UK - The Independent

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1. Ukraine-Russia latest: Putin faced ‘bloodiest month’ of war in September as Zelensky pitches victory plan

   Putin casualties reach more than 600,000 in Ukraine since the war began in 2022, says US

2. China's finance minister says there is room for more economic stimulus but offers no plan

   China's finance minister says the government is looking at additional ways to boost the economy, but he didn't unveil a major new stimulus plan at a news conference Saturday

3. Starmer risks ministerial rift with slap down of transport secretary after £1bn investment loss

   Keir Starmer admitted to ‘bumps and side winds’ in his first 100 days as prime minister

4. Smart #3 Premium: Watt is it thinking?

   You’d expect a car with this badge to be clever, but our one had a mind of its own. Sean O’Grady wonders if it might just be the idiosyncratic machine you never knew you wanted

5. How to make airline food actually delicious, according to chef Monica Galetti

   Airplane meals have long been the punchline of bad food jokes, but chef and MasterChef judge Monica Galetti is on a mission to change that. With her new in-flight menu for Singapore Airlines, she’s bringing a taste of her Samoan and New Zealand heritage to the skies, proving that even at 30,000 feet, you can indulge in a fine dining experience – if you’re in the right cabin, that is

6. Bernardine Evaristo: ‘I’m grateful I was the first – but a Black woman hasn’t won the Booker prize since me’

   The author of ‘Girl, Woman, Other’, who won the top literary prize in 2019, talks to Annabel Nugent about the moment in her career that made the world take notice, why she is channelling rage into energy, and her novel ‘Mr Loverman’ being adapted for the BBC

7. There’s a simple reason Netflix cancels shows so quickly

   Fans are in revolt over the cancellation of ‘Kaos’, the streaming platform’s satirical spin on Greek mythology. But the (poor) viewing figures don’t lie – and audiences ought to know better, argues Adam White

8. Spielberg: A Retrospective – celebrating the director’s five decades in film

   Monograph by Richard Schickel offers first-person interviews, film-by-film analysis, and captivating imagery

9. 20 most disastrous movie casting mistakes

   Louis Chilton selects some of the most egregious pieces of casting in film history

10. As Hezbollah and Israel battle on the border, Lebanon's army watches from the sidelines

    Since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon, Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have clashed along the border while the Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines