The Mail on Sunday has the strangest headline this morning

How big Labour backer is a jobbing builder who knows NOTHING about his £200,000 donation

According to the paper

A builder who lives in a former council house in Newcastle and "can't stand" Labour has been named as one of Gordon Brown's biggest donors – prompting fresh questions over the party's finances.
Ray Ruddick, who drives a battered Transit van, is officially listed as having contributed more than £104,000 to the national party's coffers since Mr Brown became Prime Minister less than five months ago.
His contributions, combined with those of a woman he is linked to, make him Labour's third biggest donor under Mr Brown, behind Lord Sainsbury who gave £2million and Anglo-Iranian businessman Mahmoud Khayami, whose latest donation in September was £320,000.

but it adds

However, Mr Ruddick works closely with David Abrahams, a wealthy property developer who is a prominent figure in the North East Labour Party.

The papers don't have good news for the Labour party in general

The News of the World carries an opinion poll which suggests

Going Brown

An exclusive News of the World MSL Poll revealed that the Northern Rock fiasco and the current credit crunch have DESTROYED Brown's 10-year reputation as a financial mastermind.
And it's younger voters who are putting the boot in, with Cameron having a staggering 17-POINT LEAD among 25 to 34-year-olds.
Asked who makes the best political leader, 52 PER CENT of the age group plumped for Cameron, with only 35 per cent backing Brown.

Labour would still be neck-and-neck with Tories if Blair were still in No10, new poll shows says the Mail


Poll shows Labour suffer after lost data saga reports the Telegraph

A new opinion poll today in the wake of the missing data fiasco reveals that the public believes Alistair Darling is doing a bad job.Exactly 50 per cent of voters are dissatisfied with his performance as Chancellor, with 32 per cent declaring themselves satisfied.adding that

At the same time, the poll shows the Conservatives dramatically closing the gap on Labour over which party is rated more competent to run the economy following last week's child benefits debacle and the continuing Northern Rock crisis.

WE'RE HEADING FOR THE BROWN STUFF says the Mirror

Gordon Brown warned yesterday that Britain's economy is facing a rough ride as the American housing crisis deepens.
In his gloomiest forecast yet, the PM painted a bleak picture for our property market and job prospects after Christmas.
Mr Brown predicted America's economy will slump in the first three months of the New Year - and said that will hit Britain too.
The PM's grim assessment was coupled with a call for a worldwide "early-warning system" to head off future financial storms


Meanwhile a Sunday Times investigation shows

Revenue routinely sent secret data with no security

REVENUE officials have been routinely posting out people’s confidential data in bulk and without proper security, a Sunday Times investigation has found. It undermines Gordon Brown’s claim that the loss of 25m child benefit records was the fault of a lone junior official.


I'll change, vows PM after week of crises says the Observer

A chastened Gordon Brown has told key allies that he going to 'radically alter' the composition of his inner circle which has been criticised for being too small and excluding senior members of the Cabinet from major decision-making.
As ministers lick their wounds after Labour's most difficult week since Brown took over, the Prime Minister has issued orders to end the apparently favourable treatment enjoyed by his closest allies in the Cabinet.

The front page of the Independent puts the govrnment to task over another issue

Government in Crisis (I): Victory to the traffickers: Heroin and cocaine prices on the street are at record lows as seizures plummet

Hard drug seizures at the nation's borders have plummeted, leaving heroin and cocaine freely and cheaply available on the nation's streets, an Independent on Sunday investigation can reveal.
Class A drug confiscations at ports and airports have tumbled for the last four years and serious question marks are now being raised about the ability of the UK's "FBI", the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), to combat drug smuggling.


The defeat of the Howard governemnt in Australia is widely covered

Howard loses seat as Rudd sweeps to power says the Telegraph

Australians have turned their backs on one of their longest serving prime ministers, throwing John Howard out of office and overwhelmingly voting the Labour Party into power.Kevin Rudd, the former diplomat who has led Labour for less than a year and who will become Australia's 26th prime minister, spoke triumphantly of a new political dawn for "this great country, Australia". He quickly made plain that he would give priority to measures to tackle climate change and boost education and would swiftly withdraw combat troops from Iraq.

Australian Labor Party sweeps Bush supporter Howard from office says the Indy

John Howard was swept from power in Australia yesterday after 11 years in office, and appeared almost certain to lose his own seat, only the second Prime Minister in the country's history to be rejected by his own constituents.
Mr Howard looked close to tears last night as he conceded defeat to the Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, after a decisive swing that looks likely to give Labor a comfortable majority in the 150-seat parliament.

The Observer leads with

Teachers: help us cope with migrants

The debate over immigrant children in Britain's schools was reignited this weekend after the country's leading headteachers told The Observer that rising numbers of foreign pupils are putting some schools near breaking point because they do not have the resources to cope.
Members of the highly respected National Association of Headteachers will this week tell Parliament that the issue is starting to change the culture of some schools. Some heads said the issue was 'out of control'

According to the Times

Officers quit army in record numbers

THE army has suffered an unprecedented exodus of more than 1,300 officers in the past six months amid anger about government cost-cutting and equipment shortages.
The number quitting is more than double the rate in the previous 12 months and will add to pressure on Gordon Brown about the way his government is funding the armed services.
Many of those who have resigned their commissions are from frontline units. Most are captains or majors with invaluable experience of battle.

