Rail inferno prompts safety concerns

The ski-train disaster in the Austrian Alps, in which at least 155 people died, is related in graphic detail in the papers, with harrowing accounts from survivors and rescue teams.

The final words of the driver before his radio went dead provide The Express with its main headline, "Please Help Us, We're On Fire".

The Daily Telegraph says the heat inside the tunnel was so intense that the ski boots of passengers melted on the metal stairway by the side of the track as victims tried to escape.

The Guardian describes the mountain railway as once the world's safest, but wonders why there were no fire-extinguishers on board.

Fire-crackers

The Daily Mail notes that the only extinguishers were at the top and bottom of the tunnel.

But the papers can only speculate as to the cause of the tragedy.

The Times says one explanation may be that a group of enthusiastic young snow-boarders let off fire-crackers after getting on the train.

The Daily Telegraph describes how a late breakfast may have saved the lives of five British people, who arrived at the funicular railway station minutes after the train had left.

The outcome of the US presidential election still hangs in the balance.

'Irregularities'

But The Mirror for one believes the tide has turned drastically towards the Democrat candidate, Al Gore, after election officials ordered a manual recount in the Palm Beach area of Florida.

It is a view shared by the Financial Times and the Daily Telegraph, which has detected a distinct ebbing in the confidence of the Republican challenger, George W Bush.

The Independent, though, thinks neither man should admit defeat until it is clear who has won.

"Every vote counts" - the paper remarks - "so it is right to count every vote".

The Guardian is angry at Mr Bush for trying to block the recount, calling it a "blatant attempt" to thwart an accurate return in a state election awash with irregularities.

Bogus

With a general election here possibly just months away, The Daily Telegraph leads with a report that William Hague has drawn up a new battle plan for the Conservatives.

The paper says it is based on five populist pledges, such as keeping the Pound and taking tough action against bogus asylum-seekers.

The party also has a new logo - with the burning torch replaced by a thin yellow wave. Or as one Tory member acerbically remarks - "just a wisp of smoke from an extinguished flame".

The Times is also preoccupied with the next election, claiming that ministers are seeking to prevent the campaign being overshadowed by a "spring of discontent" over public sector pay.

According to the paper, the government is hoping to agree wage deals for key professions, such as nursing before Christmas.

Scourge of the mobile phone

The Times says that demands for above-inflation pay rises have increased following the chancellor's concessions to pensioners and fuel protesters.

Finally, it appears that not even the Queen herself is immune from what many consider to be a scourge of modern life - the mobile telephone.

According to The Sun, the Queen has banned her servants from carrying phones while they are on duty, because - in the paper's words - "their constant ringing drives her barmy".

Apparently, the Royal Command went out, when a number of family meals were interrupted by trilling mobiles - some playing customised melodies, such as the Hawaii Five-O theme music.