The Observer: Main section

Public urged to stay away from homecoming of Britain's Olympic champions because of 'health and safety' fears

MPs want measures to tackle fuel prices to be centrepiece of Brown's Labour relaunch

Barack Obama picks Joe Biden, a Washington insider for more than three decades, as vice-presidential nominee

Government urged to criminalise 'knowingly or recklessly' losing information after latest security breach fiasco

HSBC has been slammed by Japanese community after dressing up an overweight white man to look like a sumo wrestler. By Elizabeth Day

Underworld boss comes under fire from rivals over interview in Irish magazine which led to crackdown

Ticket sales at Edinburgh Festival bounce back after miserable start

Mayor of London attempts to quell rumours of Tory leadership takeover bid with magical quip

Labour's attempts to restore confidence in justice system leads to rise in criminalisation for minor offences

Immigration rules and the strong euro have led to a shortage of foreign fruit harvesters

The schedule for the Beijing 2008 closing ceremony and the London 2012 handover

Queen urges nation to 'make the London Games a shining example of Olympic success'

Tessa Jowell: We need to turn this success outward. Getting more people to do sport as well as just watch it

Rising price of copper set to cost National Rail millions in repairs, train delays and extra security

Government fails to tackle epidemic of chronic illness and early deaths among society's most disadvantaged

More news from around the UK

Britain's biggest arms manufacturer abandons plans to produce ecologically sound bullets

Women turn to DIY treatments rather than pay local beauty salons

Bathers around the UK urged to take extra care as 700 administrative staff walk out over low pay

Police search for five youths caught on CCTV fleeing estate moments after teenager fell to his death

Virgin Atlantic and easyJet flights forced to take emergency action after suffering technical problems

Carol Thatcher has written in her memoirs about former PM's battle with mental illness

Carole Cadwalladr: David Cameron's problem isn't with his reading of Gavin and Stacey, it's with his reading of everything else

Leading champagne house attempts to offset rising glass costs by developing thinner, lighter bottles

New website advises the older generation on setting rules for childcare

Paedophiles increasingly target babies and children too young to speak in strategy to avoid being caught

Stan Ruszczynski: Achieving a balance between care and control is what communities and our professional and political leaders need to do

National Trust warns of losing battle to save much-loved coastal landmarks from rising sea levels and erosion

Irish anglers, angered by a drop in fish numbers, want an end to the protected status of an old foe

Lucy Siegleon how our appetite for disposable fashion is becoming an eco disaster

Holiday-makers were forced to dive for cover during a shooting incident at an upmarket Spanish nightclub

Struggle for crown of world's number one internet video

Madonna may have turned 50, but the opening show of her world tour in Cardiff proved the queen of pop is still into the groove

Book lifts lid on carnal comforts sought by First World War troops

Ministers still failing to give schoolchildren the backing to realise their dreams, writes Liz Lightfoot

On the eve of the Democrats' convention, Obama finds himself struggling against a resurgent McCain

Patricia Williams: The fear of race rolls on, pantomimed in palpably influential and consequential ways

Joe Biden may be prone to gaffes but will bring age, foreign awareness and traditional Democratic values

Erosion, overgrazing, artificial drainage and burning of moorland are taking their toll on UK's uplands

A former Hollywood tragedy, Robert Downey Jr, is now free, at ease and on top of the heap

Margaret Drabble: The news that pensioners now outnumber teenagers under 16 should surprise nobody

Hephzibah Anderson: Once as essential to libraries as books themselves, silence is now as elusive as that stolen copy of Lord of the Flies

Editorial: Not surprisingly, Pakistanis do not now associate domestic political freedom with US foreign policy

Editorial: British athletes' spectacular performance at the Beijing Olympics came as a surprise to many

Andrew Rawnsley: In his crucial speech, the Democratic contender will have to overcome suspicions that run deep through the US heartlands

Jenni Murray: We can't all be successes, but that's no excuse for decrying those who are and the pleasure they give

This week's corrections

How refreshing to read an informed article on the conflict in Georgia which is based on reality and an understanding of recent history

The big issue: Nick Cohen repeats the usual misconceptions about small-scale organic farming in his attack on Prince Charles

Mike Phillips: For many, more recent migrants, the city offers an experience which feels uncomfortably like the way it was for black migrants in the Fifties

Catherine Bennett: The Games are no more than an expensive distraction from real life

Brian Moreton: Poor mental health lies behind both excessive drinking and domestic violence and significantly loosens the connection between the latter pair

Keith Richburg: A veteran US foreign correspondent argues it's dictators such as Mugabe who try to inspire guilt in Western leaders. Their people just call for help

Russian troops continue to occupy large areas of the country in breach of a ceasefire deal signed by Moscow

As Russian troops dig in on its borders, the people of South Ossetia count the cost of a short, vicious war

Claims that joint US and Afghan special forces' operation has killed at least 70 civilians in the Shindand area

San Bartolomé de Tirajana buries 13 of its inhabitants, killed in Madrid airport tragedy

Violent protests against President Evo Morales shake Bolivia and cut the Andean nation in half

Flavio Briatore accused of extravagance as super-rich desert club where a drink costs €35,000

More news from around the world

Improvements in north and east of Afghanistan offset by increased production in the south, figures show

Battle between central government and insurgents moves from remote south to doorstep of the capital

Charles Trenet's family accuse 'manipulative' former secretary of illegally commandeering assets

Competitive fleece clippers to lobby governing body for official recognition after disappointing medals tally

TV channels in India have been threatened with a ban after a raunchy reality hit sparked a debate on censorship. By Gethin Chamberlain in Delhi

They said what?

This week's winners and losers

The Lib Dem's economics spokesman has time for the Olympics and another chance to impersonate Fred Trueman

Victoria Coren: You can tell a lot about a man from the way he treats his mother. Animals, forget it

Profile: London's mayor Boris Johnson will be handed the Olympic flag amid signs that this supposed political lightweight may be in the mood to go for Tory gold. By Gaby Hinsliff

Oliver Marre rounds up the week's news and gossip