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Newspaper headlines: Diverse UK 'hailed' and 'keep your cool'

By BBC News
Staff

Published
image captionThe Times is among a number of papers to lead on a "landmark" government review on racism. It concludes that Britain is a "model" on race, the Times says, with children from many ethnic communities outperforming their white peers at school. The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, formed last July after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, said inequalities had narrowed in education and employment - but Britain was not a "post-racial" society and disparities persisted in some areas.
image captionThe review found no evidence that the UK is institutionally racist, the Daily Mail says, in what it calls a "rejection of the common view of activists". Commission chairman Tony Sewell said the UK had progressed into a "successful multi-ethnic and multicultural community" which was a "beacon to the rest of Europe and the world".
image captionOthers papers focus on the unseasonal heat experienced across the country, with the Daily Mirror saying sun-seekers were warned not to break coronavirus rules as temperatures soared to 24C (75F) on Tuesday. Beaches and parks across the country were packed, the paper says, on what was the hottest March day for 53 years.
image captionThe Daily Express says people were warned by Health Secretary Matt Hancock: "Don't blow it now." "Hot but not bothered" is the paper's front-page headline.
image caption"Shiny ball of fire spotted in the sky" is the Daily Star's humorous take on the weather, adding that Brits were "stunned" by its appearance. It says the record-breaking weather is set to continue on Wednesday before disappearing by the bank holiday weekend.
image captionBritain still does not have enough capacity to manufacture coronavirus vaccines, despite this week's deal to produce tens of millions of Novavax doses in north-east England, the co-creator of the AstraZeneca jab tells the i. He is quoted as saying the UK lacks industrial partners - describing the situation as "terrible".
image captionFrance and Germany are in negotiations with Vladimir Putin about supplying the Russian Sputnik vaccine to the EU, according to the Daily Telegraph. The video call with the Russian president came after German Chancellor Angela Merkel paused the use of the AstraZeneca jab for under-60s after authorities identified 31 cases of rare blood clots known as cerebral sinus vein thrombosis in those given the vaccine. EU and UK medicine regulators both backed the vaccine after previous cautionary suspensions in Europe this month.
image captionIn other news, football legend Thierry Henry has spoken about his decision to quit social media in protest at tech giants' failure to keep users safe from abuse. The former Arsenal star told Sun columnist and Watford player Troy Deeney he wanted the platforms to act against anonymous racism and bullying, adding that he hoped other players would join his boycott.
image captionThe Metro leads on an independent watchdog's findings that police behaved "sensitively" while breaking up a vigil honouring Sarah Everard, whose killing prompted a public debate over women's safety. Met Police chief Cressida Dick faced calls to resign over her force's handling of the event in Clapham, south London, earlier this month. But the report found the response was "measured and proportionate" in what were "challenging circumstances".
image captionThe chief inspector of schools in England asked for greater powers to monitor independent schools over "potential safeguarding issues" but was ignored by ministers, according to the Guardian. The paper says that despite concerns being raised by Amanda Spielman, Ofsted's chief inspector, the watchdog was later stripped of its role in overseeing the inspections of private schools now facing a wave of sexual assault allegations.
image captionRegulators in the US and Europe are scrutinising discussions between six banks linked to Archegos Capital Management to decide whether any acted inappropriately during a recent fire sale of shares topping £20bn (£14.5bn), reports the Financial Times. Bill Hwang, founder of the hedge fund, gathered Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, as well as UBS, Credit Suisse and Nomura last week in a last-ditch effort to unwind billions of dollars of market bets in an orderly manner, says the paper.

Photos of packed parks and beaches feature on many of the front pages, as people made the most of the warmest March temperatures for 53 years - a day after the restrictions on outdoor socialising were eased in England.

"So much for the rule of six" is the headline in the Daily Mail, while the Daily Mirror goes with "Keep Your Cool".

Several of the papers carry a plea from Health Secretary Matt Hancock for people to enjoy the sun safely and not to blow the progress made in tackling the pandemic.

The Daily Express echoes his comments in its leader, stressing how important it is to resist breaking the rules, even in perfect barbecue weather.

The Daily Star's front page coverage of the unusually warm weather strikes a more humorous tone, joking that British people were "baffled" by the appearance of a "big ball of hotness" in the sky.

A number of papers report on a government-commissioned review into racial inequalities in the UK.

The Daily Telegraph welcomes the report as a "vital contribution to the debate on equality". The paper says that while no one argues that inequalities do not exist, there are many causes that are missed when everything is blamed on race.

The Daily Mail says people should take heart from the report's conclusion that Britain is a "successful multi-ethnic beacon to the world", but makes it clear that persistent pockets of overt racism should be tackled "mercilessly".

The Sun declares that it is now "patently false" to claim Britain is a racist country, but highlights the report's finding that overt racism still exists online.

image copyrightEPA
image captionPhotos of busy parks and beaches feature on many of the front pages

After more than 10,000 claims of abuse and harassment by pupils and students were posted online, Conservative MP Maria Miller has used an article in the i newspaper to describe her experience of being sexually assaulted at school.

She writes that at the age of 14 she was grabbed by the groin and had her face pushed into a stone wall, smashing her front tooth.

Well-meaning teachers responded, she says, by taking her to first aid, rather than tackling the behaviour of the boy concerned.

The Times features comments from the general secretary of the Association of School and College leaders, Geoff Barton, who says parents, social media companies and the criminal justice system also have a role to play in tackling abuse.

The Guardian says it has seen documents showing the chief inspector of schools in England asked for greater powers to monitor independent schools over "potential safeguarding issues" but was ignored by ministers.

The paper says that despite concerns being raised by Ofsted's chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, the watchdog was later stripped of its role in overseeing the inspections of private schools now facing a wave of sexual assault allegations.

The Department for Education told the paper that Ofsted continued to support the monitoring of the Independent Schools Inspectorate as required.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Germany and France are in negotiations with Vladimir Putin to supply the Russian coronavirus vaccine to the European Union, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel suspended use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab in the under-60s.

It says Mrs Merkel, and France's President, Emmanuel Macron, held a video call with the Russian president last night to discuss "cooperation" over vaccines, which would lead to the Sputnik jab being used in the EU once it's approved by regulators.

The Daily Star complains that Angela Merkel returned to "rubbishing our jab" within hours of joining forces with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to call for a global treaty on future pandemics.

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And finally, The Times reports that a chocolate bar ordered by Queen Victoria to boost her soldiers' morale during the Boer War has been found in its original wrapping.

National Trust staff at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk discovered it in a helmet case that had belonged to the 8th Baronet, Sir Henry Edward Paston-Bedingfeld, who'd served in the conflict.

The Daily Mail quotes the property's curator, Anna Forrest, as saying "you wouldn't want to eat it as your Easter treat, but it's still a remarkable find".