Author: WTX News

Budget 2023: UK faces ‘disastrous decade’ for living standards as households set to be £4,200 poorer The Independent says Britain faces a “disastrous decade” for living standards and high taxes following changes made in Jeremy Hunt’s Budget, a leading economic think tank has warned. The Resolution Foundation said typical household disposable incomes on track to remain lower by the end of the 2027-28 than they were before the Covid crisis. The think tank also taxes as a share of GDP are on track to hit a 70-year high of 37.7 per cent by then – equivalent to nearly an extra…

The UK Spring Budget 2023 – the newspaper react   The highly-anticipated Spring Budget – the first of this year, and the first under Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, was released on Wednesday. It is marked as significant due to the last Budget released – under then-PM Liz Truss, spooked the markets, caused the pound to crash and led to an unprecedented intervention from the Bank of England. The disastrous mini-Budget under Truss led to the sacking of then Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and started the downfall of Liz Truss’s premiership.  A lot of details in the Budget had already been leaked to…

The Guardian – Excoriating report condemns Met Police over racist, sexist culture Summary of the front page The Guardian reports on a review due to be published next week which will criticise the country’s largest police force for its racism, sexism and homophobia. Sources with knowledge of the Casey report, which has been looking into the culture of the Metropolitan Police, have told the Guardian that its findings are “horrible” and “atrocious” and show the force is “in the last chance saloon”. The paper has been told the report finds that Wayne Couzens, who murdered Sarah Everard, and David Carrick, another…

Financial Times – Banks scramble to reassure investors and regulators after flight of deposits Summary of the front page The Financial Times leads with struggling banks on both sides of the Atlantic racing to reassure clients and regulators that they can weather a flight of deposits. The paper says struggling banks on both sides of the Atlantic are racing to reassure clients that they can withstand problems. The paper says there has been a “global rout” in stocks. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

Metro – Say yes to end strikes Summary of the front page Nurses and paramedics have been urged to vote for a pay offer agreed by health unions and government – that’s on the front of the Metro. The paper says the deal offers “hope a winter of damaging strikes could soon be over”. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

Daily Mirror – Nurses deal at last Summary of the front page The Daily Mirror welcomes news of the pay deal between health unions and the government but says it is now time for other key workers to be offered a deal too. The paper says one union has described the deal as “far from perfect” but also quotes Pat Cullen, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, calling it “real, tangible progress”. The paper adds that it has “sparked calls for other striking key workers to get proper pay rises”. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a…

Alan and Agnieszka Forbes have travelled to remote and exotic locations across the world collecting airport visits.

The Sun – Carry on nurse Summary of the front page The Sun leads with hope that strikes by health workers could be coming to an end after progress in pay talks. Health unions have halted further strike action ahead of a ballot of their members on the deal. The paper says Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has welcomed the pay agreement as “reasonable” but also reports that it is the government’s “final offer”. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

Daily Express – Victory for common sense and patients Summary of the front page The Daily Express says the pay deal between government and health unions is a victory for common sense and patients. The front page features an image of the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing Pat Cullen. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

Ukraine will remember who backed us – foreign minister Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has issued a warning that countries that mistreated Ukraine during the war with Russia will be held accountable once the conflict ends. He stated that every nation’s choice following Russia’s invasion will be considered in building future relations. Kuleba also expressed concern about the delayed delivery of Western weapons and emphasised that such delays cost Ukrainian lives. In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC, he discussed the possible end of the war, China’s role in the conflict, and his disappointment that Pope Francis has not yet…

Paris protests: Macron pushes French pension bill through without vote Protesters clashed with police in Paris following the French government’s decision to impose pension reforms without a parliamentary vote. Demonstrators gathered in Place de la Concorde to protest the proposed increase of the retirement age from 62 to 64. The controversial bill had already sparked two months of heated political debate and strikes. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne invoked article 49:3 of the constitution to bypass the vote, minutes before MPs were scheduled to vote on the bill, citing the lack of guarantee of winning a majority. Opposition politicians condemned the…

Metro – The easy does it budget Summary of the front page The Metro calls the announcement from the chancellor the “easy does it budget”, noting the UK is expected to avoid recession this year with inflation falling to 2.9%. The paper leads with the four areas Mr Hunt said he was focusing on in order to deliver economic growth: Enterprise, Employment, Education, and Everywhere. It adds that he hopes the measures laid out will help “demolish obstacles to work” and persuade up to 7 million people back into the workforce. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment…

Experts weigh in on the link between CBD and aiding menopause symptoms.

