Alessandra Mussolini is campaigning for children in Italy to be able to keep their mother’s surname.

Rather than wishing to conceal her links to the past, the granddaughter of Italy’s wartime fascist leader wanted her own children to carry the same infamous name.

Many modern couples now opt to give their children double-barrelled names – perhaps the most high-profile example being Shiloh Nouvel Jolie Pitt, the new born daughter of Brad and Angelina.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 68

The anniversary of Magna Carta has been named as the surprise choice for a new national day to celebrate Britishness following a poll of 5,000 people.

June 15 - the date of the charter of 1215 which curbed the monarch's power and gave ordinary people rights under common law - outpolled VE Day, Churchill's birthday and the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.

The survey was carried out after the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, proposed the idea of celebrating a national day.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 163

A new poll suggests that support for animal testing is at an all-time high in the UK, and that 77 per cent of Britons believe it is fair to describe some animal rights activists as terrorists.

Seventy per cent of those who took part in the YouGov poll said they backed live medical experiments on animals. In addition, 76 per cent said the Government should provide additional support and protection for those involved in live animal testing.

The results suggest that the extreme tactics used by some anti-vivisection campaigners have backfired.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 203

A study involving 7,000 women has provided fresh evidence that stress during pregnancy affects the health of developing babies.

It found that babies born to these women were five ounces lighter than the average birth weight - the same as those of pregnant smokers. It also revealed that mothers suffering from stress were more likely to have babies that cried excessively.

The results have led the man in charge of the research to call on pregnant women to work no more than 24 hours a week.

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Posted at: 00:05 | Permalink | Comments 24

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Prince Philip has disclosed that he detests Olympic opening and closing ceremonies so much that he thinks they should be banned.

"[They] are absolute bloody nuisances," he says. "I have been to one that was absolutely appallingly awful."

In addition to the spectacle, there is also the vast cost to be considered, with an estimated $106m spent on the opening of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 108

Sir Menzies Campbell has been talking tough on law and order in an effort to distance the Liberal Democrats from the soft approach of the Charles Kennedy era. But doubts are growing over whether the Lib Dem leader is himself tough enough to reverse his party's fortunes.

The Lib Dem leader has been criticised for his failure to make significant gains in recent local elections, and for his seeming inability to draw blood in Prime Minister's Questions.

Sir Menzies has defended himself on the second point, saying his performance was "a work in progress" and insisting: "If Prime Minister's Questions were the only test of political leadership in this country, William Hague would still be leading the Conservative Party and, who knows, might even be Prime Minister."

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 14

Sixteen colossal prop forwards, collectively weighing as much as two tons, charge headfirst into one another. Mud flies. Men vanish in a tangle of flailing limbs, as the players heave and churn in a furious bid to seize possession of an inflated leather ellipsoid.

The contested scrum is one of the most celebrated sights in rugby union. Yet a leading surgeon has called for the practice to be banned.

"It's a question of safety," said James Bourke, consultant general surgeon at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham and club doctor to Nottingham RFC for 30 years. "I originally subscribed to contested scrums but, having experienced the consequences of two young men needing to be in wheelchairs as a result of collapsed scrums, I have been forced to change my view."

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Posted at: 11:07 | Permalink | Comments 89

With 99pc of servicewomen claiming they have been sexually harassed and over two thirds experiencing "sexualised behaviour", Defence Secretary Des Browne has pledged to tackle the problem with a new "action plan".

The Defence Chief of Staff, Sir Jock Stirrup, insists the reaction to a report by the Equal Opportunities Commission is not about political correctness, stating, "our success as armed forces depends fundamentally on respect and trust, and anything that weakens those bonds weakens us as a fighting force".

There are 18,000 women serving in the military, although some positions remain out of bounds.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 50

The government has finally laid out its plans to overhaul the pensions system, proposing to gradually raise the state retirement age to 68 and re-link state pensions to average earnings.

In a bid to encourage people to save more for their retirement, the government will introduce a National Pension Savings Scheme. All employees will be automatically enrolled, but will then have the chance to opt out.

The state pension will be made more generous, while the number of years it takes for people to qualify for it will be cut to 30.

