Newspaper headlines: 'Get them out' Sudan and Len Goodman gets 'a perfect 10'

By BBC News
Staff
"Get them out" headlines Metro as it reports on British troops reaching Sudan to check if an evacuation of 4,000 UK nationals from the east African nation is possible. The paper carries a quote from international development minister Andrew Mitchell, who describes the situation as a "total and absolute nightmare of a crisis". A power struggle between the regular army and a powerful paramilitary force has led to violence across Sudan for more than a week. And like many of today's front pages. a smiling and dancing Len Goodman features at the top of the page, following the death of the former Strictly Come Dancing judge.
The i pictures smoke billowing and an abandoned car on a Sudanese street. It says Britons stuck in Khartoum must travel through the fighting and militia roadblocks to Port Sudan, where two Royal Navy warships are sailing to help. The paper reports 71 NHS doctors are trapped in the country and civilians are being charged $25,000 for escape taxis.
Race against time to save 4,000 trapped in Sudan" is how the Times headlines its report on the two British ships being readied to assist with an evacuation and a RAF transport aircraft carrying British troops has arrived in Port Sudan. Noting that an RAF transport aircraft carrying British troops has arrived in Port Sudan, it points out that Germany and France have already begun evacuating their civilians.
The Daily Mirror leads with Downing Street being urged to rescue 71 NHS doctors trapped in Sudan. It reports many had travelled with family members and children to celebrate Eid with relatives. The staff, a mixture of UK citizens and visa holders, had formed a WhatsApp group to stay in touch as the conflict escalated.
The Financial Times leads with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt admitting corporate taxes were too high - which, the paper notes, acknowledges a "backlash" against the decision to raise corporation tax from 19% to 25% this month. Mr Hunt and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were addressing corporate leaders at a Business Connect event where bosses called for the return of tax breaks on shopping for overseas visitors, the FT says. The paper observes many attendees were positive about the event, but said Mr Sunak needed to follow through with business-friendly policies.
The Daily Mail, which is running a campaign on the "tourist tax" issue, says business leaders blasted the prime minister, accusing him of scoring a "spectacular own goal" over the decision to remove VAT refunds on foreign visitors' shopping. It reports the chancellor said it would be too expensive to change the policy now. The paper is another to picture Len Goodman on its front page, hailing him as "the Strictly perfect 10".
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is to urge China to come clean about its biggest military build-up in peacetime in a speech warning of the threat of a new Cold War with Beijing, the Daily Telegraph writes. The paper notes further comments, in the Mansion House speech in London, on not isolating China as it would be a betrayal to British interests would likely anger the "hawkish wing" of the Conservative Party. The paper also examines the Duchess of Sussex's "new look" calling it a "polished power move" following her appearance in a video message introducing a Ted Talk.
The Guardian leads with the CBI business group admitting it failed to "filter out culturally toxic people" from its ranks. The organisation's president Brian McBride said in a letter to its members it had "made mistakes" and "badly let down" its staff. The CBI was responding to an independent law firm report on misconduct allegations including rape.
The prime minister has pledged to preserve the rights and dignity of women in the UK, says the Daily Express which has been campaigning on the issue in recent weeks. Mr Sunak writes in the paper: "I know what a woman is - and I will protect women's rights and women's spaces." He adds biological sex really matters when it comes to women's spaces, women's prisons, changing rooms, sports and health. The paper notes it is his strongest intervention on the issue so far.
The Daily Star features a mock-up of astronauts as it reports space tourists in the future could be forced to sign no-sex waivers to prevent sperm mutations. And a page-top picture of Len Goodman complete with Fred Astaire-style top hat, white tie and tailcoat is headlined "Len the gent".

The Times leads with what it calls a "race against time" to save the 4,000 UK citizens in Sudan.

It says those remaining in the capital Khartoum "face a choice between staying with dwindling food and water, and the possibility of gunfire and hijacking if they try to escape". The i says those wanting to leave will have to brave a three-day drive to reach Royal Navy rescue ships - in an operation ministers believe is significantly more difficult than the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. In its leader column, the Sun says there are "deeply uncomfortable reminders" of that process, and warns "the clock is ticking". Meanwhile the Daily Mirror ministers to "act now to get all of them out".

According to the Daily Telegraph, the foreign secretary will not mention the situation in Sudan when he gives what it calls a major speech in London later. Instead, James Cleverly will warn of the "threat of a new Cold War with China". The paper says he will also urge President Xi Jinping to "come clean about the biggest military build up in peacetime", but will insist it is "a betrayal of British interests to isolate China".

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Saudi citizens arrive in their home country, after Saudi nations were rescued by their military

"Sunak and Hunt pressed to deliver on pledge to mend ties with business", is the headline in the Financial Times. It focuses on speeches by the prime minister and chancellor at a meeting of business leaders in which Jeremy Hunt admitted corporate taxes were too high. The Daily Mail highlights an exchange between Rishi Sunak and Gerry Murphy, the chairman of Burberry, who criticised the removal of VAT refunds for foreign visitors who shop in the UK.

Mr Sunak has written in the Daily Express, pledging what it calls his "unwavering commitment to preserve the rights and dignity" of women. He insists that he knows "what a woman is" and promises to "safeguard a century of hard-won protections" that the paper says have come under threat from "a minority of gender extremists".

The Sun claims that Sue Gray could be blocked from taking up a job with Labour until after the next election. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is looking into the planned hiring of the senior civil servant. But Whitehall sources tell the paper it could recommend a "cooling off period" of two years, because of her role in investigating Partygate.

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The Jaffa Cake has been crowned in contest of best biscuit to dunk in tea

The Guardian quotes two Labour frontbenchers as saying that Diane Abbott should consider stepping down at the next election. The veteran MP, who is 69 and has held her seat since 1987, was suspended from the party after comments condemned by Sir Keir Starmer as antisemitic. She has since apologised, but an investigation is under way. An unnamed Labour MP says they want her "to be able to retire with some dignity".

And the Daily Mail says a controversial winner has emerged in a contest to determine the best biscuit to dunk in tea. The Jaffa Cake, which many people refuse to define as a biscuit, came in first place withstanding 116 dunks before breaking. The paper says the plain digestive was the "least suited to the task", managing only six.