Scotland international Geoff Cross has completed his year-long beard growing fundraiser after it was shaved off at his club's training ground on Tuesday. The London Irish prop created a lot of interest during the Six Nations championship with the beard and has raised £10,000 for rugby's children's charity Wooden Spoon - dedicated to transforming the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the British Isles through rugby. His efforts are also helping raise funds for his former club-mate at Edinburgh, John Houston, who is seeking £50,000 to compete in the Wooden Spoon Arctic Rugby Challenge. The before and after shots of Geoff Cross as the Scotland international had his beard shaved off on Tuesday . Cross sits in his chair as he gets ready to have his beard shaved off at the London Irish training ground . Cross's London Irish team-mate Leo Halavatan helps to shave the famous beard off . Cross's efforts raised £10,000 for rugby's children's charity Wooden Spoon . Setting off on April 15, the challenge aims to set a world record for the most northerly rugby match in history after a trek of 100 miles to the magnetic North Pole. When asked if he did indeed have the greatest beard in rugby, Cross said: 'It's really not my place to say but I'm very proud of it. Scotland prop Cross poses with his now detached beard hair after it was shaved off on Tuesday . Cross is pictured in action during Scotland's Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham . Cross tackles England's Tom Wood to the ground during Scotland's defeat at Twickenham earlier this month . 'My wife is really pleased it's going. It has been a long-suffering year for my long-suffering wife.' To donate, visit justgiving.com/drx .

Summary: Geoff Cross had his beard shaved off at the London Irish training ground . The Scotland international had grown the beard for a year . It raised £10,000 for rugby's children's charity Wooden Spoon .


Anyone who's been on a ski holiday will admit to have thinking it. 'Wouldn't this place be brilliant if we had it all to ourselves?' One way to avoid crowds on the slopes, is to hire out the whole resort exclusively - something one Utah ski village offers for $10,000. Eagle Point, in Utah, can host 200 people at its resort and while its slopes are open to the public from Thursday to Sunday, from Monday to Wednesday, skiers will have the lifts and the runs to themselves. Eagle Point in Utah can be hired out completely for almost $10,000 (£6,500) and can cater for 200 people . And while it sounds like the sort of thing that would only be exclusively accessed by the rich, royal or uber-famous, it's not. In theory, the whole place including accommodation and slopes with five lifts to access 600 acres of skiable powder, can be all yours for $50 (£32.50). Owner Shane Gadbaw, a former banker, rents out the whole resort privately for $10,000 (£6,486), which if split between 200 people works out at just $50 (£32.50) each. And because it's called the 'As You Wish Package', and the resort is run privately and not by some big, faceless corporation, it's all tailored to your group's needs. Speaking to MailOnline Travel, Mr Gadbaw says that three key virtues of an authentic ski and snowboard experience, affordable first class food service and a terrain for all levels make the resort what it is. The US resort offers stunning views out over Utah, while this luxury continues to the facilities and food on offer . Executive chef Jimmie McDowell ensures his food and his staff are of the highest standard for all the guests . 'Eagle Point resembles a ski resort of the classic era before high speed detachable lifts, luxury shopping villages and amusement park-like crowds and lines. Guests have the space to enjoy the snow and the mountains without fighting crowds. As a private, family-run operation, the culture of Eagle Point and its staff is set from the top. Our goal is simple: we want you to have an amazing time at our resort. You will find the friendliest and most helpful staff in the resort industry. 'From the personal escort to your condo at check-in, to the special attention to your kids in our ski school program, you will be treated like a special guest at our resort.' Most of the lodging is ski-in/ski-out and located within a short walk through the fresh powder from the main lodge. What better thing can there be after a testing day on the slopes than relaxing in the bar with friends and an alcoholic beverage? The resort caters for all levels of skier, and has the facilities to provide for all the family . 'Eagle Point is offering the opportunity to reserve the entire resort on an exclusive basis,' says the resort website. 'Imagine you and your friends, family, social or corporate group, enjoying exclusive access to 600 skiable acres, five lifts, the terrain park - and

Summary: Eagle Point resort in Utah can be hired for what works out at £32.50 a night providing you fill capacity . The American ski resort is run privately by former banker Shane Gadbaw who rents it out for $10,000 . The resort accommodates 200 people and has five lifts and 40 ski runs over its 600-acre stretch .


Only Gordon Ramsay could take asparagus, fructose and shiitake mushrooms and come up with a recipe for teaching his children how to swear without causing offence. The chef, known for his use of expletives, has revealed he is teaching daughters Megan, Matilda and Holly and son Jack ‘some really nice alternatives to curse words’. Ramsay, presenter of The F Word on Channel 4, tells them to say ‘shiitake’ instead of ‘s***’, ‘asparagus’ instead of ‘a**’ and ‘fructose’ in place of ‘f***’. Recipe for not swearing: Gordon Ramsay (with wife Tana, second left) has revealed he is teaching his children (from left) Holly, Megan, Matilda and Jack 'some really nice alternatives to curse words' Ramsay's kitchen alternatives: They say ‘shiitake’ (left) instead of ‘s***’, and ‘asparagus’ (right) instead of ‘a**’ But the 48-year-old admitted that at his last parents’ evening, one of the children’s teachers said that it was still offensive and that he should stop. Ramsay said that he replied: ‘I said: ‘Well it’s a Japanese mushroom, it’s delicious, now f*** off.’’ The chef has long been known for his bad language - but this is the first time that he has admitted that he is teaching the same to his children, who are aged between 12 and 16. In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live in the US, he said: ‘I tried to teach them some side language. Known for his use of expletives: The chef, who was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, has gained fame on shows such as Hell's Kitchen and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares . 'So I said: "Look, cursing is not smart, it’s an industry language and sometimes daddy lets it slip - 20 times a day." So I come up with some really nice sort of alternatives to curse words. 'So rather than saying the word s***, which you know, is not nice - shiitake. And instead of the F word? Fructose. Rather than saying a**, it’s asparagus.’ Ramsay has admitted to unconventional parenting in the past and has told his children that cooking is a ‘life skill’ - and is more important than passing exams. He was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, and moved out of home at 16 because of his abusive alcoholic father - gaining fame on shows such as Hell's Kitchen and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

Summary: He is teaching words to daughters Megan, Matilda and Holly and son Jack . Tells them to say ‘shiitake’ instead of ‘s***’ and ‘asparagus’ instead of ‘a**’ The F Word presenter, 48, also says to use ‘fructose’ in place of ‘f***’


Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright is giving his Twitter fans the chance to play alongside him at Wembley in his last ever football match. Wright won the FA Cup twice and the League Cup on the hallowed Wembley turf during his legendary Arsenal stint. He also suffered heartache at the Twin Towers as Crystal Palace lost the replay of the 1990 FA Cup final to give Sir Alex Ferguson his first Manchester United trophy. Having hit one million followers on Twitter the former England striker, who scored nine goals in 33 appearances for the Three Lions, decided to give something back to the fans. Ian Wright celebrates winning the FA Cup with Arsenal with a 2-0 win against Newcastle at Wembley in 1998 . Wright gets emotional as he celebrates his goal in front of the adoring Crystal Palace fans . Wright said: 'I've watched all the FA Cup Finals from 1970 up to the present day, and Wembley is such a special stadium. I never dreamed that I would actually get to play and score there. 'Because it all happened to me at Wembley, I wanted to have a game there and give my Twitter followers the chance to be a part of it. 'It's my last, ever game of football…I wanted to do something really special for the million. I thought to myself I would love to have one more game, I can't even remember the last time I played. 'It's going be special for me but I want it to be special for them. It's going to be something they remember for the rest of their lives. They've got the opportunity to play at Wembley simply because they follow me. The opponents have yet to be revealed by Wright, who didn't sign professionally until he was almost 22, but his followers will be able to help select the team name, badge and kit in the build up to the game. Wright celebrates scoring for Arsenal with teammates Kevin Campbell and John Jensen . Former Three Lions striker Wright puts in a good performance as England take on Czech Republic in 1998 .

Summary: Ian Wright will play fans in his last football match at Wembley . Wright has fond memories of the stadium from his days as a player . Former England striker wants fans to enjoy Wembley like he did . Wright is celebrating reaching one million Twitter followers .


A public memorial will be held on Friday for popular Australian blogger the 'Wellness Warrior', who died of cancer at the age of 30 after seven years of sharing her battle with the disease. Jessica Ainscough, 30, passed away last week after a long battle with a rare and aggressive form of cancer called epithelioid sarcoma, which she chose to fight with natural and often controversial methods. When Ms Ainscough was diagnosed at the age of 22, she tried conventional treatments but when her cancer resurfaced she opted instead for a natural treatment called Gerson Therapy which involves drinking raw juices and coffee enemas. Ms Ainscough's family spoke out about online backlash she faced as a result of her views on alternative medicine in a statement published in the Queensland Times - saying that when her cancer returned in 2014 she again tried conventional treatment but it did not help. Scroll down for video . Popular Australian blogger Jessica Ainscough, the 'Wellness Warrior', has died of cancer at the age of 30 . 'It has been speculated by people who have never met or treated Jess that, had she chosen to amputate her arm or undergo further conventional treatment, her chances of survival would have increased,' they said. 'Her treating oncologists do not agree with this uninformed view.' Ms Ainscough was cremated in a private ceremony on Monday, and her public memorial will be held Lifepointe Baptist Church, at Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, at 10am on Friday. Her family have requested donations be made to animal rescue group Edgar's Mission in lieu of flowers. Ms Ainscough's father Col Ainscough said the family was deeply appreciative of the love and support coming in from around the world. 'I'm so proud of my beautiful daughter for her achievements, style, grace, sincerity and affection. I'm devastated although comforted to know that she is now reunited with my wife, Sharyn,' Mr Ainscough said. Her partner Tallon Pamenter said his heart was broken. 'But I feel incredibly blessed to have experienced a love and connection few are lucky enough to have,' Mr Pamenter said. 'Jess and I shared the highest of highs and lowest of lows, and because of this we developed a love so deep that I will forever be grateful for.' Ms Ainscough adopted a strict vegan diet, and additional supplements to 'heal' her body without chemotherapy. Ms Ainscough's mother was diagnosed with cancer, and after embracing Gerson therapy, died in 2013 . Ms Ainscough detailed her journey with the method on her popular blog, 'The Wellness Warrior' 'I didn't chop off my arm. I didn't go into aggressive, full-body chemotherapy. I didn't accept that my doctor's 'solution' was the only course of action,' she wrote on her Wellness Warrior blog. 'I decided that I would do everything in my power to thrive in life, in spite of the looming expiration date I'd been given. I learned how to treat myself with absolute kindness & self-respect. I radicalised my diet. I systematically detoxified my body — and mind.' Ms Ainscough's approach has no scientific

Summary: Jessica Ainscough, The Wellness Warrior, was a popular Aussie blogger . She died of a rare and agressive form of cancer, epithelioid sarcoma . Ms Ainscough was diagnosed at 22 and embraced the alternative Gerson Therapy method to rid toxins in body . She died on Thursday after a seven-year battle with the cancer . Ms Ainscough will be remembered at a public memorial on Friday .


