Outlook bleak despite sales rush

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"Frenzy." "Crazy." "Stampede." This is how the scenes on Britain's High Streets on Boxing Day are described on several front pages.

But retailers' "battle at dawn" will not rescue them "from some of the most difficult trading conditions... for years", warns the Financial Times.

The Sun cites a similar warning from analysts that the spending spree would "crash to to a halt in the New Year".

A Guardian poll found 86% of people planned to cut back spending in 2009.

NICE work

The move by NICE to adopt a more flexible approach towards approval of medicines is welcomed in some papers.

The Independent says the body had "acquired a bad name" and must show "common sense and humanity". It wants to see NICE "with a human face".

The move is a "promising development", says the Daily Mail, but it plans to study "the small print closely".

It wants to see how many patients with common cancers "will tragically continue to lost out" on treatments.

Web safety

The government proposal to give websites cinema-style ratings is the lead story in the Daily Telegraph.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham says he aims to work with Barack Obama's incoming US administration to draw up international rules for websites.

A dog peering out from the Times' front page reflects the story that an estimated record number - 300,000 - turned out to support Boxing Day hunts.

The Daily Mail is compelled to ask: "Ban, what ban?"

Drug demand

The story that US CIA agents are bribing warlords in Afghanistan with Viagra pills arouses interest.

The drug is "much in demand by the elderly warlords, who often have to keep up to four young wives sexually satisfied", reports the Daily Express.

The Daily Mirror reports on the story that some schools have banned teachers marking in "distressing" red ink.

The paper goes on to apologise for its use of red ink that might have "upset any readers".