North Sea 'catastrophe' and beaming Kate pictured

Many of the front pages lead on the collision in the North Sea. The headline on the front page of the Mirror reads: "Catastrophe". It pictures what it describes as the "North Sea inferno" after two ships collided on Monday, with fears expressed over the impact on wildlife.

The Metro carries a picture of the scene of billowing smoke and flames after the collision off the coast of the north of England. It also describes fears of an "environmental disaster".

The Mail also leads on a picture of the flames over the North Sea and asks how ships ploughed into each other "in broad daylight".

A huge image of the firefighting rescue effort in the North Sea is splashed on the front of the i paper. It gives a rundown of the events from Monday's incident including that one sailor is missing.

The Sun also leads with the collision and the headline: "Hellfire". It carries an image of "lady in red" Catherine, Princess of Wales.

The news of one person still missing from the collision leads the front of the Guardian. It also reports Sir Keir Starmer's declaration to a private meeting of Labour MPs that the number of jobless in the UK was "indefensible" ahead of the Department for Work and Pensions green paper on sickness and disability benefit reform.

The Financial Times carries the story of Wall Street's plunge as US stocks took a dive on Monday over fears of an economic slowdown, after President Donald Trump did not rule out his tariffs triggering a recession. It also shares an image of the new Canadian prime minister – Mark Carney.

The Telegraph carries an image of the beaming Princess of Wales at the annual Commonwealth Day service. It was an event Catherine missed in 2023 because of her cancer diagnosis. The paper also reports on the North Sea crash and claims from a government source that "foul play" was not ruled out but early investigations did not provide any evidence of this so far.

With a full-length picture of the princess, the Times reports on her "comeback". It also leads on the eco fears after the collision in the North Sea.

The Express leads on its exclusive story that claims more than 260 Ministry of Defence phones have been lost or stolen in the first two months of 2024. Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said the figures were "poor accounting" and simply the "mustering of assets" rather than all incidents being the result of loss or theft.

The Daily Star leads on a warning from, what it describes as, "boffs" that AI bots will take over the internet filling it with "techie gobbledygook" that humans will not be able to understand.

Most of the front pages have photographs of the burning tanker and cargo ship which collided off the Yorkshire coast.

They capture the orange flames and blackened hulls of the vessels alongside the clouds of thick smoke and steam as water was pumped onto them by firefighting ships.

The Daily Mail calls it "horror in the North Sea", asking how a vessel carrying sodium cyanide could plough into a tanker full of US Navy jet fuel - in broad daylight.

"Foul play not ruled out" is the Telegraph's headline, although the paper goes on to say early indications suggest this is not the case. It quotes a maritime expert saying: "I would rule out any conspiracies or terrorism to as near zero as you can at this point".

Under the headline "Eco-disaster fears after ships collide," the Times reports that emergency crews are battling to avoid what it calls "Britain's biggest environmental disaster in a generation".

It says the East Yorkshire coast is "a haven for seabirds and marine life", with "sensitive habitats". These include Bempton Cliffs, the home of England's biggest gannet colony.

The "I" says Greenpeace has warned that it's too early to say how much damage there will be but the "speed of the response" will be a key factor.

On its front page, the Mirror describes what happened as a "catastrophe". Its opinion column argues that shipping is "crucial" to Britain's economy, and it is essential to keep well-used routes safe.

A separate environmental concern preoccupies the Guardian. It warns that microplastic pollution is threatening food supplies, by damaging the ability of plants to photosynthesise.

According to the paper, a new international study suggests between 4-14% of the world's staple crops - of wheat, rice and maize - is being lost due to the particles.

There's anger in the Sun that the Sentencing Council has, in its words, "refused" a government request, that it reconsider its new guidance for judges in England and Wales.

The council is seeking legal advice, after concerns were expressed that the guidelines could lead to a "two-tier" system, which favoured defendants from ethnic minorities. Under the headline "legal weasels", the paper's opinion column accuses the judges of being guilty of "monstrous overreach".

"Defence staff lose four phones every day", is the lead in the Express. It says that more than 260 Ministry of Defence (MoD) phones have gone missing in two months. The information came in response to a parliamentary question from the shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge. He describes the situation as "extraordinary".

The MoD says it takes the security of defence assets extremely seriously, and has "robust procedures" to prevent losses and thefts.

Finally, the Financial Times suggests the row that has engulfed Reform UK in recent days might have put Elon Musk off supporting the party. After a visit to the US in December, Nigel Farage announced that the Tesla and SpaceX boss was considering making a significant donation to Reform.

But the FT says it's been told, by people close to the billionaire, that he would now support a "credible alternative party".

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