Most women rely on a mirror and an avid eye to apply make-up with precision. But for one beauty blogger, who lost her eyesight in 2007, it isn't so simple. Christine Hà, an American chef, writer and blogger from Houston, Texas, has released an inspiring video tutorial showing how she applies her make-up with a tried-and-tested formula. Christine Hà, who lost her sight in 2007, has released an inspiring video tutorial showing how she applies her make-up without a mirror . Christine, 35, who has a video series on YouTube called 'Blind Life of Christine Ha', explains that she decided to release a beauty tutorial after a lot of people asked her how a visually impaired person does their own make-up. The chef, who was the first blind contestant of MasterChef and won the show in 2012, said: 'I remember back when I was filming Masterchef we had to do our own hair and make-up. 'I would sit and put on my own make-up and a lot of my friends on the show would watch me in awe because I don't use a mirror.' The chef, who was the first blind contestant of MasterChef and won the show in 2012, said her fellow contestants would watch her doing her make-up in awe because she didn't use a mirror . Christine, who suffers from neuromyelitis optica, whereby her immune system attacked the optic nerves and spinal cord, begins by applying foundation to cover any redness . Christine, who suffers from neuromyelitis optica, whereby her immune system attacked the optic nerves and spinal cord, explains that she will demonstrate her daily wear make-up. 'The first thing is foundation,' she begins. 'Now I am in my 30s, I've been told we have to worry more about redness on our skin so I have started wearing it. Brush it all on, which helps it blend really well so I don't have to worry too much about streaks. 'As you can see, I am covering the area around my nose where I get the most redness, or so I've been told.' She then takes a pair of eyelash curlers and says: 'A lot of people think this is scary because I can't see, but I can feel the eyelash curler so I know that I have it pressed up against my eyelid.' She admits that applying mascara is 'very tricky', but, she says, once you know how long the wand is, you know where to put your hand . While she waits for her mascara to dry, she puts on her blush across the apple of her cheeks . She then takes her mascara, which she says is 'very tricky', but, she says, once you know how long the wand is, you know where to put your hand. She explains: 'You approach you lashes very gently and once you feel the brush on your lashes, you know to start stroking it on. I do two layers on both eyes.' While she waits for her mascara to dry, she puts on her blush. 'I do about five swirls

Summary: Christine Hà, 35, won Masterchef in 2002 . Fellow contestants were in awe of her mirror-free beauty regime . Shows how she uses mascara and lip liner by 'feel'


Harry Kane's brother, Charlie, took to Twitter on Sunday to show his support to his younger sibling ahead of Tottenham's Capital One Cup final against Chelsea. Charlie posted a selfie with his family and friends on the social networking site, as they made their way to Wembley for the showpiece clash, with a number on show wearing masks of the in-form Spurs forward - who has scored an impressive 24 goals in 38 appearances this season. Charlie is clearly very supportive of his brother, as just last month he was caught on video in a local pub celebrating Spurs' 2-1 North London derby success over Arsenal, leading the chants of 'He's one of our own', after Kane Jnr grabbed a crucial double in the win. Charlie Kane (front) poses for a selfie with family and friends as they make their way to Wembley . Harry Kane warms up on the perfect Wembley turf ahead of Tottenham's cup final against Chelsea . Fans begin to arrive at the National Stadium ahead of Sunday's mouthwatering game . A day earlier Kane Snr posted on Twitter 'Sleepless night ahead' as he looked forward to Sunday's crunch clash . Kane himself - whose remarkable rise to Premier League stardom is the story of the season - couldn't contain his excitement ahead of the match either when talking to Sky Sports. He said: 'It’s special you know - I can’t wait. The atmosphere is going to be electric and I just can’t wait for it all to start. ‘Any boy growing up playing will tell you that their ultimate dream is to play in a cup final. I’m just so excited of course, and is the whole team.' Tottenham youngsters poses for a photo outside Wembley ahead of Sunday's showdown . Chelsea youngsters look in confident mood as they get ready to watch their side take on Tottenham .

Summary: Tottenham face Chelsea in the Capital One Cup final on Sunday . All eyes are on Tottenham's in-form striker Harry Kane . Ahead of the game his older brother Charlie has shown his support . Kane Snr took a selfie with his family and friends on the way to Wembley .


A cruise is a great way to enjoy the Mediterranean in summer. What could be more relaxing after some sightseeing than sitting on deck with a cool drink as you sail away to the next exciting destination? It certainly beats the bother of driving on a touring holiday, and gives so much more variety than staying put at a beach resort. Fly to join your ship and your sunshine holiday starts on day one. Island-hopping in Greece is easy and fun on a cruise, and it is the nimble smaller ships that are able to visit the biggest choice of ports. The stunning coastline at Kotor is among one of the stops during an Island-hopping cruise to Greece . Here are five of the best cruises this summer with interesting itineraries and on-board activities… . 1) During a ten-night round-trip from Istanbul aboard Azamara Journey (azamaraclubcruises.co.uk, 0844 493 4016), there are late stays in port, giving passengers the opportunity to dine ashore or take a stroll after dinner on lively Mykonos and in Chania, Crete. All guests are invited to an ‘AzAmazing Evening’ – a special choral performance in the magnificent baroque St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, built by the Knights of Malta. Sit back and enjoy the local cocktails on Mykonos while someone else do all the hard work for you... Departure is on August 6 and the cruise costs from £1,699pp (saving £676pp) if booked in March – you must quote ‘FREE AIR’. All fares include flights, drinks, gratuities and the AzAmazing Evening. 2) Sisters Helen and Lisa Tse, whose Sweet Mandarin restaurant in Manchester was declared the best local Chinese by Gordon Ramsay on his TV show The F Word, will be giving cookery demonstrations on a food-themed cruise aboard Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam. Ports of call include the islands of Lesbos, Kefalonia and Santorini, and an overnight stay in Istanbul (pictured) The 12-night Mediterranean Empires cruise (hollandamerica.co.uk, 0843 374 2300) departs Venice on June 9 and features excursions to food markets. Ports of call include the Greek islands of Lesbos, Kefalonia and Santorini, and an overnight stay in Istanbul. The cost is from £1,609pp including return flights to Venice. Book by March 15 and a third and fourth passenger sharing your cabin can sail for just £1 each. 3) An expert from the Royal Horticultural Society will be giving talks on board and guiding garden visits ashore on a two-week Impressions Of The Riviera cruise from Malaga to Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) aboard small ship Minerva. An expert from the Royal Horticultural Society will be giving talks on board and guiding garden visits ashore on a two-week Impressions Of The Riviera cruise from Malaga (pictured here) to Civitavecchia . Visits to the Huerto del Cura botanical garden in Elche, southern Spain, and Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild near Nice, with its Spanish and Japanese gardens, are included in the fare. The trip costs from £2,685pp, which also covers flights and gratuities, with Swan Hellenic (swanhellenic.com, 0844 273 3760). 4) The luxurious Crystal Serenity (crystalcruises.co.uk, 020 7399 7601)

Summary: Island-hopping in Greece is easy and fun on a cruise . Smaller, more nimble ships are able to visit the biggest choice of ports . Fly and join your ship and your ship and enjoy sunshine from the get-go . See our five best cruises with interesting itineraries and on-board activities .


A lineman who suits up for the Baltimore Ravens obviously knows his X's and O's because he made it to the NFL - but it's pretty clear this particular player is also quite familiar with the number line. Offensive guard John Urschel recently had a math research paper published in the Journal of Computational Mathematics. The 23-year-old pro, who goes by MathMeetsFball on Twitter after graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a 4.0 GPA and a master's degree in math, also competed in a chess tournament for the first time earlier this month. Scroll down for video . Offensive guard John Urschel had a math paper published and competed in a chess tournament this offseason . Ursche said he had a 'great time talking to the advanced statistics class' at a high school earlier this month . Urschel's Computational Mathematics paper was co-written by Ludmil Zikatanov, Jinchao Xu and Xiaozhe Hu . The paper was titled, 'A Cascadic Multigrid Algorithm for Computing the Fiedler Vector of Graph Laplacians', and it was co-written by Ludmil Zikatanov, Jinchao Xu and Xiaozhe Hu. A portion of the abstract reads: 'In this paper, we develop a cascadic multigrid algorithm for fast computation of the Fiedler vector of a graph Laplacian, namely, the eigenvector corresponding to the second smallest eigenvalue. 'This vector has been found to have applications in fields such as graph partitioning and graph drawing.' The paper was published on March 17, just three days after Pi Day. Urschel, who refers to himself as a published mathematician and professional mathlete, celebrated both occasions on Twitter. The 23-year-old pro posts many math-related things while using the handle MathMeetsFball on Twitter . On March 14, he wrote: 'Happy Pi Day!!!! 'Take some time to check out all of its properties and the amazing things it's involved in. 'My favorite is Euler's identity.' Earlier in the month, he posted about competing in the Pittsburgh Open Chess Grand Prix. Urschel wrote: 'Just finished my first chess tournament ever. 'Scored 3 points in five rounds in the U1700 of the Pittsburgh Open!!!' He wears No. 64 because eight to the power of two is a perfect square, USA Today reported. Urschel said: 'It's a very nice number. It works for me. 'With football and math, I'm very precise. With everything else, I'm a simple guy.'

