GORDON BROWN has been “shocked” by the way that his family’s personal details have been obtained through alleged “criminality” and “unethical means”, his office said last night.

RUPERT MURDOCH’S bid to take control of BSkyB was hanging in the balance last night as it was claimed his journalists targeted former prime minister Gordon Brown and the Prince of Wales with illegal techniques.

The corruption trial of Spain’s most powerful banker, who bought Britain’s Abbey National, was suspended just hours after it started today when the defence presented new evidence.

The board of Abbey National Bank said today it had reached agreement on a takeover offer from Santander Central Hispano, Spain's largest bank.

Abbey National bank, which lost more than €79m by investing in US energy giant Enron, is suing a host of investment banks, claiming they must have known Enron’s finances were fatally flawed when the deal was made.