A 22-year-old woman has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with killing her four-year-old daughter in Merseyside. The body of Chloe Fletcher was found at her home in Wallasey during the early hours of Wednesday morning. A subsequent post-mortem declared her cause of death as drowning.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:27:15

Tamil Tiger rebels have defiantly claimed they will not surrender to government forces. Sri Lankan troops are continuing to advance into rebel strongholds in the northern regions of the country, claiming victory is imminent. The government, however, has come under sustained international pressure to end the offensive to allow civilians trapped in between the fighting to leave.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:39:51

BAE Systems is to close three UK plants and cut 500 jobs, it has been announced. The military contractor blamed a fall in orders from the UK army for the cutbacks. "The announcement follows the UK decision to postpone the FRES - Future Rapid Effects System - Utility Vehicle acquisition and a downturn in work supporting British Army operations in Iraq and Afghanistan," the company said in a statement.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:23:40

Police have released details on preparations for the expected May Day protests in London tomorrow. A statement from the Metropolitan police provides details of a planned march and rally due to take place in the capital on Friday. The Met expects participants to gather from 12:00 BST at Clerkenwell Green and depart from Trafalgar Square an hour later.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:40:04

House prices fell by 0.4 per cent in April, official figures show. Nationwide's figures out today show house prices have now dropped 15 per cent from their value 12 months ago, with the average home now valued at £151,861. Last month had seen a surprise rise in prices by 0.9 per cent, the first rise witnessed in 16 months. However, for the quarter ending in April, prices fell 3.1 per cent.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:21:34

Reports suggest at least ten people have been killed in a shooting at a university in the capital of Azerbaijan. News agencies in Russia claim the gunman had taken a number of hostages at Azerbaijan's state oil academy in central Baku before opening fire. The man then also shot himself, the Interfax agency reports.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:34:23

A memorial service has been held in Basra for the 179 British military personnel killed since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Defence secretary John Hutton attended the service held on Thursday as British forces reach the final stages of their withdrawal from the country. The 3,700 personnel currently stationed in Iraq are expected to pullout in the coming days, some six years after the US-led invasion.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:05:11

US president Barack Obama has said he is "not satisfied" with the progress his administration had made during his first 100 days in office. Speaking during a news conference yesterday, Mr Obama said he was "confident for the future but not content with the present". The president admitted he was pleased with how things had progressed but had not predicted he would have to face so many crucial issues at the same time.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:46:46

The Department of Health (DoH) has launched an advertising campaign aimed at combating swine flu. The advert promotes good hygiene, urging people to cover their face while sneezing and coughing, to dispose of tissues and wash their hands regularly. There are currently five confirmed cases of the virus in the UK, prime minister Gordon Brown announced yesterday.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:09:16

A British soldier killed in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday has been named by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Lance Sergeant Tobie Fasfous, from 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, had been taking part in a re-assurance foot patrol alongside the Afghan national army when he was killed in an explosion. A statement from the MoD said the patrol was operating in the north-east of Gereshk in Helmand province when the incident happened.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:49:38