in those following matches and nine overall. Despite this, Van Gaal will be hoping Rooney can rediscover his goalscoring touch at Anfield as United battle for a place in the top four against Brendan Rodgers' side. Defeat for United would see them drop below Liverpool into fifth with just eight Premier League games remaining. Since that goal though, Rooney (centre) has failed to score in seven subsequent matches at Anfield . In additio, the 29-year-old has only produced two shots on target in total in those following matches .

Summary: Manchester United travel to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday . Wayne Rooney has scored 11 Premier League goals this season for United . 29-year-old's only goal at Liverpool came in United's 1-0 win in 2005 . READ: Man Utd train ahead of crunch clash with Liverpool on Sunday . Liverpool vs Manchester United: Team news, probable line ups and more . CLICK HERE for all the latest Manchester United news .


Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao continue to step up their preparations ahead of their $300million (£200m) mega-fight in May. Having come face-to-face earlier in the week in Los Angeles, the pair returned to their respective camps and got back to the serious business of training. Now 38, questions have been about whether Mayweather's powers are declining - whether that lighting speed of his is starting to slow. Floyd Mayweather posted a video of himself skipping on Instagram as he prepares to face Manny Pacquiao . Mayweather was watched by a large crowd as he skipped - while Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight was playing . Well, if his skipping is anything to go by, the Money Man seems as fast ever. Mayweather posted a video on Instagram of himself working out on Friday - with Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight playing in the background. Earlier in the day, he posted pictures of himself working on the speed bag, heavy bag and pads. Pacquiao, meanwhile, also posted a video on Instagram as he continued his road work with another group running session. It is the second day in a row that the 36-year-old has gone for a long run, having also had a similar outing on Thursday. Manny Pacquiao was joined by a large entourage as he once again hit the streets . Pacquiao and Mayweather have agreed to unannounced blood and urine testing prior to and after their fight . The pair's preparation continued as it was announced that they had agreed that their mega-fight would be conducted under the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing program. The Las Vegas showdown will observe the rules established under the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List and the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing. Both fighters have agreed to unannounced blood and urine testing without reservation and will be tested out of competition prior to the fight and in competition after the fight. Mayweather hits the speed bag as his training camp continues in his Las Vegas gym . Mayweather pounds the heavy bag as he prepares to defend his unbeaten 47-0 record against his rival . Mayweather is taken on the pads with just seven weeks until he takes on Pacquiao on May 2 .

Summary: Floyd Mayweather posts video of himself skipping to In the Air Tonight . Manny Pacquiao posts video of him and his entourage enjoying a run . Pair also agree May 2 fight will be conducted under US Anti-Doping rules .


On Sunday Manchester United will travel to Liverpool for their biggest match of their season. It will be a rip-roaring, full-bloodied battle which may well be settled by one moment of magic - an occasion made for those who shine on the biggest stages. And yet last year's Champions League man-of-the-match, a man who also played at the World Cup in Brazil, may well struggle to make Louis van Gaal's starting line-up. Angel di Maria has had a difficult start to life in a Manchester United shirt since arriving from Real Madrid . Di Maria (second right) has suffered a Fernando Torres-eque loss of form that nobody saw coming . Based on ability, Angel di Maria should be a shoo-in. His explosive pace and unnerving eye for a killer pass would seem to be the perfect fit for a 90 minutes in which United may well spend long periods on the back foot, looking to counter. But the skills that made Ed Woodward write Real Madrid a cheque for the best part of £60m have rarely been displayed after Di Maria suffered a Fernando Torres-esque loss of form that nobody saw coming. The promise of an explosive partnership down the left with fellow new boy Luke Shaw had United fans drooling. Louis van Gaal has stuck by his man so far, but he has a big decision to make ahead of Sunday's match . Manchester United travel to Liverpool, and Di Maria may not be in the starting line-up at Anfield . Di Maria, however, did not want to leave Madrid and that is where the problems began. Then came the weather. Mancunian winters, as Roy Keane pointed out, can be hard to endure for those used to sunnier climes. Six hours of grey light a day and continual rain can hammer at the mindset of those not used to it. Di Maria also struggled to adapt to Louis van Gaal's tactical switches. He is not alone in that, and has rarely been given licence to roam up and down the left wing. The problems for Di Maria began when he left Madrid - he was happy there and did not want to leave . Di Maria was sent off in Manchester United's FA Cup clash with Arsenal earlier in March . Van Gaal pointed out that most players do not find their feet until their second season - but try telling that to Chelsea fans who have seen Diego Costa fit seemlessly into Jose Mourinho's Premier League leaders. As if the above were enough to contend with, then came the break-in. Sat at home in a foreign country watching TV with your wife and young daughter when suddenly a quiet night in is interrupted by the terrifying sound of raiders armed with scaffolding poles trying to smash their way into your isolated house. Juan Mata started for Manchester United in Di Maria's absence against Tottenham and impressed throughout . Van Gaal now has to decide whether to stick or twist - Mata (centre) or Di Maria (right) on Sunday? Yes, the

