Posted Monday, November 9 at 11:55 PM CST; Tuesday, November 10 at  12:55 AM EST, 0555 GMT.

Top stories in Tuesday morning’s London papers:

1) The Independent reports that plans to establish a “Big Brother” database of phone calls, e-mails and Internet page views in the UK effectively have been abandoned, or at least delayed. Government ministers have decided not to include the measure in next week’s Queen’s Speech. “The effect of this move could be to kill off the plans for years. The Conservatives have not ruled out reviving the idea but remain sceptical about the practicality of Labour’s proposals,” the Independent reports. Civil-liberties activists applauded the move, but a statement from the Association of Chief Police Officers expressed concern that without the scheme “the police service will face a fundamental breakdown in our ability to function in the communications age.”

2) In the Telegraph, a report by crime correspondent Richard Edwards covers the same story, but with a different interpretation. While the government itself will not operate a massive database as originally planned, Edwards reports that the Government is “pressing ahead with privately-held ‘Big Brother’ databases which opposition leaders said amount to ’state-spying’ and a form of ‘covert surveillance’ on the public.” Telecoms companies and ISPs will be required to keep extensive records of their customers’ communications, which will be available to hundreds of public bodies. “They will not require the permission of a judge or a magistrate to access the information, but simply the authorisation of a senior police officer or the equivalent of a deputy head of department at a local authority.”

3) In the Guardian, Terry Macalister reports on the claims of a whistleblower with the International Energy Agency who claims that his employer has deliberately underplayed the possibility of an oil shortage so as not to provoke a panic. “The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves.” The unidentified source, who claims to fear reprisals from within the industry, argues that the IEA “in 2005 was predicting oil supplies could rise as high as 120m barrels a day by 2030 although it was forced to reduce this gradually to 116m and then 105m last year.” Skepticism about IEA estimates may reflect increasing support within the industry for the “peak oil” theory — the view that global oil production has already “peaked.”

4) The Times reports on the results of a Populus poll commissioned by the paper that finds an increase in public optimism about the British economy. “More think they will do well rather than badly in the next year, by 50 per cent to 46 per cent, against a similar balance, 46 per cent to 52 per cent, the other way in July.” The survey results accompany a series of reports that suggest the nation’s economy may be emerging from recession, including an increase in high street sales and a surge in the value of the pound, Furthermore, the paper reports that Chancellor Alistair Darling will propose cuts in business taxes in next month’s Pre-Budget Report (PBR).

5) Jenny Wiggins reports for the Financial Times on the ongoing intrigue surrounding the possible takeover of British confectioner Cadbury by American grocery-products giant Kraft. The American firm reportedly is considering increasing its hostile offer of £9.8 million to Cadbury shareholders, while Cadbury chairman Roger Carr rejected the proposal as “worse than the proposal the board has previously rejected.” Top shareholders in Cadbury have insisted that they regard Kraft’s offer as inadequate. Meanwhile, Kraft CEO Irene Rosenfeld stated: “We remain convinced of the strategic merits for both companies of combining Kraft Foods and Cadbury.”