UK and World News

Pope speaks out on abuse scandal

Pope Benedict is set to outline his plan for dealing with the child abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church in Ireland to its foundations.Read

PM accused over 'vested interests'

David Cameron is set to accuse Gordon Brown of caving in to "vested interests" in a fresh assault on Labour over its close ties with the trade union behind the British Airways strike.Read

Bunnies to repeat hamster's success

Retailers are hoping for a repeat of hit Christmas toy the Go Go Hamster with the release of a "virtual rabbit" companion in time for Easter.Read

Abuse and celibacy 'not linked'

There is no statistical connection between the abuse of minors and a celibate way of life, the leader of Catholics in England and Wales has insisted.Read

Man charged over 'honour' killing

A man has been charged with the murder of a woman whose decomposed body was found in a suitcase.Read

Travel chaos as BA staff walk out

Thousands of air passengers face travel misery after moves to prevent a three-day strike by British Airways cabin crew collapsed.Read

Boy charged over screwdriver death

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a father-of-two who was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver.Read

Parliamentarian may face charges

Another parliamentarian is facing the possibility of prosecution after police handed a file relating to alleged expenses abuse to prosecutors.Read

Pope to address Ireland over abuse

The pope will address Ireland on Saturday in an unprecedented letter apologising for chronic Catholic child abuse.Read

Rail strike talks planned

Talks aimed at averting strikes by railway signal workers are to be held next week, raising hopes that action can be averted.Read

Air passengers face BA strike chaos

Thousands of air passengers face travel misery after moves to prevent a three day strike by British Airways cabin crew collapsed.Read

Paedophile babysitter raped girl, 5

A paedophile was able to rape a five-year-old girl he was babysitting because agencies failed to tell her mother he was a convicted sex offender.Read

Ex-soldier's parents plea for help

The parents of a former soldier facing the death penalty in Iraq over the killing of two colleagues pleaded with the British Government to help save his life.Read

Last-ditch strike talks collapse

Talks aimed at averting strikes by British Airways cabin crew have collapsed and the action will go ahead from midnight.Read

Man jailed for 'weapon dog' murder

The first killer to be convicted using pioneering dog DNA technology has been given a life sentence for the "vicious" murder of a teenage boy.Read

Lib Dem MPs ordered to repay money

Four Liberal Democrat MPs have been ordered to apologise to the House of Commons and repay money after an inquiry into cash they received from the landlord of taxpayer-funded second homes in Westminster.Read

Rail signal workers vote to strike

Railway signal workers have voted to go on strike in a bitter row over jobs, threatening disruption to rail travel in the coming weeks, including Easter.Read

No action against son over suicide

The son of conductor Sir Edward Downes will not be charged with assisting his suicide, the Director of Public Prosecutions said.Read

Posthumous medal for Army bomb hero

A bomb disposal hero who defused 13 Taliban improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by hand in 36 hours of continuous activity has been awarded a posthumous George Medal.Read