Summary: Manchester United travel to Liverpool for a huge game on Sunday . Louis van Gaal has to decide whether to start out-of-form Angel di Maria . Di Maria has had a difficult start to life in Manchester, particularly after intruders broke into his house while he and his family were there . Based on ability, Di Maria should be in the starting XI, but Van Gaal may decide to start Juan Mata instead of the Argentinian . CLICK HERE for all the latest Manchester United news .


Louis van Gaal has been here before with the press questioning him, his players seemingly confused by his philosophy and the public bemused as the season tailspins into mediocrity. The only difference on the previous occasion was that Van Gaal tired of the challenge and gave up. It was 2008 and he was at AZ Alkmaar, an admittedly different proposition to Manchester United. But the ingredients were similar. The club was under-achieving, languishing in 11th place when they had been expected to challenge at the top of the table. And it seemed as if the players could not grasp what he was demanding from them. So Van Gaal walked out. He resigned from Alkmaar in March 2008. Louis van Gaal, pictured in training on Friday, takes Manchester United to face Liverpool at Anfield . Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring United's final goal in their 3-0 win against Tottenham last weekend . Van Gaal, pictured in 2007, resigned as manager of AZ Alkmaar only to return to the club and win the title . But then something remarkable occurred in the form of a players' mutiny. The team rebelled against Van Gaal's own decision to walk out leave them and demanded him back. Led by captain Stijn Schaars, central defender and vice-captain Kew Jaliens, midfielder David Mendes and Australian goalkeeper Joey Didulica the team leaders asked for a crisis meeting with the directors and the owner of the club. 'We felt insulted when the club told us Van Gaal was leaving,' said Kew Jaliens. 'The entire squad, felt that Van Gaal is the right man and the only man who could take this club and our squad to a higher level.' As United travel to Liverpool on Sunday with Champions League qualification hanging in the balance, the question is whether United's players and directors would do the same for Van Gaal today. Of course, thing aren't quite as bad as they were at AZ. After all, three defeats in 24 games would be satisfactory for most clubs. And last week's 3-0 win against Tottenham was a possibly the first sign that a new successful United team could emerge in the post-Ferguson era. Stijn Schaars, pictured during his days as an AZ Alkmaar player, did not want Van Gaal to leave the club . Antonio Valencia, Ander Herrera and Radamel Falcao (left to right) train ahead of their trip to Anfield . Indeed before Sunday's game at Anfield, Van Gaal was confident enough to talking about extending his time at Old Trafford beyond his current three-year deal. 'This will be my last job but there could be five years to go yet,' he said. 'I can extend my contract. You never know. I'm in a situation where I signed for three years because you can build something up in that time and the club agreed with that. I don't know how I would react in the circumstances when Manchester United ask me to extend, and if I should do that.' Perhaps their 3-0 win over Tottenham last weekend could be viewed as the United players

Summary: Louis van Gaal resigned at AZ Alkmaar but the squad demanded his return . He came back and led the Dutch outfit to the Eredivisie title in 2009 . Van Gaal is now trying to implement his own philosophy at Old Trafford . United take on fellow Champions League chasers Liverpool on Sunday .


