Papers respond to Short attack

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Former International Development Secretary Clare Short's attack on Tony Blair - and her intention to retire from the Commons - provoke a strong response.

The Sun recalls Ms Short's attempts to ban page three girls and, alongside a picture of "Keeley, 19, from Kent", says: "Goodbye Clare Short! How happy we are to get those words off our chest."

The Daily Telegraph agrees with her critique but says it would rather hear it from a serious figure, not a practitioner of student politics whose world view appears to be firmly rooted in the 1970s.

However, the Independent says attempts to expel her from the party are a foolish and oversensitive response to the considered verdict of an honest politician.

Bus-stop rage

The Daily Mail shows a picture of a bus shelter, uprooted from the pavement and lying across the road - the work a retired musician.

Keith Lorryman and his wife say they were driven to it by youths gathering at a bus stop outside their home.

Acting as unofficial caretakers, they say they continually cleared up the mess, the vomit and the broken glass.

But when the bus stop was moved even closer to their garden, Mr Lorryman attached a rope to his car and uprooted it while the cement was still wet.

Mr Lorryman is now on unconditional bail, awaiting sentence.

Finding Jesus

"Transparent nonsense" is the verdict of the Times on a "Churches Advertising Network" campaign to publicise the true meaning of Christmas.

It will feature a poster in which the face of Jesus is depicted in the froth of an empty beer glass, alongside the slogan "Where will you find him?"

"Who?" asks the Times. "The chap who drank your drink?"

The Telegraph lead says traditional honours degrees face a shake-up which could make a more flexible system.

Brown's pain

The Sun devotes most of its front page to Gordon Brown speaking for the first time about the loss of his first baby.

Inside, the paper carries a poll which suggests that the chancellor has "won back the trust of voters".

The Guardian tells the tale of John Ellison, holidaying in Malaga, who watched CCTV footage on his mobile phone of burglars in his home in Lancaster.

Mr Ellison, who set up the sting before he left, rang the police and watched as the two men were led away in handcuffs.