Focus on 'sensational' Stevens report

Focus on 'sensational' Stevens report

The papers are agreed on the significance of the Stevens report into collusion between the security forces and loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland.

The Times describes the report as brief, but 'little short of sensational'.

In its front page headline, The Daily Telegraph sums it up as 'murders, cover-up and arson'.

The Guardian describes the episode as 'a shameful story of murder, collusion and obstruction more commonly associated with South American dictatorships'.

The Independent agrees, saying it is a 'dreadful stain on the reputation of our armed forces', while theDaily Mirror goes even further, suggesting that the British state had descended to the level of terrorists.

Saddam's brother

The Daily Mail takes a different line. The paper says that whatever the misdeeds of the security forces, 'they are as nothing compared to the indiscriminate slaughter inflicted by the IRA and loyalist terrorists'.

The main news for The Independent is the capture of Saddam Hussein's half brother, Barzan al-Tikriti.

It describes him as a 'torturer and killer who hid Saddam's cash', and says that even by the savage standards of the Iraqi regime, he stood out for his ruthlessness.

The Daily Mirror calls him 'Mr Torture', and notes that he was the five of clubs in America's 'most wanted' deck of cards.

The Guardian reports that the US believes al-Tikriti could lead them to Saddam Hussein himself.

Honorary Englishman

The death of the billionaire, Sir Paul Getty, is marked by many of the papers.

The Times carries tributes from the directors of many of Britain's art galleries, whose institutions benefited from his philanthropy.

The Daily Telegraph says he was 'the quintessential Englishman', despite being born an American, because of his love of cricket, TV soaps, and all things British.

The Daily Express says that in the sixties, he was living proof that money does not buy happiness, as his life was blighted by drugs and he became a recluse.

The Independent believes it was the tragedies which led him to discover his mission in life: to give away money.

But the paper thinks that was one way in which he remained more American than English. 'Americans believe that to be rich means to give,' the paper says. 'We still hold to the parsimonious habits of the days of high taxation'.

Typical bank holiday

Several papers clearly believe that because it is a bank holiday, readers will expect a story about the weather. They do not disappoint.

The Daily Star spells Fryday with a Y, in tribute to the hot weather, but warns that it will be gone by Sunday, when forecasters are predicting snow.

The Guardian has detected signs that Easter is here - 'Chaos on the railways, gridlock on the roads, overcrowding at the airports, and a cold snap on the way'.

A judge who has managed to get away for Easter, but who is not letting his holiday stop him working, is featured by a number of papers.

The Sun says Judge Barry Woodward made legal history by holding court on his lap top computer from his holiday villa in Spain.

The Telegraph says that as the daily cost of a courtroom is between £10-12,000, the scheme could save the tax payer millions if introduced nationwide.