The Times leads on reports that a suspected Israeli strike has destroyed the Iranian consulate building in Syria’s capital, Damascus. Senior Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy were identified among the seven killed, according to Iran state media. The Israeli military said it did not comment on foreign media reports.
Sticking with foreign news, the FT splashes on the defeat suffered by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party in Turkey’s municipal elections. The newspaper says the sweeping victories scored by the country’s opposition party dealt Erdogan his “most severe electoral setback” since his rise to power two decades ago.
Looking ahead to the local and general elections this year, several papers drill down on domestic politics. Rishi Sunak has been warned not to rely on a recent economic upturn to boost Tory hopes in the polls, the i reports. The newspaper quotes one government insider as saying that using the economy as a campaign tool is “not working” among local voters.
The new figures on Channel crossings tops Tuesday’s Metro, after nearly 800 migrants made the journey over the Easter bank holiday weekend. This brings the annual total to 5,000, “piling more pressure” on Mr Sunak, the newspaper says.
Meanwhile, analysis by the Guardian suggests there has been “no progress” on half the government’s levelling up targets, in areas including education, skills and wellbeing. A fellow at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy says the data indicates the Tories are “failing to turn the tide on regional inequality”.
Up to 1.6m more pensioners will be paying income tax within four years as a result of Tory “stealth raids”, reads the front page of The Telegraph. Citing new analysis by the House of Commons Library, it says up to 9.3m older people will be paying the tax by 2023 due to the government freezing the tax threshold.
The Daily Mirror headlines on NHS waiting list figures, reporting that 79% of patients are now waiting more than a month to see a GP. One doctor is quoted as saying the “bottom line is we don’t have enough GPs”.
And the risks to our health posed by eating ultra-processed food is the subject of Tuesday’s Express front page. Doctors tell the newspaper they want food addiction to be classed alongside alcohol and drug misuse to help combat obesity.
Leading the Daily Mail is JK Rowling challenging Scotland’s new hate crime law – inviting police to arrest her if they believe she has committed an offence. The newspaper says the Harry Potter author was backed by Rishi Sunak, quoting him as saying: “We believe in free speech in this country, and Conservatives will always protect it.”
Sports fans share their “fury” with the Sun over Team GB’s apparent redesign of the Union Jack, which takes creative licence with the flag by adding patterned panels and an array of different colours to the traditional red, white and blue. It follows the row over Nike’s reimagining of the St George’s Cross design on its new England kit.
‘Boffs come to defence of psycho chip-nickers’ goes the Daily Star’s headline, splashing on a scientist’s defence of seagulls. Professor Paul Graham, of the University of Sussex, says “we need to learn to live” with the birds.
There’s a picture of JK Rowling on the front of the Daily Mail, with the headline “Arrest me!”. Ms Rowling, who lives in Edinburgh, believes the anti-hate crime law that has come into force in Scotland is a threat to free speech. She has said she looks forward to being arrested, if what she has written about some trans people – who are protected under the new legislation – qualifies as an offence. Both the Mail and the Telegraph highlight support from Rishi Sunak for the author’s “defiance”. The prime minister is quoted saying: “People should not be criminalised for stating simple facts on biology. We believe in free speech in this country, and Conservatives will always protect it”.
The Guardian has conducted analysis which suggests that the government has made “zero progress” on half of the Conservatives’ levelling up goals. The study indicates that of the 12 initial targets set for less prosperous regions of Britain, nothing has been achieved in education, skills, wellbeing, local pride, housing and health. An academic is quoted accusing ministers of “failing to turn the tide on regional inequalities”. But the levelling up department denies failure, saying the plan is “long-term” and it is making “significant progress” in its mission.
“Doctor won’t see you now” is the Mirror’s lead. It focuses on what it calls a “GP appointment scandal”, in which it says the number of patients in England waiting more than a month to see a GP has soared by up to 79 per cent. The Department of Health tells the paper it is committed to improving access to family doctors, and is delivering 50m more GP appointments per year.
Image source, Reuters
JK Rowling has challenged Scotland’s new hate crime law in a series of social media posts.
Health also concerns the Daily Express. It says doctors are calling for “drastic action” to help 10m people across the UK who are addicted to junk food. According to the paper, the problem is costing the NHS £58bn per year.
The Sun is furious that – following on from the St George’s Cross England football kit row – the Union Jack flag has undergone a similar colour change on Team GB’s outfits for the Paris Olympics. The paper reveals that what it calls the “iconic” red, white and blue design has been replaced in a “dizzying rebrand incorporating pink and purple – as well as meaningless squiggles”.
“Global glut turns solar panels into common garden fencing options” is a headline in the Financial Times. It says China has flooded the market with low-cost panels and people in Europe are using them as fences because they are cheaper. The paper suggests they still work even if they’re not aligned exactly to the sun.
Finally, the Times asks: “Looking for Britain’s top beauty spot? It’s… Croydon”. But the paper is not extolling the south London borough’s scenic qualities. New research has found that the area has the highest concentration of beauty jobs anywhere in the UK. The celebrity hairdresser James Brown, who grew up in Croydon, is quoted saying: “I always find it inspirational. It is near enough to London to keep up with the latest trends but has its own scene.”
