The Telegraph claims that

Britain in grip of norovirus as cases hit 3m

Hospitals struggling to cope have closed hundreds of wards to new patients. Three hospitals have been put on red alert because of a critical shortage of beds caused by people falling ill with the bug.
Some schools are sending letters to parents telling them of norovirus symptoms to look out for and asking them to keep children at home for 48 hours after the infection has cleared.

Health matters on the front of the Independent as forthe second time this week

The great dentistry rip-off: time to bite back

In the first sign that consumers are starting to hit back against soaring dental fees and unscrupulous practitioners, hundreds of patients have won refunds worth thousands of pounds for treatment that failed.
Private dentists who overcharged patients and performed shoddy dental work have paid out more than £100,000 in compensation in the first year of operation of a new complaints service, The Independent can reveal. The payouts were listed in the first report by the Dental Complaints Service (DCS), a body set up in May 2006 in response to evidence of widespread patient dissatisfaction.

Health matters also on the front of the Mail

EU gives green light for cloned food to go on sale in UK shops

EU scientists say meat and milk from cloned farm animals should be cleared for sale.
They admit cloned animals suffer higher rates of early death and disease but say there is no food safety reason to keep their products off shop shelves.
The draft opinion of the European Food Safety Authority will horrify critics who see the development of such animals as "Frankenstein Farming", tampering with nature in a similar way to GM foods.

There is much speculation about the fate of the cabinet minister Peter Hain

Questions over 'thinktank' pile pressure on Hain says the Guardian

A hitherto unknown thinktank that passed tens of thousands of pounds to Peter Hain's deputy leadership campaign has never published any work or held any meetings since its incorporation in December 2006. Concerns over the exact role of the Progressive Policies Forum mounted yesterday and threatened to undermine efforts by the work and pensions secretary to clear his name and explain how he and his team had failed to register more than £100,000 in donations to the Electoral Commission.


Minister could be suspended over undisclosed gifts reports the Independent

Yesterday the Work and Pensions Secretary faced calls to resign as his position in the Cabinet appeared to be increasingly at risk. The Commons anti-sleaze watchdog is to investigate a complaint that he failed to disclose £103,000 of donations in the MPs' register of interests. One possible penalty is a temporary suspension from the Commons, which would inevitably force him to resign from the Cabinet.

The Times reports that

Value of Britain's homes tops £4 trillion for first time

The combined price tag of the 22 million homes in the country has more than trebled in the past decade, rising by 208 per cent to £4,014 billion since 1998, new figures from Halifax, the biggest mortgage lender, show. In the same period the retail price index, which is one measure of inflation, rose by 31 per cent.
The sale value of all homes is nearly three times as great as the £1.4 trillion gross domestic product (GDP) of Britain, and more than half of the US GDP, which is £7.4 trillion. It would fund the building of 10,000 nuclear power stations or a fleet of 28,500 of the most expensive yachts at a cost of £140 million each

The Mirror reports on

Northern Rock's £100M pension hole

Hopes of rescuing Northern Rock were dealt a blow yesterday by news of a £100million black hole in its staff pension fund.
Union leaders said it was another kick in the teeth for 6,000 workers at the bank already fearful of losing their jobs.
Chancellor Alistair Darling has admitted it "may not be possible" to find a private buyer for the bank and pension fears will make a sale harder.

Marriage of twins fuels adoption row reports the Telegraph

Twins who were separated at birth have married each other, unaware that they were brother and sister.Each had been adopted by a different family, with neither being told they had a twin.
A High Court judge annulled the marriage after the couple discovered they were siblings, the House of Lords has been told.
The judge ruled that the marriage had never validly existed.

The Sun leads with the same story

The horrified British couple faced the heartbreak of seeking to have their marriage annulled in the High Court after eventually finding out their love was forbidden.
A judge was forced to rule the union was NEVER valid in law.
Last night the peer who uncovered the astonishing case told The Sun of the twins’ “trauma”.
Lord Alton of Liverpool said: “Anyone hearing this story would feel heartbroken for them.

The Times reports on

Backlash as more claim religion to get place in top schools

New evidence that middle-class parents are playing the system to get their children into church schools emerged last night prompting calls for the Government to put a halt to new faith schools.
A surge in late baptisms into the Roman Catholic Church is reported by researchers as part of a phenomenon known as the “Year-Five Epiphany.” The findings have reignited the debate about the place of religion in the school system and led to renewed criticism that faith schools favour the selection of middle-class pupils whose parents know how to play the system.

