Journalists from 'The Sunday Times' and 'The Sun' obtained information from Gordon Brown’s legal files, bank account and his young son’s medical record, according to reports released today..
Documents and a phone recording suggest "blagging" was used to obtain private financial and property details..
The Browns also wonder how medical records relating to their son Fraser.. whom the Sun revealed in 2006 to suffer from cystic fibrosis, may have been obtained..
News International said it would investigate the claims..
In a statement.. the company said.. "We note the allegations made today concerning the reporting of matters relating to Gordon Brown. So that we can investigate these matters further, we ask that all information concerning these allegations is provided to us."
Full disclosure may well be demanded by the courts themselves, as investigations into criminal charges continue..
In other developments in the phone-hacking scandal..
Evidence has been found suggesting a News of the World reporter tried to buy a phone book containing Royal Family numbers..
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall may have also been targets of phone-hacking conducted at the News of the World, according to 'The Guardian'..
Scotland Yard says it believes stories have been leaked to the media as part of a "deliberate campaign to undermine" its inquiry into claims that bribes have been paid to some officers..
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt confirms that he is referring News Corp's bid to take over BSkyB to the Competition Commission. It comes after News Corporation withdrew its proposed undertaking to sell 'Sky News' as part of its bid..
The family of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler met Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to discuss concerns that her phone may have been hacked by the News of the World.. The Dowler family called on Rebekah Brooks.. the newspaper's editor at the time.. to resign as chief executive of 'News International'..
It's understood Rebekah Brooks could be questioned by police as a witness, rather than a suspect.. Mrs Brooks has denied having had any knowledge of hacking while she was editor from 2000 to 2003..
Labour MP Tom Watson says the position of John Yates, assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police who led the original investigation into phone hacking, is "untenable"
The Prime Minister said he had had no information to suggest Andrew Coulson knew about phone hacking when he employed him but if "those assurances were untrue, I would be incredibly angry and incredibly let down..
The latest allegations relate to personal details it is claimed were obtained for a front-page Sunday Times report that Mr Brown, who later became Prime Minister.. had purchased a flat owned by Robert Maxwell at a "knock-down price".. In other developments in the phone-hacking scandal..
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt confirms that he is referring News Corp's bid to take over BSkyB to the Competition Commission. It comes after News Corporation withdrew its proposed undertaking to sell Sky News as part of its bid.
Rebeka Brooks has denied having had any knowledge of hacking while she was editor from 2000 to 2003..
Labour MP Tom Watson says the position of John Yates, assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police who led the original investigation into phone hacking, is "untenable"..
Our Prime Minister.. David Cameron.. said he had had no information to suggest Andy Coulson knew about phone hacking when he employed him but if "those assurances were untrue, I would be incredibly angry and incredibly let down..
'Be Prepared' has always has valitity as a safe option..

