A mix of stories splash across Friday’s papers, but the crisis in Gaza and a suspected poisoning at a UK summer camp feature prominently. The Guardian leads with a striking image of an emaciated Palestinian child as it reports on Israel’s “mathematics of starvation” in Gaza. The paper says Israel has been “calibrating hunger” for decades in Gaza and knows how much food is needed but has “allowed only a fraction in”. Israel has insisted there are no restrictions on aid deliveries and that there is “no starvation”.
The Times has news that US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Gaza on Friday to “hear first-hand about this dire situation”. The paper says Witkoff is expected to visit food distribution centres after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. Sharing the top spot, the paper reports the number of foreigners in UK prisons for serious “violent, sexual and theft offences” have surged over the past year. The Times says “one in eight” of all prisoners were born overseas and that number has risen “nearly 10%” in the past 12 months.
“Record number of foreign sex offenders in British prisons” declares the Daily Express. The paper says it costs “£360m a year” to keep nearly 7,000 foreign prisoners in UK jails. Actor Jamie Lee Curtis is pictured at the Freaky Friday London premiere in a bright red ensemble looking “more chic than Freak”.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of poisoning children at a summer camp after eight became sick and were taken to hospital, reports the Metro. The paper says the pensioner was detained on suspicion of “administering poison or a noxious thing with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy”.
The Daily Mirror echoes the “poisoned at summer camp” headline with their top story. It says the man arrested was held in a nearby pub car park and questioned in custody by police. The paper also features quotes from a local resident who says the incident is “shocking and very upsetting”.
“We do not negotiate with terrorists” leads the i Paper as it features Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defending the UK’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel ends the suffering in Gaza. The PM has faced wide-ranging criticism for his decision, with the paper quoting a former British-Israeli hostage saying that he is “not standing on the right side of history”.
Good news for Microsoft in the Financial Times, with the paper saying the tech giant has hit $4tn (£3tn) in value as US tech stocks “surged to fresh highs”. In more relatable news, the paper reports that some big companies are offering “half-days, ice cream, and more remote working” in order to stave off the “summertime blues”.
The prime minister’s pledge to “smash the gangs” was left in “tatters” as a new record was set for Channel crossings, the Daily Mail says. The paper reports that more than 25,000 migrants have now arrived in the UK this year.
The Daily Telegraph reports that a “secretive Whitehall ‘spy’ unit” has been used by the government to “silence” social media posts criticising its migrant hotels. The paper says emails revealed officials working for Technology Secretary Peter Kyle have flagged videos with “concerning narratives” to social media companies and warned them of “exacerbating tensions” on the streets. Also in the spotlight is a beaming portrait of violinist and Edinburgh Festival director Nicola Benedetti as she prepares for the festival’s opening day on Friday.
The Sun fills its front page with a report that “masked robbers smashed their way” into former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp’s mansion. The paper says Redknapp and his wife Sandra were not home at the time when thieves broke down the front door and stole jewellery.
Finally, “Roo are you?” asks the Daily Star. The paper reports that Wayne Rooney fans are “furious” at US NFL quarterback Tom Brady after he questioned Rooney’s “work ethic” as Birmingham manager in a TV documentary.
