Almost all local UK newspapers are like this now after they were purchased by Reach/the Mirror group.

The quality of the writing has really gone downhill too.

Didn't see any at all, with uMatrix.

Zero ads -- 1Blocker for Safari

(It reports blocking 21 things: 4 ads, 14 trackers, 1 annoyance, and 2 regional rules.)

Yep, basically all UK news sites. After cursing at it, I read it in Reader View.