Saturday, July 31, 2010

Superman comic smashes universe jot down and sells for $1MILLION

Enlarge A copy of Action Comics #1, which introduced Superman to the world

A copy of Action Comics #1, which introduced Superman to the world

Is it a downturn? Is it a crunch? No - it"s...a million dollars for Superman"s first comic adventure.

That"s the heroic sum one secret collector shelled out for a 1938 Action Comics No 1, sold for just 10 cents in its day.

It is the first comic to break the magic seven-figure barrier, smashing the previous record sale of $317,200 (205,000), for the same comic - albeit of poorer quality - last year.

There are about 100 copies of this particular comic in existence, but this is one of the last in prime condition.

The identity of both buyer and seller remains a mystery.

Stephen Fishler, co-owner of the U.S. auction website Comic Connect, called this the "Holy Grail of comic books", and said the buyer was aknown customer who has previously bought an Action Comics No 1.

"The opportunity to buy an un-restored, high-grade Action One comes along once every two decades," said Mr Fishler.

More...Rising prices don"t puzzle jigsaw fansMore on unusual investments (thisismoney.co.uk)

supermanFilm

Super men: Brandon Routh as the hero in the 2006 movie remake "Superman Returns" (left) and Christopher Reeve in the original 1978 film

"It is a little stunning to see a comic book and $1million in the same sentence."

Batman will get his crack at the record later this year as acopy of his first appearance in a comic, from 1939, is set to go on sale.

Batman vs Superman then. The ultimate showdown. Can the Dark Knight prevail?

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Air New Zealands Skycouch as well pricey? Economy category flights can still be honeyed dreams

For those of us who travel in the cheap seats, flying long-haul is not a pleasant experience. If you bury yourself in a book or the in-flight entertainment, daytime flights can be just about bearable.

But in the cramped conditions that prevail in economy, getting any decent kip overnight is highly unlikely.

Which explains why an announcement last month from Air New Zealand has caused such a stir.

Passenger squashed in an economy plane seat

Breathe in: Comfort is not always a given when flying economy

The airline is promising to transform long-haul economy flying with the introduction of a "Skycouch" - a lie-flat area converted from a row of three economy seats. The armrests fold away, and cushioned footrests come out from under the seats to extend them to the back of the row in front, to create a space big enough for two adults to lie down next to each other. See the evidence on www.futuretakingflight.com.

I should point out that you"ll need to be happy to get up close and personal with your travelling companion. The Skycouch is about 2ft 6in wide - the same as a narrow single bed - and it"s 5ft 1in long, so you may need to tuck up your legs to fit in.

Even so, compared with trying to get some sleep sitting upright, the couch still looks a pretty appealing option, and importantly it appears that its cost will be very reasonable.

Air New Zealand says that for two adults, the charge for the Skycouch will be two standard economy fares, plus approximately half an additional standard fare for the third, unoccupied seat.

Based on the airline"s current lead-in standard economy fare of 919 return flying London-Auckland, the third seat would therefore cost around 460. So each passenger would be paying just 230 more for the Skycouch than a normal economy seat - a bargain, given the extra space, privacy and comfort for 48 hours of flying.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Smoking gun memo reveals Toyota workers reserve fears

The Toyota trademark shown at a dealership in North Palm Beach

Leo Lewis, Middle East Business Correspondent & , : {}

Toyota was forced currently to spin over to United States congressional investigators a smoking gun memo constructed by the own bureau workers that warned government as far behind as 2006 of systemic threats to car safety.

The two-page memo, that was drafted by a organisation of long-term Toyota employees and sent without delay to Katsuaki Watanabe, the boss of the association in 2006, condemns reserve sacrifices done by the association in office of profit.

The memo highlights the unsound expansion times for new vehicles and the ubiquitous decrease of craftsmanship at Japans majority important production business.

It concludes that critical processes were right away in the hands of amateurs.

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The request additionally offering a chilling foretaste of the difficulty that was to come, notice that Toyotas government policies would in conclusion bluster the companys survival.

The worlds largest carmaker stays in misunderstanding after a tellurian stop of scarcely 9 million vehicles, a flourishing fusillade of lawsuit and allegations that accelerator faults caused the genocide of dozens of people on American roads.

The memo warned that an augmenting series of problems that led to car recalls were outset not at the production turn but in the formulation stages.

