1. Johnson calls May’s customs plan ‘crazy’
Boris Johnson has said in a Daily Mail interview that Theresa May’s preferred option for the UK’s future customs relationship with the EU is “crazy” and would create a “whole new web of bureaucracy”. The foreign secretary is one of several top Brexiteers trying to persuade the prime minister to drop her “customs partnership” idea.
2. Armed siege in Oxford city centre ends
Police say an armed siege in the centre of Oxford has ended peacefully following overnight negotiations. Shots were fired yesterday from a property on Paradise Square, prompting officers to close off the immediate area. Armed response officers returned fire on the building and one person was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
3. Give millennials £10,000 each, says think tank
Every Briton would be given a “citizen’s inheritance” of £10,000 when they turn 25, under new recommendations from the Resolution Foundation think tank. The payment, suggested by a panel chaired by former Tory minister David Willetts, is intended to tackle the wealth gap between generations and reduce resentment towards so-called baby boomers.
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4. Rail fares to be rationalised and season tickets cut
The rail industry is to reduce the number of different types of tickets and season tickets available to passengers, admitting that they are not always offered the cheapest fare available thanks to anomalies such as split ticketing - when it is cheaper for passengers to buy several tickets for a single journey than one ticket. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, is to open a public consultation on fares.
5. Government targets wet wipes for plastic waste
The Government has announced plans to end the use of wet wipes that contain non-biodegradable plastic, either by “encouraging innovation” or by imposing a tax or charge for the single-use items. Theresa May said in January that she would eradicate “all avoidable plastic waste” by 2042 and is considering banning plastic drinks stirrers and straws.
6. Cannes Film Festival rings in the changes
The illustrious Cannes Film Festival is introducing several key changes to proceedings as it kicks off today. Advance preview screenings of films premiering at the festival will no longer be held for the press – and guests will not be allowed to take selfies on the red carpet. In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations, the festival is also setting up a helpline for women to report harassment.
7. Heatwave: normal service to resume this week
Britain’s record-breaking temperatures over the Bank Holiday weekend will be followed by more seasonal weather from tomorrow onwards, with temperatures hovering in the mid-teens, according to forecasters. Some parts of the country will enjoy 28C today, however, with southeast and central southern England getting the best of the weather.
8. Snooker champion gives naked press conference
Veteran snooker player Mark Williams was as good as his word yesterday, appearing naked – but for a towel – for a press conference. The 43-year-old Welshman was honouring a pledge he made to stress how unlikely he thought it was that he would win the World Championship. He is the oldest player in 40 years to claim the title.
9. Crowe names koala chlamydia ward after Oliver
British-born late-night US TV host John Oliver now has a chlamydia ward for koalas named after him, thanks to a spat with Russell Crowe. The Australian actor donated the money for the ward after Oliver bought Crowe’s jockstrap and other memorabilia in his recent “divorce auction”, and donated it to struggling video rental store Blockbuster in Alaska.
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