Newspaper headlines: FBI probes Trump-Russia links and Brexit trigger date set By BBC News

Staff Published duration 21 March 2017

image copyright AFP image caption FBI director James Comey confirmed the agency is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

Confirmation the FBI is investigating possible links between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and the Kremlin is reported on several of Tuesday's front pages.

President Trump is at war with his own spies , says the Guardian. It calls it a remarkable and unprecedented moment in US political history and says if lawmakers are confronted with evidence of wrong-doing, it would make Watergate look like a political prank.

The Daily Express believes the truth about Mr Trump and Russia will out. The paper says it is testament to the rigour of America's constitution and rule of law that the FBI is able to investigate the president and his associates.

The Financial Times says the announcement pits the top US law enforcement agency against a sitting president

Brexit date set

"Save the date" is the main headline in the i newspaper following the announcement that Theresa May will trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty on Wednesday 29 March

"At last!" declares the Daily Mail which says it is confident that freeing the UK from the shackles of Brussels will open up a great future . It believes Theresa May is setting just the right tone.

The paper goes on to criticise the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, saying he wants to punish Britain by imposing a so-called "divorce payment" of £50bn when the UK leaves the EU.

The Times says Brexit-supporting cabinet ministers are demanding that the chancellor caps Britain's payment at £3bn.

"Let Brexit begin", declares the Sun. In just eight days, the paper says, Britain will take its historic step towards a better future.

The Daily Mirror says negotiations will be tough and the stakes high. It calls for the public to be kept in the loop, saying people did not vote for the lost jobs, lower pay and wrecked public services of a hard Brexit.

Labour 'battle'

image copyright PA image caption The Guardian says Labour's leadership are focused on the same kind of internal battle for control that alienated voters 35 years ago

There is plenty of comment in the papers on the row within Labour following claims yesterday of a hard-left plot to take over the party.

The Times believes Labour's drift towards extinction is accelerating and says there can be no renewal under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.

The Daily Telegraph reckons the only people who can save Labour are its moderate members but it says that so far, they have failed utterly to rebut Mr Corbyn's socialist dogma.

The Guardian says Labour's leadership are focused on the kind of internal battle for control that alienated voters 35 years ago. The paper says it is not only eager Tories who can see that opposition might be eliminated for a generation.

Google apologises

In its main story, the Times reports that global brands including Volkswagen, Toyota and Tesco have joined more than 250 companies who have suspended advertising deals with Google, in protest at its failure to crackdown on extremism.

The paper says the internet giant has apologised and promised a review, but is still refusing to acknowledge its responsibility to tackle hate speech. It urges Google to level with the billions of users of its websites, especially YouTube, who are exposed to extremist and fraudulent material.

Secret agent denied cash

The Daily Telegraph reports on newly-released archive papers which show that a secret agent in the Second World War, who was brutally interrogated and held at Colditz, was later denied compensation

The paper says Jack Thorez Finken-McKay suffered partial blindness, memory loss and mental health problems during his two year incarceration by the Nazis. But compensation was refused because Colditz Castle was technically a prisoner-of-war camp, not a concentration camp.

Osborne editor row

The Guardian understands that the ethics committee assessing George Osborne's new job as editor of the London Evening Standard is actively considering a call for the former chancellor to decline the role , or delay taking it up.

The paper says Mr Osborne irritated the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments by announcing the job before members were given time to review any potential conflict with his duties as an MP and his former role at the treasury.

End to a rite of passage?

image copyright PA

Finally, the Times says standing on the sidelines of a windswept playing field is a rite of passage for parents whose children play sport. But it believes a growing trend of live streaming youth matches on the web could bring an end to weekend mornings battling the elements.