Continent's changing climate raises fears that dengue fever could come to South of England

David Cameron's hopes of promoting an export-led recovery were left deflated yesterday by official figures showing that the UK's trade deficit increased by more than expected in February.

The departure of Greece from the eurozone would be a "huge political mistake", according to German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Developed nations are pulling out of the economic slide seen at the end of 2011, according to new data based on hundreds of millions of financial transactions.

Did you remember? Of course you did – the flowers, the chocolate and, why not, the mouse mat with the least-worst snapshot of the grandchildren printed on it. Because Mother's Day is nothing if not an opportunity to make a few ill-judged purchases in the name of family harmony. As for your mum, she's just glad you've all turned up, for once – even if she's still got to do the cooking (and ignore your lot trampling over the bulbs in the garden).

George Osborne received a pre-Budget boost yesterday as trade figures came out much rosier than expected. Thanks to a good showing from car makers such as Rolls-Royce and Jaguar selling more to the US, Russia and China, Britain had record exports to regions outside the EU. That will be seen as good news for the Chancellor's hopes of a "march of the makers" to rebalance the economy away from financial services. As domestic consumer demand falls, Britain is ever more dependent on exports for growth, particularly outside the crisis-bound eurozone.

As global bodies gather in Marseilles to discuss water supplies, Sarah Morrison reports on the waste that will create a thirsty world by 2050

At the best of times, it can be hard enough to find the lane that climbs up to the stables at Barbury Castle. On a morning when the old hangars and airfield fences loom and recede in the fog, it feels as though Nature herself is conspiring in the sequestration of one of the strongest Cheltenham teams in the land. Those who eventually obtain his lair, however, find Alan King providing all the illumination necessary.

A grandfather from Kent who is accused of selling parts for Iranian missiles will be extradited to the US within 10 days, his lawyer said yesterday.

The deal

Moves to reintroduce more setting and streaming in UK  state schools are fuelling a “vicious cycle” of underperformance,  particularly amongst disadvantaged youngsters, a top-level international study warned yesterday.

Almost one in five young people in the UK are not educated to A-level standard, leaving the nation lagging behind countries such as Slovenia and Estonia.

Iranian buyers have defaulted on payments for about 200,000 tonnes of rice from India in a sign of the mounting pressure on Tehran from a new wave of Western sanctions.

Over the last few years, building societies have been a dominant force in the mortgage market, particularly with fixed-rate products. Even though mutuals already have a big presence in the bestbuy tables, the battle for mortgage supremacy stepped up another gear this week when Yorkshire Building Society, through its Chelsea brand, hit the market with a five-year fix at a record low rate of just 3.19 per cent, maximum 70 per cent loan-to-value (LTV) ratio.