‘Long Starm of the law’ and France ‘in turmoil’
BBC
Several papers lead with Sir Keir Starmer’s upcoming pledge to crackdown on crime as part of a major speech. The Daily Mirror reports that the prime minister will set out measures to introduce 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers in England and Wales, in a move designed to “restore the link between police officers and their communities”. “Long Starm of the law,” is the Mirror’s headline.
The Guardian says Sir Keir’s announcement on police is an effort to show Labour are “delivering change” in government. The paper also notes the PM will make pledges on setting targets to improve a whole host of other areas, including living standards, NHS backlogs, energy security and housebuilding.
The Financial Times leads with the ousting of France’s prime minister over his attempt to force through a 60 billion Euro (£50bn) “deficit-cutting budget”. French parliamentarians voted overwhelmingly for a motion of no confidence in Michel Barnier, with right and left coming together to reject his plans for austerity, the paper reports.
Emmanuel Macron is facing calls to resign the presidency over the collapse of France’s government, reports the Times. The paper says France is in “turmoil” and the crisis will “reverberate across Europe”, noting that former Brexit negotiator Barnier has become the shortest-lived PM in the history of the fifth French Republic since 1958.
Metro reports on the arrests of dozens of people involved in a global “crypto cartel” to launder money through unregulated digital currencies. The paper says the Russian-run scheme was used by “cyber hackers and UK drug dealers”, leading to 71 British people among 84 being held in 30 countries following an international “sting operation”.
The head of the British Armed Forces has warned the world faces a “third nuclear age” and China poses a major threat to the West, the Daily Telegraph reports. The paper says Admiral Sir Tony Radakin described both Russia and Iran as a potential nuclear threat, but paid special attention to the challenge that Beijing poses to the US in particular.
The Daily Mail also reports on concerns about the UK’s armed forces and security, reporting on a defence minister’s acknowledgement that the entire Army would likely be wiped out within a year of being at war. Al Carns’ admission has “piled pressure” onto the government over defence spending, the paper says.
Patients eligible for Mounjaro, which the i describes as the “King Kong of weight loss jabs”, face a more than decade-long wait to access the treatment on the NHS. The paper says officials have approved a phased rollout of the treatment in England, recommending it be given to people with a body mass index over 35 and at least one weight-related condition.