New figures to reveal jobless total

The latest unemployment figures are being published amid uncertainty over how quickly the UK job market can recover from the recession.Read

Balls pledges £23m for social work

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has pledged an extra £23 million for frontline social work as a key Government adviser raised concerns that a shortage of funding could be putting children at risk.Read

Call to axe thousands of NHS beds

The NHS should cut more than 30,000 hospital beds to save cash and improve patient care, a think-tank has said.Read

Brown hits back at debt criticism

Gordon Brown faces fresh pressure over his handling of the economy as a report from the EU Commission warns that the UK is not doing enough to tackle its spiralling deficit.Read

Family wait for freed boy's return

The family of the five-year-old boy freed by kidnappers in Pakistan are waiting for news of his return to the UK.Read

Civil servants' Budget day strike

Hundreds of thousands of civil servants are to stage their first national strike on Budget day in an escalation of a bitter dispute over cuts in redundancy pay.Read

Talent shows miss out at TV awards

The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent have been snubbed at the Royal Television Society Awards.Read

£1.85bn owed by benefits claimants

Benefit claimants owe an "immense" £1.85 billion in overpaid money but the Department for Work and Pensions is recovering less than £300 million a year, according to a parliamentary report.Read

Ads overstate climate change risk

Two Government adverts which used nursery rhymes to raise awareness of climate change have been banned for overstating the risks, a watchdog has announced.Read

US union backs striking BA workers

The war of words over the planned stoppage by British Airways cabin crew has crossed the Atlantic as it emerged a major US union has pledged to support the strikers.Read

Beckham 'positive' after surgery

David Beckham has said he is "feeling positive" after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon.Read

Brown rejects EU criticism

Gordon Brown has rejected criticism from the EU Commission that the UK is not doing enough to tackle its spiralling deficit.Read

Date set for Pope's visit to UK

The Pope is to meet the Queen and take part in an ecumenical service at Westminster Abbey as part of the first official Papal visit to Britain, it has been confirmed.Read

Battle continues over BA strike

The first effects of the planned strike by British Airways cabin crew emerged as time was running out to avert the action.Read

Boss: Rather hire cons than heroes

A company boss has provoked outrage after refusing a request to employ former troops, saying that he would rather recruit paedophiles.Read

Killer stalker jailed for life

A stalker who carried out a "frenzied" knife attack on his ex-girlfriend after a campaign of harassment has been jailed for life.Read

Boy, 12, one of youngest prisoners

A 12-year-old boy who has committed more than 30 crimes has become one of the UK's youngest prisoners when he was given a 10-month custodial term.Read

Home repossessions rise by 15%

The number of people who lost their homes leapt by 15% during 2009, new figures have shown.Read

MP Kumar died from natural causes

Labour MP Ashok Kumar, who was found dead in his home, died from natural causes, police have said.Read

Kraft sorry over UK factory u-turn

US food giant Kraft has issued a public apology for raising hopes that a doomed Cadbury factory could be saved and issued a two-year guarantee on jobs after facing a furious attack over its controversial takeover of the chocolate-maker.Read

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