News

Lloyds Banking Group will pay its first dividend to shareholders in six years - since its 2008 bailout - after reporting annual profits of £1.8 billion.

The payments to the three million shareholders will total £535 million after the fourfold rise in annual profits.

Lloyds was rescued after an input of £20 billion taxpayer funds in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis.

The Government's 40% stake has since been reduced to 24%, meaning the Treasury will receive £130 million from the company's 0.75p a share dividend payment.

Disgraced glam rock singer Gary Glitter faces sentencing today for sex attacks on three schoolgirls during the 1970s.

The 70-year-old, real name Paul Gadd, is facing a maximum of life in prison after being found guilty of having sex with a girl under the age of 13.

He was also convicted earlier this month of one count of attempted rape and four counts of indecent assault after a three week trial.

He is due to be sentenced by Judge Alistair McCreath at Southwark Crown Court in London.

• Gary Glitter: Famous rock star turned notorious sex offender

Much of the country will have a dry morning and there'll be plenty of sunshine especially over England and Wales. Across more eastern parts it will remain bright with further sunshine for much of the day.

There'll be some showers across the north and over high ground in Scotland these will be wintry, although most of them will ease this afternoon. Cloud, rain and a strengthening wind will spread east into Northern Ireland this afternoon and other western areas by about dusk. Top temperature 10 Celsius (50F).

Prince William met with Emperor Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko at the Gosho imperial residence, bowing from the neck to both of them.

He arrived in a chauffeur driven car and was met by the royal couple outside the residence in Tokyo.

Addressing them in turn as "your majesty", the Prince told Akihito, who he last met in 2012 during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Sovereign Monarchs' lunch: "Your majesty, it's very nice to see you again. Thank you for having me here - fantastic."

The mother of murdered journalist James Foley says she has forgiven 'Jihadi John', named yesterday in reports as Mohammed Emwazi, for killing her son.

Diane Foley told The Times: "It saddens me, his (Emwazi's) continued hatred. He felt wronged, now we hate him - now that just prolongs the hatred. We need to end it.

"As a mum I forgive him. You know, the whole thing is tragic - an ongoing tragedy."

A new portrait of the Queen to appear on coins will be unveiled next week ahead of it appearing in people's pockets.

The new portrait and its designer will be announced on Monday at a ceremony in London and it will begin to appear on UK coins from then onwards, the Royal Mint has said.

However the new coins may take a short time to filter through into people's change as they tend to be delivered to cash centres and banks in the first instance.

A "worrying" number of teenagers have thought about hurting themselves after viewing images of self-harm online, charities have warned.

A survey of 2,000 11-21 year olds found more than half aged 11-14 had felt like self-harming after viewing the images.

Some 60% admitted to sharing pictures of people self-harming on social media while 80% of those aged 18-21 said they had self-harmed or knew someone who had.

The survey was carried out by ChildLine, YouthNet, selfharmUK and YoungMinds.