By BBC News
Staff
Image source, Reuters
Five-year-old Egor sits in a shelter set up in a ballroom in Romania after being forced to flee his home in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv by Russian shelling
The war in Ukraine, now in its second month, continues to dominate the front pages.
The Times, the Guardian, and the i all lead on the warning from Ukraine’s top intelligence official that President Vladimir Putin wants to split the country in two.
The Times says the idea would be a way for the Kremlin to cut its losses, but the i reports that Ukraine has warned it would retaliate with guerrilla warfare.
The Telegraph also leads with the war, but concentrates on what it calls the “international backlash” to a speech by President Joe Biden in which he appeared to suggest that President Putin could not remain in power.
The paper says the comment put his relations with Western allies under strain, while fuelling the Kremlin’s claim that Russia is faced with an existential threat from the West.
The Express says there could be a new council tax cut on the way for millions of people struggling with the rising cost of living.
The paper says the chancellor has been forced to look at additional ways to help households following criticism over the lack of measures in his Spring Statement last week.
A number of papers concentrate on the fallout from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s tour of Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas, which was overshadowed by questions about the future role of the Royal Family in the Caribbean.
The Mail says Prince William wants to modernise the monarchy by ending its long-standing “never complain, never explain” policy.
Under the headline “A Battle of Wills”, the Mirror says the prince wants to “use his voice” to confront criticism of what it calls a “blunder-hit” trip.
The Sun says the duke and duchess plan to “rip up the rule-book” to show they are modern royals.
Cricket writers consider England’s crushing loss to the West Indies in the deciding Test of their three-match series. The Mirror says the 10-wicket surrender confirmed England’s place at the bottom of the World Test Championship.
The Metro says the defeat delivered another damaging blow to the leadership of the Test captain Joe Root, but says he’s clinging on.
Writing in the Times, former England Test captain Mike Atherton says Root is a likeable man and brilliant batsman, but that his captaincy has become untenable.
