Author: News Desk

European finance ministers and the EU’s economics commissioner played down the contagion risk of the collapse of US Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) while European bank shares saw their biggest rout since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Monday’s papers continue to focus on the impartiality row between the BBC and Gary Lineker, following a disruptive weekend to TV football coverage at the broadcaster. Elsewhere, HSBC has bought the UK branch of the collapsed US tech bank Silicon Valley Bank – a major relief to the UK tech industry. Rishi Sunak’s announcement of the government’s £5bn boost to defence spending also makes the front pages.  Gary Linekar row continues The Daily Mail poses the question, “Will BBC Do Lineker Deal Today To End TV Stand-Off?” Other newspapers suggest that yes, this is…

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Jessica Chastain has been praised by viewers for choosing to wear a face mask while attending the Oscars on Sunday. The American actress, 45, was seen wearing the mask, which were previously mandatory during the Covid-19 pandemic, as she attended the 95th Academy Awards to present the prizes for best actor and best actress to Brendan Fraser and Michelle Yeoh respectively. Yeoh’s film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, swept up in several other categories, including best original screenplay and best picture. Meanwhile,…

‘She was an animal lover and couldn’t bear the thought of throwing Choccy back on the streets,’ her daughter said.

Caroline Flack’s mum does not accept Met Police apology According to the BBC, Caroline Flack’s mother, Christine Flack, has stated that she does not accept the apology made by the Metropolitan Police regarding the handling of her daughter’s case. In February 2020, Caroline, a TV star, died by suicide while facing charges for assaulting her boyfriend. Last month, the Met apologised to Christine for not recording the reason behind Caroline’s charge. However, Christine rejected the apology while the police stated that Caroline’s arrest had been appropriately handled. It’s now been three years since the TV presenter’s death, she was most…

Another gig!

Rishi Sunak announces £5bn extra defence Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that the UK government will increase its defence spending by almost £5bn over the next two years to counter emerging threats from hostile states. The extra funding will be confirmed in a new UK foreign and security strategy, which will be published on Monday. Of the additional funds, £3bn will be earmarked to support the UK-US pact to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, known as the Aukus pact, and to boost industrial infrastructure and servicing of UK submarines. The remaining £1.9bn will be used to replace weapons sent…

HSBC swoops in to rescue UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank HSBC has acquired the UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) for just £1 after the US bank collapsed. The move has brought relief to UK tech firms, who had warned they could go bust without help. Customers and businesses with money deposited in SVB UK will be able to access their funds and other banking services as normal. The deal involved no taxpayer money, according to the Treasury, and the Bank of England has assured that deposits are secure. The UK arm of SVB had just over 3,000…

Russia consented on Monday to prolong an ongoing Black Sea grain deal for 60 days following its second-term expiration date on March 18. The original deal was brokered by the UN and Turkey in July 2022 to ensure safe transportation of grain and other food products to prevent a food crisis amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Follow our live blog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).

It was all white on the night.