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7 months ago
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A variety of stories lead the Sunday papers. The Sunday Telegraph says Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has launched a "broadside" at Donald Trump over his "bad faith" criticisms of Nato. Speaking to the paper, Sir Keir says he told European leaders at the Munich Security Conference that he would seek to "rebuild, renew, and resource" the alliance instead of trying to "divide and threaten" it. The paper calls the comment a "thinly-veiled" reference to a recent warning by the former US president that he would "not protect" Nato members who failed to meet the bloc's defence spending targets.
The Observer says Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a desperate plea for more arms after his army commanders announced they were withdrawing troops from the eastern city of Avdiivka, the scene of heavy fighting in recent months. The paper says the withdrawal has handed Russia "its first major military victory since last May" and notes that it comes just days before the second anniversary of the Russian invasion. It quotes Zelensky, who has also been in Munich, telling leaders that the "artificial deficit of weapons" in Ukraine was having a direct impact on the frontline. Republicans in the US Congress are currently refusing to pass a $60bn package of air to Ukraine until more steps are taken to secure the US-Mexico border.
Just Stop Oil activists are planning a "nationwide blitz" ahead of the next election that will see them attempt to occupy MPs' homes, target their offices, and disrupt their speeches, according to the Mail on Sunday. It says one activist told an undercover reporter that they were prepared to look "a bit loony" if it helped them to "get attention" for their cause. The paper says the action would amount to a "chilling campaign of intimidation and harassment that strikes at the heart of the democratic process" and that it "comes amid growing fears for the safety of MPs".
The Sunday Express says the Prince of Wales has "quashed any prospect of a royal reconciliation" with his brother, the Duke of Sussex. It follows reports that the duke had signalled he would be willing to return to royal duties temporarily to help support the family while the King undergoes treatment for cancer.
Prince William remains angry about the public criticisms his brother has made of the family in recent years and believes he can't be trusted, according to the Sunday Mirror. The paper says William would "reject any offer" of help made by the duke and that he has told friends there is no way back for him.
The Sun on Sunday says royal courtiers are also opposed to Prince Harry returning in any kind of hybrid role. It adds that the prince was stopped from joining the King at Sandringham during his visit to the UK last week.
And the Daily Star Sunday says a bear called Baloo who is caged in squalor and force-fed alcohol to entertain visitors in Romania is to be freed thanks to a campaign by the paper. A speech bubble on the front page reads: "Forget about your worries and your strife".
The death of the Kremlin critic, Alexei Navalny, continues to make Sunday's headlines.
The Sunday Times says Russian intelligence officers are reported to have visited his prison two days before he died there. Human rights campaigners claim the FSB disconnected and dismantled security cameras and listening devices.
The Sunday Telegraph suggests Mr Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, could step into her husband's shoes as the Kremlin's chief foe. The paper says her "years of strength and unwavering commitment to the cause of freedom in Russia" mean she is ready.
"Don't let Navalny's death be in vain", is the message from the editorial in the Sun on Sunday. The paper says what happened to him "must unite the West like never before against Vladimir Putin's murderous tyranny".
The Observer is equally emphatic. "Putin must be shown he can't kill with impunity," reads the headline of its editorial. The paper calls for the West to break off diplomatic relations with Moscow. "Expel its lying, scheming diplomats" it says, and "send them all packing".
The Sunday Telegraph leads on what it calls a "broadside" from the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, towards Donald Trump after the US presidential hopeful's criticisms of Nato. Mr Trump has said the United States will "not protect" alliance members that fail to meet defence spending targets. According to the Telegraph, Sir Keir has insisted that, if he is elected Prime Minister, Britain will always stand up for its allies "even if others threaten not to".
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,Activists from environmentalist group Just Stop Oil are planning to occupy MPs' homes ahead of the general election, according to the Mail on Sunday
The Sunday Mirror reports that the government might call the general election in May. One former Conservative minister is quoted as saying a poll then would avoid challenges to Rishi Sunak's leadership and a damaging race to replace him.
The Sunday Times, though, says the election is still expected in October or November. The paper also reports there are predictions that up to 150 Tories could announce they are quitting as MPs if polls continue to suggest Labour is on course for a landslide.
The Mail on Sunday says it's discovered that activists from environmentalist group Just Stop Oil are planning a "sinister nationwide blitz" to occupy MPs' homes ahead of the general election. The paper says protestors told its undercover reporter they were ready to look a "bit loony" to get attention for their cause. A Just Stop Oil spokesman is quoted accusing paper of getting "in a tizz" about "ordinary people taking the power back".
And finally, the Observer says the mainstay of casual conversation, the unexpected state of the weather, is under existential threat. The paper reports that scientists are beginning research to determine weather patterns a month into the future. While one of the experts from Reading University has stressed it will not be possible to predict if a particular day will be rainy or sunny, the researchers hope to be able to say if we are likely to experience a very wet or windy period four weeks in advance.
