A number of Thursday’s papers lead on the settlement of the Duke of Sussex’s lawsuit against News Group Newspapers (NGN). The Guardian says Prince Harry claimed a “monumental victory” with a “historic admission” that the Sun had engaged in “illegal practices” to source stories about him. NGN offered the prince a “full and unequivocal apology” after “incidents of unlawful activity” were carried out by private investigators working for the Sun.
The i paper also leads with the Duke of Sussex’s win, focusing on the reported settlement of £10m that NGN has agreed to pay. It also says Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is working with families affected by the phone-hacking scandal to draw up potential changes to media rules in the wake of the lawsuit.
The Financial Times reports that President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has “put more than £300bn of potential federal infrastructure funding at risk”. Under Trump’s sweep of executive orders signed in his first hours in office was an order halting payments to manufacturers and infrastructure developers working towards two of his predecessor Joe Biden’s key policies. The paper’s picture lead features a group of Gazans who had hoped to return to their homes during the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel but have found their neighbourhoods a “wasteland”.
The Daily Star has a slightly different take on Trump’s return to the White House saying that the original members of the Village People are “at war” with the current line-up over their decision to perform at the president’s inauguration rally. The Village People “would never, ever perform at Trump rally” nor give him the rights to their songs – describing it as a “slap in the face” to the “strong, especially gay audience” that gave the band its fame, the paper reports.
The story of a Russian “spy ship” spotted by the Royal Navy “loitering” in UK waters leads the Metro, under the headline “We can sea you, Vlad!”. Defence Secretary John Healey said the vessel, Yantar, was deployed to map the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure. The paper reports that Healey had a message for Russian leader Vladimir Putin: “We see you, we know what you’re doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.”
The Times also leads on the story. It quotes a source from the Ministry of Defence as saying that a Royal Navy submarine sent a “polite and unprecedented” message to the Russians saying they were being observed before the alleged spy ship left British waters.
The Daily Mail says the Royal Navy has been deployed to “protect undersea cables off Cornwall” in the wake of the Russian ship’s movements. It also reports that the Royal Navy sub surfaced “yards away” from the vessel “in a show of force to protect British waters”. Pictured beside the lead story is Leo Ross, a young boy who was fatally stabbed by a teenager on his way home from school in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Leo Ross’s killing is the lead for the Daily Mirror on Thursday, as it reports that the 12-year-old is “the latest tragic victim of the knife crime epidemic plaguing Britain”. It adds that a 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The Sun also leads on the stabbing of Leo Ross, who it describes as “funny and sweet” in a report featuring his image alongside one of floral tributes left at the scene in Birmingham. Revelations from Love Island’s Grace Jackson over why she and footballer Marcus Rashford ended their relationship also make the front page.
The Daily Telegraph leads its coverage with a report commissioned privately by Thames Water that estimates that between 390,000 and 585,000 undocumented migrants are living in London. It reports that there is “mounting concern” over the “failure to control Britain’s borders” and the pressure that places on public services such as schools and the NHS.
An image of a group of people carrying guns and wearing Islamic State group symbols in Syria leads the Daily Express. It reports that Islamic State emblems are being “brazenly” displayed across Syria after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad last month. The paper reports a source as saying that there is support for IS within Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the Islamist group which ousted the president but has distanced itself from the jihadists in recent years.
Three papers feature the apology and payout to the Duke of Sussex from the publisher of The Sun – News Group Newspapers – on the front pages of their print editions.
“Gotcha” is the headline in the i newspaper, which leads with the story. So does the Guardian which describes the result as “historic”. The Daily Telegraph has a different take, saying that Prince Harry climbed down in an eleventh hour deal.
The story does not appear in the Sun until page six. The paper instead leads on the fatal stabbing of the 12-year-old Leo Ross in Birmingham. It says the UK is battling a “horrifying wave of knife crime”. The Daily Mirror has a similar assessment, saying Leo is “the latest tragic victim of the knife crime epidemic plaguing Britain”.
Reuters
Prince Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne outside the High Court
Sir Keir Starmer has written an article in the Daily Mail, explaining his reasons for making it harder for campaigners to challenge infrastructure projects in the courts.
The prime minister says there are “countless examples” of “Nimbys and zealots” gumming up the legal system.
He says the current process “strangles growth” and costs “hundreds of millions of pounds”.
Several papers praise Sir Keir’s stance in their editorials. The Sun calls it “excellent”, but says it may lead to conflict with Labour colleagues including the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, who is opposed to a third runway at Heathrow. The Times warns “escaping the trap of stagnation” may require expending “precious political capital in areas like the environment”.
For its lead, the Times concentrates on the suspected Russian spy ship that was challenged by a Royal Navy submarine in British waters.
A defence source has told the paper that submariners sent a “polite” and “unprecedented message” to the vessel – including the words “good morning”. They added that the Russian ship “swiftly left” after the encounter.
Reuters
Donald Trump is a fan of Village People’s Y.M.C.A.
“Isis death cult back on streets of Syria” is the headline on the front of the Daily Express. It says “chilling images have emerged of gun-toting fighters wearing Islamic State symbols”. The article says they are being “brazenly displayed across Syria” after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad last month.
The Financial Times says Donald Trump’s unpicking of Joe Biden’s climate agenda has caused “shockwaves” in the clean energy sector. The paper says about $300bn of infrastructure funding has been stalled, after Trump signed the “Unleash American Energy” executive order. The money had been made available under the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law, which were passed under the Biden administration.
The Daily Star says a “war” has broken out among members of the Village People over the band’s decision to perform at Trump’s inauguration. A former member described the show as a “slap in the face” for fans. It quotes one of the original members – who has performed at several of Trump’s inaugural events – as saying the decision “wasn’t an endorsement” of Trump’s policies.
Reuters
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