Author: WTX News Editor

It’s a wet and windy morning here in the capital, but lots is happening in the news – grab yourself a coffee and let’s dive into the headlines.


The ongoing Birmingham bin strike is a popular story in the country this morning as unions overwhelmingly rejected a deal to end the strike. Several newspapers suggest the strike could spread outside the city – and there are reports on the growing concerns over a potential health crisis as residents report streets being overrun by large rats and trash.


There is backlash from China amid the British Steel crisis – after the government dramatically took over control of the Scunthorpe plant over the weekend – as Beijing warns the UK to avoid politicising the situation. There are concerns from the top that the Chinese owners are intentionally trying to sabotage the UK steel industry to force the country to become more reliant on cheap Chinese steel.


On the international front, there are reports on the all-female Blue Origin team that took a trip to space. Katy Perry and Gayle King were amongst the crew.


The business publications continue their heavy coverage of the US tariffs saga amid an investigation into the semiconductor and pharmaceutical trade – which could lead to their tariff exemptions ending. In recent news, JD Vance has said there is a good chance the UK will secure a trade deal with the US.


In sports news, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is in hospital with pneumonia, he is set to miss more matches. Several publications look ahead to tonight’s Champions League match involving the English club Aston Villa. The Birmingham club need to overturn a 2 goal deficit.

Cliff Notes Former corporal Aaron Stelmach-Purdie faces prison after defrauding the Ministry of Defence of £911,677 through false expense claims from 2014 to 2016. Stelmach-Purdie, along with five other military clerks, was convicted of money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud, exploiting the MoD’s online expense management system. All six defendants are set to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court, with the total loss of public funds highlighted as a significant breach of trust. Military…

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency order to ground New York Helicopter Tours following a deadly crash that resulted in the loss of five lives, including a family of Spanish tourists and the pilot.

Princess Kate expressed that she experiences a “spiritual and intense emotional reconnection” when surrounded by nature, which provides her with a sense of peace in a hectic world.

Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich emphasizes the responsibility of individuals to prevent a recurrence of atrocities similar to those witnessed during the Second World War, particularly in light of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen 80 years ago.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded not guilty to additional charges of sex trafficking and prostitution, raising the total number of criminal charges against him to five.

Katy Perry and five other women made history as the first all-female space crew in over sixty years, launching aboard a Blue Origin rocket from West Texas.

Actress Samantha Davis passed away at the age of 53 after suffering a cardiac arrest shortly before her planned hospital discharge.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is hospitalized with pneumonia and will miss two upcoming matches, as confirmed by the club.

Cliff Notes David Howard, 53, was identified as the victim of a house explosion in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, which left the property partially destroyed. The explosion prompted a major incident declaration, with two nearby properties partially collapsing and significant damage to others, including 20 cars. As the cause of the suspected gas explosion is under investigation, police urge the public to refrain from speculation while supporting Mr Howard’s family. Father who died in Worksop house explosion…

Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, attacked prison guards with hot cooking oil and homemade weapons, leading to an immediate suspension of kitchen access in separation centres.

The UK government used emergency powers over the weekend to take control of British Steel’s Scunthorpe site after it looked set to close. The Chinese owners planned to shut down the Scunthorpe site, risking thousands of jobs. The government is exploring various options, including potential nationalisation, to ensure the continued operation of the steelworks. There have also been suspicions that the Chinese owners were intentionally trying to sabotage the company in a bid to force the UK to rely on cheap Chinese steel.

An investigation has been launched into how an inmate at HMP Frankland was able to attack three prison officers with boiling oil and a knife despite being in a high-security prison. The officers were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after being attacked by Hashem Adedi, one of the men responsible for the Manchester Arena bombing. He is serving a minimum 55-year sentence for helping his brother carry out the 2017 attack. Unions are calling for changes to the system to ensure their officers are safe – and to avoid copycats.

The army have been called in to help Birmingham City Council with the bin strikes that are plaguing the city and leading to reports of rats the size of cats and fears of a potential health crisis.

Rishi Sunak’s ex-parliamentary aide, Craig Williams, and 14 others have been charged with election betting offences linked to insider information about the election date.