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Posted at: 13:50 | Permalink | Comments 26

As university students prepare to sit exams over the next few weeks, uncertainty continues to grow as to whether they will actually graduate this year. After initially supporting their lecturers, students in Plymouth have demonstrated in favour of ending the dispute as fears for their future careers mount.

Vice-Chancellors are due to meet with representatives from the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education today in a bid to bring the dispute to a speedy conclusion.

But with lecturers steadfast, demanding a 23 per cent pay increase, and universities claiming that anything more than a 12.6 per cent increase will result in redundancies, the pressure is on for a compromise.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 41

Divorce is in the spotlight: law lords have ruled in favour of two ex-wives in a multi-million pounds landmark case, while Heather Mills could gain £200m after separating from Paul McCartney.

The former Beatle, who felt it would be "unromantic" to sign a pre-nuptial agreement, may reportedly have to pay out a quarter of his fortune after just four years of marriage.

In a separate significant case, The House of Lords ruled that Melissa Miller can keep the £5 million she was awarded out of the £17.5 million fortune of her husband Alan.

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Posted at: 13:50 | Permalink | Comments 162

One of the fixtures of parliamentary life was demolished on Monday night when the wall of placards erected opposite the House of Commons by the peace campaigner Brian Haw was torn down.

Its removal, involving 20 officers from the Metropolitan Police, followed the campaigner's decision to ignore a notice issued under the new Serious Organised Crime and Police Act requiring him to limit his protest to just 10 feet of pavement in Parliament Square.

Why all the fuss?

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 52

Prince Charles has ruffled feathers in the medical world by advocating the use of alternative therapies to a gathering of foreign health ministers in Geneva.

His comments come only a day after a group of British scientists heavily criticized state funding of complimentary medicine, advising the NHS to avoid "unproven or disproved treatments."

Therapies including osteopathy, acupuncture, aromatherapy and homoeopathy are currently provided free of charge for certain conditions.

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Posted at: 14:30 | Permalink | Comments 75

Drug addicts should be allowed to take heroin and other banned substances in legalised rooms run by the Government, according to an independent group chaired by Andy Hyman, chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers' drugs committee.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation's report argues that supervised drug use will help reduce drug related deaths and diseases.

However, think-tank Civitas claims this is legalising drugs through the back door.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 73

An evangelical group has devised a course to help Christian students resist the pressure to lose their virginity amid the alcohol-fuelled debauchery of student life.

In a culture where condoms are handed out for free and freshers week is apparently “all about who can have the most sex,” the course aims to give students the moral firepower to just say no – at least until they are married.

A similar scheme in the United States, the Silver Ring Thing, saw thousands of devout adolescents pledge to remain chaste. However, research from Harvard showed more than half of them lapsed within a year.

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Posted at: 16:20 | Permalink | Comments 32

Tony Blair paid a surprise visit to Baghdad as a wave of violence heralded the formation of a new Iraqi government.

UK troops still face unrelenting danger in Iraq, three years after the US-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein. Over one hundred have lost their lives and there is as yet no clear timetable for a withdrawal.

A senior British official traveling with Mr Blair said the withdrawal of the present multi-national force should be accomplished within four years – though he stressed there were no fixed dates for the repatriation of British troops.

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Posted at: 11:40 | Permalink | Comments 69

Rising alcohol strength in wine is spurring the arrival of "reduced-alcohol" alternatives aimed mainly at women.

The new wines use grapes picked as early as possible in the season to cut sugar levels, and hence calories and alcohol by volume.

However, reduced-alcohol wines have been accused of diluting taste along with the alcohol.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 28

Victims of crime could be given a say on whether to free offenders from jail under controversial plans being considered by the Home Office.

John Reid, the Home Secretary, has asked officials to examine whether victims could be offered a place on the parole panels that consider applications from prisoners for early release.

Sources said Mr Reid wants to "rebalance" a system seen as slanted towards offenders at the expense of victims and the public.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 31

A German town famed for its production of synthetic scents and flavourings has created a trail throughout the town offering visitors a selection of smells chosen to represent each country competing in the World Cup.

Holzminden's olfactory celebration includes everything from mangoes (Mexico), saffron (Iran) and Chanel No 5 (France) to vodka (Poland) and beef steak (Argentina).

