Meat workers abused, inquiry finds

Agency and migrant workers employed by meat and poultry firms suffer "mistreatment and exploitation", an official inquiry has revealed.

Read Full Story

Have Your Shout

Union: BA must end 'needless war'

Union bosses have urged British Airways to end the "needless war against its own workforce" as the row over cost-cutting continued after the announcement of seven days of strikes by cabin crew.

Read Full Story

Have Your Shout

Clegg calls for Afghan judgment

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has called for a judgment on Britain's commitment to the war in Afghanistan "pretty quickly" after the general election.

Read Full Story

Have Your Shout

Get posting in the Star Forums!

You can join the debate and post your own views in the lively Daily Star Forums!

ENDEAVOUR HEADS TO SPACE STATION

ABOVE: Space shuttle Endeavour on pad 39A at Kennedy Space Centre (AP)

8th February 2010

Endeavour and six astronauts have rocketed into orbit on what is expected to be the last night-time launch for the shuttle programme.

The mission includes hauling up a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station.

The space shuttle took flight before dawn, with the weather cooperating at the last minute - Sunday morning's try was thwarted by thick, low clouds that returned and almost caused another delay.

Endeavour's destination - the Space Station, home to five men - was soaring over Romania at the time of lift-off. The shuttle is set to arrive at the station early on Wednesday.

Commander George Zamka and his crew will deliver and install Tranquility, a new room that will eventually house life-support equipment, exercise machines and a toilet, as well as a seven-windowed dome. The lookout has the biggest window ever sent into space - a circle 31 inches across. It will be the last major construction job at the Space Station. No more big pieces like that are left to fly.

Both the new room and dome - together exceeding 400 million dollars (£256 million) - were supplied by the European Space Agency.

Monday morning's countdown ended up being uneventful, except for a last-minute run to the launch pad. Astronaut Stephen Robinson forgot the binder holding all his flight data files, and the emergency red team had to rush it out to him, just before he climbed aboard.

The 13-day shuttle mission comes at one of the most agonising times for Nasa. Exactly one week ago, the space agency finally got its marching orders from President Barack Obama - ditch the back-to-the-moon Constellation programme and its Ares rockets, and pack on the research for an as-yet-unspecified rocket and destination.

The Space Station came out a winner in the Obama plan. The President's budget would keep the outpost flying until at least 2020 - a major extension.

The four remaining shuttle flights to the station - in March, May, July and September - have daytime departures, at least for now. A significant delay could bump any of the launches into darkness. Nasa has Mr Obama's permission to bump a mission or two into 2011 if safety needs arise.