Public sector buyers 'must consider true value of British steel'

Public sector bodies such as councils and NHS trusts will be encouraged to buy British steel in an effort to help save the industry.

The Government said all public sector organisations procuring steel will be required to consider the social and economic impact on the UK before buying from abroad. 

The move came as a possible buyer emerged for the Port Talbot steelworks in South Wales, where thousands of jobs are at stake.

John Whittingdale demands urgent probe into sports doping allegations

John Whittingdale has called for an urgent investigation into the British anti-doping watchdog's response to allegations a doctor had prescribed banned performance-enhancing drugs to a sportsman. 

The Culture, Media and Sport Secretary said he was "shocked and deeply concerned" by reports in The Sunday Times that the doctor, named by the newspaper as Dr Mark Bonar, had been secretly filmed allegedly discussing working with numerous professional athletes who used banned treatments. 

London-based Dr Bonar denied the allegations when they were put to him by the newspaper and said he had not breached rules laid out by the General Medical Council (GMC).

Government exceeds international aid spending target by £172m

The Government has exceeded its controversial target for spending on international aid by more than £170 million, according to official figures.

Provisional figures released by the Department for International Development (DfID) show that aid spending in 2015 was 0.71% of national income - putting it above the 0.7% target. 

With a total aid bill of £12.2 billion, The Mail on Sunday reported that it represented an overshoot of £172 million. 

Tragic global yacht race sailor Sarah Young buried at sea

An amateur sailor who died after being swept into the Pacific Ocean while competing in a global yacht race has been laid to rest at sea. 

The 12 teams held a minute's silence aboard their vessels to remember Sarah Young, 40, who was washed into the sea by a large wave as she tended to the mainsail aboard her 70ft yacht on Friday. 

Ms Young, a company owner from London, is the second crew member to have died on the IchorCoal vessel during the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race. 

Drugs mule Michaella McCollum speaks out after leaving Peru prison

A drugs mule released from prison in Peru has insisted she is a good person who made a bad decision in a moment of madness.

Michaella McCollum, from Northern Ireland, was freed on parole on Thursday after serving more than two years in South American jails. 

McCollum and Melissa Reid, from Scotland, were imprisoned in 2013 for six years and eight months after admitting trying to smuggle cocaine worth £1.5 million from Peru to Spain. 

George Osborne's academies scheme has funding black hole, Labour says

Government plans to turn all schools into academies face a £1.1 billion funding shortfall according to Labour who said the costly scheme could harm the education system. 

In his recent Budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced plans to turn every state school into an academy by 2022, although Labour warned that just £140 million was set aside for the conversions. 

Figures obtained by Labour from a parliamentary question suggest that each transformation from school to academy costs around £66,000 on average. 

They said councils would have to cover a further £12,300 in costs, such as legal fees, per school. 

Councils 'spent more than £200m on staff settlements most with gagging orders'

Councils have spent more than £200 million on settlements with staff - most of which include "gagging orders", an investigation has found. 

Over the past five years, 17,571 "compromise agreements" or settlements were signed by council workers. 

Most include a strict clause preventing them from criticising their bosses, BBC Radio 5 live Investigates has found. 

Police investigate 'suspicious' gas explosion that injures three people 

Three people were taken to hospital including one with life-threatening injuries after a "suspicious" gas explosion in South Wales. 

Dozens of firefighters and several emergency vehicles were despatched to the extensively damaged terraced property in Newport on Saturday evening. 

Three people were treated in hospital after the blast that damaged surrounding properties. 

Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Rylance go head to head at Olivier Awards 

Stars of the stage Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Rylance will go head to head at the Olivier Awards. Hamlet actor Cumberbatch and Farinelli And The King star Rylance are both nominated in the best actor category alongside Sir Kenneth Branagh for The Winter's Tale, Adrian Lester for Red Velvet and Kenneth Cranham for The Father. 

This is Cumberbatch's first nomination, while Rylance has been nominated eight times and won twice. 

Donald Trump on the defensive as he tries to regain momentum in Wisconsin 

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was on the defensive as he kicked off a three-day sprint to Wisconsin's primary. 

Contenders in both parties were in the Midwestern state seeking an edge ahead of Tuesday's primaries, none more actively than Mr Trump, who has had one of the worst weeks of his campaign. 

He faces a struggle against Texas senator Ted Cruz in the state, who has passed him in recent Wisconsin polls.