No audience with Louis van Gaal is complete without a mention of the Dutchman’s ‘philo-sophy’. He talked about it on his first day at Old Trafford and was still talking about it in the build-up to Manchester United’s win over Liverpool on Sunday. ‘It takes time,’ he said. ‘In Germany (at Bayern Munich), it took until December. And now (with United) until March.’ There were signs all over the pitch at Anfield that his players are finally getting the message. It was without doubt their best performance under Van Gaal: ‘One of the most important moments in my career,’ he later acknowledged. Manchester United playmaker Juan Mata stole the show at Anfield as he netted a brace against Liverpool . Mata (left) and fellow countryman Ander Herrera (right) impressed against United's arch-rivals . David de Gea uploaded a dressing room photograph of Manchester United's post-match celebrations . United are currently fourth in the Premier League . The 63-year-old is ruthless in his pursuit of what he wants. No-one is exempt, and it was significant that Juan Mata and Ander Herrera, two of United’s best performers in the 2-1 win over their bitter rivals, have been made to sit on the sidelines for lengthy spells this season. Two-goal hero Mata only returned against Tottenham in the previous game after a two-month absence from Van Gaal’s starting line-up in the Premier League. His position at Anfield, described by Van Gaal as a ‘false right winger’, demonstrated once again how the manager places his team’s needs above an individual’s preference. And Herrera spoke candidly on Monday about how upsetting Van Gaal contributed to him making just six league starts in his first six months at Old Trafford following a £29million move from Bilbao. ‘I keep my distance with Van Gaal, but he’s a good guy with a strong character,’ said Herrera, who was not seen for more than a month after being hooked at half-time against West Brom in October. Manchester United's first team stars finally appear to be buying in Louis van Gaal's philosophy . Mata was given a free role against Liverpool in December (left) but performed admirably as a 'false winger' at Anfield on Sunday (right) ‘He likes discipline and does not believe in egos in the dressing room. Everybody is equal under his rule. He talks about what he wants from me. At the start he used to tell me off because I always looked for the ball. I always wanted to have it, and no, I must wait. ‘He loves possession and he doesn’t like being at risk of losing the ball. He wants long stretches of possession. He believes spaces are created that way because the team has the quality to find them.’ There have been many times in Van Gaal’s first season in England when his philosophy has not been altogether clear; when the constant chopping and changing of formation and shuffling of a rather expensive pack of players has left fans scratching their heads. Nor are United close to being the finished article. An eight-point deficit on

Summary: Juan Mata starred in Manchester United's 2-1 win against Liverpool . The Spaniard netted a brace at Anfield to help United claim all three points . Louis van Gaal has said he has been deploying Mata as a 'false winger' Ander Herrera has also managed to retain starting spot in recent weeks .


A prison sentence at Eastern State Penitentiary not only separated you from the outside world - but all human contact. Built in 1829, it was the first jail to implement solitary confinement for every single inmate which is thought to have brought on mental illness. Even outside the tiny cells, guards would cover their heads with a hood so they remained in confinement even when they wandered through its stone halls. The prison, which closed its doors in 1971, is considered by many people as one of the most haunted buildings in America. Haunted halls: Eastern State Penitentiary was the first prison in America to implement solitary confinement and is believed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the country . Chilling: Thousands of hardcore prisoners housed within these tiny cells in the Philadelphia would live alone, eat alone and even exercised alone in tiny individual yards . Chilling: The guards would even cover the inmates' heads with a hood when they left their cells so they could not see any of the others or map out the prison in their minds . Cruelty: And they allegedly subjected the prisoners to inhumane torture methods like the 'mad chair', where they would cut off prisoners' circulation - necessitating amputations . Notorious: The prison even housed feared prohibition-era gangster Al Capone whose luxurious room has been restored for tourists . King among prisoners: Capone spent most of his one year sentence in relative comfort and was allowed to furnish his cell with antiques, rugs, and oil paintings . Ghostly sightings: The prison closed down in 1971 and reopened as a museum in 1996, but tourists still report ghostly sightings . Strange presence: Those who believe in ghost stories say the trouble souls of the mistreated inmates still roam Eastern State's crumbling hallways . Home: The prison designer's ambitious mechanical innovations placed each prisoner had his or her own private cell, centrally heated, with running water, a flush toilet, and a skylight . Its crumbling stone walls, dark corridors and claustrophobia-inducing cells once housed thousands of hardcore criminals. The Philadelphia prison's 142-year history is steeped in controversy and cruelty and those who believe in ghost stories say the troubled souls of inmates still roam the abandoned halls. They were severely mistreated by the prison guards who found a number of sick ways to punish those who misbehaved. According to NPR, they would use a torture method called the 'water bath' where they would dunk the prisoner in water then hang them to dry in the cold outside until ice formed on the skin. They would also tie inmates so tightly in a device called 'the mad chair' that it would cut off circulation and necessitate amputations. And the worst offenders would be put in 'the hole', a pitch-black underground cell where they had no light, no human contact and little air. The solitary confinement system was eventually discarded when the prison became overcrowded but Eastern State is widely thought to have induced mental illness in many of its inhabitants. It housed infamous criminals

