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Newspaper headlines: Jabs for over-16s, and 'King Kenny'

By BBC News
Staff

Published
image captionA suggestion from Scotland's first minister that the UK Covid vaccine roll-out will shortly be extended to 16 and 17 year-olds leads several of Wednesday's papers. The i reports Nicola Sturgeon's press conference comments that the vaccine committee is poised to amend its advice to ministers.
image captionThe Times says the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is expected to offer jabs for those aged 16 and 17 in a "significant move to build up immunity in young people". Britain has sufficient reserves of vaccines to extend the programme with appointments set to begin within a fortnight, reports the Times.
image captionThe Daily Mail's headline describes it as a "U-turn on jabs for teenagers". The paper says the prime minister is set to heed new scientific advice to head off an autumn surge of Covid in schools.
image captionA full-page photograph of Jason Kenny and his wife Laura dominates the front of the Daily Mirror after the cyclist became Britain's most decorated Olympian with a silver in the team sprint at Tokyo 2020. "King Kenny" says the headline. Laura Kenny secured her fifth Olympics medal with a silver in the team pursuit.
image captionThe Metro is among several front pages to feature a picture of Team GB's Keely Hodgkinson after her silver medal in the 800m. Metro's main story focuses on Covid, with the paper reporting that a further fall in the number of UK Covid cases has raised hopes that the third wave of infections is retreating.
image captionThe Daily Express reports on a study suggesting people who are doubled jabbed are three times less likely to catch Covid. The research is proof that the UK's vaccine roll-out is finally winning the war on Covid, says the Express.
image captionThe Guardian says Sir Keir Starmer has accused the prime minister of having an "irresponsibly small" ambition to tackle the scale of climate breakdown. In an article for the paper, Sir Keir says vital UN climate talks in Glasgow are at risk of failure. Whitehall insiders tell the Guardian the government was working hard behind the scenes ahead of the summit.
image captionThe Daily Telegraph reports that Iranian-backed forces are suspected of seizing an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman days after Tehran was blamed for an attack on another ship that killed a British crew member.
image captionThe Financial Times says the Conservative Party's co-chair Ben Elliot has been accused of mixing his political role with business interests in his handling of a dispute between a former MP and a party donor. The donor was a client of a company Mr Elliot co-owns. A Conservative official said Mr Elliot's business interests are "entirely separate" from the party.
image caption"Don't mess with our fish fingers", exclaims the Daily Star, as it reports that a group of scientists want to use lab-produced fish in the teatime favourite.

"U-turn on jabs for teenagers" is how the front of the Daily Mail reflects the decision to offer Covid vaccines to all over-16s.

The paper sees it as a "major shift" in policy by scientists - with Downing Street "expected to accept the advice immediately" - "paving the way" to a rollout later this month.

image sourceGetty Images

It says increasing amounts of safety data have become available for 16 and 17-year-olds, due to the widespread use of the vaccine by those with underlying health conditions.

The paper suggests the change "could lead to potential conflict" between teenagers and their parents, over whether they should get the jabs.

The Daily Telegraph claims Britain, the US and Israel have threatened to "strike back" against Iran's suspected seizure of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman days after Tehran was blamed for a fatal drone attack on another ship.

According to the paper, the three nations are "increasingly concerned" about "aggressive" Iranian actions in the Middle East, and have been holding secret talks with other countries.

The Telegraph says British special forces are understood to have been sent to the region, amid "growing speculation" that a cyber attack against Iran is being considered.

Writing in the Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer accuses Boris Johnson of going "missing in action" over the climate crisis.

The Labour leader claims the prime minister has produced a "cabaret of soundbites" rather than the global leadership needed.

Sir Keir fears the UK could fail to deliver, when Glasgow hosts a major UN climate summit in November. He highlights how ministers scrapped measures to reduce emissions, and is critical of the decision to consider a new coalmine.

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Boris Johnson's holiday plans are front page news for the Telegraph, which believes the prime minister won't be going abroad this summer.

His staycation, it says, "will match thousands of Britons" who've opted to avoid the complexity of foreign travel.

The paper goes on to claim Mr Johnson is facing "mounting pressure" to relax the rules with official data showing that fewer than one-in-60 people returning from amber or red list countries are testing positive for Covid.

According to the Times, minsters will announce on Thursday that Spain has escaped being placed on the red list, while the 10-day quarantine for fully-jabbed travellers returning from France will be lifted.

Photographs of Team GB's athletes are everywhere, following what the Daily Telegraph calls "Terrific Tuesday" - eight medals at the Olympics.

The front of the Mirror is a huge image of the cyclists, Jason and Laura Kenny, showing off their silver medals. "King Kenny" is the headline, after Jason became Britain's most decorated Olympian - level with Sir Bradley Wiggins on eight medals, but with one more gold.

image sourceReuters

Photos of Keely Hodgkinson are featured by the Times, the Guardian and the Metro, which says the 19-year-old was "stunned" after breaking the British record to win the 800-metres silver.

Even the Financial Times isn't immune, showing the Norwegian 400-metres hurdler, Karsten Warholm, ripping open his shirt after smashing his own world record to claim gold, in a race it says drew comparisons with the greatest moments in Games history.

image sourceReuters