A pro-nuclear former minister has urged the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to stick with his plans to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system. His comments are likely to fuel speculation that Brown is now doubting the policy.

The Afghan government and its international supporters must immediately set out a clear and effective plan to ensure a credible second round of presidential election voting, says Amnesty.

A High Court judge has blocked an attempt to launch a legal challenge over the government's use of taxpayers' money in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) investments that harm the environment and undermine human rights.

Politicians of all parties are coming under pressure to reduce the Civil List in the light of the recession. The Civil List, which consists of public money awarded to the royal family each year, currently stands at around £7.9million.

Five anti-nuclear protestors who face court this week have said that they showed “exactly the same commitment” as US President Barack Obama, whose work towards “a world without nuclear weapons” won him the Nobel Peace Prize.

Research has revealed a “postcode lottery” of educational achievement, with the gap widening between the best and worst ares. This is despite the £1.9 billion spent on widening university participation since 2005.

The government's initiative for the "white working class" uses a loaded phrase and deflects attention from the real division in British society - between the very rich and the rest of us.

Oikocredit, a leading socially-committed investor in microfinance, has released the results of its social audit, looking to enhance human welfare through economic performance.

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, is reported to be considering a proposal to scrap a quarter of the nuclear warheads owned by the British government. The news follows pressure for cuts in the light of similar moves by the USA and Russia.

Ministers are facing a strong challenge to their plans to privatise student loans, with academics and student campaigners criticising the proposals. The policy is part of a wider government plan to sell off around £3 billion worth of assets.

Faith in mathematical modelling looks little more than hubris after the recent economic collapse, says Giles Fraser. The unknown cannot be so easily tamed, as any half-decent theo­logian would know.

The die seems cast for the next General Election, says Simon Barrow. But much can still shift if non-Conservative parties, voters and reformers swing into action.

The Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council has called on politicians making difficult economic decisions to ensure that the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable come first.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews has written to Tory leader David Cameron “seeking assurances” about the Conservative Party’s links with allegedly anti-Semitic politicians from Poland and Latvia.