Personal finance

News headlines at 02:36

Poll boost for Brown as Tories drop
Gordon Brown has been boosted by a poll suggesting the Tories' lead has been slashed.

Archbishop and Pope meet in Rome
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Pope have agreed to "consolidate" the relationship between their two churches.

Row over Remembrance Day photo-ops
Gordon Brown and David Cameron have apologised after suggestions that they competed for photo opportunities at a Remembrance Day service attended by the Queen, it has been revealed.

10 pregnant servicewomen sent home
Ten British servicewomen on operations in Afghanistan have been sent back to the UK in the past six months after falling pregnant.

Death of canoeist in flooded river
A canoeist pulled from a river during Saturday's stormy conditions has died, the fire service said.

Car fire alert at policing board HQ
A car has ignited close to the Policing Board headquarters in Belfast, police said.

Vaccine call over 'new' swine flu
People in Wales at risk of contracting swine flu have been urged to get vaccinated against the virus after it emerged five people have been diagnosed with a strain resistant to Tamiflu.

Death bridge 'structurally sound'
A bridge which collapsed sending a policeman tumbling to his death in a swollen river was inspected last year and found to be "structurally sound", a council said.

No cuts in NHS maternity, poll told
Two out of three people in England believe maternity services should be spared from NHS spending cuts, according to a poll.

£1 million pledged to flood victims
Gordon Brown has pledged an extra £1 million of Government money to help flood-hit communities in Cumbria after the heaviest rainfall since records began flooded houses, swept away bridges and claimed the life of a policeman.