Papers criticise Olympic decision

According to The Guardian, the International Olympic Committee made one of the most controversial decisions in its history by awarding the 2008 games to Beijing.

With China's "appalling" record on human rights, the paper believes it should have been disqualified from hosting this or any other Olympics.

But now that the deal has been done, the Guardian hopes that China will take the initiative on human rights and prove its critics wrong.

The Daily Telegraph suggests that the IOC has taken a "huge bet" on China changing over the next seven years.

But The Mirror believes such faith is misplaced.

Calling China "the most brutal regime in the world", the paper says that its Olympic success was greeted with worldwide fury and comparisons made with the 1936 games in Nazi Germany and the Olympics in the Soviet Union in 1980.

The Financial Times says the multi-national companies which underwrote much of the cost of Beijing's bid applauded the IOC's decision and hope it will speed up access to a fast-growing market of 1.3 billion people.

Portillo's 'pact'

It is all doom and gloom for Michael Portillo in the papers.

The Independent says he faces the prospect of defeat after Iain Duncan Smith overtook him as the frontrunner to be Tory leader.

The Daily Mail says that a "stunned panic" hung over Mr Portillo's campaign headquarters after David Davis pulled out of the race and backed Mr Duncan Smith.

The Times says that Portillo supporters will also be watching carefully to see what damage may be inflicted on their man when William Hague's former press chief Amanda Platell reveals her video diary of the election.

According to The Express, Mr Portillo and Ken Clarke are close to sealing a pact if one of them is eliminated from the race.

They would each campaign for the other to thwart Mr Duncan Smith.

Police shooting

The case of the mentally ill man shot dead by Merseyside Police when he brandished a sword in public provokes deep disquiet among several papers.

Why not thrown a net over him or shoot him with a tranquilliser dart?, asks The Sun.

The Mirror agrees, saying that it understands the terror felt by officers when confronted by a sword-wielding maniac, but not the firing of two bullets into his chest.

The paper says that every needless killing damages the image of the police.

Toilet diagnosis

Finally, The Mirror reports that a revolutionary lavatory, known as the Internet Loo, has been invented.

The contraption has sensors which analyse what is deposited in the bowl and emails your doctor if any irregularities are detected.

For less serious problems, the paper says the loo might just add a couple of packs of all bran to your electronic shopping list.