Newspaper headlines: Huawei leak probe and Sri Lanka warning By BBC News

Staff Published duration 26 April 2019

image copyright PA

Many of the papers lead on reports about the leaking of discussions at the National Security Council about Chinese telecoms firm Huawei.

"Ultimatum to Ministers in Huawei leak investigation" is The Guardian's front page headline.

It reports that Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill has written to all cabinet members who attended the National Security Council, calling for them to "come clean".

The 'i' leads on calls for a police investigation, claiming the PM is under pressure because of the "shocking" breach of protocol.

The Daily Telegraph - which first carried the story at the centre of the row - reports what it describes as senior lawyers and MPs warning that Sir Mark's inquiry shouldn't be allowed to become an attack on press freedom, as publishing the leak had been in the public interest.

Who said what and to to whom is also a key question posed by The Daily Mail's front page.

But in this instance, its in relation to the ongoing row between Sir Mo Farah and the Ethiopian athlete Haile Gebrselassie over what happened when Sir Mo was staying at the distance-runner's hotel in Addis ababa.

The Daily Mail reports that a brawl erupted after Sir Mo accused other athletes of "spying" on his training regime, though it conceded "Sir Mo insists he didn't start it".

The Times reports what it describes as a "fight-back" by Independent School Heads on two fronts: a threat from labour to impose VAT on private school fees to fund free school meals, and mounting criticism over whether their schools do enough to merit their continued charitable status.

The paper headlines the claim of an annual report for the Independent Schools Council that "Fee-paying schools save the taxpayer £20bn a year".

The calculation is based, according to the ISC, on what would be needed to place fee-paying pupils in state schools - and on the provision of employment, community facilities and tax contributions by the independent sector.

"No MMR Jab, No School" is The Mirror's headline, as it sums up a warning from the health secretary that he won't rule out banning any children who aren't vaccinated for measles from going to school.

Matt Hancock was speaking as fresh concerns emerged about a drop in vaccination uptake, but the General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Geoff Barton, told The Telegraph that sending six-year-olds home, when there were already concerns about non-attendance rates, was a "non-starter".

The front page of the Daily Express reports on the case of a mother who, it says, is being forced to battle in court over the parental rights of her ex-husband.

"End This Sickening Injustice" is the paper's appeal, as it explains that the man - a convicted paedophile who's serving a 10-year jail sentence for abusing his children - has stopped her from selling the home where the abuse took place and prevented the children from changing their surnames.