Papers split over economy 'gloom'

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"The gloom deepens," says the Times, as Britain's papers report fears over jobs, shares and the housing market.

An overreaction, sniffs the Guardian: "Consumers should stop treating the slowdown as some spectacular accident, and instead see it as inevitable."

But the Daily Express runs a truly bizarre credit crunch story: Sainsbury's is putting security tags on chickens after a spate of thefts.

An employee says: "Times are hard and people can sell on a chicken easily".

Tales of terror

Alcohol sales in Baghdad are picking up as the grasp of militants on the city subsides, according to the Independent.

But the Sun says that Osama Bin Laden's 16-year-old son has posted "a message of hate" on the web to mark the third anniversary of the 7 July bombings.

The poem, said to be by Hamza Bin Laden, includes the words, "Accelerate the destruction of America, Britain, France and Denmark".

A survivor of the attacks tells the paper: "It's deeply distressing."

Court out

A woman who broke an ankle after her high heel snapped has won £7,200 compensation from shoe firm Dolcis, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail tells how three disabled teenagers who say they were ordered out of a beauty salon have been awarded £1,500 each.

The three friends say they were sent out because staff claimed that they were "scaring off other customers".

Managers blamed a misunderstanding but eventually chose to settle the case.

Making a splash

"If you ever need to remember your brolly," warns the Daily Mirror's report, "today's the day".

The paper says that the UK is forecast to be soaked with more than one month's worth of rain in the space of 24 hours.

More than three inches of rainfall are predicted in south Wales, Devon and Cornwall, the Daily Telegraph says.

The Met Office believes that the West Midlands, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, west Berkshire and Oxfordshire could also face problems, the paper adds.