17th November

The Sun proclaims on its front page

Perv hunt: Site names paedos

"FIVE child sex offenders who have vanished are named on a new website TODAY.
The convicted paedophiles’ photos were put online in a bid to trace where they are holed up.
They include a man who attacked a boy aged eight and a children’s entertainer wanted for questioning over a string of incidents.
Cops fear they have a “potential risk of re-offending”. But they urged the public NOT to take the law into their own hands.

A theme that is also followed on the Front Page of the Guardian

Single mothers to be offered paedophile check on partners

"Single mothers will be able to ask the police to check the background of a new partner to find out whether he is a sex offender under moves being considered by the Home Office, the Guardian can reveal.
An interim report of a government taskforce will propose allowing individuals to request criminal record information directly. Currently, it is up to police and other agencies to warn women that their children could be at risk from a boyfriend.

The Times meanwhile leads with the report that

“THE Army’s high command was accused last night of officially sanctioning the hooding and mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners in direct contravention of the Geneva Convention.

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The claims were made by a witness in the court martial of seven soldiers charged in relation to the abuse and ill-treatment of nine Iraqis in Basra in 2003.”

Quoting from the court case The Times continues

“Major Royce told the court that, after being put in charge of internment, he was told by Major Mark Robinson, a brigade intelligence adviser, to “condition” prisoners. Fearing that this might contravene prisoner-handling tuition he had received in Britain, Major Royce said that he then checked with Major Russel Clifton, the brigade’s legal adviser, and was again told that “ conditioning” and hooding were acceptable. “

The Death of the economist Milton Freidman at the age of 94 is reported in the Telegraph

“His theory that inflation resulted from too much money chasing too few goods inspired a generation of central bankers and played a pivotal role in forming the governing philosophies of Lady Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan in the US.”

Which in its obituary describes him as

“championed the moral virtues of the free market and opposed all forms of state intervention.”

The Guardian reports on George Bush’s return to Vietnam describing the morning of the last retreat from Saigon in 1975 it says

“America has never really got over that morning in Saigon. Today, 31 years later, George Bush arrives in Hanoi for a visit steeped in the legacy of an old defeat - and haunted by the prospect of another.”

The Independent concentrates on another continent headlining its front page

Dead by 34:

Reporting on the continuing policies of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe it tells us

“Zimbabwe is now a place haunted by incomprehensible numbers: 85 per cent of the population living in poverty; 80 per cent unemployment; 90 per cent HIV infection rates in the army and most unbelievably, 2,000 per cent inflation.

In this man-made chaos it is the women, bottom of the social heap, who are suffering the most. The men have the option of leaving children to jump the border into South Africa. Many return only to be buried but at 37 years, their life expectancy remains marginally higher.”

The Times stays on the same continent reporting from Darfur where

Misery deepens as Janjawid infiltrate the refugee camps

It reports that a solution may be in the offing

“Jan Egeland, the United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, arrived in El Geneina yesterday to see for himself how conditions had changed. He spent the day meeting tribal leaders and representatives of the people herded into camps.

In Addis Abbaba, the Ethiopian capital, Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, met African Union officials to discuss Darfur. Last night he said that Sudan had accepted in principle UN and African Union forces in Darfur, but had yet to agree on the number of troops to be deployed. Until now Sudan had rejected UN peacekeepers for Darfur.
Officials are considering a hybrid force of African and UN troops, or bolstering the AU force with logistical support, equipment and personnel. “

The Guardian reports on the outcome of the French Socialist primaries where

“Ségolène Royal's battle to become the first woman president of France begins in earnest today, after the Socialist party last night overwhelmingly endorsed her as their candidate in next April's election.

The "madonna of the opinion polls", whose personal battle against a domineering military colonel father and the perceived sexism of her party's old guard has fascinated France even more than her policies, secured a decisive victory after a rancorous US-style primary. “

Amongst the Tabloids the Mirror reveals in its front page that

“WOOLWORTHS has already produced 100,000 souvenirs marking the engagement of Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton.
The store is determined not to miss out if the couple, as many expect, soon announce they intend to marry.
It has in storage 25,000 commemorative mugs, 12,000 plates and 15,000 tea towels bearing the portraits of Wills and Kate, both 24.”

Whereas the Star informs us that

Jacko won't sing again

POP weirdo Michael Jackson’s music career was in meltdown last night after he lost his famous voice.Wacko Jacko, 48, looked finished following his pathetic comeback performance at the World Music Awards – where he struggled to sing just two lines. And he couldn’t hit the right notes even then.Event organisers desperately tried to gloss over the fallen superstar’s embarrassing flop by claiming his microphone was cut off.

Relegating the Australian jungle off its front page,

The Sun however tells us

“DEAN Gaffney entered the jungle last night — and was thrown in at the deep end in one of the toughest ever bushtucker trials.
The actor, famed for owning a dog called Wellard in EastEnders, threw up in the ‘Jungle Spa’ as he endured cockroach shampoo. He also suffered an ant pedicure, a vomit fruit facial and a slime tanning booth. “

Amongst the Middle Market redtops the Mail headlines

Parents 'bully' GPs into prescribing antidepressants for children

“Parents are "bullying" GPs into prescribing antidepressants for their children, according to a new survey.
Family doctors claim "very poor" NHS services are also forcing them to give drugs like Prozac when counselling would be better for depressed children.
The survey shows GPs have seen a sharp rise in the number of teenagers with mental health problems since 2001. “

The Express continues with the latest egg scare

“SHOPPERS are being urged to boycott imported eggs as the scare over salmonella yesterday erupted into a diplomatic row.Tests by the Food Standards Agency uncovered the food poisoning bug in one in every 30 boxes of eggs from abroad. Eggs from Spain were the most heavily contaminated, at one in every eight boxes.”

Most of the tabloids report on the interview from Rod Stewart where according to the Express

“daughter Kimberly is suffer-ing from liver disease brought on by heavy drinking, her father has revealed.Kimberly, 27, well known for years on both sides of the Atlantic for her love of parties, has had to give up alcohol completely in the wake of the diagnosis.

Stewart spoke of his daughter’s previously unknown medical problems in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine to promote his latest album”

Finally the Telegraph reports that

“The Prince of Wales is urging his staff to help fight global warming by providing bicycles for them to make short trips around the capital instead of taking cars or cabs.”

The new "green" travel scheme could also see the prince travelling by commuter train — although that may be some time in the future.

The "green prince" intends to swap helicopters and private jets wherever possible and make more use of environmentally-friendly cars. But aides have admitted that some of his ideas are taking longer to implement than he hoped due to financial and security implications.