Papers ponder IRA spy's future

His cover may have been blown but some of the papers are fairly circumspect about revealing the true identity of "Stakeknife" - the man hailed as the British Army's most valuable IRA informer.

In its early editions the Daily Telegraph declines to print the real name of Stakeknife, who has gone into hiding fearing for his life.

The Times not only chooses to name Alfredo Freddie Scappaticci, it also prints a front page picture of a rather tubby man in a sports top - but his face has been deliberately obscured by the paper.

That may not be relevant, however, as many papers suggest that Mr Scappaticci - who is now said to be in a safe house - will be given plastic surgery as part of a new identity.

The Guardian goes further. It prints two photos of the man it says was the deputy head of the Provisional's internal security unit - the notorious Nutting Squad.

The man is also alleged to have supplied crucial information for 25 years to the shadowy British military intelligence unit known as the Forces Research Unit.

Euro battle

According to the Financial Times another battle - one involving cabinet ministers and the single European currency - has spilled out into the open.

Apparently, pro-euro members of Tony Blair's government are trying to keep alive the prospect of a referendum before the next election.

Mr Blair's ministerial hit man, as the Guardian chooses to describe the leader of the Commons, John Reid, has given the chancellor a warning that the cabinet and not Gordon Brown would decide policy.

The Independent asserts that Mr Brown has been forced on to the defensive - stressing that he would back euro membership if the conditions were right, and that ruling it out on the grounds of dogma was unacceptable.

West Ham woes

The Times claims to have identified fundamental flaws in the government's system of measuring hospital performance.

Apparently, patients are more likely to die at hospitals rated as outstanding - which the paper is quick to point out calls into question the basis for selecting the new wave of Foundation Trusts.

The paper says research has shown that a third of English hospital trusts with the highest mortality rates have been commended by ministers as the best performers.

Many of the back pages recount the woes of West Ham - the club ejected from top flight football.

The Daily Star points out that the club's nine year spell in the Premiership ended even though they accrued 42 points - the highest total for any team relegated.

The Mirror predicts there will be a mass exodus of players.

The Daily Express concurs, quoting the caretaker-manager, Trevor Brooking, as saying there is no need to ''press the panic button'' but the wage bill will have to be slashed by half.

News made up

Finally, many sub-editors on the New York Times could well be saying ''I don't believe it''.

For the paper - regarded as one of America's most formidable dailies - has just exposed one of its own reporters for fabricating dozens of news reports.

The Guardian says Jayson Blair often filed from New York while pretending to be at the scene of big stories.

The Telegraph reports one example - a supposed eye-witness description of the grief suffered by the family of the American prisoner of war, Jessica Lynch, which turned out to be a tissue of lies.