Teacher Anne Maguire's stabbing, Max Clifford guilty, HS2 rebels and AstraZeneca
Many papers record tributes to Ann Maguire, the teacher who was stabbed to death in front of a class at a Leeds school.
The Sun is among the papers to report pupils' description of her as the "mother of the school", noting that many tearful former students travelled to Corpus Christi Catholic College to pay their respects.
The paper's Martin Phillips writes that Mrs Maguire was for 40 years "an inspiration" to her classes: "Strict, but always caring, she was loved by all." Meanwhile, the Independent quotes several pupils, including one who said: "As long as we were happy, she was happy."
For the Daily Mirror, the killing "is a tragedy made even more unbearable by the knowledge that after a lifetime of educating children [Mrs Maguire] was, at 61, nearing retirement".
The Daily Express describes how screams in the classroom alerted other teachers to what was going on. It notes that at the school where she taught "pupils were praised for good behaviour". Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph reports that a "high achieving" boy from a middle-class background was being questioned over the incident.
For the Independent, there are "echoes of an earlier case" - the murder of west London head teacher Philip Lawrence who was stabbed as he tried to break up a fight. It leaves the Daily Mail wondering whether all schools should be "screening their pupils for weapons", although it quotes a union leader saying that teachers aren't comfortable using the search powers they have.
Francis Gilbert - author of I'm a Teacher Get Me Out of Here! - writes in the Daily Telegraph about seeing the "stony rage" in the eyes of a pupil who threatened to kill him after he tried to eject him from class. He suggests there is a "culture of secrecy" in some schools and that teachers need freedom to speak about the problems of poor behaviour before they can be properly understood.
'Damned by hypocrisy'
The conviction of publicist Max Clifford in relation to eight sex attacks has papers such as the Daily Mirror contemplating his rise and fall.
"Image expert Max Clifford presented himself as a Surrey boy done good - a man who built his PR firm from scratch and raised millions for charity. But while he manipulated the truth for a living, Clifford was living a lie at home, seducing women and abusing young girls," it says.
The Daily Mail hears from one victim, "a shy 15-year-old when Clifford groomed her for abuse", who describes how long it took her to pluck up the courage to speak out. It prints excerpts from a letter she wrote to her abuser in 2011, and which was found by police in his bedside drawer. In it, she writes: "You may have gotten away with it for years, but inside you can't escape from the monster that you are, the repulsive vile reality."
David Sanderson, in the Times, recalls that Clifford had previously written of his pride at helping to secure convictions for celebrities Gary Glitter and Jonathan King, for paedophile activities. However, he adds that Clifford was "damned by his hypocrisy" when his victims saw him being interviewed about Jimmy Savile's misdemeanours and were prompted to speak out.
The Daily Express recalls how Clifford's stable of clients had become "a Who's Who of popular culture", having included Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali and Judy Garland among others, while the Sun suggests TV producer Simon Cowell is the first high-profile star to "sack" Clifford in the wake of the trial.
Former director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer writes in the Guardian that the case marks "an important moment for our criminal justice system" in light of calls for reform and criticism of cases against other celebrities who have been acquitted. "Tempting though it is to judge the entire criminal justice system as each verdict arrives, in the long run it is better to hold back and view these cases in the round," he writes.
'Unavoidably detained in Tallinn'
A threat from Europe Minister David Lidington to quit his post unless changes are made to the £50bn HS2 rail route, which is intended to link London and the West Midlands, makes the front page of the Daily Telegraph.
However, the Independent's sketch writer Donald MacIntyre notes that Mr Lidington wasn't present for Monday's vote on the bill paving the way for the line's construction, being "conveniently absent 'giving a lecture in Estonia'".
"How he must have smiled as a purring private secretary pointed out his means of escape from the embarrassment of not joining the prime minister in the "Yes" lobby," continues the sketch, speculating that "giving a lecture in Estonia" might "catch on as a euphemism for diplomatic absences".
Others note that not everything went according to plan in the Commons. "The High Speed Rail Bill nudged out of the station at 16.38, 68 minutes later than expected," notes the Mail's Quentin Letts: "Bing Bong. We apologise for the delay to this service. This was due to an unavoidable Government statement on Ukraine."
Ann Treneman, in the Times, describes how a group of Conservative rebels - led by former Welsh Seretary Cheryl Gillan - tried to derail the bill: "Forget trainspotters, HS2-spotters are the new super-obsessives." Mrs Gillan admitted defeat, only to "name her price", the sketch continues, adding: "She wants a tunnel to go under the entire Chilterns. And I bet she gets it."
Meanwhile, the Daily Express sets two of its finest to argue whether HS2 is needed, with columnist Leo McKinstry saying that it's vital not just to boost journey times but to increase capacity. Political commentator Ross Clark counters that there is a "law of diminishing returns" from journey times below two-and-a-half hours, which most already are.
A bitter pill?
A takeover bid by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for British-based rival AstraZeneca leads the Financial Times, which suggests Downing Street has offered a "cautiously positive" reaction. However, the Guardian interprets the response as "neutral" and quotes Business Secretary Vince Cable saying he was committed to maintaining the UK's position in the industry.
The Telegraph says it would be the largest ever foreign buyout of a UK company and reckons it could cost the American firm up to £70bn. But it notes that Pfizer has promised little on job security.
In any case, notes Daily Mail City Editor Alex Brummer: "As Cadbury's buyer Kraft showed, the record of US companies making promises to British shareholders and politicians is pretty disreputable." He describes the bid as "a direct assault on high-quality and skilled British jobs" and says politicians must step in.
The Times accepts that they are not jobs "that our economy can easily afford to lose" but says "political intervention in foreign takeovers should be exceptional". It argues that while the UK's openness to foreign investment means that occasionally "the future of British companies will be decided in Japanese and American boardrooms", it has equally attracted investment that means "in 2014 Britain will build more cars than France for the first time since 1966".
However, the FT's editorial column urges AstraZeneca's board to consider the company's long-term interests, rather than just the tax advantages of a deal. It adds: "For its part, the government... must seek assurances and guarantees that these will be honoured."
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