The Observer leads with the headline “War and peace” in Ukraine, filling their front page with a striking image of a woman carrying a Christmas tree and walking past the rubble of a bombed-out building. A sub-headline updates readers with the latest that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to meet with Donald Trump on Sunday in Florida discuss a new 20-point peace plan agreed by American and Ukrainian envoys.
Closer to home, Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the arrival of British-Egyptian writer and pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah in the UK, the Sunday Telegraph reports. The paper says the prime minister is “delighted” that Abdel Fattah has been reunited with his loved ones following his years in jail, including on charges of spreading fake news. But the paper points out that Conservative Robert Jenrick said it was an error of judgement to welcome the arrival of “the awful extremist”. Elsewhere, a photo of Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay’s wedding is front and centre after the pair got hitched at Bath Abbey.
“Abbey ever after” is the Sunday Times’ take on the Peaty-Ramsay wedding. Alongside, the paper reports that the prime minister nominated a former adviser for peerage despite knowing he had once campaigned for a councillor who had been charged with child sex offences. Matthew Doyle, who was the Downing Street director of communications, left his role in March.
Staying with the PM, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has warned Sir Keir is “in trouble” and could face a leadership challenge if Labour perform poorly in next year’s May elections, according to the Sunday Express. Badenoch added that Chancellor Rachel Reeves has only kept her job because if she is ousted the prime minister will also “have to go”, the paper says.
In royal news, the Mail on Sunday says Prince William is facing backlash from neighbours over a “ring of steel” security zone around his family’s new home in Windsor. The paper reports locals are feeling “ambushed” into accepting the security measures that include fencing with CCTV cameras and numerous no-entry. The paper says the measures have “cut a gouge” through Windsor Great Park.
A poll conducted by the Sunday Mirror reveals some 64% of Britons are in favour of an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s. The paper quotes Labour MP Joani Reid, who is also chairwoman of the Children’s Online Safety Group, who says “the public is well ahead of the political debate”.
In a “touching tribute” at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, the late footballer Diogo Jota’s young sons joined their dad’s teammates and family on the field as mascots before Saturday’s match against Wolves. It was the first meeting between Jota’s two former teams since his death. The headline “They’ll never walk alone” is a reference to the club’s famous anthem which is always played prior to kick-off.
Finally, the Sun leads with the news that ice skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean will be given a damehood and knighthood in the King’s New Year Honours, to be officially announced this week. The pair won gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics and continued to delight fans after they retired as judges, trainers and performers on ITV show Dancing on Ice.
Most of the papers look ahead to Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky meeting in Florida to discuss the latest plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The Observer says the two leaders are seeking a “New Year’s resolution”. The paper also reports that Zelensky has said he’s feeling “hopeful”. But the Sunday Mirror and the Sunday Express highlight intense Russian attacks on Kyiv in the run up to these talks.
In its assessment the Sunday Times says the “peace process may be unlikely to succeed” but it goes on to say that even without a deal “the war may decline in tempo and intensity” as exhaustion sets in.
According to the Sunday Mirror, there’s an appetite in Britain to follow Australia’s lead and introduce a social media ban for under-16s. The paper has conducted a poll which says 64% of those surveyed support such a move. The government has previously said it would closely monitor the roll-out of the policy in Australia.
The Sunday Times highlights a new drug for severe asthma that only needs to be administered twice a year which is due to be made available to British patients privately within months. Experts have said the drug has the power to “transform lives”. Existing treatments have to be taken every two, four or eight weeks. The paper says Depemokimab, which has been developed by the pharmaceutical giant GSK, has also been found to reduce by 72% the number of asthma attacks that need treatment in hospital.
Photographs from the wedding of the Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay at Bath Abbey feature in most of the papers. The Sunday Telegraph says the couple have “taken the plunge“. The Sunday Express says the ceremony was “swimming with stars”including Sir David Beckham.
Many of the papers reflect on the emotional scenes at Anfield yesterday as football fans paid tribute to the late Diogo Jota. It was the first time his two former sides, Liverpool and Wolves, had played each other since his death in a car crash in July. Two of his young children joined the match day mascots on the pitch before their Premier League game. The Sun on Sunday notes that his widow was watching from the stands. “They’ll never walk alone” says the Daily Star.