Summary: Prisoners at Eastern State Penitentiary were kept in solitary confinement which some say induced mental illness . The guards are believed to have tortured the inmates and covered their heads with hoods when outside the cells . Shut down in 1971 and reopened in 1996 as a museum and Halloween attraction but ghostly sightings continue . Visitors have reported anguished cries coming from the cells and a shadowy figure who watches over the prison .


QUESTION: The past few years have been awful: my husband left me for his PA. I felt dowdy and middle-aged, so embarked on a programme of exercise and dieting. Even so, I was amazed when a trainer at my gym, who’s 27 (I’m 49), asked me on a date. I want to say ‘Yes’, but I fear it’s undignified and that my body will repel him. What should I do? Rowan advises a woman who has been asked out on a date by her younger gym trainer (picture posed by models) ANSWER: I have a friend who swears the best way for any middle-aged woman to make a decision is to ask themselves: ‘What would Madonna do?’ The Queen of pop would never let a trifling thing such as dignity stand between her and a hot young man. Nor did the director of 50 Shades Of Grey, Sam Taylor-Johnson, put decorum before personal happiness when she wed a much younger actor. Would it have been more seemly to deny herself an unbelievably handsome husband just to ensure the more censorious members of our society weren’t scandalised? Of course, this kind of chutzpah is far easier to talk about than achieve. It comes more naturally to celebrities than mere mortals. But that doesn’t mean you can’t borrow a little bit of that erotic entitlement. This man has gone out of his way to pursue you. It’s also a bit daft, under the circumstances, to be fretful about your body. If he works in your gym, then surely he’s got a good idea of your physique. The simple fact is that he fancies you rotten. In short, why don’t you do this man a favour and take his request seriously? If he’s interesting and sexy, you should simply assess him for these qualities. Treat him like any other man who might have the good sense to ask you out. Please say ‘Yes!’ — perhaps with the addendum: ‘Because I’m worth it!’

Summary: Sex columnist tackles a question from a woman whose husband left her . Now a young man at the gym wants to take her out on a date . Rowan says Madonna and Sam Taylor-Johnson have made age gaps okay .


David Cameron's former 'back to work tsar' Emma Harrison founded the company A4e . Ten workers at a controversial company used by the Government to get people off benefits forged signatures in a £300,000 fake jobs fraud, a court heard today. The group were employed by the firm A4e which was paid millions of pounds to help people from difficult backgrounds get a job. The company was founded by David Cameron's former 'back to work Tsar' Emma Harrison, who was forced to step down from her role after fraud allegations first came to light in 2012. During a 13-week trial at Reading Crown Court it emerged that 10 staff at the company falsely claimed they had helped people find jobs to hit bonus targets. Some even falsified files using the names of family members, while others offered bribes in the form of vouchers to get people to fill out false forms. Four defendants were convicted in connection with the fraud after six of their colleagues had previously pleaded guilty. Ines Cano-Uribe, 39, of Madrid, Spain, was found guilty of two counts of forgery, while Zabar Khalil, 35, Matthew Hannigan-Train, 31 and Hayley Wilson, 27, were each found guilty of one count of forgery. Summing up for the prosecution, Sarah Wood said that between them they had created 167 false claims, a fraud which cost the Department for Work and Pensions - which contracted A4e to carry out the work - around £300,000. The court heard that A4e ran the Aspire to Inspire lone parent mentoring programme between 2008 and 2011. The contract covered Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and was funded by the European Social Fund. A4e was paid £1.3million for the contract and £10,500 a month to implement it. The company received payments for each person it helped gain employment. The court heard that while A4e helped 558 people find jobs, staff lied about others. Ms Wood said: 'The total amount of fraudulent claiming was 167 files, for a total loss of £288,595.' During the period one of the workers falsified a 'successful job' in her nephew's name and another supposedly for her husband. Another worker bribed a man with £150 of vouchers to sign forms saying he had been through A4e training. Ten workers at the firm A4e - which was employed by the Government to get people off benefits - are being sentenced for ripping off taxpayers in a £300,000 fraud . The crimes came to light when an employee at A4e blew the whistle on the scam. A4e was founded in 1991 by Emma Harrison, who was later appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron as the Government's 'families champion', an advisory role on troubled homes. The firm signed the £1.3 million, three-year Inspire to Aspire contract in August 2008. The sentencing, before Judge Angela Morris, at Reading Crown Court, continues.

