Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 25 Jun 2019

1. Johnson fights back as Hunt pledges defence funding boost

Boris Johnson has begun his “fightback” following a difficult few days for his leadership campaign, while rival Jeremy Hunt has promised to spend an extra £15bn on defence, The Times reports. In an interview with the BBC, Johnson said it was “simply unfair” to “drag” his family and friends into the political arena. The former foreign secretary has faced questions after police were called to his London flat on Friday over a reported row.

Boris Johnson’s family: a guide to his colourful relatives

2. Strep A outbreak kills 12 people in Essex

The NHS has confirmed that 12 people have died in an outbreak of rare bacterial infection Group A streptococcal. Cases were diagnosed in Braintree, Chelmsford and Maldon, and the victims were mostly “elderly and… receiving care for chronic wounds”, the health service said. A total of 32 people have been infected across Essex.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

3. Pret allergy girl parents ‘delighted’ by new law

The parents of a 15-year-old who had a fatal allergic reaction after unwittingly eating sesame in a baguette bought from Pret A Manger say they are delighted with a new law that will make it mandatory for food businesses to put full ingredients labels on pre-packaged items. “Natasha’s Law”, named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, is due to come into force by summer 2021.

4. UK using new F-35 jets in fight against Islamic State

Britain’s new F-35 jets have carried out more than 14 armed reconnaissance missions over Iraq and Syria, the Ministry of Defence has revealed. The 17 planes, bought from the US for almost £100m each and now based in Cyprus, have not carried out any attacks, according to the RAF. However, the BBC says the stealth jets are “still suffering from a host of technical problems”.

F-35 stealth fighter jets arrive in UK

5. Heathrow expansion ‘will prevent growth of other airports’

None of Britain’s other airports will be able to undergo major expansions in the coming decades if Heathrow gets its third runway, the Government’s main adviser on climate change has suggested. John Gummer (Lord Deben), chair of the Committee on Climate Change, told Sky News that any further growth might push the UK beyond targets for greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2050. Just weeks ago, the Government promised to cut emissions to net-zero by the middle of the century.

Heathrow expansion: what are the pros and cons?

6. Strippers ‘terrified’ by secret filming in club

Women who work in two Manchester strip clubs say they are “angry and terrified” after a campaign group carried out secret filming of private nude dances, with a union comparing the process to “revenge porn”. Campaign group Not Buying It said the aim was to expose breaches of rules including bans on sexual touching by punters.

7. Harry and Meghan home cost taxpayers £2.4m

Taxpayers paid a total of £2.4m for renovations to turn five separate homes into Frogmore Cottage, the new residence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the grounds of Windsor Castle, according to newly published royal accounts. Prince Harry and wife Meghan paid for the fittings themselves. Meanwhile, the Queen’s expenses rose by 41% to £67m last year.

Inside Frogmore Cottage: Harry and Meghan given decade to pay off £18,000 a month debt

8. Celebrated rescue dog Frida retires after nine years of duty

World-famous search and rescue dog Frida is retiring after nine years and 53 operations across Mexico, Haiti, Guatemala and Ecuador, during which she saved a total of 12 lives. News outlets across the globe published images of Frida in a protective eye mask searching the rubble of a school following the 2017 Mexico City earthquake. The Mexican Navy canine unit held a ceremony on Monday to honour the golden Labrador.

9. One black coffee a day ‘helps reduce weight’

Slimmers may benefit from having one black coffee a day, according to new UK research that suggests caffeine stimulates so-called brown fat, which burns calories to generate body heat. Another way of activating brown fat is to take repeated cold showers.

Best bean-to-cup coffee machines

10. Can London go car-free?

More than 12 miles of London roads are to be closed this autumn during the English capital’s biggest ever car-free day.

Mayor Sadiq Khan marked national Clean Air Day on Thursday by unveiling the vehicle ban initiative. “This will be a great opportunity for us all to leave our cars behind and explore our streets by foot, or by bike.” But is more action needed?

Can London go car-free?