In April earlier this year, Truong My Lan was sentenced to death after being found guilty of embezzling $12 billion from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB), with prosecutors arguing the total damages caused by the crime actually amount to $27 billion.

The 68-year-old founder of real-estate developer Van Thinh Phat appealed the sentence, however, on Tuesday (December 3), judges in a Ho Chi Minh City court denied her appeal.

During her trial, the court heard that between the years 2012 and 2022 Lan set up fake loan applications to withdraw money – including many people’s lifelong savings – from the bank.

Her loans totalled a staggering $44 billion – 93 percent of all of the money lent by the bank.

Lan was one of 85 other members connected to SCB who were tried and she was found guilty of not only embezzlement but bribery and violations of banking rules, too.

The total amount she was found guilty of having embezzled was $12 billion, with prosecutors arguing that $27 billion was misappropriated.

The verdict read: “The defendant’s actions […] eroded people’s trust in the leadership of the [Communist] party and state.”

Lan was also sentenced to life in October in a separate case having been found guilty of money laundering.

She tried to appeal the death sentence, pleading for a more ‘lenient and humane approach,’ however, the appeal was denied. But there is a way Lan could save her own life and it comes down to a specific clause under Vietnamese law.

If she can pay back $9 billion, she could be spared her life (-STR/AFP via Getty Images)

The lifeline

A Vietnamese law means if Lan can raise 75 percent of the money she stole and pay it back then she could see her sentence reduced.

Granted, she’d still received life in prison, however, she’d ultimately escape with her life. The total amount of three quarters of what she embezzled is a hefty $9 billion.

Speaking to AP News, Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, said that Lan would need to obtain another review of her case or receive a presidential pardon to reduce her sentence, adding: “Moreover, if she repays at least three-quarters of the misappropriated funds, the court may consider commuting her sentence to life imprisonment.”

Prior to Lan’s appeal being rejected, lawyer Nguyen Huy Thiep told the BBC: “The total value of her holdings actually exceeds the required compensation amount.

“Truong My Lan hopes the court can create the most favorable conditions for her to continue making compensation.”

A mystery illness has resulted in health officials issuing a warning that people should avoid gathering in large groups in a community in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, people across the world have become more vigilant against deadly diseases, most notably ones that can spread quickly.

Health experts are hoping to uncover more information about this illness that has so far sickened a total of 376 people, while as many as 143 people have died.

According to officials, patients are reportedly mostly people over 15-years-old and they are suffering from a flu-like illness with symptoms including a fever, headache, nasal discharge, cough, difficulty breathing and anaemia — or a lack of healthy red blood cells.

The outbreak has struck the Kwango province in the southwest of the country and the health ministry has warned people to wash their hands regularly with soap and water and not to touch dead bodies.

The outbreak reportedly begun in late October, but officials have said cases have risen rapidly within the last few weeks.

In an update about the illness the Health Ministry said: “Laboratory test results will be communicated as soon as they are available, and regular updates will be shared with the population and partners.

“Pending the conclusions of the ongoing investigations, the Ministry calls on the population to remain calm, vigilant and to strictly respect the… preventive measures.

“The ministry… expresses its deep compassion to the families affected by this tragedy and sends them its most sincere condolences.”

There have been concerns that the illness is tied to monkeypox or Ebola as the nation has struggled with the two diseases in recent years. However, according to experts, there is no clear link at this stage.

People are questioning whether this new illness is connected to monkeypox or Ebola (GUERCHOM NDEBO/AFP via Getty Images)

Infectious diseases expert and associate professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Dr Krutika Kuppalli, spoke to the Mail Online about the outbreak.

She said: “We need more information. The information that has been provided at present speaks of a number of diseases.”

She also addressed concerns related to Ebola and monkeypox.

She said: “In what they are reporting, we have not seen any reports of skin rash or skin abnormality — which would go with mpox.

“Typically, with viral hemorrhagic fever [like Ebola] you would hear reports of coughing or throwing up blood, and that has not been reported either.

“The reports are concerning, but we need more data and more information about the symptoms they are seeing on the ground.”

SNL is definitely up there as one of the most iconic shows in the United States, with huge Hollywood celebrities regularly appearing as guest hosts and a full roster of comedians ready to show off their skills at any moment.

