Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 7 May 2016
- 1. Zac attacked after Khan is elected London mayor
- 2. Towns set to ban second home purchases
- 3. Pope tells Europe to tear down walls for migrants
- 4. UN envoy discovers dozens of mass IS graves
- 5. Gove says Cameron will have to act quickly after Brexit
- 6. Britain could roast in 80F temperatures within weeks
- 7. Israeli petitions court for restraining order against God
- 8. Report reveals extent of food-price drops
- 9. Man buried under tonnes of cheese survives
- 10. Cameroon footballer dies after collapsing on pitch
1. Zac attacked after Khan is elected London mayor
Sadiq Khan has been elected the new Mayor of London, beating Tory Zac Goldsmith by 1, 310,143 votes to 994,614. Goldsmith, who has been attacked for a “divisive” campaign, even faced criticism from fellow senior Tories for his “appalling strategy” and his sister Jemima, who said her brother’s campaign did not reflect him.
2. Towns set to ban second home purchases
Villages and towns across the UK are preparing to ban the sale of new houses as second homes, following the lead taken by St Ives in Cornwall. However, The Times says that ministers intend to oppose the ban. Residents of the former fishing village voted by a majority of four to one to require all new housing to be sold as the buyer’s principal residence under a legally binding covenant.
3. Pope tells Europe to tear down walls for migrants
The Pope has told Europe to tear down its walls and give migrants a warm welcome. In a speech at the Vatican, attended by Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, the Pope issued a stern warning to Europe not to build barriers against outsiders, saying: “I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime.”
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4. UN envoy discovers dozens of mass IS graves
The UN says more than 50 mass graves have so far been found in regions of Iraq previously controlled by Islamic State. Envoy Jan Kubis said that it was "evidence of the heinous crimes" IS had committed. The graves were discovered in recent months as territory has been re-captured from the group. Kubis said the international community should "take steps to ensure the accountability" of IS members.
5. Gove says Cameron will have to act quickly after Brexit
Michael Gove says that David Cameron will be forced to protect Britain’s borders and national security in the wake of a Brexit. The justice secretary told the Daily Telegraph that the Prime Minister would have to "instantly" enact new laws to stop the influence of “rogue” European courts and allow the immediate deportation of terrorists.
6. Britain could roast in 80F temperatures within weeks
There is good news on the weather front as temperatures are tipped to hit 79F (26C) in the next 72 hours and long-range forecasts promise three months of hot weather. Britain could finally be treated to the much-vaunted barbecue summer with thermometers predicted to soar into the 80Fs within weeks. If predictions are proved correct, this summer could beat the record scorcher of 1976.
7. Israeli petitions court for restraining order against God
An Israeli man has asked a court for a restraining order against God, claiming the almighty has been especially unkind to him and that the police are unable to do anything. The man represented himself at a court hearing in Haifa, the port city in the north of Israel. Local media reports noted that God was not present to defend himself.
8. Report reveals extent of food-price drops
The fall in the cost of food in the UK is laid bare today with the revelation that
Tesco and Sainsbury’s have cut the price of a basket of basic household goods by 12%-13% over the past four years. The Guardian reports that eggs have fallen from around £1.48 for six to just 85p. Its investigation found that almost every food item in its basket of goods has fallen in price over the past four years.
9. Man buried under tonnes of cheese survives
A worker found himself in a pickle when he was trapped beneath 55,000 tonnes of cheese. Relatives and colleagues cheered as the warehouse worker emerged unscathed after more than eight hours trapped underneath the blocks of Cheddar and Red Leicester. Forklift truck driver Tomasz Wiszniewski had been feared dead after the shelves collapsed.
10. Cameroon footballer dies after collapsing on pitch
Dinamo Bucharest’s Cameroonian midfielder Patrick Ekeng has died aged 26 of a suspected heart attack after collapsing on the pitch. He fell in the 70th minute of a televised Romanian league match between Dinamo and Viitorul. Meanwhile, Leicester City will hold their Premier League title parade on Monday, 16 May - the day after their final match of the season at Chelsea.
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