Range of economic gloom offered

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A range of gloomy economic stories are spread across Wednesday's papers.

The Daily Express brands a day that saw announcements of more than 5,000 job losses as "Black Tuesday".

The Independent suggests there will be two million people unemployed in the UK by Christmas - with the figure rising to three million by 2010.

A Daily Mail editorial longs for "a politician of Margaret Thatcher's steel" to "restore Britain to full economic health".

'Innocent child'

The death of a 17-month-old boy in north London after months of abuse arouses horror and anger.

The Daily Mirror says "missed opportunities to save an innocent child used as a punchbag will move many parents to tears".

The Daily Telegraph fears such cases will continue unless child protection agencies exercise common sense.

The Guardian highlights the echoes of the death of Victoria Climbie in the same London borough eight years ago.

Troops honoured

Three of Britain's four surviving veterans of World War I who attended Armistice Day commemorations are saluted in the papers.

The men appear in a double-page picture, taken in No 10 Downing Street, in the Guardian.

The Times shows US President-elect Barack Obama embracing Major Tammy Duckworth, who lost both her legs in Iraq three years ago.

The paper tips her to succeed Mr Obama in his US Senate seat.

Jungle gang

The Guardian reports that customer services staff, including call centre workers, take most sick leave.

The paper adds that its call to the Call Centre Management Association for possible explanations was picked up by an answer machine.

The contestants for the new series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! are profiled in most papers.

The Mail says the line-up, including Martina Navratilova, is said to be the "most combustible mix yet".