Friday's papers

Afghanistan and Royal succession are on the front pages this morning.

Both the Mail and the Telegraph lead with the news that Gordon Brown has opened talks with Buckingham Palace on removing the 308-year-old law which bars members of the Royal Family from marrying Roman Catholics.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1165145/Revolution-palace-Brown-plans-female-Royals-equal-succession-rights.html adds that the Prime wants to end the centuries-old law that gives men priority over their older sisters in the Royal line of succession.

The Telegraph shares its front page with more disturbing news from the courts

Serial sex attacker Kirk Reid preyed on at least 71 women in a prolonged campaign of terror after police blunders meant he remained a free man years after being named a suspect.

The Times leads with Afghanistan.General Sir Richard Dannatt has told the paper that he is ready to send up to 2,000 extra troops to Afghanistan in the face of President Obama's committment to a new surge

The Independent has a different line.It reports that

Barack Obama will vow to end the "drift" in the war in Afghanistan with a new plan to assert greater American control over the conflict, simultaneously ramping up attacks against the insurgents and deploying a "civilian surge" to bolster state institutions with the aim of leaving the country within three to five years.

The Guardian looks at another country on the area for its top story as it reports that months of covert negotiations could see imminent release of five Britons held after two years in captivity in Iraq.