'Plea for calm ignored' and 'Arrest that outraged nation'

2 hours ago

News image — Like many of Wednesday's papers, the i Paper leads with the aftermath of the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa for the murder of Henry Nowak. It reports that hundreds of protesters gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station chanting "I can't breathe". "Family's plea for calm ignored," the headline says.

BBC The headline on the front page of the i Paper reads: “Family's plea for calm ignored”. — Like many of Wednesday's papers, the i Paper leads with the aftermath of the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa for the murder of Henry Nowak. It reports that hundreds of protesters gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station chanting "I can't breathe". "Family's plea for calm ignored," the headline says.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Star reads: “Arrest that outraged nation”. — Under the headline "Arrest that outraged nation", the Daily Star reports that a police officer involved in the arrest of Nowak quit after bodycam footage emerged which shows the student, handcuffed after being wrongly accused of a racist attack, repeatedly saying "I've been stabbed" to officers, one of whom replies: "Don't think you have mate."

The headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph reads: “Police face call to drop race bias policies”. — The Daily Telegraph runs a story saying police forces are facing pressure to move away from "positive discrimination policies" and that politicians "blame DEI [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] guidelines" for the death of Nowak "at the hands of Sikh killer".

The headline on the front page of the Sun reads: “Never again”. — The Sun also leads with coverage of the murder of Nowak under a large headline reading "Never again". Its front page also features a large image of a still taken from police bodycam footage showing Nowak being handcuffed "shortly before he died".

The headline on the front page of the Guardian reads: “Appeals for calm as murder case prompts fears of racial tension”. — The top story in the Guardian reports on politicians and community leaders calling for calm "amid fears that the populist right are using the murder of Henry Nowak by a Sikh man to whip up racist resentment".

The headline on the front page of the Daily Express reads: “Kemi fury at 'white lives matter comment'”. — Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch's "fury" at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage over his comment that "white lives matter just as much as black lives" following the murder of Nowak leads the Daily Express.

The headline on the front page of the Times reads: “Review of race guidance to end 'two-tier policing'”. — The focus of the front page of the Times is also around the policing policies "to treat ethnic minorities differently" being blamed for the "wrongful arrest" of Nowak. It reports that police chiefs will review "controversial guidance".

The headline on the front page of the Mirror reads: “Why didn't they listen?”. — The front page of the Daily Mirror is dominated by coverage of Nowak's murder. Its report leads with the footage of Nowak being handcuffed as "he bled to death". It says Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has called for calm and promised answers to the Nowak family.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Mail reads: “Kemi: This needs to be a Stephen Lawrence moment”. — The murder of Nowak "must be a turning point", Badenoch says in a piece written for the Daily Mail, which leads its coverage on her remarks saying the crime "is a 'seminal moment' in the fight against racism".

The headline on the front page of the Independent reads: “Mahmood warns of 'dangerous' mood over teen's murder”. — The Independent runs a large image of Nowak across its front page above an article angled on Mahmood warning "inflammatory commentary is making a dreadful situation even worse" in reference to anger over the case being "stoked further by Nigel Farage".

The headline on the front page of the Metro reads: “'A dereliction of duty' over Henry killing”. — A still from the bodycam footage showing Nowak being handcuffed runs on the front of the Metro, which reports that a "political storm has erupted" after the video emerged and there have been calls for police "to be prosecuted over a 'two-tier' approach".

The headline on the front page of the Financial Times reads: “US calms Nato allies' fears with talk of extending nuclear umbrella in Europe”. — The Financial Times front page covers the hunt for an Ebola vaccine and a story on the US looking at deploying "nuclear capabilities in additional European Nato states" to reassure its allies.

The Henry Nowak case is on the front pages of all the morning papers.

"Never again" reads the main headline in the Sun, beneath a photo of Nowak being handcuffed as he lies on the ground. The Daily Mirror uses the same image, and asks "why didn't they listen?"

The Times says police chiefs will review what it calls "controversial" anti-racism guidance" - and its editorial calls for an end to "attempts at social engineering".

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage says "an accusation of a racial slur was taken more seriously than an act of murder". He adds that an "anti-white prejudice has been allowed to fester".

The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, writes in the Daily Mail that the incident needs to be seen "as a Stephen Lawrence moment" in the way race allegations can affect policing. She says "we need to stop the idea that racism is something that happens only to ethnic minorities, perpetrated by white people".

The Daily Express claims the killing has caused division in the right wing of British politics - highlighting criticism by Badenoch of comments made by Farage. The Daily Star calls it the "arrest that outraged a nation".

"Appeals for calm as murder case raises fears of racial tension" is the headline in the Guardian. The front of the "i" paper features a photo of hundreds of protesters outside Southampton police station. It says the plea for calm from Henry Nowak's family has been ignored.

Elsewhere, the Telegraph reveals that more senior members of the government use the disappearing messages function on WhatsApp. It says not only the prime minister, but the chancellor and the foreign secretary all do it.

The Daily Mail says the loss of messages between Sir Keir Starmer and Lord Mandelson have led to growing claims of a cover-up. Downing Street says Sir Keir "fully complied" with demands to publish material.

And the Financial Times reports that the US is considering deploying nuclear capabilities to more Nato European states. It has apparently indicated that a bomber capable of carrying nuclear payloads could be stationed in more countries, to reassure members that the US remains committed to the alliance.

'Plea for calm ignored' and 'Arrest that outraged nation'

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