Newspaper headlines: Passport strike and arrest warrant for Putin

By BBC News
Staff
A five-week strike by passport staff leads many of Saturday's papers. The Daily Mail says families have been warned of "significant disruption" ahead of the summer holidays and applicants are being told to allow up to 10 weeks to get replacements. The Public and Commercial Services Union - which has organised the walkout - is seeking a 10% pay rise, notes the paper.
The month-long walkout at the Passport Office is expected to delay more than a million applications, the Times reports. The paper says travellers flying from Heathrow could also be disrupted after the Unite union announced security guards would be taking part in a 10-day strike. The Times also features a picture of the Princess of Wales drinking some Guinness after a St Patrick's Day parade in Hampshire.
"We're not going on a summer holiday" declares the Daily Star. The paper says that just when people need a break, the five-week strike by passport staff is going to cause a summer of passports pandemonium.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports on the arrest warrant that has been issued for Russian leader Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Putin has been accused of war crimes including the abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia, reports the paper. It also notes that Putin could face being arrested in more than 100 countries that recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC.
The BBC is facing a revolt after controversial plans to raise the licence fee were revealed, the Daily Express reports. The paper says the planned rise has renewed calls to scrap the annual charge. Head of campaign group Silver Voices, Dennis Reed, said there was a lot of concern because the licence fee already costs more than a week's basic state pension.
The i says the Budget, announced by the government this week, has given the Conservatives a boost, but the party is still performing lower in the polls. The Tories are still 17 points behind Labour, the paper notes, but Rishi Sunak has halved the gap between him and Labour's Keir Starmer.
The FT Weekend reports that investors have wiped nearly half a trillion dollars from the value of bank shares around the world after a "week of madness". Banks across the US, Europe and Japan have collectively lost $460bn in market value so far this month, the paper notes.
"Victory over cruel hunters" declares the Daily Mirror as it says MPs have voted to ban hunters from importing animal body parts as trophies. Responding to the news, activist Eduardo Goncalves said "the world is a better place for wildlife", notes the paper.

"We're not going on a summer holiday", exclaims the Daily Star - which is one of several papers to lead with concerns about how a five-week strike starting next month at the Passport Office will disrupt international travel.

The Daily Mail says holidays are "at risk".

It complains that the service is already slow and says "Lord knows how long the delays will be" now there is a walkout.

A source has told the Independent there's already been a surge in passport applications.

The government advice is to allow 10 weeks to get a passport.

The Guardian's top story says doctors are being offered cash bonuses of up to £5,000 to recruit their colleagues from the NHS into jobs at private hospitals.

A doctor has told the paper "there is a drain by the independent sector of NHS talent at all levels".

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The paper also says Rishi Sunak is preparing to make fresh concessions in order to end public sector strikes, and that Number 10 wants to see all disputes resolved in the coming weeks.

The Times says Mr Sunak will give MPs a free vote on Boris Johnson's future if he's found to have deliberately misled parliament about pandemic parties in Downing Street.

The paper says the prime minister is wary of repeating the approach of his predecessor - who tried to overturn Owen Paterson's suspension.

The i says allies of Mr Johnson plan to block any sanctions imposed on him by the Commons privileges committee.

The paper calls it a "show of force" against Mr Sunak.

Mr Johnson - who denies the allegation - will be questioned by the committee on Wednesday.

The government is expecting the Covid inquiry to last up to seven years, according to the Telegraph.

The paper says there are concerns ministers may be using the hearing to "kick things into the very long grass".

Rishi Sunak has said the investigation needs to follow a proper process.

A decision by MPs to ban hunting trophies from being imported to the UK is being hailed by the Daily Mirror as a victory for the paper's campaign.

The legislation will now go to the House of Lords and campaigners tell the Mirror that the world has become a better place for wildlife.

But the Daily Mail has a different view.

In its editorial, it argues that "emotion has trumped logic" and says MPs should have listened to African countries which said regulated big game hunting was an essential and lucrative part of their conservation strategy.

The Sun says 230,000 Russians have fled to Thailand to escape being called up to fight in Ukraine.

The paper says the migration has led to a boom in property prices there.

Ahead of Mother's Day on Sunday, the Times has published a poll by the Post Office that finds the adage "mother knows best" rings true for children - but not until they turn 26.

The poll also finds only 15% of people share the same political views as their mother, "but despite these differences" four in 10 say their mother is their best friend.