No one story dominates Wednesday’s front pages. The FT leads on Israel threatening a wider assault on Rafah in southern Gaza. The main photo on the newspaper’s front page is of a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during a visit to the Pyrenees.
The i leads with reports that the UK government is warning Israel that is risks committing war crimes if it continues its offensive in Rafah without a “credible” plan in how to protect civilians.
The Guardian splits its front page between the Rafah offensive and the exclusive Garrick Club voting to lift a 193-year ban on women joining.
The Metro reports that Prince Harry will not meet King Charles on a trip to the UK this week, as his father is too busy.
The Mail also leads on Prince Harry’s UK trip, saying hopes of as reunion with his father have been “dashed”.
The same story appears on the front of the Express. The paper carries a photo of Prince Harry, with a headline saying his father is “too busy” to see him. Meanwhile, it headlines on senior Tories demanding Rishi Sunak scrap “liberal” immigration rules.
The Times has a story on how TikTok and Instagram will be told to “tame aggressive algorithms” pushing harmful content to children, under new rules. It also has a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin as he starts a fifth term.
The Telegraph has a story about plans to prevent under-13s using social media, under new Ofcom checks. It also reports on UK airport “chaos” after e-gate systems failed.
The Mirror reports that pubs in England and Wales will be able to stay open until 1am if England or Scotland reach the semi-finals of this summer’s Euros.
And the Star reports on “butty boffins” saying bacon makes you “stupid”.
The Daily Telegraph leads with the proposed introduction of tougher age checks for users of sites such as Facebook and Instagram and says the firms risk being fined if they fail to comply. The paper carries an article by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan, in which she says the government will no longer tolerate a “wild west”, where children are “force fed” violence and harmful online content. In an editorial, the Times questions how effective the policy will be but it congratulates the government and the regulator for putting in place what it describes as the most thorough and balanced regime anywhere, to tackle the issue.
The i reports that the firm at the centre of a cyber attack on the Ministry of Defence has contracts with several other government departments, as well as the Metropolitan Police. The Times says the company provides both the Home Office and the Cabinet Office with payroll and HR functions. According to the paper, Whitehall sources say there’s no evidence to suggest that the suspected Chinese hackers have data from other departments.
The Sun is one of several papers to highlight a report from a think tank, which claims that migration is to blame for almost 90% of housing shortfalls. The paper asks if politicians will ever “wake up” to the pressure caused by mass immigration, but also says too many MPs whine about property prices and then block all development. The Daily Express describes the report – by former minister Robert Jenrick – as “hard-hitting”. It quotes him as saying the government must undo what he calls “the disastrous post-Brexit liberalisations that betrayed the wishes of the British public for lower immigration”.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine is being withdrawn worldwide. It mentions a legal document from earlier this year, in which the pharmaceutical giant admitted the vaccine could cause a rare and dangerous side effect. According to the paper, AstraZeneca insists the decision to withdraw the jab is not linked to the court case and has been done for commercial reasons.
The Times reflects on the Garrick Club’s decision to allow female members for the first time in its 200-year history. The paper says the actors Nigel Havers and Stephen Fry were among members who spoke in favour of the change at a meeting last night. It quotes a supporter of the move saying that “a remarkable club will become more remarkable”.
The Daily Mail says an announcement that the King is too busy to see Prince Harry on his visit to the UK will come as a ”crushing blow” for the Duke of Sussex. The Daily Telegraph says Harry had made no secret about his wish to see his father during his three-day trip.
False teeth, underwear and a distressed-looking Ken doll are some of the more bizarre items found in sewers, according the Daily Star. Although amusing at times for its workers, the water company Severn Trent says it’s an important reminder to be careful with what you throw away.