Somewhat surprising, England was assigned the smell of After Eight, despite the chocolate mints actually being Swiss produced since 1988.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 73

Alan Johnson, the Education Minister, has promised to stop schools serving their pupils the "rubbish that they have been given for decades".

Under new guidelines, children will not be allowed to eat more than two portions of chips a week, and must be served at least two portions of fruit and vegetables with every meal.

But is it the job of the Government - and, by extension, the taxpayer - to combat the epidemic of obesity in Britain's children?

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Posted at: 12:40 | Permalink | Comments 44

Jack Straw has derided BBC newsreaders for raking in inflated salaries while ‘prancing around the studio’ instead of soberly delivering news bulletins.

While Huw Edwards is reported to earn £250,000 a year for presenting The Ten o’clock News on BBC1, MPs must content themselves with a meagre £60,000 a year.

One politician questioned whether the salary would be enough to attract able new MPs, claiming it was 20 per cent behind comparable groups outside Parliament. The Telegraph has suggested that MPs should settle for the average national wage, which is about £22,000.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 47

Councils in rural areas could get veto powers to stop properties being snapped up as second homes, a trend which is pricing local people out of the market and creating ‘ghost towns’.

In coastal villages such as Lindisfarne, in Northumbria, 55 percent of houses are holiday homes and the school closed down because it had no children.

The Affordable Rural Housing Commission has put forward several proposals to remedy the situation, including extracting a “local impact tax” from second-home owners.

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Posted at: 00:01 | Permalink | Comments 72

Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills McCartney have announced that they are separating after four years of marriage.

They said they had agreed to split after finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a normal relationship in the glare of the public eye.

A statement from the couple added: "Having tried exceptionally hard to make our relationship work given the daily pressures surrounding us, it is with sadness that we have decided to go our separate ways."

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Posted at: 14:52 | Permalink | Comments 60

Tony Blair has told business leaders that a new generation of nuclear power stations will have to be built to meet energy needs and avoid dependence on foreign imports.

Fuel is in focus after a winter of soaring gas prices, with the government’s own widely-anticipated energy review due at the end of July.

The prime minister claims that if current policy remains unchanged, by 2025 Britain will have moved from being 80-90 per cent self-reliant in gas to 80-90 per cent dependent on imports, mostly from the Middle East, Africa and Russia.

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Posted at: 00:05 | Permalink | Comments 92

The FTSE 100 has just suffered its largest two-day loss in three years. The dollar is weakening rapidly, risking global stability, a speculative bubble has blown up in the commodities market, and inflation may be rearing its head again - raising the prospect of higher interest rates that could slam the brakes on growth.

However, current economic fundamentals are fairly good. Unemployment in both the US and UK is near historic lows, debt is still affordable, and the stupendous growth of China and India have added a new dimension to the current bull run. Companies are not as expensive as they have been in the past, on price-earnings valuations, and bid speculation may keep the FTSE ticking along.

So, has the market reached its peak, and is it all downhill from here? Or is the decline a temporary correction and a good buying opportunity?

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Posted at: 00:05 | Permalink | Comments 35

After weeks of criticism on the growing impact of human rights legislation, Tony Blair has admitted that his government has failed to produce a criminal justice system that people can trust.

The Prime Minister lamented the "lack of respect" in society and said there needed to be a "profound rebalancing" of the civil liberties debate.

His speech follows on the heels of a High Court ruling that nine Afghan hijackers should be allowed to stay in the UK, along with widespread public outrage after an inquiry condemned the early release of convicted rapist Anthony Rice, who went on to kill Naomi Bryant, 40.

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Posted at: 10:00 | Permalink | Comments 176

The Ministry of Defence is considering bringing old, low-speed Sea King helicopters into action in Iraq and Afghanistan because of a shortfall in more modern craft.

Outraged servicemen claim the move would turn them into ‘sitting ducks’ in a relentlessly hostile environment. Tensions are running high after a helicopter crash in southern Iraq killed five only a week ago.

Do you think the Ministry of Defence should contemplate cost cuts that further endanger the lives of British soldiers? Would you be prepared to pay more tax to ensure the army is properly equipped?

