Papers exercised over 'smeargate'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7999370.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Many papers are still exercised about "Smeargate," as <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2377545.ece"> the Sun describes the furore over the leaked emails </a> from a former senior aide of Gordon Brown.

The Times, in an editorial, says "sorry" seems to be the hardest word for Mr Brown.

It concludes that, although he was not personally responsible for the insulting emails, he should apologise.

But some papers are tiring of the story, as <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/columnists/maguire/2009/04/14/jobs-fears-not-smears-are-what-matter-now-115875-21278941/"> the Mirror says job fears, not smears, are what matter now </a>

Hillsborough remembered

The 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, where 96 Liverpool football fans were crushed to death, is marked in many papers.

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/i-was-a-witness-to-the-needless-death-of-96-football-fans-the-memory-still-sickens-me-1668852.html"> The Independent's football correspondent James Lawton, who watched the tragedy unfold, asks who was to blame. </a>

He blames the police and accuses them of "failures" and "deceits."

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/15/hillsborough-anniversary-ministers-documents-release"> The Guardian reports that two government ministers will call on the police to make available all documents </a>

School discipline

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/95206/Heads-left-powerless-to-kick-out-thugs"> School discipline, or the lack of it, is bemoaned in the Express </a>

It says head teachers are coming under pressure to suspend pupils, rather than expel them, because of a government target to reduce the number of expulsions.

The paper says the "revolving door" approach allows serial offenders to simply swagger back into school.

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5153797/Parents-to-be-hit-with-penalties-if-children-misbehave-at-school.html"> Daily Telegraph says Labour is about to get tough on unruly pupils </a> and their parents, with parents who condone truancy could be fined £50.

Fir tree

The strange case of Artyom Sidorkin is picked up in several papers.

The Daily Star says doctors in Russia's Ural mountains were convinced he had cancer when he complained of chest pains and began coughing up blood.

But when surgeons cut him open they found the cause of his discomfort was not a tumour, but a fir tree growing on his lung.

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1169861/Shocked-Russian-surgeons-open-man-thought-tumour--FIR-TREE-inside-lung.html"> The Daily Mail says medical staff believe Mr Sidorkin inhaled a seed </a> which later sprouted inside him.