Author: News Desk

Friday’s leads report on the war in Ukraine as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer flies to Washington for talks with US President Joe Biden. The meeting is expected to cover whether to give Ukraine permission to fire Western long-range weapons into Russia.

A second, domestic, lead for the papers reports that junk food adverts are going to be banned from TV before 21:00 from October next year.

Many of the newspapers carry images of American billionaire Jared Isaacman after he completed the world’s first commercial spacewalk as part of a SpaceX mission. His words are quoted on several papers: “The world looks perfect from here.”

Georgia court dismisses two more charges against Trump A Georgia court has dismissed two of the 10 criminal charges against former U.S. President Donald Trump and one charge against his allies, all related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee ruled on Thursday that the state lacked the jurisdiction to pursue certain charges involving the alleged submission of false documents to federal courts. Despite the dropped charges, eight of the original 13 charges against Trump remain, and the case will continue to move forward. Earlier this year, Judge McAfee had also dismissed…

India politics: Arvind Kejriwal bailed after five months in jail Delhi Chief Minister and prominent opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal has been granted bail by the Supreme Court, over five months after his arrest in a high-profile corruption case. Kejriwal, once known for his anti-corruption activism, was jailed following accusations linked to a controversial alcohol sales policy introduced by his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in November 2021. The policy aimed to tackle black market liquor sales, boost government revenue, and streamline liquor licence distribution. However, it was later scrapped when Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena accused AAP of manipulating the rules…

Boeing workers to strike as 25% pay rise rejected Thousands of Boeing workers are set to go on strike after overwhelmingly rejecting a proposed agreement between union leaders and the company, which included a 25% pay increase. Over 30,000 employees, responsible for building planes like the 737 Max and 777 in the Seattle and Portland regions, will begin their strike at midnight Pacific Time (0700 GMT) on Friday. This walkout marks another major challenge for Boeing, which is already grappling with growing financial losses and a damaged reputation following multiple safety issues, including two fatal crashes. The strike is also…

Israeli special forces raid secret weapons facility in Syria  Reports are surfacing about a covert operation by Israeli special forces targeting a “Hezbollah missile production facility” in Syria. Israel has remained silent on the matter, but US media suggests the raid occurred earlier this week. Syrian state media reported that 18 people were killed and several dozen injured during the operation on Monday, near the city of Masyaf, about 40km north of the Lebanese border. According to The New York Times, Israeli special forces reportedly arrived by helicopter, planted explosives in the Iranian-constructed facility, and retrieved sensitive intelligence. The daring…

South Africa ex-minister Pravin Gordhan dies at 75 Pravin Gordhan, South Africa’s former finance minister and a respected anti-apartheid activist, has passed away at the age of 75, his family confirmed. Gordhan played a significant role in South African politics, serving in key government roles since the dawn of democracy in 1994. He remained active in the country’s political landscape until his retirement in May of this year. According to a family statement, Gordhan passed away early Friday in hospital following a “short but brave battle with cancer.” He was surrounded by loved ones, including his family, close friends, and…

Trump rules out another presidential debate against Harris Donald Trump has officially ruled out a second presidential debate against his opponent, Kamala Harris, ahead of November’s election. Speaking on Thursday, two days after their first debate in Philadelphia, Trump claimed Harris only wanted a rematch because he had “clearly” won the initial face-off. While Trump declared victory, several snap polls following Tuesday’s debate suggested voters believed Harris had outperformed him. Trump responded to the calls for another debate by urging Harris to “focus” on her responsibilities as vice president. Harris, however, hit back at a campaign rally in North Carolina,…

Jo Whiley says lack of public discourse about perimenopause left her ‘really lost’ The ‘conversation wasn’t being had that vocally’, radio presenter tells Women’s Health Jo Whiley has said she “really lost” herself when she was going through the perimenopause, in part because public conversations were not being had about the issue. The BBC Radio 2 DJ, 59, praised the former Big Brother presenter Davina McCall for opening up debate about the issue through her campaigning, which led to a television series, documentary, podcast and books. Continue reading… https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/sep/13/jo-whiley-says-lack-of-public-discourse-about-perimenopause-left-her-really-lost

Why is it so cold? Verdict on how long the icy Arctic blast will last | UK News Jack Frost has wasted no time in claiming the changing season, with snow falling in the UK for the first time in Scotland for months. Colder temperatures have moved into the UK much earlier than anticipated – but why? This September had the earliest frost seen in 20 years, after years of heatwaves topping 34C in previous Septembers. While it’s not on the same level as the ‘Beast from the East’ which saw London streets looking like a mini Ice Age in 2018, it is still going to be a ‘shock…

Keir Starmer ready to face down ‘nanny state’ jibes in radical public health drive Junk food ad ban, age limit on energy drinks and expanded water fluoridation among measures planned to help NHS. Plans to ban junk food ads and to stop children buying high-caffeine energy drinks are among radical public health measures being drawn up by ministers to prevent illness and so ease pressure on the NHS. The government made clear it would face down “predictable cries of ‘nanny state’” because Keir Starmer was convinced this was the way to fix the service. Continue reading… https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/12/keir-starmer-labour-radical-public-health-drive-junk-food-ads-energy-drinks-nhs