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Flame lights up countdown to Games

The Olympic Flame has arrived in the UK ahead of a 70-day tour of the country.

£630m for Facebook's Zuckerberg

Facebook co-creator Mark Zuckerberg has pocketed more than a billion US dollars after one of the biggest US stock market flotations.

Cameron in tax warning to Hollande

David Cameron has issued a blunt warning to French President Francois Hollande that Britain would not accept a Europe-wide financial transaction tax, insisting it was not "a sensible measure".

Merkel 'suggested Greece euro vote'

Germany's chancellor has apparently waded into Greece's choppy political waters, with Athens saying Angela Merkel suggested that the country should hold a referendum on the euro together with next month's national elections.

Controversy over royal event guests

The Royal Family have hosted heads of state from around the world amidst controversy over their choice of guests.

Body found in search for fishermen

A body believed to be that of one of three fishermen missing since Thursday morning has been recovered from the sea, police said.

Warsi condemns sex scandal Muslims

Muslim cabinet minister Baroness Warsi has hit out at the "small minority" of Pakistani men who see white girls as "fair game".

Two bailed over attack on pensioner

Two people arrested in connection with an attack on a 93-year-old pensioner who was severely beaten in her own home have been released on bail.

Five charged with terror offences

Five men have been charged with serious dissident republican offences in Northern Ireland following an intelligence operation by the police and MI5.

Abu Qatada given bail hearing date

Jordanian terror suspect Abu Qatada could be freed on bail by the end of the month.

Hunt adviser to appear at inquiry

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt's former special adviser Adam Smith will give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry next week.

Barry George in compensation case

Barry George, who spent eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando, is to fight a test case for compensation.

PM: Hacking clues must be followed

Police investigating the phone-hacking scandal must act on the evidence "wherever it leads", David Cameron has insisted in the wake of charges against former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks.

Facebook flotation: Mark Zuckerberg becomes 29th richest person on the planet

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg today entered the world’s exclusive super rich league becoming the 29th wealthiest person on Earth.

Victim's relatives angry over 9/11 museum construction delay

Relatives of 9/11 victims expressed dismay today over new delays to a museum due to be built alongside the Ground Zero memorial.

Boss jailed over £2bn China crime racket

A crime boss who was once China’s most-wanted fugitive was jailed for life today over a $3.3 billion (£2.1 billion) smuggling and bribery racket.

London bank worker Sophia Brown who went on Big Brother three years ago dies aged just 30

A former Big Brother contestant from London is reported to have died aged 30.

Gallery: Kim Kardashian pops into Debenhams to meet fans for launch of new perfume

Hundreds of Kim Kardashian fans queued at on Oxford Street today for the launch of her new fragrance.

Christian youths in the Philippines try to stop Lady Gaga concert

Christian youths in the Philippines chanted “Stop the Lady Gaga concerts” at a rally calling for the singer’s shows in Manila next week to be cancelled.

PM defends free parenting classes

Free parenting classes are not a "nanny state" policy, David Cameron insisted as he unveiled a number of initiatives aimed at helping families.

Success in the city is leading top women to drink too much

High-flying women drink far more than those in more routine jobs, official figures reveal today.

Six charged over trafficking woman

Six people, including a butcher and an optician, have been charged in connection with trafficking an Indian woman, Scotland Yard said.

Dewani co-accused to deny guilt

Two of the men accused of killing honeymoon bride Anni Dewani intend pleading not guilty when their trial starts in July in the Western Cape High Court.

Ryan Giggs settles his phone hacking claim

Footballer Ryan Giggs has settled his phone-hacking damages claim against News Group Newspapers for an undisclosed sum.

Radical cleric Abu Qatada could be freed on bail this month

Jordanian terror suspect Abu Qatada could be freed on bail by the end of the month.

Trayvon Martin shot in heart at point-blank range

Trayvon Martin, the teenager whose killing divided America, was shot in the heart at point-blank range.

Chelsea fans face booze bans as 30,000 head to Champions League final

Chelsea fans are facing a drink ban in Munich for tomorrow night’s Champions League final.

Lynne Featherstone... or is it Honeycomb? Ben and Jerry's names tub in minister's honour

It’s an accolade that could go to a minister’s hips, if not her head.

