Siamese twins dominate papers

The case of Siamese twin girls, who the High Court has said can be separated, even though one of them will die, has provoked widespread sympathy in the papers.

The Daily Telegraph describes the case as "a story to vex philosophers and break hearts."

But Mr Justice Johnson's decision to allow the operation to go ahead against the wishes of the parents has prompted sympathy.

Writing in The Times, Dr Thomas Stuttaford says it will have the support of the overwhelming majority of the medical profession, who will regard it as the means of saving a life, rather than sacrificing both.

The Daily Mail says the judgement "would have taxed the wisdom of Solomon", recalling the Biblical tale of the king who ordered a child claimed by two women to be cut in half.

Television timing

"Who," it asks, "will not be feeling thankful that, unlike Mr Justice Johnson, they do not have the terrible responsibility of making decisions, quite literally, of life and death?"

The speech by the BBC's Director General, Greg Dyke, setting out his plans for the future of the Corporation's television channels, continues to attract considerable comment.

The Independent sees the decision to move the main evening TV news bulletin from nine o'clock to ten as a "symbol of the kind of broadcasting Britain can expect to see over the next decade".

The Times believes the precise timing of the news matters far less than "whether what is broadcast immediately before and after is appealing".

Transfer troubles

The Times claims that ministers are trying to save the football transfer system from a European Commission ruling which it says threatens to plunge the game into chaos by allowing players to walk out of club contracts.

The paper reports that the EC is expected to declare shortly that transfer fees are illegal under EU law and impose a rigid compensation scheme instead.

It explains that transfer deals between Premiership clubs and sides in the lower divisions were worth £52m last season, and any attempt to outlaw them could drive some smaller teams out of business.

Many of the newspapers carry reports from the funeral in Belfast of the prominent Loyalist Jackie Coulter, shot dead on Monday by a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Big Brother bonus

The Daily Telegraph laments the fact that by this afternoon, three victims of the feud between rival paramilitaries will have been carried down the Crumlin Road in coffins in the past three days.

The Independent reports that the success of the television programme, Big Brother, has brought riches to an entrepreneur from Scotland.

It explains that Scott Brown, an engineer from Lochwinnoch near Glasgow, registered the internet address Big Brother.co.uk three years ago to promote a security company which later folded.

But since the voyeuristic television show began the website has been receiving up to 250,000 visitors a day - netting Mr Brown up to £20,000 a month in advertising fees.