Papers in Beckham panic

Anyone who thought that there was a hint of the absurd in the sudden national obsession with David Beckham's metatarsal bone will find their views confirmed on Friday morning.

There are echoes of Monty Python's animation in the huge foot which appears on the front pages of The Sun and The Mirror newspapers.

Both offer an enormous close-up of the England captain's left foot, and The Mirror editorial says that not since Bill Clinton made lurid headlines has one part of the anatomy so gripped the nation's interest.

The Sun calls on its readers to place their hands on the picture at midday and pray for a speedy recovery.

In The Independent, Deborah Orr muses on the "religious significance" which Beckham's toe has taken on, saying that "the power of celebrity is endlessly amazing".

The Daily Express is one of many papers offering a detailed medical briefing on the metatarsal bone, assuring readers that the injury is one of the most common seen by sports doctors.

Powell mission

There are vivid reports from the West Bank town of Jenin after journalists managed to enter what has been a closed military zone.

The Guardian's reporter Suzanne Goldenberg says hundreds of Palestinians have fled, and that their stories suggest a "widespread disregard for civilian casualties by the Israeli army".

Justin Huggler writes in The Independent that there are now piles of rubble where homes once stood, and water flooding out of broken mains.

He says the scenes will "haunt the mission of Colin Powell" who has arrived in Israel to try to arrange a ceasefire.

Fraud crackdown

The front page of The Times reports that government agencies could be given "unprecedented" access to personal information.

Downing Street's Performance and Innovation Unit has said more co-operation across departments could help to crack down on fraud, but The Times thinks that any legislation would face fierce opposition in Parliament.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, John Wadham, director of the civil rights group, Liberty, warns that the plans would lead to "more peeking by more officials into our... private lives".

Backpacking tragedy

The Daily Mail leads on the death of the British backpacker, Caroline Stuttle, who was apparently thrown from a bridge by robbers near Brisbane, Australia.

The Times puts her picture on the front page, and quotes a family friend as saying she was "a beautiful, lively young girl".

The Independent points out that it is the latest tragedy to befall young Britons travelling in Australia, after the disappearance of Peter Falconio last summer and the fatal fire at a backpackers hostel in Childers in 2000.

Herr Schroeder

As the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder begins his court battle to prove that he does not dye his hair, he wins sympathy from The Times.

It says that nothing appeals to the hearts of female voters like a fine, natural head of hair.

And The Guardian offers evidence from Herr Schroeder's barber, who clears up the confusion by saying that his client does have grey hairs, but not at the front.

British 'underdogs'

The Daily Telegraph says the British are the underdogs of Europe.

It publishes a survey for Bradford and Bingley which shows we work longer hours and have fewer holidays.

And while we earn on average more money than other European workers, more of it goes in tax.