Brown faces ‘green’ car tax rebellion
Gordon Brown is facing a fresh tax rebellion as Labour MPs demand the repeal of a £200 increase in vehicle excise duty on environmentally unfriendly cars purchased in the past seven years. As lorry
drivers prepare to stage a slow-moving protest through London today against rising fuel duties, a ministerial... [continued]
The Mole: The First Post's Westminster insider 
Viking vehicles fears after new Afghan death
A British serviceman has been killed in southern Afghanistan when his Viking vehicle (pictured) was caught in a blast. Two other soldiers were injured. The death brings the number of British
personnel killed in Afghanistan to 97. There are growing concerns over the vulnerability of the Viking to mines;... [continued]
News in Pictures: Afghanistan
What's the US strategy in Afghanistan?
Obama calls for rethink with UK
Barack Obama has called for the relationship between the US and the UK to be "recalibrated" to make it a fairer, more equal partnership. He made the remarks in a telephone address to a fundraising
event attended by American expatriates in London. Obama has long been seen by British officials... [continued]
US election: latest news and analysis
UN sex abuse scandals unchecked
Sexual abuse of children as young as six by aid workers and United Nations peacekeepers has continued unchecked despite repeated promises to stamp it out, according to a 12-month investigation. More than half of the children interviewed in Ivory Coast, South Sudan and Haiti knew of... [continued]
MPs demand £23K tax-free grants
MPs hope to stop details of their expense claims being made public by changing the system so that they do not have to submit receipts. Days after the High Court ordered the publication of every receipt submitted by MPs, a committee reviewing parliamentary expenses is proposing that they should... [continued]
Divers blamed for shark ordeal
Doubt has been cast over a British tourist’s account of how he and his girlfriend were apparently abandoned by a dive boat on the Great Barrier Reef, spending a terrifying night in shark-infested waters. Richard Neely and his partner survived nearly 20 hours in the water. The couple said they... [continued]
Siemens boss admits to slush funds
A former senior manager at Siemens yesterday admitted building up an elaborate system of slush funds and shell firms at the request of his superiors to help Europe's biggest technology group win overseas contracts through bribes. Reinhard Siekaczek told a Munich court how managers signed off "commissions" on yellow Post-It... [continued]
EU challenges US over biofuels
Peter Mandelson, the European commissioner, has fired the first salvo in a potential transatlantic trade war by agreeing to challenge the US over its biofuel subsidies, which are chasing British and continental firms out of business. It is alleged that subsidies amounting to 11p a litre on B99 exports from... [continued]
