Continued focus on Rock crisis

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The crisis at mortgage lender Northern Rock, which has been granted an emergency Bank of England loan, continues to occupy most front pages.

The Independent reports that it was the day when the credit-crunch hit home.

Its main story carries the headline: "Northern rocked, City shocked and bad news for everyone else."

The Daily Telegraph likens the scenes of thousands of the bank's customers queuing to withdraw their money to the last days of the Weimar Republic.

'Financial sin'

A number of papers focus on Northern Rock chief executive Adam Applegarth, who has tried to reassure customers their cash is safe.

The Guardian charts his career, saying he joined the company from university, rising quickly through the ranks to take over the top job in 2001, aged 39.

Last year he earned about £1.3m, the paper says.

The Daily Mail's Alex Brummer says Northern Rock has behaved stupidly and committed a basic financial sin.

'Troops to move'

The Telegraph runs a story saying British troop numbers in Iraq will be halved by Christmas.

It says about 2,500 troops will be moved to Kuwait to set up a new base, from where they will escort convoys and train Iraqi forces.

News of a bus service from London to Sydney is featured in the Guardian.

It sets off at 0730 BST on Sunday and will reach its destination in three months. Nearly 40 men and women aged between 19 and 69 will be on board.

'Gone forever'

Two of the papers continue to carry stories about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann on their fronts.

The Daily Express reports that Portuguese police now fear that her body - weighted with stones - was dumped at sea.

According to the paper, detectives fear "she is gone forever".

The Sun also carries the story, reporting that detectives think she was "hurled from a British-owned yacht" in a weighted sack.