The backlash against the Archbishop of Canterbury conyinues to dominate the papers this morning.

Archbishop faces calls to quit over Sharia row says the Times

Amid growing calls for his resignation, including from members of the General Synod of the Church of England, Dr Rowan Williams hastily backtracked, claiming he had never called for a parallel jurisdiction of Sharia for Muslims. But his moral authority, already undermined by the dispute over homosexuality, looked further in jeopardy as prelates from overseas provinces of the Anglican Communion joined in the criticism.

The Mail leads with

Sharia Uk Now the Backlash

Officials at Lambeth Palace told the BBC Dr Williams was in a "state of shock" and "completely overwhelmed" by the scale of the row.
It was said that he could not believe the fury of the reaction. The most damaging attack came from the Pakistan-born Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali.
He said it would be "simply impossible" to bring sharia law into British law "without fundamentally affecting its integrity".

Bash the Bish says the Sun urging readers to join their campaign to give him the boot

THE Archbishop of Canterbury was branded “gullible, foolish and downright dangerous” last night amid a storm of criticism over his Sharia law claims.
Nearly 15,000 Sun readers rang our You the Jury hotline urging him to go.
And even senior members of his own clergy warned that grass-roots church-goers had lost confidence in him.

The Express claims that

Muslim courts are already here

Sharia law is operating in secret in many British towns and cities, the Daily Express can reveal.
Muslim communities are being ruled with a rod of iron in clear defiance of the British legal system.
Panels of Islamic scholars sit in mosques, converted living rooms and even a former pub to issue fatwas, or rulings. The revelation that they have decided thousands of cases over the last 25 years comes after the Archbishop of Canterbury provoked condemnation by calling for an “accommodation” with the Islamic legal code.

The Guardian though reports that

Williams defiant over Islamic law speech

The Archbishop of Canterbury last night defended his remarks about sharia law and clarified his position amid mounting criticism, saying he was not proposing Islamic law in Britain, nor was he recommending its introduction as a parallel legal system.adding that

According to Lambeth Palace, the archbishop "sought carefully to explore the limits of a unitary and secular legal system in the presence of an increasingly plural (including religiously plural) society and to see how such a unitary system might be able to accommodate religious claims".
His office said Williams had no intention of resigning. His lecture was "well-researched" and involved consultation with legal experts, especially people with knowledge and experience of Jewish and Islamic legal systems.

It leads with

Ministers plan clampdown on 'unsuitable' video games

A legally enforceable cinema-style classification system is to be introduced for video games in an effort to keep children from playing damaging games unsuitable for their age, the Guardian has learned. Under the proposals, it would be illegal for shops to sell classified games to a child below the recommended age.
At present only games showing sex or "gross" violence to humans or animals require age limits. That leaves up to 90% of games on the market , many of which portray weapons, martial arts and extreme combat, free from statutory labelling.

The Telegraph also goes with a different lead claiming that

Hundreds of lawyers 'bugged on prison visits'

The full scale of a nationwide policy to bug British jails can be disclosed today after a whistleblower revealed that hundreds of lawyers and prison visitors had been secretly recorded.Lawyers, including the human rights solicitors Gareth Peirce and Mudassar Arani, were allegedly "routinely bugged" by police during visits to see clients at Woodhill prison. Listening devices were said to have been concealed in tables at the jail.

On the same theme the Times alleges

driver for Gerry Adams, spy for MI5

Sinn Fein was reeling last night from another spy scandal after the driver who worked closely with the Republican leadership fled Northern Ireland, apparently under the protection of his security service handlers.
Roy McShane, 58, was once part of the so-called security team of the leadership of the Republican movement, which looked after transport arrangements to numerous secret meetings where Provisional IRA top brass were hammering out its peace process strategy.


The Independent also gose for a different topic reporting from Russia where

A new phase in the Arms race is unfolding

Vladimir Putin has used one of the last major speeches of his presidency to deliver a defiant message to the West, accusing it of unleashing a new arms race that left Moscow no choice but to retaliate in kind. Less than a month before presidential elections that his hand-picked successor is almost certain to win, the speech removed any lingering doubts that Russian foreign policy might become less aggressive after Mr Putin steps down.


Clinton team braced for Obama to take the lead says the Guardian

Hillary Clinton's campaign team is bracing for Barack Obama to take the lead later this month for the first time in the battle for the all-important delegates who will decide the Democratic nomination.
The race looks poised to swing his way after a series of votes, beginning today with caucuses in Washington state, Nebraska and the Virgin Islands and a primary in Louisiana.
The Clinton campaign team anticipates that she will lose her lead in the delegate count this month but is banking on her regaining the lead in the mega-states of Texas and Ohio on March 4 and Pennsylvania on April 22. It will be psychologically and symbolically important for Obama to take the lead after trailing for so long, albeit not by much. He is already ahead of his rival in fundraising.

Barack Obama: Only I can win McCain fight reports the Telegraph

The Illinois senator hopes that "electability" will be the clinching argument when Washington state, Louisiana and Nebraska vote today (Sat) and in the four other states that vote on Sunday and Tuesday. Wins in these next seven states could give him crucial momentum as well as extra delegates.

