Comparative performance that can be measured – and good practice copied – is a valuable response to those who want to merge things to make them 'more efficient'If the levels of police stop and search activities against black and south Asian Britons are as disproportionate as Vikram Dodd's report suggests in today's Guardian much hard work r

Steve Bell's If...Steve Bell

Ex-chief of the defence staff says Labour MPs' claims that he is a Tory were 'desperate' and a 'cheap shot'The former defence chief Lord Guthrie today renewed his attack on Gordon Brown's military spending record, saying he had been "unsympathetic" during his tenure as chancellor.Guthrie, the first chief of the defence staff under New Labou

Watchdog says couple claimed money from the second home allowance to which they were not entitled because their central London property had in effect become their main homeThe Labour MPs Alan and Ann Keen were today ordered to repay £1,500 after an investigation found that they had broken Commons rules in relation to second home expenses.The Commo

The data is unequivocal: investing in scientific research during times of recession results in economic growthOn Tuesday night, the science representatives of the three main parties jovially debated in front of a heaving Westminster audience, all pushing the agenda that science is now a central election issue.Quite right too. All evidence suggests

Follow the train of events as the government's plans for a high-speed rail network are made public12.02pm: The Tory peer says the proposals "lack cost detail", contain "no viable route options" and there is no indication of when detailed planning will begin.12.00pm: Here's the detailed route:11.56am: The reports can be found on the Department

• More than 100 firefighters battling giant blaze in east London• Fire brigade and police to investigate cause of incidentMore than 100 firefighters were battling a fire at a building in London this morning. Fire crews were called to Tabernacle Street in Shoreditch at 4.32am.A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said there had been no reports

Social networking site fears reputation permanently damaged by false claim that it let older men pressure teenage girls for sexFacebook has threatened to sue the Daily Mail for damages after the paper wrongly claimed in a piece published on Wednesday that 14-year-old girls who create a profile on the social networking site could be approached "wit

Paul Martin released four weeks after being arrested as a witness in spying court case, Palestinian officials sayA British journalist held by Hamas for nearly four weeks on suspicion of spying for Israel has been released and is leaving Gaza today.Paul Martin, a 55-year-old film-maker arrested in the Gaza Strip last month, is the first foreign jour

This week's round-up features classic cricketing ultraviolence, Celtic's other masterful team in Europe and the NFL v archery1) Back in 1921, the stuffy old buffoons at the FA banned women's football, declaring the game "quite unfit" for females. "I do not believe women are fitted for violent leg strain," announced one doctor, propelling hot

• Hong Kong businessman made loan to Fratton Park club• 'If the club is alive my money is alive,' says ChainraiThe Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai, who took control of Portsmouth after the club defaulted on loans from him, insists he will get his money back.Pompey have debts totalling over £80million and became the first Premier League

• Former United player wears scarf of anti-Glazer campaign• 'I'm a United fan and I support the club. I always will'David Beckham attempted to distance himself from the campaign to oust the Glazer family from Manchester United despite leaving the pitch wearing one of the green and gold scarves that have come to symbolise the fans' protests

• Leading investment bank agrees to advise potential investors• Nomura advised United board during Glazers' takeoverThe battle for control of Manchester United has taken another twist following confirmation that a leading global investment bank has agreed to advise on a possible acquisition of the Old Trafford outfit by the Red Knights group.N

• Marca says 'Goodbye Pellegrini' after Champions League exit• El Mundo says Real Madrid defeat in last 16 is 'catastrophic'The campaign to remove the Real Madrid coach, Manuel Pellegrini, has already begun following their Champions League elimination to Lyon in the Bernabéu last night.Real, who spent £240m on players during the summer in

Conservative attempts to pander to the tabloids by 'rebalancing privacy with freedom of expression' miss the legal pointOne of the strangest thing about sitting in court is hearing judges who look like old-fashioned grandfathers grappling with the intimate details of sexual encounters. I remember, as a student, the first time I heard a crown cour

Police categorically deny claims by Pakistani politician that British boy has been foundPakistani police said today that the kidnapped British boy Sahil Saeed was still missing, dashing hopes raised after a politician said he had been found.The controversial Punjab law minister, Rana Sanaullah, told Geo TV that Sahil, who was kidnapped from his gra

Public administration committee is not impressed by proliferation of informal appointmentsThere's an old Westminster gag about Labour creating more tsars than Russia. It was never particularly funny, but at least it was recognisable as a joke. Until today – when new figures have been published showing that it is actually true.The evidence comes

Critics complain that it's unfair, but an all-women audience on Question Time will redress an imbalance in our political arenaThe BBC's decision to run with a women-only audience on tonight's Question Time should be commended for many reasons. The show will give ordinary women, whose all-important vote the parties have been falling over themselv

Photographic agency Rex Features has publicly apologised and agreed to pay damages to Kate Middleton, the girlfriend of Prince William, for invading her privacy. Middleton complained through her solicitors Harbottle & Lewis after a photographer who did not work for Rex took pictures of Middleton on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day last year during a

Staff bonus amounts to 15% of basic salary and is higher than last yearThe John Lewis Partnership has handed a bigger-than-expected annual bonus of £151m to its staff after enjoying a near-10% rise in profits.The group, which operates 224 Waitrose supermarkets as well as 29 department stores, announced annual profits of £306.6m this morning, excl

Ex-chief of the defence staff says Labour MPs' claims he is a Tory were 'desperate' and a 'cheap shot'The former defence chief Lord Guthrie today renewed his attack on Gordon Brown's military spending record, saying he had been "unsympathetic" during his tenure as chancellor.Guthrie, the first chief of the defence staff under New Labour, sa

