Thursday's papers

Yesterday's Queen's speech dominates many of the front pages

Fear of youth unemployment rising above 1 million in the new year yesterday prompted Gordon Brown to use the last Queen's speech of the parliament to promise more money to ease the impact of the recession on the young.

says the Guardian

The Times says that,a key plank of Gordon Brown’s re-election strategy was condemned by members of his own party yesterday as irresponsible, unaffordable and based on a myth adding that

The Prime Minister’s plan to offer free care at home to the elderly, outlined yesterday in the last Queen’s Speech before the general election, was compared to “an admiral firing an Exocet into his own flagship”.

Mr Brown announced a series of new "guarantees" – to help young people find work; enable more elderly people to remain in their own homes and to drive up school standards. Contrasting them with the "gamble" of a Tory government, he said the election should not be about personalities as the Tories wanted but "a choice of the policies we pursue as a country"

says the Independent

The Telegraph concentrates on the remarks of the Tory leader who launched a stinging attack on Gordon Brown over the Queen’s Speech, saying it proves that Labour has “run out of courage.” adding that

Cameron also accused the Prime Minister of omitting two significant issues from the Speech: MPs’ expenses and the NHS.

It chooses to lead with expenses with the news that Six MPs and peers may soon face criminal charges of fraud following investigations by Scotland Yard into the abuse of the Parliamentary expenses system.

Meanwhile the Independent's front page claims that

Companies linked to Lord Ashcroft, the billionaire deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, helped finance the lavish lifestyle of the disgraced prime minister of Turks and Caicos islands,

Germany and France are to strike a deal on who they want for the coveted post of first permanent European council president, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced today, sparking anger in other European capitals over a feared Franco-German stitch-up. reports the Guardian

Rather a different take on the story on the front of the Express which reports that the Belgian politician poised to become president of Europe was last night dismissed as a clown.

Herman Van Rompuy faced a massive surge of opposition as other leaders began the task of rubber-stamping his elevation to the powerful new job of leading the entire European Union.

The Mail leads with the sharks off the coast of Britain.8 oil tankers remain anchored off our shore

for months, refusing to unload their oil until prices have risen even higher. The delay makes millions for speculators... and keeps your petrol costs soaring.

According to the Times,The Archbishop of Westminster has blamed Church of England bishops for keeping their leader in the dark about the Pope’s attempts to entice Anglicans to Rome.

As the Archbishop of Canterbury prepared to visit Pope Benedict XVI for the first time since plans to admit Anglican opponents of women priests into the Catholic faith were published, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, deepened the row.

The Sun reports on the A brave Queen's footman rode with her to the State Opening of Parliament yesterday,days after his soldier brother was killed in Afghanistan.

Fraser Marlton-Thomas, 25, fought his heartbreak to take part in the traditional procession from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament.

Meanwhile the Guardian says that Barack Obama has said he is close to a decision on whether to dramatically increase the number of American troops in Afghanistan to levels similar to the size of US forces in Vietnam at the height of that war.

The Telegraph adds that he has declared for the first time that his review of policy in Afghanistan will contain an exit strategy designed to avoid a "multiyear occupation"

Meanwhile the Times claims that hope of an end to the country's corruption

were put into doubt last night when the Minister of Mines was forced to deny that he had accepted a $30 million bribe from a Chinese company two years ago in exchange for awarding a $2.9 billion contract for a copper mine in Logar province.

GM crops have a role to play in preventing mass starvation across the world caused by a combination of climate change and rapid population growth, a senior government scientist said yesterday

.reports the Independent

Professor Robert Watson, the chief scientific adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), called for UK trials of GM foods, arguing that the Government needs to be more open with the public about the risks and benefits of genetically modified foods.

The Mail as does many of the papers reports that

A 'manipulative and callous' girl of 13 who relentlessly tormented a vicar's daughter to the point where she jumped 50ft to her death was found guilty of manslaughter yesterday.

Vicious Hatice Can, 15, showed no remorse for torturing teenager Rosi Boxall, who leapt to her death from a window in a desperate bid to escape.says the Sun

Finally it seems as though Maradona's 24 year fame as being the hand of God may be over

Richard Dunne said last night that Thierry Henry had privately owned up to cheating after a blatant handball from the France striker set up the goal that eliminated the Republic of Ireland in the World Cup Finals play-off in Paris.

reports the Independent