Success in the city is leading top women to drink too much

High-flying women drink far more than those in more routine jobs, official figures reveal today.

‘Tyrant’ defies protest to lunch with the Queen

The king of Bahrain was today defying protests about his regime’s brutality and having lunch with the Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Hayley is a beach belle at Cannes

Lucky Hayley Atwell to be on the beach. The Captain America actress, attending the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival, has had another career boost. She’s just been cast as the lead actress in a new film 10 Things I Hate About Life, directed by Gil Junger, a sequel to his 1999 adaptation of The...

Big Soho players lose after police's hard work pays off

When detectives opened her diamante-studded white shoulder bag and found it stuffed with more than £1,000, the suspect — code-named Breaststroke — claimed she’d been lucky at the casino.

Police blitz 16 cocaine and heroin dealers in Soho after undercover operation

Undercover police have swooped on Soho’s most wanted drug dealers in a pre-Olympics blitz on the street trade in heroin and crack cocaine.

Children's memorial plaque stolen

A memorial to two children killed in an IRA bomb has been stolen from a town centre by suspected metal thieves.

Shares keep tumbling as Eurozone panic grows

London shares kept tumbling today as investor panic over the Eurozone grew and the German finance minister warned that the turmoil could continue for two years.

Barry George, wrongly convicted of Jill Dando murder, in fight for compensation

The man, who spent eight years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the murder of the TV presenter Jill Dando, is to fight a test case for compensation.

'Not from the same species': North London park stalker Ali Koc was raging after having benefit cut off

A double killer was jailed for a minimum of 35 years today for a month-long orgy of random violence just weeks after having his benefits stopped.

Full interview with Baroness Warsi: Father asked me 'why be a leader if you don't take the lead?'

Baroness Warsi may be a Cabinet minister with all the finely-honed minds of the civil service to call upon, but sometimes the adviser she trusts most is simply her dad.

Faulks brothers resume rivalry at the wicket

Sebastian Faulks is swapping pen for bat for a cricket match against his elder brother Lord Faulks. The two men are meeting in a game on Sunday week. Faulks the author is playing for the Authors Cricket Club, a revival of the Edwardian side which featured names such as PG Wodehouse and Arthur...

Baroness Warsi: Some Pakistani men think young white girls are "fair game" for sex abuse

Some Pakistani men believe “white girls are fair game” for sexual abuse, the Cabinet Minister and Tory co-chairman Baroness Warsi says today.

London 2012 Olympics: Games will inspire generations to enjoy sports, says David Beckham

David Beckham predicted that the Olympics would “inspire generations” as the torch made its way to Britain today.

'Britain's rudest shop' to change to a Wetherspoons, after 170 years

A Hampshire store described as "Britain's rudest shop" is to shut after 170 years of trading.

Greece's credit rating downgraded

An influential financial ratings agency has downgraded debt-crippled Greece deeper into junk territory.

Alternative to Heathrow airport is vital for London, insists Lord Foster

Lord Foster said today that an airport in the Thames Estuary would connect London to growing economies and create thousands of acres of wildlife habitat.

David Cameron told: Put people first and build the estuary airport

Residents of west London today urged the Government to “put people first” as they backed plans to build a new airport in the Thames Estuary to solve Britain’s aviation crisis.

David Attenborough: The BBC has lost confidence in programming - and women are key to the planet's future

For his latest film, Sir David Attenborough has returned home. The Kingdom of Plants, for Sky 3D, finds the 86-year-old naturalist ranging around Kew Gardens, amid orchids and water lilies, as their fecundity explodes from the screen.

VIDEO: Tambourine man Prince Harry is crowning glory on Queen’s record by Take That star Gary Barlow

The Queen was “tapping along” when Take That’s Gary Barlow played her the song he wrote to mark her Diamond Jubilee, he revealed today.

Gallery: Fashion's wild child Jim Lee swings back into town

Images from London’s “original wild child of fashion photography” have gone on show in the capital.

Facebook IPO: London employees reap rewards of shares debut

Although its headquarters are based in California, Facebook employs 100 staff at its Soho office and is soon to move to a new base with room for up to 250.

