Zimbabwe situation in spotlight

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The situation in Zimbabwe is discussed in several papers, following the attack on opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.  

In the Times, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett calls the police beating "appalling" - but says it caused little surprise to her.

The Independent says Mrs Beckett's call to send UN human rights investigators to Zimbabwe is a high-risk strategy. 

The paper says it shows Whitehall's confidence that patience with Mugabe is running thin among African governments.

'Spirit strong'

Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader MorganTsvangirai writes in the Independent.  

Mr Tsvangirai, who suffered a fractured skull in the beating, writes: "They brutalised my flesh. But they will never break my spirit." 

Elsewhere, the Daily Mail says Margaret Beckett has won a "turf war" in the Cabinet against Home Secretary John Reid. 

It says he wanted to bring the Foreign Office's intelligence operations under his control - which Mrs Beckett saw as a challenge to her authority.

Policy glimpse

Gordon Brown gives an interview to the Financial Times - but is unwilling to say much about his plans as prime minister before the Labour leadership contest.  

The paper which calls the Chancellor "unquestionably the man of the moment" says he did provide one glimpse about his foreign policy.  

Mr Brown indicated he was sympathetic to Tony Blair's belief in pre-emptive military action, it said.  

He said that in the modern world, you may have to operate "behind borders".

Dustbin duties

The Daily Telegraph lead claims morecouncils could switch to emptying dustbins only once a fortnight.  

It quotes a government-funded study, which says concerns about overflowing bins attracting vermin are misplaced.  

Elsewhere, the Sun reports that actress Angelina Jolie has named her new son Peaceful Sky. She adopted the boy, aged three, from an orphanage in Vietnam.  

And the Daily Express says Britain is "braced for an Arctic battering" bringing up to a foot of snow.