Despite the eager efforts of Toyotas government to remonstrate motorists and congressional investigators that it has solved the problems that have cheerless the accelerators and brakes, the association has still not wholly absolved itself of the guess that there are elemental flaws in the formulation systems.

The association grudgingly concurred last month that it had stretched as well fast, withdrawal it with a necessity of required specialists.

The memo warned of that materialisation in 2006, blaming the association for sidelining frequency experienced workers in the office of expansion and profit.

The principal writer of the 2006 memo, Tadao Wakatsuki, has worked on the building of one of Toyotas largest Japanese factories for 45 years. In unison with multiform alternative employees of Toyota and the subsidiaries, he set up a breakaway work kinship in an try to urge operative conditions via the group.

His preference to form the All Toyota Labour Union, he told The Times, was formed on what he saw as the capitulation of the central Toyota union, a physique that frequency challenged management.

As well as home on countless shortcomings of Toyotas government practices, the memo done 7 requests.

One of them demanded a examination of cost rebate measures so that the association can pledge the production of protected cars.

Toyota concurred currently that comparison government had seen the strange memo, but deemed it suitable to reply to usually one of the requests a respectful idea that government see in to ways of shortening the sum series of hours worked by employees each year.

The memo was antiquated Oct 3, 2006, and was sent by Tadao Wakatsuki, authority of the All Toyota Labour Union, to Katsuaki Watanabe, boss of Toyota Motor.

Written in Japanese, here are translated highlights:

Between 2000 to 2005 Toyota was forced to stop some-more than million cars, a higher suit of sum car recalls than alternative carmakers.

Toyota faces a critical complaint that could bluster the presence of the association if it is not some-more consummate in identifying problems and their origins.

The association is in jeopardy by: mixing car platforms, the pity of tools in between models, the outsourcing of planning, a necessity of initial interpretation on prototypes since of shortened expansion time, a necessity of experienced specialists and an enlarge in operative hours for employees.

We are disturbed about the processes that are critical for production protected cars, but that in conclusion might be abandoned … in the name of competition.

Requests: a priority on safety, a examination of cost-reduction measures, improved precision for stipulate workers, a lapse to craftsmanship.

hair wig

Nigel Farage insults EU boss Herman Van Rompuy- contains video

British MEP Nigel Farage harangs the new EU boss Herman outpost Romuloy.

David Charter, Brussels & , : {}

Nigel Farage was currently indicted of utilizing personal insults to win broadside after he called the EUs new boss a slightly wet broom and discharged his local Belgium as a non-country.

The former personality of the UK Independence Party showed his present for anticipating the media spotlight by rising a sarcastic conflict opposite Herman Van Rompuy, the former Belgian Prime Minister selected to lead the European Council.

His distributed conflict came as piece of a plan to set up his form for a ubiquitous choosing conflict with Speaker John Bercow in Buckingham.

The Times understands that Mr Farage is dynamic to be censured or dangling from the European Parliament to assistance with his Westminster campaign.

Related LinksBaroness Ashton underneath glow for blank limit Farage dismisses reparation direct from "sweet" MEP A slightly wet broom

I don"t wish to be bold but, really, you have the glamour of a slightly wet broom and the coming of a low-grade bank clerk, Mr Farage pronounced to Mr Van Rompuy in the European Parliament, sketch snub from the Belgian press this morning.

The subject I wish to ask is: who are you? I"d never listened of you, nobody in Europe had ever listened of you."

Mr Farage added: "I can verbalise on interest of the infancy of British people in observant that we don"t know you, we don"t wish you and the earlier you are put out to grass, the better."

Mr Van Rompuy pronounced that he "would not bob to that level" to respond.

Like most of Mr Farages proudest moments, it was placed on YouTube and has turn an internet hit.

But the BBC was additionally indicted of handing Mr Farage additional media bearing by using his harangue on the headlines bulletins to progress ratings for the own Question Time programme tonight, on that Mr Farage is due to appear.

The BBC is compelling Mr Farage who has turn one of their house pet behaving animals, pronounced Denis MacShane, the former Europe Minister.

The BBC should not abuse the headlines bulletins by compelling a loudmouth of small significance simply since he is looming on one of their budding time programmes.

He added: Nigel Farage gives the normal rent-a-quote MP or MEP a bad name. He has regularly confused personal insults with critical politics.

