Honeymoon murder hits headlines

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7530220.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The murder of a British doctor while on honeymoon in Antigua makes the headlines, with pictures of her wedding day on nearly all the front pages.

They show Catherine Mullany and her husband Ben, who is critically ill, being showered by confetti and cutting the cake.

Sadly, as the Mirror points out, they are the wedding pictures the bride will never see.

The Daily Telegraph warns that a recent wave of violence has cast a shadow over Antigua's safe reputation.

'Go soft'

The shake-up of the murder laws in England and Wales is the lead for several papers.

The Daily Mail's headline sees the plan as one that urges courts to "Go soft on the wives who kill in cold blood".

It says women who kill abusive partners could escape a murder conviction if they prove they feared more violence.

The Guardian says people who kill after years of abuse will be able to use a new defence that they acted in response to extreme "words and contact".

Woman's job

While speculation about Gordon Brown's future continues unabated, the more pressing question is: Who is in charge while the prime minister is on holiday?

According to the Times, Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman believed she was in charge.

It says her allies have announced that she was the first woman to take the helm of government since Margaret Thatcher.

But the Sun reports that sources have indicated that Chancellor Alistair Darling is actually in charge.

Happy drivers

There are pictures of the fire that - as the Guardian says - left Weston Super Mare with memories and ashes.

In the Independent's words, yesterday became a gruesome disaster tour as thousands flocked to see the pier fire.

Finally, the Daily Telegraph says Walsall Council wants to make would-be taxi drivers take an oral test.

It says the idea follows complaints about standards of English but the council hopes it will also help root out surly drivers.