Haircut row boy gets a result

A 12-year-old schoolboy banned from a maths competition in Nicaragua because of his hairstyle is back in the race, after the government stepped in.

Haircut nearly left Theo minus a first-round win

German-born Theo Sullow won the first round in the northern city of Esteli, but was disqualified by a local education official.

Mercedes Garcia Guevara said the hairstyle was "weird" and violated regulations.

But Nicaraguan Education Minister Fernando Robleto has reportedly now over-ruled the complaints and says Theo must be allowed to enter the second round of the competition.

Protest march

Theo's mother Angelika said the decision was "a victory....for all children who have the right to their own tastes and their own identity".

The ban was criticised by local newspapers and the government's child protection agency and students held a march in protest.

Theo's family, originally from Gottingen in Germany, has lived in Nicaragua since 1991.