Author: WTX News Editor

Cliff Notes Proposals suggest that criminals, including sex offenders and domestic abusers, could be released after serving one-third of their sentence to alleviate prison overcrowding. The policy applies to standard determinate sentences based on behaviour, incentivising good conduct and rehabilitation during incarceration. The measures aim to reduce the prisoner population by 9,500 as the male estate is currently at 99% capacity, with concerns over imminent collapse. Criminals including sex offenders could be released from prison…

Sir Keir Starmer has announced a U-turn on last year’s controversial cuts to winter fuel payments. More than nine million pensioners lost out on payments worth up to £300 after eligibility for the pension top-up was tightened last year. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said ministers would look again at the threshold to allow “more pensioners” to qualify again. He did not provide further details, adding that the changes would be made at…

Cliff Notes Andriy Portnov, a former aide to Ukraine’s president Viktor Yanukovich, was shot and killed in Madrid while reportedly taking his children to school. The attack involved multiple assailants who shot Portnov in the back and head before fleeing towards a nearby forest; police responded shortly after the incident was reported. Portnov had been living in exile since 2014 and faced a state treason investigation in Ukraine related to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, which…

Britain accuses Israel of ‘cruel and monstrous extremism’ in siege of Gaza The i newspaper reports that the UK has accused Israel of “cruel and monstrous extremism”. David Lammy is also heavily featured as he signals a “dark new phase in this conflict.”  The front page previews tonight’s all-English Europa League final where £100 million is on the line.

Pensioners hit by triple whammy savings Daily Express front page says “Reeves slammed as frozen thresholds drag 1m OAPs into paying 40% tax”. The paper says one million pensioners face “unprecedented tax demands” after Reeves’s decision to maintain the freeze on income tax bands. Princess Kate is featured on the front page as she attends a garden party.

Boris: Starmer’s Britain is turning into police state Daily Mail reports former Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that “Britain is turning into a police state”. The former leader’s comments came in relation to the news that a judge refused to reduce the sentence of a mother locked up for a “hateful” tweet following the Southport murders.  A showbiz exclusive makes the front page.

UK ready to sanction top Israelis over Gaza The Times says “leaders warn against breaching international law” as the UK is ready to sanction “top Israelis”. The paper says the government is drawing up plans with other countries to impose sanctions on Israel’s finance minister and defence minister among others.  Donald Trump is pushing Britain to spend more on defence and a survivor of the Southport attacks is pictured on the front page.

Israel’s Gaza rhetoric ‘repellent and monstrous’, says Lammy The Guardian reports on David Lammy’s comments calling Israel’s Gaza rhetoric “repellent and monstrous”. The paper says that UK-Israel relations are at their worst state in decades, as Lammy suspends trade talks.  UK travellers could start using e-gates again but not until 2026, in the latest update from the Brexit reset. Thames Water bonuses from expected for top bosses (and taken out of a loan) have been withdrawn.

Cliff Notes Vladimir Putin’s visit to Kursk marks his first since Ukrainian forces were reportedly ejected from the region, which was the largest territorial incursion into Russia since WWII. During his visit, Putin engaged with volunteer organisations and inspected a local nuclear power plant while also addressing the recent drone activity in Russian airspace. The backdrop of Putin’s visit includes a deadly missile attack on a Ukrainian training camp, prompting discussions about ceasefire negotiations, though…

Britain’s message to Israel: This must end now Daily Mirror says the UK’s decision to suspend trade talks with Israel and the use of much more direct language regarding Israel’s war in Gaza is the country’s “message to Israel.” The PM says: “The current situation is intolerable” and calls for food to be delivered to the residents amid UN warnings that thousands of babies will starve to death in the next few days if aid is…

Wednesday’s headlines are dominated by the shock announcements from the UK government regarding the situation in Gaza. Despite being fairly silent and in line with the USA regarding the Middle East crisis, the UK government has finally taken a stand. The right-wing papers keep the story off the front pages, instead focusing on various domestic political stories.

Wednesday’s headlines are dominated by the UK government’s U-turn on its stance on the genocide in Gaza. For the right-leaning UK press, the story is largely kept off the front pages and replaced with domestic stories – mostly political.

Let’s grab a coffee and dive into this morning’s headlines — it’s a busy one! From rising inflation giving wallets a bit more to worry about, to the UK taking a firm stand on the Gaza crisis, and Donald Trump unveiling a space-age missile defence plan (yes, really) — here’s your quick catch-up on the stories making waves across the UK today.

Petro Pochynok, 34, has been charged with conspiracy to commit arson linked to two properties and a car associated with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Donald Trump has announced plans to move forward with developing a major new missile defence system, known as the “Golden Dome”.

UK inflation rose to 3.5% in April, up from 2.6% in March, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This figure is higher than most forecasts — economists expected around 3.3%, while the Bank of England predicted 3.4%.

Dr Victoria Rose, a British surgeon in Gaza, described operating on two sisters with severe war injuries amidst ongoing airstrikes.

Sir Keir Starmer’s strategy to counter Reform UK is under scrutiny, as local elections reveal a significant threat, with Labour potentially losing up to 72 seats to Reform, based on recent voting trends.

A gonorrhoea vaccine programme will launch in England from August, targeting rising STI cases that hit 85,000 diagnoses in 2023, the highest since 1918.

This weeks World News Briefing analyses key global events: Israel opens limited aid routes into Gaza but continues its intolerable violence; Which has now turned allies into foes.

Britain secures a historic EU economic deal that has made Farage angry, because now he thinks we are going to have to send British soldiers to a European army. The Germans have their own problems with the Far right who have been funding politically motivated crimes in Deutsche and seen a dramatic surge in Germany.

India and Pakistan have settled but the media in India has turned on Modi, for the failure to win any battles with Pakistan in teh recent conflict and Italy braces for policy clashes with new Pope Leo XIV, who will be a thorn for Meloni.

Plus, as always we explore a hidden scientific insight into intuition, notable global cultural events, and key updates from international institutions including IMF, NATO, UNESCO, WHO, and the World Bank.

Cliff Notes – Sky News simulates a Russian attack on UK A new podcast series titled “The Wargame,” launching on 10 June, simulates a Russian attack on the UK with a cast of former government ministers and military leaders. The scenario aims to evaluate Britain’s defences and the reliability of key allies, amidst rising tensions with Russia, while ensuring that discussions are not classified. The series highlights the decision-making processes in crises, encouraging public understanding…

This editions of the global cultural & business events This Week has been overshadowed a little by weather. It should be a sunny outlook to the this week, with whispers of suncream and SPF, especially around central Europe and the United States, but the weather has became a little unsettled and unpredictable. But there’s lots of stuff going on around the world and plenty for people to see. Here’s a selection of best picks. 🌍…

Cliff Notes Donald Trump unveiled the “Golden Dome” missile defence system, which aims to place weapons in space for the first time, modelled after Israel’s Iron Dome, which has been slated for its failures, and slated for its inadequacies in intercepting Iranian missiles. The system will feature space-based sensors and interceptors designed to counter missiles from anywhere in the world, with initial funding of $25bn and projected total costs estimated at up to $175bn. The…

Feeding astronauts in space is costly, with expenses reaching £20,000 per day, primarily due to transportation costs for food supplies.

The newly elected Pope Leo XIV’s progressive views on immigration, environmentalism, and LGBTQ+ rights are already challenging Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni