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A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.

It's September and that means that summer is official O-VAH. School pupils are back, newspaper executives have returned from their boltholes on the Croatian coast. And the long-absent sun, while hardly beaming out like a laser in your face, is casting a pallid glow over Monitor Towers.

But news never sleeps, not even during the Silly Season, which is also officially over. Although perhaps the Times colour writer sent to Afghanistan may be surprised that the whole front page has been given over to his lyrical waxations about British troops under fire. Pushing news of Gordon Brown's stamp duty-led charm offensive to page three, and the compelling tales of the burnt-out mansion and the Republicans' colourful VP hopeful further back.

The paper does have the pick of the "picture says a thousand words" photos of Sarah Palin, sitting in her Alaskan office with a bear skin - head, fangs, claws 'n' all - instead of a sofa throw rug.

The Daily Telegraph's coverage of happenings across the Atlantic places a photo of a woman in a leopard-skin hat emblazoned with badges such as "Maniacal, foaming at the mouth, feverishly, fervent PALIN NUT!!" just above the headline "New Orleans still not safe, residents warned".

And over at the Independent, there is an exclusive interview with Mr Heat - Mark Frith, who sat in the editor's chair of gossip rag for eight years - and his mea culpa for creating Britain's celebrity obsession. The Indy's designers have clearly had a bit of fun for once, tricking out the features supplement to mimic a Heat cover.

It is perhaps the first time the paper's picture editor had to dig out images of (deep breath) Geri Halliwell, Liz Hurley, Jade Goody, Jennifer Aniston, Jordan and Kerry Katona. All at the same time.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall when that picture request came through...

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