"None of the men are in US custody and their whereabouts are unknown.". This is an excerpt from an article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13194861 on Mumbai 2008 attacks.
While the usage "None of us is" is considered generally to be more appropriate, the "None of us are" form is also used frequently.
The use of "are" and "is" when used in conjunction with "None of" has been of interest to me. A friend of mine earlier used the "are" form. And I would often tease her "You is a fool and so are your uncle". She couldn't stand it and after a lot of deliberation switched to the "None of us is" form.
It was amusing to listen to the pregnant pause which would follow her "None of us", when she would figure out the right verb and continue "is ...".
So when I saw this "None of the men are..." in the BBC site now, I smiled.
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