What the papers say – August 1

Here are the biggest news stories making headlines this Thursday.

A collection of British newspapers (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Archive)

Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children, with the story leading Thursday’s front pages.

The veteran broadcaster admitted having 41 images on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type, with The Times, the Daily Express, the Daily Mirror, The Independent, and The Sun leading on his guilty plea.

The i and The Daily Telegraph run with the same story, focusing on the BBC’s “turmoil” over the charge after it “paid Edwards £200k after (his) arrest”.

The Metro splashes on the Southport riots and the fury of the mother of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, in response to scenes of violent disorder overnight.

The Daily Mail links Russia to the misinformation regarding the Southport attacker’s identity which sparked violent public unrest. The 17-year-old boy, from Banks, Lancashire, has since been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder for the attack.

The Guardian and the Financial Times look abroad for headlines, with both papers reporting on unrest in the Middle East after Israel launched strikes on both Iran and Lebanon on Wednesday to eliminate both leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah.

Lastly, the Daily Star riffs off the classic road trip phrase ‘Are we there yet’, as motorways across the UK face roadworks en masse… with holidaymakers also set to endure a plague of midges.