BP's internal investigation into the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico finds that "a series of failures" was to blame.

Wall Street banking giant Goldman Sachs is fined £20m by the UK's financial watchdog, the BBC learns.

High doses of B vitamins may slow the rate of brain shrinkage in older people experiencing warning signs of Alzheimer's disease, a new study says.

Fabio Capello is looking forward to his retirement as the Italian confirms he will stand down as England coach after Euro 2012.

David Cameron's father Ian dies in hospital in France shortly after the Prime Minister joined other members of his family at his bedside.

A US pastor says he is not "backing down" from plans to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of 9/11, despite international condemnation.

President Obama urges Congress to approve billions in tax breaks and spending to boost the US economy ahead of November's elections.

Taliban leader Mullah Omar says his fighters are on the verge of victory in Afghanistan and the Nato-led campaign has been "a complete failure".

The number of cash machines in the UK has fallen and withdrawals have dropped as shoppers turn to cards, figures show.

A medical charity says it has documented for the first time the effects of immigration detention on children facing removal from the UK.

Google speeds up its internet search engine by launching a new product, Google Instant, that displays results as soon as users type in queries.

Former newspaper editor and Britain's Got Talent judge Piers will replace US TV presenter Larry King on the US network CNN, it is announced.

Rugby player Gavin Henson, magician Paul Daniels and former Destiny's Child star Michelle Williams are among the line-up for this year's Strictly Come Dancing.

Former Liverpool and Lyon boss Gerard Houllier is named the new manager of Aston Villa.

John Higgins is cleared of all match-fixing allegations but admits bringing snooker into disrepute, resulting in a £75,000 fine and a ban until November.

Ferrari have avoided further punishment for using banned team orders, a Formula 1 disciplinary hearing in Paris has ruled.

Caroline Wozniacki, Dominika Cibulkova, Robin Soderling and Roger Federer are going for semi-final spots at the US Open, following wins by Vera Zvonareva and Novak Djokovic.

England batsman Kevin Pietersen hopes to play for South African franchise Kwa-Zulu Natal in two matches as a warm-up for this winter's Ashes.

A business jet and a passenger plane carrying 232 people came close to a mid-air collision over London in July, a report reveals.

Police use the anniversary of the killing of Manchester schoolboy Jessie James to once again appeal for help to catch his killer.

The Scottish government unveils plans to scrap the "double jeopardy" rule under its new programme for government.

A woman who was thought to be the oldest person in Britain has died at the age of 111.

The priest suspected of being involved in the 1972 Claudy bombing met Martin McGuinness shortly before he died, the deputy first minister confirms.

Sinn Fein says cuts "proposed or imposed by the British goverment must be challenged and resisted", following Peter Robinson's call for savings.

A 29-year-old soldier on foot patrol in Afghanistan was killed by a sophisticated explosive device which was hard to detect, an inquest hears.

Metal plant owners Anglesey Aluminium confirm production will not restart at their Holyhead factory which was mothballed 12 months ago.

The UN's secretary general urges Rwanda not to withdraw its peacekeepers from Sudan over a leaked report saying its troops may have committed genocide.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed new military and police chiefs ahead of planned January presidential election.

The first witness in the trial of a powerful clan accused of the Philippines' worst political massacre says the family plotted the killings over dinner.

At least 30 workers are rescued and at least two are missing after a storm causes an oil rig off China's north-east coast to list dangerously.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel defends the Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, whose drawings of the Prophet Muhammad caused outrage in 2006.

The Irish government says it will break up the nationalised Anglo Irish Bank as part of the failed lender's resolution.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Mexican drug violence is looking increasingly like an insurgency, a comment strongly rejected by Mexico.

Men armed with automatic weapons burst into a shoe factory in northern Honduras, killing 18 people in a suspected gang attack.

Gunmen in Iraq have killed an Iraqi TV journalist - the second in as many days - while four other people were killed in two attacks in the capital Baghdad.

Cuba's Fidel Castro criticises Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for what he called his anti-Semitic attitudes.

An Indian court tells Vodafone it has to pay $2.6bn in tax for its takeover of Hutchison Telecom's Indian phone assets.

A man appears in court in Mumbai in connection with a bomb blast at a German bakery in the Indian city of Pune six months ago.

Australia and New Zealand top the table in the largest ever study into global charitable behaviour, but some poor countries also scoring high.

The imam of an Islamic centre planned near New York's Ground Zero vows to name its financial backers amid accusations it is funded by extremists.

Property giant Connaught formally enters administration, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

US economic growth showed "widespread signs of deceleration" in August, says the Federal Reserve's Beige Book.

