Friday's papers

The choice of the new EU president makes many of the front pages.

The Times describes how

A Belgian federalist and a former chairwoman of Hertfordshire Health Authority were ushered into Europe’s two grandest jobs last night as it stumbled on to the world stage.

in a surprise move that saw Gordon Brown abandon his campaign to have Tony Blair made first president of the European Council, Lady Ashton, the current European commissioner for trade, became Europe's foreign minister or high representative for foreign and security policy.

says the Guardian

Whereas the Mail says Baroness Ashton was Britain's 'consolation prize' after Tony Blair's dream of the presidency was crushed. The similarly unknown Belgian PM Herman Van Rompuy - who favours EU-wide taxes and the abolition of national flags and anthems - got the top job.

Rompuy romps it says the Sun adding that

The Belgian Premier's promotion to Europe's most powerful job was also a major snub to Gordon Brown, who had spent weeks urging Europe's leaders to choose Mr Blair for President.

Meanwhile the Express concentrates on his pay packet which says the paper

revealed yesterday in leaked EU documents, will make him the highest paid leader in the Western world, earning more than US President Barack Obama.

The Telegraph leads with the exclusive that David Curry, the MP who heads the committee responsible for policing Commons expenses, has claimed almost £30,000 for a second home that his wife has banned him from staying in,

After learning of the Telegraph investigation, David Curry resigned as chairman of the Parliamentary Standards and Privileges Committee and now faces a formal inquiry into his claims.

Its second lead also contains Parliamentary scandal as it reports that Harriet Harman, Labour’s deputy leader, is being prosecuted over her involvement in a car crash in which she was allegedly using a mobile phone.

Winter weather has truly arrived

A major rescue operation was launched tonight to evacuate more than 200 people after severe flooding cut off the centre of Cockermouth in Cumbria.reports the Guardian

With residents desperately trying to alert their attention, rescue teams waded through water – in some areas up to shoulder-height – with more than 1,000 homes without electricity. Throughout the night, rescue teams battled against gushing water that tore through the main shopping street and town square with cars and trees carried away .

reports the Independent

It leads with the story that

People suffering from a form of incurable blindness could soon become the first patients in the world to benefit from a new and controversial transplant operation using stem cells derived from spare human embryos left over from IVF treatment.

Britain PLC is just one black hole says the Mail

A record crash in tax receipts and spiralling public spending has left Britain heading for the largest budget deficit of any leading nation.
Figures yesterday revealed the Government borrowed £11.4billion in October - an astonishing 88 times the amount for the same month last year.

The Telegraph adds that

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said that even if Britain reduces its deficit in line with other leading nations, it will still have the rich world's biggest deficit from now until 2017 and potentially beyond, casting serious doubt on its economic credibility.

The Telegraph reports that Three million children under five are to vaccinated against swine flu after a dramatic rise in serious cases in youngsters.

The ramifications of Thierry Henry's handball continue,the front pgae of the Sun reports that yesterday apologised for the handball that helped France beat Ireland to reach the World Cup finals.

He said in a "tweet" on his Twitter website: "I'm not the referee - but if I hurt someone I'm sorry."

The Times reports that Ireland’s anger at being denied a place at the World Cup finals by a blatant French handball threatened to provoke a diplomatic row yesterday when the prime ministers of both countries became involved as

François Fillon warned Brian Cowen to keep out of the football scandal after the Taoiseach said that he would discuss his call for the Ireland-France match to be replayed with President Sarkozy. Mr Fillon said that neither government should interfere in the decisions of Fifa, world football’s governing body.

Back to more important matters as the Guardian reports on the inauguration of the Afghan President

To everyone's surprise the ceremony began on time, the president walking up a stained, blotchy red carpet to the sound of a rough brass band and thumping drums. Looking immaculate, as he always does, Hamid Karzai's striped green silk Uzbek cloak stood out in the cold sunshine of a Kabul winter's morning. Even his dress was calculated: items from around the country assembled in a show of national unity.

Meanwhile the Independent reports that Gordon Brown and three cabinet ministers have moved to shore up wavering support among Labour backbenchers for the war in Afghanistan.

In a joint email to the party's MPs, they insist the military action is essential for Britain's security and argue UK forces are receiving "the best possible support".

Finally the Times reports that America’s first 'Cannabis Café' has opened.

A shelf is lined with large glass jars, containing what appear to be plant samples. The customers do not have coffee pots in front of them, but “vapourisers” with digital readouts indicating when the plant samples have been heated to precisely 375F, at which point a thin mist rises from them into large transparent plastic bags. The patrons “sip” on the bags using the kind of valves that you might see on a diver’s oxygen tank.