'Long Starm of the law' and France 'in turmoil'

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Image source, PA Media
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin

The Daily Telegraph leads with a warning from armed forces chief Admiral Sir Tony Radakin that China is "a major nuclear threat" to the West, external. It highlights comments from a speech on Wednesday, in which he said that the world's nuclear stability achieved in the wake of the Cold War was now over. Sir Tony said Beijing was expanding its arsenal more quickly than any other country and was set to be on a par with the US and Russia by 2030.

The Daily Mail's front page carries a warning by a defence minister suggesting the British Army would be "destroyed in six months to a year of war", external. The paper says the veterans' minister, Alistair Carns, was talking about fighting a conflict on the scale of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and suffering similar casualty figures. The Mail says the comments, including a call to boost Britain's army reserves, would put pressure on the prime minister to increase defence spending.

The Sun has more allegations against the TV presenter Gregg Wallace on its front page, external. It says complaints about his "lewd behaviour" on Strictly Come Dancing were made to the BBC 10 years ago. The Sun says BBC executives had a meeting to discuss the claims and allowed him to stay on the show. The paper has a recording of the MasterChef host telling his dance partner, Aliona Vilani, that he never wore underwear. Gregg Wallace's lawyers have denied he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. A BBC spokeswoman tells the Sun that it takes issues seriously and has robust processes in place to deal with them.

Millions of obese people will be denied weight-loss jabs on the NHS according to the Times, external, while a more generous interpretation in the i, external declares "millions will get the weight-loss jab". The apparent discrepancy centres on the length of time - up to 12 years - that patients may have to wait for it. Experts tell the Times that unless Mounjaro is introduced more quickly it will drive up hospital waiting lists. The i says the drug has been dubbed "the King Kong" of weight loss treatments.

A strike by journalists hasn't stopped the Guardian going to print, although none of the front page articles has a byline. Its main story is Sir Keir Starmer's pledge to crackdown on crime as, in the papers words, he tries to "reboot" his premiership with a number of new targets. The Guardian highlights the promise of 13,000 extra neighbourhood police with a "named bobby on every beat", external. The Daily Mirror has the same details on its front page, external under the headline - the "Long Starm of the Law".

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