Air India flight turns back after rat spotted on board

 A plane travelling from Mumbai to London was forced to turn back mid-flight after a rat was spotted on board, local media report. Flight AI 131 travelling to London on Wednesday was flying over Iran when someone on board said they spotted the rodent, reports said. Passengers continued their journey on a replacement aircraft some time later. Air India has said that the plane will be fumigated and the presence of a rodent was being investigated. It said engineers were looking into the claims, "though the presence of the rodent was not confirmed". It stressed the decision to abort the flight was precautionary and in the interests of passenger safety. Advertisement Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A happier landing: in 2013 an Air India plane was Australia's first Dreamliner passenger flight, where it was given a water cannon salute Rats occasionally get on board aircraft along with catering and other supplies but can pose a serious technical as well as a health hazard if they chew through wires. It is the latest setback to hit the state-owned airline, which has had to cut costs to improve its financial health. Earlier in December, an Air India technician was sucked into an aircraft engine and killed at Mumbai airport.

London Irish 25-23 Northampton Saints

 London Irish recorded their first Premiership win of the season through a late penalty try against Northampton. First-half tries from Luke Narraway and Sean Maitland had given London Irish a 15-8 lead at the break, with Ken Pisi crossing for the visitors. George North and Kahn Fotuali'i tries put Northampton ahead and gave Jim Mallinder's side a five-point lead going into the last quarter. But Irish stole victory after referee Ian Tempest penalised Saints late on. Tom Coventry's side looked set for a seventh defeat in seven league games when winger Asaeli Tikoirotuma was sent to the sin bin for a poorly-timed tackle on Ben Foden with 15 minutes remaining. But the hosts weathered Northampton's attacks despite being a man down and repeatedly kicked for touch and the corner in a bid to snatch victory. Their patience was eventually rewarded after Jamie Gibson was shown a yellow card for failing to release Ofisa Treviranus.

Social media reacts to manager's sacking

Jose Mourinho's miserable 2015-16 season goes from bad to worse -- and we'd recommend he swerves social media for a while after Chelsea confirmed Thursday that they had "parted company" with the Portuguese manager by "mutual consent." Rival clubs' fans showed little sympathy, basking in the glory of one of the Premier League's most successful managers being sacked by Chelsea for the second time. Mourinho has had many public spats with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger over the years and unsurprisingly there was plenty of schadenfreude from Gunners fans, specifically relating to the poor form of Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who used to play for the north London team.

The lethal effects of London fog

Imagine smog so thick that you can't see your feet as you walk through it; so impenetrable that it blots out the sun; so toxic that it stings your eyes and leaves you gasping for breath. It may sound like the backdrop to some post-apocalyptic nightmare, but on 5 December 1952, this terrifying scenario became the reality for the people of London. That day’s incident alone killed thousands and prompted a global transformation in the way we deal with air pollution.

Love and carriage hits London

 
 Power, adrenaline, thousands of screaming fans and "The Devil's Horseman" -- welcome to the world of carriage racing. Forget the Roman chariots racing around Circus Maximus, it's all about the world's best drivers trying to steal the show at London's Olympia this week. The FEI World Cup Driving competition comes to the UK, with home favorite Dan Naprous -- known as "The Devil's Horseman" -- hoping to thrill fans with victory in Friday and Saturday's competitions. Around 90,000 fans will flock to the London International Horse Show, where carriage racing features alongside dressage and showjumping. But it's the pulling power of the four-horse speedsters which gets people off their seats as riders try to navigate their way around some of the trickiest courses in the sport.