Papers warn of nuclear threat

The possibility that Osama bin Laden could pose a nuclear threat in the future is examined by some of the papers.

Under the stark headline, Get Him or He'll Nuke Us, The Mirror says Tony Blair has warned that Bin Laden must be stopped before he launches a nuclear strike.

The paper reports that, speaking on British Forces radio, the Prime Minister said the terrorists could eventually use "chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons".

The Times says Mr Blair added that unless the terrorists were stopped "...no corner of the world, particularly a place like Britain..." would be unaffected.

The warning from Britain's most senior military commander that the war in Afghanistan could last up to four years, attracts much front-page attention.

The words of the Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, are summed-up by the headline in the Daily Telegraph, Be Ready For A Long, Tough Battle.

The Times says the American-led campaign in Afghanistan suffered its "darkest day" on Friday, with the execution of a leading anti-Taleban commander.

The paper says the killing of Abdul Haq was one of a series of setbacks: it points out that US planes again struck a Red Cross warehouse in Kabul, and Taleban forces drove back Northern Alliance fighters from a key town in the north of Afghanistan.

The Daily Express reports that hardline British Muslims who have gone off to fight for the Taleban, may be tried for treason.

Colonel Bob Stewart -- the former commander of UN troops in Bosnia -- tells the paper that "traitors who fire on British troops should face maximum punishment".

The Independent carries the story of Oliver Monfredi -- a medic at Leeds University, who was on a short placement in New York's central mortuary on the morning of 11 September.

He tells the paper how he was asked to find distinguishing features on bodies, adding that "taking photos of a child from a victim's wallet was as low as it got".

Mr Monfredi, 23, now plans a career in obstetrics rather than pathology, saying that he has "seen enough to last a lifetime".

The Guardian leads on the resignation of the Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff, John Ward, who was accused of failing to act on warnings that two of his priests were abusing children.

Describing his departure as a "sacking", the paper says the Pope took the "extraordinary step" of ordering his retirement.

The European Commission is to investigate the sale of the television rights to Premier League football matches, according to the Financial Times.

Finally, under the headline, Bananas, the Daily Mail tells the tale of John Kirkham, who ended up taking legal action after a local authority said his cab was the wrong shade of yellow.

The problem arose when Derby City Council ordered cabbies to re-paint their vehicles and said Mr Kirkham's car was "too yellow".

When he put up a sign in his vehicle calling the policy "bananas", the authority banned the poster.

He took the council to court, where he was awarded £5,000.