Staying with defence and the Independent reports more problems for the government

Now Defence Secretary's £1bn plea is rebuffed

Des Browne is in desperate negotiations to prise out up to £1bn extra from the Treasury, amid complaints that the Government is treating the armed forces with "contempt".
The Secretary of State for Defence held an urgent meeting with Gordon Brown last week as both men came under increasing pressure to prove their commitment to the military.
The Independent on Sunday understands that Mr Browne failed in an initial attempt to convince the Prime Minister to sanction the extra cash – and was told not to trouble his boss with further concerns over the defence budget.

Armed Forces face 'failure' in Afghanistan says the Telegraph

General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, who served as the Chief of the Defence Staff in 2001, said: "Operational and tactical failure in Afghanistan is now not impossible to believe."
Their warning follows one of the most damaging weeks for the Government since Gordon Brown took over from Tony Blair in June.

A certain infatuation with religion this morning

The Sunday Times leads with

US is‘worst’ imperialist: archbishop

THE Archbishop of Canterbury has said that the United States wields its power in a way that is worse than Britain during its imperial heyday.
Rowan Williams claimed that America’s attempt to intervene overseas by “clearing the decks” with a “quick burst of violent action” had led to “the worst of all worlds”.
In a wide-ranging interview with a British Muslim magazine, the Anglican leader linked criticism of the United States to one of his most pessimistic declarations about the state of western civilisation.

Tony Blair: Mention God and you're a 'nutter' says the Telegraph

The former prime minister's comments came as he admitted for the first time that his faith was "hugely important" in influencing his decisions during his decade in power at Number 10, including going to war with Iraq in 2003.Mr Blair complained that he had been unable to follow the example of US politicians, such as President George W. Bush, in being open about his faith because people in Britain regarded religion with suspicion.

Amongst Today's Sunday scandal,the News of the World reveals on its front page that

TOP England player had sex with a girl at a drunken party in a lapdancing club in the build-up to this week's humiliating exit from the Euro 2008 championships.
The girl pleasured the senior player then had full sex with him while captain John Terry, elsewhere, was so drunk he urinated on the floor at the birthday bash for team-mate Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The nation went into mourning this week when England failed to reach next summer's tournament with a dismal 3-2 defeat to Croatia.
But football was the last thing on the minds of several England stars at the bash at Soho's The Wardour club on October 27 - BETWEEN two crucial Euro 2008 qualifying matches.

Which also pours oil on the burning waters in Perugia

'Foxy' hunted me for wild sex

A BARMAN who romped with Foxy Knoxy—the girl student suspected of killing Meredith Kercher—has revealed she was a "wild animal" in bed and HUNTED men for sex.
Elis Prenga enjoyed a marathon sex session with 20-year-old Amanda Knox just weeks before her housemate Meredith was found slain in Perugia, Italy.
He told how man-eater Knox was like a PREDATOR sizing up her prey.

The Mail on Sunday reporting

I fired Foxy Knoxy for hitting on customers: Patrick Lumumba reveals why he was framed over Meredith's murder

It was nearly midnight in Le Chic and the three-floor club was heady with excitement.
The crammed dance floor was a flurry of bodies and the queue for the speciality rum cocktails was growing by the second.
Yet in the middle of it all sat barmaid Amanda Knox, whispering sweet nothings to her latest conquest, her chest pressed against his, their mouths just millimetres apart and seemingly unaware of the chaos ensuing around her.
It was at that moment that the club's owner, Patrick Lumumba, finally realised he'd had enough and told the brash blonde American he wouldn't be requiring her services any more.

The Mirror concentrates on the jungle

Jungle Marc beat me up
I'M A CELEBRITY EXCLUSIVE

Marc Bannerman's devastated girlfriend last night revealed that she has dumped the jungle rat for good - and told how he viciously beat her up during their tempestuous two year relationship.
Sarah Matravers said she was left bruised and battered after Marc tore into her during a drink-fuelled fight.

The papers look forward to the peace talks next week with some trepidation

Syria wants Golan Heights on talks agenda says the Telegraph

Diplomats believe that Syria's expected participation in the meeting to be chaired by Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, signals a likely resumption of direct talks between the country's Ba'athist regime and the Israeli government, for the first time in more than a decade.Syria had insisted that the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, seized from its control in the 1967 war, be on the table for discussion as a precondition for taking part in the summit.

Hamas warns of violence after talks says the Observer

Hamas officials have issued stark warnings that the Israeli-Palestinian peace conference in Annapolis this week is likely to result in more violence rather than settlement, including a threat from the group to escalate its own 'resistance' to Israeli occupation.
In a series of statements delivered from both Damascus and the Gaza Strip, which Hamas controls, the organisation piled more pressure on a meeting that most commentators have suggested has little chance of producing any concrete moves towards Palestinian statehood.

The Independent reports from

Zimbabwe: Voices from a basket case

Ian Smith, leader of the racist regime in Rhodesia, died last week. Robert Mugabe took over the newly independent Zimbabwe in 1980, and for years the nation was the breadbasket of Africa. But now, illegal blogs from the benighted nation tell a very different story .

Sarkozy winks and suddenly it is l’amour reports the Times

SPARE a thought for President Nicolas Sarkozy and his female friends. Under relentless public scrutiny as he wrestles striking railway workers into submission, the newly single French leader has only to wink at a woman for it to spark rumours of romance.
It might do him no harm in a country whose voters are used to presidents taking pride in their powers of seduction. Yet it could complicate Sarkozy’s management of his private life as he looks for a new companion and première dame, or first lady