Author: WTX News Editor

Reeves gambles on ‘renewing Britain’ to win trust of voters The front page of The Guardian reports on the chancellor’s spending review calling it a gamble and suggesting it’s an attempt to see off the rise of Reform UK. There’s coverage of the ‘historic’ deal with Spain on Gibraltar and the violence in Northern Ireland.

Brace for tax pain to pay for Rachel’s ‘fantasy’ spending The front page of the Daily Express offers its opinion on the Chancellor’s Spending Review – and it’s not positive. The paper worries that taxpayers will “foot the bill” for “splashes” on the NHS and Net Zero. Elsewhere, there’s coverage of the UK deal over Gibraltar and a tribute to the Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson.

Spend now, tax later? No, I choose national renewal, insists Reeves The front page of The Independent is dedicated to the spending review – with Chancellor Rachel Reeves pictured delivering her review to the Commons. The paper celebrates the boost for social housing and the NHS and notes her swipe at Nigel Farage.

Read how the left-wing media has reacted to the chancellor’s Spending Review.

Read how the right-wing media has reacted to the chancellor’s Spending Review.

The King and Queen expressed their shock and sadness over the tragic school shooting in Graz, Austria, that claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including nine students aged 14 to 17.

Thursday’s newspaper front pages are dominated by reactions to the spending review. It won’t come as much of a surprise how the papers have reacted – with the left-leaning press cheering on the injection of cash, bringing an end to the Conservative austerity and framing the review as a “renewal of Britain.” The right-leaning press tells their readers to “brace for tax pain” calling Rachel Reeves’s review “fantasy spending.” 

Good morning! ☕ Let’s grab a coffee and dive into the headlines for Thursday, 12 June 2025. The sun is making a welcome appearance over the capital, with temperatures reaching a pleasant 25°C. However, a touch of afternoon rain might have dampened your day, so keep an umbrella handy just in case.

Unsurprisingly, the chancellor’s spending review dominates the UK news this morning, with some publications seeing the plans as a huge investment that will boost the UK economy, and others arguing it will lead to huge tax hikes in the autumn.
The UK economy shrank by 0.3% in April, the chancellor has said, just a day after her spending review. The decline was sharper than expected.

Elsewhere, there is coverage of violence in Northern Ireland, as “protesters” set fire to a leisure centre – the violence began after an alleged sexual assault by two foreigners.

Elon Musk publicly acknowledged on X early 11 June that he “regret[s] some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” following a heated public feud sparked by his criticism of Trump’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill” and allegations tying Trump to Jeffrey Epstein’s withheld files.

A group of masked rioters set fire to Larne Leisure Centre—used as temporary housing for displaced families—on the third consecutive night of unrest linked to an alleged sexual assault case in Ballymena.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled a bold, near‑£113 billion, four‑year investment‑led spending review ahead of the next general election, marking a clear shift from austerity to a “renewal” agenda. 

Rachel Reeves announced a funding increase for key sectors: the Ministry of Defence will see a rise in spending from 2.3% to 2.6% of GDP by 2027, while the NHS receives an additional £29bn per year.

Israel is contemplating a unilateral military strike on Iran as negotiations between the US and Iran progress towards a preliminary nuclear agreement, which Israel deems unacceptable.

Controversial aid distributor claims Israeli-funded Hamas carried out attack on bus on bus carrying Palestinians.

These reports are unverified independently and the aid organisation is not a trusted source of information.

Treasury Minister Emma Reynolds has indicated that tax rises are a possibility in the autumn budget, emphasising the importance of fiscal stability amid global economic uncertainties.

The Solar Orbiter has provided humanity’s first images of the sun’s poles, marking a significant advancement in solar observation, unlike the previous Ulysses mission.

Brian Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys, has passed away at the age of 82, as announced by his family who expressed their heartbreak and requested privacy during their grieving period.

Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of a criminal sexual act in a New York retrial, but not guilty on another count relating to a different woman.

Elon Musk admitted to regretting some of his recent posts about Donald Trump, acknowledging they “went too far,” including criticisms of Trump’s tax and spending bill.

Cliff Notes Reeves hands NHS £29bn extra per year and pledges to end asylum hotels  Day-to-day spending on the NHS will increase by £29bn a year, Rachel Reeves has announced as she accepted voters are yet to feel an improvement under Labour. Delivering her spending review, the chancellor also declared an end to the use of asylum hotels this parliament by investing in cutting the backlog and returning more people with no right to be…

As summer settles in, Europe offers a vibrant mix of cultural, artistic, and business events. Here’s a curated selection of happenings this week.

For a second night, violence erupted in Ballymena, County Antrim, after a vigil over an alleged sexual assault by two 14-year-old boys descended into rioting.

A report urges the government to ban “No Ball Games” signs and promote outdoor play in children’s lives, highlighting the negative impact of smartphones on playtime.

 After a fatal stabbing of a 31-year-old school aide by a 14-year-old in Nogent, President Emmanuel Macron vowed to outlaw social media use for under-15s “within a few months” if the EU fails to adopt similar measures.

COME ON RACHEL, NOW FOR FAMILY FARM TAX U-TURN! Daily Express leads with a call for the chancellor to “scrap the rural inheritance raid” – the changes to inheritance tax she announced last year – after she made a U-turn on scrapping winter fuel payments for pensioners. The Austrian school shooting, asylum seekers in Britain and Princess Kate make the front page.