Women will have the right to fully paid maternity leave for 18 weeks after birth, under a new plan to be unveiled today by the European Commission.

National Grid has given warning that there could be further sharp rises in electricity prices this winter amid mounting fears that Britain is facing a supply squeeze.

Google will use its clout as the world’s biggest internet company to lobby for policy change on alternative energy. The group has already invested $45 million (£25.5 million) backing start-up companies that are trying to develop wind, solar and geothermal technologies. The investment has been made through Google.org. its philanthropic arm.

A dispute broke out yesterday over exactly what levels of melamine are acceptable in food after Taiwan told Swiss food group Nestlé to take two of its milk powder brands off supermarket shelves.

The UK government has been urged to fund the next stage of a major European programme to monitor the effects of global climate change from space.

Drax, Britain's biggest coal-fired power station, said yesterday it had bought equipment that will cut its carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2.5m tonnes a year.

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