UK rises up the list of happiest countries

People in the UK are happier than people in Germany or Singapore, but less happy that people in Belgium or Ireland according to new research.

The World Happiness Report covers 158 different countries. The UK is now in 21st place, up from 22nd place three years ago.

The happiest country is Switzerland, followed by Iceland, Denmark and Norway. The least happy places are Benin, Syria, Burundi and Togo.

Want a free coffee?

Staff in one of the UK's cafe chains are allowed to give away a number of free coffees every week to customers they like. Clive Schlee, boss of Pret a Manger, which has 350 outlets in the UK and other places, said 28 per cent of customers would get something free.

"It's a nice, different way of doing it," he said. 

Pret a Manger said it was about "random acts of kindness" and there were no rules telling staff which customers to choose. They said staff often gave treats to regular customers or people who looked sad. 

UK man accused of crashing US stock market

Prosecutors are trying to get a man from London to go on trial in the American courts. They say that Navinder Sarao helped to make Dow Jones stockmarket fall heavily, and that he made GDP 26m in five years playing the markets. 

Lots of people are talking about this story, partly because Mr Sarao still lives with his parents in a very ordinary house and he does not live like a millionaire. He and his family have been asked for GBP 5m to that he can live at home instead of being sent to prison while the courts decide whether he should be sent to prison. They have not managed to raise that much money so far. 

The world's oldest newlyweds

George Kirby is 102, and Doreen Luckie is 91. Their combined ages are 194 years. They have lived together for 25 years, and have now decided to get married in June.

The Guinness Book of Records says this makes them the oldest newlyweds. The pair will be four years older than the current oldest newlyweds, a French couple. 

Mr Kirby says he did not do the traditional thing of getting on to one knee when he asked Mrs Luckie to marry him. "I don't think I would have been able to get back up," he said.

The couple, who live in Eastbourne, have seven children between them.