Over half of British pensioners are struggling to live on a low income and are missing out on thousands in pension credits, statistics have revealed.
Read
Britain's record-breaking cyclist Mark Cavendish has pulled out the Tour de France ahead of the forthcoming mountain stages.
Read
Australian Casey Stoner was imperious at Laguna Seca on Saturday, taking a fifth successive pole position by almost half a second.
Read
Concerns for the future of Northern Ireland's power-sharing government heightened after a senior politician said the Assembly may need to be recalled from summer recess.
Read
Leeds coach Brian McClennan hailed his side's "dogged determination" after they inflicted a 37-24 defeat on Catalans Dragons at Stade Gilbert Brutus in stiflingly hot conditions.
Read
Warrington coach James Lowes paid tribute to the character of his side after they clawed their way back from 18-6 down at half-time to secure a 19-18 win at Huddersfield.
Read
A 16-year-old arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old who died just yards from his south London home has been released on bail, police said.
Read
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of British hostages being held in Iraq, following a militant group's claim that one of five men they kidnapped last year had committed suicide.
Read
Assurances from the US that it does not use torture can no longer be relied upon by the British authorities, an MPs' report has warned.
Read
Gordon Brown is holding talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders on his first visit to Jerusalem as prime minister.
Read
Patients groups have criticised plans to pay surgeons bonuses linked to their performance on the operating table.
Read
The Camden Primary Care Trust had an "informal meeting" with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group earlier this year, it is confirmed.
Read
The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) is "researching" Scotland Yard contracts that were awarded to a company owned by a friend of Sir Ian Blair.
Read
A British schoolgirl is in a serious condition in Italy after reportedly falling 30 feet from her hotel window.
Read
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of British hostages being held in Iraq, following a militant group's claim that one of five men they kidnapped last year had committed suicide.
Read
Manchester United chief executive David Gill is adamant Cristiano Ronaldo will not receive a pay rise.
Read
Leeds inflicted third-place Catalans' first home defeat since March 8 and kept the pressure on St Helens at the top of the engage Super League with a 37-24 win.
Read
Aston Villa conceded a last-minute equaliser to let slip an early advantage in their Intertoto Cup third-round tie with Odense, which ended 2-2.
Read
Surgeons could receive performance-related bonuses for their operating work under plans being drawn up for the NHS.
Read
A first-ever hat-trick of tries by Huddersfield full-back Leroy Cudjoe was all in vain as Warrington came from 18-6 down to complete a 19-18 victory over the Giants.
Read
Padraig Harrington is expecting nothing less than a real tough tussle with 53-year-old Greg Norman when they go head-to-head in the final group of the Open Championship.
Read
Gordon Brown's Labour Party is trailing the Conservatives by more than 20 points nationally, according to an opinion poll released ahead of Thursday's Glasgow East by-election.
Read
Ashwell Prince's second hundred in successive Tests condemned England to a major first innings deficit on day two at Headingley.
Read
More than two-thirds of young people believe anyone caught carrying a knife in public should be jailed for two years, according to a poll.
Read
England's Simon Wakefield, without a European Tour victory in over 200 starts, gave himself a chance to win the Open as wind caused carnage at Royal Birkdale.
Read
Ashwell Prince's second hundred in successive Tests condemned England to a major first-innings deficit on day two at Headingley.
Read
Police are investigating London's latest knife murder after a man was stabbed to death as he left a party.
Read
England's exams regulator is in discussions with the company behind this year's Sats fiasco to ensure that there is no repeat of the problems which delayed the delivery of millions of schoolchildren's test results.
Read
Gordon Brown has called on British troops in Basra to bring the UK's work in Iraq to its conclusion.
Read
Craig Pickering and Tyrone Edgar will join Simeon Williamson in the British 100 metres team for next month's Olympic Games after Dwain Chambers failed to win his court judgement to run in Beijing.
Read
Australia kick-started their Tri-Nations campaign with a 16-9 victory over South Africa at Subiaco Oval.
Read
Ashwell Prince struck his second hundred of the npower series as South Africa took a firm grip on the Test match at Headingley.
Read
Oscar Freire held off a stern challenge from sprint legend Erik Zabel and Leonardo Duque to win the 14th stage of the Tour de France from Nimes to Digne-les-Bains on Saturday.
Read
Padraig Harrington did not know whether he could defend The Open when he woke up on Thursday morning, but as wind caused havoc at Royal Birkdale he found himself up into second place.
Read
Steven Gerrard has returned home from Liverpool's training camp in Switzerland for treatment on a groin injury.
Read
In-form Lewis Hamilton grabbed the ninth pole position of his Formula One career ahead of Sunday's German Grand Prix.
Read
Former champion Ben Curtis defied winds gusting up to 35mph to climb up the leaderboard in the third round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Saturday.
