What the papers say – January 2

Bushfires in Australia and a famous meat lover going vegan feature on today’s front pages.

The Daily Express leads with a piece saying Britain’s economy is to be boosted by 282,000 workers aged over-65.

The Times splashes “the president of Cyprus is under increasing pressure to intervene in the case of a British teenager convicted of lying about being gang raped”.

The Daily Telegraph says civil servants could be forced to sit regular exams to prove they are competent to work in Whitehall under “seismic” changes being planned by Downing Street.

Devastating bushfires in Australia are splashed by The Guardian which uses a picture of a kangaroo fleeing a fire.

The Independent leads with a story saying there has been a “surge in slavery victims left in Home Office limbo”.

And the i characterises the increase to train fares as a “rail rip-off”, which Metro also covers.

Any economic boost from the election is likely to soon fizzle out, according to the Financial Times.

The Daily Mirror leads with a murder in Duffield on New Year’s Day.

Experts in the Daily Mail blame social media and celebrity diet culture on a rise in child anorexia.

And the Daily Star reports that rock singer Meat Loaf has gone vegan.