The paper leads the tributes to Sir Edmund Hillary

How The Times scooped Everest triumph

Snow conditions bad stop advanced base abandoned May twentynine stop awaiting improvement stop all well.”
The message may sound like the announcement of failure. In fact, it was an elaborate journalistic code, worked out by The Times in 1953, to convey exactly the opposite message. When decrypted, the message read: “Everest Climbed Hillary Tenzing May 29”.
The message had been sent by a 27-year-old Times subeditor, James (now Jan) Morris, the only journalist to accompany the 1953 expedition. From base camp, it was taken by runner to a police post with a radio transmitter 30 miles (48km) down the mountain at Namche, from where it was transmitted to Kathmandu. From there the British Embassy wired it to London. It reached The Times at 4.14pm on June 1. The news of the first ascent of Everest duly appeared in The Times on June 2, 1953, the day of the Queen’s Coronation.

Queen leads tributes to Sir Edmund reports the Telegraph

Buckingham Palace said the Queen was "deeply saddened" by the death of the bee farmer turned explorer on Thursday, who reached Mount Everest's summit, alongside Tenzing Norgay, his Nepalese sherpa, days before the coronation in 1953



A different take form the Indy

Save our blighted Everest, says Hillary's best friend

Sir Edmund Hillary, the "quintessential Kiwi" who conquered Everest, wanted the battle against the ravages of global warming and tourism on the world's highest peak to be his legacy, one of his former climbing companions said yesterday.
Sir Edmund had become concerned in recent years with the piles of rubbish left by climbing parties on Everest – estimated to weigh as much as 200 tonnes – as well as the risks presented to the native population by vast lakes formed by melting glaciers as a result of climate change.

Science chief: greens hurting climate fight says the Guardian

The scientist credited as being the first to convince Tony Blair of the urgency of the climate crisis has accused green activists of being Luddites who risk setting back the fight against global warming.
In an interview with the Guardian today Sir David King, who stepped down last month after seven years as the government's chief scientific adviser, says any approach that does not focus on technological solutions to climate change - including nuclear power - is one of "utter hopelessness".

The same paper reports

Coroner rules teenager unlawfully killed

A young woman who claimed she was held down and beaten by her parents and was fearful of an arranged marriage was unlawfully killed in a "very vile murder", a coroner ruled yesterday.
The body of Shafilea Ahmed, 17, of Warrington, Cheshire, was found in a flooded river in Sedgwick, Cumbria, in February 2004, five months after she disappeared from her home after a trip to Pakistan in which she was introduced to a suitor. During the trip, she drank bleach and harmed herself in an apparent cry for help.
The south and east Cumbria coroner, Ian Smith, said: "Shafilea was the victim of a very vile murder and there's no evidence before the court as to who did it. There are things people know that have not been told to this court."

The Sun adds

Recording a verdict of unlawful killing, he said: “She was murdered. I’m convinced of that because of the way in which the body was disposed of.
“It had been hidden and she had been taken many miles away from home.”
Detectives suspecting a so-called “honour killing” had arrested Shafilea’s parents on suspicion of kidnap before her body was found in February 2004.

The Times reports has an interview in which

'Real' Bhutto heir denounces family business

When Fatima Bhutto heard that her estranged aunt had been assassinated she put aside decades of family feuding to mourn with her relatives at the ancestral home in Pakistan.
Three days later, when Benazir Bhutto’s 19-year-old son, Bilawal, was anointed head of the Pakistan People’s Party, Fatima maintained a respectful silence, despite whispers that she was the real Bhutto heir.
But now, two weeks on, she has broken that silence to launch a blistering attack on her cousin’s appointment, accusing those around him of perpetuating dynastic politics and trying to cash in on his mother’s blood.

Much coverage of the primaries

Republicans gear up for battle of the bible belt in South Carolina primary reports the Independent

South Carolina is the gateway to the White House for Republicans, as no candidate since 1980 has become the party's nominee without winning there first.
And Senator John McCain is now emerging as the man to beat after he put in a strong performance in a debate in the state on Thursday and captured the front-runner status in the latest Fox News poll.

Hill's Angels - how angry women of New Hampshire saved Clinton reports the Guardian suugesting

Female voters were enraged by coverage following Iowa rout

The Telegraph continues its coverage of the French president

Carla Bruni may be pregnant, bloggers claim

The frenzy of speculation reached new heights when a blogger on a French website claimed that Nicolas Sarkozy was about to become a father again.
The blogger alleged that an unnamed source at a French hospital leaked details of a scan purportedly confirming that the president's girlfriend, Carla Bruni, is pregnant. However, the website removed the blog, saying the rumour was "made up", demonstrating the febrile state of the speculation.

