'Falklands tell Trump to back off' and 'Harry does a Diana'3 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMany of the papers lead on a leaked Pentagon memo, originally reported by Reuters, which suggests the US has drawn up proposals to back Argentine sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. The Telegraph says the US review of their position is a means to "punish the UK for failing to support its war with Iran", and notes it has been condemned by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, war veterans and residents of the islands. The paper adds that the memo outlined several options for "punishing reluctant allies", including suspending "difficult" ones such as Spain from "prestigious" jobs."PM pushes back against Trump's Falklands threat" reads the Guardian, writing that the leaked proposal "appeared deliberately designed to provoke a reaction in the UK". The memo, it says, has prompted immediate pushback, and underscores a "rapid decline in the tone of Anglo-American relations in the past few weeks".Downing Street has told US President Donald Trump that the UK's control of the Falkland Islands is "not in question", according to the Times. It quotes a spokesperson for the prime minister, who said the UK "could not be clearer" in its backing for the self-determination of the islands, and it had "expressed this position to successive US administrations". The paper says the row could overshadow the four-day visit to Washington DC next week of King Charles III, as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations of American independence.The Daily Mail also hones in on how the leaked memo could affect the royal visit, and says the King is flying into a "Falklands storm".A toddler is pictured having a tantrum in the Oval Office on the Star, after his mother was invited to the White House by Trump. The paper says the president - or "ManBaby" in its words - later "threw his toys out of the pram" over the UK and the Falkland Islands. The Duke of Sussex also makes an appearance on the front page, photographed in Ukraine wearing a virtual reality headset to control a mine-detecting drone. The image is paired with the caption "Harry does a Diana", in reference to the humanitarian work with anti-landmine campaign groups of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales."Wall Street shrugs off energy shock" reads the Financial Times, reporting that US stocks have "roared ahead" of their European counterparts in a "tech-fuelled rebound from the sell-off sparked by the Iran war". The paper says Nasdaq Composite Index has gained 15% in April, as hopes of an end to the conflict boost markets.Two cabinet ministers have told the i Paper that demands for Sir Keir to resign are expected after local elections in May. The paper says the mood among the prime minister's supporters has shifted from "cautious optimism" to "genuine agony and anguish" in the past week, and there are "live conversations" about whether one minister or a delegation will be needed to meet Sir Keir and "discuss his future".The Express reports on a demand from the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, who has said the prime minister must apologise to the victims of the Rochdale grooming gang. Philp says the victims have been "badly let down" by the handling of their cases, and Sir Keir should given sworn evidence under oath on his time as a top prosecutor.Greggs is axing self-service as part of the "most drastic anti-shoplifting drive yet seen in the UK", according to the Sun. "Pork Knox" it declares as the bakery chain secures its sausage rolls. An increase in dog attacks is the main story for the Mirror, which says maulings in the UK have doubled since the pandemic.
Reaction to a leaked Pentagon memo - suggesting the US could stop supporting Britain's sovereignty over the Falklands - is on several front pages. The Guardian says the leak appears designed to provoke a reaction in the UK and there was an immediate push-back from the government, opposition leaders, war veterans and the Falkland Islands. One of the veterans speaking to the Daily Telegraph described US President Donald Trump as a "bully" who is "using the weight of America behind him, to reach his own personal goals, and set his stamp in history".
A report in the Mail says hundreds of police officers could lose their jobs after Scotland Yard deployed an artificial intelligence spy programme to unearth misconduct, corruption and criminality. The AI tool analysed internal systems monitoring sickness levels, overtime, expenses, entry to buildings and public complaints.
The plight of London's luxury hotels is highlighted by the Financial Times. The paper says they are struggling to sell their most expensive rooms because the Iran war means they have far fewer Middle Eastern customers.
And the Daily Mirror says the number of dog attacks has doubled since the pandemic. It says data it's gathered from police forces, using freedom of information requests, shows that last year there were, on average, 81 attacks causing injury, every day.
