UK baby boom frightens newspapers

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The news that the UK's population has passed 61m for the first time features across the day's newspapers.

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6098326/Baby-boom-sees-UK-population-pass-61-million.html">"Baby boom Britain"</a> is the Daily Telegraph's front-page headline. The paper says more children were born last year than at any time since 1973.

The <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209396/Population-UK-tops-61million-biggest-baby-boom-generation.html">Daily Mail</a> and <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/123352">Daily Express</a> both voice concerns that one in four babies is born to a mother from overseas.

The Times says there are <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6811980.ece">implications for policy in all areas,</a> including a shift in the ethnic balance in Britain.

'Socially useless'

There is analysis of the suggestion by the head of the Financial Services Authority, Adair Turner, that a tax could be levied on City transactions.

The Guardian welcomes the suggestion, which is intended to curb the profligate bonus culture, as <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/27/fsa-turner-banks-tax-regulation-city">"daring".</a>

But the <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.ft.com/home/uk">Financial Times</a> says it would be extremely foolish to erode Britain's financial services advantage.

In the <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/">Independent,</a> Hamish McRae quotes Lord Turner as saying some banking activities are "socially useless".

'Best led by idiots'

The Sun's front-page is emblazoned with the headline: <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/2611351/Dont-you-know-theres-a-bloody-war-on.html">"Don't you know there's a bloody war on?"</a> The words are printed over pictures of dead servicemen.

Across pages two and three, the paper criticises the government for a failure of leadership over Afghanistan.

"Our leaders are pretending the war isn't happening", the paper says; they are "missing in action... Our troops deserve better. Much, much better".

One writer describes the situation as: "The best of the best led by idiots."

'Continental hunk'

The <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/">Daily Mirror</a> is among several papers to report the excitement of three females over the imminent arrival of what it calls "a continental hunk".

The hunk in question is a 20-stone French gorilla called Yeboah who is being brought to London Zoo live with three lovelorn female gorillas.

Finally, the Germans are no longer the world's worst tourists, according to a survey reported in several papers.

The poll of British holidaymakers found Russians attracted the most complaints.