Being able to recognise the extra 50 most-used words, as recommended by the literacy strategy for the first two years of schooling, meant children gained an understanding of about 2% more of the texts ...

Sarah Parkinson, the writer and producer wife of comedian Paul Merton, has died of cancer at the age of 41. Ms Parkinson was diagnosed with breast cancer in February last year and had been living an ...

Bates had been raving about the young player to captain Rob Andrew for years. Such was the excitement surrounding Wilkinson ...

Judge Mawrey said evidence of "massive, systematic and organised fraud" in the campaign had made a mockery of the election and ruled that not less than 1,500 votes had been cast fraudulently in the ...

Legendary racehorse Desert Orchid has died at the age of 27. The gallant grey achieved iconic status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his iron will and extreme ...

2217: I must go. Thanks for your company tonight. Liverpool's winless league run against Birmingham stretches to seven games. Bogey team? You betcha. See you soon. From wonderboi711 on Twitter: "I'm ...

Two teams, both with 11 players, take it in turns to bat and bowl. When one team is batting, they try and score as many runs ...

Investigations are continuing into what caused a massive fire that destroyed a leading computer science research unit at the University of Southampton. Gas canisters exploded inside the Mountbatten ...

Robin Cook has become the first minister to resign over Iraq Robin Cook has resigned from Tony Blair's cabinet as the build-up to war with Iraq gathers pace. The decision by the House of Commons ...

A stumbling visitor to a top museum has destroyed a set of priceless vases which stood on a shelf for 40 years. The 300-year-old Qing vases were among the best known artefacts at the Fitzwilliam ...

Zinedine Zidane has been banned for three games and fined £3,260 for head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi during the World Cup final. Following an investigation by world governing body Fifa, Materazzi ...

The cousin of one of the men convicted of killing City lawyer Tom ap Rhys Pryce has been jailed for murder. Lloywen Carty was found guilty on Tuesday of being part of a gang who shot Lee Subaran, 27, ...