Chirac's cooking jibe's bad taste

Friday's front pages

In pictures

A generous helping of indignation is served up on Tuesday's front pages after French President Jacques Chirac made jokes about British food.

The Times regards his remarks to the German and Russian leaders as "an astonishing diplomatic blunder".

The Daily Telegraph says the insults have heightened Anglo-French rivalries on the eve of the G8 summit and the 2012 Olympic decision.

The paper says his behaviour is "no way to conduct high politics".

'Best ever' campaign

The Sun suggests what it calls President Chirac's "sneering" remarks may turn out to be bad news for the Paris Olympic bid.

The paper's logic is that he also criticised food from Finland - the homeland of two members of the International Olympic Committee.

The Independent believes Britain deserves to host the games.

Writing in the Daily Express, athlete Steve Cram says London's campaign is the best ever mounted.

Teacher attack

An interview given by a teacher who was raped by a 15-year-old pupil receives extensive coverage in the Daily Mail.

The paper says she has launched a bitter attack on the authorities that allowed him to be at school, saying he should have been kept out of school.

The Daily Mirror focuses on her determination to resume her teaching career at another school.

She says she has missed her job tremendously and described the feeling of making a difference to children in the classroom as wonderful.

G8 summit

On the eve of the G8 Summit in Scotland, the papers are divided on the prospects for success.

The Daily Mail sees little cause for optimism as President Bush is promising no special favours.

The Independent, which devotes its first nine pages to the summit and global warming, sees the potential for progress at Gleneagles.

The paper says an agreement is likely on a plan to foster new technologies to slow the rate of global warming.