this is bbc news. i'm ben mundy. the headlines at 8... the national living wage will increase to £9.50 per hour next april, with the government insisting it's enough for those struggling to meet the rising cost of living. an extra £1,000 a year for people on the national living wage is a really important protection against those pressures, and it helps to make sure that every family in the country where people are in work can really see that this is a government that's on their side. the un warns millions of people in afghanistan are facing starvation this winter — the bbc has found evidence that some families are even selling their children to get money forfood. the desperation and the urgency of this situation is hard to put in words. there is no more time left to reach the people of afghanistan.