Papers ponder cloned piglets

The photograph of the five cloned piglets, which have brought the prospect of successfully transplanting animal organs into humans a step closer, makes the front pages of many papers.

The cute and vulnerable image belies the controversy surrounding the new arrivals, who have been genetically engineered so that their hearts, kidneys and other tissues will not be rejected by the human body.

The Daily Mail calls them "Five Little Miracles" and argues that if we can justify breeding pigs en masse for food then why not breed to them to save lives.

The Times is more cautious, weighing up the need for organs for human transplant with the fears that such a move could lead to serious diseases.

Euro bets

After the first working day of the Euro, many of the papers turn their attention to Britain's enduring hostility to the single currency.

The Financial Times carries an article by the Hartlepool MP, Peter Mandelson, who predicts Tony Blair will ignore hostile opinion polls and "seize the chance" of holding a referendum.

He tells the paper that he believes public opinion will become more favourable to the single currency once people realise that the Queen's head would remain on any British versions of the coins.

The MP for Henley, Boris Johnson, writes in The Daily Telegraph that he hopes Tony Blair heeds Mr Mandelson's advice and gives "the people" the chance to vote "No".

In the meantime, he is offering his readers a bet, promising to wager any one of them £10 that Britain will not join the euro in the next decade.

The Financial Times goes on to explain that if anyone was heartened by reports that several British retailers were willing to accept the new currency it was something of an illusion.

The paper claims the only people actually trying to spend it here were journalists.

Golden handshakes

For The Guardian, it is money matters of another kind which dominate its front page.

It reports that a record number of senior executives received so-called "golden handshakes" of more than £1m each, despite industry calls for restraint.

A TUC spokesman tells the paper: "Even incompetents managed to depart their posts with a king's ransom after destroying the jobs of thousands of workers in companies left in tatters."

Cost of bringing up baby

The cost of bringing up a child is analysed in the Daily Telegraph.

It publishes a new survey which claims that a middle-class family in London could expect to pay more than £300,000 if they opted for private education and university tuition on top of other costs.

The paper says that at around £15,000 a year, couples without children could afford to pay for dinner at the exclusive Ivy restaurant in London three times a week for 20 years, or invest the sum and become millionaires within 20 years.

Name game

Still on the children theme, the paper publishes the most popular names chosen by its readers.

Thomas, Emily and Charlotte come top of the Daily Telegraph poll, in contrast to the national trend, in which parents are more likely to pick Jack and Chloe.

Costly beach hut

And 58 years after a couple fell in love with a Dorset beach hut, they have bought it for £120,000. Most of the papers cover James and Rosemary Llewelyn's story.

They wanted to buy the chalet in 1944 but they could not afford the £90 asking price.

Every year since then they have taken their holidays on Chesil beach and have now won a fierce bidding battle with a record price.

Unsurprisingly, the previous owners say they are "tickled pink".