The front page of the Daily Mail this morning, 14-04-2025, reports on the Manchester Arena bomb plotter attacking three prison officers with boiling oil and a knife. The paper reports that MPs are calling for tougher control of prisoners. The front page features an image of Katy Perry ahead of her trip to space and a personal story about female friendships. Time to stop appeasing extremists in our jails More from WTX News

The front page of the Daily Mirror this morning, 14-04-2025, reports on the Manchester Arena plotter who attacked three prison officers with boiling oil and a homemade knife. The attack has left the three officers with life-threaning injuries, and unions are calling for change to ensure better safety for those working in prisons. Celebrity news makes the front splash, with Mikey Rouke being booted from the Big Brother house over his vile behaviour and Katy…

The front page of Metro this morning, 14-04-2025, leads with British Steel reporting the government used special powers to take over the plant yesterday. Elsewhere, there is a report on the Universal theme park, which is set to boost the UK economy and bring thousands of jobs, a guide to budgeting money for those with babies, and a report on Coachella. Britain in blast chance saloon More from WTX News

Cliff Notes Aimee Lou Wood, the star of The White Lotus, criticized a recent Saturday Night Live sketch that mocked her teeth as "mean and unfunny." Wood expressed her views on social media, noting that the humour missed the point by poking fun at her unique features instead of addressing broader issues. Following her comments, Wood indicated that she received substantial support online and that SNL has since apologised to her. Aimee Lou Wood hits…

The front page of the i newspaper this morning, 14-04-2025, reports on the government using emergency powers to take over Scunthorpe’s British Steel plant, the weekend’s Premier League action and some exclusive features on dressing like a millennial and a report on Prince Harry and how he spends his days. Chinese firms may be blocked from critical UK sites in further after steel sabotage warnings More from WTX News

The front page of The Guardian this morning, 14-04-2025, reports on the latest from the Scunthorpe British Steel plant takeover after the government enacted special powers to take control of the plant in just a single day. Reports suggest rivals are looking to buy the plant whilst others call for it to be nationalised. There is a report on how benefit cuts could impact Labour’s seat majority, as well as reports on the latest Russian…

The front page of The Times this morning, 14-04-2025, leads with the latest from the British Steel plant after the government enacted special powers to take over the plant amid speculation that the Chinese owners were trying to sabotage British Steel to make Britain rely on cheap Chinese steel instead. There is a report on the Birmingham bin strikes as the army is called in to help, legal experts are backing more trials without juries…

The government took the drastic step of taking control of British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant over the weekend after enacting emergency legislation that was rushed through Parliament in a single day. 

The business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told MPs that the likely next step would be to nationalise the Scunthorpe plant. 

The government say they were forced to seek emergency powers to stop the Chinese owners, Jingype, from shutting down the two blast furnaces, which would have ended primary steel production in the UK. 

Since the shocking intervention from the British government, the UK headlines are assessing what could happen next with calls for the plant to be nationalised, rivals looking to buy the plant and fears the Chinese owners are trying to sabotage the site to force Britain to rely on cheap Chinese imports.

The Manchester bomber plotter has viciously attacked three prison officers. Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, Salman Abedi, attacked the prison officers with hot cooking oil and homemade weapons at HMP Frankland, leaving them with life-threatening injuries. 

The officers were hospitalised, with one female officer since discharged.

Abedi is already serving a 55-year sentence for his involvement in the 2017 bombing. He had previously assaulted a prison officer at Belmarsh prison. 

The attack has led to calls from unions representing prison officers for change to protect prison workers further – calls including banning prisoners from working in kitchens amid fears of copycat attacks.

A private plane crash in Copake, New York, resulted in the deaths of all six individuals on board, including former MIT football player Karenna Groff and her family members.

The UK government has called in the army to help assist the Birmingham City Council in dealing with the sanitation crisis due to the ongoing Birmingham bin strikes. The military support will consist of three office-based personnel providing logistical planning with soldiers not being deployed for rubbish collection. 

The months-long strike by the city’s bin workers originated from disputes over pay and job security. 

A week after Donald Trump unleashed his destructive and ill-thought-out tariffs on the world, US politics has stopped dominating the front splashes in the UK. 

Monday’s headlines lead with domestic news such as the race to save British steel, the Army being sent in to deal with the Birmingham bin strikes and reports on the Manchester bomber plotter attacking three prison guards with boiling oil and a homemade knife. 

Liverpool and Newcastle’s weekend Premier League wins dominate the sports pages.