Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 1 May 2017
- 1. Theresa May 'damned' by leaks from Juncker meeting
- 2. MPs say social networks 'shameful' on online hate
- 3. Labour promises 'rights revolution' for renters
- 4. Debt-ridden courier took his life after bailiffs visit
- 5. Defector says hundreds of Brits fighting with Islamic State
- 6. Blair expects 'bucket of wotsit' as he returns to politics
- 7. Wimbledon to raise tennis prize due to sterling's slump
- 8. Dorset man shot dead by intruders is named
- 9. Trump adviser quits over links to far-right groups
- 10. Mild winter and early spring see moth levels soar
1. Theresa May 'damned' by leaks from Juncker meeting
Theresa May has insisted that she is "not in a different galaxy" from her EU counterparts after Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, warned that talks could collapse because of the gulf between London and EU on key issues. However, The Economist describes leaked details of a meeting between May and Juncker as "absolutely damning" of the Prime Minister.
2. MPs say social networks 'shameful' on online hate
Social media companies are "shamefully far" from tackling online hate and should be fined for failing to remove illegal or harmful material, say MPs. A Home Affairs Select Committee report found that hate speech, terror recruitment videos and sexual images of children all took too long to be removed by websites. Last week, the NSPCC called for fines for social networks which failed to protect children.
3. Labour promises 'rights revolution' for renters
Labour says it will lead a "consumer rights revolution" for renters in England if it wins the general election. Any landlord who fell short of new "tougher" minimum standards would face fines of up to £100,000, the party said. Shadow housing secretary John Healey said the proposals would mean renters could "call time on bad landlords" and ensure homes were "fit for human habitation".
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4. Debt-ridden courier took his life after bailiffs visit
A debt-ridden courier committed suicide shortly after bailiffs clamped the motorcycle that was essential to his work, an inquest has heard. Jerome Rogers, 20, was being pursued over two £65 parking fines that had escalated to a debt of £1,019. Meanwhile, MPs have said that couriers and drivers for Uber and Deliveroo need full worker rights and not "bogus" self-employment status.
5. Defector says hundreds of Brits fighting with Islamic State
Up to 300 Britons are still fighting with Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, according to a recent defector from London. Stefan Aristidou said there are "somewhere between 250-300" British IS fighters in the two countries. The 23-year-old described life under the jihadists as "like a prison". His revelation comes amid growing concern the jihadists are plotting attacks on the UK.
6. Blair expects 'bucket of wotsit' as he returns to politics
Tony Blair is returning to politics, he has told The Mirror. Speaking on the 20th anniversary of his landslide victory at the 1997 general election, the former PM said: "This Brexit thing has given me a direct motivation to get more involved in the politics. You need to get your hands dirty and I will." Blair said he expects "to get a bucket of wotsit poured all over me".
7. Wimbledon to raise tennis prize due to sterling's slump
Wimbledon will significantly increase prize money for this year’s tennis championships to take account of sterling’s fall. The precise figure will be announced on Wednesday but it is believed that the men’s and ladies’ champions will each earn more than £2m for the first time. The pound has fallen to $1.30 against the dollar since last summer's tennis fortnight.
8. Dorset man shot dead by intruders is named
A 61-year-old man shot dead by intruders at a house in Dorset has been named as Guy Hedger. Dorset Police, who were called to an address in Ringwood in the early hours of Sunday, said: "Guy was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead a short time later." Officers said a second person in the property at the time has been "deeply affected by the incident".
9. Trump adviser quits over links to far-right groups
An adviser to Donald Trump is leaving the White House after coming under pressure over his links to Hungarian far-right groups. Sebastian Gorka, a former counterterrorism analyst for Fox News, will be leaving the White House in the coming days. British born Gorka hit the headlines last month when he proposed a plan to partition Libya into three.
10. Mild winter and early spring see moth levels soar
Moth infestations are at record numbers because of the mild winter and early spring. Pest controllers say the number of call-outs to deal with moths more than doubled in February and March compared to 2016. The uncommonly high temperatures of recent months accelerated moths’ reproductive cycles, allowing the insects to produce three new generations of offspring in a year, says the Daily Telegraph.
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