Newspaper review: Margaret Thatcher funeral security pondered

Baroness Thatcher was "the Iron Lady" in life, says the Sun, but will require a "ring of steel" in death to maintain security when her funeral takes place next week at St Paul's Cathedral.

The paper says troops from the SAS and Special Boat Service will mount the biggest security operation since the Olympics.

The Guardian says those in charge of Operation True Blue are aware of the potential threat posed by dissident Irish republican terrorists and far left groups.

The Independent says detectives are monitoring social media, internet forums and Blackberry messaging networks in the expectation that the event will be targeted by protesters.

The Daily Telegraph reports that, in Wednesday's Parliamentary debate, David Cameron will hail Lady Thatcher as Britain's "greatest peacetime prime minister".

In its leader column, the paper argues that Thatcherism was "right, necessary and effective".

The Financial Times says Mr Cameron will assume the position of "mourner-in-chief".

But it warns that the fragility of his own support may be highlighted by the enduring devotion shown by Tory backbenchers to Lady Thatcher and her legacy.

"The flames of hatred" is the Daily Mail's headline to describe the "death parties" held in cities around Britain to mark the passing of Lady Thatcher.

"Thirty years of left-wing loathing" exploded into "sick celebrations", it says.

The Sun brands those who took part as "a ragbag of left-wing yobs and rent-a-mob layabouts" determined to dance on her grave.

We've had the Beverly Hills diet, the Atkins diet and the Dukan diet - among others - but now the Independent has reported on "the Cuban diet". Results are impressive.

Between 1990-1995, death rates were halved for diabetes and reduced by a third for heart disease.

But this was no voluntary weight-loss diet.

The paper says a shortage of food supplies to Cuba after the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the entire population losing, on average, more than 10lb (4.5kg). each.

Cubans also got more exercise when petrol shortages forced the government to issue one million bicycles to keep the country on the move, it adds.

Researchers say the Cuban example shows that effective measures to tackle obesity could lead to rapid and dramatic improvements in public health.

Spring is finally here, says the Daily Express, which is predicting a "sizzling Sunday" with temperatures above 20C in some areas.

"About bloomin' time," declares the Daily Mail.

It says those in south-east England and East Anglia are likely to see the hottest temperatures.

Finally, for those who have so far resisted the lure of social networks, there is vindication in the Daily Telegraph which reports that face-to-face - not Facebook - is best when it comes to the quality of friendships.

Researchers for Nottingham Trent University found that communicating with friends and family on social media did not improve relationships.

By contrast, when those in the study could see the other person - even if via video link - they were found to be happier and laughed more often.