A UKIP orator said: It was not unparliamentary language. It was rude, but it was not unparliamentary. UKIP is there in the European Parliament to try and have a little waves.

hair wig

Monday, July 26, 2010

Arsenal wish success not magnetism says Arsène Wenger Arsenal

Matt Hughes, Deputy Football Editor & , : {}

It is a pointer of Arsenals mutation from also-rans to pretension contenders that Arsène Wenger was refusing to fool around the plant yesterday.

The earthy education instructor whose side will pass Chelsea, the Barclays Premier League leaders, with a 4-0 win over Burnley currently obviously believes that his gifted ball-players are singled out for earthy low mark by asocial opponents and not afforded the insurance they merit from referees, but was demure to contend so.

The Frenchman has never shied afar from debate in the past, so it contingency be insincere that a instruct to repudiate his players any forgive for disaster is his distant motive.

Wengers psychology might be working, given on a pleasing open day at the clubs Hertfordshire precision ground, there is no pointer of Arsenals patrol acid for sympathy.

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A feeling of rebuttal fills the uninformed air. Aaron Ramseys lapse from sanatorium has put a grin behind on the faces of his team-mates, with Wenger even suggesting that the oneness combined by the stand in mangle of his right leg that the Wales midfield player postulated afar to Stoke City last Saturday could great them.

If Arsenal do obscure the nation by going on to win the League for the initial time given the ancestral delight of the Invincibles 6 years ago, afterwards the last twenty-four mins of that 3-1 feat at the Britannia Stadium might come to be regarded as the branch point of their season.

Rather than servile in self-pity, Arsenals players expel in reserve their viewable trouble and battled on to secure a hard-fought victory, the conflicting greeting to their reply to Eduardo da Silvas damaged leg and ankle dislocation in the compare afar to Birmingham City dual years previously. Whereas that Arsenal team, led by the flighty William Gallas, lacked the romantic majority to cope in adversity, Wenger is assured that their successors are done of sterner stuff.

The Aaron situation gives us one some-more reason to win it and I hold that is what the organisation did, in responding to the situation similar to that, he said. This kind of situation can urge oneness and I hold that is what it did on the day.

You see at the cinema of the particular players when the collision happened it was terrible. The diversion was not the same for a while, but we recovered and eventually won. It was a critical victory.

Wenger bridles at suggestions from pundits together with George Graham, the former Arsenal earthy education instructor that his side are as well soft, but is dynamic not to climb to the bait. He prefers to understanding with contribution rather than stereotypes and is some-more endangered by diseased referees than unwashed opponents, with the difference of those who have their tainted intentions strong beforehand.

It annoys me, but I can assimilate it, Wenger said. If you fool around football, do you similar to to be kicked? Nobody likes to be kicked. If somebody comes out prior to the diversion and says we have to flog them, for me they should not fool around the game.

Weve had 3 players this year whove had surgery as a outcome of tackles, Robin outpost Persie, Kieran Gibbs and right afar Ramsey. Were the usually bar in Europe whove had 3 players requiring surgery.

Before the collision with Gibbs [during the Champions League organisation diversion at the Emirates Stadium in November] I stood up to the arbitrate five times in the last fifteen mins and said, Calm this man [Eliaquim] Mangala down given he will kill one of the players. It was so obvious. Standard Liège had lost the diversion and he was only seeking to flog people. What happened? He pennyless the metatarsal of Kieran Gibbs. It could have been avoided.

Graham steady yesterday his oft-cited perspective that Arsenal miss the physicality compulsory to win the League, but it is a assign that Wenger repudiates. Alexandre Song has grown in to a midfield enforcer of substantial status this deteriorate and Nicklas Bendtner has supposing a some-more proceed choice given returning from a hernia complaint in January, whilst Wenger is no angel, as becomes strong when the red obscurity descends. Not majority managers would block up to Martin Jol.

I have had earthy players, he said. I love committed football, dont be concerned about that. The player who jumps out of the plunge into will get a bollocking from me. I similar to players who put their feet in, but it has to be with a satisfactory intention.

Wenger is less disturbed about his players earthy attributes than their mental strength, the great different as they proceed ten joining matches that could take them to the title.

As majority as any earthy frailty, mental weaknesses have undermined Arsenal a multiple of inexperience, bad thoroughness and a miss of self-belief such as when they froze in both legs of their Champions League semi-final opposite Manchester United last deteriorate and threw afar a winning on all sides in the last seconds of their quarter-final opposite Liverpool the prior year.