Cameron has vowed to "put people in charge" as he unveiled his plan for changes to public services in England..
In a speech in London, the prime minister said public services were the "backbone" of the country but too often their results were not good enough..That could well be a tacit mention of the recent strikes, and thos slated to come..
A different approach would give people "more freedom, more choice and more local control" in schools, health and other services, Mr Cameron argued..
Labour said there was "nothing new" in the government's proposals.. And business leaders have accused Mr Cameron of moving too slowly on the changes.. which are central to his vision of the Big Society.. in the face of union and Liberal Democrat pressure..
The Public Services White Paper had been due to be unveiled in January but has been held up by Whitehall argument over its contents..
The key elements of the plan, outlined by David are..
Companies, charities and community groups to bid to run everything from local health services to schools, libraries and parks..
People to be given new legally-enforceable "right to choose" services..
State to have to justify retaining monopoly service in most areas..
Councils to be given new funding streams..
Providers to be able to make profits in some areas like getting people off benefits and into work, but not in others such as health care..
Unveiling the proposed legislation today.. Mr Cameron said it was about "ending the old big-government, top-down way of running public services, releasing the grip of state control and putting power in people's hands".. "The old dogma that said Whitehall knows best.. it's gone..There will be more freedom, more choice and more local control.."
It would almost sound as though David's counting on the devolution of the Union.. for by far the largest voice in the economic forum left after the formation Scottish nation.. a Welsh devolved Parliment.. would certainly leave the English in at bat..
Leaked documents earlier this year suggested ministers were scaling back the role of the private sector in their plans amid concerns that the public would find widespread outsourcing of services "unpalatable"..
But Cameron dismissed suggestions that the government was "pulling back or losing heart" over the plans.. describing the task as "urgent" and saying ministers were "determined" to see it through..
"We are as committed to modernising our public services as we have ever been," he said..
The Opposition Labour said public services faced "significant challenges" in the current financial climate but that ministers were not advocating anything that had not already been tried by the last administration..
"It appears from the way in which this White Paper has been launched that the Cabinet Office are more preoccupied with spin and presentation than the provision of substantive proposals..".. according to Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Tessa Jowell..
"Because this White Paper contains few new ideas and even fewer new proposals and in most of the cases referred to past plans.. the government are lagging behind the actions of the last Labour government.."
Ovbiously we're meant to conveniently forget it was the former Labour Government which caused the economic problems we face today, and that they've neglected to offer any viable alternative to Tory debt reduction plan..
In a typical union statement.. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "Of course they are skilfully wrapped up in warm words, but when the prime minister talks of charities and voluntary groups, he means parcelling up public services for private companies..'
An obvious target.. an obvious stragtegy..
And opposition to a plan.. mere condemnation with no visble resolution..

Weather.. it's breakfast table conversation throughout this island..
In Dallas, Texas.. it's become much the same..
For ten days, sweltering summer temperatures in Dallas have topped 100 degrees ..as The National Weather Service reported Monday that heat advisories and warnings are in place in parts of 18 states from as far north as Michigan, as far west as Oklahoma, and as far south as Georgia.. Temperatures in those places may not reach 100 degrees, but the heat index could make it feel like triple digits..

Barack vowed Monday to seek "the largest possible deal" to cut future budget deficits, but he said the onus is on Republicans to compromise as much as he and his fellow Democrats already have..
With a 10-year, roughly $4 trillion plan that he's floating already tilted 4-to-1 in favor of spending cuts, Obama said reaching agreement will be difficult because of intransigence on taxes among rank-and-file Republicans..
"I don't see a path to a deal if they don't budge, period," said Barack.. Later, he added, "I'm operating with some political constraints here, because whatever I do has to go through the House of Representatives."
House Speaker John Boehner responded to Obama just 30 minutes before their talks were to resume by again refusing to consider tax increases and complaining that the White House isn't serious about cutting government..
A compromise, Boehner said, should mean that Obama gets to raise the nation's $14.3 trillion debt limit and Republicans get to slash spending. "Adding tax increases to the equation doesn't balance anything," he said..
The Republicans have had the upper hand in the on-again, off-again talks.. They have dissented, walked out and changed the terms of debate whenever Democrats insisted that tax increases on upper-income Americans be part of the agreement..
By contrast, on issues dear to Democrats, such as the future of Medicare and Social Security, Obama said, "I'm prepared to take on significant heat from my party to get this done.."
Obama said he would meet "every single day" with leaders of both parties in an effort to work out a deal that would cut trillions of dollars from budget deficits.. while raising the nation's $14.3 trillion borrowing limit..
Without a deal by Aug. 2, the government faces a first-ever default on its obligations..
By contrast, on issues dear to Democrats, such as the future of Medicare and Social Security, Obama said, "I'm prepared to take on significant heat from my party to get this done."
Obama said he would meet "every single day" with leaders of both parties in an effort to work out a deal that would cut trillions of dollars from budget deficits while raising the nation's $14.3 trillion borrowing limit. Without a deal by Aug. 2, the government faces a first-ever default on its obligations.
By contrast, on issues dear to Democrats, such as the future of Medicare and Social Security, Obama said, "I'm prepared to take on significant heat from my party to get this done.."
But the president said he would not sign a short-term package that merely extended borrowing authority for a period of months.. something Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has hinted might be required..
Barack's been dropped in the same pile of economic offal as the rest of the world in this 'recession..'and has a far larger deficit to try and manage than perhaps any other..
But the president said he would not sign a short-term package that merely extended borrowing authority for a period of months — something Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has hinted might be required..
"This is the United States of America. We don't manage our affairs in three-month increments," says Barack.. forgetting, perhaps, that the White House and Congress worked in two- and three-week increments earlier this year to pass a budget and avoid a partial government shutdown..
If this borrowing increase is dragged past the August 2d dealine.. bodes exceely ill for the worlds largest ecomony.. and even worse for the world in general..
"This is the United States of America. We don't manage our affairs in three-month increments.." Barack's forgetting, perhaps, that the White House and Congress worked in two- and three-week increments earlier this year to pass a budget and avoid a partial government shutdown..
The negotiations were set to resume at the White House at 2pm today, but there were no signs of progress following a rare Sunday night session in which Obama argued for a major deal, Boehner said only a midsize, $2.4 trillion deal was possible, and Democratic leaders vowed to protect the middle class, Medicare and Social Security..
The "big deal" would end former president George W. Bush's tax cuts for people earning above $200,000 and couples earning above $250,000, beginning in 2013. Otherwise, Obama said it would allow "authors of best-selling books off the hook" — perhaps a reference to himself.
That deal also would end a variety of special-interest tax breaks for oil and gas companies, hedge funds, private jet owners and others, in exchange for lower income tax rates..

