A five-week strike by passport staff leads many of Saturday’s papers. The Daily Mail says families have been warned of “significant disruption” ahead of the summer holidays and applicants are being told to allow up to 10 weeks to get replacements. The Public and Commercial Services Union – which has organised the walkout – is seeking a 10% pay rise, notes the paper.
The month-long walkout at the Passport Office is expected to delay more than a million applications, the Times reports. The paper says travellers flying from Heathrow could also be disrupted after the Unite union announced security guards would be taking part in a 10-day strike. The Times also features a picture of the Princess of Wales drinking some Guinness after a St Patrick’s Day parade in Hampshire.
“We’re not going on a summer holiday” declares the Daily Star. The paper says that just when people need a break, the five-week strike by passport staff is going to cause a summer of passports pandemonium.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports on the arrest warrant that has been issued for Russian leader Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Putin has been accused of war crimes including the abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia, reports the paper. It also notes that Putin could face being arrested in more than 100 countries that recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC.
The BBC is facing a revolt after controversial plans to raise the licence fee were revealed, the Daily Express reports. The paper says the planned rise has renewed calls to scrap the annual charge. Head of campaign group Silver Voices, Dennis Reed, said there was a lot of concern because the licence fee already costs more than a week’s basic state pension.
The i says the Budget, announced by the government this week, has given the Conservatives a boost, but the party is still performing lower in the polls. The Tories are still 17 points behind Labour, the paper notes, but Rishi Sunak has halved the gap between him and Labour’s Keir Starmer.
The FT Weekend reports that investors have wiped nearly half a trillion dollars from the value of bank shares around the world after a “week of madness”. Banks across the US, Europe and Japan have collectively lost $460bn in market value so far this month, the paper notes.
“Victory over cruel hunters” declares the Daily Mirror as it says MPs have voted to ban hunters from importing animal body parts as trophies. Responding to the news, activist Eduardo Goncalves said “the world is a better place for wildlife”, notes the paper.
