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Two Latvian men arrested at RAF Molesworth air base in England

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 15 outlets across the spectrum.

18 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Entrance sign for RAF Molesworth with U.S. Air Force logo, barbed-wire fence, and security personnel.
Image via France 24How images are chosenReport this image

Two Latvian men were arrested in the early hours of Thursday at RAF Molesworth, an air base in Cambridgeshire, England, after being found inside its perimeter. The base is used by the US military and NATO for intelligence work. Counter Terrorism Policing said the men were held on suspicion of trespass, criminal damage and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK under the National Security Act 2023. Police said nothing so far suggests a link to an alleged plot at another air base last month, and the investigation is at an early stage. Sky News reported that the two men have been bailed.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Two Latvian men were arrested in the early hours of Thursday at RAF Molesworth, an air base in Cambridgeshire, England.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft3Center4Right1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian, Al Jazeera English, The New York Times
    Center
    Financial Times, BBC News, Deutsche Welle, Sky News
    Right
    Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    Breitbart News, The Epoch Times

  2. The men were held on suspicion of trespass, criminal damage and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK under the National Security Act 2023.

    Reported byLeft1Center2Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    Financial Times, Deutsche Welle
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  3. Police said nothing so far suggests the incident is linked to an alleged plot at another air base last month.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  4. The two men are Latvian citizens in their thirties who have addresses in the UK.

    Reported byCenter2Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    BBC News, Deutsche Welle
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  5. Sky News reported that the two men have been bailed.

    One outletSky News· Center

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • How the men got into the base.

    Breitbart says they broke through the perimeter fence, Epoch Times says authorities found a hole in the outside fence, and the Guardian and NYT say they were found inside the perimeter.

  • Whether the men are suspected of espionage.

    Epoch Times headlines them as accused of spying, while the police statements cited by other outlets describe suspicion of trespass, criminal damage and an offence under the National Security Act for entering a prohibited place.

  • The ages of the two men.

    The Guardian gives 32 and 35, while the BBC and DW give 36 and 32, and Breitbart says both are in their 30s.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    4 outlets

    Left-leaning headlines lead with the arrest and the base’s US role or the word breach, and Bloomberg ties the event to an earlier breach at another airbase.

    Two Latvians arrested at RAF base in Cambridgeshire released on bail
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    5 outlets

    Center headlines report the arrest on suspicion of trespass in plain terms, though DW’s headline uses the stronger phrase breaking into where its own text says breaching a perimeter fence.

    Pair bailed after security breach at RAF base
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    6 outlets

    Right-leaning headlines stress terrorism and espionage, with the far-right outlets (Breitbart, RedState, Epoch Times) using more dramatic wording than the Washington Examiner, which keeps to trespassing and tensions after a bombing plot.

    2 foreign nationals breach UK base housing key US, NATO intel hub amid $556M expansion
    Fox NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right5

    Foreign MalesIt's happened againTerrorism Fears Skyrocketespionage charges

In the outlets’ own words

  • Dehumanizing label

    Foreign MalesMore neutral: Two men

    Describes the two men as a category by national origin and sex rather than as men arrested on suspicion of an offence.

    British Police Arrest Foreign Males Allegedly Found Trespassing on Joint U.S.-RAF-NATO Base

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    It's happened againMore neutral: Second arrest at a UK base in weeks

    The line implies a pattern of attacks that the articles do not establish; the incidents are separate arrests.

    It's happened again.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Terrorism Fears SkyrocketMore neutral: Counter-terror investigation after

    “Skyrocket” manufactures alarm, and the police statement describes an investigation, not a rise in fear.

    Terrorism Fears Skyrocket After Two Men Breach Sensitive US-NATO Intelligence Base in U.K.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    espionage chargesMore neutral: arrested under the National Security Act

    Police have not charged espionage; the arrests are under the National Security Act, so the word overstates the allegation.

    UK police arrested two Latvian men on espionage charges after they allegedly broke into the RAF Molesworth airbase, used as a U.S.

