Newspaper headlines: UK tanker seizures dominate front pages By BBC News

Staff Published duration 20 July 2019

image copyright AFP/Getty Images image caption Chancellor Philip Hammond's indication that he could back moves to bring down a Conservative government to stop a no-deal Brexit draw criticism in some papers

Iran's seizure of a British-flagged ship in the Gulf is the lead for most of Saturday's newspapers.

The Daily Mirror describes the impounding as another highly provocative act by Iran

For the Times, it raises the stakes in the highly charged game of chicken in the Gulf.

The strong indication by Chancellor Philip Hammond that he could back moves to bring down a Conservative government in order to stop a no-deal Brexit, is criticised in several quarters.

In the Daily Mail's view , it's a source of huge concern that he and several other disaffected - and soon to be sacked - cabinet ministers are plotting to destabilise their new leader before he's even got his feet under the desk.

The papers also report that Boris Johnson is finalising his cabinet over the weekend in anticipation of him winning the Tory leadership contest on Tuesday.

The Guardian says many of his allies will expect to see their support rewarded with a plum promotion , but - it adds - how can he keep everyone happy when he has more backers than jobs to go round?

The Mail understands that he's determined to promote talented women to replace female allies of Theresa May who are likely to leave - with former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan tipped for a return.

The Telegraph reveals that another figure who could make a cabinet comeback is the former Brexit Secretary, David Davis , who it says is in talks with Mr Johnson.

According to the paper, Mr Davis, is understood to be in line to become either chancellor or foreign secretary after telling Mr Johnson he wouldn't settle for a lesser role.

The Times reports that Priti Patel could return to the cabinet as international trade secretary and Jacob Rees-Mogg is being considered for chief secretary to the Treasury.

The paper also reports that a former chief economics adviser to Mr Johnson and prominent Brexiteer, Gerard Lyons, has been interviewed by officials for the role of Bank of England governor.

Mark Carney - the present governor - is stepping down at the end of the year.

The paper says Mr Lyons had argued in a newspaper article that a no-deal Brexit may be the "only viable option" for leaving the EU.

Pension scams

An investigation by the Times has found that pension scams are costing British savers up to £4bn a year.

According to the paper, celebrities have been caught up in alleged frauds.

It discovered that one of Britain's best-known TV broadcasters - who can't be named for legal reasons - moved more than £1m into an offshore pension scheme that is now feared to have collapsed.

Why has the HS2 high-speed railway line become so expensive, the Financial Times asks

It considers some of the reasons for the warning by the chairman of HS2 that the final cost could go up by as much as £30bn.

Speed comes at a price, the paper explains, and reducing the number of bends in the track, forcing the route through difficult countryside, and increasing the amount of tunnelling, all push up costs.

Two-thirds of the route is below surface level, requiring extensive excavation and landscaping, the paper adds.

Finally, the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing is widely celebrated - with features, supplements and posters.

The Times and the Sun come with wrap-around covers featuring images from that historic day.

The Guardian says Neil Armstrong's footprints on the powdery lunar surface changed the way we saw ourselves , confirming that humanity could escape its earthly coils.

The mission unleashed a dream of what we as a species might do.

The Financial Times thinks it's time for another lunar landing that includes female astronauts.

But it wants the next missions to lay the foundation of a long-term human presence, leading to a permanently inhabited colony.