Newspaper review: Pistorius murder charge dominates papers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21469136

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Pictures of Oscar Pistorius and his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp are on all the front pages.

His murder charge provides the main story for the Independent, Daily Mirror, Sun and Daily Star.

<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/oscar-pistorius-on-murder-charge-and-spends-night-in-jail-as-police-appear-to-scotch-theory-that-he-thought-girlfriend-was-burglar-when-he-shot-her-four-times-8494254.html" >A headline in the Independent reads</a>: "South Africa's favourite son in jail - charged with murder".

The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/14/oscar-pistorius-murder-girlfriends-shooting" >Guardian says the life of the glamorous athlete</a> has been one of world sport's defining narratives of triumph over adversity.

<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/9871914/Oscar-Pistorius-from-2012-stardom-to-murder-trial.html" >For the Daily Telegraph</a>, one of the most romantic sporting tales of modern times has been engulfed by darkness.

Test deadline

The horsemeat scandal is the lead for the Telegraph and the Guardian.

The <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/9871727/Prime-Minister-attacks-stores-over-horse-meat-scandal.html" >Daily Telegraph says the prime minister believes senior executives of major stores</a> should have given media interviews to explain why horsemeat had got onto British plates and what checks were made with suppliers.

<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/feb/14/horsemeat-beef-tests" >According to the Guardian</a>, overwhelmed laboratories are warning that the food industry may not fully comply with Friday's deadline for completing tests for horse in all beef products.

There is widespread coverage of Ed Miliband's announcement that a Labour government will seek to re-introduce a 10p starting rate of income tax - funded by a tax on homes worth more than £2m.

<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/we-will-bring-back-10p-rate-of-income-tax-ed-miliband-makes-audacious-bid-to-outflank-david-cameron-8494834.html" >For the Independent</a>, the battle lines for the 2015 general election have been drawn.

Food takeover

The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/feb/14/ed-miliband-10p-tax-band" >Guardian says the move wrong-footed those Conservatives</a> who had been campaigning hard inside their own party to bring back the 10p band.

The <a href="http://www.ft.com/home/uk" >Financial Times</a> sees it as an attempt by Mr Miliband to break free from Gordon Brown's economic legacy.

Pictures of tomato ketchup and baked beans appear in many of the papers - alongside reports of the purchase of the Heinz food company by a business consortium that includes billionaire American investor Warren Buffett.

The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/feb/14/warren-buffett-heinz-record-takeover" >Guardian says the world's most successful investor</a> has turned his attention to store cupboard comfort foods - buying Heinz's "57 varieties" for £28bn.

In the <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/" >Daily Mirror's</a> view, the recent experience of takeovers in the food industry has not been good - and consumers will need assurances that Heinz beans and ketchup will not go up in price.

Drugged fish

Finally, the changing behaviour of fish has come under the scrutiny of Swedish scientists.

According to the <a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/" >Times</a>, a study has revealed that sleeping pills and tranquilisers flushed into waterways are causing fish to become bolder, less sociable and greedier.

Many drugs are reaching rivers and lakes in high enough concentrations to influence their behaviour, it says.

When wild perch were exposed to low levels of an anti-anxiety drug, the normally shy fish became more fearless in their foraging strategies.

On the other hand, the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/" >Daily Telegraph</a> says the research also showed they became less anxious about being caught - a development that could make life easier for anglers.