Newspaper headlines: PM’s call for calm and ‘private school VAT delay’

As the anniversary of the 7 October attack approaches, Sir Keir Starmer has warned the conflict in the Middle East risks igniting “touchpapers in our own communities”, the Sunday Times reports. He has called on all parties to “act with restraint and return to political, not military, solutions”.

Labour’s plans to impose 20% VAT on private school fees may not proceed as planned on 1 January due to “warnings from unions, tax experts and school leaders”, the Observer declares. Numerous organisations within the education sector are calling for a delay until next September to give private schools more time to adapt and register for the new tax, the paper reports. Also featured is a photo of displaced Lebanese families crossing into Syria along the Beirut-Damascus highway, as they try to escape the spiralling violence in Lebanon.

Rachel Reeves’ plan for more borrowing in the Budget could spell “mortgage misery”, the Sunday Telegraph says. The paper reports that according to the Treasury’s own analysis, the chancellor’s plans to overhaul fiscal rules could “increase the cost of debt” for consumers and businesses. The front also carries a photo of Itay and Hadar Berdichevsky, who were killed by Hamas as they protected their 10-month-old twins during the 7 October attacks last year.

British forces are on “full alert” after Argentina “vowed to recapture” the islands, is the Sunday Express’ lead story. It come after sovereignty of the Chagos Islands was handed over to Mauritius by Britain earlier this week. It says a “crack-team” of soldiers have been placed on 24/7 standby to intercept any attempts to “make a grab for land” by Buenos Aires.

Teenage boys could be investigated by anti-terrorism officers “if they make sexist comments in the classroom”, according to the Mail on Sunday. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wants such comments to be reported to the government’s Prevent programme, which was launched to tackle terrorism, the paper says. In a statement the Home Office denied the story, and said there were “no plans” to change Prevent.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced plans to invest in a “game-changing” cancer test, which could detect the twelve most common types of the disease before symptoms begin to show, the Sunday Mirror reports.

And heralding the premature arrival of Halloween, the Daily Star reports that psychic Hannah Rose, 20, was attacked by a “yobbo haunted doll”. Rose looks after a collection of such dolls and claims another doll, named Mildred, hides her things. Truly never a doll moment.