Papers enter the uranium debate

The UK Government's decision to screen veterans of the conflicts in the Balkans for signs of contamination from depleted uranium weapon shells provokes widespread debate.

Both The Independent and The Guardian agree the move represents an "embarrassing U-turn" for Labour.

The Independent believes the decision has come "a decade too late".

It says fears were raised after the Gulf War about the potentially harmful effects of depleted uranium in ammunition.

'Reasonable' reaction

The Times, though, sees the government's reaction to concerns over depleted uranium as "balanced and reasonable".

It says the Ministry of Defence (MoD) cannot be accused of complacency towards the health of British servicemen.

The Sun's military adviser, Major General Ken Perkins, disagrees sharply.

Once again, he says, our "brave boys" are being let down as the MoD fails to guard their interests.

Tomato anger

"Things can only get splatter" is the headline in The Sun, which is amused by Tony Blair's discomfort at being hit by an over-ripe tomato in Bristol.

The Independent jokes that the offending missile - thrown by a protestor against the UK's policy of sanctions against Iraq - "wasn't sun-dried, wasn't Tuscan and certainly wasn't on the vine".

The Times believes the attack represented a "prime ministerial rite of passage" for the man it calls "Teflon Tony".

The paper says it was the first time that a piece of fresh produce hurled in anger had "scored a direct hit".

Election predictions

As both Labour and the Conservatives step up their pre-election campaigning, a number of papers are already considering the likely outcome.

"The Tories Can Win" is the prediction in The Daily Telegraph, which calls on the shadow cabinet to unite behind William Hague and wipe what it calls Tony Blair's "irritating smile of self-congratulation" off his face.

The Independent is less optimistic about the Conservatives' chances of election success and says Mr Hague "is still a long way from wounding Mr Blair".

Paul Routledge in The Mirror is even more blunt. "Mr Hague promises the earth," he says, "because he knows he's never going to inherit it."

'Sinister elements'

The decision by the sentencing review commission in Northern Ireland not to release the loyalist paramilitary leader Johnny Adair from prison receives the backing of The Daily Telegraph.

It says the government has removed another argument from the Provisionals' arsenal - that they cannot decommission weapons with men such as Adair on the loose.

The Irish News, which reflects nationalist opinion in the province, also supports the commission's ruling.

"Adair... was given a unique opportunity to rebuild his life as part of the Good Friday agreement," it says.

Instead, though, he chose "to publicly associate himself with some of the most sinister and threatening elements in this society".

Blood clot fears

The Daily Telegraph reports that a study into so-called "travellers' thrombosis" suggests that more than 2,000 people die each year in the UK from blood clots caused by flying.

It says at least one long-haul passenger a month dies from a clot within minutes of arriving at Heathrow Airport, but adds that doctors believe that figure is the tip of the iceberg.

A consultant at the accident and emergency department closest to Heathrow tells the paper that flight-related clots are something that airlines can help to prevent.

Colourful cacophony

A number of papers contain vivid despatches from the city of Allahabad in northern India, where the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela has just begun.

The Times correspondent is dazzled by the cacophony of "elephants, horses, ascetics, hawkers and performers" at the event, which is likely to see the largest gathering of humanity ever.

Peter Popham, writing in the Independent, is similarly overwhelmed by the scene.

"It was like a huge fairground," he says, "or a sort of ad-lib religious Las Vegas."