What the papers say

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

The spectacular farewell to Michael Jackson attracts the biggest coverage, even dominating some of the local headlines.

The entire front page of the Belfast Telegraph is taken up with a picture of Janet Jackson embracing her niece, Paris.

The headline is taken from Paris's tearful description of the King of Pop - "The best father you could ever imagine."

The News Letter has a front page picture of Smokey Robinson addressing the huge crowd.

'Terrible price'

The story even makes it into the Telegraph's comment column, where it says that fame and fortune can have a terrible price and Michael Jackson paid more than most people could begin to understand.

The Daily Mirror says it was a send-off fit for a king. Wednesday's paper is billed as a "special edition" and has nine pages of coverage.

The Sun has a similar amount of coverage - including an aerial shot of the incredible scene as Jackson made his final journey through Los Angeles.

It reports that the hearse was escorted by 18 limousines, and that 20 helicopters - most of them belonging to media organisations - followed it from the air.

The Irish News goes instead for the story of Monica McCloskey, who is trying to find the daughter she was forced to put up for adoption almost three decades ago.

She tells the paper she knows little about her daughter except that she would now be 28 years old and was adopted by a couple from the Bangor area.

The story says she has also written to Health Minister Michael McGimpsey to ask him to allow birth parents in Northern Ireland to have more information, as they do in England.

The News Letter's biggest headline goes to the fact that almost half the money paid out in compensation claims by the Roads Service goes into the pockets of lawyers.

In Dublin, the Irish Times reports under its main headline that lawyers have warned the government not to expand the use of the Special Criminal Court to deal with gangland crime.

A letter to the paper, signed by 133 lawyers, says that if the plans go ahead, Ireland will be shamed before the international courts as people appeal under human rights legislation.

Strike warning

The Irish Independent warns that a pay dispute involving electricians could escalate into a national strike involving all unions in the Republic.

If that happens, it says, it could effectively shut down the country.

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson are pictured in almost every paper at the premiere of the new Harry Potter movie, where they were soaked in a sudden downpour before they even reached the red carpet.

A picture on the front of the Mail shows Daniel suffering the effects of the three months' rain that fell on London in less than three hours. The good news for him is that the reviews of the film are very positive.

Finally, the people who run Wookey Hole Caves in Somerset have advertised in the local job centre for a witch so that people who visit can have more idea of what the place was like in the Dark Ages.

As the Daily Telegraph reports, the successful applicant will merely have to stay in the cave and do the things witches do.

The advert specifies that if you're applying, you must be able to cackle and not be allergic to cats.