The country "cannot afford" to write off underpayments of income tax caused by problems with the calculation system, a minister says.

MPs are to examine how the coalition was formed after the election and issues arising from the negotiations between the two parties.

Closing dozens of small embassies to save money would be a "false economy" as they do not cost much, says William Hague.

Labour MPs have rejected a move to allow the new party leader to choose who serves in the shadow cabinet.

There are now 12 cases linked to a Legionnaires' outbreak, as health officials focus on south Wales industrial sites in the search for the cause.

Millions of pounds are lost in England by the failure of the NHS to provide more obesity operations, a study says.

The injury into contaminated NHS blood products in the 1980s will hear from the victims who contracted HIV and Hepatitis.

Vice-chancellors warn that the traditional university experience could become the preserve of an elite.

A school where a boy was attacked with a hammer failed to recognise a series of racist incidents prior to the assault, a serious case review finds.

Cambridge University has come top of an international university rankings table, knocking Harvard of the top spot for the first time since 2004.

A survey shows a majority of web users have suffered cybercrime, but many respondents were themselves less than honest.

Premises across Europe, including a Swedish university, have been raided by police in a piracy crackdown

The UK's Information Commissioner has reprimanded ISP TalkTalk over recent unpublicised trials of its anti-malware system.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has unveiled plans for a squeeze on public funding for scientific research.

Palaeontologists uncover a new dinosaur with what may be the earliest evidence of feathers.

Scientists carry out the first rigorous analysis of dance moves that make men attractive to women.

No decisions have been taken about possible funding cuts to the BBC World Service, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt says.

The xx express surprise at their Mercury Prize win and singer-songwiter Conor J O'Brien gives the stand-out performance of the ceremony.

Horror movie The Last Exorcism debuts at the top of the UK and Ireland box office, taking £1.1m in its opening weekend.

Street cocaine has long been diluted, but now the cutting agents themselves have spawned a black market.

US drama Mad Men has won praise for its recreation of the 1960s, but it's not a classic depiction of the decade.

Our ability to recall events seems to sharpen as we get older, says Lisa Jardine, but can it be trusted to paint an accurate picture?

Standing in for David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has insisted it is for the police to decide how to proceed over the News of the World phone hacking row.

Scientists say they have carried out the first rigorous analysis of dance moves that make men attractive to women.

A scale model of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and how it is being repaired

As preparations are made for the eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing, Radio 1 Newsbeat's Natalie Jamieson has a look behind the scenes.

The Pope has said he is "very much looking forward" to his visit to the UK next week, and thanked all those involved in advance for their efforts.

Angelina Jolie has visited Nowshera in north-west Pakistan to highlight the plight of more than 20 million people affected by the country's worst ever floods.

The miners trapped underground in Chile were able to watch a football match after rescue workers provided a mini TV screen.

A small US church says it will defy international condemnation and go ahead with plans to burn copies of the Koran on the 9/11 anniversary.

Rescue workers from seven countries gather for a two-day disaster exercise in Portsmouth to test how they would react to an earthquake.

The UK visits of Benedict XVI and John Paul II compared

Did the Blitz really make British people tougher?

Why people who say 'I don't know' are smarter than we think

Is it bad taste to have a 'shortest man' record?

The US church threatening to burn Korans on 9/11

The experimental class where hands-up are banned

How John le Carre's old foe is back on British soil

Wall Street banking giant Goldman Sachs is fined £20m by the UK's financial watchdog, the BBC learns.

Property giant Connaught formally enters administration, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

The number of cash machines in the UK has fallen and withdrawals have dropped as shoppers turn to cards, figures show.

US economic growth showed "widespread signs of deceleration" in August, says the Federal Reserve's Beige Book.

A BP report says "a series of failures" by BP and its contractors were to blame for the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The country "cannot afford" to write off underpayments of income tax caused by problems with the calculation system, a minister says.

Business Secretary Vince Cable expresses "worry" about the combination of High Street banks with investment banking, after Bob Diamond is named as Barclays' new boss.

The Irish government says it will break up the nationalised Anglo Irish Bank as part of the failed lender's resolution.

Google speeds up its internet search engine by launching a new product, Google Instant, that displays results as soon as users type in queries.

UK manufacturing output rises 0.3% in July from the month earlier, thanks to increased output in the machinery sector.

Canada now has interest rates of 1%, after raising its key lending benchmark for the third time this year.

The debt-laden Greek economy shrank by a surprise 1.8% in the second quarter as households slashed spending.

UK house prices have stabilised, according to the latest survey from the Halifax.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has unveiled plans for a squeeze on public funding for scientific research.

