In its front page, the Financial Times pictures the devastating aftermath of heavy floods in Libya, where thousands are feared dead. The paper says “recovery efforts are likely to be complicated by the weakness of the state”, as rival factions “carved the country into a patchwork of fiefdoms” in the last 12 years. In its lead, the paper quotes former Labour PM Tony Blair, who says Labour will inherit “a country that’s in a mess” if the opposition party wins the next general election.
“10,000 lost in tsunami dam burst”, is the Metro’s lead story on Wednesday, as thousands of people in Libya are missing after Storm Daniel led to two dams in the coastal city of Derna bursting. The paper reports that 1,500 people are dead and it quotes a local emergency official who described “apocalyptic scenes” – “bodies are lying everywhere – in the sea, in valleys, under buildings”, Hichem Abu Chkiouat explained.
The Guardian reports on the aftermath of heavy flooding in Libya, as it quotes aid organisations who have described the situation in Libya’s coastal city as “disastrous beyond comprehension”. The paper goes on to report on state pensions, as a one-off cut being discussed by Treasury officials could save £1bn – by preventing a 8.5% rise, as job and wages figures for August were unveiled on Tuesday.
The Daily Mail reports on the future of the pensions triple lock while warning its readers that the policy “could be watered down”. According to the paper, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride described the policy as unsustainable. It goes on to feature the Princess of Wales who is pictured with strapped fingers – the paper says Kate was “victim to the mummy trampoline curse”.
Pensions also make headlines in the Daily Express, which reports that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been warned that “he must keep his triple lock promise to 12 million pensioners and drop ‘sneaky’ changes to save cash”.
The i also leads on the future of state pensions, as it reports that both Labour and the Conservatives have failed to back the triple lock policy beyond the election.
The Daily Star claims that workers should limit their efforts to 85% “in order to stop burnout”.
According to the Daily Telegraph, former defence secretary Ben Wallace has said human rights laws have become a serious risk to national security and are thwarting efforts to stop terrorists. In his first interview since stepping down as defence secretary, Mr Wallace said: “Unless the international human rights bandwagon recognises the world we live in today is transnational… we’ll drive people to take more extreme measures”.
In its lead, the Daily Mirror reports on an “epidemic of shoplifting”, the paper says it is demanding “tougher laws”. It goes on to quote shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, who says: “This kind of lawlessness is a disgrace.”
