Author: News Desk

The Guardian – Reeves pledges to close gender pay gap ‘once and for all’ if Labour wins Labour’s Rachel Reeves has told The Guardian that she would end the gender pay gap “once and for all” if the party wins the election. In an interview with the Guardian, the shadow chancellor said she wanted to shatter the “last glass ceiling in politics” and felt a “big responsibility” to use the Treasury to improve the position of women across the UK, including by making sure they were properly rewarded at work. Elsewhere, the front page features an image of Kim and…

Metro – ‘Brave Leah fought to the end’ The Metro reports on Leah Croucher, who a coroner has ruled was sexually assaulted and murdered by Neil Maxwell in February 2019. Ms Croucher’s body was discovered less than half a mile away from her home in October 2022 after she went missing while walking to work in February 2019. Neil Maxwell, who police believe ‘absolutely’ killed the 19-year-old, was convicted of a sex offence in February 2018 and jailed for rape in 2009. He killed himself two months after Leah’s disappearance. (Today’s news summary – Paper Talk)

Daily Express – ‘Just Lock Them Up’ The Daily Express reports on Just Stop Oil’s protest at Stonehenge, with the paper saying “just lock them up”. The paper says their defacement of Stonehenge has “shown how pathetic they truly are”. Nigel Farage, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have all blasted Just Stop Oil’s latest stunt, which sparked immediate backlash. Elsewhere, the paper features an image of England footballer Jude Bellingham and asks Jude if he can ‘do it again?’ after he scored in England’s opening match.  (Today’s news summary – Paper Talk)

Daily Mirror – Kane The Danes The Daily Mirror leads on England taking on Denmark in the Three Lions’ second game at Euro 2024. The headline reads “Kane the Danes” in reference to England’s forthcoming match, and features an image of the England captain Harry Kane. The paper says “50,000 fans join Prince William in Germany to roar on Three Lions”. (Today’s news summary – Paper Talk)

The Sun – Summer Solstice Boost: ‘ It’s Coming Stone’ The Sun’s front page reports druid King Arthur Pendragon is using his mystic arts to help England to victory over Denmark on Thursday. His Stonehenge ceremony, set to pounding drums, will summon the spirits of the ancients to fire up Gareth Southgate’s heroes. Elsewhere, the front page seemingly blames Keir Starmer for the 882 migrants that arrived in the UK yesterday, despite Labour not being in power.  (Today’s news summary – Paper Talk)

Thursday’s front pages feature a variety of topics – politics, is of course the focus. Several of the Conservative-supporting papers lead on the latest polling, which has suggested the Tories are on course for an electoral wipeout. Critics will say these papers are attempting to woo back disillusioned Tory voters by scaring them into voting Conservative otherwise expect an all-powerful Labour government. 

Several left-leaning newspapers also lead with the new polling data – but point to the fact the right-wing Reform Party – led by Nigel Farage – is picking up those disillusioned Tory voters. 

A few other politically charged stories also feature, with images of Just Stop Oil’s latest protest being the most popular this morning.

Interest rates expected to be held at 5.25% On Thursday, the Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates steady at 5.25% for the seventh consecutive time. Despite inflation reaching the central bank’s 2% target for the first time in three years, most economists do not foresee a rate cut. They predict the Bank will wait to confirm if inflation remains at 2% in the coming months, with a potential rate cut now more likely in the autumn rather than the summer. This decision comes ahead of the general election, where economic policies will be a crucial point of…

China car firms seek 25% tax on EU – state media Chinese car companies are urging Beijing to impose import taxes of up to 25% on European Union (EU) vehicles if the EU implements tariffs on cars from China. This demand was made at a private meeting organised by China’s Ministry of Commerce, which included representatives from European car firms. The proposed tariffs would specifically target EU cars with large petrol engines. This move comes after the EU threatened Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers with tariffs up to 38% starting July 4. The meeting in Beijing included four Chinese and…

Ecuador hit by nationwide blackout, minister says Ecuador experienced a nationwide blackout on Wednesday, leaving approximately 18 million people without power for several hours. The outage caused significant disruptions, including halting the subway system in Quito and disabling traffic lights in the capital. Public Works Minister Roberto Luque said the blackout was due to a lack of investment in the electrical infrastructure. In a post on X, he stated, “For years we have stopped investing in these systems and today we are experiencing the consequences.” He highlighted that this incident is further proof of the ongoing energy crisis in the…

Israeli strikes on Gaza may have violated laws of war – UN report The UN Human Rights Office says Israeli air strikes in Gaza may have systematically violated laws designed to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. This conclusion stems from a detailed report examining six “emblematic attacks” on residential buildings, a school, refugee camps, and a market between October 9 and December 2 2023. The report says that at least 218 people were killed in these incidents and noted the destruction of civilian objects. Israel’s mission in Geneva has rejected the UN’s findings, describing them as “factually, legally, and methodologically…