1. PETROL PRICES HIT NEW HIGH
Petrol prices reached a record high yesterday, with the cost of filling a large family car reaching almost £100. The AA said unleaded petrol reached an unprecedented 140.2p a litre - the equivalent of £6.37 a gallon - while diesel also hit a record high of 146.7p a litre. Experts warn that unleaded petrol could cost 150p a litre within months.
2. SCHOOLCHILDREN MISLED ON ABORTION
Anti-abortion campaigners are making contentious claims, including that abortion leads to an increased risk of breast cancer, during presentations in British schools. The Guardian reveals that the presentation, by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, also alleges that abortion can result in infertility and the death of the mother.
3. 'BARBEQUE WEEKEND' FOR BRITAIN
Forecasters are predicting balmy conditions on Saturday with some parts of the country tipped to reached 21C. This is more than double the usual average temperature for March which is 9C. Yesterday thousands of Britons headed to the beach amid conditions that saw parts of Britain hotter than Majorca and Bondi Beach in Sydney.
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4. OBAMA SPEAKS ABOUT SHOT TEENAGER
President Barack Obama spoke for the first time about the killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin, saying: “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon". The case of the 17-year-old, shot in Florida four weeks ago, has ignited tensions after his killer escaped arrest using a self-defence law. The killer has denied allegations he was motivated by racism.
5. NURSERY STAFF SKILLS CONCERN
Nursery staff and childminders are able to work at pre-school groups without even "basic literacy or numeracy skills”, a review of childcare has found. The government-commissioned Nutbrown Review also concludes that colleges require higher qualifications from students training to care for animals than those required to look after babies and toddlers.
6. FREED CAPTIVE BACK IN BRITAIN
Judith Tebbutt, who spent six months in captivity after being kidnapped by Somali pirates, returned home to Britain last night. She was freed after a private security firm, hired by her family, paid a reported ransom of £800,000 for her freedom. The Times says that the ransom money was dropped to her kidnappers by aircraft.
7. OBSCENE BORAT 'ANTHEM' GAFFE
Organisers at an international shooting championship in Kuwait accidentally played a spoof national anthem from the comedy film Borat when Kazakhstan won a medal. Video of the medal ceremony has become an internet hit. The song, by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, features obscene lyrics that portray Kazakhs as backward.
8. SPORT RELIEF RAISES RECORD FUNDS
Last night's Sport Relief raised a record £50m in charity donations. The total raised was £50,447,197, the most that has been donated on the night of the charity telethon. The total will swell on Sunday when around one million people are expected to run the Sport Relief mile. The Government said last night it will match £10 million of public donations.
9. POLICE PROBE RUSSIAN BANKER SLAYING
A former Russian banker is in a critical condition in hospital after he was shot in east London. German Gorbuntsov was shot several times by a man armed with a sub-machine gun. The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that the Trident Gang Crime Command unit, which investigates gangland cases, is handling the case.
10. FERGUSON MOCKS CITY'S 'DESPERATION'
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has turned the tables on rivals Manchester City by describing their u-turn on Carlos Tevez as an act of "desperation". His comment followed City executive Patrick Vieira's accusation that United bringing Paul Scholes out of retirement was an act of "weakness".