Tax move dominates headlines

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Wednesday's papers get worked up over the government's apparent turnaround on the abolition of the 10p tax rate.

"The bribe minister" is how the Sun describes Gordon Brown, after it was announced that those affected would be compensated.

The Times calls the decision by Chancellor Alastair Darling "the biggest financial and political U-turn of modern times".

But the Daily Mail is more charitable. It says it is "nonsense to suggest that the 10p debacle is a fatal wound" for Mr Brown, given that he did at least recognise - and rectify - his mistake.

'Sloppy error'

The prime minister was, however, in the spotlight again when briefing papers carried by Housing Minister Caroline Flint were photographed and enlarged for all to read.

The documents warned of "at best" a 10% fall in house prices this year.

"Just as Mr Darling was digging the government out of one hole, it was disappearing down another," claims the Daily Telegraph's leader.

The Daily Mirror agrees that "gaffe-prone" Ms Flint made a "sloppy error", but says fears of a housing crisis are misplaced.

'Raw grief'

Editorials tackle the aftermath of the earthquake in China in different ways.

The Guardian focuses on very personal stories of "raw grief" and loss. Its front page shows a single dust-caked hand reaching out from the ruins of a school.

In contrast, the Independent's lead article looks more broadly at the political situation.

It says economic growth "has brought China to attend better to the needs of its citizens" than it would have in times of crisis in the past.

Wrath not sloth

The much-maligned sloth gets an apology in two of the broadsheet editorials.

Research has found that the creature actually only sleeps for about 10 hours a day, not a lazy 16 as once thought.

"The slander of sloths may have arisen because sloths in captivity, having nothing better to do, sleep for longer," suggests the Times.

"Perhaps, inside, the sloth has been seething with indignation... in which case, it might instead be called the wrath," concludes the Daily Telegraph.