UK TRAILS EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURS ON HEALTH CARE QUALITY INDEX

Britain lags behind many of its European neighbours and ranks 30th in a global list of countries assessed for health care quality and access.

Experts who analysed death-rate data from 195 nations judged the UK to be on a par with the Czech Republic and Portugal.

The top-ranking country was the tiny principality of Andorra, which scored 94.6 overall on a scale of zero to 100.

LABOUR BLASTS TORIES AS 'NASTY PARTY' OVER 'SHAMEFUL ATTACK' ON OLDER PEOPLE

Theresa May's manifesto showed the Tories had returned to being the "nasty party", Labour said as it warned 10 million pensioners would lose their winter fuel payments under her plans.

The Prime Minister's policy platform, which saw her vow to govern for "mainstream Britain" and deliver a strong economy after Brexit, included a radical shake-up of pensioner benefits and the system for funding social care.

Labour went on the attack over the plans to end the pensions triple lock, which guarantees annual rises of at least 2.5%, in an effort to attract the so-called "grey vote".

SIX-YEAR-OLDS CARRY KNIVES AS YOUNG ARM THEMSELVES AGAINST FEAR, MET CHIEF TOLD

Children as young as six are carrying knives and 10-year-olds are arming themselves with weapons out of fear, the country's top police officer has been told.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick heard children "feel naked" without them, while some are too scared to cross the capital's roads unarmed.

Ms Dick vowed to get to the root of knife crime as she visited a youth centre in Putney, south-west London, meeting community leaders, reformed gang members and the family of Lewis Elwin - a 20-year-old trainee electrician stabbed to death in Tooting last year.

THREE WOMEN IN COURT OVER ALLEGED TERROR PLOT

Three women, including a mother and daughter, are to appear in court charged in connection with what is thought to be the first all-female alleged British-based terror plot.

Londoners Rizlaine Boular, 21, her mother Mina Dich, 43, and associate Khawla Barghouthi, 20, were charged in relation to the alleged planning of a suspected knife attack in the Westminster area of London.

They are to appear at the Old Bailey.

TWO MEN TO BE SENTENCED AFTER GIRL, FOUR, KILLED IN HIT-AND-RUN COLLISION

Two men are due to be sentenced after a hit-and-run crash which killed a four-year-old girl.

Violet-Grace Youens was struck while walking in St Helens, Merseyside, on March 24.

Aidan McAteer, 23, has admitted causing her death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury to her grandmother, 55-year-old Angela French, who was with her at the time.

CIGARETTES MUST BE SOLD IN STANDARDISED GREEN PACKAGING FROM THIS WEEKEND

Cigarettes must be sold in standardised green packaging bearing graphic warnings of the dangers of smoking from this weekend as rules designed to prevent young people taking up the habit come into full effect.

All packs must contain a minimum of 20 cigarettes to make sure the packs are big enough for health warnings to cover 65% of the front and back, with the brand name restricted to a standard size, font and colour.

The EU Tobacco Products Directive has allowed the UK to go further with its regulations to require all tobacco packaging to be uniformly green with large images showing the harmful effects of smoking.

INSTAGRAM 'RANKED WORST FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH'

Instagram is the worst social media site in terms of its impact on the mental health of young people, a report has suggested.

The £StatusofMind survey found the photo-sharing app negatively impacted on people's body image, sleep and fear of missing out.

However, the survey of 1,479 youngsters aged 14 to 24, found Instagram was positive in terms of self-expression and self-identity.

CHRIS COLEMAN AMONG HOST OF SPORTING STARS TO BE RECOGNISED AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Football manager Chris Coleman, who guided Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016, is among a host of sporting stars to be recognised at Buckingham Palace.

Coleman, 46, will receive an OBE from the Prince of Wales for services to football, after his team achieved remarkable success in their first appearance at a major tournament for 58 years.

Gold medal-winning diving duo Jack Laugher and Chris Mears will both be given MBEs following their performance at last summer's Rio Olympics.

POLLS OPEN IN FIRST IRAN PRESIDENTIAL VOTE SINCE NUCLEAR DEAL

Voting has begun in Iran's first presidential election since its nuclear deal with world powers, as incumbent Hassan Rouhani faced a staunch challenge from a hard-line opponent over his outreach to the wider world.

The election is largely viewed as a referendum on the 68-year-old cleric's more moderate policies, which paved the way for the nuclear accord despite opposition from hard-liners.

Economic issues also will be on the minds of Iran's over 56 million eligible voters as they head to more than 63,000 polling places across the country.

BASQUIAT PAINTING FETCHES RECORD 110.5M DOLLARS AT NEW YORK AUCTION

An artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat has sold for a record 110.5 million dollars (£85.3 million) at auction in New York.

Sotheby's said the sale of "Untitled" in Manhattan was an auction record for the artist. It also set a record price for an American artist at auction. The 1982 painting depicts a face in the shape of a skull.

The piece was purchased by noted Japanese collector and entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa after a 10-minute bidding war.