Corbett - jumped or pushed?

One question seems to run through much of the newspaper coverage surrounding Gerald Corbett's resignation as chief executive of Railtrack: did he jump or was he pushed?

The Sun is in no doubt that Mr Corbett did not depart under his own steam, reporting "massive pressure" from Tony Blair, who is said to have read the riot act when the two men met on Thursday.

The resignation came within 24 hours of that meeting, The Guardian notes, but for The Daily Telegraph the decisive factor was that Mr Corbett appeared to have lost the support of the rail industry.

It says he provoked outrage among train operating companies when he blamed their new rolling stock for worsening track deterioration.

The Times believes that Mr Corbett simply lost heart under a barrage of severe criticism from politicians, the media and passengers.

He was left exhausted by endless sniping, according to The Independent which also floats the theory that golf played a part in his decision to go.

Mr Corbett had to cancel a weekend game, it says, because he didn't want to be pictured in the newspapers relaxing while the rest of the nation struggled with delays and cancellations.

Flight danger studied

Research which suggests that the risk of developing a potentially fatal blood clot on a long-haul flight is far greater than previously feared is highlighted by The Daily Mail.

The study apparently found that as many as one in ten passengers suffer so-called "economy class syndrome", where clots develop after hours spent in cramped airline seats.

The Mail says a House of Lords inquiry is on the brink of making the first official link between economy-class flying and deep-vein thrombosis.

Death row campaign

The Mirror has been campaigning to stop the execution of a Texas death row prisoner with severe learning difficulties.

Saturday's edition reports on a reprieve granted by the Supreme Court, three hours before the lethal injection was due to be administered.

The paper says that John Paul Penry, who apparently has a mental age of six, was disappointed not to get his last meal of a cheeseburger and chips.

Banking inquiry

The Financial Times reports that international pressure has prompted the Serious Fraud Office to investigate the role played by several UK banks in handling money looted by the former Nigerian dictator, General Sani Abacha.

Nigeria has been expressing concern about what it sees as lengthy delays by the UK authorities.

Clintons on tour

Pictures abound of a smiling Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea, wearing traditional Vietnamese hats, as the American First Family continue their tour of the country.

The Independent, though, opts for a less flattering shot of Mrs Clinton, apparently grimacing and ducking as the hat is put on her head.

The Guardian reports that Hanoi has gone into a collective swoon over Bill Clinton, with thousands gathering for a glimpse of his limousine.

The paper notes that the city is still short on popular diversions, while local politicians manage to make Al Gore look charismatic.

Crafty motorist

Finally, The Sun has security camera footage of a motorist who managed to remove a wheelclamp using only his car jack and a matchstick.

He eventually sped off, the newspaper reports, to yells of encouragement from a watching crowd.