'Healey eyes banks and oil tax' and 'X Factor comeback'
As rescue efforts enter their fifth day following the Nepal flash floods, some of today's papers report on the climbing death toll.
**Nepal-Tibet Border Flood: Death Toll Rises Amidst Family Anguish**
As rescue operations continue for a fifth day following the devastating flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border, Sunday's papers highlight a climbing death toll. The Independent focuses on the profound anguish of families desperately awaiting news of missing loved ones. The Observer reports at least 675 fatalities and 3,000 individuals still unaccounted for "along a 60-mile ribbon of mud" on the border, with its main image depicting grieving families finding solace in each other's embrace.
**Russia Warns of "Hybrid Attack" on UK Drone Factory**
A senior advisor to Vladimir Putin has issued a warning of a potential Russian "hybrid attack" on a drone factory in the UK, the Mail on Sunday reports. This comes as tensions escalate due to London's continued support for Kyiv.
**PM Burnham Averts Train Strike with "Lucrative Pay Rise"**
To prevent a major strike, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has granted train drivers on the London to Manchester line "a lucrative pay rise," according to the Sunday Times. This Avanti West Coast pay deal will avert industrial action between the capital and the city where the prime minister previously served as mayor.
**Chancellor Healey Considers Windfall Tax on Banks and Oil Companies**
As he prepares his inaugural Budget, Chancellor John Healey is "considering a windfall tax on banks and oil companies," the Sunday Telegraph reports. The paper indicates that Healey aims to address a deficit in public finances and protect individuals from direct tax increases.
**X Factor Comeback in the Works at ITV**
The Sun on Sunday reports that ITV is reportedly "in talks" to revive The X Factor, seven years after its last UK series. The paper suggests that a reboot of the singing competition could potentially feature former judge Simon Cowell.
**UK Heatwaves Blamed for 3,000 Deaths, Expected to Worsen**
The Daily Star reports that the UK's summer heatwaves have been "blamed for the deaths of at least 3,000 people," adding a stark warning that these conditions are "only going to get worse."
**Migrants in State-Funded Hotels Receive Free Condoms from NHS**
The Sunday Express states that migrants residing in taxpayer-funded hotels are receiving free condoms from the NHS. NHS England confirmed that it provides condoms to "asylum seekers living on the state as part of its usual services," the paper reports.
**Ex-CEO in Baby Death Scandal Co-Owns NHS Maternity Training Firm**
Grieving parents have expressed to the Sunday Mirror that "it doesn't seem right" that the former boss at the center of a baby death scandal co-owns a company providing maternity training for the NHS. A review of Nottingham NHS Trust, as reported by the Sunday Mirror, found that 520 mothers and babies suffered potentially avoidable harm or death, while former CEO Peter Homa "raked in thousands" through his co-owned business.
**Cholesterol Medication May "Slash" Dementia Risk**
The Sunday People reports that a common cholesterol-lowering medication can "slash" the risk of dementia. The paper offers hope for the 10 million Britons currently taking statins.