What the papers say

Journalist Paul Moore reviews Thursday's morning newspapers.

Many of this morning's papers take a look back at the year that was 2001 and the issue that dominates this reflection is undoubtedly violence.

The Independent leads the way with a strangely sized supplement that charts the development of international reaction from 11 September to 16 December.

The force of the images used reinforces the startling nature of the news we have been following over the last few months.

Both the Irish Times and the Irish Independent choose to analyse the international situation in their editorials.

The former offering three initiatives needed to halt world terrorism and the latter arguing that, while the war on terrorism has so far gone well, America needs to act now as an 'honest broker' in areas like India and Israel.

Proposal

Violence against children features widely this morning after the call by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf for predatory sex offenders to be held in protective custody even if they had not been convicted of any crime.

The reaction to his proposal is mixed, with the Daily Express and the Mirror arguing that such a step may have to be contemplated and the Daily Telegraph quoting the view of shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin when he warned, "that way lies tyranny".

And if you are on your way to the sales at the moment - take note.

The News Letter leads with the warning that Ulster's big spenders will be hitting the sales this morning.

And the news from leading stores is that business is excellent with managers having to man the tills in some stores to cope with the demand.

Doubtless some of those spending will be the fortunate few who according to the Newsletter forced bookies to make large payouts after snow fell on Christmas Day.

Style

The paper says one punter scooped £1,600 after betting £200 one sunny day in October.

The sales may be the last thing on Lady Shirley Williams' mind.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords, once described as looking like an unmade bed, has criticised female Labour MPs for being too concerned with how they look.

She told Vogue magazine that being dowdy and untidy was an asset for her and quotes Anne Widdicombe as an example of someone who has thrown away the style book. No doubt she'll thank her for that!

A number of papers carry tributes this morning to the man who perhaps did more than most to popularise politics in his role as Humphrey Appleby in the BBC series Yes Minister, Sir Nigel Hawthorne who died of a heart attack yesterday.

The Guardian gives an indication of where his greatness came from when it describes him as a "sublime performer, dogged by self-doubt".