“Israel vows rapid revenge strike on Iran” says the i paper over a photo of crouching soldiers. “Netanyahu knows the US cannot restrain him now” is the paper’s analysis of how the Israeli prime minister views the conflict. In domestic British politics, the I judges that James Cleverly has been “catapulted” into Tory leader contention after delivering a “brilliant” speech to the party’s conference.
“Now Iran must pay the price”, is the headline on Metro’s front page, quoting former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. He “urges strikes on nuclear plants to avenge” Iran’s missile attack on Israel on Tuesday.
“OpenAI asks investors not to back rivals” the Financial Times reports in its main headline. The ChatGPT maker is seeking to “shut out challengers to its early lead in generative artificial intelligence” after raising $6.6bn (£5bn) in funds, it says. Dominating the front page is a photo of a woman clutching a cat against a background of smoking rubble after an Israeli air strike on Beirut. “Mideast pain” reads the headline as “Israel vows to hit back at Iran”.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, embraces young cancer patient Liz Hatton on the front page of the Sun. “Kate’s hug of love” came when Liz, 16, visited her at Windsor Castle. The princess recently said she had completed chemotherapy. Making the paper’s second headline is “Keir’s swift £6k payback”, referring to news that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paid back £6,000 “in freebies – including Taylor Swift gig tickets”. “But critics said it was only a tiny percentage of the £107,145 in gifts and hospitality he has received since 2019,” the Sun adds.
Catherine also “goes back to work with a hug” on the front of the Daily Telegraph, which carries the same photo. It was the princess’s first day back at work since completing chemotherapy. The Telegraph’s angle on the Middle East conflict is concern about the fitness of the UK’s armed forces to help defend Israel. The RAF “lacks weapons to hit Iranian missiles” and British destroyers are “ill-equipped”, it says, quoting defence experts and former Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace. The paper’s cartoonist Matt turns his attention to the end of the first Tory conference since the election, when the party saw its majority in Parliament crumble. “They’ve rebooked this hall for 2029,” one activist says to another as they pack up. “I asked if they’d need more seats and they said probably not.”
The photo of the Princess of Wales and young Liz makes the front of the Daily Express too – as does a story about the Middle East conflict. “Security chiefs fear rise in terror attacks in UK” the headline says over a photo of British police in front of pro-Israel demonstrators. The “crisis could ‘galvanise’ extremists to target British Jews”, according to the paper.
The Daily Mirror also leads on the “touching royal moment” at Windsor. On the Middle East conflict, the paper carries an appeal to British nationals still in Lebanon to “get out NOW”.
The Daily Mail leads with Sir Keir coughing “up £6,000 to pay for his freebies” but “brave Kate’s hug for fellow cancer sufferer” also makes its front, with the same photo.
Over a photo of mourners for an Israeli officer killed in Lebanon, the Guardian runs the headline “US warns Israel: we won’t support attacks on Iranian nuclear sites”. In domestic news, there is “alarm at rise in vaping among non-smokers” and BBC presenter Adrian Chiles reveals what he has “learned from five years of oversharing”.
“Eight soldiers die in battle with Hezbollah” is the Times’ take on the latest stage of the Middle East conflict. It has a photo of an Iranian missile downed over Israel’s Negev Desert. Reporting Sir Keir’s repayment, the paper says he still has the “suits and specs”.
The “sarnie torment” of Line of Duty star Anna Maxwell Martin grips the Daily Star. She is, it says, “scared witless of sandwiches and fridges”. Vying for front page space along with the “bread-based comestible terror” are pieces on “Essex ghouls” and a shortage of “ugly dogs”.
AFP
A firefighter works at the site of an overnight Israeli air strike in Beirut on Wednesday
The Guardian leads on Washington’s attempts to contain the Middle East conflict. The paper says the White House fears that ultimately US forces could be drawn in, if the Israelis target Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Sun urges Britain and America not to be “squeamish” and back Israel all the way if, in its words, “Tel Aviv opts to cut the head off the snake”. The Daily Mirror favours persevering with diplomacy until, it says, “every avenue has been exhausted”. Gideon Rachman in the Financial Times observes that US President Joe Biden’s efforts to prevent a war in the Middle East are failing. He says that each time Israel has defied his calls for restraint, Washington has still come to its aid and, with the presidential election weeks away, this support is unlikely to weaken.
Analysis in the Daily Mail suggests targeting Iran’s nuclear centre might be the most dangerous option for Israel as Tehran could respond with dirty bombs – missiles tipped with nuclear waste. Equally bombing Iran’s oil export facility could lead to a retaliatory attack on Saudi Arabia, hitting global supplies and undermining international support. There is a suggestion in the I paper that Israel might hit Iran’s military bases or even its leadership.
Experts raise concerns in the Daily Telegraph that UK forces lack the equipment to help protect Israel. The Conservatives’ former Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace tells the paper the upgrade of systems on some of the Royal Navy’s anti-missile destroyers needs to be accelerated. The Daily Express reports that security chiefs fear the crisis could lead to terror attacks in the UK. The security services and the Met are said to be on “red alert”. A Jewish charity, the Community Security Trust, is mounting its biggest security operation before the anniversary of the 7 October attack by Hamas.
The Daily Mail suggests Sir Keir Starmer was “humiliated” into paying back what it calls his £6,000 worth of “freebies”. The Times points out he is keeping more than £40,000 worth of clothes, glasses and football tickets accepted in his time at Number 10. And the Sun calculates the repayment is just 5% of the £107,000 in gifts, benefits and hospitality Sir Keir has received since 2019.
Several front pages show the first picture of the Princess of Wales at work since completing her chemotherapy. She is shown embracing a teenager with cancer, in what the Sun describes as “Kate’s hug of love”. Sixteen-year-old photographer Liz Hatton, who has a terminal diagnosis, was fulfilling a bucket list, according to the Mail when she was invited to take pictures at an investiture in Windsor Castle.
The I reports on research revealing how dolphins smile at one another to show they are ready to play. The author of the study at the University of Pisa explains that open-mouthed expressions and mimicry are often used by mammals and social carnivores to signal fun and avoid conflict.
And the Times says there is relief for the editor of Private Eye, Ian Hislop, after fears he was the target of an assassin. The police were called because of fears a gunshot had been fired into his black cab. A Met office investigation ensued and revealed a mechanical fault had caused the back window to shatter.
AFP
