Newspaper headlines: 'Defiant' royals and rape law reform By BBC News

Staff Published duration 19 March 2017

image copyright AP image caption William and Kate attended the Six Nations rugby game between France and Wales win Paris

The Sunday Times leads with a story about alleged rape victims no longer having to face cross-examination live in court.

The Justice Secretary Liz Truss has told the paper she intends to bring forward plans which will allow victims in England and Wales to give evidence in a pre-recorded video that will be played to the jury once the trial begins.

She says the decision follows a trial in three cities, which found defendants were more likely to plead guilty when they were confronted with the strength of evidence against them before the trial.

For the second consecutive day, most of the front pages feature images of the Duchess of Cambridge during her visit to Paris. Some even find space to picture her husband who's accompanying her on the trip.

"Defiant" is the headline in the Sunday Express , which says the royal couple calmly continued with their engagements on Saturday after the shooting dead of a suspected Islamist militant at Orly Airport - about 10 miles away from where they were staying.

Alongside a description of the gun attack, the paper finds space to honour what it calls the fashion diplomacy of the duchess.

It details the stylish Chanel dress she wore during the day - it was, says the paper, "the only choice, for her first official visit to Paris".

The Sunday Times says Prince William and Catherine "shrugged off" the terror attack with "offensive de charme" - swiftly reverting back to their original mission, "aimed at countering the tensions caused by Britain's decision to leave the EU".

'Disco' or 'duty'

But while the duchess wins universal praise for her performance in Paris, the duke is still facing criticism for his decision to miss a Commonwealth Day event shortly before the trip, in favour of a lads-only skiing holiday.

The Mail on Sunday says the "courteous", "graceful" and "always smiling" duchess showed her "sheepish" husband how to behave "like a real royal".

Writing in the paper , royal commentator Robert Jobson says the duke's holiday antics - including being recorded dancing in a nightclub - have exposed him to accusations he's become a "petulant prince".

He is now "at a crossroads", Mr Jobson writes, and has to decide between "disco" and "duty".

image copyright PA image caption Mr Corbyn's supporters appear to be planning for a hard-left future.

Another secret recording could cause more problems for the Labour Party, according to the Observer

The paper says it has obtained a tape that suggests a hard-left plot by supporters of Jeremy Corbyn to consolidate their power within the party.

The recording is of Jon Lansman, the founder of the grassroots movement Momentum, which helped Mr Corbyn secure the Labour leadership.

In it, says the paper, he can be heard outlining a plan for the organisation to formally join forces with the Unite trade union.

The deputy leader of the party Tom Watson tells the paper such "entryism" poses a "real threat" to the party.

More troubles on the opposition benches could help the majority party make a big decision about their future too.

The Sunday Express reports on growing suspicions at Westminster that a snap general election could be called for 4 May.

The paper reports that although the prime minister has repeatedly ruled out a vote, prominent figures in the Conservative Party have been widely discussing the advantages of holding a ballot in the next few months.

Party insiders tell the paper that increasing the party's narrow majority is beginning to look like an attractive prospect - solving a host of problems, including the matter of a Scottish referendum.

image copyright EPA image caption Will Mrs May call a snap general election?

But not everyone is as supportive of the prime minister.

The Observer writes that her personal crusade to expand the number of grammar schools is in "serious jeopardy" as a cross-party alliance is formed to try to kill off the plans.

Writing in the paper, former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, her former Labour shadow Lucy Powell and ex-Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg condemn the plans as damaging to social mobility and ideologically driven.

Abortion debate

"Let mothers abort babies of wrong sex" is the headline on the front of the Mail on Sunday . The paper says that is the view of a leading ethics expert at the British Medical Association.

In what it calls a highly provocative interview, Prof Wendy Savage tells the paper that the law banning terminations based on the sex of the unborn child should be scrapped.

The Mail says pro-life campaigners have "slammed her demands as utterly abhorrent".

The Sunday Telegraph reports on new evidence about claims that thousands of children suffered birth defects after their mothers took a controversial pregnancy-testing drug.

The paper says new documents have come to light concerning the use of Primodos in the 1960s and 1970s, which suggest more was known about its effects than has previously been acknowledged.

The Sunday Times says there was a delay of eight years between the first emergence of potential risks and mothers being warned.

The paper thinks the government and the makers of the drug are facing legal action for tens of millions of pounds in the case, which has echoes of the Thalidomide scandal.

The Sunday Mirror is among the papers paying tribute to what it calls "the brave, bright lipstick smile" of Dame Vera Lynn - who turns 100 on Monday.

image copyright PA image caption Dame Vera Lynn is releasing a new album to celebrate her milestone birthday.

In an interview with the paper, the former forces sweetheart describes how she risked her life by travelling into the Burmese jungle to do her bit by entertaining the troops .

"I just knew I had to do it" she tells the paper.

The Sunday Express says later this week a 350ft image of the star will be projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover - the title of one of her most well-loved songs - as a tribute to her achievements.

Plight of the Cornish

The Council of Europe has identified an unlikely victim of ethnic oppression at the hands of the UK government.

According to the Sunday Telegraph , a 50-page report raises serious concerns about the plight of the Cornish minority.