Papers react to nuclear agreement

The nuclear weapons reduction agreement between the American and Russian presidents has been thoroughly examined in the British newspapers.

It is hailed by the Independent as "the end of the Cold War". The paper talks of the negative mood of Bush-era US-Russian relations being "cast aside".

Meanwhile the Daily Express describes the agreement as "welcome mood music for the world".

It says the idea of a non-nuclear planet is "unrealistic".

Criminal fears

Senior police officers are receiving large secret payments , according to The Times.

The extra benefits are said to include money for private school fees and cars for their spouses.

For the Daily Mail and the Express, the main news is the news that hundreds of criminals who should have been sent back to jail are still at large.

The Express says "1,000 danger men on the loose" while the Mail calls it a "massive new law and order scandal".

The Daily Telegraph foresees summer holidays being disrupted after plans by British Airways to cut thousands of jobs and freeze pay were rejected.

Any strike would be at least four to five weeks away because of legal requirements, the paper says.

'This is it'

The front pages of The Sun, the Daily Mirror and Daily Star look ahead to Michael Jackson's funeral.

"This is it" says the Mirror, while The Sun reports on why a 12-year-old from Cardiff will sing at the memorial.

Many papers discuss the goings on at the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, now hosting members of the public for an hour at a time 24 hours a day.

Adrian Searle in the Guardian speculates about the possibilities of what people might get up to on the plinth - anything from nudity to suicide.

Tom Lubbock, writing in the Independent, feels it only works when the 'plinthers' are doing nothing.

He says "absolute blank ordinariness" can be "absolutely fascinating".