In a week when seven UK soldiers died in Afghanistan, Gordon Brown has warned he will not risk British lives for a corrupt government. In a major speech in central London this morning the prime minister said the Afghan government had become a "byword for corruption".

Actor Randy Quaid and his wife posted a bail bond after allegedly failing to pay a $10,000 (£6,246) hotel bill. The Kingpin actor and his wife Evi were arrested in June over allegedly running out on a hotel bill at the exclusive San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California

HTC has announced that its new Windows-based phone, the HD2, will be launched in Europe this month. The handset, which has a 4.3-inch capacitive touch display, is equipped with a wide range of functions designed to make it feel as personal to the user as possible.

It was a case of 950th time lucky for South Korean grandmother Cha Sa-soon as she finally passed the first part of her driving test. The 68-year-old decided in 2005 that she needed a car to help her business.

If reliability is a major factor in your choice of car then a Honda or BMW should be at the top of your shopping list. The FN50 report, a study involving more than 800,000 vehicles conducted by Fleet News and Grant Thornton, concluded that the two carmakers supply the most reliable vehicles.