Gloom over UK Olympic medal haul

After just two days of the Olympics, there is already national gloom about the shortage of medals that Britain's sportsmen and women have won in Athens.

"Is it worth learning the British national anthem?" asks a Greek bandsman in the Guardian's front-page cartoon.

The Times suggests that the search for gold will continue, but it will be a considerable surprise if any Briton locates it.

For the Sun the only good news is that the beach volleyball has started.

Attempted media ban

In Iraq, reporters remaining in Najaf have defied orders to leave - and have described how shots were fired at their hotel when they ignored the ultimatum.

The Times and the Independent say the attempted media ban was reminiscent of the era of Saddam Hussein.

The Daily Telegraph says Iraq's interim prime minister needs to understand that a pre-condition for a free election is a free press to report it.

The Guardian says the fighting marred the national conference in Baghdad.

'Surveillance society'

The government comes in for criticism from the information commissioner, Richard Thomas, in the Times.

Plans for ID cards and a population register could turn the UK into "a surveillance society", he said.

The Daily Mirror has been around the country to see whether the government's clampdown on binge-drinking is working.

In five cities it says there has been little change, but in Glasgow and Croydon the paper says the measures are beginning to work.

Caffeine concern

According to the Telegraph, a doctor has called for a ban on Army recruits drinking tea, coffee or alcohol, and smoking and playing football.

Dr Tony Hall, a civilian who investigated Gulf War Syndrome for the Ministry of Defence, said caffeine caused cardiac irregularities.

But there was a different message from Canadian scientists in the Daily Mail.

They say that while smoking and excess drink can shorten your life, drinking tea can add four years to it.