As icy winds and heavy snow storms swept across Britain today there were at least some who will have enjoyed the sudden change in weather.
Top Story
Hundreds of schools closed and chaos on roads as snow and Arctic winds sweep across Britain
Blow to the Met as top police chief is called in to lead urgent review of Tory MP Damian Green's arrest
The police investigation into Tory MP Damian Green was thrown into doubt today after being placed under an official review . There were also claims it could be dropped within weeks.
Click through today in pictures
How the Queen snubbed the woman who let the Met into Westminster
A key figure in the arrest of Tory MP Damian Green - the Commons Serjeant at Arms - suffered a royal snub when her request for an audience with the Queen was rejected, it emerged today.
- Hundreds of schools closed and chaos on roads as snow and Arctic winds sweep across Britain
- Woman left for dead by car-jacker who ran her down while she scraped ice from windscreen
- Another £9.3bn down the drain? Ministers told 2012 Olympics 'will bring little benefit to Britain'
- Labour's 'political stitch up' to save Speaker Michael Martin
- How the Queen snubbed the woman who let the Met into Westminster
- Top police chief to lead urgent review of Damian Green's arrest
- Couple's £1m house trashed after hundreds of Facebook gatecrashers storm daughter's 16th birthday party
- Ram-raid gang smash into Liverpool star Jermaine Pennant's mansion while he and his fiancée were sleeping
- Tacky Christmas! 'Magical Lapland' which turned out to be a muddy field
- BREAKING NEWS: British Airways in merger talks with Qantas
- Bar tells daughters: 'You can come in but your mums are too old'
- Baby P social services boss is STILL being paid £2,000 a week
- Mumbai terrorists 'used cocaine to stay awake throughout the night'
- Even Tesco profits fall as supermarket giant posts 'worst performance in 15 years'
- Pound hits 16-year low as recession woes on Wall Street create panic in the City
- The gadget which turns your iPod into a breathalyser
- Muslim prayer rooms should be opened in Catholic schools, say church leaders
- Schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton 'was murdered by handyman in barbaric act of unspeakable horror'
- Thousands of homes worth £250,000 a year ago now up for sale for under £100,000
- Doctor 'fondled breast of woman who came to see him about a broken finger'
- How the NHS betrayed Alzheimer's patients: As services are slashed, the Mail launches Christmas appeal
- Single parents on benefits 'could be forced to work once child is one,' says Government report
- Arranged marriage bride and British lover 'lured husband to hotel room and stabbed him to death'
- Abu Qatada cleric back in jail after breaching bail terms
- Barack Obama interested in taking British cancer sufferer's puppy as a pet
- Unlawful killing verdict ruled out by De Menezes inquest judge as he tells jury: 'Put aside emotion'
- MORE HEADLINES
- Tacky Christmas! Parents' anger and children's tears at Lapland theme park which turned out to be a muddy field
- How the Queen snubbed the woman who let the Met into Westminster
- Labour's 'stitch up' to save Speaker Martin after Tory MP's arrest fiasco
- RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: If I'm not here on Friday, you'll know I've been nicked
- Arctic winds bring rush-hour snow storms for drivers as cold snap hits Britain
- Baby P boss is STILL being paid £2,000 a week - despite being suspended
- Another day in the gutter for the BBC after Doctor Who star exposes himself on air
- Schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton 'was murdered by handyman in barbaric act of unspeakable horror'
- Ordeal of the 100 starving St Bernards abandoned at a kennels
- Doctor 'fondled the breasts of woman who came to see him about a broken finger'
- Cheating wife in arranged marriage 'lures her husband to his death in hotel room with her lover'
- Asda sparks new price war as it slashes petrol by up to 3p a litre
- Where's a gondola when you need one? Tourists warned to stay away from Venice
- Man arrested for lighting Guy Fawkes Night bonfire on village green under law dating from 1880s
- Single parents on benefits 'could be forced to work once child is one,' says Government report
- Bitter civil servant 'hacked son of ex-lover to death in revenge after she ended affair'
- Monty escapes third speeding ban in four years... because he's scared of flying