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Posted at: 10:00 | Permalink | Comments 54

Nisha Patel-Nasri, a special constable from Wembley, north west London, has become the latest police officer to be killed in the line of duty.

A successful hairdresser, she gave up her spare time to help protect her community, but ended up paying the ultimate price.

Last November WPc Sharon Beshenivsky, 38, was shot and killed on her youngest daughter's fourth birthday as she arrived at a raid in a travel agent's shop in Bradford. Her colleague WPc Teresa Milburn, 37, was seriously injured in the same incident.

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Posted at: 10:00 | Permalink | Comments 145

Clashes over an attempt to allow the terminally ill to end their lives have begun in the House of Lords.

Crossbencher Lord Joffe told peers that patients should not be forced to endure unbearable pain "for the good of society as a whole".

His Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill would allow doctors to prescribe drugs that a patient suffering terrible pain could take to end his or her own life.

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Posted at: 12:50 | Permalink | Comments 65

A Christian group has created scratch cards to help people sort out Biblical fact from fiction as hysteria mounts in the run-up to the film version of Dan Brown’s controversial and ubiquitous thriller, The Da Vinci code.

But does anyone really believe in the book’s conspiracy theory?

Dan Brown’s plot revolves around the premise that Jesus did not die on the cross, but survived and had children with Mary Magdalene to form a bloodline that survives to this day. The church is portrayed as colluding with a murderous sect in order to hide the truth, subjugate women and wield political power.

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Posted at: 10:00 | Permalink | Comments 237

Cheese-makers have created a perfume that evokes the smell of Stilton, describing it somewhat improbably as “eminently wearable.”

Would you be prepared to give cheese a chance? The makers promise “a symphony of natural base notes including yarrow, angelica seed, clary sage and valerian.” Perhaps this would be a welcome change from roses and sandalwood.

Would you be happy to share public transport with someone smelling of Stilton? Might this in fact be an improvement from the current situation?

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Posted at: 17:00 | Permalink | Comments 15

An official inquiry reported yesterday that a man who was released from prison only to kill again should never have been set free. He was freed, the inquiry said, because his "human rights" were put ahead of public safety.

Meanwhile, the High Court ruled yesterday that nine Afghan asylum seekers, who hijacked a plane at gunpoint to reach Britain, should be allowed to remain in the country. The court said that to deny the men the right to remain would be a breach of their human rights.

A leading article in the Daily Telegraph today argues that it is time to repeal the Human Rights Act of 1998 and rethink this country's commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Posted at: 09:50 | Permalink | Comments 116

As a new survey shows Tony Blair is the most unpopular Prime Minister of modern times, it is clear that it is not a case of if he will go, but when.

Gordon Brown, who has called for a orderly succession of power, is Mr Blair's nominated successor and seen by many as the man who can heal Labour's current divisions.

As Chancellor, he has presided over a strong economy, and his policies include giving the Bank of England independence and high levels of government borrowing.

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Posted at: 11:05 | Permalink | Comments 140

Another iconic British brand will now be manufactured abroad, after the makers of HP Sauce announced they are moving production of the table sauce from Birmingham to Holland.

The proposals, which would result in the loss of 125 jobs, make HP the latest in a long line of employers to decide that the grass is greener overseas.

To name but a few examples, Abbey National is now Spanish-owned, Germany's BMW makes the Mini, and Spanish infrastructure giant Grupo Ferrovial is bidding for control of Britain's airport operator BAA.

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Posted at: 09:35 | Permalink | Comments 49

David Blaine has failed to break the world record for holding his breath underwater, his latest high-profile and lucrative stunt.

Yet his fans in New York and across the world still see him a messiah among magicians. What do you think?

Mr Blaine fell unconscious in today’s attempt and shed four stone when he starved himself for 44 days inside a perspex box suspended above the River Thames three years ago. He has also spent 61 hours encased in a block of ice as well as one week buried in a coffin. Do you think he is couragous?

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Posted at: 00:20 | Permalink | Comments 87

On the day Sven-Goran Eriksson shocked football with the inclusion in his World Cup squad of a 17-year-old striker he's never even seen play, a new survey told fans what we've all known for decades - we have the worst yobs in Europe.

