Papers warn 'al Qaeda back'

Eighteen months into President Bush's war on terrorism, Wednesday's headlines will make grim reading for western governments.

"Bin Laden is back", declares the Sun.

The "deadly return of Al-Qaida" - says the Guardian, above a picture of Colin Powell visiting the scene of one of Monday's bomb attacks in Saudi Arabia.

The Daily Telegraph's reporter tells how the devastation spread many yards from the points of impact, throwing cars onto their roofs and scattering the contents of homes onto the streets.

The paper calls the bombings a chilling calling card to the House of Saud from the kingdom's home-grown terrorist movement.

For the Independent, the bombings show the military victory in Iraq has not had the immediate deterrent effect on terrorism so fervently hoped for by the Americans and British.

The Daily Mirror expresses similar sentiments.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were supposed to make the world safer - it says.

But the suicide bombers of Riyadh showed how wrong that was.

Al-Qaeda is still around, still plotting, still killing, the paper adds.

Britain alert

The Daily Express thinks it knows which country could be next in line.

"Target Britain" is the front-page headline.

A terrorism expert tells the paper, "it's not a question of if we'll have suicide bombings in this country, but when".

The Mirror claims terrorists are plotting to hijack petrol tankers and turn them into horrific mobile bombs.

According to the paper, Scotland Yard has been warned by the FBI that Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda is planning to launch attacks against soft targets in the UK.

Bones and skulls

Coverage of events in Saudi Arabia runs alongside gruesome descriptions of mass graves in Iraq containing the remains of up to 15,000 people killed during Saddam Hussein's years in power.

The Times reporter says the scene resembles "a battlefield of the dead".

All around lie piles of bones and skulls - one still wearing a prayer-cap; another the blindfold affixed by his killers shortly before death.

Burglar 'suing'

For the Daily Mail, the main story of the day is a claim for damages being brought against the Norfolk farmer, Tony Martin, by a burglar whom he shot and wounded.

The paper says Brendon Fearon is suing Martin for more than £15,000 in supposed loss of earnings.

The Mail is incensed that Fearon - who's in jail for drug dealing - is to receive legal aid to fight the lawsuit.

Vicar of Wibley

Finally, the arrival of what the Telegraph says is the world's first inflatable church is featured on many inside pages.

According to the Express, the structure takes three hours to fill with air, and resembles a giant bouncy castle.

It is 47 feet high from ground to steeple, and 47 feet long.

It holds around 60 people and includes a blow-up organ, altar, pulpit, pews and fake stained glass windows.

As usual, the headline writers do their utmost to have them rolling in the aisles.

"Blow 'n Behold" is the Daily Star's offering, while the Mail comes up with "The Vicar of Wibbly".