Davidson is one of the many big names to have worked on the show over the years, and in a recent chat with New York Magazine he and some of his fellow stars discussed what they splashed out on after receiving pay checks from the show.

Cheri Oteri, who worked as an SNL cast member from 1995 to 2000, recalled buying a couch, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus remembered buying a pair of shoes that were ‘out of [her] budget’.

She added: “I’ve got to tell you, I think they were $75.”

This revelation might surprise you, as $75 might not seem too unreasonable for someone who’s on TV, but Davidson’s response to the question offered further insight on the Saturday Night Live salary.

In the video, he said: “Do you guys know what they pay us? It’s like three grand an episode, so I think I got dinner!”

Davidson bought dinner with his paycheck (Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty Images)

Since $3,000 for a week’s work actually seems very generous, Davidson’s response prompted mixed responses from viewers.

Discussing the video on Reddit, one person wrote: “Yeah 3k a week in NYC isn’t bad by any stretch but it’s not exactly living it up in luxury either.”

However, another user responded to point out that cast members don’t always have a weekly episode, and others pointed out they’d have also been putting up with the high costs that come with living in or near New York.

“Managers & agents take a cut. Taxes take a cut,” one person wrote, as another added: “They only do like 20 episodes a year.”

These were a point backed by another former cast member, Jason Sudeikis, who explained: “I mean you don’t really make enough money to make big purchases. So, I think New York rent was probably the biggest purchase I made after writing on SNL the first year.”

That being said, there were some members of the show who decided to splash the cash on some more luxurious items, with Sarah Silverman admitting she bought a $300 cashmere sweater with her paycheck, while Bowen Yang treated himself to some Gucci shoes.

Davidson first joined SNL in 2014, and took part in sketches such as ‘Chad’ and ‘Jasmine and Aladdin’ before he left in 2022.

Branson founded Virgin Records in 1970 and went on to sign huge music acts like The Rolling Stones and Sex Pistols.

By 1973, his record label had expanded to the US.

Fast forward to today and Branson has expanded into almost every business possible having launched Virgin Games, Virgin Atlantic airline, Virgin Publishing, Virgin Money and Virgin Media.

With his umpteen business ventures in mind, Branson is now worth a staggering $2.6 billion, as per Forbes.

But the 74-year-old hasn’t always been rolling in cash; in fact, he was first turned away when he tried to purchase Necker Island.

The 30-hectare island in the British Virgin Islands and, of course, Branson was drawn to them became of the name.

After learning that he could potentially own one of the islands, Branson was keen to get one. However, he didn’t have his multibillionaire status at the time.

In 1978, Branson got wind that one was up for sale so he contacted the relator to express his interest.

The reason he wanted to do this? To impress a girl, of course.

Necker Island is a whopping 74 acres (Getty Stock Images)

“I had been madly trying to come up with a way to impress a girl I had fallen for, so I rang up the realtor, and expressed my interest,” Branson penned in a blog published in 2015.

“We were still in the early days of Virgin Records, and I by no means had the cash to buy an island. Luckily, the realtor didn’t know this and offered me an all expenses paid trip to see the Islands that weekend.

“I agreed to go on one condition – if I could bring a guest.”

The girl he was trying to win over at the time agreed to go on the trip with Branson, who ultimately ‘fell in love’ with the island.

But reality soon set in when he was told the asking price of the island – a whopping $6 million.

“Smitten with the unspoilt paradise, and keen to impress my new love, I offered the highest amount I could afford: $100,000,” Branson recalled.

“As you can imagine, the realtor was less than impressed, and left us high and dry to find our own way back home.”

Branson has owned Necker Island since 1978 (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

A year later, Necker Island was still on the market and the owner was reportedly ‘desperate to sell’.

Virgin Records was in a stronger position at that point, so Branson returned to the relator and offered $180,000 instead.

By means of a miracle, the seller agreed to the heavily discounted offer on the condition that Branson ‘build a resort on the Island within four years’.

And purchasing the island wasn’t Bransons only win. The girl he first took with him to view it ended up becoming his wife, with the pair tying the knot on Necker Island 11 years later.

Branson married Joan Templeman in 1989, and the pair remain married to this day.

