Author: WTX News

Matt Hancock scandal: the leaked texts throw Westminster into chaos and country feels betrayal The former health secretary Matt Hancock rejected scientific advice to test for Covid all residents going into English care homes, according to the Daily Telegraph. The paper has in its possession a leaked trove of over 100,000 WhatsApp messages and the first claims from the paper, titled ‘The Lockdown Files’ is putting Matt Hancock under scrutiny for his actions during the peak of the pandemic as UK health secretary. Among the allegations is the claim that he disregarded advice from England’s top medical officer, Professor Sir…

Drag shows are under threat from Tennessee lawmakers who want to introduce a ban on ‘adult cabaret performance on public property’.

The Daily Telegraph – The lockdown files Summary of the front page The Daily Telegraph has an analysis of 100,000 leaked texts, which it alleges shows that Matt Hancock rejected expert advice on care home testing when he was health secretary during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesperson for Mr Hancock has called the report an “outrageous” and “distorted” account of the pandemic, spun to fit what they call an “anti-lockdown agenda”. The paper also features commentary from Isabel Oakeshott – the journalist who leaked the messages. She obtained them while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic…

Financial Times – Jaguar owner Tata demands £500m of aid to build battery plant in UK Summary of the front page The Financial Times reports Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata is demanding more than £500m from the government to build a battery factory in the UK. The paper says the firm is trying to decide whether to build the facility in Spain or south-west England, and that its decision could be “pivotal” for the future of the UK car industry. The front page features a picture of a London home that is set to become the UK’s most expensive home…

Metro – ‘Killed by their neglect’ Summary of the front page The Metro leads with the latest on Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, who are now being questioned by police on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with their missing baby. The front page features a large image of the Princess of Wales. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

The Guardian – NHS £14bn recovery plan already failing to meet targets, MPs warn Summary of the front page The Guardian reports that a £14bn plan to reduce NHS backlogs caused by the pandemic is already failing to meet its targets, with cancer treatment waiting times at their worst levels. The paper says a report by Commons public accounts committee has found that a record seven million people are now on waiting lists and concluded that a three-year recovery programme for elective and cancer care was based on “unrealistic assumptions”. The front page features a picture of cops searching for…

Daily Mirror – Arms of love Summary of the front page The Daily Mirror has the story of a single father who can finally hold his twin daughters again, after a double hand transplant. The headline reads: “Arms of love”. The front page features a picture of the Princess of Wales. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

Daily Express – Rishi’s Brexit boost for UK Summary of the front page The Daily Express covers the positive reaction from business leaders to Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal. The paper describes the deal as “Rishi’s Brexit boost for the UK”. It quotes business leaders who have said the positive impact the deal will have on Britain’s economic prospects should “not be underestimated”. The front splash also reports on the search for the missing baby of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk There’s a variety of stories on the front pages this morning. Several of Wednesday’s papers report on the arrest of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, who disappeared more than seven weeks ago with their newborn baby, on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Elsewhere, the papers continue their coverage of PM Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal and a few of the tabloids feature a picture of the Princess of Wales beating Prince William in a spin class.  Matt Hancock ‘Pandemic diaries’ According to The Daily Telegraph, it has initiated a series of investigative reports titled “The…

House prices see biggest annual fall in over 10 years UK house prices experienced a 1.1% decline in the year leading up to February due to increased living expenses and mortgage rates, according to Nationwide. With the exception of a slight dip at the beginning of the pandemic, this was the first annual decrease in property values since November 2012. Prices also decreased on a monthly basis, falling 0.5% from January. Nationwide cautioned that it would be challenging for the market to regain momentum in the near future due to persistent economic headwinds, including a weakening labour market and higher…

They sold up and hit the road.

At least 36 dead and scores injured in fiery Greece train collision At least 36 people have died and dozens more injured after two trains collided in central Greece. The incident occurred near Larissa, which is about 380 kilometres north of Athens. The accident involved a passenger train and a freight train travelling in the opposite direction. The passenger train was en route from Thessaloniki to Larissa and was carrying approximately 350 passengers when the collision occurred. The crash caused multiple carriages to derail, with at least three catching fire. Rescuers wearing headlamps had to work in thick smoke to…

Tinubu wins Nigeria presidential election Nigeria’s recent presidential election has been won by Bola Tinubu, the candidate from the ruling party. According to official results, the veteran politician received 37% of the vote, while his main opponent Atiku Abubakar polled 29% and Peter Obi from the Labour party received 25%. The poll was disputed by the opposition parties, who demanded a rerun. Tinubu calls for politicians to work together Tinubu, who is known as one of Nigeria’s wealthiest politicians, campaigned on his record of rebuilding Lagos during his time as governor. Despite being defeated in the city by Obi, who…

‘This is brand-washing.’