Can you tell what it is yet? New Hayward show reveals... not very much

This new conceptual art exhibition will provide a field day for critics who label it pretentious.

"Prince of Darkness" Lord Mandleson to appear before the Leveson Inquiry next week

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt's former special adviser Adam Smith will give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry next week, it was announced today.

I’m having so much fun — I’ll be back, says Danny DeVito

It's been 40 years since Danny DeVito was last on stage, in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and he has never played the West End before.

Kate Moss snubbed... supermodel missing from Croydon Walk of Fame

Kate Moss may be a catwalk veteran, but she won't be doing a turn on the Walk of Fame that is being unveiled in her home town.

City Hall gives £30,000 golden goodbye to Tory Brian Coleman after he lost London Assembly vote

Conservative councillor Brian Coleman is to collect about £30,000 in golden goodbye payments after being voted out of City Hall.

The show will go on, says actress facing battle with breast cancer

An actress diagnosed with breast cancer days before she was due to open a new play today vowed that the show will go on.

Police crack down on beggars in West End

More than 30 arrests have been made in a crackdown against East European beggars amid fears they are targeting tourists and using children to help them make money.

Boris Johnson's wife: Courts may not stop short-term peace campers in Parliament Square

London Mayor Boris Johnson’s barrister wife today intervened in the row over protests in Parliament Square by suggesting that overnight camping may not be stopped by the courts.

Islington council rejects plaque for knife victim

Relatives of a young man who lost his life in a knife attack have been banned from placing a memorial at the spot where he was killed.

3,500 tonnes of sand for BMX track at Alexandra Palace

The grounds of Alexandra Palace have been transformed into a challenging BMX track after 3,500 tonnes of sand were brought in.

New blow for Walthamstow Stadium campaign

Campaigners battling to save Walthamstow Stadium have suffered a further blow after plans to turn the venue’s car park into a bus depot were approved.

Prince features on Jubilee single

Prince Harry has made his recording debut after being recruited by Gary Barlow to play on his Jubilee single.

Facebook IPO: Get ready for a lot more advertising coming your way

Facebook’s debut on the stockmarket will result in more targeted advertising for its 30 million UK users, it was predicted today.

Defiant Gavin allows visitors to climb up his Chelsea tower

Diarmuid Gavin will defy the gardening establishment and let visitors ascend the summit of his 80ft tower at next week’s Chelsea Flower Show.

It’s a record harvest for Chelsea Flower Show touts

A gold medal winner today warned that ticket touting for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show was at record levels.

FTSE slides as the financial storm across Europe gets worse

The FTSE 100 Index lost nearly 1 per cent today as the financial storm across Europe gained pace.

‘He said he had a child on way, but killers shot him’ says partner of murdered Devon Scarlett

A young mother today condemned the “petty” murder of her partner by a stranger after a row at a fast food restaurant.

‘Helping others has got me through the grief of losing my boy in crash’

The mother of a toddler killed in a car accident that claimed the lives of seven others has launched a charity to mark the anniversary of her son’s death.

Parking tickets soar as Camden council removes a mile of yellow lines and replaces them with signs

Hundreds of drivers are being caught by “a naked street parking con” after nearly a mile of double yellow lines were removed in central London.

North London optician and butcher accused of trafficking woman

Six people have been charged with crimes including raping, assaulting and threatening to kill an Indian woman allegedly trafficked into Britain.

Household energy costs 'soaring'

The cost of household energy has risen more than five times faster than household income since 2004, according to a study.

Euro crisis: Spanish shares fall as Santander is downgraded

Spanish stocks have dropped sharply after ratings agency Moody's downgraded its credit score of 16 Spanish banks in the latest blow to the troubled financial sector.

David Cameron's new 'vouchers for parents' scheme to go on trial in Camden

Camden is one of the first places in the country to offer cash vouchers to parents as part of a new scheme to train people to bring up their children properly.

Facebook IPO: Site set to be bigger than McDonald's after stock sale

Facebook is set to be bigger than households names Amazon Kraft, Walt Disney and McDonald's after today’s flotation.

