Friday's papers

Afghanistan leads the way in both the Guardian and the Independent this morning.

A key adviser to Nato forces warned today that Barack Obama risks a Suez-style debacle in Afghanistan if he fails to deploy enough extra troops and opts instead for a messy compromise. says the former.

In an interview with the paper

David Kilcullen, one of the world's leading authorities on counter-insurgency and an adviser to the British government as well as the US state department, said Obama's delay in reaching a decision over extra troops had been "messy". He said it not only worried US allies but created uncertainty the Taliban could exploit

The Independent meanwhile says that

The West's military strategy in Afghanistan slipped even deeper into confusion yesterday after President Barack Obama flatly rejected all four options for increases in troop levels presented to him by his team of national security aides.

According to the Telegraph,Gordon Brown is attempting to persuade allied nations to provide 5,000 more troops for the fight against the Taliban.

It and the Times leads with the revelations on BBC salaries

At least 37 BBC executives earn more than the Prime Minister, it was revealed yesterday, as the corporation disclosed the scale of its senior salaries for the first time. says the Times

The Telegraph says the corporation has been plunged into a damaging row over executive pay after admitting it is paying the 100 most senior staff £20 million a year.,adding that

the same senior staff also claimed £175,000 in expenses in just the first three months of the financial year.

The Mail appeals to the Home Secretary over the case of Gary McKinnon

Alan Johnson was last night told by a powerful group of MPs that he can and must halt the extradition of Gary McKinnon.
In a devastating letter, the Home Affairs Select Committee flatly rejected Mr Johnson's claim that he is powerless to intervene.

There is much coverage of Gordon Brown's forays into immigration policy.

Gordon Brown has announced tough new rules on student visas and cut the number of skilled foreign workers allowed into Britain as he acknowledged public concerns over immigration levels.says the Independent

However the Express says that Brown faced furious accusations of being “in denial” last night after claiming to have grasped the depth of public anger over Labour’s open-door immigration policy.

The Sun reveals that

JAILING foreign lags has cost the UK £3.4BILLION since 1997,The number behind bars has more than doubled - because of a failure to kick out convicted overseas gangsters, drug dealers and fraudsters.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2727896/Jailing-foreign-lags-has-costs-UK-34billion-since-1997.html#ixzz0WiPSF1HQ


Meanwhile according to the Telegraph,more than one million households in Britain are receiving more than £15,000 in benefits every year.

The Times reports that British Airways and Iberia, the Spanish flag carrier, have announced a deal to create Europe’s largest airline.

The merger by the two loss-making companies is expected to set off another round of cost-cutting at both to save £360 million a year. Jobs are likely to be lost at head offices in London and Madrid, in maintenance facilities and in the sales forces.

The Mail reports on the case of the wife who posed as a schoolgirl online to catch her husband using an internet chatroom to groom underage girls for sex.

Cheryl Roberts, 61, had become concerned about the amount of time her husband David spent at his computer.
When a strongly-worded sexual message appeared on his screen while he was out, her suspicions were raised even further, a court heard.

Finally the Guardian reports that a furious backlash from sport's governing bodies will greet tomorrow's recommendation that the Ashes and international football qualifiers be added to the list of events reserved for live broadcast on free-to-air television.

The proposals, which, if adopted by the government, would represent a serious blow to Sky, could become the latest ammunition in the escalating battle between Rupert Murdoch and No 10, and lead to claims from sports that they are being used as a political football – or cricket ball.