UKIP ROW LETTING OFF STEAM - FARAGE

Nigel Farage has dismissed a bitter row over his leadership of Ukip as "people letting off steam", insisting a leadership contest would be a "massive, massive mistake".

After resigning the leadership a week ago only to back out of the decision at the urging of the party executive committee three days later, Mr Farage told a BBC Question Time audience that changing leader would be wrong with an EU referendum looming.

Mr Farage had promised to resign the leadership if he lost the South Thanet constituency at the general election and followed through on his pledge within minutes of defeat being confirmed. The U-turn came after party officials said he retained strong backing from party members.

PM TO 'REMAIN TRUE' TO DEVOLUTION

The UK Government will "remain true" to its promise to implement the Smith Commission agreement on further devolution for Scotland, the Prime Minister said ahead of his first meeting with Nicola Sturgeon following the election.

Ms Sturgeon will press David Cameron to go beyond the Smith package and hand even more powers to Hoyrood, arguing that it would be "inconceivable" for the UK Government to ignore the democratic will of Scottish people as expressed in the SNP's election victory.

The Smith package, which would allow the Scottish Government to set rates and bands of income tax and give it control over £2.5 billion of welfare spending, will be taken forward in a new Scotland devolution bill in the first Queen's speech, Mr Cameron said.

CREAGH JOINS LABOUR LEADERSHIP RACE

Shadow international development secretary Mary Creagh has joined the race to succeed Ed Miliband promising to "earn back the trust that middle England has lost in the Labour Party".

Writing for Mail Online and the Daily Mail, Ms Creagh said Labour had forgotten the lessons which saw it to three consecutive general election victories.

The fifth declared candidate for Labour leader, the Wakefield MP joins joins Liz Kendall, Chuka Umunna, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper in the battle to replace Mr Miliband in the wake of last week's devastating election defeat.

US TRAIN SPED UP BEFORE DERAILMENT

The Amtrak train that derailed at a curve killing eight people was accelerating when it was supposed to be slowing down.

Why that happened has emerged as the central question surrounding the derailment, which sent more than 200 people to hospital on Tuesday in the worst US train wreck in nearly six years.

In the minute or so before the crash, the train sped up from 70mph until it reached more than 100mph at a sharp bend where the maximum speed is supposed to be 50mph, National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt said.

GIRL WHO WISHED FOR EUTHANASIA DIES

An ill Chilean girl who got international attention by going on YouTube to make a public plea for permission to end her life has died of her illness.

Cystic fibrosis sufferer Valentina Maureira had asked Chilean president Michelle Bachelet to allow her to be euthanised in the YouTube video earlier this year.

Her father, Fredy Maureira, confirmed that Valentina died yesterday. He told local Radio Bio Bio that the 14-year-old is finally "resting in peace".

NETWORK RAIL STAFF STRIKE OVER PAY

Network Rail workers will stage a 24-hour strike in a row over pay, threatening chaos for passengers travelling over the bank holiday.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will walk out from 5pm on Monday May 25.

The workers, including signallers and maintenance staff, will also ban overtime for 48 hours on the bank holiday Monday and Tuesday.

'HEALTH RISK' FOR SINGLE MOTHERS

Single mothers in England were found to be more likely to suffer poor health later on in life in an international study of women over 50.

Researchers compared more than 25,000 women in England, the United States and 13 European countries, to see if single motherhood is most damaging in countries with relatively weak social safety nets, such as the US and England.

They found the risks were greatest for lone mothers in England, the US, Denmark and Sweden, suggesting social support was a big factor.

EXERCISE BENEFITS FOR ELDERLY MEN

Regular exercise has equal health benefits to quitting smoking in elderly men, research has found.

A study carried out in Norway found that carrying out half an hour of exercise six times a week was linked to a 40% lower risk of death in elderly males.

Even if the degree of activity was only light, mortality risk was lower than that of sedentary participants, and men who exercised lived up to five years longer than those who did not.

COULSON PERJURY TRIAL SET TO BEGIN

The perjury trial of former News of the World editor Andy Coulson is due to start in Scotland today.

The 47-year-old is accused of committing perjury in the 2010 trial of former MSP Tommy Sheridan.

Coulson denies the allegation against him.

HARRY MEETS INJURED RUGBY PLAYERS

At 6ft 5in and weighing over 220lb, the imposing figure of an All Black rugby player was not enough to put Prince Harry off calling him a "poor baby".

Visiting the Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit, the Prince came face to face with rugby stars Keven Mealamu and Jerome Kaino.

Kaino had strapping around one of his fingers and as they greeted Harry the Prince pulled a sad face and said: "You poor baby".