Summary: Offensive guard John Urschel has a master's degrees in mathematics . 23-year-old had 4.0 GPA during graduation from Pennsylvania State University . He helped teach Penn State math class and Twitter handle is MathMeetsFball . Competed in the U1700 section of the Pittsburgh Open Chess Grand Prix . Paper he worked on was published in Journal of Computational Mathematics .


Looks-based dating website BeautifulPeople.com hit the headlines recently when it ejected 3,000 members for letting themselves go. And now the site obsessed with beauty is facing an ugly backlash after thousands of people have started trolling the site in a bid to take revenge on their elitist policies. In an attack coordinated via social media, uglies wanting to take revenge on the site have been using fake profile pictures to become members of the exclusive dating community before then attempting to subvert the system by voting in 'ugly' people and voting out any good-looking potential members. Scroll down for video . Elitist dating site BeautifulPeople.com is facing a backlash from 'ugly' trolls after removing 3,000 members for letting themselves go. Uglies wanting to take revenge on the site have been using fake profile pictures to become members of the exclusive dating community before attempting to subvert the system . Last week it was revealed that BeautifulPeople.com had expelled over 3,000 people for not maintaining the appearance necessary to meet the high standards expected on the site. The move was welcomed by most of the member - but angered outsiders who disagreed with the site's selective policy. The 'Ugly' troll attack originated in Russia where over 2,700 applications were made to the site in a few hours. Over half of these were fake profiles and part of the ugly troll army. Similar coordinated attacks have come from the United States and the United Kingdom with 1,435 U.S. 'trolls' removed from the site and 400 from the UK in the past few days. BeautifulPeople.com is a site that is designed only with Beautifu lPeople in mind where users vote for those they think are the most attractive to stay on the site . 2,700 of the recent surge in fake profiles were from Russia, where the revenge campaign began . Greg Hodge, the managing director of BeautifulPeople.com, said: 'We had large spikes in numbers applying to join the site using profiles which immediately raised the suspicions of our administrators. 'Initially the scale of applications from specific geographical areas – Russia, the United States and the UK in particular – caused concern, when we examined the applications in more detail, we noticed a large number of what appeared to be fake profile pictures. 'We then traced this back to various social media sites calling for an attack on our site.' 'People had come together on forums such as Reddit to discuss the site and how they could hijack it by creating the fake profiles.' This is not the first time the site has been under attack. BeautifulPeople.com has been hit with 'denial of service' attacks, and had their rating system sabotaged in 2011. In response the site has introduced new measures to verify profiles and wannabe members must now take a webcam picture of themselves holding up a piece of card with their name and date written on it . Recently 3,000 members were removed because organisers felt they had let themselves go. This chap is an example of somebody who would make the BeautifulPeople.com

Summary: BeautifulPeople.com is an elitist internet dating site . To join you have to be deemed attractive by the other users . Recently the site ditched 3,000 members for 'letting themselves go' Internet trolls reacted by hijacking the site with fake profiles . They then voted for profiles they deemed 'ugly' to stay on the site .


The BBC has denied claims hackers were responsible for its website going offline this afternoon just days after Anonymous threatened to attack the Corporation if Top Gear wasn't reinstated. Those trying to log on to the site at about 1.30pm today were met with an error screen and an image of the old test card clown after the BBC encountered an internal system failure. It came just days after the so-called 'hactivists' reportedly wrote an open letter stating it would use a digital weapon called a DDoS attack to bring down the site after Jeremy Clarkson's suspension. The error message that visitors to the BBC website were met with for about an hour this afternoon after it experienced an 'internal system failure' The BBC posted this message at 1.25pm on Twitter after the website went down. The Corporation denied hackers had anything to do with it, adding that this can happen when it experiences a high volume of traffic . Staying quiet: The Top Gear star was seen arriving back at his west London home today. He has not spoken publicly about the row other than to write in a column that he would not 'dwell' on the issue . However, the BBC denied that hackers are involved in the incident and put it down to an internal system failure. A spokesman told MailOnline: 'The website was down for about an hour but it is all back up and running now. 'It was due to an internal system failure, which can happen when we are experiencing too much traffic or if there is an issue with our servers. 'Some sites were working and some weren't so not everyone trying to access the site was affected.' They added that the error screen, featuring the picture of the test card clown in front of a fire, was protocol when an error of this nature occurs. The Top Gear presenter is set to go before a disciplinary hearing this week after he got into a 'fracas' with the show's producer, Oisin Tymon, and allegedly punched him in the face. Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, pictured, was suspended from the BBC on Monday and the Corporation announced the hit motoring show would not be shown on Sunday . The BBC is investigating whether Clarkson 'punched' assistant producer Oisin Tymon, right . He is said to have called Mr Tymon a 'lazy, Irish ****' and threatened to end his career, after a day's filming and allegedly became angry when he could not get the steak he wanted at their hotel. Clarkson was suspended on Monday and the BBC announced Top Gear would not be broadcast this weekend. But upset hackers reportedly jumped to Clarkson's defence and set up #OpBringBackClarkson, saying 'You don't wanna p*** off 300 million people... BBC you are warned… DDOS cannons will fire if you don’t comply,' according to the Mirror. An online petition to bring back the 54-year-old is already at 885,000 signatures and is the most popular petition posted on Change.org in the last two years. However the presented hinted today in

Summary: People trying to access the BBC site today were met with an error screen . It featured a 'creepy' image of the old test card clown in front of a fire . Failure came after hacking group Anonymous threatened to bring it down . But BBC denied 'hacktivists' were involved and said it was internal issue . Jeremy Clarkson was suspended after a 'fracas' with Top Gear producer . The presenter due before a disciplinary hearing this week to find out future .


Government cuts after the next election will be even deeper than previously announced – but will come to an end earlier than planned, Treasury figures revealed today. George Osborne said he needed to slash a further £30billion from government spending by 2017/18, with £12billion of savings coming from the welfare budget. The Government's spending watchdog said the planned cuts would be deeper than 'anything seen over the past five years'. But once the books have been balanced the Government will embark on the biggest increase in spending for a decade in 2019/20. George Osborne's planned cuts will be deeper than 'anything seen over the past five years'. But once the books have been balanced the Government will embark on the biggest increase in spending for a decade . Government spending as a percentage of GDP will no longer fall to the lowest level since the 1930s, after Mr Osborne dropped plans to run a £23billion surplus in 2019/20 . The Office for Budget Responsibility said the plans amounted to a 'rollercoaster' of public spending. Mr Osborne's proposal to end austerity a year earlier than expected appeared to be designed to blunt Labour's claim that state spending will shrink to a level not seen since the 1930s. But delivering his Budget today, the Chancellor said new plans would mean state spending as a share of national income the same size as Britain had in 2000 - when Labour was in office - but before, Mr Osborne said, 'spending got out of control'. The Chancellor used his speech to trumpet official forecasts showing better economic growth. Borrowing will also be £5billion less than expected over the next three years, he said. Mr Osborne said official predictions also saw the national debt starting to fall earlier than had previously been thought. National debt as a proportion of GDP will start to fall next year, not 2016/17 as previously thought. Under George Osborne's plans, Government spending will fall as a proportion of GDP to a level last seen in 2000 under Tony Blair . The Government is still spending £90 billion more than it raises in taxes – and this will only be wiped out by 2018/19. For 2015/16, the deficit will be cut to £75.3billion in 2015/16 and then £39.4billion the following year. In 2017/18 it will fall to £12.8billion before moving into a surplus of £5.2billion the year after. But in 2019/20, the planned surplus will only rise to £7billion instead of the previously planned £23.1billion. Meanwhile, debt as a proportion of GDP is expected to fall in the next fiscal year to 80.2 per cent. He said: 'This is a Budget that takes Britain one more big step on the road from austerity to prosperity. 'Because the national debt share is falling a year earlier than forecast at the Autumn Statement, the squeeze on public spending ends a year earlier too. 'In the final year of this decade, 2019-20, public spending will grow in line with the growth of the economy. We can do that while still running a healthy surplus to bear

Summary: Government will slash £30bn from government spending by 2017/18 . Planned cuts will be deeper than 'anything seen over the past five years' But afterwards there will be the biggest spending increase for a decade . Austerity had been pencilled in for four more years after general election . But the government will now end its cuts programme in 2018/19 . Office for Budget Responsibility said it was a spending 'rollercoaster'


Saturday is the day when love of math and a hankering for pastry come full circle. The date is 3-14-15, the first five digits of the mathematical constant pi: 3.141592653. The best times to celebrate are at 9:26 and 53 seconds, morning and evening, and the occurence won't happen again until March 2115. On Saturday the date is 3-14-15, the first five digits of the mathematical constant pi: 3.141592653. Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. 'It's a portal into this magical mysterious world of mathematics,' said University of California Berkeley mathematician and author Edward Frenkel. 'Pi is special.' Pi is the constant used to calculate the area of a circle, as in pi times the radius squared, but it appears all over other parts of mathematics. It 'is kind of a basic atomic building block' for math, said Temple University mathematician and author John Paulos, who was interviewed at precisely 3:14:15 p.m. In some places, Pi Day is celebrated with the edible type of pie. 'It's a real exciting moment for math enthusiasm,' said Nathan Kaplan, a Yale University math professor, who called it a time for people to 'remember how much fun they found some of the stuff in school.' Kaplan acknowledged that most people don't really recall math as fun, blaming that on how it's taught: 'There's fun stuff out there in the quantitative world.' One interesting aspect of pi is that it is irrational, which means the decimals after 3 go on to infinity with no repeating patterns. Yet in 1897, a bill before the Indiana legislature tried to round it up to 3.2. It fell flat. 'We cannot change it. It's not subject to opinion or taste or time,' Frenkel said. 'How many things like this in the universe mean the same thing to everyone through time and space?' This pi story goes full circle, with exactly 314 words. In honor of mathematical constant's designated day, MIT will be announcing its 'Regular Action' admissions on March 14, 2015 at 9:26 a.m. ET. Celebrating Pi Day isn't new for the prestigious college, but this year is extra special, as the date aligns perfectly with Pi's first eight numbers: 3.1415926. Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. As an irrational and transcendental number, it will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. While only a handful of digits are needed for typical calculations, Pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to memorize, and to computationally calculate more and more digits.

