Mandelson ‘dripped pure poison’ about Brown just weeks ago
Peter Mandelson, the new Business Secretary, says he is "joined at the hip" with Gordon Brown, though a senior Tory claimed Mandelson "dripped pure poison" about the PM just weeks ago. In his first interviews since leaving office as the UK's EU trade commissioner, Mandelson said his relationship with Brown had been "prickly" in the past but they had never lost their friendship. He said the claim that he had recently spoken "poison" to an un-named senior Conservative about Brown was "baseless fiction". (Observer, Sunday Times)
In pictures: Mandy's back 
The Mole: Mandelson’s return is bound to get the whisperers going again
OJ Simpson guilty of kidnap and robbery
Thirteen years after he was acquitted of the murder of his wife and her friend, American sportsman OJ Simpson has been found guilty on 12 charges relating to a bizarre robbery in Las Vegas. The 61-year-old former American football star could spend the rest of his life in jail after a Nevada jury decided he was guilty of offences including armed robbery and kidnapping. As he was led away in handcuffs, his sister Carmelita Durio collapsed in the courtroom. Simpson's lawyers will appeal the verdict. (Sunday Telegraph)
Last trial of celebrity crime reporter Dominick Dunne
In pictures: OJ Simpson back in handcuffs
Brown urges EU aid for businesses
Gordon Brown has urged EU leaders to release £12bn of emergency aid from the European Investment Bank to small businesses. Speaking in Paris at a mini-summit hastily convened by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Brown said the funds were required immediately. However, Germany quickly made clear its total opposition to state bail-outs for struggling banks, with chancellor Angela Merkel saying: "Those who have caused the damage must contribute to the solution." (Observer)
Brown is to blame for banking collapse
Euro federalists see opportunity in credit crunch
Antonia Quirke watches the news shows on the financial crisis
War against Taliban ‘can’t be won’
Britain's most senior military commander in Afghanistan says the war against the Taliban cannot be won. Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith says the British public should not expect a "decisive military victory", but that a negotiated settlement is more realistic. Carleton-Smith, commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade said: "We're not going to win this war. It's about reducing it to a manageable level of insurgency that's not a strategic threat and can be managed by the Afghan army." (Sunday Times)
Matthew Carr: Laughable to see Afghanistan as the winnable front of the war on terror
Winter power shortages feared
Safety concerns and failures mean that six of the UK's 10 nuclear power plants are closed or operating below capacity, leading to fears that the country will be hit by power shortages this winter, it has emerged. Of the four which are still in good working order, one is due to close in two years, one is partially closed for maintenance and a third is facing safety questions after flaws were found in similar reactors in Japan. Nuclear power is supposed to supply the UK with one fifth of the electricity it uses. (Independent on Sunday)
Economic forecasters have lowered their expectations of growth for the UK, and say the country faces a long and deep recession with unemployment rising by up to 1m. They expect the economy to shrink for at least two consecutive quarters, the technical definition of recession. (Sunday Times)
The Government is accused of delaying a controversial decision which could see thousands more post offices closed in addition to 2,500 already scheduled for the axe until after the Glenrothes byelection. The decision is on whether the Post Office will continue to handle state pensions. (Observer)
Teachers who have sexual relationships with sixth-formers should not face criminal action, according to the head of a leading teachers' union. Chris Keates, general secretary of the union, says teachers having intercourse with pupils over the age of consent should not be listed as sex offenders. (Sunday Telegraph)
Patients suffering from "unfashionable" cancers are being neglected by scientists in spite of record spending on cancer research, according to a new report by the National Cancer Research Institute. The NCRI says some of the deadliest cancers get the least amount of public money. (Independent on Sunday)
The Government is bracing itself for a backlash when it announces full details of a £12bn plan to monitor and store the internet browsing habits, e-mails and telephone records of everyone in Britain. Up to £1bn has already been devoted to the controversial project. (Sunday Times)
The RSPCA has expressed concern after witnesses saw police in north Wales use a Taser stun gun to subdue a ram which was blocking a road. Officers said the gun had to be used because Sparky the sheep was "causing major disruption and possible danger to motorists". (Sunday Telegraph)
US Republican presidential candidate John McCain is to move to more aggressive tactics with a focus on his Democrat rival Barack Obama's character in response to opinion polls showing a shift to the Democrats. McCain plans to "turn negative" at the beginning of the coming week. (Independent on Sunday)
Alexander Cockburn: Is Palin the new Ronald Reagan?
Obama advances further in new polls
Zimbabwe is on the brink of a new crisis as fears rise that following the worst wheat harvest since the independence war - and after the systematic destruction of its farms and economy - millions are short of food. There are already reports of children dying from hunger. (Observer)
Zimbabwe Today: An ironic twist in the land grab saga
A group of Somali pirates which considers itself an unofficial "coastguard" is maintaining its standoff with the US navy. The pirates are holding a Ukrainian ship carrying Russian tanks, missile launchers and ammunition to ransom for $20m, surrounded by six American warships. (Sunday Times)
Schoolchildren are being encouraged to learn poetry by heart once again. Pupils between seven and 11 will be allowed to enter a national competition, memorising one of 12 poems listed on a BBC website by authors ranging from Wordsworth to Benjamin Zephaniah. (Sunday Times)
Scientific chef Heston Blumenthal has published a cookbook which costs £100 and weighs more than 12lb. Recipes call for ingredients including Spinalis dorsi, spray-dried carrot powder and maltodextrin DE19; while equipment needed includes a vacuum chamber and a centrifuge. (Observer)
Some leading playwrights have expressed disappointment at the wave of screen-to-stage adaptations hitting British theatres, the latest of which, Girl With a Pearl Earring opened in London's West End last week. Michael Frayn said it was a "pity" that new writing was being neglected. (Independent on Sunday)
The creditors of failed US bank Lehman Brothers have claimed in court that investment bank JP Morgan was responsible for Lehman's final collapse. According to many of its Wall Street rivals, JP Morgan froze $17bn of cash and securities belonging to Lehman on the Friday before its failure. (Sunday Times)
In pictures: The week that shook the financial world
AIG rescue and the Goldman Sachs connection
Alistair Darling is to admit for the first time this week that the credit crunch has badly hit the UK's tax receipts, with a devastating impact on the Treasury's coffers. Speaking on Wednesday, Darling will clear the way for sweeping aside the Government's self-imposed rules on public spending. (Observer)
The Government of Iceland is in talks with the country's leading financial institutions over a mooted state bail-out of up to €10bn. The talks have been triggered by concerns over the financial health of Kaupthing, Iceland's biggest bank, which is involved in many UK companies. (Sunday Telegraph)