Bush takes soundings on Iran says the Guardian

President George Bush yesterday began canvassing Arab support for containing Iran as his Middle East tour moved to the Gulf amid concerns about escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
En route from Tel Aviv to Kuwait after three days in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, dismissed hopes for any sudden breakthroughs towards an agreement - despite the president's insistence that a treaty could be signed before he leaves office. "There isn't going to be a blinding flash in any of this, not on this trip, not on the next trip," Rice said. "But this is a process that is moving forward."

Deported Ghanaian woman is denied kidney dialysis reports the Indpendent

A terminally-ill Ghanaian woman who was forcibly removed from Britain despite her critical condition has failed to find the medical attention she needs in Ghana.
Ama Sumani, 39, who needs regular kidney dialysis for myeloma, was deported this week because her student visa had expired. British officials claimed to have checked that treatment would be available in Ghana before they sent her back, but the high hospital fees she faced on arrival have left her unable to get essential care.

The Mirror leads with the news that

Britney Spears flees US

Desperate Britney Spears staged a bizarre 48-hour cross-country escape in a dash for freedom.
The troubled star, 26, set up elaborate decoys involving two private jets, dozens of security guards, limos and even police in an attempt to put pursuers off the scent.
Britney - fleeing amid fears her parents want her sectioned - checked into a hotel in Baja, Mexico, at 2pm local time on Wednesday.

Whilst it also reports on the latest from Maddy

Madeleine McCann dumped in lake, claims lawyer

Madeleine McCann was raped, murdered and her body dumped in a remote reservoir within 48 hours of her disappearance, a Portuguese lawyer has claimed.
Marcos Correia said his information came from the underworld on May 6 - three days after she vanished.
But he claims police failed to act because they believed her parents Kate and Gerry were involved.

Many of the papers report on

Coastguard who saved girl twice quits over health and safety row

The Times says

A coastguard who risked his life to save a teenage girl stranded on a cliff ledge has resigned after he was criticised for breaching health and safety rules during the rescue.
Paul Waugh, 44, was so concerned for the 13-year-old girl that he clambered down to her in gale-force winds without waiting to fit safety harnesses.

MIGRANTS 'ABUSE' HUMAN RIGHTS ACT says the Express

Most British people believe asylum seekers and immigrants are taking advantage of the Human Rights Act, a government study has revealed.
The study of 1,965 people for the Ministry of Justice was conducted in October 2005 but its results have only now been released.

Anger as paperwork mountain sees police overtime bill soar to £412million says the Mail

Police officers were paid £412million in overtime last year - more than ten times what the Government saved by refusing to back-date their pay rise.
The astonishing bill, which has more than doubled since Labour came to power, piled further pressure on Jacqui Smith.
The Home Secretary saved around £40million by not backdating a 2.5 per cent police pay offer to September.

Snowfalls bring hope to Scottish skiing industry reports the Indy

Scottish ski resorts are preparing for a rush of thrill-seekers to arrive on their slopes today after a week of blustery and snowy weather has brought some of the finest skiing conditions to the country in more than 10 years.
Heavy snow coupled with 100mph winds earlier in the week brought chaos to many of Scotland's roads but delivered the perfect skiing conditions for the country's five main skiing areas.

Ringo stars as Liverpool kicks off its year of culture says the Guardian

Quite why Ringo Starr and Dave Stewart had to perform their song from a hollowed-out cargo container parked on the top of St George's hall was not immediately obvious.
But it made a flamboyant finale to the show billed as The People's Opening which, 11 days into 2008, last night kicked off Liverpool's year as European capital of culture.More than 20,000 people packed the centre of the city in the shadow of some of the finest civic buildings in Britain and cheered with honest joy at a spectacle which, like Olympic Games openings, didn't always make a lot of sense but made a lot of noise.



Finally the Telegraph reports

Modern scouts earn badges in public relations

The new award for woggle-wearing spin doctors is one of 42 unveiled in a major pdate of the Association's merit badges.
Alongside PR there are new awards for Street Sports, Parascending, Astronautics and Snow Boarding.
Concern that levels of obesity are soaring among the younger generation has also lead to the introduction of a healthy eating badge for the youngest branch of cub scouts.
However purists will be happy to see that traditional pursuits have not been forgotten, with new badges for Map Reading, Hiking and Emergency Aid