Relatives of those killed in the Omagh atrocity have voiced strong criticisms of the police involved, particularly Sir Ronnie Flanagan who ran the police service in Northern Ireland and is now the UK's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. The Guardian's Esther Addley in Belfast tells us victims' relatives will now pursue a twin track strategy, of civil action and calls for a public inquiry.

Science correspondent Ian Sample says the problem was over-reliance on "low copy number DNA testing" - a controversial technique that is usually used to support other evidence.

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If you're heading out for a festive drink at the weekend, you may want to be mindful of an astounding insight offered by today's FT: it seems rich people are less swift to get their round in than others.

Mid-morning, west London

Waking up this morning to remember that the Omagh bombing prosecution failed yesterday must be terrible for the families of victims who have waited nine years for justice. But to shout "No justice" as some newspapers do today is wrong.

Christmas is almost here and Parliament closed for business on Tuesday. But there was plenty to chew over this week in the political world. Gordon Brown tried to reclaim his glory years as chancellor when he cast himself as Mr Prudent at his final Downing Street press conference of the year. The Liberal Democrats also have a new leader after Nick Clegg's wafer thin victory over Chris Huhne.

In today's Newsdesk presented by Jon Henley, we'll have the latest on the three UK residents who were finally returned to Britain last night after spending nearly five years as alleged members of al-Qaida in America's Guantánamo Bay prison: Guardian reporter Vikram Dodd speaks to us from outside a central London magistrates' court where one of the men is awaiting a hearing on a request from Spain that he be extradited to answer terrorism charges.

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Lunchtime, Westminster

The Queen's achievement in becoming Britain's oldest monarch today - 81 years and 243 days - was one of the last items on the morning news, just as the birth of her latest grandchild - to Sophie Wessex - was inside-page news the other day, even among the more royalist tabloids.

At 5pm today the Queen will overtake her great-great-grandmother Victoria as the longest-living British monarch, prompting some to say that she should now retire.

The Liberal Democrats' new leader has already marked himself out as a bit of a radical with his blunt declaration yesterday that he doesn't believe in God, writes Louise Radnofsky.

Asked the question in a rapid-fire interview on Radio Five Live, Nick Clegg offered a quick "no". Later he elaborated, saying he was "not an active believer, but the last thing I would do when talking or thinking about religion is approach it with a closed heart or a closed mind". He added that his wife, Miriam, was a Catholic and their children were being brought up in the religion.

Nick Clegg has marked his election as Lib Dem leader with a crucial first appointment: the musician and record producer Brian Eno, who will help the new leader reach out to young people, write Paul Owen and Simon Busch.

The government's official spending watchdog has criticised NHS reforms introduced in 2003 designed to reduce the number of premature babies dying. The reforms havent worked and the Guardian's Social Affairs editor John Carvel tells me why.

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Mid-morning, west London

I am still trying to work out what that mild-mannered economics pundit Irwin Stelzer was up to writing the front page lead of the Sunday Times like a mere hack. "Brown in 'crisis of morale'" screamed the headline over a piece which suggested that urgent post-Northern Rock reform of the banking regulation system is being delayed because Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are just too demoralised.

Gordon Brown is facing another round of tough questions from journalists in his last monthly press conference of 2007. After a torrid few months since his last-minute decision against calling an autumn general election, the prime minister was still facing difficulties this week over lost computer discs containing millions of people's personal identity, the unresolved Northern Rock crisis and party funding. The British presence in Iraq and Afghanistan are also likely to be discussed.

An inquiry by MPs into the cash-for-honours affair that has dogged Labour for almost two years has concluded that the system under which peerages are awarded needs radical reform. Westminster correspondent David Hencke tells me the Commons committee's report is geared to persuade Gordon Brown to accept the recommendations.

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Mid-morning, west London

What a joy to read my colleague David Hencke's scoop on the latest report on Britain's battered honours list. It sounds a very thorough and high-minded piece of work - as you'd expect from a select committee chaired by Dr Tony Wright.

Thabo Mebeki or Jacob Zuma? Many South African journalists and bloggers are unimpressed by these two very different candidates fighting for leadership of the ANC at the party's conference in Polokwane.

Mid-morning, west London

Cheerful Bob Ainsworth, the mid-ranking defence minister put up to defend the British-to-Iraqi hand over in Basra, sounded defensive on Radio 4's Today programme. As well he might. As of now, "things are not as good as we'd like them to be," Sergeant Major Ainsworth admitted to John Humphrys more than once.

Basra's police chief has told Guardian Films that the southern Iraqi city is in chaos after four years contolled by British troops. Executive producer Maggie O'Kane tells me what he says.

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A tale of two cards: David Cameron's, left, and Gordon Brown's, right

Christmas, they say, is a time for giving, an opportunity to spread some festive joy by sending greetings cards to all your family and friends. Or, if you're an MP, the chance to remind the electorate of all the hard work you've been doing on their behalf.

But if choosing the right card is a tricky business for us mere mortals, for those in high office it's a political minefield.

Mid-morning, west London:

Just when MPs were starting to think the Brown government had touched bottom and could recover itself over the Christmas break, today's papers produced two unsettling signals for the neighbours at 10 and 11 Downing St.

The Guardian's front page confirms what more and more people in the cities of London and Westminster have been muttering for days; namely that the bigged-up private sector option has failed to deliver a plausible rescue plan for Northern Rock.

Environment correspondent David Adam reports from Bali on the latest developments at the UN climate change summit, which is in its final hours and still without an agreement on a roadmap towards a post-Kyoto treaty on carbon reductions.

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