The first case of someone being brought to Britain to have an organ removed for trafficking has been uncovered, according to a report.

Charities which help the poor and indebted, particularly religious ones, expect to be busier than ever in 2012. January and February are going to be particularly busy months for them as more impoverished individuals and families seek help. Christmas is often a turning point for people with debts; in the cold light of January many decide they need advice.

The bosses of Britain's Christian lenders have attacked the sales-obsessed culture and declining ethics of the mainstream banking industry.

Before he was born, did Barack Obama's parents consider giving up their child-to-be for adoption?

It was the August bank holiday. The rain was going from drizzle to downpour and as I peeped out of my weather-beaten tent to survey the landscape at the Reading Festival, the last thing I wanted was another cereal bar. Or another Babybel, another bag of crisps – or any of the other provisions I'd so frugally packed the Friday before. So half an hour later I found myself sitting opposite an infinitely more appealing plate of grilled halloumi, rocket, aubergine and roast peppers, accompanied by a hefty wedge of focaccia.

Andrew Powell, the international No 8 sacked by Wasps after brawling with a group of football supporters in a Shepherd's Bush bar and finishing a distant second, has secured a two-year contract with Sale, who are rebuilding their squad after confirming the departure of 21 players earlier this week. The deal, finalised yesterday, gives the Welshman a second bite at a Premiership career that looked to have turned sour on him.

Friends have paid tribute to a retired Salvation Army officer from Essex found dead while on holiday in Hong Kong. A 29-year-old man has been arrested in the main ferry harbour and was being questioned by police yesterday.

A man has been arrested after a woman was attacked with a meat cleaver.

A woman who offered a lift to a lost man was subjected to a brutal attack with a meat cleaver, police said.

One of the most eloquent and inventive of our jazz players, the trumpeter and flugelhorn player Harry Beckett didn't get the recognition he deserved. Because he was a quiet and gentle person, he remained a sideman and not primarily a bandleader. He was unique in that his lyrical and romantic style allowed him to play adventurous and even free-form jazz and still to communicate lucidly with his audience. He was also at home with reggae and electronic jazz.

Few of us can claim that, single-handedly, we have brought about a major success story in urban regeneration.