Newspaper headlines: It's 'Saturday knight fever' as New Year Honours revealed
- Published
"Saturday Knight Fever", the Daily Mirror declares, as it's announced that Bee Gee Barry Gibb has been made a Sir in the New Year Honours. The paper's front page also highlights the knighthood for Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.
The Daily Star opts for the same headline to lead its story on the New Year Honours but its biggest picture is of Strictly Come Dancing judge and former ballerina Darcey Bussell, who has become a dame.
The Daily Mail completes a hat-trick of front pages to use the headline referencing the classic Bee Gees hit. But its lead story says at least 800 bank branches have been shut down this year, at a rate of more than two a day. The loss of 802 branches is thought to be a record for one year, it says.
Credit goes to the sub editors at the Daily Express who opted for the less obvious Bee Gees song title You Should Be Dancing for the headline on their story about Sir Barry and Dame Darcey's honours. For its lead story, the focus is Brexit and the paper says Britain has a "crack team" in place ready to negotiate trade deals across the world ahead of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
The i focuses on the political recipients of New Year Honours, saying the chairman of the 1922 Committee, Graham Brady, is one of four senior Conservative MPs to receive knighthoods. And "Arise Sir Ringo!" it says, referencing the Beatle's knighthood.
Darcey Bussell is the "dancing Dame" on the front of the Daily Telegraph, with a large picture showing her glammed up in a fuschia-coloured dress - and the paper is in a jovial enough mood to ensure the accompanying headline is in a matching colour. The paper's main story says conflicting advice from ministers and police forces is creating confusion over the legality of using mobile phones as sat navs.
The Times dips into its photo archive to find a picture of Dame Darcey in a classic ballet dress. For its lead story, it reports that travel firms are "misleading" holidaymakers with claims of cheap deals. The consumer group Which? tracked dozens of promotions over the summer, the paper says, and found that prices of some holidays dropped after they had apparently ended.
"Blessed are the millennials," the Financial Times says, reporting on a study from the Resolution Foundation that says that young people are set to inherit much more than their parents or grandparents did. However, the report also says inheritance was likely to arrive too late to help millennials step on the housing ladder during their child-rearing years.
The Sun reports that Louise and Jamie Redknapp were granted a divorce decree by a judge during a hearing that lasted 25 seconds, to end 19 years of marriage.
The world - at least so far as a cartoon in the Financial Times is concerned, external - is teetering on the edge of a crumbling cliff, labelled 2017.
Below it stands a crowd of world leaders. As one they cry: "Jump!" The feelings - of risk and desire for a new start - are widely shared by the papers on the brink of a new year.
The i is unusual in offering a two-page spread of "reasons to be cheerful", external about the events of 2017.
The Guardian says politicians, external were "to the fore" when the honours were being handed out.
But most prefer to celebrate the others who have put a smile on the face of the public - such as Darcey Bussell, "the dancing Dame," who is pictured on the front of the Daily Telegraph, external.
In the Daily Mirror, external, she's paired with Barry Gibb - the Daily Express remembers the right lyric, external from his work for the occasion - "You should be dancing".
As the Sun reports, external, he sees his knighthood as a tribute to his late brothers Robin and Maurice.
The Times comments, external that the knighthood for Ringo Starr put the Beatles back in the honours list more than half a century after they were first appointed MBEs. "At last," says the Daily Mail, external.
There's less unanimity about Lord Adonis - who resigned as head of the infrastructure commission yesterday.
The Times calls him, external one of the last survivors on the central ground of politics - a strand of continuity linking the Blair government to that of Theresa May.
It thinks he "retains admirers" in the cabinet despite his anti-Brexit views.
The Mail does not agree, external - its headline reads: "Good riddance to this supercilious servant of the EU."
And neither does the Sun, external - which says it once had high hopes for Lord Adonis - but now he's "properly deluded" and it's "Ad enough!".
The main news for the Guardian, external is a report suggesting that the police believe there are more than 20,000 men in the UK who are potential child abusers.
The paper says that's the estimate of men grooming, or seeking to groom, children on the internet.
The police say they need more resources - and think that, while the awareness of child sexual abuse has grown, so, too, have the dangers.
Looking forward, several expect another year of challenging politics.
The Mail thinks, external Mrs May has weathered the storms and argues that the economic "portents look good" for Brexit Britain - "a very happy and prosperous new year."
Artificial intelligence, says the Financial Times, external, is both "hugely impressive" and "a one-trick pony".
The paper thinks it has the potential to become the most important technology development of the decade.
And that raises a concern - how to make sure that computerised devices remain powerful tools, directed to the best ends.
"Intelligent machines," it says, "need to be judged on how well they enhance their makers".
The weather being pushed our way by Storm Dylan is preceded by an entirely predictable blizzard of puns.
The Telegraph, external expects some "hard rain."
The Daily Star, external talks of the "snow-go north" being "set to be blowing in Dylan's wind".
"The times they are a changing" says the Daily Mirror, external, if not, it seems, the jokes.
At least the Daily Mail, external looks to Burns for its headline - "Cold Lang Syne."
And the Sun, external - noting the absence of its namesake - talks of a "nation divided by weather."
One thing rail travellers can rely upon is the annual increase in rail fares.
The Mirror says, external passengers in the UK spend up to five times more than their European equivalents.
And the paper complains that British commuters are "paying over the odds for an unreliable service."