‘US tells Britain to take Shamima Begum back or risk US friendship’ & ‘Chancellor facing growing financial pressure’

Thursday’s front pages feature images from the rapidly spreading LA wildfires – the worst in Los Angeles history. At least five wildfires are now raging in Los Angeles and parts of its neighbouring counties – three of the blazes are completely uncontained. 

Five people are confirmed dead and more than 137,000 people have been evacuated in what has become the most destructive wildfire in LA’s history.

Closer to home, the front pages report on the ongoing impact of the chancellor’s October Budget as the Treasury has been forced to intervene to calm the markets. 

The ongoing spat between European leaders and American tech companies continues to find space on the UK front pages, as well as the pushback from Europe on Elon Musk’s continued meddling in European politics. The incoming US director of counter-terrorism has told Britain to take back UK members of ISIS being held in Syria – including Shamima Begum, offering a key insight into how America plans to deal with its allies.

The stabbing death of a 14-year-old boy in London also makes several tabloid front pages as his mother opens up about how the London teen was groomed by a gang. 

‘LA fires spreading’ 

‘Fast-moving fires have torn through several neighbourhoods,’ reports The Guardian.

The Guardian features a harrowing image of the LA fires. The paper says the fast-moving wildfires have torn through several LA neighbourhoods. About 70,000 people were ordered to evacuate. 

‘Hollywood stars flee their homes,’ reports the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail calls it ‘apocalyptic’ and says Hollywood stars have fled their homes – some, including Paris Hilton, have watched their homes burn to the ground. 

‘80,000 people evacuated,’ says The Times.

The Times also carries a dramatic image of the fires, noting that (at the time of writing) 80,000 people had been told to evacuate.

‘Mass evacuations across Los Angeles,’ notes The Independent.

The Independent has a collage of images of the wildfires, noting that “four separate blazes threatened homes and lives”. The paper says mass evacuations have been ordered as out-of-control wildfires rage across Los Angeles. 

‘Chancellor facing growing financial pressure’

‘Flatlining growth, soaring debt charges and geopolitical tensions could damage plans,’ says the i.

The i newspaper speaks to a panel of “experts” who tell them that there is a “toxic combination” of flatlining growth, soaring debt charges and geopolitical tensions that could wreck her Budget plans. Ben Zaranko from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) calls it a “generational fiscal challenge”.

‘Chancellor drawing up emergency spending cuts or tax rises,’ says the Mail.

The Daily Mail says the chancellor is drawing up options for emergency spending cuts or tax rises, because of a risk she will break her own fiscal rules. It says “Treasury sources” acknowledged Reeves could be forced to act as soon as March if borrowing costs continued to rise. 

‘Treasury forced to intervene to calm the market mayhem,’ says the Telegraph.

The Daily Telegraph leads with news that the Treasury has been forced to intervene to calm what the paper calls “market mayhem.” A Treasury spokesman said the fiscal rules were “non-negotiable” and there would be an “iron grip” on public finances.

‘Europe leaders warning to Trump’

‘Trump warned the EU will defend its borders,’ says the FT.

The FT leads with European leaders warning the incoming US president Donald Trump not to meddle in European borders, just one day after Trump refused to rule out taking Greenland by force. The paper quotes German Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisting borders must never be moved by force and France’s foreign minister saying the EU would not let another nation attack its borders.

‘US tells Britain to take Shamima Begum back or risk US friendship,’ says The Times.

The Times leads with calls from Sebastian Gorka, the next US director of counter-terrorism, who has called for Britain to take back UK members of ISIS being held in Syria – including Shamima Begum. He says the US-UK “special relationship” depends on it. 

Several papers lead on the stabbing death of a 14-year-old.

The Mirror says there are fears “he was deliberately targeted in a tit-for-tat war”.

The Metro speaks to his mother who says he was groomed by gangs from a young age. Mary Bokassa told the paper her son Kelyan was taken advantage of by gangs. The 14-year-old was killed travelling on a bus in Woolwich on Tuesday.