The Guardian – Birmingham ‘bankrupt’ as councils suffer cash crisis

The Guardian says the Labour-run Birmingham City Council’s announcement that it is essentially bankrupt lays bare the financial crisis in local authorities – and is likely to put pressure on the government over the legacy of 13 years of financial austerity.

The front page also covers a report from BMJ Oncology which suggests the number of people diagnosed with cancer aged under 50 has risen by 79% since 1990. The paper says experts are in the early stages of understanding the reason for the increase, but the authors say poor diets, alcohol, tobacco, physical inactivity and obesity are likely to be among the factors.