Category: news

Parts of the UK have had the driest and warmest spring for more than a century, latest figures from the Met Office confirm.

Across the whole of England and Wales, it was the second driest spring since 1910 and the driest spring since 1990.

Some farmers are losing their crops, and there are fears that many foods will go up in price.

Chris Bateman, of the National Federation of Young Farmers, told the BBC: “It’s quite serious.”

Overall, England and Wales had only 45% of the long-term average rainfall for March, April and May.

But East Anglia had only 21% of the long-term average rainfall – giving the area the driest spring for 101 years.

The south-east and central-southern areas of England were equally dry, also having their driest spring for 101 years.

A National Farmers’ Union spokeswoman told the BBC there had been “localised” crop failures as a result of the low rainfall.

She said: “Where crops have not had access to irrigation and they are grown on light, sandy soils, there is a problem.

“In some areas it’s quite serious, but it’s very localised.”

The BBC’s rural affairs correspondent, Jeremy Cooke, said: “The average temperature across the UK for the months March, April and May, was 13.5C (56F) – 2.3C (36F) above average.

“The north and west have had more rain in recent weeks, but south-east and central England recorded just 30% of average rainfall.”

Chris Bateman, speaking from Bristol, said: “I work on a dairy farm where we have a lot of maize planted (for animal feed). Because of the rainfall we haven’t had…the maize is beginning to get stressed, it’s only two or three inches tall when it should be four or five inches. Without some rain in the next month it’s looking quite serious.”

He said: “It has been quite a dry winter and we have seen hardly any rainfall in the spring.”

Mr Bateman said: “Our crops are behind and unless we get some rain soon we are only going to get half of our product, which means we will have to buy in more animal feed.”

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Newport has become the fifth university in Wales to set its fees at the maximum £9,000 per year for some courses.

It will charge £8,250 for others and said it had done everything possible to keep its fees down but that the extra income would widen access.

It follows Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Bangor and Glamorgan.

Students from Wales will receive a grant to cover the increase but their leaders said they were extremely disappointed by the fees figures.

Five more universities in Wales have yet to declare as the deadline for submitting fees plans to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) passed on Tuesday.

Newport said its decision to propose two rates reflected the difference in the cost of providing courses.

Vice Chancellor Dr Peter Noyes said: “In announcing these fee plans the university has considered every single option available to us.

“Increasing the cost of study for our future students is not something we do with any relish but is the only option available to us in the situation that we find ourselves in.”

Under the terms of the new student finance settlement universities are expected to spend at least 30% of all income over £4,000 per student on widening access to higher education and promoting an improved student experience.

Dr Noyes added: “”HEFCW have indicated that those institutions better able to meet the Welsh Government’s widening participation agenda will be more justified in charging higher fees.

“Newport already has a terrific track-record in widening participation. We already recruit large numbers of students from some of the most economically disadvantaged areas of Wales.

The cost to Welsh students will be £3,400 no matter which university they attend with the Welsh Government paying the difference.

Katie Dalton, president of the National Union of Students, said it was “extremely disappointing”.

“I think that 12 months ago if we thought about half universities in Wales announced already they’re charging £9,000 people wouldn’t have believed it.

“I can’t still get my head around paying £9,000 a year for a course and I think that many people out there can’t as well.”

She said it was vital the Welsh Government continued to subsidise the fees.

“They need to make sure that the tuition fee grant does remain in place in future so the Welsh students don’t have to pay more.”

HEFCW said it would look at every university’s plans to increase the fees from 2012.

“These plans will detail investments they intend to make using a proportion of this new income in order to encourage equality of access and promote higher education.

“All plans must be agreed by HEFCW before the new fees can be charged. The announcement on their acceptance or rejection will be made on 11 July 2011.”

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Shaquille O’Neal says he is retiring from the NBA after a professional career spanning nearly two decades.

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Aston Villa confirm the departure of Gerard Houllier as manager after only nine months in charge of the club.

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A newly-wed woman pleaded “help me, please” before she and her husband were shot on honeymoon three years ago, a murder trial in Antigua has heard.

Welsh couple Ben and Catherine Mullany died after an apparent botched robbery at their luxury resort.

The Mullanys, both 31, from Pontardawe, near Swansea, had been staying at the £330-a-night five-star Cocos Hotel.

Avie Howell, 20, and Kaniel Martin, 23, deny murder. The case continues at Antigua’s High Court.

The Mullanys’ deaths came shortly before that of local shopkeeper Woneta Anderson, who was killed with a bullet to the head in an “almost identical” attack, it was alleged.

Opening the case in the capital of St John’s, prosecutor Anthony Armstrong told jurors that the defendants acted together, their crimes part of a “joint enterprise”.

“The manner in which these three people were killed was almost identical,” he said.

“All three victims were shot in the head. They were shot with a single bullet, no more, no less.

“All three victims were killed using the same firearm.”

The Mullanys were at their hotel on the south west of the holiday island when at least one gunman burst into their hotel chalet as they slept, the court heard.

Fellow tourists heard Mrs Mullany, a paediatrician, begging for help at about 5am on July 27 2008.

But when police arrived at the scene that Sunday morning, Mrs Mullany was dead, killed by a gunshot wound to the head.

Mr Mullany, a physiotherapy student at the University of the West England in Bristol, suffered massive brain haemorrhaging after a bullet entered his neck and travelled through his skull.

He was placed on a life-support machine and flown back to Morriston Hospital in Swansea but died a week later.

Howell and Martin allegedly struck again on 8 August, the court heard, this time killing the 43-year-old shopkeeper in her home during what police believe was a violent robbery.

Mr Armstrong said the defendants could be linked to all three murders.

“Shortly after the shooting of Ben and Catherine Mullany, there is evidence which puts them in their possession of Ben Mullany’s stolen phone,” he said.

“In respect of Woneta, there is evidence that we will show you that places one of the accused at the scene.”

Howell and Martin were arrested after British detectives were sent to Antigua to assist local officers with their investigation.

The Crown, which plans to call some 70 witnesses during the trial, will rely on ballistic, DNA, documentary, medical and mobile phone evidence.

Concluding his short opening statement, Mr Armstrong told jurors: “You should not be concerned about the consequences of your decision.”

In coming to their verdicts, he urged the panel to rely on “simple old-fashioned common sense”, adding: “I invite you to be fair, fearless and approach this case with due attention.”

Howell, of Golden Grove, Antigua, and Martin, of Tindale Road, deny three counts of murder.

The trial is expected to last two months.

The accused pair are also charged with murdering Tony Louisa, 43 and student Rafique Kareem Harris, 24, but those trials will begin at a later date.

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X Factor judges Louis Walsh, Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland and N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos are attending the show’s first auditions.

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A west London man gets the only London 2012 tickets he applied for – four seats for the men’s 100m final.

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