Author: News Desk

Cut Scots energy bills Daily Record reports fuel bills must be slashed for the poorest by creating a new “social tariff”, an SNP government taskforce has urged Keir Starmer. A working group set up last year by Holyrood ministers – including energy suppliers and consumer, fuel poverty and disability groups – made the call in its final report published today.

Teenager died after buying bike with defective brakes – inquest Western Mail says a teenager died after losing control of an off-road motorcycle that he had bought from social media which was found to be “in a dangerous condition” including having defective brakes. The front page features a picture of Welsh footballer Rabbi Matondo who revealed he fulfilled two childhood dreams with his first international goal as Wales began their World Cup campaign by beating Kazakhstan.

A group chat involving high-ranking US officials, unintentionally including journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed plans for airstrikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and a critical perspective on European allies’ military contributions.

UK spends double the defence budget on working age benefits The UK spends more than twice as much on benefits for working-age people as it does on defence each year, a new analysis by The Independent can reveal, laying bare the shocking scale of Britain’s welfare bill. As Sir Keir Starmer faces a potential backlash over plans to end disability payments for around 1 million people, figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show the government spend on all working-age benefits is £117.6bn – representing 4.5 per cent of GDP and is 9.2 per cent of the government’s overall budget.

Bank adds to growing pains for chancellor The Times reports Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves face ‘strong headwinds’ against growth, according to Andrew Bailey, who said that new technology could boost Britain’s prospects. Rori the lion is pictured on the front page. The paper says Rori is recovering a new rescue centre at Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, after suffering shellshock caused by explosions when he was abandoned by a private collector in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

Domestic abuse driving more victims to suicide, warn police The Guardian leads with a police warning that domestic abusers are driving their victims to suicide. Police admitted to past mistakes and pledged to investigate more “hidden” cases of violence against women. A picture of French actor Gérard Depardieu, 76, appearing in a court in Paris yesterday. He is charged with assaulting two women during a film shoot in 2021.

Threat to take Reform donor’s OBE ignites free speech row The Daily Telegraph says the honours forfeiture committee threatened to strip the wealthy Reform UK supporter of his OBE last year due to his social media comments. Charlie Mullins said someone should kill the Mayor of London. Mullins has agreed to go to diversity training and as such he can now keep his OBE. Mullins tells the paper he’s a victim of a politically motivated attack.

The headlines this morning continue speculating over Wednesday’s Spring Statement. The chancellor has hinted at severe spending cuts and the left-wing backbenchers are eyeing up a rebellion – one No 1o is desperate to stamp out before it gets going. The papers suggest the chancellor is trying to buy off rebels with a £2bn affordable housing plan.

Cliff Notes – Stephen Graham’s incredible gesture for teenagers who missed out on Adolescence lead revealed Stephen Graham and director Philip Barantini offered roles to the four young actors who auditioned for the lead role of Jamie Miller but were not selected, allowing them to still participate in the series. The casting process for the lead role involved extensive auditions, with Graham emphasising the importance of not ‘breaking the hearts’ of the young actors who were not chosen. The series features a talented ensemble cast of young actors, many of whom, like Owen Cooper, were new to professional acting, showcasing…

Opinions on the England National Football team are being shared far and wide after their first two World Cup qualifier matches ended in two wins, two clean sheets and some debut performances. 

England sit at the top of their group after a 2-0 win over Albania and a 3-0 win over Latvia. Despite the positive results, there are still rumblings about the role of Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford in the team and questions about how to make English football more interesting.