A "stocktake" of UK nature suggests 60% of animal and plant species have declined in the past 50 years - and one in 10 could end up disappearing.

Fifty five beaches in England meet tough new EU standards on water quality to achieve Blue Flag awards.

UK fruit growers could enjoy a much better harvest of apples and pears this year, following the dismal crop in 2012, experts believe.

Investors targeted their disapproval at the bank’s independent directors in an unusually large vote against the re-election of Ellen Futter, David Cote and James Crown

Andy Murray withdraws from the French Open because of the back injury that forced him out of the Italian Open.

Mikkel Kessler says "he is at his peak" before his world title fight against Carl Froch in London on Saturday.

Tim Cook, Apple chief executive, defended the technology group’s tax practices and denied it was engaged in massive tax avoidance schemes

Andy Carroll withdraws from the England squad for the friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil.

Blow to Italy underlines the attractiveness of the UK’s increasingly light corporate tax regime

US stocks reach fresh record highs as investors await further clues on the outlook for monetary policy from the Federal Reserve chairman

German software group wants to tap into a new talent pool by hiring hundreds of people with the condition to programme and test its ­products

The successor to the Xbox 360 represents Microsoft’s bid to be the favoured content provider in the living room against competition

Facebook fatigue manifesting as move by teenagers to set up extra accounts on rival sites to avoid parents’ scrutiny, according to Pew Research Centre

Timing ideal for chancellor at loggerheads with fund economists but officials do not think data will silence calls for him to ease deficit reduction

Sean O'Brien could be back in contention to play for Leinster in Saturday's Pro12 final against Ulster in Dublin.

Oil group aims to stop what it believes are unjustified compensation payments under the settlement it agreed with victims of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill

Romania defender Razvan Rat will join West Ham on a free transfer when his Shakhtar Donetsk deal expires on 1 July.

Guardian Council bans Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, an ally of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, from participating