Olympics stunned by murder of American coach’s relative
A seemingly random murder of an American has marred the atmosphere in Beijing. Todd Bachman, a relative of the US volleyball coach, was stabbed to death and his Chinese tour guide was attacked by a 47-year-old man from South Eastern China. Beijing has drafted in an extra 100,000 police and paramilitaries to prevent larger scale trouble at the Games. (Observer)
Olympics: speedy comment, strong analysis, enduring images 
Town destroyed in Russian war with Georgia
The Georgian town of Gori has been devastated in an escalation of the conflict between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway province South Ossetia. Russian air strikes were targeting a military barracks on the outskirts of Gori – they missed, wreaking widespread destruction on a residential area, with one bomb destroying a school. Russia insists that it is on a 'peacekeeping mission'. The conflict is already estimated to have cost at least 2,000 lives. (Sunday Telegraph)
Spectre of war threatens Putin's Olympics
Brown plots fuel giveaway
Gordon Brown is planning to give away around £1bn to families who receive child benefit, to help them meet rising fuel costs. More than 7 million families will be given a one-off payment of £150, in a key part of Brown's autumn fighback. Details of the scheme leaked out when a top civil servant was overheard discussing it on a train. It will be the first time that fuel rebates have been widened from pensioners to families. (Sunday Times)
The Mole: all the latest from our Westminster insider
Miliband in lobbying controversy
David Miliband has become involved in a lobbying controversy after it emerged that an energy company that had donated funds to his constituency party has been granted planning permission for a £200m power station. Helius Energy made the £4000 payment to his South Shields constituency when Miliband was a minister in John Prescott's department, which was responsible for planning policy. The lobbying firm that Helius used was run by Miliband’s constituency chairman, Alan Donnelly. (Sunday Times)
Universities to ignore top A-grades
A number of top universities are to ignore the new A-level grade, A*, as it could force them to take more pupils from independent schools. Admission committees at Oxford, Exeter, Bath and other leading universities fear that few state school pupils will achieve the new grade, and that their hands will be tied over admissions policy. Critics accuse the universities of social engineering. The first A* grades will be awarded in 2010. (Sunday Telegraph)
Allies of the Chancellor, Alistair Darling (left), have claimed that he has been 'stitched up' by Downing Street over the confusion surrounding stamp duty. They claim that the dithering comes from Gordon Brown, but has been blamed on Darling, in advance of a demotion in a forthcoming reshuffle. (Mail On Sunday)
The Mole: Darling takes the reins after an odd year
In an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival, Gordon Brown has called on communities to 'rise up' against knife crime. Talking with the novelist Ian Rankin, Brown said that it is for ordinary people to turn the tide against youths carrying knives, and also denied that Britain is a broken society, insisting that it was still mostly 'decent' and 'compassionate'. (Independent on Sunday)
A group of scientists have requested permission to plant genetically modified trees on land owned by the Forestry Commission. They argue that the trees will be protected against disease, and will yield higher quality timber – they also plan to grow poplars that produce the biofuel ethanol. Environmental campaigners fear that the trees will damage wildlife. (Sunday Telegraph)
The great organic con-trick
Owners of second homes in the sun will have to pay much more to reach their havens, as British Airways, easyJet and other operators react to the economic slowdown by cutting many of their budget European routes. Almost 60 routes will be scrapped this winter, and around 3,000 fewer flights are expected. (Sunday Times)
Around 50 protesters were arrested yesterday as they attempted to shut down Kingsnorth power station in Kent, which is to be expanded. Around 1,500 people took part on the day of direct action and marches – they were evenly matched by police officers who used batons, horses, dogs and helicopters to rein them in. (Observer)
Pros and cons: nuclear power
Sir Mark Thatcher received up to £300,000 a year to promote an oil company operating in Kazakhstan, and was expected to enhance the image of the country's despotic regime. In 2004 Thatcher met the Kazakh president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, and brought along a letter from his mother, expressing support for his government. (Sunday Times)
People: Simon Mann points the finger at Thatcher
South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Harare yesterday to help forge the power-sharing deal between President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai. He has already been involved in two weeks of secretive negotiations in South Africa. It is expected that the deal will leave Mugabe as a merely ceremonial president. (Observer)
Zimbabwe Today: all the latest from our man in Harare
Controversy is raging in France following President Sarkozy's decision to allow his glamorous wife, Carla Bruni, to represent him in a meeting with the Dalai Lama (left), when a new Buddhist temple opens in France this month. He is being accused of pandering to Chinese interests by sending his wife in his place. (Sunday Times)
People: Bruni sees herself as heir to Jackie Onassis
Tibetans' Olympian struggle
The Chinese authorities have ordered British scientists to close a website monitoring air quality in Beijing, after its readings clashed with official statistics. The team from Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants were working on a project funded by the European Space Agency. Access to their site was restricted in the run up to the games and then closed on Friday. (Sunday Telegraph)
Seven ways the Olympics could go wrong
Olympics 2008: how China plans to control the weather
BAE Systems is in talks with Saudi Arabia over a new arms deal. The plan to sell the country dozens more Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft has been facilitated by last month's controversial House of Lords decision to force the Serious Fraud Office to suspend an investigation into alleged bribery surrounding a previous Saudi arms deal. (Sunday Times)
People: will Powell reveal the Prince's secrets?
The CBI will this week change its tune on the economy and warn members that the economy is deteriorating fast. In June Richard Lambert (left), the CBI's director-general, was fairly upbeat, bit now he writes that the mood has 'darkened' in the last few months, and that growth prospects for the next two years look 'anaemic'. (Observer)
America's parcel delivery giant UPS is plotting a $10bn bid for Dutch rival TNT, which could bring about consolidation in the sector. The industry has been hard hit by rising fuel prices, which makes a deal more likely. TNT is one of Royal Mail's biggest competitors in Britain. (Sunday Telegraph)
William and Ffion Hague (left) are the literary stars of Westmister. An all-party MPs' poll puts Ffion's book about Lloyd George's love life top of the summer reading lists - and her husband's latest book, a biography of Wilberforce, comes in third. Cherie Blair's autobiography was being read by just one Labour MP. (Sunday Telegraph)
People: Judge calls for Cherie to be dismissed
Popcorn's grip on cinema snacking may be at an end, as a growing number of cinemas have got tired of the mess and smell. An art-house chain is to start popcorn-free screenings, for those who are sniffy about the snack, and another chain, based in Hampstead, is banning it altogether. (Observer)
Britain's leading contemporary dance companies have protested at stringent new Home Office rules that will make it very difficult for dancers from outside the EU to perform in the UK. Only classically trained ballet dancers will be exempt from new regulations restricting performers' rights. West End shows such as The Lion King will be hit by the new rules. (Independent on Sunday)
People: ballet director savages Covent Garden from the grave
