A chemistry teacher was jailed for six years in Britain on Thursday for trying to join Islamic State jihadists fighting in Syria, against the wishes of his family who desperately tried to stop him.

Jamshed Javeed, 30, one of a group of radicalized Muslims from Manchester in northwest England, was arrested in December 2013 as he was about to travel to the Middle East -- after helping his younger brother and three others make the same trip.

With 17 bodies discovered in the past two years, the canals that run through Manchester in northern England are racking up a grim tally, prompting one expert to warn of a possible serial killer at large.

Police have rejected the theory advanced by Professor Craig Jackson, head of psychology at Birmingham City University, but it has played on local concerns and officials are looking into the safety of canals.

British police arrested three suspected slave masters after a raid on a factory freed 20 Eastern European migrants paid 25 pounds ($39, 31 euros) to work 80-hour weeks on Monday.

Police said that the factory in Manchester in northwest England was producing pictures and frames for "major high street companies" and had contracts worth millions of pounds.

It's the next best thing to parking that costs peanuts: parking that costs chestnuts.

A company that runs parking lots in the English cities of Leeds and Manchester is temporarily letting drivers pay with the dark brown seeds that fall from horse chestnut trees each autumn.

Japan international Shinji Kagawa revealed Wednesday that he had met Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, as rumors swirl that the Borussia Dortmund star is eyeing a move to the Premier League.

The midfielder said the Scot, one of football's most successful managers, had "good words" to say about him during two hours of talks in Manchester this week.

Thieves spent six months digging a tunnel to steal money from an automatic teller machine -- but probably only got away with £6,000 ($9,200, 7,200 euros), British officials said Saturday.

The gang excavated the 30-meter long tunnel under a car park and part of a video shop in Manchester, northwest England, in order to raid the cash machine inside the building, police said.

Pakistan International Airlines said Thursday that it was investigating emailed threats that said two of its planes had bombs on board, forcing one of them to divert abruptly to Istanbul.

PIA said it received two emails late Wednesday claiming there were bombs on the two flights and directed the pilots to land immediately at the nearest airports. No bombs were found on either plane.

The feud between Oasis rockers Noel and Liam Gallagher heated up Friday after singer Liam issued a libel writ against his brother over claims a show was cancelled due to his drinking.

Liam, 38, called his older brother a "liar" and said accusations that the band pulled out of an appearance at 2009's V Festival due to his hangover were a slur on his professionalism.

Three people appeared in a British court on Monday accused of trying to blackmail Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen for £5,000 ($8,100, 5,700 Euros).

Lee Platt, 28, Jennifer Green, 25, and Steven Malcolm, 42, were charged with blackmail and handling stolen goods during a brief hearing at a court in Manchester, northwest England.

Barcelona's two-time world player of the year Lionel Messi has dismissed suggestions that Manchester United lack the quality of previous squads ahead of the two sides' Champions League final on Saturday in London.

The match will be a repeat of the 2009 final in Rome when Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0, with Messi scoring the second goal.