Summary: Group employed by the back-to-work private contractor A4e . It was paid millions of pounds to help people get off benefits and into work . The workers forged signatures and falsely claimed they found people work . A4e was founded by the PM's former 'back to work Tsar' Emma Harrison .


A nine-year-old boy was locked in a tiny cage then forced to stand half-naked in a pond as punishment for stealing. Jin Hung's cruel castigation by neighbours caused outrage in China after pictures were shared on social media. Locals Yuan Kang, 35, and Cheng Yeh, 40, decided to mete out their own justice after accusing him of stealing food and money from the village, the People's Daily Online reports. Caged: Neighbours decided to lock up the nine-year-old themselves so he could learn his lesson . Shivering: Nine-year-old Jin Hung was stripped to his waist and forced to stand in a pond while locals shouted abuse at him for stealing . He was first locked in a cage so small he could not stand up and told to reflect on his crime. When this failed to make him cry, he was stripped down to his waist and made to stand in the pond while villagers hurled insults. His ordeal only ended when Jin's parents called the police and the neighbours were made to let the shivering youngster go and fined £20 each. Counting the cost: Jin Hung counts money after being caught stealing by angry neighbours in China . But Yuan remained unrepentant, arguing it would teach the child a lesson. He said: 'We all knew in the village that there was somebody stealing, if it wasn't eggs from our henhouse or vegetables, it was cash from inside empty properties. 'When he was caught red-handed we went round to his house and demanded to see inside his room, where we found a jar filled with money hidden under his bed. Cold punishment: Villagers shout insults at Jin Hung while making him stand half-naked in a pond . 'This was obviously his ill gotten gains, and he needed to be taught a lesson that stealing is wrong.' Pictures of the boy's ordeal were later published on Weibo sparking a debate. While many argued that the adults should be locked in a cage for child cruelty, others agreed the punishment would teach him a lesson.

Summary: Locals take drastic action after food and money goes missing . Boy didn't cry in cage so neighbours force him to stand in cold pond . Only set free after his parents called police who fined neighbours £20 . Incident has divided China with many agreeing while others brand it cruel .


Single thongs across Australia now have the chance to find a 'solemate'. At least that’s what a new online service hopes to provide, and with a tagline of It’s like Tinder for Thongs, the chance is now there for that single and lonely ‘lefty’ or ‘righty’ to find a new life partner. Adelaide man Karl Gautam is the brains behind the new venture that started off as a laugh on Facebook, but has since become a huge fashion sensation. Adelaide's Karl Gautam wants single thongs to find the perfect partner . HavyMatch Facebook page is trying to get the right match for thongs who are now on their own . Thanks to Mr Gautam all you have to do is upload a photograph or write a description of the required thong onto his HavyMatch Facebook page and wait for a match. When a proper match has been made they send it to you for a mailing fee of $7.50. 'I was cleaning out my cupboard and I noticed I had a few single thongs. I didn't want to throw them out as they were in too good a nick,' Mr Gautam told Daily Mail Australia. 'So I went on my Facebook page and asked if anyone had any thongs that could match up with any of them. These single thongs were washed up on an Adelaide river bank. HavyMatch is hoping to stop this and make a difference environmentally . 'One of my mates got back to me with one which was the right size. I told my mates about this and they got on Facebook asking me if I could find them one. It was then I thought that there maybe some legs in this idea.' He set up the HavyMatch Facebook page 11 weeks ago and now has more than 1,100 followers. What started out as a bit of fun suddenly exploded into life and it soon became clear that the Facebook page wasn't the right platform for the endeavour. It soon became clear that there was a market for people looking for replacement thongs . 'For this reason I have some IT people in Melbourne working on a dedicated website that will make it really easy to look for a thong,' he said. 'It'll be set up similarly to those 'classified ad' style websites. The website is hopefully around six weeks away and will be called havymatch.com.au.' The 36-year-old, who works as fitter and turner in South Australia's copper mines, also realised that although he'd started it all off as a bit of a lark there was a serious point to the idea of finding a match for your thong. The sight every holiday-maker hates to see on their return home - the dreaded single thong in the suitcase . 'A friend was walking along beside a river near my house and he collected about 40 single thongs that had been washed up on the bank after heavy rain,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'His point was that if people are swapping thongs they wouldn't be throwing them away

