Public spending battle lines set

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Many of the papers take a look at the debate about public spending.

The Times says <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/camilla_cavendish/article6474567.ece">Gordon Brown made a bad decision</a> in picking a fight with the Tories on "investment versus cuts".

It also says the prime minister is being "delusional" or "wilfully misleading" in portraying Labour as the party of "investment".

The Daily Mail <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1192455/Darling-Balls-showdown-looming-cuts-public-spending.html">claims Alistair Darling and Ed Balls are "on a collision course"</a> over exactly how honest Labour should be about looming spending cuts.

Swine flu cost

The Times <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6481851.ece">reports that communications minister Lord Carter is to leave</a> the government to return to the private sector.

Lord Carter's departure will come as a "surprise" in Westminster, it says.

The Times <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6481905.ece">also says the government is considering closing thousands of schools</a> this autumn to help control the spread of the swine flu virus.

That would cost the economy millions of pounds, with parents taking time off work to arrange alternative childcare.

Teenage killing

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1192286/Last-moments-EastEnders-stars-brother-Ben-Kinsella-revealed-convicted-stabbing-death-disrespect.html">"One wrong word, one wrong look</a> - all it takes for a precious son to be murdered" is the Daily Mail's headline.

It is one of many papers to focus on the conviction of three men for the murder of Ben Kinsella.

On its front page, the Daily Telegraph has a <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5493572/Ben-Kinsella-murder-how-a-misplaced-glance-led-to-innocent-teens-murder.html">picture of the murdered teenager's sisters outside court.</a>

The Sun's editorial says <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/sun_says/244723/The-Sun-Says.html">promises of tougher sentences for knife crime have come to nothing</a> and it calls for action from Justice Secretary Jack Straw.

'Few tears shed'

The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, who is heading to Real Madrid for a record £80m transfer fee, is on many front pages.

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/jun/12/cristiano-ronaldo-transfer-real-madrid">"Ronaldo heads to Madrid - few tears shed"</a> is the headline in the Guardian, which points out the winger's tendency towards diving and feigning injury.

But the Independent says <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/ronaldo-well-miss-him-when-hes-gone-1703211.html">"we'll miss him when he's gone".</a>

This, it says, will be for his sulking, winking, and crashing his Ferrari, almost as much as for football talents.