1. MISSING FLIGHT TRANSCRIPT REVEALED
The final 54 minutes of communication from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight has been revealed by the Daily Telegraph. Experts highlight that the plane stopped communication, and took a sharp turn west, as it reached the handover from air traffic controllers in Kuala Lumpa to those in Ho Chi Minh City. This has swelled speculation that the disappearance is no accident.
MH370: mysterious 89kg load ‘added to cargo flight list after take-off’
2. JEREMY HUNT ‘PUTS FUTURE OF NHS AT RISK’
Jeremy Hunt’s refusal to invest more in the NHS has put the future of the service at risk, says the leader of a doctors’ union. Dr Mark Porter of the British Medical Association tells The Independent that without a rise in investment to meet the soaring demands of an ageing population, “patient care, and the future of the NHS, will be at risk.”
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3. POPE TELLS MAFIA TO 'STOP DOING EVIL'
Pope Francis has attacked the Mafia, telling organised crime bosses: "Please change your lives. Convert yourselves. Stop doing evil." As he held an unprecedented meeting with hundreds of victims’ relatives, he warned Mafiosi: "There is still time to avoid ending up in hell. That is what is waiting for you if you continue on this path."
Pope tells mafia: repent or go to hell
4. BIDDING WAR FOR BORIS SEAT
Conservative constituencies have begun a bidding war to attract Boris Johnson to stand for Parliament in 2015. In an interview with The Sun yesterday, David Cameron urged Johnson to stand at the next general election. North-west Hampshire is one of the seats vying for Johnson, though some commentators believe he would need a London seat were he to continue as Mayor.
5. SELFIES CANCER CAMPAIGN RAISES £2M
The no-makeup selfies trend has raised £2m of donations in 48 hours for Cancer Research UK. "We're over the moon,” said head of social media Aaron Eccles. “When we do a social media campaign we want to engage as many people as possible, and this has taken off like crazy.” Tens of thousands of women have shared photographs of themselves without make-up.
6. GRANT SHAPPS: I LOVE BEER AND BINGO
Grant Shapps claims he “drinks beer and loves a game of bingo” as he tries to downplay the row over the advert he posted on Twitter. The Conservatives were accused of “patronising” voters in the advert, which said the Budget was: “Cutting bingo tax and beer duty to help hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy.”
7. MANSION TAX TO LAUNCH NEXT YEAR?
Treasury officials have begun work on a mansion tax that could be introduced as early as next year, says Danny Alexander. The chief secretary to the Treasury tells the Daily Telegraph that a “lot of work” has been done on the tax. He said there is a public “consensus” for a “modest additional levy on higher value properties”.
8. BBC SPORTS RELIEF RAISES £51M
Last night’s BBC Sport Relief show raised more than £51m. David Walliams, Kylie Minogue and Sebastian Coe appeared on the six-hour show. David Beckham starred in a special sketch of Only Fools And Horses. The grand total of £51,242,186, which beat the record of £50.4m raised two years ago, was announced at the end of the broadcast.
Kylie and Jason reunite and Beckham in Peckham as Sport Relief sets record
9. WILL LICENCE EVADERS HAVE BBC BLOCKED?
Television viewers who do not pay their licence fee may have BBC channels blocked under plans being considered by the government. The proposal comes as MPs prepare to debate scaling down licence fee evasion from a criminal matter to a civil one. The BBC has warned that removing criminal penalties will have an enormous effect on its funding.
BBC could be blocked to homes that do not pay licence fee
10. WENGER: IT WILL BE GAME OF THE SEASON
Arsene Wenger says today’s match against Chelsea, his 1,000th match as Arsenal boss, will be the “game of the season”. The Gunners are four points behind the Blues with a game in hand. Meanwhile, Manchester United’s Robin van Persie has been ruled out for up to six weeks with a sprained knee. He will miss both legs of Utd’s Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.
