Grim Brown warns of a bleak year for Britain says the front page of the Observer this morning

In a strong warning, which sets the backdrop for a campaign to revive his premiership, Brown tells Britain to prepare for 'global financial turbulence' in 2008. 'Our strong economy is the foundation,' Brown writes in his new year message. 'With unbending determination in 2008, we will steer a course of stability through global financial turbulence. The global credit problem that started in America is now the most immediate challenge for every economy.'

Time to deliver, leading Blairites tell Brown says the Telegraph

Tessa Jowell calls on the Prime Minister to show humility and authenticity, and relate to the "core values" of voters.In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Jowell, the Olympics minister, said that a "faultline" had opened up in Mr Brown's performance since his decision not to call an autumn election.

The paper leads with the story that

Sex education failing to halt teen pregnancy

Every year, almost 50,000 girls under 18 fall pregnant, leading critics to claim that government-led efforts to encourage safer sex are backfiring. The number who conceive is at its highest level since a multi-million-pound teenage pregnancy crackdown almost a decade ago.

Scandal of assaults on children in custody is the lead in the Independent

Thousands of assaults are being carried out each year on children in custody by the people employed to look after them. Hundreds suffer cuts and bruises and some require hospital treatment for dislocated or broken bones.
Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the Children's Commissioner for England, has highlighted the "over-use of restraint and force" in Young Offender Institutions and Secure Training Centres, and is calling for an immediate ban on the practice of painful restraint, which includes hitting children in the face, twisting their thumbs and limbs, and pinning them down in painful stress positions as a form of punishment or to ensure compliance.

Many of the papers concentrate on one of the tragedies of the past few days

Toddler snatched from child's arms says the news of the world

A ROTTWEILER who savaged a one-year-old boy to death RIPPED him from the arms of a seven-year-old girl, it has emerged.The horrific snatch happened as the youngster cradled little Archie-Lee Hirst while she went to stroke the devil dog kept in a back yard.As the crazed pet carried off the screaming child, his 16-year-old aunt, who was babysitting, made several brave attempts to free him by hitting the rottweiler.

Meanwhile the Telegraph carries an interview with the parents of the girl killed on a quad bike

Quad bike girl's parents 'to face consequences'

Elizabeth Cooke, known to her family as Lizzie, and her brother, Jack, 10, were following their father's car in the dark along an unlit lane at around 7pm on Boxing Day when she was in a collision with a Range Rover travelling in the opposite direction.Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Telegraph, Gary Cooke and his partner Claire Batt paid tribute to their daughter, who her parents described as "perfect in every way". Mr Cooke said: "No one could begin to imagine how much it has devastated the village and our close family.

The Observer reports on a football tragedy

Motherwell captain dies after collapsing on pitch

Politicians, team-mates and senior figures in Scottish football paid tribute to the Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell, who died yesterday after collapsing during his team's Scottish Premier League match against Dundee United.
O'Donnell, who was 35, was set to be replaced in the closing stages of the game by substitute Marc Fitzpatrick, but fell to the ground before the substitution could take place. Players on the field, including his team-mate and nephew David Clarkson, were visibly shocked by the incident and O'Donnell received treatment for about five minutes before being carried from the pitch on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance outside Fir Park where he was taken to Wishaw General Hospital.

There is much coverage of Pakistan,the same paper reports

Fury at claims on Bhutto killing

The hunt for the killers of Benazir Bhutto became mired in bitter controversy yesterday over a dispute between her supporters and political opponents about how she met her death.
The two sides cannot agree whether she was shot or suffered fatal blast injuries. The dispute could influence the future direction of two inquiries announced yesterday by the Pakistani government.
Any evidence that a lone suicide bomber carried out the attack would support the government's assertion that al-Qaeda was responsible; proof that shots were fired would fuel the suspicion of many within Bhutto's Pakistan People's

A face in the crowd: Benazir Bhutto's assassin says the Telegraph

"Long live Bhutto," Benazir Bhutto shouted, waving to the crowd surging around her car. They were her last words before three gunshots rang out and she slumped back on to her seat.In the first eyewitness account from inside the car, Dr Abbassi told The Sunday Telegraph: "All of a sudden there was the sound of firing. I heard the sound of a bullet."I saw her: she looked as though she ducked in when she heard the firing. We did not realise that she had been hit by a bullet."