    Used byThe Epoch Times (Far Right)

Show 1 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded verb

    Accused of SpyingMore neutral: Latvian men arrested after

    Police have arrested the men under the National Security Act and have not said they are accused of spying.

    Latvian Men Accused of Spying After Allegedly Breaking Into UK Airbase Used by US, NATO

    Used byThe Epoch Times (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

4 outlets

Leads with

  • the base’s use by the US military and NATO
  • the perimeter breach
  • the link to an earlier airbase incident

Leaves out

  • the men’s UK addresses

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 4 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

5 outlets

Leads with

  • the legal basis of the suspicion
  • the men’s nationality and ages
  • the bail decision

Leaves out

  • the police statement that nothing so far links the incident to the earlier plot

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 5 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

6 outlets

Leads with

  • the US and NATO intelligence role of the base
  • the possibility of terrorism or spying
  • the earlier suspected plot

Leaves out

  • the men were later bailed

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    2 foreign nationals breach UK base housing key US, NATO intel hub amid $556M expansion

    The Latvian men were arrested under the National Security Act 2023 after breaching a fence at RAF Molesworth, prompting a major counterterrorism investigation.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by New York Post. It counts once.

  • The Epoch TimesFar Right

    Latvian Men Loaded verb“Accused of Spying”Police have arrested the men under the National Security Act and have not said they are accused of spying.More neutral: Latvian men arrested afterDisagree with this highlight? After Allegedly Breaking Into UK Airbase Used by US, NATO

    Authorities said they found two men inside the airbase late at night after discovering a hole in the outside fence.

    Read at The Epoch Times (opens in a new tab)
  • RedStateFar Right

    Sensational language“Terrorism Fears Skyrocket”“Skyrocket” manufactures alarm, and the police statement describes an investigation, not a rise in fear.More neutral: Counter-terror investigation afterDisagree with this highlight? After Two Men Breach Sensitive US-NATO Intelligence Base in U.K.

    British counterterrorism officials are investigating after two Latvian nationals allegedly attempted to gain access to RAF Molesworth, military installation used by both the United States and NATO. …

    Read at RedState (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    UK police arrest two Latvian nationals for trespassing at RAF base

    U.K. police arrested two Latvian men for trespassing into a Royal Air Force base, at a time of heightened tensions following a suspected bombing plot last week. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    British Police Arrest Dehumanizing label“Foreign Males”Describes the two men as a category by national origin and sex rather than as men arrested on suspicion of an offence.More neutral: Two menDisagree with this highlight? Allegedly Found Trespassing on Joint U.S.-RAF-NATO Base

    Counter terrorism police investigating after two Latvians allegedly broken into major military intelligence station in England overnight.

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRightFox News report

    Foreign nationals breach UK base housing key US, NATO intel hub amid $556M expansion

    New York Post published a report that is shown in full at Fox News. The headline is the one New York Post gave it.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    22 min later

    Its first report, Oct 8, 11:10 AM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    Sky News, Oct 8, 10:48 AM EDT

  • Right

    1 hr 26 min later

    Its first report, Oct 8, 12:14 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Sky NewsCenterOct 8, 10:48 AM EDT
  2. BloombergLeftOct 8, 11:10 AM EDT
  3. Financial TimesCenterOct 8, 11:16 AM EDT
  4. BBC NewsCenterOct 8, 11:25 AM EDT
  5. The GuardianLeftOct 8, 11:53 AM EDT
  6. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 8, 12:14 PM EDT
  7. Washington ExaminerRightOct 8, 12:25 PM EDT
  8. France 24CenterOct 8, 12:57 PM EDT
  9. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 8, 2:01 PM EDT
  10. RedStateFar RightOct 8, 2:05 PM EDT
  11. The New York TimesLeftOct 8, 2:37 PM EDT
  12. The Epoch TimesFar RightOct 8, 5:24 PM EDT
  13. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 8, 6:19 PM EDT
  14. Fox NewsFar RightOct 8, 9:35 PM EDT
  15. New York PostRightOct 9, 3:48 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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