Editorial 10.12.24
Tuesday’s front pages continue coverage of the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad including the UK suspending Syrian asylum claims.
In domestic news, the stabbing death of a young London girl features on several tabloid front pages, as well as the sacking of a Premier League referee.
The back pages continue Premier League coverage.
‘Rebels rushing to consolidate their power’
‘Rebels that overthrew him rushing to consolidate control over country,’ says the FT.
The FT says the rebel forces that overthrew him are now rushing to consolidate their control over the country. The paper says Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is holding meetings with officials from the former government to negotiate a transition of power. The paper adds that an amnesty has been issued for people conscripted into the military under Assad, while state bodies have ordered a resumption of public services.
‘Lammy brands Assad the ‘rat of Damascus’, highlights the Mirror.
The Daily Mirror leads with comments from David Lammy who branded Assad the “rat of Damascus” who fled to Moscow “with his tail between his leg.”
‘Saydnaya Prison is a vast underground complex that held some 1,500 people,’ reports The Guardian.
The Guardian says a report from the Saydnaya Prison in Damascus describes the discovery at the site of a “vast underground complex, five storeys deep” where some of the regime’s last prisoners. The paper says the complex was believed to hold some 1,500 people and that a “procession lit by thousands of phone torches” filed through the prison as people searched for their loved ones.
‘Critics of Assad were often taken to Saydnaya but few ever left,’ reports The Times.
The Times reports from Saydnaya and carries an image of someone holding up bloodied nooses found at the site. The paper says throughout Assad’s 24 years in power, and particularly since the 2011 uprising, thousands of his critics were taken to Saydnaya, though “few ever left”. The paper speaks to Ahmed, who spent three years at the prison and had travelled there in hopes of finding his brother, who had been imprisoned for ten years.
‘UK will freeze asylum claims amid questions about if they still need refuge,’ highlights the i.
The i newspaper reports the UK is to freeze decisions on asylum applications from Syrian citizens while it assesses the situation. Around 5,000 people from Syria currently awaiting an outcome of a claim, but the fall of Assad has raised questions about whether they still need refuge, the paper adds.
The Guardian says the freeze on applications come despite lack of clarity over the future of the country.’
The Guardian notes the decision to suspend the applications comes “despite a lack of clarity over what lies ahead” for the country.
‘Fears that British jihadists imprisoned in Syria could now return to the UK,’ notes The Telegraph.
The Telegraph suggests there are fears that British jihadists currently imprisoned in Syria could now return to the UK. The paper says there are around a dozen ISI fighters from the UK being held in prisons controlled by Kurdish forces in northern Syria, according to security sources.
‘Very large number of ISIS will be freed and they pose threat to the UK,’ is the Mail’s take.
The Mail leads with the same story, quoting former M16 chief Sir Alex Younger saying there is now a risk that a “very large number” of IS detainees will be freed and that they would pose a security threat to the UK.
‘London schoolgirl stabbed to death’
‘Sentamu pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder,’ reports the Metro.
The trial of Hassan Sentamu leads the Metro. The paper reports the teenager is accused of stabbing London schoolgirl Elianne Andam to death in September 2023. It says Elianne was a friend of Sentamu’s ex-girlfriend and tried to grab a bag from him, believing it contained her friend’s possessions – including a teddy bear. Sentamu had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but is on trial charged with murder, which he denies.
‘Stabbed to death over a teddy bear,’ the Express says.
The front page of the Daily Express also reports on the story saying 15-year-old Elianne Andam was stabbed to death ‘over a teddy bear.’
