Urgent action must be taken by senior officers to improve understanding of the toll anti-social behaviour is taking on their communities, the head of the police inspectorate said.

The police watchdog has delivered a damning report after finding "individual and systemic" failures in one force following the murder of a woman by her stalker, dubbed the Facebook Fugitive.

Nottinghamshire Police is the worst performing force in England and Wales, according to new figures.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has spelt out the four "tests" he will set for Labour and the Conservatives if they are to seek his party's support in a hung Parliament following the upcoming general election.

Another Labour MP is under police investigation over his parliamentary expenses, it has been reported.

Peter Beckwith is famous for more than just being the dad of Tamara.

The final moments of Rachel Corrie, the American peace activist crushed to death beneath a pile of earth and rubble in the path of an advancing Israeli army bulldozer, were described to an Israeli court by an eyewitness yesterday.

An Israeli supermarket commercial is looking to cash in on the infamous surveillance footage of an assassination team killing a Hamas commander in Dubai.

Joe Biden, the US Vice-President, yesterday repeated his attack on Israel's plans to build 1,600 new Jewish homes in Arab East Jerusalem as European governments backed his complaint that they undermined trust before imminent new indirect Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

At the best of times, Rahm Emanuel was always drawn, coiled, and combative. These days though, after less than 14 months on the job, his face is tauter, more lined and even thinner. And not surprisingly. For these times are far from the best. Indeed, Washington is starting to wonder: is President Obama's Chief of Staff, arguably the second most powerful man in the capital of the free world, about to walk the plank?

Moscow's top policeman apologised yesterday after his officers ordered passing motorists to park their cars across a main road to block a speeding getaway car filled with armed criminals.

A former Cazenove banker will return to Southwark Crown Court in London today to be sentenced, after being convicted yesterday on five counts of insider dealing.

The row over funding for the London Tube upgrade switched to a new, but equally incendiary tack yesterday after the independent Arbiter settled the value of the next slug of work at £4.46bn and immediately faced a threat of a legal challenge from Transport for London (TfL).

Even being bombed five times during the Blitz didn't stop staff keeping Hamleys' store on London's Regent Street open throughout the Second World War. They just donned tin hats.

With Gordon Brown yesterday having set 24 March as Budget Day, it's a little late to be offering this advice, but here goes anyway: let's not bother with a Budget this side of the general election at all.

Police forces must improve how they deal with anti-social behaviour in their communities, the head of the police inspectorate has said.

Thousands of households will learn that their properties will be affected by a multi-billion pound high-speed rail line today when the Government finally lays out its detailed plan for the project. The route for the 200mph service is also likely to anger green groups, as the line between Birmingham and London is set to run through the picturesque Chiltern Hills, in Buckinghamshire. However, HS2, the company that drew up the route, is said to have devoted a lot of time to minimising its environmental impact.

The Europa League is proving no sanctuary for Liverpool, a side so short on confidence that their goal-scoring legend Ian Rush suggested yesterday that unless they lift their spirits they might struggle to finish in the top six of the Premier League, let alone one of next season's Champions League places.

David Beckham delivered the perfect publicity coup for the Manchester United green-and-gold campaign last night, leaving the Old Trafford pitch with one of the campaign's scarves draped around his neck after United had smashed Milan 4-0 to storm into the Champions League quarter-finals.

There are very few people capable of upstaging Manchester United when they have just scored four goals at home against one of the most famous clubs in Europe, but it just so happens that David Beckham is one of them.

Cristiano Ronaldo crashed out of the Champions League last night as Real Madrid made it six years of failing to get beyond the last 16 of the competition. The former Manchester United man appeared to be heading into the quarter-finals along with his old team, but after a whirlwind start Real went out with a whimper, Lyons' Miralem Pjanic equalising with 15 minutes to go. Defeat means that there will be no third consecutive final for the Portugal international.

He might be a bully and he might lack many of the qualities of leadership, bit even his worst enemies - plenty of em - would have to agree that Gordon Brown did call much of the financial crisis right.

London's reputation as the divorce payout capital of the world was reinforced by the Supreme Court today.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has defended Steven Gerrard following allegations the midfielder made a V sign towards referee Andre Marriner during the defeat by Wigan.

The United States is studying whether it can legally challenge Chinese Internet restrictions that hurt Google and other US companies operating in China, but direct talks with Beijing might yield faster results, the top US trade official said yesterday

AC Milan coach Leonardo is not promising David Beckham a place in his starting line-up at Old Trafford on Wednesday night even though he is aware what a big occasion it is for the former Manchester United favourite.

Arsene Wenger has called on his young Arsenal side to focus on eliminating their own "weak moments" rather than get obsessed with the chance of revenge against Manchester United or Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

A dozen centuries-old shipwrecks - some of them unusually well-preserved - were found in the Baltic Sea by a gas company building an underwater pipeline between Russia and Germany.