Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 30 Jun 2019

1. Donald Trump and Kim set to meet at the DMZ zone

Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the zone dividing the two Koreas for a brief greeting. The unprecedented meeting at the demilitarised zone comes after the US President tweeted what he presented as a spontaneous invitation to Mr Kim. The BBC says nuclear weapons will not be discussed during the short meeting.

2. Constitutional experts say Boris may never enter No 10

Boris Johnson might never enter 10 Downing Street, say two constitutional experts. According to professors Robert Hazell and Meg Russell from the University of London, Johnson’s legitimacy would be challenged if just a handful of Tory MPs declared that they could not support his administration. “This would pose a serious dilemma for the Queen and those advising her,” they say.

3. Pregnant woman is fatally stabbed in south London

A pregnant woman has been stabbed to death in south London, and her baby was delivered at the scene, say police. An ambulance was called to a home in Thornton Heath at 3.30am on Saturday morning following reports of a woman suffering cardiac arrest. Police attended alongside the ambulance service to find a woman, aged 26, with stab injuries.

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4. Private christening for Harry and Meghan's Archie

Harry and Meghan are planning a private baptism for their son Archie at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where the couple were married last year and where Harry was christened in 1984. The private approach is in contrast to that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who let cameras record their children at their christenings, together with the arrivals of family members and other invitees.

5. MI5 probes role of Tory MP in Russian influence operation

MI5 is investigating a Russian lobbying campaign to infiltrate British politics that received advice and support from a senior Conservative MP. The Sunday Times reports that Ben Wallace, the security minister, has handed evidence to the intelligence services of an “influence operation” involving Sir Henry Bellingham, one of the prime minister’s official trade envoys.

6. Merkel insists she is well after shaking sparks speculation

Angela Merkel has said she is “fine” following two episodes of shaking in public that have sparked speculation about her health. Speaking at the G20 summit in Osaka, the German Chancellor said she was convinced that “this reaction will disappear just as it has arisen”. She added that she had “nothing in particular to report”.

7. Britain basks in hottest conditions of the year so far

Britain recorded its hottest day of the year so far on Saturday, as temperatures reached as high as 34C (93F) in London and southern England. The Met Office said a temperature of 34.0C had been recorded in Northolt, west London, and Heathrow airport on Saturday afternoon. This was near the all-time record for June of 35.6C, reached in 1976. London was hotter than Hawaii on Saturday afternoon.

8. Jeremy Hunt might withhold part of the Brexit divorce bill

Jeremy Hunt has said he would consider withholding some of the UK's £39bn EU “divorce bill” in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Tory leadership hopeful said he would not hand over “a penny more than is legally required of us” after rival leadership contender Boris Johnson announced he would hold back money from Brussels. Tory party members will begin voting next week and the winner is expected to be announced on 23 July.

9. Fifteen die after wall collapses in Pune, India

Fifteen people have died after a wall collapsed in Pune, India. India's National Disaster Response Force recovered the bodies of nine men, four women and two children. Pune Police are investigating the reason for the collapse. Pune has a population of around three million people, making it the second-largest city in the western state of Maharashtra.

10. Britain sends unprecedented naval presence to Baltic Sea

Britain has sent the largest royal navy presence to Baltic Sea in over 100 years in what is being seen as a show of power to Russia. Over 4,000 service personnel and 44 ships from seven different countries are taking part in the mission in Lithuania, close to Moscow’s exclave in Kaliningrad. There have been repeated accusations from the Kremlin of provocation.

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