What the papers say

Journalist Fionola Meredith takes a look at what is making the headlines in Tuesday's morning papers.

Grim pictures of the aftermath of the earthquake in China dominate many front pages, with one image in particular showing a woman struggling to escape from rubble in Sichuan province.

The difficulties of actually reaching victims and survivors are well documented in the papers.

The Irish Times describes the mountainous terrain of the affected area, bordering the Himalayas and Tibet, with thousands of remote villages near the epicentre joined only by mountain passes.

And the Daily Telegraph says that colossal landslides of mud and rubble knocked down telephone lines and mobile phone masts.

As all the papers note, the death toll is expected to rise as rescuers reach these distant regions.

Bomb attack

Closer to home, the Belfast Telegraph and the News Letter lead with reports on the off-duty policeman who was rushed to hospital on Monday night after an explosion in his car, which happened near Castlederg.

The Irish News carries this story too, but its main focus is the impending closure of the inpatient service of a city centre addiction hospital.

"That would leave Belfast with no long-stay beds for people with chronic drink and drug problems," the paper says.

Meanwhile, several papers take a closer look at the ground-breaking legal action by the Omagh families against five people they believe to have been involved in the bomb plot.

The court's move to Dublin - the first time that a Northern Irish judge has travelled to the Republic on official judicial business - is noted in the Telegraph and the Irish Times.

The Telegraph says the extraordinary legal co-operation which has led to the cross-border hearing is in stark contrast to what used to happen during the worst days of the Troubles.

It's off with the horsehair in the Guardian, as some of Britain's judges consign their wigs to history and put on new designer robes.

Lord Phillips, the lord chief justice, is pictured modelling the new continental-style black gown designed by Betty Jackson.

"He looks a bit like Captain Picard from Star Trek," thinks the paper.

Lord Phillips pushed through the move because he has long believed that judges' fusty headgear and antiquated garments should be consigned to the dressing up box.

He thinks that the outdated gear makes people think that judges are out of touch with ordinary life.

The Times, which covers the story too, thinks the stage is set for anarchy, what with all these wigs being chucked away.

Sex and the City

The paper's editorial says - did no-one tell his Lordship about Samson and Delilah?

The other big obsession of the morning is actor Sarah Jessica Parker's hat, which she wore to the film premiere of Sex and the City.

The green confection, involving roses, butterflies and what looks like the top-half of an acorn, is pictured in the Sun and the Mirror, along with inevitable headlines such as "Sex and the Silly, and Sex and the Hatty".

And finally, back with the Guardian, following widespread reporting about the Australian man who escaped from a shark by poking it in the eye, the paper has its own handy guide to what to do if you're attacked by wild beasts.

In the case of alligators, forget the myth about running away in zigzag fashion - just go for the simple straight-line sprint.

But never turn your back and run if you encounter a puma.

Instead, bare your teeth and make menacing noises. As for bears, experts suggest you simply play dead.

But, as the paper points out, that would require tremendous faith in experts' advice.