Newspaper headlines: Kate 'reassures nation' and 'murderous' Moscow attack

  • Author, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ News
  • Role, Staff

Image source, EPA

Image caption, Catherine, Princess of Wales (image from October)

Almost all of the front pages have more coverage of the cancer announcement by Catherine, Princess of Wales. One of her close friends has told The Sunday Times that she felt a video statement of her diagnosis would be the "most compassionate way" to deliver the news, believing a written statement would be "too jarring". According to royal sources in The Sunday Telegraph, the Prince of Wales is "extremely proud" of the "courage and strength" shown by his wife. The Sun on Sunday reports that the princess had a "heart-to-heart" over lunch with her father-in-law, King Charles III, a day before the video was released. Insiders have told the paper that the King left the meeting at Windsor Castle feeling "emotional".

The Sunday Express is among those to report that the Princess of Wales boarded a helicopter with her family on Saturday to go on a "much needed break". According to The Sunday Mirror it is believed they were heading to Amner Hall - their home in Norfolk. The Mail on Sunday says the family are known for revelling in outdoorsy activities there including walking and cycling. The paper suggests that, if well enough, Catherine may persuade her children to indulge her love of cold-water swimming.

The Princess of Wales's diagnosis is, according to a report in The Sunday Telegraph, part of an epidemic of people getting cancer aged under 50. The paper says there is now a "scramble to establish the trend". Speaking to The Observer, a cancer expert, Professor Andrew Beggs, says the rise could be down to doctors getting better at spotting the condition and younger people being more perceptive about their health than previous generations.

Analysis by The Sunday Times suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin has "no easy options" when considering how to respond to the mass shooting at a concert near Moscow. The paper says he is likely to crack down on Central Asian militants. But according to the paper, many of them are needed to do the jobs Russians do not want to do. Any "thuggish repression", it says, could force many Central Asians to leave.

The Observer leads on "shocking new evidence" that suggests French maritime police have tried physically to force small boats in the Channel to turn around. In one video, a French vessel - bought using funding from the UK - circles a dinghy holding about 25 people, creating a wake that floods the boat. The Prefecture for the North of France said the aim of the intervention was to "dissuade passengers" from approaching the open sea. All the migrants were recovered and the smugglers arrested.

Finally, The Mail on Sunday reports on an ironing board on sale for almost Β£4,000. "Talk about the cost of living in-creases", it quips. While shoppers may be expecting some "super smart accessories", The Mail says the Laurastar x Germanier Ironing System comes only with an in-built water tank. There is praise for the board looking like a "work of art" with its hand-stitched cover but one Harrods shopper remains unimpressed, suggesting it is more akin to a spaceship.

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