Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port car plant will build a new Astra car in a deal that means huge investment and the creation and support of thousands of jobs.

David Cameron says it was "more dangerous to stay silent than to speak out" - and insists there will be no retreat on deficit reduction.

A 24-year-old London man who has served more than seven years in jail for the murder of a trainee chef has his conviction quashed.

The war crimes trial of Bosnian Serb ex-army chief Ratko Mladic is postponed on its second day because prosecutors failed to disclose some evidence to the defence.

Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented if the cholesterol-lowering drugs, statins, were more widely prescribed, research suggests.

The head of Syria's main opposition umbrella body, the Syrian National Council, says he will resign amid growing criticism and rifts within the group.

A third of children in England cannot swim by the time they leave primary school, according to research from the Amateur Swimming Association.

Media organisations win a High Court battle over police orders to hand over copies of film of the evictions from the Dale Farm traveller site.

The Olympic flame is to be officially handed over to organisers of the London Games at a ceremony in Athens.

The UK says it will retain stricter animal testing standards than required by a new European Union Directive.

Two arrests are made after an attack that left a 93-year-old woman in a critical condition in hospital.

Plans to use private firms in police roles in Surrey are put on hold, but West Midlands Police says the delay will not affect the process in its area.

Adele picks up two prizes at the prestigious Ivor Novello songwriting awards - but misses out on two more trophies.

Philippe Croizon, a limbless Frenchman, completes the first part of his challenge to swim between five continents.

Michael Owen says he does not plan to retire, despite Manchester United confirming he will not be offered a new contract.

Alan Hansen says his old club Liverpool will need to move quickly to fill the void left by the sacking of manager Kenny Dalglish.

Colin Montgomerie says golf fans in the United States are "not as knowledgeable" as their British counterparts.

Shares in Spanish bank Bankia continue to dive as the government denies reports of a rush of withdrawals from the troubled group.

Gas and electricity price rises at the end of last year are expected to have pushed 400,000 more households in England into fuel poverty.

John McDonnell defies odds of 58,000 to 1 to twice in a row top the ballot allowing MPs to bring in a Private Member's Bill.

The government is "determined" to introduce a register of lobbyists before 2015, constitutional reform minister Mark Harper tells a Commons committee.

An 83-year-old man becomes the oldest person in the UK to donate a kidney while still alive, the NHS Blood and Transplant service says.

Two patients who are paralysed from the neck down are able to control a robotic arm using their thoughts.

An independent schools leader says A-levels could become university entrance exams if academics are given too much control.

Higher university tuition fees have not boosted teaching time at England's universities, research suggests.

Most government websites will miss the UK's deadline for complying with EU regulations over cookies, the Cabinet Office tells the BBC.

The French privacy watchdog, acting on behalf of the EU, is to meet with Google to scrutinise its controversial privacy policy changes.

Nasa's Kepler space telescope provides new insight on the colossal explosions that can occur in the atmospheres of some stars.

Local authorities across the UK should have a statutory duty to combat climate change, government advisors recommend.

Famous faces join the stars of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom at the opening night gala of this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Three of the four original members of Australian children's entertainers The Wiggles are to leave the group, paving the way for the group's first female performer.

We rely on traffic lights to tell us when to go. And when to stop. We should replace that with common sense, argues traffic campaigner Martin Cassini.

The Kent seaside town of Sandwich is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the sandwich. Test yourself on the humble snack.

A man admits stealing a woman's handbag, minutes after she had been knocked down by a lorry and killed in Manchester.

A man is found guilty of murdering a mother-of-six at a house in Bedfordshire where eight children were playing.

A man admits raping one woman and seriously sexually assaulting another in Glasgow city centre on a Christmas night out.

A man whose appeal changed the Scottish legal system walks free from court after a re-trial collapses.

Rebecca McKeown's manslaughter trial is told the doctor who examined the disabled teenager may have withheld details of a medical examination to protect her professional reputation.

The Football Assocation of Ireland (FAI) has said its players will wear black armbands during the Italy match at Euro 2012 to mark the 18th anniversary of the Loughinisland tragedy.

Controversial comments in Labour MP Peter Hain's autobiography were never intended to undermine the administration of justice in Northern Ireland, the High Court in Belfast hears.

Welsh speakers would be able to access fully bilingual public services if new plans outlined for the language are given the go-ahead.

A group of 17 civilians are sentenced to death, the day after carrying out an attack on a military base in the self-proclaimed republic of Somaliland.

At least two suspected armed robbers are killed in an explosion in a minibus in Nigeria's oil capital, Port Harcourt, police say.

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng says he and his family have completed passport applications and officials say they should be ready in 15 days.

Unidentified North Koreans holding 29 Chinese fishermen and three boats seized in the Yellow Sea demand payment for their release, Chinese media reports.

Prosecutors describe the chaos leading to the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, on the second day of Bosnian Serb ex-army chief Ratko Mladic's war crimes trial.

A cabinet of professors and diplomats is sworn in in Greece to steer the debt-ridden eurozone state into repeat elections on 17 June

The Brazilian government reaches a deal with Rio de Janeiro hotel owners to cut spiralling room prices ahead of a major UN summit in the city.

Two Mexican generals are detained and questioned on suspicion of having links to a Mexican drug cartel.

A drone strike in eastern Yemen has killed two suspected al-Qaeda militants, a Yemeni security official says.

Turkey says it scrambled two military jets to chase away an Israeli plane which allegedly violated the airspace of Turkish-held northern Cyprus.

Children from racial and ethnic minorities now account for more than half the births in the US, estimates from the latest census data say.

Social networking service Pinterest is to receive $100m in funding, prompting analysts to value the two-year-old firm at up to $1.5bn.

Readers' photos on the theme sailing

24 hours of news photos: 17 May 2012

Half a million gold buttons decorate Royal Barge

Mexicans pay their last respects to Carlos Fuentes

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visit Lancashire

24 hours of news photos: 16 May 2012

24 hours of news photos: 15 May 2012

Norwich Festival of music and art

MPs are debating the programme of laws for the new session proposed in the Queen's Speech focusing on jobs and growth.

An 83-year-old man has become the oldest person in the UK to donate a kidney while still being alive, the NHS Blood and Transplant service has said.

The latest device to harness the power of the tides is being tested in the stormy waters off Orkney in the far north of Scotland.

A 24-year-old man who has served more than seven years in jail for murder has had his conviction quashed.

The Princess Royal has expressed her sympathy for athletes preparing for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic has resumed, with the prosecution focusing on the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.

A team of speed flyers have become the world's first to successfully descend Italy's Mount Etna.

Benoit Coueure, from the European Central Bank, has been speaking about their decision to provide a loan of more than a trillion euros to hundreds of banks.

Simon Cowell speaks to Jim Naughtie from his home in West London in a wide-ranging exclusive broadcast interview.

Could the proposal to protect all over-50s from heart attacks work?

What does the word 're-mode' actually mean?

The man with the world's longest moustache gives his grooming tips

Watching the big events - from the Coronation to the Jubilee

Has social media shifted balance when making complaints?

The people who record every single day of a child's life

How safe are UK soldiers working with Afghan forces?

Papers discuss eurozone warnings