1. Private schools in crisis as state sector improves
Hundreds of private schools could be forced out of business as rising standards in the state sector allow middle-class parents to avoid high fees, according to Lord Lucas, publisher of The Good Schools Guide. Lucas, who offers advice to parents seeking top schools, said that the UK is starting to “get a serious bleed out of the independent system".
2. Taiwan earthquake kills at least seven
A deadly earthquake has toppled buildings in the south Taiwanese city of Tainan, killing at least seven people. Among the dead are a 10-day-old baby and young girl, a 55-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man, according to reports. President Ma Ying-jeou promised an "all-out effort" to rescue people when he arrived in the city.
3. Labelling misleads shoppers on factory farm meat
Supermarkets are misleading shoppers with meat labels depicting images of outdoor farm life for products which actually came from factory farms. Millions of pigs and chickens from factory farms are slaughtered each week to supply British consumers with cheap meat. The Times reveals that retailers conceal the source of many products by using images on the labels of idyllic country scenes with animals roaming free.
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4. Leading UK firms unprepared for a Brexit
Top UK businesses are not ready for Brexit, says the Financial Times this morning. The boards of many of Britain’s top firms have made no plans for a possible Brexit even as polls show rising public support for leaving the European Union. Only four FTSE 100 companies — Easyjet, Persimmon, GKN and Standard Life — told the paper they were engaged in detailed planning for such a scenario.
5. Alien-believing moon astronaut dies in Florida
US astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the Moon, has died aged 85. His family said he passed away at a hospice in West Palm Beach, Florida. Mitchell spent more than nine hours on the Moon's surface in 1971. He said he had had an "epiphany" in space and believed that aliens had visited Earth.
6. Corbyn team touts McDonnell as future party leader
Jeremy Corbyn’s allies are touting John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, as Labour’s next leader if there is a snap leadership contest before the next election. Ken Livingstone said that Mr McDonnell, 64, was the obvious candidate if the current Labour leader is “pushed under a bus”. Corbyn will be 71 by the time of the 2020 election and reportedly never expected to win the leadership.
7. Former RBS coterie now runs challenger bank sector
Five of the “challenger banks” charged with rehabilitating Britain’s finance industry after the 2008 crash are run by former executives of RBS who were serving under Fred Goodwin in the run-up to its collapse. The Independent says that the former RBS coterie – who together run half of all the “challengers” – carry disproportionate weight in the sector’s dealings with the government.
8. Met commissioner is 'dead man walking' over Bramall
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has been described as a “dead man walking” as he faces calls to resign over his handling of the Lord Bramall case. He will be summoned before MPs to be quizzed over the “inexplicable” delays in contacting witnesses which meant that false child abuse claims against Lord Bramall hung over his head for almost a year.
9. Sleeping sea lion found in restaurant booth
A hungry sea lion has been rescued after being discovered in a restaurant in the US city of San Diego. Employees found the eight-month-old female pup asleep in a booth. It was severely underweight and dehydrated. She was taken to SeaWorld's Animal Rescue Centre, where it is hoped she will recover. Sea lions' food supply has been hit by the El Nino weather pattern.
10. Jose Mourinho has held talks with Man Utd
Manchester United have held talks with representatives of ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, according to reports this morning. The 53-year-old Portuguese man, sacked by the Blues in December, hopes to succeed the troubled Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford. Today, the top two meet in the lunchtime kickoff, as leaders Leicester travel to Man City.