Summary: Saturday is 3-14-15, the first five digits of pi . The best times to celebrate are at 9:26 and 53 seconds . MIT using these times to tell candidates if they have a place . Dozens of bakeries preparing special pies for the day .


Barbara Bush, having changed her mind about her son's candidacy for president, now says that Jeb is Republicans' 'best chance of taking back the White House in 2016.' The matriarch of the Bush family endorsed her son's expected presidential campaign in a fundraising email for his Super PAC on Wednesday in which she also announced that she was starting the 'Run Jeb Run' fund. Two years ago, the former first lady tamped down rumors about her Jeb's rumored run, telling NBC, 'We've had enough Bushes.' But then, last month, after her son had already disclosed that he was exploring a bid, she indicated that she is now in favor of a third Bush presidency. Scroll down for video . Then-Gov. Jeb Bush is pictured here, sitting with him mom, former First Lady Barbara Bush, while watching election results in his hotel suite in Miami, Florida, the night he was reelected to Florida's highest office. He is now planning to run for president, following in the footsteps of his father, former president George H.W. Bush, who can be seen in the background of this photo, and older brother George W. Bush . Potential presidential candidate Jeb Bush answers questions at the Rioz Steakhouse Wednesday morning in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Barbara Bush, in an email sent sent through her son's political action group, said today that Jeb is Republicans' 'best chance of taking back the White House in 2016' At a dinner for their family foundation, Bush popped up on the big screens during Jeb's speech via a Skype call and said, 'Jeb, it's Mom. Listen, what do you mean, "too many Bushes'?... I changed my mind!" Jeb had been talking about the number of family members who work with the charity when his mother interrupted him. 'My mother not long ago said, "There have been enough Bushes." And it got me thinking, if we've had enough Bushes in one forum, do we have too many Bushes in the family literacy forum today?' he said, according to CNN. That's when his mother stepped in to say that her feelings had shifted. 'Hey, Mom,' he said back to her. 'Can I get that in writing?' 'I said our problems are so big that it doesn't matter what your last name is in America, if America needs you for as long as you can help. And yes, you can get it in writing and in public,' she told him. Jeb, who is known to be close with his mother, replied, 'I love you. You’re the greatest mother in the world.' A former Florida governor who has been talked about as a candidate for president for nearly as long as his brother George W. has been out office, is nearly all in to the 2016 race, with the exception of an official announcement. This month he visited consequential primary states Iowa and New Hampshire for the first time since leaving public office, and he is currently in South Carolina, another state that votes early in the nominating cycle. He is considered the favorite of establishment Republicans

Summary: Matriarch of the Bush family endorsed her son's expected presidential campaign in a fundraising email for his Super PAC on Wednesday . Two years ago, the former first lady tamped down rumors about her Jeb's rumored run, telling NBC, 'We've had enough Bushes' Last month, after her son had already disclosed that he was exploring a bid, she indicated that she is now in favor of a third Bush presidency .


A guest at an 007-themed swingers' party drowned in a swimming pool after apparently downing most of a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey. The 35-year-old man was one of about 30 pleasure-seekers at the 'James Bond meets Pussy Galore' event in a £2.5million country mansion in the Home Counties. He is thought to have entered the pool naked with a woman he had met at the party before suddenly starting to thrash about in the water and then sinking to the bottom. Organiser Janet Harrison (left) with friend in an image from a website that promotes the swingers' parties . The sex party was reportedly 'just getting started' when a 35-year-old man drowned in the swimming pool of the £3million gated property (pictured is a pool at the mansion) Detectives are investigating the 'unexplained' death and the 50ft covered pool has been sealed off while toxicology tests are carried out to check that the water is safe. The party was one of the regular swingers' events put on by retired management consultant Richard Stanley, 66, and his partner Janet Harrison, 58, at their eight-bedroom home in Radlett, Hertfordshire. The couple, who appeared in a Channel 4 series last year, say they do not run the sex parties as a business, but ask for contributions to their costs. The event on Friday night featured 007 references including a roulette wheel, a woman covered in gold paint inspired by Goldfinger and chocolate replicas of the weapon from The Man With The Golden Gun. The man got into difficulties in the water just after midnight. The death happened at a swingers party run by Richard Stanley and Janet Harrison, pictured in the Channel 4 documentary Jon Richardson Grows Up . The owner of the house, who organised the sex party, said there were safety notices around the pool . 'The party was really only just getting started,' a guest told the Sun. 'I was in the garden when a naked couple walked into the heated pool. She was white and in her 30s or 40s, he was black. 'There is a steep incline in the pool, which is about 3m deep, and the guy went in deeper by himself and started whacking the water. I thought he was playing. 'After a while the woman screamed and I saw the guy lying on the bottom. His body looked like it was moving, but then I realised it was ripples in the water.' Revellers dragged the man out and performed CPR on him at the poolside, but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead at Watford General Hospital. The victim, who told other guests he was called Edmund, was not a regular at the parties. He is believed to be Nigerian and from north-west London. The woman who entered the pool with him, who was not well known by other guests, was left distraught. Mr Stanley said the victim had apparently 'severely dented' a bottle of Jack Daniel's he brought with him before entering the pool. The group's website states that there are health and

Summary: Guest at 'James Bond meets Pussy Galore' swingers' party drowned . Tragedy happened as the sex party was 'just getting started', it is reported . Unconscious man, 35, pulled from the water but efforts to save him failed . Guests were alerted after woman who had also been in the pool screamed .


This is the nail-biting moment a 21-year-old female store clerk single-handedly fends off an armed robber almost twice her size and sends him running away. Zara Adil, 21, was working at her parents' shop, Discount Tobacco Zone, last Friday evening when two men wearing hoodies walked in. CCTV footage shows one of the men approaching the open register after demanding cash and throwing his handgun to one side. Adil then grabs the weapon and tackles the thief as he shoves her against a back wall lined with liquor bottles. The surveillance camera then shows the man pulling the money drawer out of the register and making off with it. However, Adil grabs on to his jacket and manages to pull the case of cash out of his hands. The robber then runs away. Adil told WTVQ News that she fired the gun and shot the man in the shoulder. She apparently suffered a few minor injuries during the commotion but was determined to defend her family business. Caught on camera: This is the nail-biting moment a 21-year-old female store clerk single-handedly fends off an armed robber almost twice her size and sends him running away . Threatened: Zara Adil, 21, was working at her parents' shop, Discount Tobacco Zone, last Friday when two men wearing hoodies walked in . Wrong move: CCTV footage shows one of the men approaching the open register after demanding cash and throwing his handgun to one side . Quick-thinking: Adil then grabs the weapon and tackles the thief as he shoves her against a back wall lined with liquor bottles . Lexington Police reported the robbery was similar to about 15 others in the area since January. They have issued an arrest warrant for Darnell Thomas, Jr., 30, in connection to last week's armed robbery attempt. 'If more people stand up, they won't have that much courage to go around and do what they're doing,' Adil concluded.

Summary: Zara Adil, 21, was working at her parents' shop, Discount Tobacco Zone, last Friday when two men wearing hoodies walked in . CCTV footage shows one of the men approaching the open register after demanding cash and throwing his handgun to one side . Adil managed to grab the weapon and fight the thief away . She said she shot him in the shoulder during the commotion .


MPs will be banned from claiming expenses for dinners, TV licences and taxis before 11pm following the general election. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) confirmed that politicians' perks will be cut from May 8. The move, which is likely to cause anger among MPs who already complain that the system leaves them out of pocket, emerged as the watchdog announced a raft of changes for the next parliament. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has confirmed that certain perks for politicians will be cut from May 8 . Ipsa said: 'We will implement the rule changes agreed in December 2013, including removing hospitality claims and the late sitting food subsidy. We have tightened the rules on taxis and hotels after late sittings of the House. 'We will no longer allow claims, under the accommodation rules, for TV licences and home contents insurance.' Elsewhere, staffing budgets are to go up 1 per cent to £147,000 for MPs in the London area, and £140,000 for those from outside the capital. The office costs budget is rising 0.5 per cent to reflect inflation, but accommodation budgets have been frozen. The watchdog had proposed a raft of curbs to expenses in 2013 as part of a wider package that included salaries rising by 10 per cent from £67,000 to £74,000. It suggested that trimming perks and pension benefits would offset the costs of the controversial pay rise. Prime Minister David Cameron has said that a 10 per cent pay rise for MPs is 'unacceptable' at a time when public sector rises are restricted to one per cent . The changes will go ahead even though the pay rise is still subject to review and David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have signalled they may block it. Mr Cameron has said he regards the hike as 'unacceptable' at a time when public sector rises are restricted to one per cent, while Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg have said they do not believe it should go ahead. The move - which is likely to cause anger among MPs who already complain that the system leaves them out of pocket - emerged as Ipsa announced expenses rules for the next parliament. But while the expenses reductions will now come in to force automatically on May 8, the MP salary boost will be subject to a review due to be carried out in the weeks after the poll. The watchdog theoretically has the final decision on the issue - although there have been suggestions that the law could be changed in order to prevent the increase. The cross-party Commons Standards Committee has previously condemned the expenses cuts, arguing that the rules are already 'considerably less generous' than in many companies. Highlighting the plan to drop the £15 currently claimable for dinner when the House sits beyond 7.30pm, the committee said: 'If such expenses are not met by the employer, then the employee is able to claim tax relief on subsistence costs of travel between work places. 'The rules for MPs are already considerably less generous than this. 'We also

Summary: Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority says perks will be cut . MPs will be banned claiming expenses for dinners and taxis before 11pm . The cuts will begin on May 8, the day after the next general election . The move is likely to anger MPs, who say the system leaves them out of pocket .


