The HS2 phase two would virtually halve journey times between Birmingham and Manchester - to 41 minutes - and between London and Manchester from two hours and eight minutes to one hour and eight minutes.

BBC: HS2 legislation outlined in Queen's Speech

The Department for Transport said that HS2 phase two would virtually halve journey times between Birmingham and Manchester - to 41 minutes - and between London and Manchester from two hours and eight minutes to one hour and eight minutes.

BBC: HS2: High-speed rail route phase two details announced

Two UK development agencies, Tearfund and WaterAid, said the agreement to halve the number of people without access to sanitation was "the first milestone in a long fight to halt the millions of deaths caused by preventable disease".

BBC: Faint praise for faltering summit

This happens during the production of sex cells, and its effect is to halve the number of chromosomes in a cell (the number returns to normal when two sex cells combine during fertilisation).

ECONOMIST: Genetic engineering

Prof Kevin McConway, a statistician at the Open University said, based on the findings, if Newcastle were to halve its current particulate air pollution level it would lead to two or three fewer low weight babies out of the total 3, 500 or so born in the city each year.

BBC: Traffic fumes linked to lower birth weight

In Ipswich, two-thirds of off licences have taken the products off their shelves, which police say has helped to halve drink-related street crime.

BBC: Street drinker