- Depressed loner shot dead by the police at Omen cathedral 'was carrying replica gun'
- Heir to the headphones: Charles at play behind the scenes of Queen's first Christmas TV broadcast
- Alzheimer's - the great NHS betrayal: As a third of services are slashed, the Mail launches Christmas appeal to halt neglect
- MOST READ IN DETAIL
EDITOR'S SIX OF THE BEST
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RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: If I'm not here on Friday, you'll know I've been nicked
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Take That tops the babies' bedtime chart: Modern mothers abandon lullabies for pop songs
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Lonely Britain, a country without roots or ties, says shock new report
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Sleigh bells bling! World's first £1 MILLION Christmas tree unveiled
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The NASA image of 'wood' on Mars that has triggered internet conspiracy theories
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Wishing you a Great Depression and a Hungry New Year: The bestselling credit crunch Christmas cards
FEMAIL TODAY
- So why WAS Britney such a mess on X Factor? She can't choose what she eats, or leave home alone... and has two chaperones on dates
- Another day in the gutter for the BBC after Doctor Who star exposes himself on air So much for the corporation's post-Sachs scandal clean-up
- Bosom buddies Nicola and David 'play nice' on I'm A Celebrity... but it's all part of his game plan He grabbed her, kissed her and even spanked her during a trial
- Big-busted Nicola is a bad role model for young girls, blasts Esther The veteran presenter says the Wag gives the wrong idea about attractiveness
- The claws are out as Diana and the X Factor rivals perform a private gig for fans The teen joked with Alexandra before singing to competition winners
- 'Professional mistress' Sarah Symonds retreats to Wales as scandal begins to take its toll on the Ramsays The bottle blonde went for beauty treatments
- Is this the worst piece of airbrushing ever? Mel B's hips disappear in new advert Looks like an artist with Ultimo underwear got a little carried away
- What will Daddy say? Peaches, Leah and Kimberly strip naked for magazine cover The daughters of rock were photographed for Tatler by Bryan Adams
- Tina Turner recycles that famous flesh-revealing Mad Max dress at the age of 69 The singer reprised her chainmail look at Madison Sq Gardens
- How classy! Danny Cipriani treats Kelly Brook to dinner... at a kebab house The model wore her hair straight for the not-so-glamorous date
- I truly loathed my monster-in-law (and yes, the feeling was mutual) ANNA PASTERNAK on why she's one of the 66% of women who hate their husband's mothers
- Uncaring. Slovenly. Some of our nurses are a disgrace (... and I can say it, because I'm a nurse myself) LORRAINE MORGAN has launched a campaign
- Angela Rippon: All my Alzheimer's mother can remember is that she loves me ANGELA RIPPON reveals how the disease devastated her family
Couple's £1m house trashed after hundreds of Facebook gatecrashers storm daughter's 16th birthday party
A mother told today how her daughter's 16th birthday party descended into an 'absolute horror show' when around 300 people gatecrashed her luxury home after it was advertised on Facebook. ...read
Woman left for dead by car-jacker who ran her down while she scraped ice from windscreen
A woman motorist was today fighting for life after a car-jacker ran her down in her own vehicle as she scraped ice from the windscreen.
Unlawful killing verdict ruled out by De Menezes inquest judge as he tells jury: 'Put aside emotion'
Jurors at the inquest into the death of the innocent Brazilian shot dead by police who mistook him for a terrorist have been told they cannot decide he was murdered.
Another £9.3bn down the drain? Ministers told 2012 Olympics 'will bring little benefit to Britain'
Ministers ploughed ahead with the 2012 Olympic bid despite their own experts warning it would bring little economic or social benefit, it has emerged.
Doctor 'fondled the breasts of woman who came to see him about a broken finger'
A doctor fondled the breasts of six female patients at his surgery over a five-month period, a court has heard. One woman went in with a suspected broken finger and had her breast massaged, it was alleged.
