"The message...was that ministers must get a grip on the capital's transport infrastructure if it is to have any chance of winning," the Times says.

A Daily Mirror alternative view of the contenders argues London is "perfect".

"It has Europe's worst traffic congestion, not one single decent stadium and next to no sporting prowess," the paper says.

Cancer warning

The opening of the world's first stem cell bank puts Britain at the "forefront" of this controversial area of research, reports the Guardian.

It also puts the UK "at odds with anti-abortion groups" and the US, it says.

The Daily Express leads on a "possible link" between a doubling in the amount of fizzy pop drunk by Britons and "rocketing rates" of oesophageal cancer.

The Financial Times predicts an oil production quota increase "in response to the surging oil price".

Following the killing of Palestinians in the Rafah refugee camp by Israel, the Independent asks: "A war crime?"

A "damning" Amnesty International report claims 3,000-plus Palestinian homes have been destroyed in three-and-a-half years, the paper also says.

Criminal justice

The Daily Telegraph claims the government is "prepared to cede" its veto to the EU over "sensitive areas of criminal justice".

"Subordinating Britain to any foreign constitution is wrong," the paper says.

The Daily Star reports claims that US private Lynndie England, pictured apparently abusing Iraqis, is pregnant after forcing a prisoner to have sex.

A man who suspected his wife of infidelity put her knickers up for online auction, the Daily Express says.

By the time eBay removed the item, bidding had reached �35, the paper says.