Pope Francis has said the hardest thing about his job is not being able to pop out for a pizza without being recognised . Pope Francis has said that he will only continue as pontiff for 'another two or three years', adding: 'I feel that the Lord has placed me here for a short time.' As he completed his second year in the Catholic Church's top job, Francis said that he had 'a vague sensation' he would not reign as pope for long. He told the Mexican broadcaster Televisa that he had the feeling his reign would be brief and perhaps only two or three years, suggesting it was like the psychology of a gambler who convinces himself he'll lose so he won't be disappointed if he wins. He added: 'It is a somewhat vague sensation. But I feel that the Lord has placed me here for a short time, and nothing more.' The mysterious premonition will inevitably spark concerns about Francis' health. Francis is missing part of one lung after a childhood illness and suffers from sciatica. Last year he said that he believed he had only a few years to live. He said: 'I know this is going to last a short time, two or three years and then... to the house of the Father.' As he enters the beginning of his third year as pope, Francis sounded weary of the weight that comes with the job. He said that he didn't mind being pope, but that it had been hard work to change his habit of moving around at will. He said: 'The only thing I would like is to go out one day, without being recognised, and go to a pizzeria for a pizza.' Francis also confirmed that he would consider retiring if he felt he could no longer perform his duties, but rejected the idea of an age limit. Pope Francis has his confession heard during a Penitence Mass at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican today . Pope Francis gives confession during the penitential celebration today . His predecessor Pope Benedict XVI resigned in February 2013. Francis said 'Benedict should not be considered an exception, but an institution.' Also on Friday, Pope Francis marked the second anniversary of his election by declaring a jubilee year that will be interpreted as a powerful signal of his commitment to reforming the Church. The extraordinary holy year, dedicated to the theme of mercy, has been called to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a groundbreaking Vatican council that transformed how the Church related to the modern world, most notably ending the obligation for religious services to be conducted in Latin. The jubilee year will begin on December 8 and run until November 20, 2016. Francis leads a penitential ceremony at the Vatican, where he announced the Roman Catholic Church will mark an extraordinary Holy Year in December . Francis also confirmed that he would consider retiring if he felt he could no longer perform his duties, but rejected the idea of an age limit .

Summary: Pope Francis says he will remain as pope for another two or three years . Said he feels 'the Lord has placed me here for a short time' It was difficult to adjust to not being able to move around at will, he said .


When Amal Alamuddin tied the knot with George Clooney last summer, she secured her status as one of the world's favourite style icons. The Lebanese-born lawyer, 37, shot from relative obscurity to most envied woman in the world overnight - and her wardrobe got a high fashion makeover, too. She already wowed with a fashion-forward capsule wardrobe over her wedding in the summer, but as she stepped this week, Amal proved she's not afraid to experiment with the season's hottest - and most daring - trends. Scroll down for video . Amal Clooney, who was spotted in high-waisted bold yellow chevron print bell bottoms by Giambattista Valli and a shaggy crop top as she stepped out for dinner in New York on Tuesday, is proving she's on top of the season's hottest trends . On both outings this week, Amal has revisited the Seventies, championing flared trousers. They were all the rage with the Studio 54 set and boho beauties such as Farah Fawcett, but flares are back with a vengeance this season - and Amal is bang-on-trend. How things have changed! As a high-flying barrister, left, in 2011, Amal stuck to more pared-back style classics, such as beige trench coats and muted grey suits but today, right, she is rocking the most daring trends in her own sophisticated way . Giambattista Valli Pre Fall 2015 . Find some similar flares at Net-a-Porter . Visit site . Amal Clooney is really going all out for the flared trouser trend at the moment. It's her second night out this week, and whilst last time she revisited the Seventies via her bell bottom jeans by Stella McCartney, today's trousers are not so subtle. Check out the bold yellow chevron print! They're by Giambattista Valli, Amal's go-to designer label when she wants to make a style statement. That floral embellished dress she wore the day after her wedding? That was Valli. The leopard print coat she wore for dinner with George's mother in New York on Monday? Yep, you guessed it! Amal wasn't in a matchy matchy mood so swapped the jacket they were shown with (pictured) for a black feather trim top and added platform heels and a clutch bag. Unfortunately, these Pre-Fall 2015 collection trousers aren't currently available online, but click (right) to invest in some Giambattista Valli flares at Net-a-Porter. Alternatively, let your legs do the talking by shopping our edit of the best bold trousers on the high street. Then style yours with some sky high wedges complete the retro look. Rokoko festival hippie floral print trousers at Asos . Visit site . Motel flare trousers in 70s zig zag print at Asos . Visit site . Boohoo Aztec print wide leg trousers . Visit site . Band of Gypsies lace trim flares at Topshop . Visit site . The 37-year-old was spotted in high-waisted bold yellow chevron print bell bottoms by Giambattista Valli and a shaggy crop top as she stepped out for dinner in New York on Tuesday. On Monday, Amal rocked flared jeans by Stella McCartney and teamed

Summary: Amal, 37, rocked season's hottest flares twice in one week . Also trialled the crop top trend and pulled it off with sophistication . Her high fashion looks are a far cry from her conservative 2011 style .


A new line of Sriracha-infused foods that will be rolling out in the coming months should showcase that variety, at least with regard to snacks, is truly the spice of life. Huy Fong Foods in Irwindale, California, recently partnered up with Seattle-based Pop! Gourmet Foods to create the hot new line. On April 8, Huy Fong Sriracha potato chips will be released and bags of Huy Fong Sriracha popcorn are already on shelves. Scroll down for video . Huy Fong Foods officially partnered up with Pop! Gourmet Foods for the snack line, including a new popcorn . Huy Fong Sriracha potato chips will be released in April and croutons, tortilla chips and hummus are next . Huy Fong, which is in Irwindale, California, will release a dehydrated powder which can be sprinkled on food . Both items cost $3.99. In addition to those two products, there are also plans for croutons, tortilla chips, hummus and other new snacks that will all be made with the unique spicy sauce. A dehydrated powder which can be sprinkled on top of food will be released on April 20 and a it will cost $4.99 for a five ounce bottle, Yahoo reported. Pop! Gourmet Foods founder and CEO David Israel said: 'We eat it here with our lunch, on top of fries or chicken breasts or whatever. 'McCormick does a Sriracha seasoning, but it’s not Huy Fong. 'With us, you’re getting the real deal.' Some products are made with Sriracha seasoning (left). A beer from Rogue uses Huy Fong Sriracha (right) The peppers which are used in Sriracha are grown in the US and come from a single farm in California . Other companies have released chips and other items that were made with Sriracha seasoning, but this will be the first line of foods made with the sauce itself. All of the heat-packing products will feature red and green packaging and the Huy Fong rooster. The iconic white bird already graces bottles of Rogue's Sriracha Hot Stout beer. The beer took gold at the 2015 World Beer Championships and is produced as part of a collaboration between Rogue and Huy Fong. Rogue says the stout is 'ready to drink with soups, sauces, pasta, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, chow mein, or anything you'd like to wash down with a spicy kick.' The peppers which are used in Sriracha are grown in the US and come from one farm in Ventura County, California. The farm is the largest red pepper farm in the country and it produces over 100 million pounds of peppers per year. That amount keeps going up to meet the needs of Huy Fong, according to the company.

Summary: Popcorn is already out and soon chips, croutons and hummus will follow . Huy Fong Foods officially partnered with Pop! Gourmet Foods for snacks . Previous snacks made with seasoning, but line will use actual Sriracha . Dehydrated powder for sprinkling on food will also be released . Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout beer is now available across the United States .


As Selma prepared to commemorate the 50th anniversary of 'Bloody Sunday,' so too did the Ku Klux Klan who've distributed almost 4,000 fliers of the organization's hate-literature to area homes over the last two weeks. Robert Jones, the grand dragon for the Loyal White Knights of the KKK confirmed the campaign in press interviews. 'We pretty much put out fliers, some against King and some against immigration,' he told reporters. 'It's time for the American people to wake up to these falsehoods that they preach about MLK.' Scroll down for video . The KKK distributed thousands of fliers on the Selma march anniversary in hopes of recruiting new members . At AL.com, Jones went on to claims bags with the flier and a rock - the latter meant as paperweight - were thrown at people's homes from passing cars. Meanwhile thousands came to Selma to walk over the Edmund Pettus Bridge to honor the battle between police and civil rights leaders. 'Everybody has a right to gather in this country, freedom of speech,' he said of the Selma gathering, adding that the marchers commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr.'s work and legacy were 'supporting a man they don't know about.' As the KKK spread hate, marches headed across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to honor the legacy of Selma's civil rights leaders . 'The Klan is still out there and we are watching,' he said, hoping that the fliers would attract new members. However several of the people living on Selma Avenue took that as a threat, and called the police.

Summary: Robert Jones, the grand dragon for the Loyal White Knights of the KKK confirmed the campaign in press interviews . Claimed marchers honoring Martin Luther King Jr. were backing a man 'they don't know about' Several scared residents called police, believing the fliers to be threats .