Summary: Karl Gautam reckoned that there could be a market for replacement thongs . The Adelaide man set up HavyMatch Facebook page to tackle the problem . In just 11 weeks the Facebook page got more than 1,100 followers . It became so popular Mr Gautam is now working on a dedicated website . The new venture also hopes to make an impact environmentally .


Supermarkets are blocking efforts to tackle a deadly bug found in chicken, a watchdog declared last night. The Food Standards Agency has found that up to 79 per cent of raw birds on sale are contaminated with campylobacter – the country’s most common cause of food poisoning. Levels are dangerously high in 19 per cent of chickens and the agency has demanded this figure should be below 10 per cent by year’s end. Tests last month revealed 73 per cent of chickens in supermarkets contained potentially lethal food poisoning bug campylobacter, which makes 280,000 people ill every year . It says however that Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and the Co-op are failing to help. Only Marks & Spencer is giving updates on its plans and progress in tackling campylobacter. Professor Paul Wiles of the FSA said the industry’s response had been ‘unacceptable’. Chief executive Catherine Brown said supermarkets had ‘pushed back’ against providing information and claimed the stores were unhappy over the FSA’s publication of campylobacter league tables. Experts fear the stand-off will make it more difficult to tackle a bug that hits an estimated 280,000 people every year, killing 100. Campylobacter also costs £900million in terms of NHS treatment and in lost productivity due to victims being too sick to work. To date, only M&S has given the FSA details of its comprehensive plan to tackle campylobacter, which involves changes on farms and in slaughterhouses. To date, only Marks & Spencer has given the FSA details of its comprehensive plan to tackle campylobacter, which involves changes on farms and in slaughterhouses . Miss Brown said this had helped meet the 10 per cent target, adding: ‘This is great news – demonstrating that when businesses attack campylobacter with real focus, they can make a difference.’ Professor Wiles, who was previously chief scientific adviser to the Home Office, condemned the other firms’ refusal to detail what they were doing: ‘In terms of the scientific evidence and how to reduce campylobacter that is not acceptable.’ In the agency’s research, which looked at raw roasting chickens bought in 2014, Asda came out worst on virtually every measure. It had a contamination rate of 78.9 per cent, with 31.1 per cent at the highest level. Morrisons was second with a total contamination rate of 76.2 per cent and 22.9 per cent at high levels. Richard Lloyd, of the consumer group Which?, said: ‘People need reassurance that supermarkets are doing everything they can to make chicken safe.’ Shamed supermarkets are refusing to give the FSA useful details of what they are doing to reduce levels of the potentially lethal bug and what success – if any – they are having . Lib Dem MP Andrew George, who campaigns on supermarket issues, said: ‘I would have thought they would have learnt lessons. 'I would strongly urge supermarkets to reflect on what happened to each of their reputations as a result of the horsemeat scandal. ‘It’s not directly related but it’s one that they should remember because you undermine consumer confidence.’ Tory MP Andrew Percy said: ‘The FSA

Summary: Tests found 73 per cent of supermarket chickens contained campylobacter . Poisoning bug makes 280,000 people ill every year and can cause death . Almost one in five birds was highly dangerous, FSA figures revealed . FSA told stores it expected them to reduce number of contaminated birds . But official watchdog revealed today most stores failing to fully co-operate .