AP The giant Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) magnet is placed underground in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) accelerator at CERN, the European Particle Physics laboratory, in Cressy near Geneva, France.  PARIS — Scientists behind the European particle collider aimed at uncovering the secrets of the universe pushed Monday to build an even bigger machine — [...]

Cuts to the local structures capable of delivering David Cameron’s ‘big society’ pose a threat to the plan, say charity chiefs. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/PA Wire Thousands of small community-based charities expected to help deliver David Cameron’s “big society” idea are facing potentially devastating cuts, leaving some under threat of closure, and putting services to some [...]

Conservative donor Andrew Cook has admitted he wanted to invest in Sheffield Forgemasters. Photograph: John Giles/PA The first sleaze row of the new government deepened today when a millionaire Tory donor, who successfully lobbied for the cancellation of a government loan to a promising engineering company, admitted he had wanted to invest in it himself. [...]

Pimco, the world’s largest asset manager, is now optimistic about investing in UK bonds, despite talk of a possible downgrade in British debt – but then its co-founder Bill Gross, above, has been fiercely critical of ratings agencies. Pimco, the world’s biggest bond investor, has turned bullish about Britain, reversing its position in January, when [...]