Nine British medical students have travelled to Syria to work in hospitals in Islamic State-held areas, it emerged last night. Four women and five men entered the country last week, keeping their plans secret from relatives until shortly before they crossed the border. Turkish politician Mehmet Al Ediboglu told The Observer: ‘We all assume they are in Tel Abyad now, which is under Isis control. Scroll down for video . Nine British medical students have travelled to Syria to work in hospitals in Islamic State-held areas. 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. Left to right: Rowan Kamal Zine El Abidine, Sami Ahmed Kadir and Ismail Hamadoun . They are believed to now be in Tel Abyad, according to a Turkish politician. From left to right: Nada Sami Kader, Mohamed Osama Badri Mohammed and Tasneem Suleyman . 'The conflict out there is fierce, so medical help must be needed.’ He added: 'Let's not forget about the fact that they are doctors; they went there to help, not to fight. So this case is a little bit different.' Mr Ediboglu, who has met the students’ families, said they felt the young Britons had been ‘cheated [and] brainwashed’. Volunteer: Lena Abdulqadir has gone to Syria to work in ISIS controlled hospitals . The group, in their late teens and early 20s, are all Britons of Sudanese descent studying at the University of Medical Sciences and Technology in Khartoum, where it is feared they were radicalised. They have been named as Hisham Mohammed Fadlallah, Lena Maumoon Abdulqadir, Tamer Ahmed Ebu Sebah, Rowan Kamal Zine El Abidine, Sami Ahmed Kadir, Ismail Hamadoun, Nada Sami Kader, Mohamed Osama Badri Mohammed and Tasneem Suleyman. They have been joined by two other medics from the United States and Canada, also of Sudanese origin. Mr Ediboglu wrote on his Facebook page: 'Eleven doctors - nine British and two Sudanese - came to Turkey a week ago to join ISIS. 'The families of the young people have been in Turkey to search for them and bring them back. 'Our greatest hope is to save the doctors from ISIS and reunite them with their families.' Mr Ediboglu added: ‘These kids were born and raised in England, but they were sent to Sudan to study at medical school.’ The nine flew to Istanbul on March 12, he said, and took a bus to the Syrian border the next day. The families were alerted only when one of the students, Lena Maumoon Abdulqadir, 19, who was born in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, sent a Whatsapp message to her sister saying she wanted to ‘volunteer to help wounded Syrian people’. Accompanied with a grinning selfie, the youngster is reported as having written to her sister: 'Don’t worry about us, we’ve reached Turkey and are on our way to volunteer helping wounded Syrian people.' Her father is thought to have rushed to Turkey immediately after learning of her plans. Speaking to Turkey's Birgun newspaper,

Summary: Families alerted when one sent a Whatsapp message to sister near border . Lena Abdulqadir said she wanted to ‘volunteer to help wounded Syrians' Teenagers born and raised in England and studied medicine in Sudan . Officials believe they have gone to work in hospitals in war-torn country .


Newcastle midfielder Siem de Jong will return to training on Thursday after recovering from a collapsed lung as he bids to play again this season. The 26-year-old Holland international has managed only three appearances for the club since his £6million summer arrival from Ajax, but could yet figure before the end of the campaign after being given the green light by medics to step up his comeback plans. De Jong revealed the news via his Twitter account on Wednesday afternoon, saying: 'The last X-ray was all good! So tomorrow I will start training for myself again. #NUFC #comebackstronger'. Siem de Jong is set to start training again as he steps up recovery from collapsed lung . The Dutchman suffered the major setback after being set to return from a serious thigh injury . De Jong has been a spectator at St James' Park for much of the season . The news will come as a boost to beleaguered head coach John Carver, whose squad has been decimated by injury and suspension in recent weeks. De Jong's last appearance came in the 3-3 Barclays Premier League draw with Crystal Palace at St James' Park on August 30 last year. He suffered a torn thigh muscle days later which sidelined him for more than four months, and he was on the verge of returning to the squad last month when he suffered a collapsed lung for the second time in his career. The Dutchman underwent surgery which should prevent a recurrence of the problem and has now been given the all-clear to resume training, and he will hope to be able to make a belated impact with nine games of the season remaining.

Summary: Siem de Jong joined Newcastle from Ajax last summer for £6million . The Holland international has only made three Newcastle appearances . De Jong has not played since August before he suffered a thigh problem . After four months out and close to a comeback he suffered collapsed lung .


Australian Taxation Office (ATO) agents have been found to have engaged in 'conscious maladministration' that resulted in a $30 million tax bill that's now been quashed by the Federal Court. Documents were used subject to legal professional privilege in issuing the multimillion-dollar bill to an Australian businessman Garry John Donoghue. 'Garry, if you don't pay me and my family, I will have no hesitation in giving the ATO everything I have on you. You should be very worried,' his legal adviser Simeon Moore told Mr Donoghue before leaking his information to the Australian Taxation Office, the court heard. Australian Taxation Office (ATO) agents have been found to have engaged in 'conscious maladministration' The Tax Office told Fairfax Media it would be appealing the decision. The Age reports that Mr Donoghue, 58, a former Queenslander who is now living in London, ran a string of telecommunications businesses, including as the former managing director of listed mobile-services provider Plus SMS. He took the case to the Federal Court, arguing that Mr Moore, who was angry over alleged unpaid fees, passed on his file to the Tax Office. Federal Court Justice Logan found that the ATO assessment was invalid because it was based on information under legal professional privilege, and the ATO had no right to use it. The ATO assessment was issued for tax years 2005 to 2007 and amounting to over $30 million when taking account interest and penalties. The ATO's decision resulted in a $30 million tax bill that's now been quashed by the Federal Court . Mr Moore, who at the time was not admitted as a legal practitioner but was a friend of Mr Donoghue's daughter, Alexandria, had issued Mr Donoghue with a bill for legal services amounting to $753,174. Mr Moore and Mr Donoghue's daughter, Alexandria were studying at Bond University in the Gold Coast together at the time. Justice Logan said this was 'outrageously extortionate' and a 'fantasy' amount given Mr Moore was an 'as-yet-not-admitted graduate undertaking post-graduate studies in law'. The Tax Office said that it would be appealing the decision . He said the decision by the ATO officer to later proceed and use the information could be attributed to 'inexperience and zeal, coupled with a lack of relevant supervision and guidance'. It had shown 'reckless disregard' of a right for Mr Donoghue to claim legal professional privilege. Justice Logan quashed the $30 million tax bill and also ordered that the Commissioner of Taxation pay Mr Donoghue's legal costs.

Summary: ATO agents have been found to have engaged in 'conscious maladministration' Documents were used subject to legal professional privilege in issuing the multimillion-dollar bill . Court heard that an Australian businessman's legal advisor leaked his information to the ATO . Federal Court Justice Logan found that the ATO assessment was invalid in this case . He found it was based on information under legal professional privilege, and the ATO had no right to use it .


A Chinese mother who never gave up hope of finding her beloved son cried tears of joy as she was finally reunited with him - 26 years after child traffickers snatched the four-year-old from the street. Lan Mingxi's son Li Wei vanished in September 1989, taken from the street by two strangers who no one ever saw again. His disappearance left Mingxi distraught, and over the years she did all she could to find her little boy, writing nearly 10,000 letters and appearing on television countless times, always holding the only photo she had of Wei, taken when he was three years old. She even tried to infiltrate the child trafficker's network, in the vein hope it might lead her to her son. Yet in the end, it would be the picture she had showed to thousands over the years which would finally reunite her with the son who was living on the other side of the world, the People's Daily Online reported. Tears of joy: Lan Mingxi was reunited with her son Li Wei 26 years after he was snatched from the street . Delight: Mingxi, 53, had never given up hope - and the entire village turned up to celebrate the reunion . Shock: Wei, who was given a different name, had no idea he had been taken, thinking he was an orphan . Mingxi decided to give the search for her son one final push after her daughter Li Dan was diagnosed with leukaemia. Neither Mingxi nor her ex-husband were a match as bone marrow donors, but the 53-year-old knew there was one last chance: the son she hadn't seen for more than a quarter of a century. So Mingxi appeared on television once more - and this time, a man recognised the three-year-old in the picture as his friend, now called Jiang Xin. But there was another hurdle: Xi was now living half way across the world in Angola, where he had moved a few years before to work as a driver. It transpired Wei had been brought up by a foster family more than 1,000 miles away in Hebei, in the north of the country. He, like many other children in China, had no idea that he had not been orphaned, but snatched - so he had no idea the pain his mother was feeling back at home. Small chance: Mingxi only had this picture of her son, aged three, to help with the search . Luck: The picture was seen by one of Wei's friends, who thought they could be the same person. Pictured: Wei (far right) and his son, four, with his mother . Inspiration: Mingxi was spurred on to reignite the search after her daughter - pictured here with her brother and nephew - was diagnosed with leukaemia . Alone: Mingxi feared she would be left without a family - but instead managed got a new grandson . Mingxi said: 'I was devastated - but the whole thing was made worse by the fact that everybody, including my husband, blamed me for losing our

Summary: Lan Mingxi was reunited with her son Li Wei after decades of heartache . Wrote 10,000 letters and appeared on TV numerous times trying to find him . Once pretended to be a businesswoman to enter a child traffickers house . After her daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia, she decided to try again . Showed picture of Wei aged three - and one of his friends recognised it . DNA tests proved it was Wei, who had no idea he had been snatched .


Roger Federer defeated Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-0 and Milos Raonic outlasted Rafael Nadal 4-6, 7-6 (10), 7-5 in a nearly three-hour marathon to set up a semi-final showdown at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday. Federer improved to 15-1 this year, with his only loss coming against Andreas Seppi in the third round of the Australian Open. Federer avenged that defeat in the same round at Indian Wells. He earned his first straight-set win over Berdych since 2011 in Paris and just his second 6-0 set ever in 19 career matches against the Czech. 'I'm not the kind of guy who takes great joy out of bageling opponents, to be honest,' said Federer, seeking a record fifth title in the desert. Roger Federer beat Tomas Berdych in straight sets at the Indian Wells Masters in California on Friday . Federer has only lost once this year - at the Australian Open - and took just 68 minutes to beat Berdych . He needed just 68 minutes to advance to the semis against the sixth-seeded Raonic. 'It was one of his very tough performances,' Berdych said. 'He was doing pretty much everything perfect.' Top-ranked Serena Williams plays No 3 seed Simona Halep and No 18 Jelena Jankovic faces 24th-seeded Sabine Lisicki in the semi-finals. Williams is trying to reach the final for the first time since 2001, when she won as a 19-year-old and was heavily booed, leading to her 14-year boycott of the tournament. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic takes on fourth-seeded Andy Murray in the other men's semifinal on Saturday. It was the first time Berdych has lost to Federer in straight sets since 2011 . Raonic beat three-time Indian Wells champion Nadal for the first time in six career meetings, firing 18 aces and hitting 48 winners to 25 winners for Nadal, who had 22 unforced errors. They dueled in the second-set tiebreaker, when Nadal held three match points but he committed errors on two of them and Raonic smashed a winner on the other. Raonic had plenty of chances in the tiebreaker, too, finally converting on his fifth set point when Nadal netted a shot. Neither gave an inch in the third, staying on serve until the 11th game. That's when Raonic earned the only break of the set, hitting a shot on the baseline that Nadal chased down but sent a backhand long. Raonic dropped just one point on his serve in the final game, winning on another backhand error by Nadal, who lost to a Canadian player for the first time in nine career matches. Milos Raonic will face Federer in the semi-final after beating Rafael Nadal in three sets . Had Nadal won the top four seeds would have made the semis along with Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic . Nadal's defeat prevented Djokovic, Federer, the Spaniard and Murray - the world's top four-ranked players - from reaching the semifinals at the same tournament since the 2012 Australian Open. Federer had 21 winners, equaling the number of unforced errors by Berdych. Federer won 13 of 14 points at

Summary: Roger Federer beat Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-0 at Indian Wells Masters . Milos Raonic beat Rafael Nadal 4-6, 7-6 (10), 7-5 to set up semi-final . Andy Murray plays Novak Djokovic in the other men's semi-final .


