Business and conservation groups should be able to "unite behind" revised planning rules for England, says Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

The world's largest research databank for cleft lip and palate is being set up in the UK.

A committee of peers concludes there is a need for a more diverse judiciary in England and Wales to improve public trust in the justice system.

Schools in England should be fined if pupils leave school with poor literacy skills, an independent report into last year's riots says.

Teachers and lecturers in London are staging a one-day strike in a dispute over pensions.

A Supreme Court ruling could allow thousands of insurance claims by families of people who died after exposure to asbestos.

The Green Party London mayoral hopeful asks supporters to vote for her Labour rival Ken Livingstone as their second choice.

Western powers react with scepticism to Syria's acceptance of UN envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan, as the UN says more than 9,000 have died in unrest.