Lord Mandelson has signalled his support in principle for the partial privatisation of Royal Mail, setting the stage for a confrontation between the arch-Blairite business secretary and Labour MPs. More: continued here

The Port of Portland closed on a $16.96 million sale of former Reynolds/Alcoa industrial property to FedEx earlier this week. The long-anticipated sale of 77.9 acres on Sundial Road in Troutdale solidifies the shipping giant’s plans to build a 425,000-square foot ground distribution center … More: continued here

The Victorian coroner's office has confirmed it has the body of Britt Lapthorne and the office will conduct a second post-mortem examination. More: continued here

Sun, Oct 19, 2008 (7:18 p.m.) A high home foreclosure rate mixed with the rising cost of living has driven the demand for food stamps in Stanislaus County up steadily this year. More: continued here

John Higgins won his first ranking title on home soil, holding off a spirited Ryan Day fightback to clinch the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Glasgow. More: continued here

Allentown’s downtown doesn’t have office-friendly stores such as FedEx Kinkos or UPS Store like most large cities, but it’s getting there. More: continued here

CALGARY – After one of the best games of his career, receiver Brett Ralph deflected much of the credit to his more high-profile teammates. More: continued here

Do you remember the first item you ever sold online? Let us know by sending an email to ina@auctionbytes.com and we may publish your story. Today we hear from Alex Durant, who used cMarket to produce a charity auction for Share Our Strength, and Crystal Brooks, whose husband’s eBay purchases …

LABOUR U-TURN OVER POST OFFICE CLOSURESUK Express, UK –4 hours agoMany now have no post office within miles. MPs from Lord Mandelson’s own party hope his first appearance before the Business and Enterprise Select Committee … More: continued here

Royal Mail’s future as a state-owned enterprise is bleak. More: continued here