• More than 100 firefighters battling giant blaze in east London• Fire brigade and police to investigate cause of incidentMore than 100 firefighters were battling a fire at a building in London this morning. Fire crews were called to Tabernacle Street in Shoreditch at 4.32am.A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said there had been no reports

Critics complain that it's unfair, but an all-women audience on Question Time will redress an imbalance in our political arenaThe BBC's decision to run with a women-only audience on tonight's Question Time should be commended for many reasons. The show will give ordinary women, whose all-important vote the parties have been falling over themselv

Public administration committee is not impressed by proliferation of informal appointmentsThere's an old Westminster gag about Labour creating more tsars than Russia. It was never particularly funny, but at least it was recognisable as a joke. Until today – when new figures have been published showing that it is actually true.The evidence comes

Staff bonus amounts to 15% of basic salary and is higher than last yearThe John Lewis Partnership has handed a bigger-than-expected annual bonus of £151m to its staff after enjoying a near-10% rise in profits.The group, which operates 224 Waitrose supermarkets as well as 29 department stores, announced annual profits of £306.6m this morning, excl

Ex-chief of the defence staff says Labour MPs' claims he is a Tory were 'desperate' and a 'cheap shot'The former defence chief Lord Guthrie today renewed his attack on Gordon Brown's military spending record, saying he had been "unsympathetic" during his tenure as chancellor.Guthrie, the first chief of the defence staff under New Labour, sa

Conservative attempts to pander to the tabloids by 'rebalancing privacy with freedom of expression' miss the legal pointOne of the strangest thing about sitting in court is hearing judges who look like old-fashioned grandfathers grappling with the intimate details of sexual encounters. I remember, as a student, the first time I heard a crown cour

Photographic agency Rex Features has publicly apologised and agreed to pay damages to Kate Middleton, the girlfriend of Prince William, for invading her privacy. Middleton complained through her solicitors Harbottle & Lewis after a photographer who did not work for Rex took pictures of Middleton on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day last year during a

• More than 100 firefighters battling giant blaze in east London• Fire brigade and police to investigate cause of incidentMore than 100 firefighters were battling a fire at a building in London this morning. Fire crews were called to Tabernacle Street in Shoreditch at 4.32am.A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said there had been no reports

Police categorically deny claims by Pakistani politician that British boy has been foundPakistani police said today that the kidnapped British boy Sahil Saeed was still missing, dashing hopes raised after a politician said he had been found.The controversial Punjab law minister, Rana Sanaullah, told Geo TV that Sahil, who was kidnapped from his gra

• Former United player wears scarf of anti-Glazer campaign• 'I'm a United fan and I support the club. I always will'David Beckham attempted to distance himself from the campaign to oust the Glazer family from Manchester United despite leaving the pitch wearing one of the green and gold scarves that have come to symbolise the fans' protests

Paul Martin to be freed four weeks after being arrested as a witness in spying court case, Palestinian officials sayA British journalist held by Hamas for nearly four weeks on suspicion of spying for Israel will be released today, his lawyer and Palestinian officials said.Paul Martin, a 55-year-old film-maker arrested in the Gaza Strip last month,

It's cheap, it tastes gorgeous and it gets everyone giggling. And if you make your own, you can turn it into a very special puddingI always have a problem shopping at this time of year. I trundle down the supermarket aisles, trying to follow my "virtuous" shopping list, when I spot the packet jelly. How I love munching on comforting blackcurra

What happened at the Red Road tower blocks highlights the horror of being an immigrant in BritainFew details are known, and even those few are very much open to dispute. But it seems that the three people who threw themselves from the tower block on Glasgow's Red Road this week were Russians. Serge Serykh, his wife, Tatiana, and her son, who has n

Public and transport services grind to a halt as workers stage protest over spending cutsPublic and private sector workers in Greece began another general strike today to protest against spending cuts imposed to alleviate the country's debt crisis.The action once again disrupted public transport and closed public buildings, including hospitals.Jou

Police categorically deny claims by Pakistani politician that British boy has been foundPakistani police said today that the kidnapped British boy Sahil Saeed was still missing, dashing hopes raised after a politician said he had been found.The controversial Punjab law minister, Rana Sanaullah, told Geo TV that Sahil, who was kidnapped from his gra

Ex-chief of the defence staff says Labour MPs' claims he is a Tory were 'desperate' and a 'cheap shot'The former defence chief Lord Guthrie today renewed his attack on Gordon Brown's military spending record, saying he had been "unsympathetic" during his tenure as chancellor.Guthrie, the first chief of the defence staff under New Labour, sa

Brian Clough, who when leading Middlesbrough's attack once scored half of their six goals at The Valley and still saw them fail to beat Charlton, was enraged by what he called "goals that meant nothing" because they earned no points.For Brian Laws, who played under the great man at Nottingham Forest, David Nugent's goals have nearly always mean

Today's Mill has its head in the cloudsSome years ago research carried out by unlicensed Chinese neurologists on a sample group of 5,000 men with internet access and a large comic book collection that they keep in little plastic sleeves and occasionally brood over concluded that, when most people picture The Mill, the image that springs into their

• Midfielder's comeback from knee injury again put on hold• United say match does not fit into Hargreaves' fitness planOwen Hargreaves, Manchester United's injury-plagued midfielder, has suffered another setback after being pulled out of his comeback match in a move that significantly damages his already slender and rapidly diminishing hopes