News Round-Up

• “‘Abject terror’ of murdered Ann Widdecombe: Family’s shock as police arrest 26-year-old man after ex-MP is found covered in blood with head wound at Dartmoor house” – The family of Ann Widdecombe spoke last night of their shock at her brutal murder, reports the Mail.
• “Updates as Kemi Badenoch ‘stunned’ to learn of Ann Widdecombe killing” – Police have launched a manhunt following the death of former MP and MEP Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead at her Devon home with a head wound, writes Isabella Machin in the Mail.
• “Widdecombe murder arrest shows danger politicians face, says Farage” – Nigel Farage has warned that life for politicians in Britain has become even more dangerous following the alleged murder of Ann Widdecombe, notes the Telegraph.
• “Ann Widdecombe, redoubtable Tory politician who was robust on law and order” – An obituary of Ann Widdecombe, the formidable Conservative minister who later joined Reform UK as immigration and justice spokesperson and became one of the most recognisable figures in British public life, in the Telegraph.
• “Farewell Ann, the voice of Middle England we should have revered” – A redoubtable and fearless battler who dedicated her life to championing truth, Ann Widdecombe deserved far greater reverence than she received, writes Allison Pearson in the Telegraph.
• “Trump launches Operation B**** Slap to retaliate for Iran firing on ships” – President Donald Trump has intensified US military strikes against Iran following attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, reports James Gordon in the Mail.
• “Mahmood will appeal against migrants’ High Court ‘one in, one out’ ruling” – The High Court has backed an appeal by migrants who argued the Government was breaking the law by stripping them of a key right to appeal, according to the Telegraph.
• “Algerian caught trying to rape woman was let go by police” – A judge has described the police investigation into Ramzi Barkat as a “catalogue of incompetencies” after the Algerian suspect was released without charge, says the Telegraph.
• “Loyalists burn replica mosque on top of bonfire” – A man has been charged with incitement to hatred after a replica mosque was placed on top of a bonfire in Northern Ireland, notes the Telegraph.
• “Burnham will be PM after 322 Labour MPs back him” – Despite offering no clear prospectus for power, backbenchers and ministers have stampeded to pledge loyalty to the so-called ‘King of the North’, writes Jason Groves in the Mail.
• “Reform falls behind Labour after Burnham bounce” – Nigel Farage’s party has slipped to third place in a new poll, with its predicted seat tally falling well below last year’s haul, says the Telegraph.
• “Burnham apologises for Starmer’s actions on Israel” – The Makerfield MP has admitted Labour “didn’t get it right” in its response to the war in Gaza, reports the Telegraph.
• “Andy Burnham doesn’t know what he’s doing” – Burnham’s naive approach to Westminster politics will not survive contact with reality, argues David Frost in the Telegraph.
• “Greens want to twin Greater Manchester with Palestinian city” – The proposal, put forward by a Green mayoral candidate in the spirit of the party’s “proud tradition of international solidarity”, is set to reignite controversy over local government foreign policy, reports the Telegraph.
• “Reform bans Pride events or displays at Norfolk libraries” – Reform says its Pride ban does not single out Pride but instead creates a “neutral safe space” in council-run libraries, says BBC News.
• “Why Reform donor Posh George’s dealings could make him Farage nemesis” – An investigation into the colourful transatlantic dealings of Reform donor “Posh George” raises serious questions about his connections to fraud, writes Ian Gallagher in the Mail.
• “Democrat with Nazi tattoo drops Senate bid after being accused of rape” – Graham Platner, who denies rape, says he blames “those in power” for ending his Senate campaign in Maine as the Democratic candidate, reports the Telegraph.
• “Female troops told eat twice as much and sleep more to match males” – New military guidelines recommend that female soldiers consume significantly more calories and prioritise sleep to match the physical performance of their male counterparts, writes Mark Nicol in the Mail.
• “No woman has ever passed Royal Marines training. Is that about to change?” – Only eight women have passed the All Arms Commando Course required to earn a green beret, and the question of whether the Royal Marines’ final barrier is set to fall is now under scrutiny, reports the Telegraph.
• “Britain is meekly accepting a court decision that could cost us billions” – The UK’s unique vulnerability to the International Court of Justice’s contested opinion on climate reparations means the Government’s acquiescence could prove costly, writes Jonathan Sumption in the Telegraph.
• “Badenoch would be wrong to boot Net Zero backers from the Tories” – Banning Conservative candidates who support Net Zero would be a serious strategic and principled mistake for Kemi Badenoch, writes Ross Clark in the Spectator.
• “NYT claims heat wave impossible without climate change. History begs to differ” – A meteorologist has unearthed 150 years of historical data directly contradicting the New York Times‘s claim that a recent heat wave would have been impossible without climate change, notes Thomas Richard in Climate Change Dispatch.
• “In end stage Yookay, regime satirises you” – On his Substack, David McGrogan argues that in Britain’s current political climate, it is the regime itself that has taken to satirising its own citizens.
• “Waitrose rebrands ‘feminine care’ products after inclusivity complaint” – The supermarket changed its labelling following criticism that ‘not all people who have periods are women’, reports the Telegraph.
• “Blow for Farage as Brits say they would back Count Binface in Clacton” – Nigel Farage has dismissed concerns that he risks becoming a joke figure at the Clacton by-election – triggered after all the main parties refused to field candidates – with polling showing voters would back his intergalactic rival, says the Mail.
• “Countess Binface: Mother wed to ‘space warrior’ taking on Nigel Farage” – Sarah Daykin is set to be thrust into the spotlight as the most unlikely of political wives as her partner Count Binface prepares to face Nigel Farage in a bizarre Clacton by-election showdown, says the Mail.
• “Britain must now unite behind Count Binface” – In the New Statesman, Will Dunn argues that Britain should rally behind Count Binface ahead of the Clacton by-election.
• “Finally, Gary Stevenson has been found out” – Konstantin Kisin argues on his Substack that the self-styled inequality expert is less a serious economist than a media-savvy activist in the mould of Greta Thunberg.
• “Norwegians celebrate their heritage, so why can’t we?” – As England prepare to face Norway, Patrick Bishop in the Mail asks why Britain cannot embrace its own history with the same unabashed pride the Norwegians show in their Viking heritage.
• “England World Cup win over Norway ‘would avenge Viking massacre’” – With Norway’s squad fully embracing Viking chic – led by Erling Haaland’s flowing blonde locks – historians note that an England victory would symbolically settle a very old score, reports the Mail.
• “Tuchel refuses to politicise England, unlike social justice warrior Gareth Southgate” – Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup England has been conspicuously free of achingly worthy political pronouncements, and the German head coach deserves full credit for the refreshing shift, says Oliver Wright in the Telegraph.
• “Reverberations around the world” – The redoubtable Anne Widdecombe reminds the Oxford Union why free speech is important in 2019. I was privileged to speak just before her.

If you have any tips for inclusion in the round-up, email us here.