Given a comparatively kind run-in that starts with a home compare opposite Burnley, such handicapped travellers, currently the derby at White Hart Lane scheduled for Apr 10 looks similar to being their majority perfectionist tie Wenger has already seen fit to advise opposite the risk of complacency, that would have been inconceivable progressing in the season.

The experience we have from this year is that there are no easy games, he said. What looks infrequently easy prior to the diversion becomes really formidable during the game. I hold the key to the success right afar is being able of focusing during each singular diversion and perspicacious ourselves with the thought that this could be a really wily game.

I am gay given were in a on all sides where we regularly longed for to be and I am certain the organisation has gained idea and determination. We have a really great chance, but it is down to how unchanging we can be. How majority we hope for for each game, how majority we spin up from the initial notation until the 90th minute. That will confirm the championship.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Pragmatic Fabio Capello suffers initial better in event with no winners Football

Oliver Kay, Football Correspondent & , : {}

At a new cooking in his honour at Wembley Stadium, Fabio Capello looked on with a furrowed brow and disapproving glance as 3 of his predecessors regaled the assembly with the tales of agonise that led them to courtesy his as the unfit job.

All 3 Graham Taylor, Terry Venables and Sven-Göran Eriksson gimlet the scars and agonise that came with doing England. Taylor, by his candid admission, stays sour and, whilst Venables and Eriksson played it chirpy and cool respectively, there was a dolour in their recollections, an tacit confirmation that, whilst this was meant to be the tallness of their managerial careers, they had unsuccessful to take England to the summit.

Capello has finished the unfit pursuit see easy, receiving over a discouraged patrol and heading it to the World Cup finals in double-quick time, but over the past fortnight he competence only have started to brand with the gripes of a little of his predecessors. He competence have solved the Gerrard-Lampard conundrum, he competence keep the media and WAGs at bay, and even find an remedy to the long-lived loss of haughtiness from the chastisement spot, but yesterday, maybe for the initial time given receiving the job, he found himself beaten.

In the nicest probable way, Capello is a lift out weird and, from the impulse he nude John Terry of the captaincy 3 weeks ago, he felt that he had seized lift out of the liaison that had in jeopardy to overflow his squad.

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He knew that Wayne Bridge had been loath over his general future, dissapoint at carrying learnt that his former partner, a slip indication spoken Vanessa Perroncel, had had an event with Terry, but Capello felt that all was OK.

No problem, he spoken in South Africa on Tuesday, as he rebuilt to name both players in his patrol to take on Egypt subsequent week, but, by the time he awoke yesterday, the complaint with Bridge had spin insurmountable.

Capello was not awaiting the headlines that Bridge was dogmatic himself taken for selection. Nor, it seemed, was Adrian Bevington, the FAs executive of communications, who seemed to be in predicament government mode as he charged off the craft roughly as shortly as his overnight moody from Johannesburg landed at Heathrow airfield yesterday. That wasnt normal, one of the reporters on the moody said.

Bridge perceived a write call from Franco Baldini, the sexy Toscano whom the England players know as good patrolman to Capellos bad. Baldini listened to all that Bridge had to contend and, carrying finished so, attempted to convince the player that there was an additional way, that he competence feel otherwise in a months time, that the scars competence heal.

Bridge, though, was adamant: there was no proceed he longed for to be piece of the same group as Terry and there was no proceed he could lay in a sauce room with him, lay on a physical education instructor or share a road house with him for up to 6 weeks in South Africa this summer.

They had a prolonged conversation, but no one outward of that incident can entirely assimilate what Wayne is feeling, one source said. He only felt that, with the liaison around him, he could not lift on. He had thought about this for a prolonged time and knew what he was giving up. He finished it transparent that his preference was final.

Outsiders will be astounded that Capello was so marginal to the process, but it is simply a make a difference of his proceed to man-management. He is faraway from players, aloof, haughty even, and, as became transparent in his doing of the Terry captaincy issue, he prefers not to understanding with them by telephone. It is the discord of the Eriksson or Steve McClaren proceed and, for majority of the past fifteen months, it has been lauded as a strength. Just occasionally, it competence be a weakness, despite one lonesome by Baldini, his right-hand man.

Capello was seen to be behaving with autarchic self-assurance over Terry, but, whilst the movement of stripping the captaincy was timed at twelve mins in a assembly with the Chelsea defender in an bureau at Wembley, it followed a week of wordless speculation on the banks of Lake Lugano whilst Baldini collected comprehension in London.

