Newspaper headlines: 'China hack attack' and 'UK nuclear defence boost'

  • By BBC News
  • Staff

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is expected to address MPs on the threat

Pictures of two of the suspects accused of killing 137 people in an attack on a concert near Moscow make the front page of the Guardian. The paper says Russia's investigative committee released a video yesterday showing the men being led blindfolded into its headquarters.

The Daily Mail says footage was also circulating of the suspects being tortured by what it calls their "sadistic" captors. According to the Daily Telegraph, one appears to have been hooked up to electric wires.

The Sun is among those to report that Britain will officially blame China for a cyber-attack in 2021. The hackers targeted the Electoral Commission, accessing the personal details of 40 million people in the UK, it says. There are also fears for the NHS, because government sources have told the Sun that the health service uses the same software that was accessed.

According to the Times, the Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, will tell MPs that as a result of the findings, the UK will look at sanctioning Chinese officials implicated in human rights abuses in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

China also makes the front page of the Daily Telegraph because Whitehall sources believe Beijing, Russia and Iran are fuelling disinformation about Catherine, the Princess of Wales. Senior government figures fear the countries are behind the spread of "wild conspiracy theories" about her health. "Part of the modus operandi of hostile states is to destabilise things", a government source is quoted as saying.

The Daily Express reports that King Charles III will rally the nation with a powerful Easter message this week. The paper says he will seek to "provide reassurance" to people after Catherine publicly announced she was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer on Friday. The King - who also has cancer - is according to the Daily Mail "so optimistic" about his own treatment he has expressed a hope to attend Royal Ascot this summer.

The Daily Mirror leads on what it calls the "battle for the boozer", with some pubs now closing at 20:00 due to costs and a lack of customers. Greg Kirk, the landlord of The Hawke in east London, says he does not open at all on Mondays and Tuesdays. The Campaign for Real Ale has described the revelations in the Mirror as a "harsh wake up call" for the government. Ministers say measures to support hospitality were recently extended - including a 75% discount on business rates.

And the Times reports on "soaring twenties", that is the record number of people in Britain aged under 30 earning more than £1m ($1.25m) a year. Figures from HM Revenue and Customs show the number of people in that category is 830, up from 650 before the pandemic. The accountancy firm that obtained the data said the rise in young millionaires had been driven by bigger deals for sports, music and media stars.

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