A quarter of agencies that provide care to people in their own homes do not meet all five national standards of quality and safety, regulators said.

Glencore and Xstrata have posted a drop in combined output across key metals, as the two commodities giants continue to finalise their $36bn (£23bn) merger.

A day's work for a day's pay is a simple democratic right

Pensioners’ leaders tonight condemned the Government’s plans to limit care home bills for the elderly as “tinkering around the edges” of much-needed change.

Scientists believe they may be able to discover why children who spend much of their time indoors rather than playing outside are more likely to develop short-sightedness following a breakthrough study into the genetics of myopia.

Minister to claim £75,000 social care cap and new means test limit will benefit thousands

Why do some colonial experiences leave lasting prosperity while others leave stagnation or worse? Today's Chinese New Year celebrations are a good time to reflect on the experience of one of the world's most boisterous economies – a land where increased domestic and international tourism reflects such prosperity.

One of the BBC's most distinctive radio announcers Patricia Hughes has died at the age of 90, the corporation said today.

Led by a despot and coached by a matchfixer, Burkina Faso make unlikely finalists

Where are you now and what can you see?

Nightclub owner Peter Stringfellow is to become a father again at the age of 72.

Two hitmen who stabbed an innocent schoolboy to death by mistake have been told they are likely to die behind bars after a judge handed them a minimum term of 40 years.

Who needs stage presence when you can do pop-by-numbers?

The number of people setting up their own businesses has jumped by 367,000 since the start of the recession in 2008, according to official figures.