Newspaper headlines: Half a million to strike and 'Tories confront Hunt'

1px transparent line
By BBC News
Staff
EPA

The Independent says parts of Britain will effectively "grind to a halt" on Wednesday as widespread strike action takes hold. It predicts 85% of schools will be closed.

The Daily Mail describes "Walkout Wednesday" as a general strike in all but name. The paper accuses teachers of a "cynical walkout" which "betrays children".

For The Sun, it's "Lockdown 2023". The paper says millions of people will have to work from home. The Guardian focuses on unions warning that negotiations on ending the industrial action are "going backwards".

In its editorial, The Times says that, after the pandemic, the last thing children need is more disruption. The Daily Telegraph says that with schools deciding to shut - without knowing which of their staff have backed industrial action - teachers on strike on Wednesday could still be paid. Its editorial accuses the government of shying away from confrontation.

The lead for The Times is an apparent breakthrough on Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trading arrangements. It claims Britain and the EU have struck a customs deal - and it understands that Brussels has accepted a proposal that would avoid the need for routine checks on products going into the province. However, Downing Street has insisted that no agreement has been reached and what it called the "intensive scoping" was continuing.

EPA

The Daily Mirror leads on the ongoing investigation into complaints against Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab. It focuses on allegations by civil servants that he "bullied staff like an abusive husband".

The Times says Number 10 was warned about concerns over Mr Raab's behaviour before Rishi Sunak brought him back into government in the autumn. But Downing Street sources, the paper adds, insist that the prime minister was not "directly told" and that officials never advised against his appointment. Mr Raab denies all allegations of bullying.

The prospect of Ukraine joining the EU is the lead for the Financial Times. According to the paper, member states have warned Brussels "against giving Ukraine unrealistic expectations of joining the bloc rapidly". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to meet EU leaders later this week and is expected to lobby for EU membership.

Foods that make up half of the typical British diet are contributing to the risk of cancer, according to The Daily Telegraph. It reports that a study has warned of the danger of the consumption of "ultra processed foods" which contain chemicals, colourings, sweeteners and preservatives. The team that carried out the research at Imperial College London said it was particularly concerning because of the "exceptionally high" intake of processed foods by British people.

Several papers, including The Times, say households with wood-burning stoves look set to face on the spot fines of £300 if they flout air pollution rules. It says councils have been instructed to use new powers to issue penalties for fashionable stoves that breach emissions standards.

And could the dodo be brought back to life? The Mauritian bird was last seen in the 17th Century, but The Guardian, among others, says a gene-editing company is working on a technique to recreate the bird. In that case, says The Telegraph, the phrase "dead as a dodo" could itself soon be obsolete.