Newspaper headlines: Zahawi sacked and Putin's threat to kill Johnson

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By BBC News
Staff
EPA

The sacking of Nadhim Zahawi as Tory party chairman over a penalty he was forced to pay to HMRC dominates Monday's papers.

"Rotten To The Core" is how the Daily Mirror describes the Conservative party, branding Rishi Sunak a "dithering leader" who "finally" made the decision to sack the Tory chairman after weeks of reports about his tax affairs. The Independent also asks why it took so long - considering it started covering the story more than six months ago. But a friend of Mr Sunak's tells the Times that the prime minister "won't hesitate to act when there's impropriety" and that he plans to take a "zero-tolerance approach to future breaches of the ministerial code".

The Times also suggests that Mr Zahawi is "furious" about his firing - and is considering issuing a formal response to the report by Mr Sunak's ethics chief, Sir Laurie Magnus, which sealed his fate. According to the Daily Telegraph, he was given "one 30-minute meeting to defend himself" and his allies believe the report was rushed out "for political expediency". But the Sun says Mr Zahawi only has himself to blame, criticising him for taking an "undignified swipe" at the press for covering the story. "This was a disaster entirely of his own making", it declares in its editorial, adding that "it is right he has gone".

Documents seen by the Guardian suggest that the former Metropolitan Police commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick, wanted £500,000 to stand down after she was removed by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan last year following a series of controversies. The files - obtained under a Freedom of Information request - show what the paper calls "bitter and tense" exchanges between Mr Khan's advisers and an aide to Dame Cressida, who said she felt "entitled" to two years' severance pay. She ultimately agreed to accept a £170,000 payoff.

The Financial Times says hopes are further dwindling of reviving the Iran nuclear agreement after the EU started exploring legal options to formally declare the country's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organisation. The United States has already given the group that designation, and the paper says a similar move in Europe would "probably scupper diplomatic efforts to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons". The Revolutionary Guard is the most powerful wing of Iran's state security apparatus and has been linked to 10 plots against British interests in the last year.

Reuters

The European Union is said to be considering declaring Iran's Revolution Guard a terrorist organisation

The i reports that a future Labour government could reform the licence fee so wealthier households pay more. The shadow culture secretary, Lucy Powell, says her party would also overhaul appointments to the corporation in the wake of the row about the BBC chairman, Richard Sharp, and his alleged dealings in Boris Johnson's financial affairs. Both men deny any wrongdoing, and Mr Sharp insists he was made chairman on merit.

And research featured in the Daily Mail claims that anxious dogs can be successfully treated if they take part in group exercise. A study of 1,300 animals found that activities such as Flyball - a type of relay race with teams of dogs - were "highly effective" at reducing anxiety. One sheepdog was also "helped enormously" by sheep-herding classes.