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A previously unseen letter by Jane Austen in which she first writes about Pride And Prejudice has gone on public display for the first time. The double folded sheet, sent by Austen to her sister Cassandra in January 1799, makes reference to the novel - 14 years before it was first...

Britain is to establish its first permanent military base in the Middle East since it formally withdrew from the region in 1971. The base, at the Mina Salman Port in Bahrain, will host ships including destroyers and aircraft carriers. The UK said it was an "expansion of the Royal Navy's...

Oliver Cromwell remains an intensely controversial figure - the subject of ongoing debate. But what was it like to be a woman at that time, and especially to be the Lady Protectress - wife of the Lord Protector himself, asks Samira Ahmed. Elizabeth: Oliver Cromwell's 'queen' 5 December...

The new James Bond film is to be called Spectre. British director Sam Mendes revealed the title at a launch event at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, where principal photography is due to begin on Monday. Daniel Craig will play 007 for the fourth time in the film, to be released in the...

In his annual Autumn Statement yesterday, Chancellor of the Exchequer (Minister of Finance) George Osborne announced to the Commons that Britain has been chosen by Esa to lead Europe's mission to search for life on Mars. Some £95 million will be invested in European Space Agency programmes...

These stunning photographs reveal the standing stones of Stenness in all their glory. The stones were erected 5,000 years ago way up on Orkney and they form what is probably the oldest henge monument in the UK, around 2,500 years older than even Stonehenge seven hundred miles to the south. The...

He may have proved a natural at sealing big-money deals to raise money for charity, but Prince Harry discovered there is one thing he will never share with City brokers - an Essex accent. The Prince personally raised tens of thousands of pounds by persuading brokers to increase...

Plans to build a spectacular garden bridge over the River Thames in London are a step closer after Westminster City Council approved planning permission. The £175m footbridge would link Temple with the Southbank, but has been criticised over its location and cost. Westminster councillors...

A map created using geophysical ground-penetrating scanners of the mighty Old Sarum Iron Age hill fort near the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire has revealed a series of houses and a courtyard believed to be the remains of a royal palace. The map was created using geophysical ground-penetrating...

Twenty Anglo-Saxon skeletons that have been found on a proposed building site in Suffolk may have connections with the royal family, archaeologists believe. The remains were found at Exning alongside a host of jewellery, brooches, a glass bowl, weapons and beads, which experts believe points...

When he's not co-presenting the world's most-watched factual TV series, Top Gear's Richard Hammond is presenting science documentaries. His latest - Wild Weather with Richard Hammond - started last night on BBC One. The new, three-part series will see Hamster travelling the world to look at...

An Israeli cricket umpire has died after being hit by a ball during a league match in the city of Ashdod, the Israel Cricket Association has announced. Former national team captain Hillel Oscar was officiating in the game between Young Ashdod and Super Lions Lod when he was struck below...

Brazil football legend Pele has played down health fears by telling his fans: "I'm fine." Pele, 74, who is a national hero in his native Brazil, winning the World Cup with his country THREE times in 1958, 1962 and 1970, eased fears that his health deteriorated while being treated for a urinary...