‘PM defies US to cede Chagos’ and ‘oil price scare’
Following US President Joe Biden’s comments on Israel’s retaliatory attack on Iran, the price of oil has risen to its highest in more than a month, the Financial Times says. An attack on Iran’s oil infrastructure has been suggested as a likely response to Tuesday’s missile assault on Israel, with Biden indicating the issue was under discussion on Thursday, the paper reports. Pictured on the front is a birds-eye image of Diego Garcia, an island in the Chagos Archipelago. The UK handed its sovereignty over to Mauritius, though it will retain a military base there.
The Guardian leads on an historic bill that will see MPs vote on whether to legalise assisted dying. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater says Parliament should be able to consider a change to the law that would offer “reassurance and relief – and most importantly, dignity and choice” in the last months of an individual’s life, the paper reports. Pictured is a scene of devastation as a building collapses and debris flattens an area in southern Beirut following an Israeli airstrike.
According to The Times, the prime minister did not heed private warnings from the US in ceding control of the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius. Officials were said to have “actively warned against” the move, comments obtained by the paper say. The front also features the MPs’ vote on assisted dying legislation and carries a photo of smoke rising from a destroyed suburb in southern Beirut after an Israeli airstrike.
Headlining the Metro is a story from the trial of a doctor who the paper says is suspected of disguising himself as a nurse to kill his stepfather in order to obtain his inheritance. Thomas Kwan, 53, admits injecting Patrick O’Hara with poison but denies attempted murder and the trial continues.
The i also leads with concerns over a hike in the price of oil, after possible retaliatory strikes on Iran’s oil industry were discussed by the US president. The strikes could have a “knock on-effect” on petrol prices for UK customers, the paper warns.
The Telegraph leads on an exclusive interview with Boris Johnson, who is quoted as saying there is a “strong case” to hold a referendum on the European Court of Human Rights. Also vying for front page space are concerns for the future of Gibraltar, after the UK said it would hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after a decades-long dispute.
The Daily Mail leads on critics accusing Sir Keir Starmer of a “shameful retreat” by handing sovereignty of Diego Garcia over to Mauritius. The prime minister’s move to relinquish control of the “strategically vital” island could threaten global security, it says.
Andrew Flintoff is to host darts gameshow Bullseye, says The Sun, leading with a photo of the former England cricketer. It will be his first new TV commission since he was hospitalised following a crash on Top Gear, the paper reports.
A teenager with a rare form of cancer was very happy to meet the Princess of Wales, the Daily Mirror says. “Happy memories are what’s most important,” Liz Hatton, 16, told the paper.
Ahead of a potential vote in the Commons on assisted dying, Dame Esther Rantzen tells the Daily Express she hopes the measure will be legalised in her lifetime. Dame Esther, who has stage four lung cancer, describes the pledge to vote on the bill as a “crucial step forward”.
And the Daily Star suggests a powerful “sun burp” could bring all manner of ills to Earth, from phone service interruption to a wifi wipeout.
Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!
Our commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and delivering breaking news as it happens has earned us the trust of a vast audience. Stay ahead with real-time updates on the latest events, trends.