Facebook IPO: Why thousands of small investors are set to lose out

Loyal Facebook fans and occasional investors are discovering a hard truth this week: Money and connections talk, especially when it comes to a hot deal handled by Wall Street.   

Euston... we have a problem! Business leaders want Britain to have its own spaceport

Britain should have its own spaceport where satellites and daring travellers could be blasted into orbit, say business leaders.

New website lets you request refunds on your Oyster card

Millions of Tube passengers who are overpaying on Oyster pay-as-you-go cards will now be able to track their payments online and request refunds if there has been an error.

Increasing motorway speed limit to 80mph 'is dangerous, costly and damaging'

Raising the motorway speed limit from 70mph to 80mph will cost society an extra £1 billion a year, campaign groups said today.

Met police to take mobile phone data from crime suspects

Mobile phone data from crime suspects will be extracted at police stations and retained under a new system introduced by the Met.

Man, 52, charged over explosives

A 52-year-old man has been charged with explosives offences.

Two held over attack on pensioner

A man and woman arrested in connection with an attack on a 93-year-old pensioner who was severely beaten in her own home remained in police custody.

80mph limit 'will cost £1bn a year'

Raising the motorway speed limit to 80mph will cost society an extra £1 billion a year, campaign groups have warned.

Britain 'should have own spaceport'

Britain should have its own spaceport where satellites and intrepid travellers could be blasted into orbit, according to business leaders.

PM issues warning on euro stability

David Cameron has warned fellow European leaders of the need for the eurozone to take "decisive action" to ensure stability in a high-level conference call to discuss the Greek crisis.

Spring weather baffles butterflies

The spring weather has baffled Britain's butterflies, with some emerging unusually early due to the warm March and others hit by the April deluge, conservationists said.

Singer Donna Summer dies, aged 63

Tributes have been paid to disco star Donna Summer, who has died aged 63.

Hallam murder conviction quashed

A man's 2005 murder conviction has been quashed after the discovery of photographic evidence on his mobile phone which could have helped his defence case.

Vauxhall deal secures future jobs

The future of a car factory has been secured for years after workers agreed to a "ground-breaking" pay and conditions deal clearing the way for investment worth £125 million.

Peter Hain contempt case shelved

A court case which saw the Northern Ireland judiciary pitted against Westminster MPs has been shelved with both sides claiming moral victory.

Ahmadinejad 'blocked from Olympics'

Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims he has been blocked by the UK authorities from attending the Olympic Games in London.

Bank shareholders voice frustration

Taxpayer-backed Lloyds Banking Group has faced frustrated calls from shareholders wanting to know when the lender expects to rebuild its battered share price.

Cameron 'told how to treat Murdoch'

News International executives briefed David Cameron on "what to say and how to say it" before he met Rupert Murdoch but he "refused to play ball", the Leveson Inquiry has been told.

GP denies claims over TB death girl

A doctor has denied recommending a spiritual healer to a 15-year-old schoolgirl in the weeks before she died from tuberculosis.

Media wins video footage battle

Media organisations have won their High Court battle against orders forcing them to give police film footage of the high-profile evictions of residents from the Dale Farm travellers' site.

Adele wins the double at the Ivor Novello awards

Adele celebrated a double victory at the Ivor Novello Awards this afternoon – but missed out on the event’s most prestigious honours.

London 2012 Olympics: Now your post may be held up a day says Royal Mail

Postal deliveries will be affected by the extra congestion generated by the Olympic Games, with some mail held in the system for an extra day, the Royal Mail said today.

Here's where to see the ‘world’s biggest outdoor party’: Details of Jubilee pageant revealed

Londoners were told today to expect the “world’s biggest outdoor party” as final details of the Thames Diamond Jubilee pageant were revealed.

Judge halts genocide trial of Ratko Mladic after prosecution errors

The genocide trial of alleged war criminal Ratko Mladic was halted today after the presiding judge declared that there  were “significant disclosure errors” by prosecutors

Modernisers win battle for 1922 group as chairman calls for unity

Warring Tories were today urged to “pull together” following a bitter battle for control of the party’s backbench 1922 committee.

Tate hits £45m target to pay for Millbank refurbishment

The Tate has defied the recession by raising £45 million to transform its Millbank site for the 21st century.

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