What the papers say: Saturday's front pages
The crisis at RTÉ features prominently on the front pages of Saturday’s newspapers again as a range of political and economic stories jostle for attention.
The lead story in The Irish Times focuses on climate change, with the UN warning the situation “is out of control” as an unofficial analysis of data showed average world temperatures in the seven days to Wednesday were the hottest week on record.
“Unexplained” school absences have quadrupled in just three years, the Irish Examiner reports, raising concerns that thousands of students have missed out on crucial parts of their education.
The Irish Independent writes that RTÉ hosts Claire Byrne and Joe Duffy have been given the green light by the broadcaster to cover their own agent’s highly anticipated Oireachtas committee showdown with politicians next week.
Some TDs want RTÉ stars to be hit with sanctions if they breach journalism guidelines, the Irish Daily Mail reports.
The Irish Daily Mirror and Irish Daily Star both report on comments from a Dublin judge presiding over TV licence prosecutions, who slammed RTÉ for what he described as elitism, "Godlike personalities", and "freeloaders" while defendants were "crippled with the cost of living".
An international rally driver from Co Down who pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing indecent images of children has avoided jail, the Belfast Telegraph reports.
The smiling face of Selena Lau, the eight-year-old victim of a crash at a school in Wimbledon, features on many of the British front pages alongside an array of stories.
The Times focuses on a potential split in the cabinet as it says five ministers are urging British prime minister Rishi Sunak to give public service workers a 6 per cent pay rise in a bid to avoid more strikes.
Mr Sunak is also at the centre of the Daily Express lead as it says he is being urged to “talk up Brexit” by Conservative MPs.
More angry Tories make the front of the i Weekend which says they are turning on immigration minister Robert Jenrick following the decision to paint over a Disney mural at a children’s asylum centre.
UK finance minister Jeremy Hunt is the focus of the FT Weekend which says he is ruling out tax cuts ahead of the election as he concentrates on bringing down inflation.
And there are more financial worries on the front of The Independent which concentrates on what it calls the fastest drop in house prices in 12 years.
More politicians come under fire on the front of the Daily Mail which says they are out of touch on the drive to more electric cars due to the shortage of public chargers outside Westminster.
The BBC is the focus on the front of The Daily Telegraph as the corporation’s former chairman Richard Sharp suggests wealthier households should pay more for its services via a tax on broadband bills.
The Sun also turns its attention to the BBC, saying a “top star” has been taken off the air over allegations he paid a teenager for sexual pictures.
TV presenter Fiona Phillips features on the front of the Daily Mirror as she thanks the public for their support after she revealed her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Above a picture of Andy Murray as he bows out of Wimbledon, The Guardian focuses on research which says more than a third of food labelled vegan contains animal products.
And the Daily Star says “psycho robot scumbags” have promised not to rebel against humanity.