The study, backed by the Jill Dando Institute, found that most people in the biggest EU states believed the problem was worse in Britain than anywhere and blamed drunkeness and lack of discipline in homes and schools. It follows news that 1,000 of England's worst hooligans will be free to travel to Germany after banning orders expired.

But with a relatively good record at recent tournaments and a prediction from the Manchester police chief heading the English policing operation in Germany that the tournament could bury our fans' hooligan image for good, are we being pessimistic?

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Posted at: 00:20 | Permalink | Comments 16

Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written a historic letter to George W Bush, the US president, outlining plans to resolve "the current vulnerable situation in the world".

The letter, which is believed to be the first from an Iranian president to an American leader since the Iranian revolution in 1979, has aroused huge interest as it comes as the two countries remain at loggerheads over Iran's nuclear development programme.

An International Atomic Energy Agency report last week concluded that Iran had defied its calls to suspend its nuclear activities. America wants the United Nations Security Council to step up the pressure on Iran but faces opposition from Beijing and Moscow.

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Posted at: 00:20 | Permalink | Comments 132

A group of Labour MPs has called on Tony Blair to arrange a "dignified, orderly and efficient" transition to a new leader, while Gordon Brown has, in effect, called on Blair to name the date for a transfer of power – presumably to himself.

Blair has refused to bow to the pressure, and his aides have indicated that those who are seeking to oust the prime minister want to put New Labour reforms into reverse.

What is the point of Blair hanging on to power? Should the prime minister quit now to defuse the war that’s ripping New Labour apart? Or would his departure lead to the return of Old Labour’s tax-and-spend habits?

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Posted at: 00:20 | Permalink | Comments 124

The House of Lords on Friday will hear the second reading of a Bill that, if passed, would enable patients to "receive medical assistance to die." Each year, about 650 terminally ill people would elect to die, according to supporters of the Bill.

But opponents say that it will create a "Shipman’s charter." As Danny Kruger argues in today’s Daily Telegraph, "the doctor becomes God."

But is it right that terminally ill people should be deprived of the right to call an end to their own lives? What are the risks associated will allowing euthanasia, and will it lead to pressure on the elderly to end their lives?

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Posted at: 00:02 | Permalink | Comments 22

Local Elections factfile

As the dust settles from yesterday's local elections, it is clear that Labour have taken a battering at the ballot box.

At the time of writing, it appears that Labour have lost around 250 councillors. A poor showing to be sure but not as bad as the worst case scenario predicted by Robert Waller in Telegraph recently.

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Posted at: 10:21 | Permalink | Comments 109

63-year old Dr Patricia Rashbrook is soon to become Britain’s oldest mother after receiving treatment from a controversial fertility expert.

Given that she will be over 80 by the time her child turns 18, do you think she was wrong to seek this pregnancy?

Women are increasingly postponing the decision to start a family, citing the need to establish a career or simply make the most of their youth and freedom. Are they leaving it too late? What age do you think is ‘too old’ to have a child? Should it be illegal to offer fertility treatment to women beyond a certain cut-off point?

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Posted at: 14:55 | Permalink | Comments 90

Alec Russell's blog

Zacarias Moussaoui, the only man convicted of a role in the September 11 terrorist attacks on America, will be sentenced to life in prison after a jury decided not to vote for his execution.

The defence had argued that executing Moussauoi would make him a martyr and play into the hands of al-Qa'eda. However the jury said this was not a factor in their decision.

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Posted at: 10:43 | Permalink | Comments 60

Tony Blair has mounted a staunch defence of Labour's achievements as he battles to deflect attention from a string of devastating headlines, but his critics hope these words will prove to be a swan song.

With Home Secretary Charles Clarke still enmired in the foreign prisoners debacle, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott still causing blushes and dire predictions for a Labour disaster in the local elections, is it time for Mr. Blair to go?

Despite the Prime Minister's impassioned appeal to voters not to allow nine days' headlines to "obscure nine years of achievement," some MPs fear that Labour may lose more than 200 council seats and be relegated to third place behind the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

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Posted at: 12:04 | Permalink | Comments 138