Newspaper headlines: Israel's 'tragic' error and Labour 'pro-building' bid
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-68719266#2 Version 0 of 3. The Israeli air strike that killed several foreign aid workers in Gaza leads many UK front pages. The Guardian warns that the humanitarian crisis gripping the territory could worsen after aid organisations paused operations there following the World Central Kitchen (WCK) staff's deaths. Three Britons were among those killed. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron's call on Israel to "urgently explain" the circumstances of the fatal strike is the i front page story. The Daily Telegraph gives primacy to Rishi Sunak telling Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu he was "appalled" by the attack. Elsewhere on the front page is an interview with Kirsten Dunst, titled: 'A male director was totally improper to me when I was 16'. Leading the FT is Mr Netanyahu admitting to his military's "tragic" error. Also featured is the sharp fall in vehicle sales reported by Elon Musk's Tesla and its Chinese competitor BYD, adding to concern over stalling growth in the electric car industry. The Britons killed in the strike in Deir al-Balah feature on the front page of the Express. The newspaper also looks at JK Rowling's challenge to Scotland's new hate crime law and hails the Harry Potter author's "defiant…victory". The Daily Mail follows a similar formula, taking in both Sunak's comments on the deadly Gaza strike and an endorsement of JK Rowling. Pictured on the front of the Daily Mirror is the blown-out roof of a vehicle bearing the WCK logo and four of the victims killed in the strike. 'Killed trying to feed starving kids,' the accompanying headline reads. A similar image of a wrecked WCK charity vehicle features on the Sun's front page. The Times leads on Sir Keir Starmer's bid for the pro-house building vote, with Labour reportedly targeting seats that favour such development. Monty Don's perfectly weather-worn jackets also make an appearance. 'I'm a bid of an idiot' goes the Metro headline for the sorry tale of Craig Stephens, who lost £1,000 after repeatedly bidding against himself to buy a painting at auction. The paper says Stephens later admitted he did not know how an auction worked - nor realised he was bound to buy the artwork afterwards. The Daily Star highlights developments in domestic surveillance - and it's bad news for midnight fridge raiders. The killing in Gaza of seven aid workers, including three British nationals, in an Israeli air strike is on many of Wednesday's front pages. The Mirror's headline is: "Killed trying to feed starving kids". The Daily Mail says two of the British victims, James Henderson and John Chapman, were former Royal Marines, and the other, James Kirby, was a former soldier. The Sun focuses on Mr Chapman, describing him as a "Special Boat Service hero". The Guardian has a photo of the burned-out interior of one of the vehicles caught in the attack. It believes the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip "seems likely to worsen" in the wake of what happened. It says many aid organisations have already suspended their operations in the territory. The i says the UK is demanding answers from Israel. The headline in The Times is simply: "Outcry at aid worker deaths", while for the Daily Express it is: "Three Britons killed on Gaza mercy mission". World Central Kitchen said seven of its aid workers were killed According to the Daily Telegraph, the Foreign Office has been considering for weeks whether Israel is failing to demonstrate a commitment to international law, and whether it should therefore stop selling arms to the country. The paper says there are emerging calls that - if legal advice finds Israel is falling short of that requirement - intelligence sharing should be scaled back. An investigation by Royal Mail into reports that new barcoded postage stamps are wrongly showing as counterfeit also makes the front page of the Telegraph. It says customers have complained about being forced to pay £5 penalties to collect their post, despite the stamps being bought directly from Royal Mail. The Times reports that the number of police-enforced drug tests has risen tenfold in the past two years. The paper says figures due out later are expected to show 100,000 tests were carried out by officers, in the final three months of 2024. It says Home Office data reveals the majority of tests come back positive, and cocaine is found in nine of 10 of them. The paper says ministers are planning to expand police powers to broaden testing further. The FT reports a sharp fall in Tesla and BYD electric vehicle sales The Financial Timesleads with a slump in electric car sales in the first three months of this year. The paper says the performance of the world's two leading producers of electric cars, Tesla, and its Chinese rival BYD, have added to concerns about the slowing uptake of the technology. Finally, many of the papers feature pictures of the 18-carat gold toilet stolen from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire in 2019. James Sheen, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, has pleaded guilty to stealing the loo which is worth £4.8m. The Sun's headline is: "The great chain robbery". Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. |