Royal Mail workers have voted in favour of boycotting competitors' mail and have massively rejected the Government's controversial plan to privatise the company. More »RM staff back rivals' mail boycott
Britain is in a "very parlous state" morally because of a lack of vision about what kind of society we want, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. More »UK 'morally in very parlous state'
The Duchess of Cambridge will give birth at the same hospital wing where Diana, Princess of Wales, had Princes William and Harry. More »Kate To Give Birth At Same Hospital As Diana
By Clare Hutchison LONDON (Reuters) - Western government sanctions against Iran suffered a big setback on Wednesday when Britain's top court ruled that the government was wrong to have imposed sanctions on the biggest Iranian private bank over alleged links to Tehran's nuclear programme. The Bank Mellat case and more than 50 like it pending at the European Union's two highest courts have clouded the future of EU sanctions and alarmed Washington, which relies on European support to throttle Iran's links to the global economy in hopes of getting it to curb its disputed pursuit of nuclear power. ... More »British Supreme Court ruling threatens Western sanctions against Iran
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the covering-up of failures by an NHS watchdog to properly investigate baby deaths should never have happened. More »Baby Deaths 'Cover-Up': Health Sec Apologies
Jockey James Doyle had not ridden a winner at Royal Ascot until Wednesday but the 25-year-old Englishman made up for it in style with a superb treble in front of an admiring Queen Elizabeth II to boot. More »Doyle produces royal display at Ascot
LONDON (Reuters) - British electricity prices may be almost double those in Germany within three years due largely to the impact of a new tax aimed at supporting renewable power generation, a report by bank Credit Suisse showed on Wednesday. Rises in retail prices have become a popular bugbear in Britain at a time when wages are falling in real terms. The bank's analysis showed wholesale prices, which form the backbone of energy bills, would top those in Germany by 85 percent in 2016-17 and would be higher in general for the next 7-10 years. ... More »Britain to pay more for power than Germany for a decade - Credit Suisse
Families of British soldiers killed fighting in Iraq have won the right to bring damages claims against the Government. More »Families Can Sue Govt Over Iraq Troop Deaths
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's financial regulator will on Thursday say capital holes at Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays account for more than 90 percent of a 25 billion-pound ($39 billion) shortfall, the Financial Times said. The shortfall was based on estimates at the end of 2012, and the Bank of England said in March about half the total amount it identified was already covered by projected capital accumulation plans. Analysts say no banks are expected to need to issue new equity. ... More »RBS, Lloyds, Barclays account for most of UK capital gap - FT
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Nigel Evans has been arrested on suspicion of three more counts of indecent assault. More »Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans Faces More Claims
A teacher accused of abducting a schoolgirl and taking her to France only accompanied her abroad because he feared she may kill herself, a court has heard. More »Jeremy Forrest 'Feared Schoolgirl Was Suicidal'
A trader has been fined for trying to sell a rabbit at a market, despite its overgrown teeth. More »Trader fined over rabbit's teeth
By Neil Maidment LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Mail workers backed union opposition to plans to privatise the state-owned postal group on Wednesday, a stark reminder for potential investors that there will be no warm welcome if and when the company changes hands. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) sent consultative ballot papers to 112,000 Royal Mail postal workers. It said, from a 74 percent turnout, 96 percent opposed government plans to sell the firm this financial year in Britain's most significant privatisation in decades. ... More »Workers at Royal Mail vote against sell-off
Police have been asked to launch an investigation into the allegations of a cover-up at the health regulator, it has emerged. More »Police urged to probe 'cover-up'
Mothers in the UK have been reassured over claims that a chemical in plastic water bottles may be linked to cancer. More »'No cancer risk in plastic bottles'
Relatives of British soldiers killed while fighting in Iraq can sue the government for negligence and claim damages under human rights law, the Supreme Court in London ruled on Wednesday. More »Relatives can sue over UK troops' Iraq deaths
By Sarah Young LONDON (Reuters) - BT Chief Executive Ian Livingston said on Wednesday he was stepping down to take up a government job promoting British business, knocking shares in a telecom company he has helped reposition on the path to growth. Livingston, in charge since 2008, has taken BT to the verge of a return to overall revenue growth after the former state monopoly was brought low by a series of profit warnings five years ago. ... More »BT CEO Livingston steps down to join government
Hosts England cruised into the Champions Trophy final with a seven-wicket win on Wednesday after South Africa once again underlined their reputation as cricket's 'chokers'. More »England thrash South Africa to reach final
YouTube footage has emerged of Rihanna apparently hitting a fan with her microphone after her arm was grabbed during a concert. More »Rihanna Hits Fan With Microphone At Concert
LONDON (Reuters) - The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, will give birth to the future heir to the British throne in the same hospital where the late Princess Diana gave birth to Princes William and Harry, royal sources said on Wednesday. The new royal baby, who will become third in line to the throne behind grandfather Prince Charles and father Prince William, will be born in the private Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, West London. The sources said the royal couple have still not been told the sex of the baby which is due next month as they want it to be a surprise. ... More »Kate Middleton to give birth in same hospital as Princess Diana
London equities ended lower on Wednesday, with traders on tenterhooks before the outcome of the US Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy gathering, analysts said. More »FTSE ends lower before Fed decision
Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group announced Wednesday it will invest nearly $1.6 billion to acquire British yacht maker Sunseeker and build London's tallest residential towers. More »China firm forays into British yacht, hotel markets
The aunt of a four-year-old boy who died after allegedly being starved over several months has told a court that she thought he had "worms". More »Pelka Case: Boy 'Looked Like He Had Worms'
Alan Farthing, who has been a doctor for 26 years, is the Queen's gynaecologist and works at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in Hammersmith, west London, and St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west London. More »Former fiance of murdered TV presenter Jill Dando overseeing Duchess's pregnancy
The Duchess of Cambridge is planning a natural birth for her baby but does not know if it will be a girl or a boy, sources have said. More »Royal baby: Duchess of Cambridge to have natural birth at same hospital as Diana