diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/client/templates/LinkPreviewer.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/client/templates/LinkPreviewer.java
index d7f127d..d8b3272 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/client/templates/LinkPreviewer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/client/templates/LinkPreviewer.java
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import com.google.gwt.user.client.ui.Image;
 import com.google.gwt.user.client.ui.Widget;
 
 public class LinkPreviewer extends Composite {
-
 	private static LinkPreviewUiBinder uiBinder = GWT
 			.create(LinkPreviewUiBinder.class);
 
@@ -20,12 +19,17 @@ public class LinkPreviewer extends Composite {
 	
 	public LinkPreviewer(String title, String titleDesc, String host, String linkThumbUrl, String url) {
 		initWidget(uiBinder.createAndBindUi(this));
+		if (linkThumbUrl == null || linkThumbUrl.equals("null"))
+			image.removeFromParent();
+		else {
+			image.setUrl(linkThumbUrl);
+			image.setWidth("80px");
+		}
 		titleArea.setHTML("<a class=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"" + url + "\">"+title+"</a> <span style=\"color: #333;\"> - " + host+ "</span>");
 		urlText.setHTML((url.length() > 70) ? url.substring(0, 70)+"..." : url);
 		String desc = titleDesc;
 		descText.setHTML((desc.length() > 256) ? desc.substring(0, 256)+"..." : desc);		
-		image.setUrl(linkThumbUrl);
-		image.setWidth("80px");
+		
 	}
 	@UiField
 	HTML titleArea;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/server/NewsServiceImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/server/NewsServiceImpl.java
index 1ea0cfc..65a0b86 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/server/NewsServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/server/NewsServiceImpl.java
@@ -518,10 +518,6 @@ public class NewsServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements NewsService
 		return edited;
 	}	
 
-	private String replaceAmpersand(String toReplace) {
-		String toReturn = toReplace.replaceAll("&amp;", "&");
-		return toReturn;
-	}
 	/**
 	 * this method sorts the Feeds in Chronological Reversed order and adds additional user informations 
 	 * @param toEnhance
@@ -537,7 +533,6 @@ public class NewsServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements NewsService
 		boolean skip = false;
 		for (Feed feed : toEnhance) {
 			skip = false;
-			feed.setDescription(replaceAmpersand(feed.getDescription()));
 			if (! feed.isApplicationFeed()) {
 				String thumb = getUserImagePortraitUrlLocal(feed.getEntityId());
 				if (thumb == null) {
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/images/transparent.png b/src/main/webapp/images/transparent.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f57b7f
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/main/webapp/images/transparent.png differ