Schools in England must be compelled to offer pupils healthy food, not junk

School dinners have suffered at the hands of politics and economics for almost 50 years

Almost a generation has passed since Jamie Oliver’s four-part Channel 4 documentary series Jamie’s School Dinners exposed the unhealthy reality of the food served to pupils at lunchtime, including – notoriously – fat-heavy, meat-light Turkey Twizzlers. It proved a shaming and effective intervention. His ensuing Feed Me Better campaign led the then prime minister, Tony Blair, to pledge to make school lunches more nutritious and hand schools more money to do that, given the average lunch at that time cost just 45p to make.

Problem solved? Unfortunately not.

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Iranian steel plants damaged by air strikes: Update – Argus Media

  1. Iranian steel plants damaged by air strikes: Update  Argus Media
  2. Strikes on Iranian Industry Expand Blows to Civilian Economy  The New York Times
  3. Air Force bombs two large steel factories in Iran partially owned by IRGC  timesofisrael.com
  4. Live Updates: Latest from Israel, Iran, and the Middle East  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Iran warns workers to leave US, Israel-linked firms amid retaliation threat  India Today
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Reform candidate in Wales steps down after apparent Nazi salute

Party announces Corey Edwards’ decision to quit Senedd election campaign on grounds of mental health

A Reform UK candidate for the Welsh Senedd elections in May has announced he is standing down because of his mental health, after a photograph emerged of him apparently making a Nazi salute as an imitation of Adolf Hitler.

The announcement by Reform comes a day after Nigel Farage defended Corey Edwards, its lead candidate for the Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg constituency, saying he may have instead been impersonating the John Cleese character Basil Fawlty.

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Swindon man accused over wife’s suicide tells court it was ‘worst day of his life’

Christopher Trybus is charged with manslaughter and two counts of rape and coercive and controlling behaviour

A man accused of subjecting his wife to a campaign of “physical and sexual violence” said finding out she had died by hanging was the “worst day of my life”.

Tarryn Baird, 34, was found dead at her home in Swindon, Wiltshire, on 28 November 2017. Christopher Trybus, 43, is charged with his wife’s manslaughter as well as with two counts of rape and coercive and controlling behaviour. He denies all the charges.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

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Iran’s response to US peace proposal expected Friday, source says – Reuters

  1. Iran's response to US peace proposal expected Friday, source says  Reuters
  2. Iran war updates: Tehran says no talks as Trump threatens to ‘hit harder’  aljazeera.com
  3. Here are Iran’s 5 conditions for ending war after rejecting US ceasefire plan  The Hill
  4. Day 26 of Middle East conflict — Tehran says it does not accept 15-point plan by the US  CNN
  5. U.S. plan to end war seeks removal of Iran’s enriched uranium, officials say  The Washington Post
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Iran says nuclear sites hit after Israel warns attacks ‘will escalate’ – Euronews.com

  1. Iran says nuclear sites hit after Israel warns attacks 'will escalate'  Euronews.com
  2. Iran war updates: Tehran vows retaliation for Israeli hits on nuclear sites  Al Jazeera
  3. Iran war: Israel hits Iranian heavy water nuclear reactor  DW.com
  4. Russian nuclear firm head says situation deteriorating at Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant due to strikes  The Times of Israel
  5. Iran says Israeli strikes violated Trump’s deadline; pledges to ‘exact heavy price’  The Hill
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Scientists film whale giving birth while other whales work together to help her

Female named Rounder surrounded by family members when about to give birth to her second calf

Scientists have managed to film a sperm whale giving birth while other female whales worked together to support the mother and her newborn.

A team from Project Ceti, an international effort seeking to understand how whales communicate, was in a boat near a pod of 11 whales off the coast of the Caribbean island of Dominica on 8 July 2023.

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Italy investigates beauty brands over concerns about young girls’ mental health

Regulator fears use of ‘covert marketing strategies’ by Sephora and Benefit might fuel compulsive habits

Italian regulators are investigating Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics over the apparent use of “covert marketing strategies” to sell beauty products to young girls that might be fuelling an unhealthy skincare obsession known as “cosmeticorexia”.

The Italian Competition Authority said it was looking into promotions for skincare products such as face masks, serums and anti-ageing creams that in some cases appeared to target girls under 10.

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Barcelona, Spain euthanasia: Noelia Castillo, 25-year-old Spanish woman, dies by euthanasia in case that drew national spotlight – ABC7 Chicago

  1. Barcelona, Spain euthanasia: Noelia Castillo, 25-year-old Spanish woman, dies by euthanasia in case that drew national spotlight  ABC7 Chicago
  2. She spent 20 months battling to die under a euthanasia law. On Thursday, Spain let her  CNN
  3. At Noelia Castillo’s hospital, Spanish women back her euthanasia fight  thetimes.com
  4. Noelia Castillo Ramos Dies in Spain After Winning Right to End Her Life  nytimes.com
  5. Spanish woman who died through euthanasia failed by state, say critics  BBC
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Minnesota to host ‘No Kings’ flagship rally, headlining Springsteen amid tensions over ICE and war – AP News

  1. Minnesota to host 'No Kings' flagship rally, headlining Springsteen amid tensions over ICE and war  AP News
  2. St. Paul closing several streets downtown on Saturday for planned No Kings protest  5 EYEWITNESS NEWS
  3. No Kings rally in St. Paul on March 28: Everything you need to know  FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
  4. Tens of thousands expected for No Kings national flagship rally in St. Paul  MPR News
  5. Walz, Omar added to list of speakers at No Kings rally in St. Paul  Bring Me The News
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Missing aid boats have safely reached Cuba, US confirms

Two convoy vessels that were supposed to get to Havana by Wednesday have made it to Cuba, says US Coast Guard

Two sailing boats that went missing while carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba have safely reached the Caribbean island, the US Coast Guard said on Friday.

Earlier in the day Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, had said his country would do everything it could to save the people on the two boats that disappeared while travelling to Cuba from Mexico.

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View / What a month of war has taught us in the Gulf – Semafor

  1. View / What a month of war has taught us in the Gulf  Semafor
  2. Trump's Iran war hits one month, US considers more troops. Live updates  USA Today
  3. From Dubai with love – a room with a frontline view on a rapidly changing world  strategic-risk-global.com
  4. One month has passed since fighting with Iran began  Yahoo
  5. Every sound heard in the Gulf countries has started to create panic.  en.haberler.com
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Nixon to Trump: Pakistan’s long record as backchannel between rival powers – aljazeera.com

  1. Nixon to Trump: Pakistan’s long record as backchannel between rival powers  aljazeera.com
  2. Pakistan, Playing Mediator Between U.S. and Iran, Is Calling Several Countries  The New York Times
  3. Politics  The Economist
  4. Europeans to press Rubio over Russian support for Iran at G7 meeting  Reuters
  5. Why Pakistan has emerged as a mediator between US and Iran  AP News
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