An Indian court tells Vodafone it has to pay $2.6bn in tax for its takeover of Hutchison Telecom's Indian phone assets.

Union leaders publicly endorse Royal Mail management plans to phase out bikes for postal deliveries.

German gambling restrictions breach European Union law, the EU's highest court rules

Phone card firm Lycatel agrees to make its charges much clearer in its adverts for international phone cards

Union leaders claim some workplace accidents go unreported with 1.2 million people suffering from work-related illnesses.

UK tax authorities are bracing themselves for a deluge of complaints and enquiries after sending out fresh tax calculations.

Job appointments grew at their slowest rate in 10 months in August, raising questions about the strength of the UK job market, a survey suggests.

The Japanese finance minister says there could be market intervention as the yen hits a new 15-year high.

A massive expansion is to take place at Europe's largest onshore wind farm in East Renfrewshire.

Dana Petroleum tells shareholders independent valuers found Korean oil's bid is too low and should be rejected.

Boeing announces cuts at its military aircraft division in readiness for future reductions in US government defence spending.

Online grocery retailer Ocado sees sales rose nearly 30% in the last quarter, but fails to prevent further share price falls.

Four Nigerian former football officials are arrested amid accusations that some $8m (£5m) went missing during the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Triple Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Stephanie Rice loses a sponsorship deal with Jaguar after making a homophobic remark on Twitter.

Sheffield Wednesday are saved from administration after reaching an agreement with their bank over an unpaid tax bill, BBC Radio Sheffield understands.

Maurice Saatchi: "We had a romantic belief that it was possible for individuals to change the world by an act of will - a flat refusal to accept the status quo."

The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, has expressed concern about the appointment of the investment banker, Bob Diamond, as the new chief executive of Barclays.

The search giant launches a system with web links appearing as soon as characters are typed into the query box.

The Irish government has said it will break up the nationalised Anglo Irish Bank.

The National Basketball Association wants to expand the game and are looking at emerging markets such as India and China to push their products.

President Barack Obama is backing new company tax breaks in an attempt to regain the initiative as mid-term polls loom

Pete Key and Marc Woodcock work for Connaught on a Hull City Council contract, carrying out conversions for tenants with disabilities.

Business Secretary Vince Cable says "the bar will have to be raised" on science funding

Russia is home to the wealthiest expats

Finding investors to delve beneath the ocean waves

Could this rock be a new major energy source?

Can trade with China help the UK economy?

Regional Development Agency on its way out

What should you do if the tax blunder affects you?

Google speeds up its internet search engine by launching a new product, Google Instant, that displays results as soon as users type in queries.

A survey shows a majority of web users have suffered cybercrime, but many respondents were themselves less than honest.

Premises across Europe, including a Swedish university, have been raided by police in a piracy crackdown

The UK's Information Commissioner has reprimanded ISP TalkTalk over recent unpublicised trials of its anti-malware system.

Sony has released a "minor" update for its PlayStation 3 that closes a loophole that allowed users to run pirated software.

Hewlett Packard files a lawsuit against its former head Mark Hurd to try and stop him joining database software maker Oracle.

Customers of Orange and T-Mobile will soon be able to hop between the two mobile networks as the firms merge their infrastructure.

The developers behind the hotly anticipated Halo: Reach have taken another step aimed at cracking down on pirates.

Part of collapsed computer games firm Realtime Worlds has been bought by an anonymous American company, administrators confirm.

Google proposes settling a lawsuit over its Buzz social network, whilst regulators launch a review of the firm's US search practices.

A mix of chemicals borrowed from plants with tiny tubes of carbon can spontaneously create tiny, self-repairing solar cells.

A web-based game designed to provide rice to the developing world has a facelift on its way to integrating with social networks.

High definition (HD) video is being used to assess how wave energy devices will affect the ecology of coastal areas.

Bill Thompson on Microsoft's game-changing browser

The source code MacPaint is released but who can read it?

Nothing said online is really private, says Bill Thompson

How technology allows digital nomads to leave the office behind to work around the world.

Virtual reality is allowing scientists to ask difficult questions about human behaviour.

Faster broadband networks could spell the end of the games console, experts say.

Parents blogging about their children have become a global force in marketing.

The portrayal of women in the game's industry is still lacklustre according to experts and insiders

How technology has ushered in a new era for aid work in disaster zones

How groups of the technically inclined are providing aid at times of crisis via the power of the web.

Community labs are springing up for people who want to hack and test new ideas.

Photographers and film-makers capture their 3-D views of the corners of virtual worlds

How the classic PC is helping train a new generation of students in the art of programming.

In our series about makers and hackers, we look at the world of amateur rocket-makers.