Bhutto was killed by suicide bomb blast, Scotland Yard squad decides reports the Times

Scotland Yard investigators have backed the Pakistani Government’s claim that Benazir Bhutto was not shot, but died after a suicide bomb blast smashed her head against the roof of her armoured vehicle.
The team from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command also concluded that the former Prime Minister and opposition leader was killed by a lone assassin, instead of two, as many Pakistanis believe.

The Guardian reports that

Kenyan rivals close to deal, says Annan

Kenya's rival factions are close to a deal to end the violent unrest that has claimed 1,000 lives across the country, the former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, said today.
Annan, who is chairing the talks between the president, Mwai Kibaki, and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, said a settlement could be reached by early next week.
"I sincerely hope we will complete our work by early next week," he said. "We are making progress.

French 'rogue trader' Jerome Kerviel is jailed - and his lawyer leaves court in tears reports the Mail

A Paris court jailed French 'rogue trader' Jerome Kerviel today, while investigations continue into the billions of pounds in losses he allegedly caused at Societe Generale bank.
The judges' decision to jail Kerviel came after prosecutors said they were concerned he might contact accomplices, if he had any, jeopardizing what promises to be a long and complex probe.
Kerviel plans to appeal, said his lawyer Elisabeth Meyer, who was seen by reporters at the scene leaving the hearing in tears.


Many of the papers report on

Court ruling threatens secrecy of royal wills,the Telegraph telling us

The Royal Family's right to keep their wills secret could be overturned after a court victory for a man who claims he is the illegitimate son of the late Princess Margaret.Jersey accountant Robert Brown, 53, believes he could be the love child of Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend - who had an ill-fated romance with the Princess - making him 12th in line to the throne.

Suffolk strangler accused Steve Wright claims evidence is pure coincidence reports the Mirror

Suffolk strangler accused Steve Wright gave the same answer 53 times yesterday when quizzed over the alleged murders of five girls.
The 49-year-old forklift truck driver sat blank faced in the witness box as prosecutor Peter Wright QC claimed he selected, killed and dumped his victims - all working as prostitutes in the red-light area of Ipswich.
In two hours of highly-charged cross-examination, Wright's response to any question fired at him was "It would seem so yes", "It would appear so yes" or "If you say so, yes".

The paper leads with the news that

Heather Mills tells Paul McCartney she'll settle for £10m

Desperate Heather Mills promised never to repeat her claims that Sir Paul attacked her if he agrees to her £10million divorce deal.
Sources close to Heather, 40, told the Mirror she is panicking about taking the witness stand when their divorce hearing begins in the High Court in London on Monday.

The Times reports that

Suicide rating’ could be given to every new drug licensed in UK

The reform, based on a system adopted recently in the United States, has been fuelled by a growing body of evidence that drugs that affect the brain can heavily influence behaviour through seemingly innocuous changes in body chemistry. Medicines to treat acne, swelling, heartburn, pain, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, bacterial infections, smoking and insomnia have all been associated recently with psychiatric problems. There have been warnings about the potential side-effects of Acomplia, an antiobesity drug, Roaccutane, an acne treatment, and Champix, an antismoking medication, which together have been prescribed to more than 60,000 patients in Britain.

Meanwhile the Guardian reports

GPs agree to longer opening hours after 12-month row

Doctors caved in last night to the government's demands that they extend GP opening hours, ending a year-long dispute with ministers. The British Medical Association, representing two-thirds of GPS, said the contract on offer from ministers was "less damaging" than the alternative they had threatened to impose.
The decision is a victory for the health secretary, Alan Johnson, who this week wrote to every GP directly, asking for all to agree to provide the public with evening and weekend appointments.

The Telegraph reports that

BBC Radio 4 presenter cleared of male rape

Mr Wrench, 47, was accused of forcing the younger man to perform a sex act on him in January last year.
The presenter on Radio 4's PM programme bowed his head and sighed when the verdict was delivered at the Old Bailey.
He had admitted snorting cocaine with the man at a party in Kennington, south London, before inviting him home and showing him his art collection.

Gordon Brown wants the Premier League to 'listen to the fans' says the Mirror

Gordon Brown will today tell Premier League bosses planning to play games abroad: "You must listen to the fans."
Aides said the Prime Minister is worried over moves to hold 10 matches in Australia, Asia, Africa and America - and rake in £100million. In a TV interview Mr Brown will make it clear that the game must not be only about money and merchandising - but the fans.
Mr Brown tells Eamonn Holmes: "I think the fans have got to come first and we have got to listen to what the views of the fans are on this."


Finally many of the papers report on

TOURIST GUIDE BLUNDER SAYS WELLINGTON WAS AT THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS,the Express reporting that

THE Duke of Wellington was a marvellous chap but he didn’t do much for us at the Battle of Hastings – because he was born 700 years after the event.
He certainly would have looked out of place on the Bayeux Tapestry.
But one tourist guide to the town of Battle seems to have him down as a bit of a Time Lord, travelling back to 1066 to vanquish King Harold.
The Battle Town Map And Guide tells visitors to the East Sussex town how the Duke of Wellington crossed the Channel to confront Harold’s army there.