Cash-for-honours trail that leads to Number 10
Trumpets the Independent on the morning following the arrest of Lord Levy on charges of perverting the course of justice
The News dominates the papers today
Lord Levy, the Labour Party's chief fundraiser, has been arrested for a second time, increasing pressure on Tony Blair over the "cash-for-honours" affair.
Scotland Yard said the peer, known as "Lord Cashpoint", was detained on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice when he answered bail yesterday for alleged breaches of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. He was bailed pending further inquiries.
Scotland Yard said the peer, known as "Lord Cashpoint", was detained on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice when he answered bail yesterday for alleged breaches of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. He was bailed pending further inquiries.
The Guardian reports
The dramatic development suggests Lord Levy, who answers directly to the prime minister, is suspected of allegedly lying or withholding evidence from detectives as part of a coverup. Police are known to be following a trail of encrypted emails and electronic trails on computer hard drives as part of their 10-month inquiry.
Lord Levy rearrested over No 10 'cover-up'
Is the headline in the Times
The Independent compares the arrest to
The dramatic twist led opposition politicians to compare the affair to the cover-up after the Watergate crisis, which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.
The Mail refers to LABOUR'S DAY OF SHAME
But focuses on the other major announcement yesterday
A controversial South African billionaire with close links to Labour was the big winner as Britain's first supercasino licence was awarded to Manchester.
Sol Kerzner is poised to become the most powerful man in the British gaming industry. He can expect to earn tens of millions running the new gaming palace offering the first unlimited jackpots on British soil, along with new large casinos given the green light yesterday in Leeds and Luton.
Sol Kerzner is poised to become the most powerful man in the British gaming industry. He can expect to earn tens of millions running the new gaming palace offering the first unlimited jackpots on British soil, along with new large casinos given the green light yesterday in Leeds and Luton.
The Sun under the headline
CASINO ROYALE explains
RANK outsider Manchester came from nowhere to land Britain’s first super-casino yesterday — confounding odds of 20/1.
And last night it emerged the giant Las Vegas-style complex will be the only one of its kind, with Chancellor Gordon Brown ruling out any more.
More than 1,000 slot machines boasting jackpots with no upper limit will be the centrepiece of the project. That could bring Britain’s first £1million slot machine win.
And the development — one of 17 new casinos given licences — will provide a huge entertainment venue. Facilities will include a multi-purpose arena, a pool, an urban sports venue, restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a hotel.
And last night it emerged the giant Las Vegas-style complex will be the only one of its kind, with Chancellor Gordon Brown ruling out any more.
More than 1,000 slot machines boasting jackpots with no upper limit will be the centrepiece of the project. That could bring Britain’s first £1million slot machine win.
And the development — one of 17 new casinos given licences — will provide a huge entertainment venue. Facilities will include a multi-purpose arena, a pool, an urban sports venue, restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a hotel.
The Telegraph reporting
Legal fight on Manchester's casino victory
Plans for Britain's first super-casino were plunged into controversy and a probable legal challenge last night after Manchester was unexpectedly selected over the Dome at Greenwich and Blackpool.
The Government was also facing the prospect of a Commons rebellion after an advisory panel rejected the two front runners and plumped for Manchester, previously the 16-1 outsider at the bookmakers.
The Government was also facing the prospect of a Commons rebellion after an advisory panel rejected the two front runners and plumped for Manchester, previously the 16-1 outsider at the bookmakers.
The Independent says the news takes some of the presuure off the government.
Despair for Dome as Manchester wins supercasino
The decision to award the UK's first supercasino to Manchester surprised ministers and came as a relief to Tony Blair by preventing renewed sleaze allegations over the bid by the Millennium Dome at Greenwich.
The Guardian reports on
Shock on the Golden Mile over panel's 'bizarre' decision
As Blackpool reeled in shock at the failure of a gamble on which it had staked so much, Manchester cheered its dark horse. On a day with a leaden sky, Blackpool's bid leaders gathered on the Golden Mile, by a roulette wheel brought by Sky TV, to express astonishment that a city that had already received so much regeneration investment should have triumphed over a resort that needed gamblers' money to ensure survival.
The Times reports this morning on a survey by the CPS that
Poor rape conviction rate linked to binge drinking
Victims alleging rape have a one in twenty chance at best of seeing their attacker brought to justice, a record low, according to the findings of a report to ministers published today.
It shows that despite a sustained effort across the criminal justice system to improve the notoriously low conviction rate for rape, it now stands at 5.3 per cent of recorded cases.
The number of convictions has risen slightly to 728 in 2005, but it has failed to keep pace with the soaring rate of reported rapes of more than 40 per cent, the report finds.
It shows that despite a sustained effort across the criminal justice system to improve the notoriously low conviction rate for rape, it now stands at 5.3 per cent of recorded cases.
The number of convictions has risen slightly to 728 in 2005, but it has failed to keep pace with the soaring rate of reported rapes of more than 40 per cent, the report finds.
On the same story the Independent reports
Rape victims 'failed by police and courts'
More and more rape suspects are escaping justice each year despite record numbers of women prepared to come forward to report a sex crime.
A damning report into the investigation and prosecution of rape cases in England and Wales shows that victims are being failed at almost every stage of the criminal justice system.
