Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 9 May 2018

1. European powers try to save Iran deal as Trump pulls out

Britain, Germany and France are scrambling to save the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran after US President Donald Trump decided to quit the deal and resume sanctions on the Middle Eastern state. Iran says it will will negotiate with the other signatories but warns that it may restart its nuclear programme “in the coming weeks” if the deal cannot be salvaged.

2. Lords defeat means ‘single market vote’ for MPs

A shock defeat for the Government in the House of Lords yesterday means Theresa May must give MPs a vote on whether the UK should stay in the European Economic Area - effectively a vote on remaining in the customs union, according to commentators. Labour peers had been whipped to abstain from an amendment on the EEA but 83 rebelled.

3. Pay for petrol at pump ‘to avoid obesity’

One of the UK’s leading obesity experts has suggested paying for petrol at the pump as a way to avoid the disease – because drivers will not then be faced with a tempting array of snacks in forecourt shops. Appearing before the Commons Health Select Committee yesterday, Professor Susan Jebb also proposed banning junk food from sale at supermarket checkouts.

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4. Ballot opens for Stephen Hawking memorial

A ballot has opened to give 1,000 members of the public the opportunity to attend a memorial service for Professor Stephen Hawking in Westminster Abbey. The scientist’s daughter, Lucy, said she wanted to give her father’s admirers the chance to attend. Hawking’s funeral was held on 31 March in a Cambridge church.

5. Scots drug users ‘have biggest appetite for cocaine’

A global study of 130,000 recreational drug users has found that Scotland has the highest consumption of cocaine per user per session. The average user north of the border consumes about 1.2 grams in an average session - more than double the rest of the world. The 2018 Global Drug Survey also found that cocaine can be delivered more quickly than pizza in Glasgow.

6. London ‘best city for students’ despite costs

The English capital has been ranked the best city in the world for students, in an annual survey by higher education data analysts QS. Montreal and Paris are previous top-placed cities. While ranking poorly for affordability, London was praised for its culture and high diversity and tolerance, which make students feel welcome.

7. Osteoporosis drug may be ‘cure’ for baldness

Researchers have discovered that a drug originally developed for osteoporosis may hold the key to curing baldness. Lab experiments conducted by scientists at Manchester University show that the drug, Way-316606, inhibits a protein, SFRP1, that can stop hair growing. The next step is a human trial.

8. Zambia university regrets ‘half-naked’ warning

The University of Zambia has apologised for a poster put up in its library by staff that told female students they should no longer “dress half-naked” because they were “disturbing the male students” and advised them: “Modesty is the way to go!” In its apology, the university said all female students should “feel comfortable” using the library.

9. Briefing: vanilla ice cream off the menu after price hikes

Britain’s ice-cream industry is being hit by a global shortage of vanilla that has seen the price of the spice soar to record highs over the past two years.

At approximately $700 (£515) per kilogram, vanilla is worth more than its weight in silver, The Independent reports, and is now the second-most expensive spice in the world after saffron.

Vanilla ice cream off the menu as price hikes hit makers

10. Party on, middle-aged dudes: new Bill and Ted film

Actors Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter have signed up to make the long-rumoured third Bill and Ted film, almost 30 years after the original, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The new movie, Bill and Ted Face the Music, will catch up the with the former slacker teenager heroes as they negotiate middle age. The original writers are returning.