Author: News Desk

Editorial 18 June 2024  Tuesday’s front pages largely focus on the UK general election campaign, a day after Reform UK – led by Nigel Farage – launched its manifesto.  Pictures of the royals attending yesterday’s Garter Day celebrations feature across the papers – especially the tabloids. Elsewhere, the back pages are Euros-dominated. France – the favourites to win the tournament – won 1-0 but delivered an unconvincing performance. Les Blues’ star player Kylian Mbappe went off with a broken nose.  ‘Reform UK plans don’t add up’ – “populist pledges” based on “optimistic assumptions” The Guardian leads with the concerns of…

KEY POINTS London becomes Europe’s largest stock market again The UK’s main stock market has regained its position as Europe’s most valuable for the first time in nearly two years, data shows. The total value of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) reached $3.18 trillion on Monday, surpassing the $3.13 trillion value of companies listed in Paris, according to Bloomberg data. Although the valuations have fluctuated and remain close, analysts see this as a significant milestone. They attribute the French market’s decline to election-related uncertainty, while the UK market is recovering from years of underperformance. The LSE had…

KEY POINTS Eleven dead and dozens missing in two shipwrecks At least 11 people have died, and over 60 are missing after two shipwrecks off the southern coast of Italy, according to rescuers. German charity RESQSHIP rescued 51 people from a sinking wooden boat and found 10 bodies trapped in the lower deck near the island of Lampedusa on Monday. In another incident the same day, more than 60 people were reported missing, including 26 children, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said. The boats were carrying migrants who had set off from Libya and Turkey, according to UN agencies. Survivors from…

KEY POINTS Torrential rains trigger deadly landslides in Ecuador At least six people have died in landslides in Baños, a city in central Ecuador. Several homes were buried under tons of mud after days of heavy rain. More than a dozen people were injured, and a main road was cut off. A state of emergency has been declared in Baños. Officials reported that 30 people who were initially missing have been found alive. Heavy machinery has been deployed to clear roads blocked by rocks and mud. Local media reported that five of the six people who died were from the…

KEY POINTS Israeli PM scraps war cabinet after key departures Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his six-member war cabinet, following the resignation of centrist opposition leader Benny Gantz and his ally Gadi Eisenkot. A government spokesperson stated that decisions regarding the war with Hamas in Gaza will now be made by the existing security cabinet and the larger full cabinet. Gantz left the cabinet eight days ago, citing a lack of strategy for the war, prompting calls from far-right ministers to take his place. By dissolving the war cabinet, Netanyahu avoids conflicts with his coalition partners and international…

KEY POINTS One in five Americans under extreme weather alerts Around 70 million Americans, or one in five, are under heat alerts as temperatures are expected to soar. The Northeast and Midwest are bracing for extreme heat, with temperatures potentially reaching 105F (41C). In other parts of the country, a wildfire north of Los Angeles has forced hundreds from their homes. Meanwhile, Montana is experiencing a rare June snowstorm with heavy snow expected. Scientists attribute these extreme weather events to climate change, which is making them more frequent and intense. The National Weather Service (NWS) describes this as the first…

KEY POINTS White House slams claims Joe Biden froze at LA fundraiser after viral clip The White House has accused “right-wing critics” of spreading misleading videos to question President Joe Biden’s mental fitness. Recently, critics claimed Biden was confused and needed Barack Obama to guide him off stage at a fundraiser. The White House responded by sharing footage showing Biden pausing to appreciate the applause. Both Biden, 81 and his opponent Donald Trump, 78, are facing scrutiny over their mental sharpness as the election approaches. Polls indicate voters are more concerned about Biden’s age. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the…

Apple makes a blunder and now admits its mistake by ending its in-house buy now, pay later scheme in the US, only a year after it was launched. Apple makes a blunder The decision marks a retreat for Apple from plans to offer traditional financial services, something investors warned against last year. This does not impact any existing borrowers will be able to continue managing payments using Apple’s Wallet app. The American technology giant says it will now offer customers payment plans through third-party credit and debit card lenders. Why did Apple do a U-turn? Apple did a U-turn because…

Met officer fined for assaulting woman in wrongful arrest over bus fare | UK News A Metropolitan Police officer was fined £1,500 after manhandling and wrongly arresting a woman for not paying her bus fare. PC Perry Lathwood, 50, was convicted of assault by beating after he grabbed Jocelyn Agyemang by the arm causing bruising in Croydon, south London. Footage of the incident at around 11am on July 21 last year was shared widely on social media. It showed Ms Agyemang being held back by Lathwood, from the Met’s Road Traffic Policing Command, as her seven-year-old son sobs hysterically. In a…

Unknown person buys green space in village and builds fence around it | UK News Residents of a road in a Gloucestershire village have been left baffled and unable to trim their hedges after the appearance of a mysterious fence. Highnam village locals were shocked when they discovered what they thought was public green space had been sold off at auction. The small stretch of land between Oakridge and The Range has been sold at auction in London despite locals believing it belonged to Tewkesbury Borough Council. And now Highnam residents know it’s been sold – but they have no…