Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
There is plenty of coronation news leading the newspapers, with several of the front pages lead on the arrest of a man outside Buckingham Palace – following suspected shotgun cartridges being thrown into the grounds of the palace on Tuesday evening.
Buckingham Palace incident
The Daily Mail described how tourists were corralled behind a cordon until specialists could perform a controlled explosion. The Mirror referred to the episode as a “Coronation security scare,” and reported that the Palace was put into lockdown. Meanwhile, The Guardian noted that new anti-protest laws had been hastily enacted ahead of the coronation. The changes, which came into effect on Tuesday, mean that protesters who block roads, airports, or railways could be imprisoned for 12 months. Anyone who locks themselves to objects or buildings could face six months in jail and an unlimited fine. The Home Office’s police powers unit wrote to the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic to inform them of the changes.
The Daily Mirror explored whether Prince Charles might be “the last king of the Commonwealth.” The paper printed arguments from republican leaders worldwide who feel that it is time to cut ties with the monarchy. Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph predicted that rain could mar the parade, but the Guardian spoke to enthusiastic royalists already camped out on the Mall, with one south Londoner telling the paper that “There’s nothing more special than the coronation.”
Ban on cold calling
The Times reported that the government is planning to introduce a ban on cold calling for all financial products as part of a new anti-fraud strategy. The move aims to prevent fraud, which costs the UK an estimated £7bn a year. The strategy will also include the use of spies to track down people who conduct scams via text. Home Secretary Suella Braverman wrote in the Daily Telegraph that “We have a bold solution that protects our citizens and will stop fraudsters in their tracks.”
Two of the UK’s big four accountancy firms, Deloitte and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, are offering additional training to new recruits, according to The Guardian. The training aims to help younger staff who completed much of their education remotely during the Covid lockdowns improve their communication and teamwork skills, such as giving face-to-face presentations and participating in in-person meetings.