Many inside of the FA feel that Capello acted not since of the players actions, however majority he competence disapprove, but because, after a week, he knew that the ardour for Terrys removal had spin omnivorous and that, if he remained in situ, the disastrous glisten could mishandle the team.

Some feel that Capello should have left one step over and dumped Terry from the squad, that would positively have helped to equivocate a incident where Bridge felt constrained to spin his behind on the England group since his on all sides had spin illogical and potentially divisive.

That was the march of movement taken by Steve Sampson, the former United States coach, prior to the 1998 World Cup, when he forsaken John Harkes, his captain, from the patrol since it emerged nonetheless not publicly that he was carrying an event with the mother of a team-mate, Eric Wynalda. When the story eventually seeped out this month, twelve years on, Sampson certified that it had been damaging to his team.

Capello is a disciplinarian, but additionally a pragmatist. If it had come down to a preference in in between Terry and Bridge, it would have been a candid one. Even if Bridges significance increasing in the light of the damage to Ashley Cole, he was not and never would be in the same arrange as Terry.

Where that disastrous glisten on the group is concerned, Capello will know that it will follow Terry in whatever he does in in between right away and the World Cup. But even if Bridges preference will means the England physical education instructor a serious headache, quite if Cole does not redeem from his damaged ankle in time, it will discharge the issues that would have arisen with Bridge and Terry as piece of the squad.

For Bridge to have reached the preference he has, it contingency obviously be the scold one in conditions of patrol harmony, even if it competence break the group and repudiate him a shot at glory.

There have been no winners in this sorry, unworthy tale. This has been the majority severe duration of Capellos reign and roughly positively has finished hold up some-more formidable for South Africa this summer. Difficult, but, in Capellos eyes at least, not impossible.

Leaving on their terms

Paul Scholes The Manchester United midfield player late from England avocation in 2004, elderly 29, to combine on his bar career and outlay some-more time with his family. Scholes scored fourteen times in 66 England appearances.

Chris Sutton A warding off to fool around for England B opposite Chile B, in Feb 1998, finished his England career with one cap. The 23-year-old striker withdrew after Glenn Hoddle, the England physical education instructor at the time, did not name him for the comparison squad.

Alan Shearer One of the good England centre forwards called it a day at general turn in 2000, elderly 29. He scored thirty times in 63 games. There were unchanging calls for him to lapse as Shearer one after another to measure continually for Newcastle United well in to his thirties.

Jamie Carragher The Liverpool defender, with 34 caps, late from general football in Jul 2007, elderly 29. He pronounced that a miss of opportunities stirred his decision. Fabio Capello attempted unsuccessfully to lure him out of retirement.

Luke Young The Aston Villa full behind finished his entrance in 2005 and won 7 caps. In Feb 2009, elderly 29, Young wrote to the FA after pulling out of Englands accessible with Spain to insist that he longed for to concentration on bar football.

Words by Tom Dart

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Gordon Brown strike by uninformed bullying allegations Politics The Guardian

Gordon Brown dash pic

No 10 has pronounced claims of slight bad poise to staff, together with youth polite servants, were a antagonistic falsehood. Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

The cupboard secretary, Sir Gus O"Donnell, was tonight underneath vigour to launch a grave review in to Gordon Brown"s diagnosis of his staff after an anti-bullying helpline suggested it has perceived multiform complaints from people operative at No 10. It follows announcement by the Observer publisher Andrew Rawnsley of hotly- doubtful allegations about Brown mistreating staff, together with assertions that he swore at staff, grabbed them by lapels and announced at them.

The End of the Party by Andrew Rawnsley 816pp, Viking, Signed copies £17.00 Buy The End of the Party at the Guardian bookshop

Rawnsley additionally claimed O"Donnell had warned Brown to shift his behaviour.

The Conservatives responded to the allegations by suggesting "there might have been a cover up at the heart of supervision over the budding minister"s behaviour".

The National Anti-bullying Helpline gift went open after the commercial operation secretary, Lord Mandelson, flatly denied Rawnsley"s claims, insisting that Brown was simply "demanding", "emotional, "and had a grade of impatience".

