Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 28 Mar 2018

1. Bottle and can deposit scheme to fight waste

A bottle and can deposit scheme will be introduced in England, after a consultation period, the Government says. The scheme – which will apply to plastic, glass and metal – is intended to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment. Environment Secretary Michael Gove warned plastic is “degrading our most precious habitats”.

2. Nato expels staff over Skripal poisoning

Nato has announced it is taking diplomatic action against Russia over the poisoning in Salisbury of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The organisation is reducing the size of its mission from 30 to 20 staff and removing accreditation from seven Russian staff. It will also reject three pending applications from Russians.

3. Kim Jong Un visit to China confirmed

It was rumoured yesterday that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un had arrived secretly in Beijing for his first foreign visit since becoming leader in 2011. Now China and North Korea have confirmed that Kim is indeed in China, releasing video showing the Supreme Leader with his wife, posing with China’s President Xi Jinping.

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4. Johnson made to apologise for sexism

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was rebuked by the Speaker in the Commons yesterday and made to apologise for “sexist” language for calling his Labour shadow, Emily Thornberry, ‘Lady Nugee’. Thornberry is married to Sir Christopher Nugee but has never used the title. Theresa May has been told off for the same offence previously.

5. Britain’s youngest councillor found dead

The youngest local councillor in the UK, Clarissa Slade, has been found dead in her university hall of residence, the cause of death still not known. The 21-year-old, who was 18 when she was elected as a Conservative councillor for Mid Devon District Council in 2015, was studying Classical Studies at the University of Winchester.

6. Megabus told to stop £1 fare claims

Budget coach company Megabus has been told it may no longer advertise fares “from £1”. An investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority, prompted by complaints, found that as few as one seat per bus journey was available at that price. The company said it would no longer focus on prices in future promotions.

7. Guns stolen from police vault in Compton

Police in the Lost Angeles district of Compton, notorious for gang violence, are offering a reward after 31 handguns were removed from one of their storage vaults. The 23 Beretta .40-calibre weapons and eight Glock .40-calibre pistols had been stored in a vault at the City Hall since the town’s police force was disbanded in 2000.

8. ‘Enormous’ wildcat found in Scottish forest

A project monitoring native wildcats in Scotland has photographed the biggest such animal ever recorded. Nicknamed The Beast, the cat is four foot long from nose to tail and was captured on a camera trap. Researcher Kev Bell of Wildcat Haven told the BBC: “I couldn’t believe my eyes… he is enormous, a magnificent animal.”

9. ‘Bite-gate’ – which actress bit Beyonce?

Pop fans on social media are united in asking one question this morning: who bit Beyonce? Actor Tiffany Haddish started the rumour by telling GQ she once met the singer at a party in LA, shortly after she had been bitten on the face by another actor. Implying the biter was a woman, Haddish refused to identify her in public.

10. Briefing: the UK porn block

There is growing concern that a large number of Brits could be caught unawares when a new age verification scheme for watching pornography online comes into force later this year.

A new survey has found two thirds of UK adults (66%) did not realise the nationwide scheme was being rolled out as part of the government’s flagship Digital Economy Act, even though it is estimated to impact as many as 35 million people.

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