Newspaper headlines: Tory manifesto - lacking ambition or bringing a Merry Brexmas? By BBC News

Staff Published duration 25 November 2019

image copyright Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Many of the papers give their verdicts on the newly-launched Conservative manifesto.

The Independent website points out that claim has been attacked as "fake" by Labour - because it includes more than 18,000 current nurses the government hopes to persuade to remain in the workforce.

The Sun calls it a "jumbo manifesto package of spending promises" which are aimed at ordinary working families.

"The stakes have never been higher" according to identical headlines in the Metro and the Daily Telegraph - who take the line from Mr Johnson's speech.

The Telegraph goes on to say the prime minister "made it clear" he would not enter a spending competition with Jeremy Corbyn.

It says Mr Johnson plans to spend an extra £2.9bn a year - compared to the £83bn outlined by Labour.

The Daily Mirror doesn't believe the Conservative pledges. It has a picture of a tombstone with the words: "Here lies the Tory manifesto... and lies and lies".

The Sun and the Star are among those to picture a young man carrying a large knife during a violent disturbance at Birmingham's Star City complex on Saturday.

The Sun says up to 100 people from rival gangs clashed with each other and police outside a cinema.

"Machete mayhem" is the headline in the Daily Mail. The Guardian says the film, Blue Story, which depicts violent street rivalries in south London, has now been pulled from all 91 Vue cinemas

image copyright Other image caption Five teenagers have been arrested after a mass brawl in Birmingham

Fears that Satanists have been killing animals in the New Forest are in several papers, including the Daily Telegraph.

It has a picture of a dead sheep that has been spray-painted with a pentagram - a symbol associated with magic.

The paper says two other sheep have been killed and three calves found with stab wounds this month.

Rev David Bacon, who has had the number 666 scrawled on his church door, tells the paper he's never seen anything like it in his 15 years there.

Hampshire Police are investigating whether any of the incidents are linked.

image copyright Getty Images image caption Pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong were in high spirits as election results were announced

In Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post says Beijing has been "left reeling" by a "tsunami of disaffection" from almost six months of street protests which swept through polling stations across the city.

It says opposition candidates "rode the wave" to win in poor and rich neighbourhoods alike.

The pro-China Hong Kong Commercial Daily reports on the record turnout and concedes that many of the legislative council were defeated "by newcomers" without mentioning the pro-democracy movement.