Friday's papers

One story dominates the papers this morning

As thousands cheered, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was escorted down the steps of his plane by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

reports the Mail

He was then taken in a motorcade to the city centre, where the main square was lit up in green and blue in preparation for a celebration that included a feast and laser show. The pan-Arab television channel Al-Jazeera reported that al-Megrahi’s car was held up along the way by the throng.

says the Times

Whilst the Telegraph reports of Barack Obama condemnation of Scotland's administration for allowing the Lockerbie bomber to return home to Libya.

The US President’s criticism of the “mistake” added to a growing backlash against the Scottish decision to free the biggest mass murderer in British legal history on compassionate grounds.

Whilst the Guardian adds that it was

revealed the US had opened talks with Libya urging the regime to keep the terminally-ill man under house arrest until his death.

For conspiracy theorists, the legal and diplomatic convolutions that have climaxed with the release of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, are reducible to sneering simple mindedness. It is all about oil. Libya has it and British companies are determined to sell the expertise to extract it. says the Independent

The Sun leads with an exclusive

BABY Peter's depraved stepdad made a stomach-churning bid to portray himself as a nice guy by bleating in jail he bought the tot an Easter egg.
Sadistic monster Steven Barker insisted as his trial loomed over the 17-month-old's horrific death that he was a caring father figure,

Elsewhere the same paper reports

The Taliban's campaign of violence to disrupt today's crucial presidential elections in Afghanistan appeared to have succeeded in discouraging voter turnout in the militant south, undermining western hopes that Afghans could be persuaded to accept as legitimate an election already widely criticised for its shortcomings.

Thursday was A level results day and the Times reports

New ways of marking A levels to help universities to distinguish between the brightest candidates may be needed because so many achieve A grades, exam chiefs admitted yesterday as the qualification’s pass rate rose for the 27th consecutive year.

On the same subject the Independent reveals

A school which no longer teaches A-levels has topped this year's league table of A-level results from state comprehensives.

Two men have been charged in connection with a £40 million raid at Graff jewellers in London says the Telegraph

Solomun Beyene, 24, and Craig Calderwood, 26, were both charged with conspiring to rob the Mayfair store and possessing a handgun in what was Britain's biggest ever jewellery heist.

Finally the Mail reports that thousands may be using the national flu line to land themselves 'swine flu sickies', it was claimed last night.adding

Every Monday the number using the hotline or associated website to get Tamiflu is more than double that of the day before, Government figures show.