1. George Osborne warns of fresh spending cuts
George Osborne is threatening further austerity cuts, reports the BBC. The chancellor warned that “storm clouds” over the global economy were holding Britain back and “our own economy is not as big as we had hoped”. He added: “We may need to undertake further reductions in spending because this country can only afford what it can afford and we will address that in the Budget.”
2. Boris u-turn over second referendum
Boris Johnson has dropped his claim that a vote to leave the EU would force Brussels to give Britain a better deal, saying: “Out is out.” The London mayor now rejects the argument that a “leave” vote could bring another round of talks and a second referendum on Britain’s EU membership. Asked if he had given up on the idea of a second referendum he said: “I don’t think it would be necessary.”
3. 'Unacceptable' rise in decaying teeth among children
Tens of thousands of young children have had decayed teeth removed in English hospitals over the last four years, according to new data. There have been 128,558 cases of children aged 10 and under needing one or more teeth out since 2011, says the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Professor Nigel Hunt of the Royal College of Surgeons said the overall 9.81% increase was "unacceptable".
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4. Trump's rivals plan attack on 'mafia connections'
Donald Trump’s rivals are planning to expose the tycoon’s history of hiring migrant workers, allegations that he conned thousands of people out of money and his reported links with mafia figures. Trump is in an increasingly strong position after three consecutive primary wins and the unexpected endorsement of Chris Christie yesterday.
5. Did Tony Blair 'con' Britain over immigration?
The Daily Mail claims that “conman” Tony Blair presided over a “silent conspiracy” to change the face of Britain for ever with mass immigration. According to the report, Blair’s ministers were quietly instructed to wave tens of thousands of asylum seekers into the UK under cover of their being ‘economic migrants’. The aim of allowing in millions of people was to make the country “see the benefit of a multicultural society,” according to a book serialised in the paper.
6. Syrian ceasefire comes into effect
The first significant truce in Syria's five-year civil war has come into effect. The "cessation of hostilities" began at midnight local time. The BBC says that early reports suggested that guns had fallen silent over major battlefields. However, although the UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that fighting had "calmed down", one breach is already being investigated.
7. Cheryl and Liam dating claim is questioned
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and One Direction's Liam Payne are secretly dating, according to The Sun. The paper claims the pair have been dating for months and that they even appear to have matching 'his and hers' tattoos. However, Payne’s fans on Twitter are questioning the accuracy of the story, pointing out that controversial reporter Dan Wootton erroneously claims the boyband singer is “northern”.
8. Verona to limit 'ethnic' restaurants
The Italian city of Verona is to limit the amount of “ethnic” restaurants. The city mayor said: “Thanks to this provision there will be no more openings of establishments that sell food prepared in a way that could impact the decorum of our city.” So-called “Unesco laws” are being considered in a number of Italy’s top tourist destinations as residents reportedly lose patience with immigrant-run take-out eateries.
9. House prices in biggest jump since 2002
House prices recorded their biggest monthly jump since 2002 in January, with a 2.5% increase, according to Land Registry figures. The £4,732 cash increase in the average property value compared with December pushed the average house price across England and Wales to £191,812. Across England and Wales as a whole, property values increased by 7.1% in the year to January.
10. Emma Watson: I joined sex-tips website
Actress Emma Watson has admitted that she has paid a subscription to an explicit website which offers tips on women’s sexual pleasure. The 25-year-old former Harry Potter said she had paid to sign up to OMGYES.com, which sells videos based on techniques from research into female pleasure. She said: “Definitely check it out.
“It's an expensive subscription but it's worth it.”