September 21, 2024

Newspaper headlines: PM’s Armistice protest ban call as Lineker gives backing

Armistice Day #ArmisticeDay

The Daily Express leads on Rishi Sunak’s call for planned pro-Palestinian protests on Armistice Day to be banned, as it quotes the home secretary calling them as “hate marches”. The prime minister said there would be a risk of the Cenotaph and other war memorials being desecrated which would be “an affront” to British values.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has backed pro-Palestinian demonstrators marching through London on Armistice Day after he responded to comments made by the home secretary calling them hate marches. The former England striker wrote on social media that “marching and calling for peace so that more innocent children don’t get killed is not really the definition of hate march”. Meanwhile, the paper leads on what it describes as a “BBC crisis” over a £1.7bn pension bill to staff including top stars and executives. It reports a warning that rising costs are limiting investment in programming.

The Times leads on the fears of the chief rabbi, who has criticised pro-Palestinian protesters for “standing alongside” extremists at demonstrations. Sir Ephraim Mirvis writes in the paper that it is “a stain on our common humanity that so many seem to have lost sight of the moral distance between Hamas and Israel”, ahead of a weekend of further planned protests.

The Guardian focuses on Israel rejecting US calls for a pause in fighting. It quotes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it will continue its Gaza offensive “with full force” and refuse any ceasefire which does not include the release of hostages held by Hamas.

The Financial Times’ weekend edition leads on hopes building for a “soft landing” in the US. This is where growth slows but the country avoids a recession. Elsewhere, the paper also reports that Home Secretary Suella Braverman wants to restrict the use of tents by homeless people in urban areas to combat rising numbers of rough sleepers.

The Daily Mail reports on a “cabal that has been controlling the Tory leadership for two decades”, as revealed by former cabinet minister and Boris Johnson ally Nadine Dorries in her “bombshell book”. The book, which is being serialised in the paper, says the group toppled Mr Johnson and brought down Iain Duncan-Smith as well as creating havoc for Theresa May and undermining Liz Truss.

The i’s weekend edition reports on an election boost for Labour from an unlikely source. Former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke has backed shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves – praising her “uncompromising” fiscal approach.

“No justice” is the Daily Mirror’s headline as it reports that the killer of Zara Aleena has had his minimum jail term cut from 38 years to 33 years. The paper highlights the appeal judges saying she did not “suffer inordinately” during a nine-minute attack by Jordan McSweeney, adding the decision sparked “outrage” from Ms Aleena’s family.

Channelling Blur’s Country House lyric, the Sun’s headline is “City fella dating Love Isle Bella” as it reports on a relationship between Man City footballer Ruben Dias and Love Island’s Arabella Chi.

And the Daily Star discusses “Hair Rage” as it says that one in five people are anxious if their hair is dodgy, while 6% will not leave home.

The Times reports that Britain’s chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, believes pro-Palestinian protesters are “standing alongside” extremists.

Speaking ahead of marches planned for Armistice Day next weekend, he tells the paper it is “a stain on our common humanity” that so many seem to have “lost sight of the moral distance between Hamas and Israel”.

The Daily Express echoes warnings from some Conservative MPs that the Cenotaph in Whitehall and other war memorials are at risk of being desecrated. “Hate Marches Are Affront To British Values” is the headline. The paper says it understands the prime minister does not want the protest in London to go ahead “at all”.

Demonstrations have been held on every weekend since fighting broke out between Israel and Hamas in Gaza

The Guardian quotes a senior Metropolitan Police officer saying the march’s organisers have assured the force they have no intention of causing disruption to Remembrance events.

Elsewhere, the Daily Mail has revelations from a book written by the former Cabinet minister, Nadine Dorries.

The Plot: The Political Assassination of Boris Johnson claims the Conservatives have been controlled for two decades by a cabal known as the “movement” – which ultimately toppled Mr Johnson as prime minister, and undermined others including Liz Truss and Theresa May.

The Daily Mail – which is serialising the book – says Ms Dorries identifies Michael Gove as the main actor, because he “binds all the dark-arts people together”. A source close to Mr Gove tells the newspaper: “Nadine is a very talented bestselling fiction author.”

The i reports that the shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has received the backing of the former Conservative chancellor Lord Clarke, in an apparent boost for Labour. It says the Tory grandee has sparked backlash in his own party after praising her “uncompromising approach”.

The paper says Ms Reeves – a former chess champion – has likened the battle with the Conservatives to the latter stages of a board game. It quotes her as saying Labour is “ahead”, but playing an opponent “who usually beats you”.

The Daily Telegraph leads with a report that the BBC is facing a £1.7bn bill triggered by what it calls “gold-plated pensions”.

The paper says the corporation is now locked in a legal battle to try to reduce pension payouts. The BBC says it is reviewing its pension options in the interests of both its staff and licence fee payers.

The Beatles have released a music video what has been billed as their last ever song, created with the help of AI

Several papers picture the Beatles in a new music video, after the release of Now And Then – which is being billed as their last ever song.

The Times says they got “A Little Help” from the director of the Lord of the Rings, Sir Peter Jackson, who superimposed archive footage of John Lennon and George Harrison, with new shots of the surviving members, Sir Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney.

The Daily Mirror says fans went “from Penny Lane to Memory Lane”. It quotes Sir Peter saying George’s son “welled up” when they talked about the video’s ending – the last moments show the Beatles bowing on a stage in black and white before they disappear.

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