When it was released, it was the fastest-selling debut album ever in the UK, and nearly 12 years on Definitely Maybe has been named the greatest album of all time.

When fundamentalism swept Europe

It is a story worthy of Frederick Forsyth. The candidate most likely to take the helm of a former Soviet republic, but who has powerful enemies in neighbouring Russia, is disfigured by a deadly poison administered via his soup.

Portsmouth 2 - Manchester United 0

An American legend is about to be eclipsed as the most successful jockey in history.

The only minus about The Oxford Companion to Food by Alan Davidson (OUP, pounds 40) is that it is a tad pricey as a Christmas gift. So you'll just have to treat yourself. It is simply indispensable, not so much in the kitchen (Davidson imposed a strict rule against recipes) but for feeding the mind. From Aardvark ("commonly described as tasting like pork"), via Elevenses, Grigson and Shipworm ("may be pickled in vinegar or fried and eaten with eggs"), to Zucchini, it contains over 2,600 entries. All are authoritative, many wonderfully recondite and quite a few hugely amusing. Twenty years in the making, this titanic achievement is a great big raspberry in response to the prejudice that the British are indifferent to food.

Simon Bell, 35, left university to join United Biscuits, working in sales for McVities. He moved to Jays UK Ltd as a senior executive, then was appointed sales director of the New Covent Garden Soup Company in 1994. Last year, he became its managing director

jag, n.

The League Against Tedium, Simon Munnery's highly original comedy creation, demands an audience's concentration: "Attention, scum," he barks. "You are nothing. Absolutely nothing. You are sub-worms. Behold superiority!" He goes on to pour out random maxims which flow in a stream of consciousness, almost like Surrealist automatic writing. "That which does not kill us makes us stronger - Frosties, par exemple... Thought: beware the smile of the waiter - it means he's pissed in your soup... We are all brothers. Hence, war." He is a tinpot dictator who didn't get out enough as a teenager and spent too long with his nose in Thus Spake Zarathustra. Bewildering to some, this figure has been lauded by critics as "brilliant" and "unique". You can judge for yourself.

World Book Day was launched in 1995, and this year nearly 40 countries are taking part. In Britain, the events include signing sessions, writing competitions, discounts, extended bookshop opening hours, a World Book Day bus travelling around London, and 14 million pounds 1 vouchers for schoolchildren.

SO I'M working for a company where most of my early afternoon is spent trailing round the shops filling people's lunch orders. In my experience, you can tell a lot about the state of a company from the lunching habits of its employees.

DECLINE AND FALL

SCOTIA HOLDINGS, the loss-making Scots pharmaceuticals group, yesterday gave hope to millions of food junkies with the sale of a revolutionary anti-appetite ingredient to the US cereal giant General Mills.

Even if designer toys fail to impress the children, they'll look great in your Poggenpohl kitchen.