1. Obama criticised for 'back of queue' EU intervention
Barack Obama has warned that the UK would be at the “back of the queue” in trade deals with the US if the country chose to leave the EU. However, the US president has come under fire for his intervention. UKIP's Nigel Farage said Obama was "talking down Britain", while Tory Liam Fox said the outgoing president’s views were "irrelevant".
2. Tony Blair offers services to Kazakh president
Tony Blair has offered his firm's services to a "dictator" for £5.3m a year, the Daily Mail reports today. The papers claims the former prime minister made a “shameless" sales pitch to Nursultan Nazarbayev, offering the Kazakh president his “unique personal experience and insights”. The regime is accused of routinely torturing citizens and massacring 15 defenceless protesters in 2011.
3. Councils urge restaurants to offer water freely
Restaurants should offer free tap water to families eating out rather than waiting for customers to ask for it, says the Local Government Association. Councils, which have responsibility for public health, want restaurants to do their bit to tackle childhood obesity. The LGA says its proposal would mean diners were offered a healthy alternative to sugary drinks.
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4. Prince's death was not suicide, says sheriff
There is "no reason to believe" that Prince's death was suicide, a sheriff has said after a post-mortem examination. Sheriff Jim Olson, of the Minnesota county where the singer had his home, added that there were no signs of trauma on the body, suggesting the pop legend had died alone. He refused to comment on reports that the star had been taking a powerful painkiller before his death.
5. Wives 'become less stressed after husbands die'
A new study claims that wives become less stressed after their husbands die. Researchers at the University of Padova said that although the presence of a wife may bring benefits for men in terms of household management and healthcare, women are "more likely to feel stressed and find their role restrictive and frustrating".
6. Artist Turner to feature on £20 banknote
Legendary British painter JMW Turner is to be the face of the new £20 note, following a nationwide vote. The list of candidates included Alfred Hitchcock, Alexander McQueen, Derek Jarman, Laura Ashley, Francis Bacon, William Morris and Vanessa Bell. The outcome of the vote means Turner will be the first artist to appear on a British banknote.
7. Curry crisis as immigration rules freeze out chefs
Curry restaurants are facing a crisis as immigration rules shut out chefs. There are fears that a third of the industry could close after around 600 curry houses shut in the last 18 months. The shortage of chefs means they command increasingly high wages. The owner of the Britannia Spice in Edinburgh says a chef’s pay packet has doubled in the last two years to around £750 a week.
8. Celebrations for Shakespeare's 400th anniversary
Actors and performers are marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death at events across the UK this weekend. David Tennant will host a televised celebration from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Dame Judi Dench, who will perform at the gala, has described Shakespeare as "the man who paid the rent".
9. Nigel Farage may rebrand Ukip as online organisation
Nigel Farage is considering a plan to overhaul Ukip and rebrand it as a wider, online organisation like the Italian movement Five Star. Leading party figures want to radically reform the structure of Ukip and alter its policymaking process after the EU referendum in June. Leading party donor Arron Banks said earlier this year that there was a case for “disbanding” or “rebranding” Ukip.
10. Ranieri: it's now or never for Leicester championship
Claudio Ranieri believes it is "now or never" for Leicester City to win the Premier League. The Foxes are five points clear of Tottenham at the top of the table with four games remaining. "We need eight points and we are champions, and we try to do this,” he told the BBC. “I said to my players that now is the right moment to push." Everton play Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final today.