Baby P boss is STILL being paid £2,000 a week - despite being suspended
Three senior council officials have finally paid the price for the Baby P scandal after a 'devastating' inspection report laid bare a catalogue of failures.
Mumbai terrorists 'used cocaine to stay awake throughout the night'
The terrorists who fought India's army for almost three days during last week's attacks in Mumbai may have used cocaine and other stimulants to ensure they stayed awake throughout the battle.
Recession hits Tesco: Grocery giant's sales fall to lowest figure in 16 years as shoppers turn to budget supermarkets
Supermarket giant Tesco today admitted it was being hit by the recession as it revealed its worst sales figures in 16 years.
Bar tells daughters: 'You can come in but your mums are too old'
A group mothers and daughters on a reunion night out were left stunned after all the parents were barred from entering a pub because they were too old.
Muslim prayer rooms should be opened in Catholic schools, say church leaders
Muslim prayer rooms should be opened in every Roman Catholic school, Church leaders have said.
Thousands of homes worth £250,000 a year ago now up for sale for under £100,000
Thousands of homes are being sold for knockdown prices at auction as banks desperately try to offload repossessed flats.
Santa punched and female elf slapped by angry parents at Lapland theme park which turned out to be a muddy field
After having paid £25 to experience the dismal delights of Lapland New Forest perhaps it was only a matter of time before the parents began to fight back. Fed up with queuing for hours in sub-zero temperatures to see Santa one irate father stormed into his grotto and punched the startled actor on the chin.
...read
EDITOR'S SIX OF THE BEST
Do'h! 'Nondescript' video featuring Homer Simpson wins the Turner Prize
A naked shop dummy sitting on a lavatory, a woman smashing china, and a collection of unwashed cereal bowls - it could only be the Turner Prize exhibition.
- RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: If I'm not here on Friday, you'll know I've been nicked
- Britain is a country of 'lonely people without roots or ties,' says shock new report
- Mothers abandon traditional lullabies and sing babies to sleep with pop songs
- The picture perfect storm: Photographs capture the terrifying beauty of clouds gathering over Greenland
- The smile in the sky: Rare cosmic alignment sees Venus and Jupiter grin in the heavens
DON'T MISS
- 'Being replaced by younger model Myleene was a slap in the face,' says Nicky Hambleton-Jones, 37 Ten Years Younger star felt 'past it' when axed
- 'I don't court fame,' insists Victoria Beckham as she reveals a DVD is her idea of a thrilling night Posh talked ahead of her Selfridges fashion launch
- X Factor 'sweethearts' Diana and Eoghan make it two nights out in a row... but still deny they're a couple They left together to perform at the secret gig
- Halle Berry goes with the 'fro as she films scenes with her new big hair The star was shooting Frankie and Alice in Vancouver
- Brian Paddick makes an arresting exit from the jungle... as Simon Webbe has medical help after underwater task He was the 6th person to be booted out
- Tears in the jungle: I'm A Celebrity camp-mates break down after letters from home David van Day led the blubbing as messages were read out
- JACI STEPHEN'S JUNGLE WATCH: Put it away Nicola AND David... I'm feeling queasy When Nicola pulls her breasts out, I reach for the smelling salts
- I'm A Celebrity's Simon admits to starring in a raunchy sex manual during modelling days Simon Webbe has admitted to starring in a racy sex manual
- Is this Ivana's next 'victim'? Newly single Ms Trump latches onto fresh toyboy after split from husband No.4 Her marriage is over after just three months
- Now Ray Winstone's lesser known daughter bids for attention... by peeling off for Ann Summers Lois steps out of younger sis Jaime's shadow
- 'Cheating' Gordon Ramsay plays the family man in cheesy TV ad featuring wife Tana and four children The TV chef displays impeccable timing...
