What the papers say

Journalist Andy Wood takes a look at Wednesday's newspapers

The meeting between the Secretary of State and leading loyalist paramilitaries plays heavily in today's papers.

The News Letter's main headline - "Let's work for peace, Reid tells Adair" tops a story which quotes loyalist spokesman John White as saying that the UDA will be back on ceasefire "within weeks".

The paper gives prominence to Dr Reid's two-pronged message to the paramilitaries: "I'll work with you for a constructive political resolution to our problems but if you are wedded to violence I will oppose you with every means at my disposal."

The paper also says that the Reid-Adair meeting was seen as a major move towards restoring calm ahead of the meeting between Prime Minister Tony Blair and UUP leader David Trimble.

Call for Drumcree 'dignity'

Look ahead to the weekend, the News Letter and Irish News both feature the message from the Church of Ireland Primate Dr Robin Eames in advance of the Orange parade to Drumcree Church.

Dr Eames calls on the Orange Order to act with "extreme dignity and caution" and on the Garvaghy Road Residents to help "even now" to solve this problem.

The Irish News' leading article contrasts Drumcree - which it calls the end product of "fear, division and confrontation" - with yesterday's public sector spending announcement.

The paper says it should be clear which option represents the best way forward for all the people of Northern Ireland.

Taxing times

If you're a regular reader of the Southern Papers - the Irish Independent or Irish Times - there's not much to cheer you on today's front pages.

Both papers lead with the expected shortfall in this year's tax revenues.

Yesterday's mid-year exchequer returns in the South show tax receipts more than 7% down on the first six months of 2001, with income tax receipts alone down by nearly twice that.

The Independent says the falling revenues are forcing the government to order departmental spending controls.

The Independent's leading article says the challenge facing Dublin is to ensure that the more limited resources are used to best effect.

The Irish Times' leader says it's significant that Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy was careful not to rule out tax increases.

Disaster course

Prominent on the front pages of the cross-channel papers are scenes following the crash of two airliners over Southern Germany.

The Independent says Swiss air traffic controllers - who were handling the flights - admitted giving the pilot of the Russian jet only 50 seconds to change course.

The Daily Express coverage - headlined "New air disaster risk to our jets" - says air safety experts are warning that more lives are at risk following the halving of the permitted minimum vertical separation between planes from 2,000 to 1,000 feet.

The Guardian takes up the cause of Aids sufferers in Africa. It points out that of some 30 million HIV and Aids sufferers in sub-Saharan Africa, only 30,000 sufferers (that's one in a 1,000) are being given life-prolonging drugs despite promises of help by richer nations over the past two years.

The Daily Telegraph letters page carries a seasonal note from reader Anne Robinson who reminds other readers that three months ago an expert predicted "the hottest summer for a 1,000 years".

"When is it to be?" Ms Robinson asks - "I would like to take the day off work to enjoy it."