South Sudan became an independent country yesterday.. breaking away from Sudan after more than 50 years of on-and-off war..
The country's finance minister, David Deng Athorbie, said today the new currency would be called the 'South Sudan pound' and will replace 'the Sudan pound' currently in use.. It is scheduled to arrive by cargo plane beginning Wednesday and will go into circulation next Monday.. It will have a one-to-one value with the Sudan pound.
After the Cabinet was sworn in, the finance minister told a news conference that there would be difficulties in paying government salaries on time because Sudan's government had not sent an adequate supply of the northern Sudanese currency..
Minster of the Interior Gier Chuang Aluong said the government was in the process of preparing the country's passports and urged patience..
Ahh.. the costs of establisment of a new country.. Scotland might do well to pay some attention..

China today told the Philippines and Vietnam to use "diplomatic wisdom" to resolve tensions in the South China Sea, amid criticisms that Beijing was being increasingly aggressive in its claims..
"It is important to manage the conflicting points," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said in a speech on "China's peaceful development and international environment" in Hong Kong on Monday..
acknowledging the countries in the territorial dispute all felt strongly about their claims..
China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea.. which is believed to have vast oil and gas deposits.. while its shipping lanes are vital for global trade..
Vietnam and the Philippines have in recent months accused China of taking increasingly aggressive actions in staking its claims..
"It takes diplomatic wisdom from China, from Vietnam and from the Philippines to make sure that our differences will be contained, well-managed and we will be able to not allow the differences to affect our relationship..
"You could see we are moving in that direction," she said..
In May, Vietnam said Chinese marine surveillance vessels cut the exploration cables of an oil survey ship inside Hanoi's exclusive economic zone..
And Philippine President Benigno Aquino has accused China of inciting at least seven recent incidents, including one in which a Chinese vessel allegedly opened fire on Filipino fishermen..
Seems the news from China, is released when.. and if China wants..

The leaders of the Chinese and American militaries sought on Monday to cast aside decades of hostility between the two institutions, pledging at a joint news conference here to pursue what they separately called a “great opportunity” to create a “shared vision” of cooperation..
But neither indicated that his government was willing to alter positions on divisive issues, the likes of Taiwan and the South China Sea, that have long hamstrung better relations.. And the Chinese military chief, Gen. Chen Bingde, quickly voiced a string of complaints about American military policies that suggested their shared vision remained a distant dream..
General Chen and Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were midway through three days of talks today, following up on a visit to Washington in May by General Chen.. the Chief of the People’s Liberation Army general staff.. Both men are under orders to improve the military relationship, one outcome of a summit last January between President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China..

