A variety of stories lead Friday’s papers. The Guardian reports that those affected by the Grenfell fire may not see prosecutions brought before the end of this decade. In May, police said the scale of the investigation meant they expected to be able to announce charges in late 2026 at the earliest. The paper quotes former chief prosecutor Ken Macdonald warning that delays in the justice system mean that, “unless processes are massively expedited, justice is a very long way away”.
The Times reports that the firm behind the Grenfell refurbishment that saw flammable cladding added to the outside of the building has been prevented from closing down. The paper says Studio E, which was found by the inquiry to bear a “very significant degree of responsibility” for the disaster, has been in liquidation for more than four years but cannot be dissolved while investigations are ongoing.
TV presenter Jeremy Kyle has denied humiliating Steve Dymond, who died of an overdose a week after appearing as a guest on My Kyle’s reality talk show, according to the Metro. The paper says Mr Kyle told an inquest into Mr Dymond’s death that he was just the host of the show. “The production, the producing, the aftercare, the lie detector test were not my responsibility,” he said.
The i reports that checks on fruit and vegetables being imported from the EU are to be delayed again amid fears they will push up food prices. The introduction of the checks was repeatedly pushed back under the previous government, and are now expected to be delayed again until July 2025, the paper says.
Germany is considering sending migrants who arrive in the country illegally to facilities in Rwanda paid for by the UK government, according to the Daily Mail. The idea has been floated by Joachim Stamp, Germany’s special commissioner for migration agreements. The paper says Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has said the proposal makes Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who scrapped the scheme after taking office in July, look “more foolish by the day”. Number Ten tells the paper it stands by the decision and describes the scheme as a “gimmick”.
The Daily Telegraph says plans to tackle overcrowding in Britain’s jails could see prisoners sent to Estonia to serve their sentences. Last month, the BBC reported there were fewer than 100 spaces available across the male prison estate in England and Wales. The paper says Estonia has offered to rent out its spare capacity to other countries, while government sources tell it the option is “on the table”.
A survey of pensioners has suggested a majority want to see a compromise deal under which only the well-off lose the winter fuel payment, the Daily Express reports. Under plans announced in July, pensioners in England and Wales who are not on means-tested benefits – around 10 million people – are set to lose the payment, worth £100 to £300 per year.
The Daily Mirror says that a monument honouring Queen Elizabeth II is to be announced this weekend to coincide with the second anniversary of her death. The paper says the sculpture will be in St James’s Park, which is overlooked by Buckingham Palace, and will be unveiled in 2026.
The news that French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Michel Barnier as his country’s prime minister leads the Financial Times. The 73-year-old is a veteran of conservative politics in France but is best known in the UK for having been the EU’s lead negotiator during the Brexit negotiations. The paper says the move was intended to “break the political stalemate” after the legislative elections in July, and that Mr Macron wanted a candidate who could command a majority in the National Assembly but “would not seek to undo his pro-business reforms”.
And the Daily Star says a retired US admiral has claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the shooting of a “friendly beluga spy whale called Hvaldimir” that had “defected to Norway”.
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