Maggie Smith mourned and Johnson’s Covid ‘war cry’

The Mirror front page for 28 September — The passing of actress Dame Maggie Smith features prominently on Saturday’s front pages. Tributes for the award-winning actress lead the front page of the Mirror. Dame Maggie’s Downton Abbey co-star Hugh Bonneville described her as a “true legend”, the paper reports.

The latest developments in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict are covered on several front pages. The Guardian says Israel launched its “heaviest air attacks” in almost a year of conflict with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The paper adds that Israeli media report that the attack was an attempt to kill the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The Guardian front page 28 September — The latest developments in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict are covered on several front pages. The Guardian says Israel launched its “heaviest air attacks” in almost a year of conflict with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The paper adds that Israeli media report that the attack was an attempt to kill the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

“Boris’s war cry in Covid – invade Holland!” declares the Daily Telegraph, reporting on an extract from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s forthcoming memoir. The startling claim refers to his apparent consideration of a plan to use British troops to seize Covid vaccines at the height of the pandemic, when he was in office.

The Daily Telegraph front page — “Boris’s war cry in Covid – invade Holland!” declares the Daily Telegraph, reporting on an extract from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s forthcoming memoir. The startling claim refers to his apparent consideration of a plan to use British troops to seize Covid vaccines at the height of the pandemic, when he was in office.

Johnson’s “political memoir of the century” dominates the front page of the Daily Mail, as it continues to serialise the book. It quotes him as saying he feared he would “never wake up again” when he was in intensive care with Covid.

Daily Mail front page for 28 September — Johnson’s “political memoir of the century” dominates the front page of the Daily Mail, as it continues to serialise the book. It quotes him as saying he feared he would “never wake up again” when he was in intensive care with Covid.

The Financial Times says the UK needs to mobilise £1.6tn of funding by 2040 to meet the nation’s public infrastructure needs, according to new research. It comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves is contemplating loosening her fiscal rules to allow the Labour government to ramp up borrowing to pay for higher levels of public investment, the paper reports.

Financial Times front page for 28 September — The Financial Times says the UK needs to mobilise £1.6tn of funding by 2040 to meet the nation’s public infrastructure needs, according to new research. It comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves is contemplating loosening her fiscal rules to allow the Labour government to ramp up borrowing to pay for higher levels of public investment, the paper reports.

“So vindictive!” reads the front page of the Daily Express, as it reports on campaigners’ frustration over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans to free “up billions of pounds for investment” while refusing to “help struggling pensioners”. “The money is clearly there,” the Silver Voices group tells the paper.

The Daily Express front page for 28 September — “So vindictive!” reads the front page of the Daily Express, as it reports on campaigners’ frustration over Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans to free “up billions of pounds for investment” while refusing to “help struggling pensioners”. “The money is clearly there,” the Silver Voices group tells the paper.

The i says Israel claims it assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in air strikes on Beirut. Nasrallah’s fate is unclear, the paper says. Elsewhere on the front page, the paper reports that hundreds of Post Office prosecutions may be linked to a second faulty IT system.

The i front page for 28 September — The i says Israel claims it assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in air strikes on Beirut. Nasrallah’s fate is unclear, the paper says. Elsewhere on the front page, the paper reports that hundreds of Post Office prosecutions may be linked to a second faulty IT system.

Tuition fees will rise in line with inflation and maintenance grants will be restored for the poorest students under government plans to boost struggling universities’ finances, the Times reports. The paper’s main image is of Dame Maggie Smith.

The Times front page 28 September — Tuition fees will rise in line with inflation and maintenance grants will be restored for the poorest students under government plans to boost struggling universities’ finances, the Times reports. The paper’s main image is of Dame Maggie Smith.

The Sun’s lead story is about Phillip Schofield, who says he was “thrown under a bus” when he was forced to leave This Morning. Shortly after the exit, he admitted to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague. The 62-year-old presenter “lets rip on his shock exit” in Channel 5 show Cast Away, the paper says.

The Sun front page 28 September — The Sun’s lead story is about Phillip Schofield, who says he was “thrown under a bus” when he was forced to leave This Morning. Shortly after the exit, he admitted to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague. The 62-year-old presenter “lets rip on his shock exit” in Channel 5 show Cast Away, the paper says.

The Daily Star claims Queen Camilla was “pinned to her bed in a haunted Tudor mansion” by a ghost. She scared it off with “a few choice words”, the paper says.

Daily Star front page for 28 September — The Daily Star claims Queen Camilla was “pinned to her bed in a haunted Tudor mansion” by a ghost. She scared it off with “a few choice words”, the paper says.

The i describes the latest attacks on Beirut as “Israel’s warning to Iran”. Its columnist, Patrick Cockburn, suggests Benjamin Netanyahu is probably “igniting a fire in the region that will never go out”.

The Guardian says the apparent attempt to kill the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, even if he wasn’t harmed, “marks a staggering escalation on the Israeli side”. Its analysis online also calls it “an emphatic slap in the face” for the Biden administration and its efforts to secure a temporary truce.

Commentary in the Financial Times suggests “US diplomacy appears adrift and impotent”.

The Daily Telegraph describes targeting Hezbollah’s secretary-general as “a gamble extraordinaire,” challenging Tehran to hit back. The broadsheet says Iran will be mulling over whether a US-led coalition will come together again to shoot down a counter-attack as it did in April.

According to The Times , there are proposals to increase the cap on university fees by 13.5 per cent over the next five years to £10,500. A Whitehall source says there are “live discussions” between ministers, but that any final decision would need to be approved by the chancellor.

Boris Johnson’s memoir, Unleashed, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail, reveals how the former prime minister initially ignored doctors’ advice to go to hospital, despite being so ill with Covid that he couldn’t read, face any food or in his words “barely think”.

He describes trying to avoid sleeping in the intensive care unit in case he “never woke up”. Without the two nurses there, he writes he fears he “might have carked it”.

A number of the papers paid tribute to Dame Maggie Smith following her death

Reuters Maggie Smith on the red carpet — A number of the papers paid tribute to Dame Maggie Smith following her death

Most front pages carry tributes to Dame Maggie Smith, described by the Daily Mirror as “a true legend” and by The Sun as “Magnificent Maggie.” The Guardian’s film critic Peter Bradshaw said she was the “grandest of grandes dames.” While writing in the Daily Express, the theatre critic, Neil Norman calls her “a world class performer whose appeal crossed generations”.

Elsewhere, the Financial Times reports that Germany and France are calling for an urgent rethink of plans to roll out the EU’s biometric border on the tenth of November.

They say the main computer system won’t be able to cope with the new entry exit system that will require all non-EU citizens, including British visitors, to register their personal details, including their fingerprints.

The European Commission said it was in close contact with member states who were working hard to ensure the system could start on time.

And The Times considers research suggesting that receiving a Michelin star may be “more of a curse than a blessing” for a restaurant. A study of highly rated venues in New York found those with Michelin stars were more likely to close down than those without.

The paper says the findings are replicated in London and France. It seems staff may seek higher wages after an award and landlords more rent. The paper asks if chefs focus too much on pleasing the guide, rather than their customers.