Soaring temperatures across parts of the UK and western Europe feature widely in all of the front pages. With temperatures expected to reach at least 38C in South East England today, the Guardian, external quotes analysis published by ClimaMeter, which looks at extreme weather events, suggesting that climate change has added between two and four degrees to this current heatwave.
According to the Sun, external thousands of pupils and teachers are “bunking off school” today to join those who flocked to beaches, lidos and parks yesterday.
The paper also says animals at a zoo in Somerset were given ice lollies to keep them cool, while there have been soaring sales of ice cream makers, barbecues and fans.
The Telegraph, external says Andy Burnham has told Labour MPs he wants to give the Ministry of Defence more than the £13.5bn offered in Sir Keir Starmer’s Defence Investment Plan.
The paper says it understands Burnham’s team held discussions with John Healey, the former defence secretary, about boosting military spending.
The Financial Times, external says the issue raises the prospect of what it calls a “showdown” between Andy Burnham and Sir Keir, with the latter keen to release the plan, and the former keen to review it. The paper quotes officials as saying that Sir Keir has viewed it as a “core pillar” of his legacy.
The Daily Mail, external says the former mayor of Greater Manchester is facing calls from business leaders not to appoint Ed Miliband as chancellor should he become Labour leader. The paper quotes the Hotelier, Sir Rocco Forte, as saying that the idea of Miliband taking that role has sent a “shudder” through the business community.
The Times , externalreports that more than 180 years after Karl Marx called religion, “the opium of the masses”, scientists have shown that attending a church service can affect the body like a drug.
The paper says a study tested members of the congregation in Britain and Brazil who attended a variety of religious services. It reports that researchers found worship significantly increased the ability of people to withstand pain and feel connected to others. They concluded that attending the services activated a natural system which played a role in pain relief.
