What the papers say

Journalist Mike Philpott takes a look at what is making the headlines in Wednesday's morning papers.

"It was the day," according to the Independent, "when the long arm of republican vengeance reached inside a remote and ramshackle cottage in Donegal."

The murder of Denis Donaldson is the lead story in the vast majority of papers in Northern Ireland, in London and in Dublin.

The major questions posed in all of them are: who was responsible and what will be the effect on the political process?

The Belfast Telegraph says the finger of blame is pointing at republican dissidents, and that talks involving Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern will go ahead as planned on Thursday.

The News Letter says Mr Donaldson was "doomed", and comments that his murder has cast a "dark shadow" over the road map drawn up by the two governments.

Conspiracy theories

But the Irish News quotes the former republican prisoner, Anthony McIntyre, who says the big question is who benefits - and Sinn Fein does not.

He tells the paper that, on this occasion, he believes the republican leadership's denials.

Daily Ireland poses the same question, and concludes that the answer is British intelligence.

"Mr Donaldson takes many secrets to his grave," it says, "just as others did before him."

But it reminds us that this is, first and foremost, a tragedy for his family.

The Irish Independent says "conspiracy theories abound", and there is no guarantee that the truth will ever come out.

After all, it says, Mr Donaldson himself was not exposed as a double agent for more than 20 years.

'Merciless conflict'

Gerry Moriarty in the Irish Times says the killing demonstrates once again the "merciless nature" of our conflict.

He describes Mr Donaldson as an "abject character caught in the no-man's land between his British intelligence handlers and the provisional republican movement that he betrayed".

The face of Damilola Taylor looks out from many of the news pages across the water, after a second murder trial failed to establish who killed him.

The Sun says his family have been plunged into new agony and face the possibility of a third court case.

The Star says it is a "massive embarrassment" for Scotland Yard, after "six years of police bungling".

Fine wine

The Daily Mail says the failure of the Metropolitan Police to bring the killers to justice is "an affront to us all".

But it also has questions to ask of the Crown Prosecution Service, which appeared so sure of its ground despite the outcome of the first trial.

Food and drink are the subject of quite a few headlines.

The Times reports on the plan to add folic acid to bread to reduce birth defects in babies.

It describes it as one of the most sensible steps ever taken to bolster public health.

The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, reports that wine experts are hailing the 2005 Bordeaux vintage as one of the best ever.

Satellite navigation

It says growing conditions were perfect, with just the right balance of rain and sun, and the wine could be the finest for 10, 50 or even 100 years.

Finally, there is sobering news about satellite navigation in the Daily Telegraph.

It reports that the in-car devices have led motorists in Yorkshire along an impassable country lane with a 100 foot drop on one side.

Drivers are so keen to do as the electronics tell them that they even open a five-bar gate to get to it.

It talks to a farmer, who is tired of being asked to pull people out of trouble with his tractor.