The release of an album on wax cylinder inspired us to try to make a phonograph to play it.

The search giant launches a system with web links appearing as soon as characters are typed into the query box.

Marc Cieslak takes a look at the new tablet and clamshell computers taking on the Apple iPad at this year's IFA technology conference.

Scientists at Northumbria University say they have carried out the first rigorous scientific analysis of dance moves that make men attractive to women.

Astronomer Dr David Whitehouse and Tim Craine discuss why the Isle of Man is interested in space exploration.

As smart phones become more popular across India, the demand for apps is growing.

Computer maker Hewlett Packard (HP) has filed a lawsuit against its former head Mark Hurd in an attempt to stop him joining database software maker Oracle.

The Modified Toy Orchestra is a band made up of five musicians - and 48 tweaked toy instruments.

Rory Cellan-Jones tries out 3D video equipment and looks at the latest ultra thin and bright OLED TVs.

How do you go about getting at data on a mobile?

The secrets behind some of the UK?s newest inventions

Turning 16 games consoles into a number-crunching supercomputer

Former newspaper editor and Britain's Got Talent judge Piers will replace US TV presenter Larry King on the US network CNN, it is announced.

No decisions have been taken about possible funding cuts to the BBC World Service, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt says.

Prize win sees the xx step into the spotlight

Horror movie The Last Exorcism debuts at the top of the UK and Ireland box office, taking £1.1m in its opening weekend.

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi is to team up with Speed director Jan de Bont to make an English-language version of the Chinese legend Mulan.

A fungus that 'eats' cine film threatens to irreversibly damage important film archive and record of British social history.

Thousands of photographs taken by playwright George Bernard Shaw are to be posted online, the National Trust announces.

Rugby player Gavin Henson, magician Paul Daniels and former Destiny's Child star Michelle Williams are among the line-up for Strictly Come Dancing.

Sir Paul McCartney is to be presented with a Kennedy Center honour at the White House in Washington in December.

The trustees of Belvoir Castle hope to safeguard its future by selling a painting by the French artist Poussin.

The BBC's base in Manchester is officially put up for sale as the corporation prepares for its move to Salford.

A distinctive white helmet worn by Top Gear driver The Stig is expected to fetch up to £1,200 at auction in Sussex.

Australian author Peter Carey, who has already won the Man Booker prize twice, has made the shortlist for this year's prize.

Charles Saatchi's plan to donate his gallery to the British public hits a stumbling block after talks with Arts Council England break down.

Tony Blair cancels a planned book signing in London on Wednesday to prevent causing the police "a lot of hassle".

Animated film Toy Story 3 has become the second highest grossing film in the UK.

New TV versions of hit animation movies Shrek and Kung Fu will premiere on US TV later this year.

Film director Clive Donner, who helped launch the careers of actors such as Sir Ian McKellen and Alan Bates, dies at the age of 84.

Mark David Chapman, who killed John Lennon, has been denied parole and will remain imprisoned for at least two more years, officials say.

Sales of rock singles have dropped 18% in the UK this year, according to figures from the Official Charts Company.

Firefighters spend the night tackling a fire at a disused nightclub where drummer Ringo Starr made his Beatles debut.

The music mogul could ditch next year's X Factor and says he only has a contract with ITV1 for this year's series.

More than one million people tune in to see the launch of ITV's new breakfast show Daybreak, but the BBC wins the ratings battle.

Stephen Fry criticises a culture of fear at the BBC which is creating "incredibly bland" programmes

As preparations are made for the eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing, Radio 1 Newsbeat's Natalie Jamieson has a look behind the scenes.

The cast of Glee talk about what is in store for the new season of the show.

Angelina Jolie has visited Nowshera in north-west Pakistan to highlight the plight of more than 20 million people affected by the country's worst ever floods.

Katie Holmes speaks about romance and what married life is like with Tom Cruise.

The Strictly line-up is out and Piers Morgan take over from Larry King. Plus the rest of the showbiz news.

Musician Mark Everett talks about the work of his father Hugh Everett III, a physicist who Stephen Hawking says contributed significantly to our understanding of the universe.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt is asked about coalition plans for the BBC as he outlines waste within the corporation.

BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons has defended the World Service saying it is value for money.

Mercury Prize-winners The xx are the latest triumph for a small yet influential independent label.

Raphael tapestries go on show in the UK for the first time

How John le Carre's old foe is back on British soil

Stars attend this year's GQ Men of the Year awards

Photos of actors moments before they hit the stage

A guide to the authors who are up for this year's literary prize

Tamara Drewe explores the dark side of the countryside