When Disney announced the arrival of its new Lightning Lane Premier Pass (LLPP) in October this year, parkgoers weren’t best pleased with the eye-watering costs.

The fast-track pass permits attendees to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California, to join a line that has a shorter waiting time for its attractions.

However, the pass comes at a cost to the tune of hundreds of dollars and varies in price depending on demand on the day and which of the four Disney World parks you’re going to.

Magic Kingdom has one of the most expensive LLPP’s, ranging from $329 to $449 plus tax, while Animal Kingdom in the cheapest, ranging from $129 to $199.

Meanwhile, Disneyland, covering both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, has a set cost of $400 per day, though the website says this will change in the new year.

AJ Wolfe, who runs the popular Disney Food Blog, spoke to DailyMail.com about whether the Lightning Lane pass was worth it.

The blogger had members of her team investigate at every Disney World and Disneyland park, documenting their waiting times and how many rides they were able to get on.

AJ revealed: “Each cast member did successfully ride every one in the park, with the exception of rides that were down for refurbishment.”

When it came to Disneyland, AJ’s team purchased the pricey $400 pass and cleared the first park in around six hours.

They then climbed aboard every ride in the second park in about four hours, clearing a total of 24 rides in one day. But whether or not the pass is worth the money really depends on the kind of experience you’re looking for, AJ said.

The blogger explained: “It completely depends on your circumstances. If you’ve got a week-long trip in Disney World… then no – it’s not worth it.

Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

“You can absolutely pay less for [Disney’s cheaper Lightning Lane service] and get on all of the rides with lower waits – or you can just stand in the regular lines for no extra cost – and ride everything over the course of those seven days.

“But if you only have one day in Disney World and want to ride everything in one park… then, yeah, it could very well be worth it.”

As for the pros, AJ said every ride is included, unlike Disney’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass, a cheaper alternative which doesn’t include popular favourites like TRON or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

As for cons, AJ said ‘you can only book one park per day’, which isn’t ideal for park hoppers.

She concluded: “The pricey upgrade is definitely rubbing many Disney goers the wrong way, but it’s important to remember that Disney has always offered luxury level options at a luxury level price point.

“Just because the Grand Floridian exists, does not mean that everyone who visits Disney World is staying there, and that same mentality goes for Premier Pass.

“It’s right for some and not right for others, but there are still plenty of options for different budgets and travel styles.”

We have all likely seen Shrek, and if not, you have certainly heard of him. He is the smelly, bright green ogre who became so lovable within an entire generation of families worldwide. His story brought fairytales to life, showing recognisable characters before, during ,and after the stories written about themselves.

The titular character is voiced by award winning actor Mike Myers, known more commonly for his roles in the Austin Powers films.

Shrek made his boom onto the big screen in 2001 and brought with it a further star-studded cast and many good stories to tell surrounding its production.

Mike speaks regularly about the fun experience of working on set with names like John Lithgow, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy – but apparently, this did not mean that the film was an immediate hit with the actor.

In a recent interview with Vulture, he explained how he actually came to hearing of the film’s production and how the original idea was formulated and adapted by producer John Williams, who read one of his kid’s books and fell in love with the character, which he then developed into the film we now know and love.

Myers also detailed the story of being approached following the premiere of Saving Private Ryan, where he was quite distraught from the film, and was asked if he would ever consider playing an animated character.

Upon hearing the title of the film from producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, who worked at Dreamworks, he had an initial response of ‘Well, that’s the worst f****ng title I’ve ever heard in my life’.

However, this quickly changed after he had viewed some of the film, and noticing the way it had completely ‘turned fairy tales on its head’, and off he went to record his dialogue for the film.

Shrek was adapted into the lovable character we all know (IMDB / Dreamworks)

Originally, the voice acting was to be done by Chris Farley, who sadly died in 1997 during the films pre-production stages, and this role was later handed to Myers, who originally decided to play him with a Canadian accent.

However, after Myers was not quite happy with the way it had turned out, he offered to re-record his voice lines again for free, this time with a Scottish accent.

Once studio executives saw the change, namely Steven Spielberg, who claimed that Myers was ‘absolutely right’, we were left with the cult classic, passed down between generations to this day.

