Boris Johnson backs high-speed Leeds to Manchester rail route
In a speech in Manchester Boris Johnson said the rail link would help “turbo-charge the economy”. BBC News – UK
Craig Taylor
Austrian triathlete Nathalie Birli ‘persuaded kidnapper to release her’
Austrian new mother Nathalie Birli says she was freed after complimenting her captor on his orchids. BBC News – Europe
Guatemala signs migration deal with US after Trump threats
The deal would require migrants from Honduras and El Salvador to seek asylum in Guatemala. BBC News – Latin America & Caribbean
Syria war: ‘World shrugs’ as 103 civilians killed in 10 days
The UN human rights chief says it is unlikely air strikes on schools and hospitals are accidental. BBC News – Middle East
Direct debit fraud: ‘My mother lost £14,000’
A charity warns that the elderly and vulnerable are most at risk of becoming victims of direct debit fraud. BBC News – Business
US Supreme Court gives go-ahead for Trump wall funding
President Donald Trump is given the go-ahead to use $ 2.5bn of Pentagon funds for the border wall. BBC News – US & Canada