Hello. After sentences were handed down in the mass rape trial that shocked France and the rest of the world, Andrew Harding reports on how the man at the centre of the case – Dominique Pelicot – was able to split his life in two. As a government shutdown looms in the US, we take a look into the origins of this American phenomenon. And finally, Beatles legends Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr got back together on stage in London last night for the first time since 2019.

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Dominique Pelicot's double life: the man who plotted his own wife's mass rape

Dominique Pelicot - captured in photos and a court sketch - has been sentenced to 20 years in prison Credit: BBC

One might expect a man in Dominique Pelicot's position - a globally reviled sexual predator and rapist, facing 20 years in prison - to cut a wretched figure. But for the most part, he struck an imperious pose during court proceedings. Psychiatrist Laurent Layet, who assessed Pelicot after his arrest, tells our Paris correspondent Andrew Harding that while Pelicot could not be dismissed simply as a monster, he did have a deep and disturbing split in his personality.

• Tribute: Macron thanks Gisèle Pelicot for her courage and dignity. 

• Gisèle's scarf: How an Aboriginal scarf is a symbol of her global impact.

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Why government shutdowns seem to only happen in the US

Why does this keep happening? Credit: REX

The US government has shut down 10 times over the past 43 years. Meanwhile, in other countries, governments keep functioning, even in the midst of wars and constitutional crises. So why does this uniquely American phenomenon keep happening?

And finally...

An English family is fighting for a full refund after their dream holiday to Lapland proved disappointing due to the lack of snow. Central to their claim is the holiday operator's "no snow you don't have to go". Take a look at their not-so-snowy holiday snaps.