Competition chiefs have heavily criticised BAA and signalled a potential break up of the company's UK airport empire.

Talks were continuing tonight in an effort to avert a planned series of airport strikes that could cause travel chaos over the bank holiday weekend.

Paedophile pop star Gary Glitter has left Bangkok on a flight to Hong Kong, Thai police said.

Measures to tighten controls on the movements of paedophiles have been announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Thousands of council workers in Scotland are taking part in a one-day strike, causing disruption to schools, rubbish collections and ferry services.

An interest rate increase was ruled out this month because of the risk that it might make the economic downturn "unnecessarily deep", the Bank of England revealed.

Mortgage lending increased slightly during July but remained well down on the level recorded a year ago, figures showed.

The Tories are now the right party to create a fairer society because the Government has failed to raise the incomes, aspirations and opportunities of Britain's poorest people, George Osborne said.

Gay rights champion Leo Abse has died at the age of 91, a family friend said.

Thousands of pensioners could miss out on hundreds of pounds worth of backdated benefits as a result of rule changes that come into force later this year.

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