Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 7 Jul 2019

1. UK ambassador calls Trump ‘inept' in leaked emails

Donald Trump’s administration has been slammed as “inept”, insecure and incompetent in leaked emails from the UK ambassador to Washington. Sir Kim Darroch said that the White House was “uniquely dysfunctional” and “divided” under Donald Trump. The Foreign Office said the leak of the memos was “mischievous”. The White House has yet to respond.

2. Tehran poised to break terms of nuclear deal again

Iran is set to breach the terms of its nuclear deal for a second time by announcing plans to enrich uranium beyond the levels allowed under the terms of its 2015 nuclear deal. Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron says Paris and Tehran have agreed to aim to resume talks to try to save Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

3. Boris ‘not bluffing’ over no-deal Brexit on Halloween

Boris Johnson says he is “not bluffing” about delivering a no-deal Brexit on October 31. The Tory leadership hopeful has told European heads to “look deep into our eyes” and understand that if he becomes prime minister the UK will leave the EU with or without an agreement on Halloween. Recent polling of Tory members put Johnson 48 points ahead of Jeremy Hunt in the leadership contest.

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4. Home Office using homeless charities to deport rough sleepers

The Home Office has been accused of turning “outreach workers into border guards” after it was revealed it created a secret programme which uses homelessness charities to acquire sensitive personal data that could lead to the deportation of “non-UK” rough sleepers. Human rights charity Liberty said the revelation is “disgraceful”.

5. Hundreds of civilians dead in Russian-led assault in Syria

At least 544 civilians have been killed and over 2,000 people injured in a Moscow-led assault on the last rebel bastion in north-western Syria, according to rights groups. The assault, which began in April, has seen Russian jets join the Syrian army in a massive offensive. “The Russian military and its Syrian ally are deliberately targeting civilians,” said the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

6. Archie is christened in private ceremony at Windsor Castle

The baby son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has been christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in a private ceremony. Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was baptised in front of close family and friends in a chapel at Windsor Castle. The royal couple chose to exclude the press and the public. The Queen did not attend due to a prior engagement.

7. Girl in critical condition after knife attack in north London

An 11-year-old girl is in a critical condition after a knife attack on her family at their house in London. Police were called shortly after midday on Saturday to an address in Enfield. A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the attack, in which a woman in her thirties and three girls all aged under 12 were stabbed.

8. Injuries and destruction after an explosion in Florida mall

At least 21 people have been injured after an explosion at a shopping centre in Florida. Authorities have said it is too early to determine the cause of the explosion in the city of Plantation, which destroyed a pizza restaurant and damaged nearby businesses. Cars were sent flying through the air. “It just looks like an apocalypse,” said an eye witness.

9. British supermarkets use goods from slave supply chain

Top British supermarkets and retailers have been selling goods from supply chains that used workers from what The Sunday Times describes as “the biggest human trafficking network yet exposed in the UK”. It adds that “modern-day slaves” were forced to work for “little or no money”. Some of them worked for a fresh-produce group that has customers including Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda.

10. Brits would rather cancel Brexit than leave without a deal

The British public would rather cancel Brexit or hold a second referendum than face a no-deal on October 31st if the new prime minister cannot agree a fresh agreement, according to a new survey. The poll found 43 per cent of voters would opt for revoking the decision to leave the EU over a disorderly Brexit, which was backed by 38 per cent.