Christine Pratt, the helpline"s director, said: "We are not suggesting he is a bully. What we are observant is there are people in his bureau operative without delay with him that have issues and concerns, and have contacted the helpline. We hold the benefaction matter put out by Lord Mandelson is a unsteadiness and non-credible."

She pronounced 4 staff had contacted the helpline, the last one usually a couple of months ago. "I have privately taken a call from staff in the budding minister"s office, staff who hold they are operative in a bullying enlightenment and that it has caused them a little stress," she said.

The explain of slight bullying was currently corroborated up a comparison former confidant to Brown in No 10, who told the Guardian: "His heated bouts of annoy are mediocre to any one who has worked closely with him. You usually have to put up with this stuff. It is piece of the every day experience, roughly piece of the furniture. He would handle in that approach constantly. He suffers from a large mental disorder and an incapacity to accept blame, nonetheless he runs a censure enlightenment that allows him to censure others.

Guardian personality bard Tom Clark on either allegations of bullying by the PM in Andrew Rawnsley"s book will harm Labour Link to this audio

"He does not find to win an argument, he usually seeks to bully. If you have not worked closely with him before, it is indeed shocking. The some-more he trusts you, the some-more he vents."

The source was certain O"Donnell had been told of staff melancholy at Brown"s poise and had lifted the issue with the budding minister.

O"Donnell is expected to be grilled about what he knows and did by the probity name cupboard on Wednesday. Downing Street will be uneasy by the helpline"s intervention.

The Swindon-based helpline was set up in 1997 and insisted it was not domestic nor looking publicity. The Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe is the enthusiast and it quotes await from David Cameron on the website.

Pratt insisted: "Outright rejection is usually non-credible in today"s age. Over new months we have had multiform inquiries from staff inside of Gordon Brown"s office. Some have downloaded information; a little have essentially called the helpline without delay and I have oral to staff in his office."

Widdecombe pronounced she would have elite the helpline to stay out of the row, as the cases should sojourn confidential. The gift has an additional Conservative patron, councillor Mary O"Connor, but Widdecombe shielded the organization as "utterly non-political".

However, supervision sources questioned the charity"s credentials, suggesting it had done no strike with No 10 and operated usually dual doors afar from the internal Conservative party.

William Hague, the shade unfamiliar secretary, pronounced the allegations valid Brown was not "cut out for the job". He pronounced on Sky News: "I don"t think he has ever unequivocally shown that he can lead a happy group and may be if there is law in any of these allegations, that"s piece of the reason why." The Liberal Democrat"s Treasury spokesman, Vince Cable, pronounced Rawnsley"s allegations were "worrying".

No 10 pronounced the claims of slight bad poise to staff, together with youth polite servants, were a antagonistic falsehood. The Cabinet Office widened the rejection tonight, saying: "It is utterly wrong to contend that the cupboard cabinet member ever gave the budding apportion a written notice over his behaviour." It additionally denied claims by Rawnsley that staff in Downing Street had been so taken by surpise by Brown"s poise that O"Donnell systematic a grave investigation.

But Rawnsley pronounced he had claimed usually that O"Donnell had done "his own investigations" and had since Brown a written warning. He pronounced his sources for the story were "24 carat".

Mandelson embellished a design of a man who "gets indignant but customarily with himself, who doesn"t brag people". He combined that Brown "does not similar to receiving no for an answer" and there was "a grade of impatience" about him, but he said: "I don"t think he so most bullies people as he is really perfectionist of people."

In his book, Rawnsley alleges that:

• A domestic adviser, Stewart Wood, was "roughly shoved aside" and sworn at after arranging a lunchtime accepting for EU ambassadors, and that Brown said, "Why are you creation me encounter these fucking people? I don"t wish to encounter these fucking people", prior to attack in to the room.

• When sensitive by the emissary arch of staff, Gavin Kelly, that HM Revenue and Customs had lost computer disks containing the personal interpretation of twenty million people, Brown "leapt opposite the room," and "grabbing a dismayed Kelly by the collar, embroiled "they are out to get me"."

• Told unwelcome headlines in the behind of his central car, the PM "reacted by overhanging behind an arm and clenching his fist" ­causing an help to quiver fearing he"d be hit.

• Brown was "incandescent" with fury when he found out a journal was copy a story that his keynote celebration con­ference debate borrowed phrases from US politicians. He screamed at maestro ­American speechwriter Bob Shrum: "How could you fucking do this to me" and swore at aides to leave the room. Shrum has denied the claims.