What the papers say – February 19

The papers on Monday carry a number of headlines spanning politics, police and Vladimir Putin.

The Daily Mirror and The Daily Telegraph report ex-Post Office chairman Henry Staunton sparked fury by alleging he was told to stall on payouts to Horizon victims until after the election.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt still hopes to introduce tax cuts, according to the i, as pressure mounts for him to follow through with his vow to prioritise tax cuts over state spending.

The Daily Mail splashes on the “sickened” family members of the June 2023 Nottingham knife attacks, with a gross misconduct hearing told that police on the scene shared grim details with their friends, family, and other officers via text.

The Guardian and Metro begin the week focusing on the Kremlin, questioning Vladimir Putin’s role in the death of anti-corruption advocate Alexi Navalny, who stood against the Russian leader in several elections.

The Sun writes that a footballer was “shocked” to discover his buy-to-let house was used to farm cannabis, with the mystery player only finding out about the illegal actions at his home after police raided the premises.

The Independent reports that a British army veteran has called on the government to reverse its decision to deny asylum to an Afghan soldier who was paid by, trained with, and served alongside UK soldiers to oppose the Taliban.

The Financial Times leads with the European Union issuing Apple a first-of-its-kind fine after the tech giant allegedly prevented its mobile phones from alerting customers to cheaper alternatives for music streaming instead of its own.

The Times tells of a new guidance issued to headteachers on Monday, granting teachers the power to search students without consent to seize mobile phones in a new push for positive classroom behaviour.

And, lastly, the Daily Star splashes with a story on a plan to resurrect the extinct dodo bird.