Year: 2024

The Daily Express reports Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has pledged to end the “poisonous” woke culture which he says threatens to distract the military from its job of protecting the nation.

Also on the front page is the vigil to mark the first anniversary of teenager Brianna Ghey’s murder and a story about mobile coverage in rural areas.

The Sun says King Charles waved and looked relaxed as he made his first public appearance since revealing he has cancer. Charles and Camilla were en route to Church on the Sandringham Estate.

Arsenal’s 6-0 thrashing of West Ham also makes the front page, the paper summarises the game as ‘hammered.’

Monday’s front pages cover several different topics, with many domestic stories taking centre stage.

Comments from Defence Secretary Grant Shapps make several of the papers’ after Shapps attempted to stoke the culture wars again, with comments that the Army has gone ‘woke.’ 

Pakistan’s second and third political groups have agreed to collaborate following elections where imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s backers secured the lead.

The PMLN led by ex-PM Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s PPP released a statement announcing their intention to work together to establish political stability.

If they succeed in forming a government, it’s likely to provoke anger among Khan’s supporters.

Khan’s PTI party was disqualified from participating in the election, leading many of its candidates to run as independents.

Earlier, police dispersed a crowd of Khan’s supporters in Rawalpindi using tear gas.

The chief of NATO has criticised Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US wouldn’t protect NATO allies who don’t spend enough on defence, stating it undermines security and puts troops at risk.

Jens Stoltenberg emphasised that such remarks could endanger US and European troops.

Trump indicated he would “encourage” Russia to attack any NATO member not meeting the alliance’s 2% GDP defence spending target.

Brazil, the defending champions, have failed to qualify for Paris 2024 after a 1-0 loss to Argentina. 

Brazil had been eyeing up a third consecutive gold in the men’s Olympic football tournament. They have won a men’s football medal at the past four Olympics.

Argentina, who won gold in 2004 and 2008, finished the final qualifying event with five points.

Kelvin Kiptum, the world record holder for the men’s marathon from Kenya, tragically passed away in a car accident in his home country at the age of 24.

The accident occurred on a road in western Kenya on Sunday, claiming the lives of Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana from Rwanda.

Kiptum rose to prominence in 2023 as a formidable competitor to fellow Kenyan marathon star Eliud Kipchoge.

Finland’s former conservative Prime Minister, Alexander Stubb, has won the presidential election held on Sunday, according to final results.

Stubb secured 51.6% of the vote, defeating his Green Party rival, Pekka Haavisto, the former foreign minister, who had 48.4%. Haavisto has conceded defeat.

This election marks Finland’s first since joining the NATO military alliance.

Israel rescued two male hostages in a raid in Rafah amid reports of Israeli airstrikes hit the southern Gazan city of Rafah. 

The Israeli military confirms the men are in “good medical condition.” The international community – including the UK –  had warned about Israel’s planned offensive in Rafah. 

Earlier, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said Rafah was under attack, with a number of deaths reported. 1.5 million people are sheltering in the southern city.

Elementor #584810February 11, 20241 Min Read Summary of the Top 6 headlines today The Observer – We’ve given up the…