- Coleen ruffles feathers of the anti-fur brigade as she flies to New York Mrs Rooney's fleece-lined coat will annoy protesters who ambushed her recently
- Louis Walsh escapes ticket after leaving £75k sports car on double yellows The judge found a large No Parking sticker on his Maserati in Dublin
- Sneak peek: Emmerdale murder horror as Jasmine hits and kills rapist policeman Shane Grim scenes in tonight's one-hour special
- While mummy's away, daddy Becks is left holding the babies (and they're running riot!) The little ones proved a real handful on a boys' outing to the basketball
- Bryan Adams calls in police after being stalked by obsessed mother and son The London-based singer is said to be 'very concerned'
FANCY THAT
Scroll through for the most amazing stories from around the globe
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'TURNIP' PRIZE: ART OUT OF VEGGIES
A Chinese artist has recreated some of the art world's greatest masterpieces out of tofu and vegetables -
DALMATIAN LEARNS SIGN LANGUAGE
Zoe was born profoundly deaf but has now been given a new lease of life after learning sign language -
I AM THE WALRUS - AND I PLAY THE SAX
Sara's unique musical skills are one of the main attractions at the Istanbul Dolphinarium -
SEMI-NAKED HITLER 'DESTROYS CLICHES'
TV bosses in Belgium have been carpeted over an advert for a travel programme featuring a semi-naked Adolf Hitler -
OUT OF AFRICA: LIONS IN SCOTTISH WINTER
This shivering pride don't look too impressed with the cold, as they prowl on the icy grass at the Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling -
'TOO RACY' PAINTING HIDDEN FOR 200 YEARS
A lost masterpiece hidden in the attic of a French chateau for 200 years because its owners thought it was too racy could sell for £900,000 -
WHY FIELD MARSHALL IS INCREDI-BULL
The six-year-old Charloais is Britain's biggest bullock, tipping the scales at more than 3,500lb -
CHICKENS GET REVENGE ON EAGLES
Chinese farmers are trapping eagles and throwing them into poultry pens so the chickens can wreak their revenge -
'TURNIP' PRIZE: ART OUT OF VEGGIES
A Chinese artist has recreated some of the art world's greatest masterpieces out of tofu and vegetables -
DALMATIAN LEARNS SIGN LANGUAGE
Zoe was born profoundly deaf but has now been given a new lease of life after learning sign language
IN GOOD HEALTH TODAY
- RESTLESS LEGS: How a tight squeeze with a new device can cure restless legs syndrome
- PREVENTION: If I hadn't had a simple blood test, I'd be dying of prostate cancer now, says Max Clifford
- WEIGHT MYTH: For years, we've been told losing weight is the key to health. But is it really true?
- JANE CLARKE: Britain's leading nutritionist explains why that Friday night drink leaves you feeling US lousy
- INSOMNIA: Are your sleeping pills safe?
- ASK THE DOCTOR: I'd be willing to buy a lightbox or sunshine lamp but don't know if they are worth the money
Ram-raid gang smash into Liverpool star Jermaine Pennant's mansion while he and his fiancée were sleeping
Ram-raiders tried to smash into the mansion of a Premiership footballer and his fiancée while they slept inside, it emerged today. Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant and model Amii Grove were woken up by thieves repeatedly crashing a stolen Land Rover into their electric gate. ...read
Alzheimer's - the great NHS betrayal: As a third of services are slashed, the Mail launches Christmas appeal to halt neglect
The scandal of widespread cutbacks in NHS care affecting thousands of Alzheimer's patients is exposed today.
Axe falls on hundreds of jobs as Aston Martin, HSBC and Halfords announce cuts
Another 1,350 jobs have been cut or threatened with the axe as a leading bank, a luxury car firm and a car accessory retailer shed labour in response to the economic downturn.
Schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton 'was murdered by handyman in barbaric act of unspeakable horror'
Vicky Hamilton was murdered by Peter Tobin in a 'barbaric act' of 'unspeakable horror', a jury has been told.
HAVE YOUR SAY...
HAS LABOUR TURNED BRITAIN INTO A POLICE STATE?