The findings, which are published today, represent a major blow for the Government which has introduced new measures to try to improve the conviction rate for rape cases.
A damning report into the investigation and prosecution of rape cases in England and Wales shows that victims are being failed at almost every stage of the criminal justice system.
The findings, which are published today, represent a major blow for the Government which has introduced new measures to try to improve the conviction rate for rape cases.
The Telegraph reports
We have been getting it wrong in Iraq, says new US commander
President George W Bush faced fierce new criticism over his policy in Iraq yesterday as both military strategists and his new commander in the Middle East delivered negative assessments of America's prospects of quelling violence in the war-torn country.
In a blow to Mr Bush's latest attempt to seize back the initiative in Iraq after almost four years of violence, Adml William Fallon, his nominee to be the new head of Central Command in the Middle East, said that the Bush administration needed to be "more realistic" about its objectives and admitted that he had no way of defining victory in Iraq.
In a blow to Mr Bush's latest attempt to seize back the initiative in Iraq after almost four years of violence, Adml William Fallon, his nominee to be the new head of Central Command in the Middle East, said that the Bush administration needed to be "more realistic" about its objectives and admitted that he had no way of defining victory in Iraq.
The Guardian says
Europeans fear US attack on Iran as nuclear row intensifies
Senior European policy-makers are increasingly worried that the US administration will resort to air strikes against Iran to try to destroy its suspect nuclear programme.
As transatlantic friction over how to deal with the Iranian impasse intensifies, there are fears in European capitals that the nuclear crisis could come to a head this year because of US frustration with Russian stalling tactics at the UN security council. "The clock is ticking," said one European official. "Military action has come back on to the table more seriously than before. The language in the US has changed."
As transatlantic friction over how to deal with the Iranian impasse intensifies, there are fears in European capitals that the nuclear crisis could come to a head this year because of US frustration with Russian stalling tactics at the UN security council. "The clock is ticking," said one European official. "Military action has come back on to the table more seriously than before. The language in the US has changed."
The visit of the French presidential candidate to London is widely reported
Sarkozy brings electoral circus to London says the Indy
Hundreds of supporters of the French presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy were turned away from a rally in London last night, as the centre-right candidate for the spring elections wooed the expatriate vote in Britain.
M. Sarkozy, the French interior minister and leader of the UMP party, spoke for more than an hour and was greeted with wild cheers and flag-waving before his supporters joined him on stage for the French national anthem. Many wore T-shirts bearing the slogan "Les Jeunes de Londres avec Nicolas Sarkozy". It was a triumphant end to a day,which had begun with a meeting with Tony Blair at Downing Street.
M. Sarkozy, the French interior minister and leader of the UMP party, spoke for more than an hour and was greeted with wild cheers and flag-waving before his supporters joined him on stage for the French national anthem. Many wore T-shirts bearing the slogan "Les Jeunes de Londres avec Nicolas Sarkozy". It was a triumphant end to a day,which had begun with a meeting with Tony Blair at Downing Street.
The Mirror reports that
HEELYS BOY IS LEFT FIGHTING FOR LIFE
A SCHOOLBOY needed emergency brain surgery after being hit by a car as he crossed a road wearing Heelys.
Twelve-year-old Jarred Twaits was last night fighting for his life in a hospital's intensive care unit.
He is the latest casualty in a series of accidents involving the fashionable training shoes, which have wheels in their heels.
Wearers can walk at normal speed or skate at up to 20mph.
Police last night said it was not yet clear if Jarred was walking or skating when he collided with a Seat Ibiza car driven by an 18-year-old man.
Twelve-year-old Jarred Twaits was last night fighting for his life in a hospital's intensive care unit.
He is the latest casualty in a series of accidents involving the fashionable training shoes, which have wheels in their heels.
Wearers can walk at normal speed or skate at up to 20mph.
Police last night said it was not yet clear if Jarred was walking or skating when he collided with a Seat Ibiza car driven by an 18-year-old man.
The Telegraph asks
A starter palace for Prince William and Kate?
The Prince of Wales has been given the green light to build an eco-friendly house, rumoured to be a "starter home" for Prince William once he gets married. Planning permission has been granted for the six-bedroom property in the grounds of the Duchy of Cornwall's Harewood Park Estate.
The home, built to stringent environmental parameters, contains a chapel, a rainwater reservoir and stables, and draws heavily from Greek and Roman classical references. A spokesman for the Prince said that it was designed to be rented out, but would not comment as to who it might be offered to.
And staying at the royal residence the Mail reports
Intruder at Highgrove
An intruder armed with a pitch-fork got within yards of Prince Charles's country home Highgrove before being caught, it has emerged.
With the prince and the Duchess of Cornwall asleep inside, the 55-year-old suspect evaded security at the Gloucestershire mansion under cover of darkness before he was overpowered by police.
The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday - shortly after pictures of Camilla wearing a million-dollar necklace with hundreds of sparkling diamonds and 36 gleaming rubies in New York appeared in newspapers.
With the prince and the Duchess of Cornwall asleep inside, the 55-year-old suspect evaded security at the Gloucestershire mansion under cover of darkness before he was overpowered by police.
The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday - shortly after pictures of Camilla wearing a million-dollar necklace with hundreds of sparkling diamonds and 36 gleaming rubies in New York appeared in newspapers.
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