The Independent asks on its front page

Iraq: One by one, they tell the truth

Commenting on the testimony of the new American secretary for State on Iraq it lists the men who have admitted that the policy was wrong including Colin Powell,Jack Straw,Donald Rumsvelt and now Robert Gates who

“said he would consult widely to try to turn around the situation in Iraq and "that all options are on the table in terms of how we address this problem". He added: "What we are now doing is not satisfactory." Asked directly if the US was winning the war, he replied: "No, sir." He later said he thought the US was neither winning or losing.”

Both the Gaurdian and the Times has a green tinge to its front cover,The Guardian looking forward to today’s statement by the Chancellor saying

“Many of the UK's big businesses - including supermarkets, banks, universities, hotel chains, hospitals and government departments - would be forced to sign up to a carbon-trading scheme under proposals being drafted by ministers.”

The Times revealing

“The gas-guzzling “Chelsea tractor” has suffered a sudden decline in sales after a succession of threatened tax rises, The Times can reveal.
Existing owners of 4x4s are facing substantial losses because the second-hand value of the vehicles has also dropped significantly.”

Whereas the Telegraph draws on a specific proposal in today’s economic statement

“Motorists face a rise in petrol prices today as the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, demonstrates his green credentials in his final pre-Budget statement.

He is preparing to announce the first fuel duty rise for three years, returning to the policy of raising tax on petrol and diesel in line with inflation.”

And staying with the same paper and the Chancellor,

Teenagers 'must stay in education till 18'

Teenagers should be forced by law to stay in school or training up to the age of 18, the review of skills ordered by Gordon Brown said yesterday.

More than one in six young people leave school unable to read, write and add up properly and the proportion of 16- year-olds staying on in full time education in the UK is below the average for developed countries, it said.

The report by Lord Leitch, the chairman of Bupa and former chairman of Zurich Financial Services, warned the Government that its new vocational diplomas for 14- to 19-year-olds must succeed.

The Guardian reports

Green belt sale would kill off town centres, warn environmentalists
“The plans would have a "devastating impact on the environment and local democracy" if they allowed more out-of- town shopping developments or house building to proceed on land protected for more than 40 years by strict planning laws. The proposals are contained in a report by Kate Barker, an economist and member of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee, which was commissioned by the Treasury last year. “

The Independent reports on yesterday’s coup in Fiji

“Fiji's armed forces have staged the country's fourth coup in 20 years after a long-running political crisis.
The bloodless seizure of power - ending weeks of tension between the military commander and the Prime Minister - was played out in a typically leisurely Melanesian fashion, and resulted in immediate international sanctions.
Commodore Frank Bainimarama said yesterday he had temporarily assumed the country's presidency and sacked Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and his ministers, who he accused of bribery and corruption.”

It is a year today since David Cameron became the leader of his party.The Leader in the Telegraph proclaims

Cameron's true test starts when Blair goes

“He is positive, up-beat and resilient – essential in a party leader – and is sticking doggedly to his game-plan, unlike his three predecessors. He has been rewarded with a lead in the polls, though not perhaps as big a lead as he might have expected. Women in particular have warmed to him and he appeals strongly to floating voters in the centre. Crucially, under David Cameron the Conservative Party is once again being taken seriously.”

However the paper adds

“If his advisers are relying on Mr Brown to frighten Middle England into voting Conservative, they will be disappointed. Mr Brown will play hard and dirty in his determination not to go down as another James Callaghan, inheriting the crown but never winning it in his own right.”

“The next 12 months will reveal his true mettle, as he locks horns with Mr Brown. This is when the next election will be won or lost. He has no time to lose.”

The Guardian’s Lance Price writes

One year on and none the wiser

Hearing David Cameron and his team espouse social justice, economic stability and public service investment has been a sweet irony except, of course, that it is so obviously just a tactic.
That is one reason why, a year on, Labour's own tacticians are feeling less threatened. Cameron's moves have been so transparent, so unashamed in aping New Labour that even a largely disengaged electorate will have smelled a rat.


The Sun headlines with a familiar theme this Xmas with an attack on the killjoys,displaying a picture of a Christmas tree it asks

“Our bold decision to publish and be damned flies in the face of the snowballing attempts to strip Christmas of all its meaning — and its fun.
A survey of 2,300 employers revealed yesterday showed an astonishing 74 PER CENT have banned office decorations for fear of upsetting followers of minority faiths.”

Amongst its examples it quotes

A COURT banned a millionaire from putting up his annual charity light display outside his home.

A SANTA was prevented from touring a town because his sleigh does not have a seatbelt.

VILLAGERS planning a festive party were told by council chiefs it would be cancelled unless they carried out a “risk assessment” on mince pies made by the Women’s Institute, and

TRADERS hoping to bring Christmas shoppers into a city centre on a festive train were told it would be banned until councillors could talk about it — in January.

England’s capitulation in Australia has attracted the attention of the same paper

Wombats 2 Wombles 0

Is the back page headline

“ENGLAND’S bunch of Wombles had to face up to a nightmare Ashes scoreline last night — two Tests down, just three to play.

After seeing his men somehow blow the Second Test, skipper Andrew Flintoff said: “I never want to feel like this again.”

The Mirror simply has the headline
CRUSHED

“ENGLAND coach Duncan Fletcher was fighting for his future last night after the most crushing defeat in Ashes history.”