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill formally suspending the 2010 New START treaty on Tuesday.

‘They grabbed them by the arm and threw them in the sea.’

‘He was alive and that was all that mattered.’

Handelsblatt – Brussels and London – the love comeback of the decade? Handelsblatt, a German newspaper likened it to the process of ex-partners reconciling after a period of hurt, blame, and teasing, ultimately finding a new way of relating to each other. The paper says It’s like so many breakups: after a period of hurt, blame and teasing, there comes a point when two ex-partners get closer again – and find a new way of dealing with each other. The European Union and Great Britain also seem to have reached this point . At least that’s what the pictures from…

The i – Rishi Sunak faces anxious wait to see if DUP and Tory Brexiteers will back his new Northern Ireland deal The i says Rishi Sunak faces an anxious wait for the verdict of Brexit hardliners and Northern Ireland unionists after striking an agreement to rewrite the deal which took Britain out of the EU. The Prime Minister and the head of the European Commission unveiled the “Windsor Framework” after months of talks on fixing the Northern Ireland Protocol, the mechanism which avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland. Most goods going from Great Britain to Northern…

Despite major EU concessions, protocol deal is not what Rishi Sunak has claimed Sam McBride of the Belfast Telegraph, in his column, is critical of the deal, saying that the reality is that the Irish Sea border will remain in place. He writes Few people watching Rishi Sunak’s carefully-crafted lines in Windsor, or even reading the Government’s eight ‘explainer’ documents will grasp the full significance of Monday’s UK-EU deal. Read on

Le Monte – New agreement on Northern Ireland: UK and EU are banking on new peaceful relations Le Monte says It was a pivotal day for Northern Ireland and UK-European Union (EU) relations, enshrined under the unusual auspices of British royalty. Monday, February 27, from the town hall of Windsor (in Berkshire), a stone’s throw from the venerable royal castle, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, while smiling and visibly complicit, announced the “Windsor framework”, a very substantial revision of the Northern Irish protocol. Negotiated by Boris Johnson at…

How the UK, Irish and European newspapers reacted to Northern Ireland deal British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hails a ‘new chapter’ in relations with the EU after a Northern Ireland Brexit deal guarantees the free flow of goods, an emergency brake on new EU laws and the removal of trade barriers across the Irish Sea. This saga has been going on since 2016, with various prime ministers at the helm and specialist negotiations teams battling to find a resolution that maintained the UK’s sovereignty while the EU negotiators were charged with protecting the flow of goods within the EU to…

Metro – You can put the oven on Summary of the front page The Brexit trade agreement with the EU has been delivered three years after Boris Johnson claimed he had an “oven-ready deal”, Metro says. Referencing Johnson’s claim – made more than three years ago – that his own deal with the EU was “oven ready”, the headline in the Metro reads: “You can put the oven on”. The entire front page is dedicated to the story. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

The Guardian – PM hails new chapter in relations with EU after Northern Ireland deal Summary of the front page The Guardian reports that the agreement, which will reduce checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, has been called a “decisive breakthrough” by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The paper adds that it came after four months of “intense negotiations”. The front page features a picture of PM Rishi Sunak and Ursula Von der Leyan and leaves room to report on the death of Betty Boothroyd. Today’s top stories Like…

The Sun – Broadchurch star dumps Downton star for better co-star Summary of the front page The Sun leads with news of a TV love triangle. Broadchurch star Andrew Buchan has left his wife, Downton Abbey’s Amy Nuttall, and is believed to be living with Leila Farzad, his co-star in BBC series Better, according to the Sun. A source tells the paper that Nuttall has been left “devastated” by Buchan’s departure. The front page leaves a small space on the front page to report on the new Northern Ireland deal. The paper notes it as ‘historic.’ Today’s top stories Like…