Much of England’s news is dominated by last night’s all-English Europa League final that saw North London club Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester United to claim their first silverware in 17 years.
Browsing: All-English Europa League final
Good morning! Grab your coffee and let’s take a brisk scroll through today’s headlines…
In politics, Sir Keir Starmer has bowed to pressure and announced a U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts. The scheme, which had been scaled back to save £1.4 billion, left over 10 million pensioners without support. Starmer now says more pensioners will qualify again, with changes expected in the autumn Budget – though the exact numbers and timing are still under wraps. It comes after Labour lost big to Reform UK during recent local elections.
Meanwhile, a government-commissioned review has suggested that prisoners should serve only a third of their sentences in custody, rather than the current half. There are proposals to chemically castrate sex offenders in order to release them earlier in a bid to free up spaces in prisons.
In economic news, the UK government’s borrowing reached £20.2 billion in April, surpassing expectations and placing additional pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
After lots of glorious sunshine, the UK is set to experience a shift in weather just in time for the bank holiday weekend. The Met Office forecasts unsettled conditions, with many areas expecting rain or showers and more unpredictable weather patterns continuing into the half-term week.
Elsewhere, the UK government has been temporarily blocked from finalising a landmark deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, following a late-night injunction granted by the High Court.
In sport, underdogs are stealing the spotlight. Crystal Palace shocked football fans by beating Manchester City 1–0 to lift the FA Cup – their first major trophy. Not to be outdone, Spurs ended their 17-year silverware drought with a scrappy 1–0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final, with Brennan Johnson the unlikely hero.
On the international front, there has been a shooting in the US with two Israeli embassy staffers shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
The WHO has said Gaza’s health service is ‘stretched beyond breaking point’ and Donald Trump held a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa – in which the US president ambushed his counterpart with unfounded claims of genocide against white South Africans.
Tottenham Hotspur have finally ended their 17-year trophy drought by beating Manchester United 1–0 in the Europa League final.
Tottenham Hotspur ended a 17-year trophy drought by defeating Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final, marking their first European trophy in 41 years.
Tottenham Hotspur secured the Europa League title, defeating Manchester United 1-0, with Brennan Johnson scoring the decisive goal.
Friday’s UK headlines continued to be dominated by the deal struck between the US and the UK yesterday – though nothing has been signed and it was incredibly light on details.
The prime minister is facing so internal turmoil over his proposed welfare cuts with Labour MPs preparing a rebellion. The government won’t be at risk of defeat due to their large majority, but a rebellion could highlight the levels of discontent within the party.
A new Pope has been chosen and it’s a US-born pontiff who will use the name Pope Leo XIV. Donald Trump’s hard-right supporters are having a meltdown of what they see as a ‘lefty looney’ being appointed.
In sports, both Manchester United and Spurs are through to the final of the Europa League meaning we’ll have an all-English final – both clubs desperately need to win in order to salvage a very poor season for both.