A Catholic priest, suspended after a Mail on Sunday probe found he was in a sham ‘gay marriage’ with a Pakistani immigrant, has been reinstated. Father Donald Minchew, 67, was removed from his ministry a year ago after confessing that he entered the civil partnership in 2008 to help the family friend obtain a British passport. But Church superiors have revealed his partnership has been dissolved and they have been assured the Home Office no longer wants to pursue the matter. Return: Father Minchew has been reinstated by church superiors after his civil partnership was dissolved . In a letter to parishioners last week, prelate Monsignor Keith Newton said he had lifted Fr Minchew’s suspension ‘after much prayer and discussion’. The Home Office refused to comment. It is not known what happened to Fr Minchew’s ex partner, Mustajab Hussain, 33. Confronted last year, Fr Minchew, said: ‘You are talking to a ruined man. I am finished.’ Fr Minchew, who had been based at St Mary’s Church, Croydon, could not be reached for comment. Father Minchew had been based at St Mary’s Church, Croydon, pictured, before he was suspended . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Summary: Father Donald Minchew, 67, suspended after sham 'gay marriage' exposed . Catholic priest has now been reinstated by Church superiors . Comes after civil partnership with a Pakistani immigrant has been dissolved .


BT is to launch its own mobile phone service along with free access to Premier League football on the go starting at £5 a month. The move has been welcomed by consumer groups as the telecoms giant attempts to spread its empire from home telephone, internet and pay TV into mobile phones. This so-called ‘quad play’ service is seen as key by the likes of BT and its rivals Sky, Virgin and TalkTalk to future growth and profits. BT is to launch its own mobile phone service along with free access to Premier League football . BT hopes that it will be able to sign up millions of households to packages that include the four services to cement its place as Britain’s dominant media company in the 21st century. The company’s move comes ahead of its purchase of the UK’s largest mobile phone network EE in a deal worth £12.5billion. It has unveiled three SIM card deals, where customers buy a SIM and simply fit it to their existing handset in order to get access to calls, texts and 4G internet services, including video streaming. The service will operate across the EE masts as well as the wi-fi network offered via more than five million BT Wi-fi hotspots. The 12-month contracts will appeal to people who want to keep their existing handset but add a relatively cheap bundle of 4G data, minutes and texts. Alternatively, they can buy a new 4G phone from the BT Shop from as little as £99. The cheapest SIM card deal offers 500 MB of 4G data, unlimited texts and 200 minutes of calls for £5 a month if you are an existing BT Broadband customer and £10 a month for everyone else. The monthly charge for 2GB of data on 4G, unlimited texts and 500 minutes of calls is £12 for BT customers and £17 for others. At the top end, customers can take an enormous 4G data allowance of 20GB, with unlimited texts and minutes, for either £20 a month for BT customers or £25 for other customers. The cheapest deal will be for existing customers, at just £5 per month for 500 MB of 4G data, unlimited texts and 200 minutes of calls . BT is sweetening the offer by giving away free BT Sport on the BT Sport App, which offers live Barclays Premier League football matches. There is also a spending cap on all tariffs. Executive director at Which?, Richard Lloyd, suggested the BT move will boost competition and so could be good news for consumers. ‘BT entering the quad play market could lead to stronger competition but consumers need to be able to easily compare prices of the services offered. Any impact on competition in the mobile market will depend on the terms of BT’s agreement with EE,’ he said. ‘BT should use its entry into this market to drive improvements in customer service and to innovate for its customers. Any positive changes must not be set back by the merger of BT and EE.’ Mobile expert at the website broadbandchoices,

Summary: So-called ‘quad play’ service is seen as key by the mobile companies . Move comes ahead of its purchase network EE in a deal worth £12.5billion . SIM card deal offers 500 MB of 4G, unlimited texts and 200 minutes from £5 . Offering BT Sport on the BT Sport App, with Premier League matches .


Pop duo Hall and Oates are suing a cereal company over the name of its maple syrup and oat granola. The two musicians have accused the Brooklyn-based firm of infringing on their trademark with the packet of cereal - called Haulin' Oats. Early Bird Foods & Co, who make the cereal, deliberately created a phonetic play on the band's well-known name, the duo claim. The lawsuit suggests the company must hand over any profits made from the granola as it has traded off the band's 'fame and notoriety'. Pop duo Hall and Oates (left) are suing a cereal company over their maple syrup and oat granola - named Haulin' Oats (right) It adds that others have previously tried 'to make a connection between the artists' names and oats-related products'. The cereal - which costs $27 for three packets - is described as 'wholesome old-fashioned goodness' on the company's website. It is sold in 38 states, as well as Europe and Japan. Nekisia Davis, owner of Early Birds Food, said she had no comment. But in an apparent reference to one of the duo's 1983 hits she added: 'Except say it isn't so.' Daryl Hall (left) and John Oates (right) pose together before a performance in July 2004. They claim that the cereal company should hand over any profits made from the granola . Hall and Oates started working together in the early 1970s and have sold more albums than any other duo in music history. Their 1972 debut album and corporate company are called Whole Oats. Hits include Maneater, Rich Girl, Private Eyes, I Can't Go for That (No Can Do), Sara Smile and She's Gone. The case was filed in Brooklyn federal court.

Summary: Daryl Hall and John Oates claim the cereal infringes on their trademark . Lawsuit suggests company must hand over any profits from granola . Not the first time oats-related products have tried to play on the name .


On an evening when cross-city rivals Manchester City were sent crashing out of Europe, United record signing Angel di Maria resisted revelling in their exit to take a stroll with wife Jorgelina Cardoso. The reigning Premier League champions failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the fourth consecutive season - losing 1-0 to a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona at the Nou Camp, although without City keeper Joe Hart the scoreline would have been more damaging. Di Maria and his wife have endured a difficult introduction to Manchester after a failed attempt to burgle their home while the family, including young daughter Mia, were inside saw them leave in search of safer accommodation. Angel di Maria and wife Jorgelina Cardoso take a walk around Manchester on Wednesday evening . The Argentina ace would have missed local rivals Manchester City being dumped out of Europe . City failed to reach the Champions League last eight after being beaten by Lionel Messi and Barcelona . Things on the pitch have been equally challenging for the 27-year-old who has struggled for form in recent months and was suspended for United's 3-0 victory over Tottenham on Sunday, where Louis van Gaal's side arguably delivered their best performance of the season. Di Maria will be available for United's eagerly anticipated clash with Liverpool on Sunday as both teams compete for a top-four finish that will bring Champions League football next season. However, former Old Trafford captain Bryan Robson believes the manager faces a decision over whether to bring his £60million record signing straight back into the team. Di Maria had been struggling with a loss of form before being sent off in United's FA Cup defeat by Arsenal . Di Maria missed United's impressive win over Spurs, which included Wayne Rooney's classic goal celebration . Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said: 'It is a big call for Louis van Gaal. 'You have to look at the situation. Certain away games are a lot tougher than your home matches. You go for more attacking flair in a home game whilst away you do try and get more of a balance where you have defensive security and then you counter attack. 'Angel has had ups and downs. Like everybody else he has had some periods when he's played really well and then some poor performances. He is no different to anybody else. 'It has taken him time to settle into the English game, getting used to the manager and his formations. Foreign players do need time. And on occasions a chance to watch from the stands is not a bad thing. Manager Louis van Gaal (right) faces a tough decision over whether to bring Di Maria back into the team . United legend Bryan Robson (right) claims that foreign players need time to settle into the Premier League .

Summary: Angel di Maria and wife Jorgelina Cardoso took a walk around Manchester . Manchester United star will have missed Man City's Champions League exit . United face Liverpool in decisive Premier League clash on Sunday . Bryan Robson says Louis van Gaal faces a decision over Argentina winger .


Italy's highest court has confirmed an acquittal for former Prime Minister Silvio . Berlusconi on charges of abuse of office and paying for sex with . a minor, giving him a boost as he tries to hold on to his . role as a conservative leader. At the first trial in 2013, Berlusconi, 78, was convicted . and sentenced to seven years in prison. But that ruling was . overturned by an appeals court in Milan that acquitted him last . year. The Rome court, in a ruling that is now definitive, rejected . an appeal by Milan prosecutors to overturn the acquittal and to . hold a new trial. Italy's highest court has confirmed an acquittal for former Prime Minister SilvioBerlusconi on charges of abuse of office and paying for sex with a minor . Berlusconi was accused of paying for sex with former teenage nightclub dancer Kharima El Mahroug, known by her stage name'Ruby the Heartstealer' (pictured) Berlusconi was accused of paying for sex with former teenage . nightclub dancer Kharima El Mahroug, known by her stage name . 'Ruby the Heartstealer', during 'bunga bunga' erotic parties at . his palatial home near Milan when he was prime minister in 2010. He was also charged with abusing his authority to get El . Mahroug, who was 17 at the time, released from police custody . over unrelated theft accusations. The trial was the most sensational Berlusconi faced. It . mesmerised Italy with its lurid accounts of sex parties. A . stream of would-be starlets on his TV channels took the stand as . witnesses. Tuesday's ruling came at a time when the conservative leader . is struggling to hold together his Forza Italia party and . maintain a front-line role in Italian politics. Berlusconi was also charged with abusing his authority to get El Mahroug, who was 17 at the time, released from police custody over theft accusations . Last month Berlusconi pulled out of a pact with Prime . Minister Renzi over reform of Italy's voting system and . political apparatus, complaining that Renzi had excluded him . from the choice of who should become the new head of state. On Tuesday Forza Italia voted against Renzi's political . reforms in the Chamber of Deputies, but 18 party deputies wrote . a public letter of dissent. They lamented a lack of internal . party democracy and said they had only obeyed Berlusconi's . instructions out of loyalty to their leader. Forza Italia has steadily lost support since Berlusconi was . convicted for tax fraud in 2013. As a result of that sentence he . lost his seat in the Senate and was barred from holding any . public office. According to most polls the party now has only 13 to 14 per cent . of the vote. That puts it behind Renzi's Democratic Party, the . anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the anti-immigrant . Northern League whose leader Matteo Salvini seems to be . eclipsing Berlusconi as the prominent figure on the Italian . right.

