David Cameron has switched the subject for his opposition day from the civil service to party funding, to take advantage of Labour's troubles following the revelation of David Abrahams' proxy donations.

British schoolteacher Gillian Gibbons arrived back in the UK today after being freed from a Sudanese prison. Ms Gibbons was sentenced last week to 15 days in jail for insulting Islam by naming a teddy bear Muhammad. She won a pardon after the intervention of two UK Muslim peers. One of them, Lord Ahmed, tells me how he helped persuade President Omar al-Bashir to release Ms Gibbons.

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Mid-morning, west London

On Friday I spotted something I'd not previously seen, the Saltire flying in solitary state over Westminster Abbey. I then forgot to ask why. It turns out it was St Andrew's Day, so the flag may be a sign of improved sensitivity to Britain's Celtic nations by the metropolitan elite.

The Darfur crisis has displaced 2.5 million people, left around 400,000 dead and left around around four million people are currently dependent on aid. It is now recognised as the world's greatest humanitarian disasters and yet in spite of the most recent peace talk and sanctions against the Sudanese government, regarded as responsible for much of what has been happening.

Last week the government confirmed it was open to redesigning the union flag, and now it's looking at overhauling the national anthem. Clearly nothing is sacred in Gordon Brown's ongoing quest to establish a vision.

Apparently the problem with God Save the Queen is that some of its lyrics are not "inclusive", says the former attorney general Lord Goldsmith, who is leading a citizenship review for the prime minister.

"Some people have suggested we might think about whether there are different words that might be put in place which would be more inclusive," he told Sky News today.

Andrew Heavens reports from Khartoum, where British schoolteacher Gillian Gibbons has been pardoned after the intervention of two UK Muslim peers. She was sentenced last week to 15 days in jail for insulting Islam by naming a teddy bear Muhammad.

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In the propaganda battle over Iran, the Americans know how to shock and awe writes Randeep Ramesh in New Delhi.

Update 4pm GMT

Gillian Gibbons, the British teacher jailed for allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad, has been freed following a pardon by Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir. She is expected back in Britain tomorrow.

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West London, mid-morning:

It's a wise minister who selflessly lets the boss take the bow, especially when he needs a bow. So Gordon Brown's name, not that of health secretary, Alan Johnson, was attached to this morning's upbeat statement about the government's latest five year plan for better UK cancer results.

Westminster, lunchtime

On behalf of the paper I paid a rare visit to the No 10 lobby meeting today, an event I used to attend most days of the year. Friday mornings are usually quiet and fielded by a junior official, as happened today.

In future the Russian presidency might be decided by just how rude you can be to your American counterpart of the time.

As Gordon Brown gets drawn deeper into the scandal over proxy donations to Labour, political editor Patrick Wintour considers what the Metropolitan police will be investigating.

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Will Woodward assesses the latest developments in the dodgy donor row as police may now be called in.

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The proposal by a Labour MP to redesign the union flag to incorporate the Welsh dragon has unsurprisingly aroused considerable public debate. Ian Lucas, MP for Wrexham, says his personal preference would be for the Red Dragon - y Ddraig Goch - placed in the centre of the flag.

West London, mid-morning:

I sat between a retired general and a retired head of the Foreign Office at a seminar last night, with a lawyer on one flank and the Archbishop of Canterbury's spokesman on the other. This blog mixes in all sorts of rough company.

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The political world showed so signs of calming down this week as Labour was hit by yet another funding row. Gordon Brown found himself eating more humble pie after a millionaire property developer disguised donations to the Labour Party by channelling them through staff of modest means.

Harriet Harman will today face questioning in the House of Commons over the £5,000 unlawful donation she received from Janet Kidd, an intermediary acting on behalf of David Abrahams, the property developer.

Update 12 noon GMT
An extraordinary siege at a Philippines hotel has come to an end. Follow the dramatic events as they unfolded and read the reaction after military leaders, already on trial for one botched coup, attempted another one in front of the world's media.

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YouTube has suspended the account of Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas, who has been posting videos of cases of torture in his country. One of the videos he posted, of a Cairo man being beating and sexually assaulting, was credited with helping bring pressure on Egyptian authorities. That pressure led to three-year jail sentences for two of the policeman involved in the assault. Abbas has called the suspension of his YouTube account "by far the biggest blow to the anti-torture movement in Egypt", according to Amira Al Hussaini on Global Voices.

Technorati Tags: Egypt, Google , human rights, YouTube

Political editor Patrick Wintour assesses the difficulties for Gordon Brown as senior Labour officials face questions over Labour's secret donor.

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