Born the son of a stern headmaster in the northern state of Kedah in 1925, young Mahathir was a hardworking student, the winner year after year of the English prize and editor of the school magazine.

CNN: Mahathir Mohamad

When it came to speaking English, 20 of 50 sampled certificates - the university's seal of approval for a student - showed evidence that their English had not been properly tested.

BBC: Analysis: London Met's foreign students

At previous gatherings he has stuck to French, using an interpreter to translate into English, despite the fact that he has a good understanding of English, having spent time in his youth as a Harvard student and forklift driver at a US brewery.

BBC: NEWS | Europe | Chirac upset by English address

The UK Border Agency said it took the action because the university was not making proper checks on its overseas students - that it did not keep records of whether they had the required standard of English to be given a student visa or whether they were attending lectures.

BBC: London Metropolitan University: student numbers fall

None of them claims to have been a particularly strong English student.

WSJ: Mets Find Answer

The court was told the first year English student at the University of Manchester was marched to a park where he was forced to hand over his bank card and pin number in the early hours of 28 February.

BBC: Daniel Whiteley

Joseph Fessio, a theology student of Ratzinger's at the University of Regensburg from 1972-74, and now the English-language publisher of his books.

NPR: Pope Legacy: Teacher Who Returned To Church Roots