Author: WTX News Editor

Front page summary Sunday Express – Farage plots Sunak’s demise The Sunday Express reports former UKIP leader Nigel Farage could have a major influence on this year’s general election outcome even if he doesn’t stand as a candidate. The paper says the Tory party could face what it considers a “catastrophic” external threat – Farage. A senior Tory tells the paper that would be “a game-changer” – predicting that the “trickle” of Conservative votes Reform…

Front page summary Sunday Mirror – Gio breaks silence: I’m gutted Amanda left … I thought we’d winStrictly’s Pernice has spoken to the Sunday Mirror about Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington’s exit from the show for the first time, saying: “It’s a shame because, in my opinion, she could have gone all the way.”Abbington pulled out five weeks into the BBC competition citing “medical reasons”, and later went on to claim that she suffered PTSD after…

A major issue at Sainsbury’s deliveries cancelled and contactless payments failed in stores over technical issues, that disrupted the entire network. Sainsbury’s has said it will not be able to send the “vast majority” of online deliveries on Saturday because of “technical issues”. Contactless payments failed over technical issues Customers have been contacting the supermarket on social media to report issues with their online orders. Some stores have also been affected. Sainsbury’s tweeted an apology…

Covid-19 lab leak ‘most likely’ cause of the global pandemic, new study shows Covid-19 most likely originated in a lab, a new study has concluded. The origin of the pandemic has long been contentious. Some believe the virus was a ‘zoonotic spillover event’ and spread from animals to humans, possibly at the wet market in Wuhan, China, where the disease was first reported. Others believe it leaked, accidentally or otherwise, from a laboratory – namely…

Front page summary The Independent – Putin targeted UK minister in cyber attack on RAF jet The Independent leads with claims that Russia jammed the satellite signals of an RAF jet taking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps back to the UK from Poland.The front page of the paper features a large image of children in Gaza as it looks ‘inside Israel’s blockade’. The paper says the UN has warned of a man made famine.  The Independent –…

Front page summary The Guardian – Tories urged to give back further £5m from Hester The Guardian says The Conservative Party has been urged to give back a further donation thought to be in the region of £5m – by a donor at the centre of a row involving racist comments he reportedly made about MP Diane Abbott.It says the donation, originally reported by Tortoise, will be confirmed in the next Electoral Commission update on donations,…

Front page summary The Metro – Staff WFH caused air misery for millions The Metro leads with a report into a meltdown of the UK’s air traffic control system last year, which caused disruption for hundreds of thousands of airline passengers.The paper reports that, according to the document, IT engineers were working from home at the time, and it took 90 minutes for an expert to arrive at the site to reboot the system. Metro –…

Front page summary The Sun – Royal rift grows: Wills ducks Harry’s speech The Sun newspaper leads on Prince William attending a charity ceremony in memory of his mother Princess Diana. His brother Prince Harry called in via a video link. The paper claims it shows how the royal rift between the brothers has not healed. The front page says Harry’s talk with the winners of the Princess Diana Awards came after Prince William had already left…

Front page summary Daily Express – Victory! Ester wins commons debate on right to die MPs are set to debate the legalisation of assisted dying following a campaign by Esther Rantzen, the Daily Express reports.The TV presenter and campaigner, who has stage four lung cancer, recently revealed she had joined the Dignitas assisted dying clinic in Switzerland.The paper quotes Rantzen urging her supporters to make sure the “voice of the people is heard”. Daily Express –…

Front page summary Daily Mirror – Exclusive: Partner’s anger: Cops sued over shot sergeant The Daily Mirror reports that the partner of Sergeant Matt Ratana – the police officer shot dead by a detainee at a custody suite in Croydon – is to launch legal action against the Metropolitan Police.The paper quotes Su Bushby saying that, if an “effective search” had been carried out, the gun would have been found. Daily Mirror – Same old nasty…

President Mahmoud Abbas has designated Mohammad Mustafa as the new prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, responsible for governing parts of the occupied West Bank.

Voting has started in Russia’s presidential election, widely expected to secure another six-year term for Vladimir Putin. The election spans three days, although the outcome is essentially predetermined, lacking any credible opposition.

Displaced Palestinians in Gaza are to be moved to “humanitarian islands” in the middle of the strip, ahead of any offensive in Rafah, according to the Israeli military. 

Survivors say that at least 60 migrants lost their lives after a rubber dinghy encountered difficulties in the Mediterranean Sea. The 25 survivors were rescued by the Ocean Viking, a vessel operated by the humanitarian organisation SOS Méditerranée.

James Crumbley, aged 47, has been found guilty of manslaughter in connection with a school shooting where his son, a Michigan school gunman, killed four students.

Stefan Savic laughs off Marcus Thuram’s ‘strange’ decision to grab his privates in Atletico Madrid’s win over Inter Milan Stefan Savic has laughed off Marcus Thuram’s ‘strange’ decision to grab his privates during Atletico Madrid’s Champions League last-16 victory over Inter Milan, insisting it was ‘not so important’. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Atleti were up against it after Federico Dimarco further increased the deficit with a cool finish past Jan Oblak in the…

Arsenal star Amanda Ilestedt announces pregnancy Arsenal WFC defender Amanda Ilestedt has announced that she is pregnant with her first child and is set to miss the remainder of the Women’s Super League (WSL) season. The Sweden centre-back and partner Rainer Muller took to social media to announce the news that they are expecting on Wednesday, while Arsenal confirmed that the 31-year-old will not feature for Jonas Eidevall’s side until after she has given birth.…

Writing in The Independent, Diane Abbott said the Tories had ‘long been a source of whipping up racism’ while she had also experienced ‘shocking levels’ of racism within Labour.

Metro reports on the reaction from Ed Sheeran’s management team to news that a group of ticket touts have been convicted of fraud after reselling tens of thousands of concert tickets.

Diane Abbott has accused the Conservatives of aiming to “play the race card” in the upcoming general election.

The Daily Mirror reports on comments by a Conservative minister who said they would accept more party funding from a major donor at the centre of a row involving offensive remarks.

Front page summary Daily Express – Migrant flight plan to Rwanda in a good placeThe Daily Express reports that plans to send deportation flights to Rwanda are in “a good place”. The paper says it has been told the first flight will not happen in the days immediately after the legislation for the policy clears Parliament but that “all the preparations” for the flights are on track.Elsewhere, Grant Shapps attacks Russia’s Putin as he continues…

The Sun leads on an exclusive saying the hunt for Maddie McCann has a new lead.

The UN has said that a new land route to deliver food to northern Gaza has been used for the first time in three weeks. Six lorries from the World Food Programme crossed via a gate in the Gaza border fence, the Israeli military said. 

UNRWA – the UN agency for Palestinian refugees – has said a member of their staff has been killed and 22 others injured after Israeli forces hit a food distribution centre in Rafah.