The message is clear: dare to oppose us and we will unleash the forces of the State upon you. This is meant to be democracy in Brown's Britain.
colonel_bogey
The message is clear: dare to oppose us and we will unleash the forces of the State upon you. This is meant to be democracy in Brown's Britain.
colonel_bogey
TODAY'S POLL
Man charged with arson - for lighting Guy Fawkes Night bonfire on village green
A father-of-two has been hauled into court after breaking a law which dates back to the 1880s by lighting a village bonfire. Brett Duxfield, 39, was among scores of families who gathered on Elwick village green in County Durham to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night with their annual bonfire. Parish councillors had banned the bonfire in 1994 after rowdy scenes ended up with police being called, but for the last four years the tradition returned. ...read
WORLD NEWS
- Thai protestors agree to lift blockade of airports after court sacks corrupt government
- Mumbai terrorists used cocaine to stay awake throughout the night
- Obama warned: Expect a nuclear or biological terrorist attack by 2013
- U.S. plunges into the longest, deepest recession since World War II... and it's going to get worse, analysts predict
- Obama names Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State in 'message to friend and foe'
- Condoleezza Rice plays piano for the Queen in her Buckingham Palace farewell
- New strain of arthritis in Australian cane toads could make them croak
- Gang who raided Austrian tycoon's tomb may have plotted to rob Schwarzenegger's mother's grave
- Saddam's cousin 'Chemical Ali' sentenced to death... again
- Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak set to be 'worst ever', warns WHO as 500 people die
- Tourists warned to stay away from Venice after city suffers worst flooding in 30 years
- Pictured: Tears of the two-year-old boy trapped in Mumbai Jewish centre as his parents were murdered
- Mandelson at centre of 'ditch the pound' row as European Commission president claims UK Government is ready for euro
- Splash actress Daryl Hannah joins hardline anti-whalers on Southern Ocean mission
- Somali pirates attack and chase luxury cruise ship carrying British tourists
- The picture perfect storm: Photographs capture the terrifying beauty of clouds gathering over Greenland
- New head of Pope's army under fire over allegations of police brutality
- Let addicts have free heroin, say Swiss voters as they approve new drugs programme
- The race to catch last surviving Nazi war criminals has been lost, say Germany's Jews
OTHER SHOWBUSINESS HEADLINES
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Britney tops the charts... as she clinches number one spot on internet search list
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After that disastrous X Factor performance, Britney Spears high-tails it to New York
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Simon Cowell 'completely freaked out' after discovering his £140k Bentley has been bugged
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Eliminated Christine Bleakley racks up a £4,500 bar bill after performing her last tango in Strictly
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What split? Dannii Minogue parades her rugby player boyfriend at awards show
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Monty escapes third speeding ban in four years... because he's scared of flying
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Feeling all white? Nicola Roberts looks queasy after rollercoaster ride with mystery man
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Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law to be charged with her family's murders
FANCY THAT
Scroll through more of the most amazing stories from around the globe
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PLAGUE OF THE PARAKEETS
A record 20,000 ring-necked parakeets are brightening up British skies - but at a cost to farmers -
SLEIGH BELLS BLING: THE £1M XMAS TREE
The world's most expensive Christmas tree has gone on display in Japan - and it is dazzling shoppers -
ABANDONED BATS KEEP WARM IN DUSTERS
A wildlife centre is trying to cope with the bats who were ripped from trees during heavy storms in Australia, forcing their mums to abandon them -
BRITONS PLUCKED FROM THE SEA
Three British security guards escaped from armed Somali pirates by diving overboard from the chemical tanker they were protecting -
PENSIONER OWNS ICONIC PAINTING
a painting that inspired an iconic Christmas card is found hanging in an elderly woman's home... and it's now worth £70,000 -
HORSES MADE OF DRIFTWOOD
These beautiful horse sculptures are even more incredible because each one of them is made of driftwood -
MEET THE SPARROWS WHO LUNCH
These tree sparrows are captivating as they tuck into red millet seeds in perfect symmetry - five to a feeder -
CHINESE MAN DRIVES WITH NO ARMS
Chinese police got a surprise when they pulled over a brand new 4x4 for a routine check - the driver had no arms -
PLAGUE OF THE PARAKEETS
A record 20,000 ring-necked parakeets are brightening up British skies - but at a cost to farmers -
SLEIGH BELLS BLING: THE £1M XMAS TREE
The world's most expensive Christmas tree has gone on display in Japan - and it is dazzling shoppers
Ordeal of the 100 starving St Bernards abandoned at a kennels
Up to 100 St Bernard dogs have been rescued after being abandoned without food and water at a kennels. Two were in such a bad condition they later died. The dogs, which include puppies and fully-grown adults, had been locked in their cages and left unfed for several days. ...read
Firebrand cleric Abu Qatada returned to jail after plotting to leave the country
Firebrand cleric Abu Qatada was returned to jail today after an immigration court ruled he breached the terms of his bail.
Cheating wife in arranged marriage 'lures her husband to his death in hotel room with her lover'
An arranged marriage ended in murder when a wife and her lover stabbed her husband to death, a court has heard.
Barack Obama interested in taking British cancer sufferer's puppy as a pet
A cancer sufferer who wanted to re-home his dog was amazed when U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said he would be interested in making the dog his family pet.
Wishing you a Great Depression and a Hungry New Year: The bestselling credit crunch Christmas cards
Credit crunch Christmas cards wishing people a Great Depression and a Hungry New Year have become a surprise bestseller in the UK.
THE BEST OF THE WEB - DIGESTED
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Native women kill their male babies to end 20-year tribal war
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High school beauties charged with sexually abusing retirement home inmates
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Russian cosmonauts finally share their secret UFO stories
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The woman who paints poodles
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What phone-sex workers REALLY look like
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Sex is usually more trouble than it's worth, says Dalai Lama
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Oligarchs on their uppers: Hard times at Moscow's Millionaire Fair
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Anti-sex campaigners kiss for first time AFTER they wed
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Geysers on Saturn's moon could signal life
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Archaeologists discover 2,700-year-old mummy buried with stash of cannabis
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Saudi girlband have to perform in secret
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Why women are more likely to be unfaithful in their 30s
It's a lottery on the high street as shoppers search for VAT cuts
Alistair Darling's VAT cut has come into effect, causing confusion in the high street.
Bitter civil servant 'hacked son of ex-lover to death in revenge after she ended affair'
A bitter civil servant killed his former lover's son in a revenge attack, the Old Bailey heard today.
Rail chaos? It must be Christmas as fiasco fears loom again
There is no guarantee that last year's Christmas and New Year trains chaos will not be repeated, the rail watchdog has admitted. It fears similar engineering overruns could again affect millions of travellers.
BEST OF OUR BLOGS
- PETER HITCHENS: Like Haig on the Somme, we'll bleed to death in Afghanistan
- BENEDICT BROGAN: Harman's secret operation to rescue Speaker
- NATHAN KAY: My night with Kate Moss and Jamie Hince ... and their A list pals
- KATIE NICHOLL: As Royals cut back, will the Princes stay off the piste?
IN OUR OPINION
- MAIL COMMENT: The unsung carers crying out for help Scandalously NHS trusts are failing to gear up their services to alleviate the growing dementia crisis
- RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: If I'm not here on Friday, you'll know I've been nicked Jacqui Smith is lying through her teeth over the arrest of Damian Green
- STEPHEN GLOVER: What is wrong with Britain's police chiefs? Many of us no longer regard the police as on our side
- LORRAINE MORGAN: Some of our nurses are a disgrace (I can say it, because I'm a nurse myself) What's gone wrong with nursing
icon below an article to save to your favourite stories fileTOP SPORT STORIES
- Ronaldo on top of world - but United star is still seeing red over derby dismissal Cristiano blasts ref Webb for ignoring his excuse... sorry explanation
- Red missed! Gerrard airshot sums up Liverpool frustration Liverpool blow the chance to open up a three-point gap at the top of the Premier League
- Robinho: City lack the mentality of champions After an invisible display in the Manchester derby, the Brazilian claims his Man City team-mates lack mental strength
- No January spending spree for Scolari Chelsea chief exec Peter Kenyon has promised a complete overhaul of the Chelsea playing squad next summer
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, Evening Stan