Financial Times – Hunt defies gloom with upbeat Budget Summary of the front page Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered a defiantly upbeat budget offering a £9bn tax break for business, the Financial Times says. The paper says a £9bn tax break for business, the expansion of free childcare for under-threes and the surprise abolition of the £1m cap on tax-free pension contributions made for a “defiantly upbeat Budget”. The paper says Mr Hunt welcomed forecasts suggesting the UK was to avoid a recession by telling the Commons the “declinists are wrong”, though it also quotes Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer…

The Guardian – Giveaway for the 1% Summary of the front page The Guardian brands the budget a “giveaway for the 1%”, with public services “basically ignored” and left to face “implausibly tight spending”. The pension changes in the Budget put the “wealthiest in line for an enormous tax cut” and amounted to a “giveaway for the 1%”, according to the front page. The paper says that someone with a pension pot worth £2 million will now get a tax cut of £275,000 when they take their tax-free lump sum. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National…

Daily Express – We’ll make this work for Britain Summary of the front page Chancellor Jeremy Hunt resisted demands from within his own party for tax cuts as he laid out an array of initiatives to put the UK back on the “right track,” the Daily Express reports. The chancellor is described as “resolute” on the front page of the Express. The paper says Mr Hunt resisted demands for tax cuts from some Tory MPs and insisted that the government’s plan was “working”. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

Daily Mirror – Pots for the rich Summary of the front page In his budget Chancellor Jeremy Hunt gave the wealthy a £3.8bn tax boost, according to the Daily Mirror. The paper says the chancellor “snubbed” key workers who are desperate for a pay rise. Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

The Sun – Tanks a lot Summary of the front page Drivers will save £100-a-year on average after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt halted a potential 12p increase in fuel duty, The Sun says. “Tanks a lot!” reads the headline in the Sun. The paper also reports on Cameron Diaz’s film comeback saying its in chaos due to a “meltdown by co-star Jamie Foxx.” Today’s top stories Like this article? Leave a comment UK National newspapers Previous Next

Shine bright like a diamond.

TikTok users shrug at China fears: ‘It’s hard to care’ BBC News says TikTok has been banned on government networks and devices in the US, Canada and the European Union. But are the moves having any effect? When TikTok would not load on her university’s wi-fi network earlier this year student Liz Barr was stymied – but not for long. She soon figured ways around the block using personal mobile data or a virtual private network (VPN). The block had been introduced after state officials in Maryland banned the video app on government networks, citing national security concerns. “I was…

TikTok faces potential US ban if Chinese owners do not sell stake FT says The Biden administration has threatened to ban TikTok if its Chinese owners do not sell their stake in the social media company to address growing national security concerns, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (Cfius) — an inter-agency panel that evaluates foreign investment in the US — made the divestiture request recently as part of its ongoing review into the company, which is owned by Beijing’s ByteDance, the people said. TikTok, the popular short-form video…

Global cocaine production levels hit record highs A new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says global cocaine production has hit a record high due to increased demand following the Covid-19 pandemic. The report found that coca cultivation had increased by 35% between 2021 and 2022, leading to record levels of production. The study further revealed that West and Central Africa have emerged as new hubs for cocaine trafficking and that international postal services are increasingly being used to transport drugs to consumers. While Europe and North America remain the largest markets for cocaine, followed by…

Just in time for St Patrick’s Day.

It’s very personal.

The Thursday letters page hopes that Final Fantasy 17 can be a bit more whimsical, as one reader suggests avoiding Ghostwire: Tokyo.