Papers salute New York Stock Exchange

From the opening bell it was a day that rang with defiance, according to the The Independent.

For The Times it was the most emotionally charged day in the 209 year history of the New York Stock Exchange.

The Daily Mail says that when staff looked out of the windows they could still see the thick, grey cloud of dust and steam that has hung like a funeral curtain over lower Manhattan for the last week.

The Mirror describes how many workers wore dust masks, while others held handkerchiefs to their faces.

The Sun's front page sums up the spirit of determination to get back to work.

It features a photograph of a trader holding up a sign with the simple message: "We're still here".

World recession fears

The Dow Jones index fell by nearly 700 points on Monday, but, as The Guardian observes, it could have been a lot worse.

The Financial Times believes the co-ordinated cuts in interest rates in the US and the Euro zone were the right moves at the right time.

The Sun thinks the action will go some way to bolstering consumer confidence on both sides of the Atlantic and prevent the world from sliding into recession.

But The Independent suggests traders refused to be comforted by the reduction in rates.

The Daily Telegraph reports that in London, there was surprise that the Bank of England had done nothing to help the markets.

The Express speculates about whether the Bank will announce a rate cut as early as Tuesday.

'Sick' share deal

Amid the massive coverage about the world's financial markets, the Daily Mail poses the question did Osama Bin Laden pull off the sickest share deal ever?

The City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority, has launched an inquiry into unusual share price movements in London before last week's atrocities.

The Times reports that the American authorities are investigating unusually large sales of shares in airlines and insurance companies.

There are said to be suspicions that the shares were sold by people who knew about the impending attacks.

The unknown victims

As the number of people missing in New York continues to climb, there are fears that some victims will never be identified.

The Guardian suggests that many immigrant workers who had taken casual work in the area will go unmourned because their families had no idea they were in the city.

Architect of peace

Away from events in America, there are many glowing tributes to the man The Independent calls the architect of the Ulster peace plan.

The Mirror believes the resignation of John Hume as leader of the SDLP is an irreplaceable loss to Irish politics.

The Irish News in Belfast - which reflects Nationalist opinion - describes him as a giant of a politician who made an unsurpassed contribution to the cause of peace and reconciliation in Ireland.

The Newsletter - which supports Unionist views - thinks his decision came as a surprise, given that the political institutions could soon be suspended after the weekend.

Tenor's tax woes

The appearance of the opera star, Luciano Pavarotti, in an Italian court on tax evasion charges is reported in many of the papers.

He is accused of failing to pay £12m in taxes over a six year period. The Sun cannot resist the headline: "Lend us a tenor".