Thutrday's papers

The Government's defeat ovrer the Gurkha issue knocks the swine fever pandemic off most of the front pages this morning.

The Times reports that Gordon Brown was struggling to maintain his authority over Labour MPs after Twenty-seven voted against him and dozens abstained in favour of a Liberal Democrat motion that would give all Gurkhas who have served in the Armed Forces an equal right of residence.

The vote is not legally binding says The Telegraph but opposition leaders insisted that ministers must now abandon new rules on admitting Gurkhas and their families introduced last week.

For the Mail,the news came too late for one veteran who died without knowing he had won his last battle. The result is says

was symbolic as it is not binding on the Government. But it sent out an unmistakable message to Mr Brown that he urgently needs to rethink the Home Office guidelines amidst widespread public anger.

The Sun chooses to lead with Swine Flu,it just got worse says its headline as it reports that

A SWINE flu red alert was issued across the planet last night — as the boss of the World Health Organisation warned chillingly: “The whole of humanity is under threat in a pandemic.”
The global peril from the Mexican virus was raised from “phase four” to “phase five” — one short of the most dreaded

The Independent reports that ministers moved yesterday to strengthen Britain's defences against a threatened flu pandemic by boosting the country's stockpile of anti-viral drugs to 50 million courses,

The economy finally is the subject fro the Guardian as it reports that consumer confidence posted its third monthly rise to its highest level in a year.

With cheaper mortgages and tax cuts boosting spending power for those in work, Downing Street's confidence that output will start to rise by the end of 2009 was boosted by the monthly snapshot of public opinion showing voters more upbeat about the state of the economy than at any time since the financial crisis began in August 2007.