Papers fear Georgia escalation

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Many of the papers reflect fears that the conflict between Russia and Georgia could escalate.

The Daily Telegraph reports that thousands of Georgians have begun fleeing the northern city of Gori.

The paper says the Russians stand accused of "ethnic cleansing" - the same allegation which Moscow originally made against Georgia.

The Independent says Georgia faces the threat of a second front from Abkhazia, which also wants to break away.

Sense of betrayal

The Guardian has stories of atrocities committed by both sides in the dispute between Georgia and Russia.

It prints an account given by a teacher from South Ossetia who claims she came under fire by Georgian snipers, and her grandparents' village was destroyed.

The Times gives prominence to the sense of betrayal felt towards the West by many in Georgia.

For its headline it quotes a Georgian farmer who said: "We helped in Iraq - now help us".

Elderly home

The Times carries news of a transaction in the French Riviera which has smashed the world record for a house purchase.

According to the paper, a mysterious Russian billionaire has bought a luxury villa in Villefrance for £392m.

The Daily Mail is one of many papers to feature Lorna Page who wrote her first novel at 93 and then spent the proceeds on a large house in Devon.

She then invited several of her elderly friends to leave their care homes so they could come to live with her.

Golden girl

One face which is on nearly all the front pages - and the back ones - is that of Nicole Cooke who won Britain's first gold medal of the Olympics.

The Sun believes her gold will be "the first of many".

The cyclist from the Vale of Glamorgan braved torrential rain in China to come first in the road race.

And according to her father, who is quoted in the Daily Telegraph, her victory in Beijing came despite - or perhaps because of - "some Welsh weather".