Stocks on Wall Street took a tumble on Monday, following Asian and European markets lower, as concerns about the Euro Zone debt crisis continued to overwhelm investors around the world..
today’s weak start in the financial markets reflected a series of blows.. with a hangover of disappointing economic news from the United States over jobs data and debt talks last week.. along with lingering worries as European officials met in Brussels to discuss fiscal troubles in the Euro Zone..
fter weeks of uncertainty related to bailouts for Greece, the Italian authorities moved to rein in short-selling on the Milan stock exchange as fears mounted that Italy could become the next victim of the sovereign debt crisis..
By midafternoon, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 151.93 points, or 1.20 percent, to 12,505.27. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index fell 23.06 points, or 1.72 percent, to 1,320.74. The Nasdaq composite, heavy with technology shares, lost 54.51 points, or 1.91 percent, to 2,805.30..
“There is so much going on in the world that you almost need a scorecard to keep up,” Kevin H. Giddis, the executive managing director and president for fixed-income capital markets at Morgan Keegan & Company, wrote in a research note.. “Domestically, we have the debt ceiling, the budget, the economy, jobs, inflation and taxes. Internationally, we have Greece, Italy, the E.C.B., China and a potential contagion,” he said, referring to the European Central Bank..
“If Italy becomes more of a problem, then it could spiral out of control and cause the much-feared contagion that some have predicted,” according to Giddis.. “If that is the case, then a global economic slowdown will likely hit our shores here and take the legs out of an already wounded U.S. economy..”
As risk aversion stepped up, United States Treasuries were trading higher. The euro fell 1.4 percent to $1.4017..

The Syrian government has an almost complete checklist for President Bashar al-Assad's crowning overture to the opposition..
A vast swanky conference room in Damascus.? Check..
Huge oval table to seat hundreds of delegates to Syria's national dialogue conference..? Secured..
Select media coverage to televise the event..? In the bag..
Regime loyalists, including Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa..? Front and center..
Just one item is missing.. representatives of the blood-splattered streets who have braved bullets, snipers, tanks, threats of imprisonment, torture or worse for 17 weeks now. They are boycotting..
Today, the conference aimed at political reconciliation continued on its second day even as the meeting itself was being roundly rejected by prominent opponents both at home and in exile..
Elsewhere in the capital.. Assad's goading of the West sharply escalated as pro-regime thugs attacked the U.S Embassy in Damascus.. smashing windows.. raising a Syrian flag on the grounds.. and writing anti-U.S graffiti on the walls..
The mob also allegedly attacked U.S Ambassador Robert Ford's residence in the Syrian capital, as well as the French Embassy.. The assaults appeared to be in response to visits by the U.S. and French ambassadors last week to the restive Syrian city of Hama, where they met with anti-government demonstrators.,
Meanwhile, some 200 people, mainly members of the ruling Ba'ath Party as well as former and current independent parliamentarians, attended the "Dialogue" sessions, which opened on Sunday with a minute's silence for the country's "martyrs" (no mention of who killed them), and the national anthem. Anti-government demonstrators had designated last Friday's nationwide marches "No Dialogue," to underline their objection to the meetings. The lack of prominent opposition elements led some critics to brand the conference a "monologue"; one Arab commentator quipped that "Bashar was hosting a dialogue with Assad.".. A case of Lucillus dining with Lucillus it would seem..
But that's not to say that the regime wasn't called to task by voices at the conferences in a manner unthinkable just months ago. "We should dismantle the security state that dominates the whole society. Now we are suffering the consequences of the police state," said Tayyeb Tizini, a professor of philosophy and one of the few opposition members to attend the government-sponsored event. "The police state will destroy every aspect of society as it keeps tabs on every Syrian citizen.."
That.. would seem to be a 'given'..





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