Summary: Italy's highest court confirms acquittal for former PM Silvio Berlusconi . He was charged with abuse of office and paying for sex with a minor . Berlusconi was accused of paying for sex with 'Ruby the Heartstealer' She's a former teenage nightclub dancer, real name Kharima El Mahroug . He was said to have had sex with her during 'bunga bunga' erotic parties .


Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has fuelled speculation he's set for a summer move away from the club by admitting a transfer looks likely. The highly-coveted player has previously been linked to north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, with the Frenchman handing in a transfer request at the start of the season. Ronald Koeman is likely to struggle to keep the midfielder at the club - even if the Saints qualify for the Champions League - with his head seemingly turned. Morgan Schneiderlin (right) denies there's a deal in place to take him to Arsenal during the summer . 'I have a contract until 2017,' Schneiderlin told Canal+. 'Today, I aspire to play at the highest level. I haven't been in contact with (Arsenal manager Arsene) Wenger. 'There are clubs that are interested, but I haven't agreed to join anyone. I am concentrating on my matches. I know for sure that something is going to happen.' Despite a rocky start to the season, Schneiderlin has been an ever present in the Southampton side - forming a formidable partnership with Victor Wanyama. The Frenchman did admit that something is likely to happen in the summer and refused to commit his future . The combative midfielder has been an ever present in the Southampton since returning to the first team .

Summary: Morgan Schneiderlin denies he's agreed a move away from Southampton . The midfielder has been linked with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur . The Frenchman refused to commit his future and hinted at summer move . Click here for all the latest Southampton news .


Each March, devotees from across Thailand travel to the Nakhon Pathom province to have their bodies adorned with intricate traditional inkings. About 30 minutes outside of Bangkok is the Wat Bangphra Buddhist temple, famous for the daily tattoos, known as 'Sak Yants,' given by the monks that live and train there. These 'magic tattoos' are believed to have mystical powers, the ability to ward off bad luck and the power to protect wearers from harm. Scroll down for video . Each March, devotees from across Thailand travel to the Wat Bangphra Buddist temple to receive 'magic tattoos' Buddhist monks adorn adherents with intricate inkings that are believed to have mystical powers and provide strength and security . First introduced by Buddhist monk, Luang Por Pern, the Bangphra temple brings together thousands of adherents on the first Saturday of March each year. Beginning the evening before, adherents may visit the temple to begin the process of tattooing. Artists work through the night to complete the detailed designs, inked on visitors' chests, backs, legs and arms, which are believed to provide those who wear them with strength and security. Aside from simply amassing new body art, adherents also visit the monastery to pay their respects to the temple's master tattooist. A devotee acts like a tiger while under the spell of the 'magic tattoo' during the annual festival at Wat Bangphra Buddist temple in Thailand . Wearers often a deep trance and may take on the characteristics of their animal tattoos. As such, some visitors may need to be subdued . The practice was first introduced by Buddhist monk, Luang Por Pern, who lived and practiced at the Bangphra temple . Participants receive tattoos via a traditional steel rod sharpened to a point during the Magic Tattoo Festival in the Nakhron Pathom province . As well as having tattoos applied or touched up, believers also visit the temple to pay respects to the temple's master tattooist . These intricate tattoos have deep religious meaning and are believed to provide strength and security to those who have them . Often, during that process of tattooing, devotees enter a deep, meditative-like trance. As the crowd forms outside the temple, a path may be cleared for those in the otherworldly state to make their way inside. It's believed that adherents who fall under such a spell will then take on characteristics of the animals that they have tattooed on their bodies, growling like a tiger, for example. Those who invoke the spirit of their animal tattoos may need to be subdued and soothed before entering the temple, similar to how a captured animal would need to be calmed down. During the festival, Buddhist monks use traditional needles to tattoo devotees, who believe that the inkings have mystical powers . A devotee in a state of trance, and clad in silver amulets, mimics an animal while visiting the temple to pay his respects . Devotees are also sprayed with holy water during the festival, which is held on the first Saturday of March each year . The ink

Summary: On the first Saturday of March, believers visit the Wat Bangphra Buddist temple to have their bodies tattooed . Known for the 'sak yants' given by the monks who live there, these 'magic tattoos' are said to have mystical powers . The ink, which may be infused with snake venom, causes its wearers to enter into a deep, trance-like state .


The Chinese football authority has announced plans to recruit a first batch of 120 foreign coaches by the end of 2015 to help teach pupils in primary and secondary schools, according to People's Daily Online. The news comes as a part of the 'Campus Football Promotion Campaign', which is widely understood as the country's effort to turn the nation into a football powerhouse by raising a generation of all-conquering young footballers. China's current president Xi Jinping is a massive fan of the game and is keen to see his country qualifying for another World Cup -- and ultimately winning it. Apart from importing coaching talent from overseas, the authority also confirmed that it is to make football a mandatory lesson in 6,000 selected schools as well as launching football leagues on campus from September this year. Pupils from a primary school in Luoyang (pictured) doing 'football exercise' between classes last week . The country's education authority has made football a compulsory part of the national curriculum . 6,000 primary and secondary schools in China have been chosen to specialise in football. In these schools, pupil will have one football lesson every week . The authority is also hoping to recruit and train 30,000-50,000 football teachers in 2015 across China . The series of new football-oriented education reforms were announced by Wang Dengfeng, Deputy President of Chinese Football Association, during an interview. 'The desired foreign coaches need to come from countries that are traditionally good with the sport, especially those who are particularly experienced with training youngsters,' said Wang, who is also in charge of the Culture, Hygiene and Arts section in the Ministry of Education in China. The first batch of 120 foreign coaches will be sent to 40 cities around the country. Wang stressed that they are not recruited to train professional football teams, but to teach ordinary schoolchildren in primary and secondary schools. Every pupil in China will be required to learn basic football skills such as 'balancing on a ball' and doing 'keepy-uppy' with their insteps . The country's Ministry of Education plans to build an army of local football teachers too. The expectation is to recruit and train 30,000 of 50,000 of them in 2015 throughout China. Outstanding retired athletes from the army will also be arranged to work as PE teachers, according to Wang. Professional football leagues will also be launched this year in all tiers of academic institutions, from primary schools to universities. Wang expects the leagues will create at least 290 champion teams from primary schools alone. China is aiming to complete its first set of football textbooks by the end of March. Thirty football 'experts' are involved in the drafting the books . Young players, teachers and coaches will be able to access online football tutorials linked to the books . 'Campus football competitions will be mainly organised by schools,' he said, 'and the aim is to cultivate public interest and to create a football culture.' The Chinese authority has already made football a compulsory part of the national curriculum for schoolchildren. In normal

Summary: First batch of 120 foreign coaches will be recruited in 2015 . Successful candidates need to come from countries that excel in football . 30,000-50,000 local football teachers will also be hired and trained this year . Authority has made the sport a compulsory part of the national curriculum . China is running a football education campaign to popularise the sport .


He only touched down on Sunday but Manny Pacquiao wasted no time in starting his training on American soil with a run through the streets of Los Angeles. The 36-year-old will meet Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on May 2 and he is in LA to complete the second part of his training camp at trainer Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym. Pacquiao posted a video of his run on his Instagram account on Monday as he looks to reach peak fitness for the mega-fight at the MGM Grand. VIDEO Scroll down to see Manny Pacquiao in training for his fight with Floyd Mayweather . Manny Pacquiao shows off his speed and power as he trains at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym . The Filipino star is in Los Angeles to complete his training regime for his fight with Floyd Mayweather . Mayweather and Pacquiao will meet at a press conference on March 11 before fighting in Las Vegas on May 2 . And on Tuesday he followed it up with a clip of his bag work, showcasing the speed and power he hopes will end Mayweather's unbeaten record in a little under two months. Alongside the video, Pacquaio wrote: 'First day of training here in wild card gym, feels good to be back. Thank you Lord for the strength that you have given me day by day.' Pacquiao, who will come face-to-face with Mayweather at their first and only press conference on March 11, has refused to comment on his impressions of the American outside of the ring. Pacquiao also posted a video of himself running through the streets of Los Angeles on his Instagram account . The 36-year-old is attempting to reach peak fitness ahead of his hotly anticipated fight with Mayweather . Speaking to Yahoo Sports, he said: 'I don't want to talk about that. 'I don't have anything to say about him right now. I'm not talking about him.' The Filipino was more open about Mayweather's boxing style, praising the 38-year-old's ability while maintaining an air of confidence in his own. 'He has very good speed and footwork, and he has punches, and that makes him look good,' Pacquiao said. 'But it depends on the fighter he is going to fight. For me as a boxer, I know what the job is. I'm going to throw a lot of punches, a lot of hard punches. Mayweather began training in his Las Vegas gym exactly two months before fighting Pacquiao . Mayweather and Pacquiao finally agreed terms last month for one the most eagerly anticipated fights ever . Mayweather, still undefeated at 38, is training in Las Vegas, where the fight will take place on May 2 . 'There is nobody out there who really has thrown a lot of punches at him, but I'm going to do that. He is a very good boxer, but I know how to box and I can move side to side and throw punches.' Mayweather, meanwhile, has also started his training for the fight which promoter Bob Arum believes could earn the boxers

Summary: Floyd Mayweather will fight Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on May 2 . Pacquiao will complete his training at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym . He has promised to throw a lot of hard punches in the $300m mega-fight . The pair will take part in just one pre-fight press conference on March 11 . Mayweather was pictured training at his gym in Las Vegas on Monday . READ: Mayweather and Pacquiao to come face-to-face in LA next week .