Read
Debutant Darren Pattinson's maiden Test wicket gave England their only breakthrough as South Africa slowly pressed home their advantage on the second morning at Headingley.
Read
A police force that told a member of the public to dispose of a knife found days after the murder of a father of three said it was not now believed to be the weapon used in the killing.
Read
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has arrived in southern Iraq to meet British troops after holding talks with political leaders and US military commanders in Baghdad during an unannounced visit to the country.
Read
A man has died after being stabbed in north London in the early hours of Saturday, Scotland Yard said.
Read
Sunderland target Pascal Chimbonda is on Wearside to open talks over a possible transfer from Tottenham.
Read
Norwich manager Glenn Roeder has bolstered his defensive options ahead of the new season by signing Fulham duo Dejan Stefanovic and Elliot Omozusi.
Read
Labour said it was "taking nothing for granted" after an opinion poll found the party was on course to win the Glasgow East by-election.
Read
British Olympic chiefs will review their lifetime ban on drugs cheats immediately after the Beijing Games despite winning their court case against Dwain Chambers.
Read
Gordon Brown has flown into Baghdad for talks with Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki and military leaders.
Read
The number of teenagers aged 16 or 17 who are doing nothing may be more than double the official level, according to a new survey.
Read
British heavyweight champion Danny Williams slammed referee Dave Parris after clinging on to his title with a controversial majority points decision victory over John McDermott in Dagenham.
Read
England goalkeeper Scott Carson is looking forward to life at West Brom, having sealed a £3.25million move to The Hawthorns.
Read
It would take a tectonic shift in Younes Kaboul's thinking to persuade him to leave Tottenham for Sunderland, according to the defender's agent.
Read
Kaka has set his heart on a shock transfer to Chelsea, according to his advisor.
Read
Chile international Carlos Villanueva is close to joining Blackburn, according to his agent.
Read
Casey Stoner once again dominated the first day of practice for the United States GP as the MotoGP world champion finished fastest in both sessions on Friday.
Read
St Helens coach Daniel Anderson described as ``a very professional job'' his team's eight-try rout of 12-man Wigan at the JJB Stadium.
Read
The family of murdered teenager Ben Kinsella have announced a concert to tell the world 'No to knife crime'.
Read
Scotland Yard is hoping mediation will resolve a dispute which could see the UK's most senior Asian officer taking the force to a tribunal over alleged racism.
Read
Cabinet ministers have been warned there will be no more money for public services, as taxpayers are reaching the limits of what they are willing to pay, Chancellor Alistair Darling said.
Read
A police force has launched a review after a member of the public was told to dispose of a knife found days after the murder of a father of three.
Read
The Government must invest more in improving the freight transport infrastructure, a report by MPs said.
Read
Home-buyers are prepared to pay more for properties in market towns to benefit from the high quality of life the towns offer, research shows.
Read
The average family is £9 a week worse off than a year ago as steep rises in the cost of living wipe out pay increases, figures show.
Read
LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
UXBRIDGE (third day): Middlesex 170 and 20-0 v Warwickshire 393
Read
LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
NEW ROAD (second day): Worcestershire 457-8 dec. v Glamorgan 136-4
Read
Ian Bell, the Warwickshire and England batsman, talks to George Dobell, Chief Cricket Writer, about the key aspects of his career
Read
THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Read
The chances of a 35-storey skyscraper being built at the heart of Birmingham’s business district in Colmore Row have taken a knock after the city’s Civic Society announced a change of heart and said it was now opposed to the “over-ambitious” £160 million plan.
Read
Birmingham City Council is over-reliant on expensive consultants and has no idea how many jobs might be lost or created as a result of a “high-risk” business transformation project, according to a damning report.A progress report by the Audit Commission accuses council leadership of a “lack of realism” about the difficulty of achieving more than £650 million in savings over 10 years – largely through better IT and a tie-up with private outsourcing company Capita.While the commission recognises the council made significant early progress on business transformation, the report warns the local authority will be heavily stretched to deliver change once all nine transformation streams are running.It says the council has no firm timetable for reducing the number of consultants on the project – the bill for Service Birmingham, the Capita-led company at the heart of business transformation, has already exceeded £20 million.And the document notes: “Council officers are heavily exceeded by consultants and the scale of business transformation work is increasing. The council risks Service Birmingham costs being higher than they need be unless the proportion of officers with consultancy skills is increased.”The report, written before the departure was announced of Brendan Arnold, the official spearheading the programme, notes: “There is reliance on a very few key officers at corporate level.”It adds: “The council does not have a sufficiently strong strategic management of business transformation. The council puts considerable emphasis on managing business transformation but does not have an overarching plan.”Deputy council leader Paul Tilsley said he was at a loss to explain the criticism, adding an earlier Audit Commission report complimented the council for having the foresight to embark upon business transformation.Coun Tilsley (Lib Dem Sheldon) added: “We take reports like this very seriously and will give the commission’s concerns consideration. It is good organisations like this keep us on our toes.”The Audit Commission questions the success of the Employee Bargain – the name given by the council to a change under which employees will no longer be based in an individual department or unit and could be re-trained and ordered to work anywhere in the council.The report warns: “The council does not have a workforce plan for business transformation. It does not know what posts are likely to be created or withdrawn or what the skills implications will be. Without this knowledge it will be hard to deliver the employee bargain.”On the issue of the number of jobs likely to be lost over the decade, the report states: “Staff turnover numbers have been analysed and suggest natural turnover will help ease problems, however there is no corporate mapping of posts likely to be displaced or created and their respective skills mix.“The council has agreed an employee bargain offering all staff whose posts change or disappear as a result of business transformation the opportunity to receive in house career counselling and be re-trained and re-deployed.“This has been well communicated to staff but they do not yet have faith in it. The council risks not having plans ready to meet the employee bargain, and, not having planned opportunities to retain staff up-skilled through business transformation secondments.”There is also criticism of a lack of communication about the benefits of the changes.“Senior and middle managers support the business transformation plans. However many council staff know very little about business transformation, or what effect it may have. Similarly not all councillors understand how it will benefit constituents,” the report adds. Attention is drawn to a “lack of clarity and communication” about how business transformation programmes will be funded and how financi
Read
Councils may refuse to collect rubbish from households which ignore written instructions on how it should be put out, a minister said.