The clerk had fallen asleep at his desk, as he was carrying out his daily duties transferring funds for people.

However,, it was not as simple as having a midday nap at your desk, as this bank clerk quickly found out.

The worker was in the middle of making a transaction of 64.20 euros when he drifted off, but the main issue was that he fell asleep with his finger still firmly pressed onto the number two key of his keyboard.

As a result, the bank clerk accidentally put a very large sum of money into the system, which was then promptly sent onto his supervisor.

The supervisor in question, who had worked within the bank since 1986, said that she had not noticed the large sum of money as she was approving the transactions for the day, altogether checking 812 documents for mistakes.

This mishap led to the bank firing her, as they claimed that she was not completing her duties of verifying transactions before they were sent.

Luckily for both the clerk and Supervisor however, the transaction, which equalled a whopping $234,164,444.44 (222,222,222.22 euros), was later spotted by a third employee, who raised the error and corrected it before it had been sent.

Following the incident, a court ruled that there was no malicious intent in the supervisor’s actions and that the supervisor had been unfairly dismissed. The court ordered the bank to reinstate her, saying the work contract should not have been terminated.

Another employee spotted and rectified the mistake (Getty Stock Images)

Many users took to social media to share their thoughts, but mostly jokes surrounding the mistake.

One member of the public joked: “Imagine seeing your bank balance up 200+ million.”

And another commented: “Plot twist, the bank clerk was a cat that sat on the keyboard.”

Some also expressed upset surrounding the bank’s response, claiming: “Firing someone over a mistake is always stupid.”

As humorous and potentially enjoyable as this would be for the one receiving this money, this is not the first time bank errors like this occur.

Another example of this was Sibongile Mani, a student of Walter Sisulu University in South Africa, who found that almost $1 million had been incorrectly transferred into her bank account.

This, however, was short-lived, as she immediately went spending the money on expensive liquor, a new phone, and designer clothes, before being reported to police and arrested in 2017, charged with fraud and theft.

So heed this warning: if you ever come across funds in your bank that you don’t recognise, tell your bank, and as tempting as it may be, do not spend it.

If you stayed up into the early hours of the morning on election day you might recall the moment President-elect Donald Trump took to the stage at his campaign’s HQ in West Palm Beach, Florida, stating he had ‘made history’ after being projected to win the battleground states of North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.

He was joined by his entourage, including his 18-year-old son Barron and UFC’s Dana White, as well as a documentary crew which followed Trump during his presidential campaign.

Well, a clip from the documentary series Art of Surge has gone viral and it reveals the former 45th President’s youngest son’s accent…if you don’t recall the video of him from years ago talking with an eastern European accent, then it won’t be so shocking for you.

But I’ll detail the little history we know of Barron Trump’s speech.

You may remember a clip that has done the rounds in recent weeks of Barron as a four-year-old speaking with a Slovenian accent, taking after his mom, Melenia Trump.

Barron Trump spoke with a thick Slovenian accent when he was four years old (CNN)

He asks his mom: “I have to go to school now?”

Melania replies: “Yes, first you will have lunch and then you’ll go to school.”

Taking to social media, people applauded Melania for her hands-on approach to parenting. One user wrote: “Did Barron speak with a Slovenian accent even though he was born and raised in New York because of Melania? That’s pretty funny.”

While a second typed: “She had all the money in the world to pass him off to a nanny, but she spent so much time with him that he sounded like her instead of anyone else in his life.”

Now, footage has revealed that he has shaken that eastern European accent off and now sounds like your everyday American – okay, maybe your everyday American born into billions.

Speaking to a woman off-shot, he says: “Hello, how are you? It’s very nice to see you.”

In the footage, Trump speaks fondly of his son to White explaining how his supporters love him.

Trump can be heard saying: “I gave him a shout-out last night, the place went crazy: Bar-ron, Bar-ron.”

Barron then greets White: “Hello. How are you? It’s very nice to finally meet you.”

Trump can then be heard joking: “Can you make him into a fighter.”

Taking to Twitter, fans were surprised by how he sounded.

One user wrote: “Internet about to blow up over this one.”

Another added: “This might be the first time we have EVER heard Barron speak. Historic clip!!!”

While a third penned: “Damn he sounds like trump.”