Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Wednesday’s front pages report on a variety of topics, including the UK evacuation in Sudan, reports on Prince Harry’s court papers and what they revealed and the announcement Joe Biden is running for re-election in the US.
‘Run for your lives in Sudan’
The British Royal Marines are shown on the front page of The Times, marching across a runway as they head to Sudan to help UK nationals leave the country. The headline reads “make your own way to Sudan airlift, Britons told”, with an unnamed defence source denying accusations that the UK abandoned its citizens when it decided to pull diplomats out first. The Daily Express calls it the “great escape” while the Daily Mirror criticises Britain’s “slow off the mark” response to the conflict in Sudan. The i also states that UK troops will use force to defend the evacuation operation, if it is targeted by Sudanese militias. Whilst the Metro headlines “Run for your lives” and observes the move was a “rapid U-turn” on advice a day earlier advising UK national stuck in Sudan to remain inside.
Joe Biden runs for re-election
The Financial Times focuses on President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will run for another term in the White House, calling it a “high-risk gamble” due to his age – 80 – which the paper believes makes him a “liability for the Democrats”. The Daily Telegraph is more worried about Biden’s record in office, while the Daily Mail expresses disgust at the prospect of a choice between him and Donald Trump. The paper says the US may have to choose between “an octogenarian seemingly suffering from cognitive decline, and a puffed-up 76-year-old narcissist fighting to stay out of prison.”
Prince Harry court case
The Telegraph reports on Prince Harry’s court papers claiming that his brother, Prince William, was paid a “huge sum” by the owners of the Sun newspaper to settle his own historical phone-hacking claims. The Telegraph says it understands it was about £1m. The Sun’s owners say Prince Harry’s claim for damages should be scrapped because he had run out of time – and are applying to end his case. Whilst The Guardian leads with the Prince Harry case but opts for the headline that he claimed Queen Elizabeth II had herself threatened Rupert Murdoch’s media firm with legal action – but was “undermined” by the then-Prince Charles.