Election in jeopardy as search starts for Benazir's heir says the Independent


Riots and vote-rigging claims as Kenyan polls go to the wire reports the Observer

Kenya's leadership race was on a knife-edge last night as President Mwai Kibaki appeared to claw his way back from a huge deficit amid allegations of vote-rigging and violent protests by opposition supporters.
With nearly 90 per cent of the votes counted, the election commission gave Raila Odinga, an outspoken former political prisoner, a tiny lead: 3,880,053 votes compared to Kibaki's 3,842,051. Kibaki, 76, who has consistently lagged behind Odinga in opinion polls, had been trailing by nearly a million votes overnight and the rapid closure of the gap led to claims by the opposition Orange Democratic Movement that his government was trying the steal the election

With the start of the primaries days away,the Independent reports

Iowa or bust for Romney

Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts hoping to become the first Mormon in the White House, was this weekend embroiled in a two-front battle, where defeat would almost certainly end his quest for the Republican presidential nomination.
The first moment of reckoning comes at Thursday's caucuses in Iowa. Here, Mr Romney has lost a commanding lead to Mike Huckabee, the ex-governor of Arkansas. Five days later, New Hampshire holds its traditional first-in-the-nation primary, where Mr Romney must contend with the reinvigorated Arizona Senator John McCain

Showdown for Hillary in John Wayne country says the Telegraph

He was arguably the greatest hero in the history of American cinema, a leader of men who beat the bad guys and symbolised patriotic values.But here in the birthplace of John Wayne, in the snowy wilds of an Iowa winter, the US is picking another leader - a president to command the respect of modern America and deal with the world's villains, who have swapped Stetsons and Colt 45s for suicide bomb belts.

According to the Express this morning

A 'FINE' IF YOU MISS HOSPITAL DATE

PATIENTS who miss doctors’ appointments could face fines because they are costing the NHS £1billion a year, it was revealed last night.
A Commons committee is being urged to impose up to a £20 deposit before an appointment can be booked – as it emerged that one in 10 people fails to turn up for hospital outpatient appointments without warning. The figures were compiled by Grant Shapps, Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield, who asked 264 NHS Trusts for details of missed appointments for 2005-2006.

The Mail on Sunday leads with the news that

'Curse of Camilla' cruise ship struck by winter vomiting bug

A luxury liner launched by the Duchess of Cornwall has been hit by a potentially fatal stomach bug, which has struck down nearly 80 passengers.
When Cunard's £300million MS Queen Victoria was officially launched by Camilla in Southampton three weeks ago, the bottle of champagne failed to smash against the bow, prompting superstitious speculation that the ship was cursed.
Now, 78 passengers have been confined to their cabins after being hit with Norovirus, the "winter sickness bug", which causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

More royal news in the Telegraph which reports

Rings for Prince William and Kate Middleton?

April now seems a long time ago. Yesterday a travel-weary and rumpled Miss Middleton arrived at Heathrow after an eight-hour flight home from her Christmas break in the Caribbean. She will see in the New Year with the royal prince who is once again her boyfriend.
William and Kate are back firmly as "an item" and, say friends, happier and closer than ever. Many royal observers are predicting that 2008 will be the year that the couple cement their five-year, on-off relationship with the announcement of their engagement.

Meanwhile the Mail carries

The making of the Middletons: How Kate's family rose from a condemned flat in London to the verge of royalty

with the help of her extended family, many of whom had not even realised they were related to a girl who might be a Princess, The Mail on Sunday has pieced together the extraordinary details of the social odyssey that eventually led to the birth of Kate Middleton.
Through a fascinating series of personal recollections and family photographs, they reveal a remarkable journey from the grimy back streets of Southall, West London, to the apartment in Clarence House where Kate now spends most of her time.

The news of the world reveals

A Man U £1M Party rape fine

LIVID Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has punished up to 30 players—and torn into them EVERY day since their disgraceful Christmas party climaxed in rape claims and a "roasting" scandal.
He has really turned on the heat by fining EVERY big-earning first team star who took part in the £4,000-a-head 15-hour booze binge on December 17. He has also BANNED any more parties and WARNED his pampered millionaire players there will NEVER be a repeat performance.
A senior club insider revealed: "Fergie is absolutely livid. This is the angriest anyone's ever seen him. He's lectured the boys every day in training since it happened."

Meanwhile the Sunday Mirror reports

Jail peril for Joey

Football star Joey Barton was under close guard in prison last night after being threatened.
The Newcastle United and England midfielder, 25, is on remand in Liverpool's Walton Prison, accused of assault.
Officers have been told to watch his back after being briefed that Barton is a target because of hatred for his half-brother.

The paper leads with

SARAH BROWN 'GRANDPA' WAS VICTIM OF 50s NUCLEAR TESTS

A close relative of Gordon Brown's wife Sarah died from cancer after witnessing a British nuclear explosion in the South Pacific.
Squadron Leader Stephen Pooley, then 43, escorted Britain's first hydrogen bomb to Christmas Island in 1957.
He then flew in a Canberra bomber through the nuclear mushroom cloud moments after the blast to collect fallout samples.
Afterwards he wrote a top-secret report on the mission, codenamed Operation Grapple, in which he described how it was "quite impossible to contain the radiation".

Finally the Mail reports

JK Rowling drops hints of possible eighth Harry Potter book

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has strongly hinted for the first time that she could write an eighth book in the series.
Rowling, 42, admits she has 'weak moments' when she feels she will pen another novel about the boy wizard.
One of her biggest fans – her 14-year-old daughter Jessica – has already put pressure on her to revisit the character.