Read
Form team St Helens cruised to a 15th straight win and a crushing hat-trick of engage Super League derby triumphs against 12-man Wigan with an emphatic 46-12 victory at the JJB Stadium.
Read
Members of the public should be ready to intervene if they see a crime being committed, claims Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
Read
Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, golf's 'Great White Shark' has bared his teeth again. Amazingly, Greg Norman could be Open champion again on Sunday night.
Read
One of the Welsh Assembly's most colourful politicians is out of a job after he walked into a pub with a lit cigar.
Read
The UK's most senior Asian officer has suspended an employment tribunal accusing the Metropolitan Police of racism after the mediation process got "back on track", Scotland Yard said.
Read
The UK's most senior Asian officer has suspended an employment tribunal accusing the Metropolitan Police of racism after the mediation process got "back on track", Scotland Yard said.
Read
Tottenham have lodged an official complaint to the Premier League over the conduct of Manchester United and Liverpool in their pursuit of Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane.
Read
A 62-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the attempted abduction of a 10-year-old girl, police said.
Read
England clawed back three wickets in a controversial final session as they tried to defend an inadequate 203 all out on day one of the second Test against South Africa at Headingley.
Read
Back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin wrote to his wife every day while they were in prison on remand following their £250,000 fraud charges, a court heard.
Read
Friends of a teenager stabbed to death yards from his home in Lambeth, London, said he may have been attacked over a minor insult during a water fight.
Read
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra and Chelsea groundsman Sam Bethell have been charged by the Football Association.
Read
Stoke have signed striker Dave Kitson from Reading for a club record £5.5million.
Read
Chancellor Alistair Darling said the Government's much-vaunted fiscal rules were "under review".
Read
Mark Cavendish continued to enhance his reputation as cycling's new sprint king with a fourth stage win in the 2008 Tour de France.
Read
Stars from the world of entertainment joined more than 1,000 mourners for the funeral of teenager Ben Kinsella.
Read
The Ministry of Defence is facing fresh security questions after admitting that 658 of its laptop computers had been stolen over the past four years - nearly double the figure previously claimed.
Read
Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry is refusing to back down over his transfer demands and re-iterated his desire to join Liverpool during his first meeting with manager Martin O’Neill following his suspension.
Read
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be sold and also confirmed he will be out for three months with an ankle injury.
Read
Lewis Hamilton blitzed Hockenheim to tee himself up for back-to-back grand prix victories.
Read
South Africa completely dominated the second session at Headingley as England were bowled out for 203 on the first day of the second npower Test.
Read
Thousands of rail maintenance workers are to stage another weekend strike, the RMT transport union announced.
Read
The wife of back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin was making a "last-ditch" attempt to escape justice for her part in a £250,000 scam, a court has heard.
Read
West Bromwich Albion have beaten off competition from their Premier League rivals to secure the signing of England goalkeeper Scott Carson.
Read
Hull manager Phil Brown has confirmed the Barclays Premier League newcomers have made a bid for Wigan striker Marlon King.
Read
West Brom have completed the £3.25million signing of England international Scott Carson from Liverpool.
Read
Alistair Darling has insisted "no decision" has been taken on the future of the Government's much-vaunted fiscal rules, despite speculation that they will be loosened to allow more borrowing.
Read
Huddersfield have appointed Australian Nathan Brown as their new head coach.
Read
Blackburn have rejected a bid from Tottenham for England winger David Bentley.
Read
West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green has been told he will not be sold or offered an improved contract.
Read
