Browsing: featured

Swedes can change their legal gender from the age of 16, after the Swedish parliament passed a law lowering the age. The law passed with 234 votes in favour and 94 against in Sweden’s parliament. Sweden was the first country to make gender transition legal – in 1972. But the new law has sparked a debate. For some, lowering the age from 18 to 16 will make an “important difference” but critics say more research is needed.

The EU will expand sanctions on Iranian producers of drones and missiles following Iran’s attack on Israel. More than 300 missiles were launched from Iran, with 99% of them shot down or intercepted by Israel and its allies. Iran launched its attack after an Israeli strike on its consulate building in Syria killed 13 people.

The second night of Champions League matches get underway tonight with both English clubs – Manchester City and Arsenal – in action and with it all to play for. 

UK inflation falls as meat and crumpet prices drop Food prices have dropped on items such as meat, crumpets and…

Wednesday’s newspaper front pages feature a variety of stories, with no strong lead dominating the papers. There are a few hot topics, mostly domestic stories, splashed across several papers. 

For a couple of the right-leaning tabloids, the news that a Muslim pupil has lost a High Court challenge brought against her school in North London, over a ban on prayer rituals, is celebrated on the front splashes. 

The planned smoking ban, which passed its first hurdle in the Commons yesterday, is also reported on. Some papers look at the health benefits of a smoking ban, others report on it being “un-conservative.” Several papers pick up on the 165 Tory MPs who abstained from voting – suggesting PM Rishi Sunak’s party is fracturing. 

Elsewhere, there’s room for more UK and international political stories including the ongoing Middle East crisis and US inflation.

Several Gulf states have been hit by heavy rain, causing flash flooding across the region and flights being diverted from Dubai Airport – the world’s busiest airport. At least 18 people in Oman have been killed by floods, according to authorities. Several states have recorded nearly a year’s worth of rain in one single day.

Adidas has announced it is set to make profits of €700m (£598m) in 2024. The announcement comes after the German sportswear giant’s messy situation with Kanye West and his Yeezy shoes. In February, Adidas announced it would sell its remaining Yeezy trainers from its partnership with West for at least cost price. 

Security forces in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh say they have killed 29 Maoist rebels. The incident has occurred just days before the country heads to the polls. The killing took place in the Kanker area close to Bastar, a stronghold of the rebels.

US and EU planning new sanctions on Iran after attack  The US and the EU want to see more sanctions…

Westfield Bondi Junction – the centre that was the scene of the deadly mass stabbing attack – will reopen to shoppers on Friday. Six people, five women and one man, were stabbed to death on Saturday. Two people remain in intensive care. There’ll be heightened security at the mall, with more police and mall security on site.

Former President Donald Trump continued to make headlines on the second day of his hush money trial in New York City. Trump, who is facing 34 charges of falsifying business records, arrived at court in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, where he criticized the judge overseeing the case, calling him a “Trump-hating judge.”

In a thrilling FA Cup quarter-final match between Manchester United and Liverpool, fans were treated to a nail-biting 4-3 showdown…

The second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals gets underway tonight with Barcelona facing PSG and Borussia Dortmund at home against Atlético Madrid. 

Many of Tuesday’s front pages cover the rising tensions between Israel and Iran. It comes after Iran launched an estimated 300 drone and missile strikes towards Israel overnight on Saturday, saying the attack was a response to an earlier strike on its consulate in Syria.

Most of the papers’ front pages feature images of Donald Trump in court – attending the first day of one of his four criminal cases. The former US president is set to be the Republican nomination for the upcoming US presidential election.

Israel’s war cabinet met on Monday to discuss their response to the unprecedented attack by Iran on Saturday – in which more than 300 missiles and drones were launched. Israel has not confirmed what they have decided to do.

The UK’s shortest-serving PM Liz Truss has endorsed Donald Trump to win this year’s US election, saying the “world was safer” when he was in the White House. The former prime minister said the world was “on the cusp of very, very strong conflict” and needed “a strong America more than ever”.

The historic old stock exchange building in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark is on fire. The 17th Century Børsen is one of the city’s oldest buildings, its iconic spire has collapsed in the flames. Everyone in the building, which dates back to 1625, was able to leave and people rushed to rescue some of the building’s historic paintings.

China’s economy has grown faster in the first quarter than expected, even as the property sector crisis deepens. Official data show GDP expanded by 5.3% in the first three months of 2024, compared to a year earlier. That beat expectations the world’s second-largest economy could see growth slow to 4.6% in the next first quarter.

Heavy rains have battered Pakistan’s southwest, with flash floods and lightning killing at least 39 people. Some of those killed were farmers struck by lightning while harvesting wheat, authorities say. Flash floods have also disrupted power supplies and transportation networks.

Monday’s Sydney church stabbing has been declared a religiously motivated “terrorist act” by Australian police. A bishop, a priest and churchgoers were attacked during mass at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church. A 16-year-old boy has been arrested.

Israel’s Culture and Sports Minister Calls for Strong Response to Iran’s Attack Israel’s Culture and Sports Minister, Miki Zohar, has…

HM Queen Elizabeth II final meeting with Prime Minister Truss just two days before her death has been revealed to…

The weekend’s Premier League action was full of shocks as both Liverpool and Arsenal lost at home – dropping critical points in the race to the title. It means Manchester City are now back at the top of the table. 

Women’s football this weekend – FA Cup semi final reviews and latest from the WSL.

Most of Monday’s front pages report on Israel’s possible response to Iran’s attack on its territory. It’s the first time Iran has launched a direct attack on Israel. Reports say 99% of Iran’s launched missiles were intercepted or shot down. The attack was in retaliation for an Israeli strike on a consulate building in Damascus.