Heavy US reliance on private security in Afghanistan has helped to line the pockets of the Taliban because contractors often do not vet local recruits and end up hiring warlords and thugs, Senate investigators said.Read
Chile's mining minister has announced that a shaft wide enough to provide an escape for 33 trapped miners should reach the men by Saturday, and that their rescue could begin anywhere from two to 10 days after that.Read
Achieving the right grades is no longer enough to impress universities, as students also need passion - and good written English, a survey suggests.Read
A three-day "attic sale" of items deemed surplus to requirements at one of the country's most famous stately homes raised almost £6.5 million, auctioneers said.Read
Students at the university attended by the alleged Christmas Day bomber will remain at risk of radicalisation for as long as the institution retains its "educational mission and character", a report has found.Read
Labour leader Ed Miliband is hammering out the details of his top team, with Yvette Cooper installed as red-hot favourite to become shadow chancellor.Read
High level talks on the future structure of the armed forces will continue into next week after a meeting of the National Security Council again failed to reach agreement on spending cuts.Read
The parents of a nurse stabbed to death by her paramedic ex-boyfriend, who was on bail for allegedly raping her, have said the justice system had let them down twice.Read
Battle lines are being drawn between the Government and millions of public sector workers after an official report paved the way for sweeping pensions changes to tackle a massive black hole in the system.Read
The family of a woman who killed herself and her disabled daughter after years of abuse from a teenage gang is suing the police and local authorities.Read
