Papers spotlight sweating Blair

Most newspapers carry images of the prime minister with perspiration visible on his forehead when he addressed reporters at the G8 summit in Evian.

The Mirror concludes that accusations he misled Parliament and the country over weapons of mass destruction have left him feeling the heat.

The Daily Telegraph sees pressure growing on both Mr Blair and President Bush over the allegations that they exaggerated the threat.

It believes a senate investigation into the way the Bush administration used intelligence information will add to the pressure on Mr Blair to hold an inquiry in Whitehall.

The Mirror concludes Mr Blair needs to find those weapons of mass destruction and he needs to find them fast.

It argues that if it transpires the fundamental reason for going to war did not exist then the stakes for the reputation, credibility and indeed the very future of Mr Blair suddenly become as high as they could possibly be.

But for the Sun, the issue boils down to a simple question: "Who do you believe?"

It puts its weight behind Mr Blair suggesting he could produce evidence while his opponents' claims were baseless.

The Independent has identified a potential scapegoat in the affair and suggests Downing Street's Communications Director, Alastair Campbell, could be forced out.

'Tawdry scoop'

The collapse of the trial of five men accused of plotting to kidnap Victoria Beckham has left a sour taste for Roy Greenslade, writing in the Guardian.

He describes the outcome as very unsatisfactory.

"Five men have spent six months in jail, public money has been wasted, and to what end?" he asks.

"A tawdry 'scoop'; a few extra sales; another squalid episode in the annals of popular journalism".

"Posh Kidnap Plot Shocker" is the Independent's spoof headline on a mocked-up version of the News of the World's front cover.

The sub-heading reads: "a collapsed trial that spells trouble for flame-haired Rebekah, 35", referring to the paper's then editor Rebekah Wade - now at the helm at its sister publication, the Sun.

The Sun relegates the collapse of the case to a single column on page four, where it quietly tries to defend its stablemate.

Eating deals

Another of the Murdoch papers, the Times, also pushes the collapse of the kidnap trial well into its inside pages.

Instead it leads with plans to force overweight people to stop over-eating and to make heavy smokers quit as part of a deal for them to get treatment on the NHS.

The Times reveals the proposals were prompted by fears over the costs of treating preventable diseases.

Labour Party members are now being consulted.

Fat cat

The headline "Chimney Chump" heralds the Daily Mail's tale about a burglar who became trapped in a ventilation shaft while trying to break into a pub.

The man, who evidently misjudged his girth, became wedged in a chimney and had to wait five-and-a-half hours to be rescued by firefighters.

He was arrested once he finally emerged.

The Mail reports how after much swearing and cursing, the best excuse the man could offer for his predicament was that he'd been trying to rescue a cat.

His solicitor said his client's defence should be that he was "an idiot".