Papers anticipate Israel's revenge

The papers give detailed consideration to Israel's likely response to the latest suicide bombing.

The aftermath of the attack is the main story for several of them.

Adding to the speculation that the Israelis might attack the Gaza Strip, the Independent says the area is one of the most radical centres of resistance to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.

However, the Telegraph points out that this would be no easy task. The militants of Gaza's refugee camps, it says, have been preparing for weeks to meet the Israeli army.

Another option - exiling Yasser Arafat - is also studied, but the Guardian says commentators doubt that Washington, or even some in the Israeli coalition government, would tolerate such a step.

Instead, the Times reports, Ariel Sharon would prefer to marginalise the Palestinian leader.

One plan, it says, would be to elevate Mr Arafat to a largely ceremonial position as Palestinian head of state, handing power to a Palestinian prime minister.

But, the paper adds, this has already been rejected by the Palestinians.

Long arm of the law

Many front pages carry the same picture of a robot dragging away a wounded Palestinian who apparently failed in an attempt to carry out a suicide bomb attack in northern Israel - the long arm of the law, as the Mirror describes the machine.

The Express, whose front page is dominated by the picture, says police sent the remote-controlled robot to check the man for explosives as he lay on a road.

They assumed he was dead, but were stunned to see him suddenly twitch and try to smack it away.

The main report in the Times says that Prison Service officials have made inquiries about hiring three more ships to ease the accommodation crisis in jails, in addition to the one already in use.

The paper says they would each hold 500 low-risk convicts and would be moored at ports.

£129m asylum bill

The Telegraph and the Guardian carry details of the disturbances at three prisons over the past week.

According to the Telegraph, none of the outbreaks was publicised at the time for fear of triggering copycat riots.

The Mail leads with a report that legal aid bills for asylum seekers amounted to £129m last year - representing a more than doubling of the figure for 1999.

It says experts have put this down to a big rise in the number of cases decided - and turned down.

These, it goes on, led to a wave of often tortuous appeals, each of which must be publicly funded.

Fruit salad flag

Finally, there is further reaction to the European Union's proposed new flag - which had its first showing in the Independent on Wednesday.

The multi-coloured image carries the stripes of the flags of all 15 member countries.

But The Sun believes it looks more like a deckchair. Call this a flag? it asks dismissively.

It is described as a fruit salad in the Mirror, while the Express says it will burn holes in the retinas of all who see it flying high and proud over EU buildings.

Then, as a final insult, it adds: "It's the flag version of the Eurovision Song Contest."