1. DEVOLUTION PLAN FOR ENGLISH CITIES
George Osborne will today announce “radical” plans to devolve powers to “the great cities of England”. The Chancellor will be speaking in Manchester, which will be the first city to elect a mayor to run housing, policing and transport locally. He will say the dominance of London has led to an “unbalanced economy”.
Osborne plans 'revolution' in the way England is governed
2. BURUNDI PRESIDENT KEPT OUT AFTER COUP
The president of Burundi has tried and failed to get back into his country from a summit in Tanzania after his erstwhile ally General Godefroid Niyombare announced a coup in his absence. President Pierre Nkurunziza had dismissed the coup as “imaginary”. Burundi is ethnically divided between Tutsis and Hutus.
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EU cuts financial aid to Burundi as political crisis continues
3. LATEST LABOUR BIDS: COOPER AND BURNHAM
Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham have become the latest Labour big names to announce they will stand for the party leadership. Burnham is a former health secretary and currently shadows the post, while Cooper is shadow home secretary and held two cabinet posts during Gordon Brown’s time as PM.
Jeremy Corbyn is a 'disaster', says Stephen Hawking
4. TERROR-RELATED ARRESTS AT RECORD HIGH
A record 338 people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences last year, with more than half related to Syria, Scotland Yard has said. More than 700 potential terror suspects have now travelled to Syria and hundreds have returned to the UK. There have been calls for suspects to be sent on 'deradicalisation' programmes.
5. UKIP MAN REPENTS OVER 'SNARLING' FARAGE
Ukip election strategist, economics spokesman Patrick O'Flynn, has backed down after attacking leader Nigel Farage, calling him a "snarling, thin-skinned, aggressive" man who risked turning the party into a "personality cult". However, he later described him "my political hero" and said he wanted him to stay Ukip leader.
Nigel Farage: I could lead Ukip again
6. JOHNNY DEPP’S DOGS ‘ON DEATH ROW’
Johnny Depp has been given 50 hours to get his Yorkshire terriers out of Australia, after he “snuck” them in on a private jet, or face having them put down. Agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce said it was “time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the US”. Depp is filming a Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Johnny Depp's Yorkshire terriers 'on death row' in Australia
7. ITV STAFF HOLD 24-HOUR STRIKE OVER PAY
Staff at broadcaster ITV are to hold a 24-hour strike in protest at a two per cent pay rise offer which they say does not properly reflect the company’s recently-announced 39% rise in profits. Management insisted it was “confident” that viewers would not notice the effect of the strike by NUJ and Bectu members.
ITV strike: will viewers notice a difference?
8. HARRY SHEARER QUITS THE SIMPSONS
Harry Shearer, who voiced some of the main characters in The Simpsons, is to quit the show after more than 25 years. Shearer provided the voices of Ned Flanders, Mr Burns, his assistant Wayland Smithers and Principal Skinner. Shearer hinted at a contract dispute in a tweet announcing his departure.
Goodbye Mr Burns: Harry Shearer to leave The Simpsons
9. CARNEY REJECTS PRODUCTIVITY CLAIM
Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, has rejected claims that an influx of cheap foreign labour has damaged the UK economy by stopping companies from becoming more productive. However, UK productivity has fallen since the economic crisis and Carney said it had to improve if the economy was to move forward.
10. BRIEFING: EL NINO AND EXTREME WEATHER
Meteorologists are predicting that this year's El Nino event will be "substantial" and is likely to lead to extreme weather events around the world. "This is a proper El Nino effect, it's not a weak one," said David Jones, manager of climate monitoring and prediction at the Bureau of Meteorology. The event, which is already underway and could strengthen as early as September, has the potential to cause a colder winter in Europe.
El Nino: what is it and why might this year's be the 'worst ever'?
