1. Andrea Leadsom denies 'motherhood advantage' claim
Andrea Leadsom says she is "disgusted" by an article in The Times saying she suggested being a mother gave her an advantage over Tory leadership rival Theresa May. The report quoted Leadsom as saying having children gives "a very real stake in the future of our country", but the she later tweeted that the way the interview was reported was "the exact opposite of what I said".
2. Chilcot: will MPs impeach Tony Blair over Iraq?
MPs are examining a plan to put Tony Blair “on trial” in the Houses of Parliament for his role in taking Britain to war in Iraq. SNP leader Alex Salmond is spearheading the investigation into whether the former prime minister can be impeached and forced to account for his actions in front of MPs and peers. Sources close to Salmond said: “We will have more on this next week.”
3. 'Bomb material' found at Dallas suspect's home
Police searching the home of the Dallas shooting suspect say they have found bomb-making material, rifles, ammunition and a combat journal. Five police officers were killed and seven wounded by gunfire during a protest on Thursday against the shooting of black men by police. The suspect, Micah Johnson, died after a long stand-off with police in central Dallas.
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4. Overdraft fees '12 times higher than payday loans'
Banks’ overdraft charges are exceeding the cost of payday loans, according to a consumer group. Banks are charging consumers more than 12 times the cost of a payday loan for an unarranged overdraft, sparking anger from MPs. “Consumers need to know what they are being charged for their banks accounts, especially their overdrafts,” said Andrew Tyrie.
5. British Army list ban on women combat soldiers
The British Army has lifted its ban on women soldiers in close combat, including the special forces. The announcement, which will horrify traditionalists and thrill modernisers, enables women to fight in tanks from November and sign up to the infantry, the Royal Marines and the RAF Regiment by the end of 2018. David Cameron said it was “vital that our armed forces… reflect the society we live in”.
6. Stephen Crabb 'sent suggestive messages to young woman'
Stephen Crabb MP, who ran in the Tory leadership contest, sent suggestive messages to a young woman, reports The Times. Crabb, a devout Christian and married father of two who ran on a family values ticket, had a series of flirtatious and sexually charged exchanges with the woman on WhatsApp during the run-up to the EU referendum.
7. Commuter delight over u-turn on rail refunds
Commuters hit by regular rail delays of just a few minutes could be entitled to a full refund on the price of their tickets after a government u-turn. According to rail bosses, travellers could claim total repayments of up to £3.5bn a year under reforms to the compensation system. Previously passengers could only claim for a delay that saw a train run at least 30 minutes late.
8. Councils drop court cases over term-time holidays
Several local councils in England have dropped court cases against parents over term-time holidays. The moves follow a recent court victory by Jon Platt, who refused to pay a fine after taking his daughter on a family holiday during term time. In the wake of that verdict, councils have dropped cases, six have suspended issuing fines and 12 others were reviewing their policies.
9. North Korea 'fires submarine-launched missile'
North Korea has fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile, according to South Korea's military. The South's defence ministry claimed that the SLBM missile was launched at around 11.30am Seoul time (3.30am UK time) in waters east of the Korean peninsula. The North's foreign ministry recently called US sanctions against it "the worst hostility and an open declaration of war".
10. Andy Murray through to his third Wimbledon final
Britain's Andy Murray has reached his third Wimbledon final. He beat Tomas Berdych in straight sets to reach Sunday’s decider, where he will face Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic. Murray saw off Czech 10th seed Berdych 6-3 6-3 6-3. The 29-year-old Scot overtakes Fred Perry in reaching an 11th major final - a new record for a British man.
