Finance chiefs see clouds lifting

Prince Charles is to provide an unlikely challenge to the “Big Six” energy companies as he prepares to open a renewable energy plant on his Duchy of Cornwall estate that could, if successful, be the blueprint for further power generation on the land.

Graduate’s unorthodox plan to deflect asteroid wins prize

Police are urging motorists to be vigilant after three cars were hit by airgun pellets while travelling at speed on a busy motorway.

The UK's disastrous wheat harvest, the worst for at least 20 years, comes at a bad time for the global food chain. For more than a decade we have been net exporters of wheat – last year we exported 250,000 tons to the US for animal feed – but this year we will be scrambling for imported supplies.

Lead poisoning is still a major cause of death among swans, ducks and other waterfowl despite legislation aimed at restricting the use of toxic lead pellets by shotgun owners, a study has found.

Beekeepers in northeastern France are all abuzz after their bees started producing blue honey.

The Malaysian palm oil firm, Felda Global, surged 20 per cent in its trading debut in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, as investors cheered on the world's second-largest initial public offering (IPO) after Facebook's botched float and the company pledged stronger profits in the coming months.

He avoids Shakespeare at all costs, almost killed Judi Dench in his latest film, and only steps out in the sharpest jacket and tie... Tim Walker meets the irrepressible Bill Nighy.

New car sales edged up a fraction last month, official figures showed today.

When the former rebel leader, Irwandi Yusuf, became governor of Indonesia's Aceh province, he proclaimed a "green vision" for the war-torn region. Lush forests would not be sacrificed for short-term profit, he promised. True to his word, he chased illegal loggers in his jeep.

Two thirds of all cars in Brazil are fuelled with ethanol, said the chief executive of Petrobras, José Sergio Gabrielli, speaking last week at the World's 20th Petroleum Conference, in Doha, Qatar.

When it comes to weaning the world's motorists off their addiction to fossil fuel, few would have bet on finding part of the solution in the pungent depths of elephant droppings and a Swiss compost heap.

US Outlook: If US politics hadn't gone through the looking glass, its political leaders would have responded to yesterday's shocking jobs report with a promise to stimulate a clearly faltering economic recovery. Instead, tomorrow, they will head into negotiations on a massive programme of fiscal contraction.