Papers detail Tora Bora carnage

Many of the papers have first-hand reports and pictures from Tora Bora in Afghanistan after the al-Qaeda fighters fled in the wake of massive American bombing.

The Times reporter calls the aftermath "apocalyptic - a blasted scene of shredded clothes, bloodied shoes and scraps of food".

"Pieces of uniform were hanging from trees where someone had been blown apart by a bomb," he wrote.

The Guardian has the front-page headline: " Broken al-Qaeda driven from their last fortress".

The Sun also has a correspondent on the spot. He reports how he walked amid the carnage caused by the bombing, which "smashed a path to Osama Bin Laden's lair".

Troop's fate

The Mirror says that Tony Blair is coming under increasing pressure to announce a decision on whether more British troops should be sent to Afghanistan.

The paper expects that MPs will warn him in the Commons that they cannot remain on indefinite standby, amid confusion over plans for a peace-keeping force.

Loyalty oath

The report of the inquiry into last summer's inner-city riots is gone over in great detail.

"Loyalty oath urged for immigrants" is The Daily Telegraph's front-page headline.

The Times says that the suggestion of introducing a promise of allegiance has fuelled concern within the Labour Party over the home secretary's drive for greater civic pride.

The idea gets The Sun's endorsement. In an editorial, it notes that new immigrants to the US queue up round the block to "take the oath" and the same should happen in Britain.

In its comment column, the Daily Mail also gives the proposal approval.

But at the same time, it points out that the starting point for the debate should be the fact that immigrants and their children are making an immense contribution to Britain's social and economic life.

Extradition treaty

The Daily Mail front page details what it claims will be changes to the law, allowing courts in other EU countries to order the arrest of British citizens by naming them as suspects.

The paper says the move will be made in return for a European extradition treaty and means the surrendering of 1,000 years of legal sovereignty to Europe's judges and police.

It declares that both human rights activists and euro-sceptics are condemning the change.

Libel payout

The Guardian relates how a former showbiz writer for The Mirror has cost the paper £170,000 in libel damages after slating a West End play as the worst he had ever seen.

It later transpired the critic had not seen the play at all, sending a reporter to view the show for him before writing the piece in the first person.

Pub pussy

The Sun narrates the saga of Joey the Cat from Cleveland who has developed a drink problem.

The cat's owner followed him round to the local pub after he became ill only to be told he was in there every night helping himself to everyone's drinks.

Now, though, Joey's recovering, after being barred.