Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 27 May 2018
- 1. North Korea's Kim Jong-un 'set on' Trump summit
- 2. Ireland 'steps into light' with historic abortion vote
- 3. Does electoral fund show government will stay in EU?
- 4. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe ‘to face new Iran trial'
- 5. MPs attack Royal Bank of Scotland over closures
- 6. RSPCA protests Gove's 'inhumane' badger-cull green light
- 7. May faces Tory revolt over Northern Ireland abortion
- 8. Government says 'time is right' for more national parks
- 9. Hugh volcano spewing in Hawaii dusts communities
- 10. Bale cheer and Karius misery in Champions League final
1. North Korea's Kim Jong-un 'set on' Trump summit
North Korean state media says it is leader Kim Jong-un's "fixed will" that a summit with Donald Trump in Singapore should go ahead. The US President cancelled the summit on Thursday, blaming the North's "hostility". However, following conciliatory messages from Pyongyang he has re-opened the door to the prospect. Meanwhile, leaders of North and South Korea have also agreed to "meet frequently".
2. Ireland 'steps into light' with historic abortion vote
The Republic of Ireland has voted overwhelmingly to overturn the abortion ban by 66.4% to 33.6%. Speaking after the result was confirmed, the country's prime minister Leo Varadkar said it marked the day Ireland "stepped out from under the last of our shadows and into the light". The only area to have voted to keep the ban was the county of Donegal.
3. Does electoral fund show government will stay in EU?
Eurosceptics believe that the government is secretly planning to stay in the European Union after the March 2019 deadline. The theory arose after it was revealed that Whitehall officials have set aside hundreds of thousands of pounds to spend on European Parliament elections in 2019. Iain Duncan Smith said: "It raises the question – are they planning for us not leaving the European Union?"
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4. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe ‘to face new Iran trial'
A detained British-Iranian aid worker sentenced to five years in jail in Iran is to face a second trial on new security charges, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. The head of Tehran’s revolutionary court, Musa Ghazanfarabadi, says Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe would be ordered "to present an attorney and then the court will convene". Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was first arrested in 2016.
5. MPs attack Royal Bank of Scotland over closures
MPs say that RBS has failed to appreciate the impact of its decision to close dozens of branches in Scotland. Describing the move as a "devastating blow”, the Scottish Affairs Committee urged the lender to pause plans to axe up to 62 branches. However, RBS said the closures are in response to the growing numbers of customers using mobile and online banking.
6. RSPCA protests Gove's 'inhumane' badger-cull green light
Animal welfare campaigners are furious after Michael Gove allowed farmers to kill badgers across England with a bounty of up to £50 for each corpse. The environment secretary is allowing badgers to be culled even in areas at low risk for the spread of bovine TB, the disease that farmers claim badgers are helping to spread. The RSCPA said culling badgers is inhumane, ineffective and costly.
7. May faces Tory revolt over Northern Ireland abortion
Theresa May is facing "open revolt" from senior Tory women over abortion, says The Sunday Times. After Ireland voted to lift a ban on terminations, Penny Mordaunt, the women and equalities minister, and her four predecessors urged the PM to allow a free vote in parliament to reform Northern Ireland’s strict abortion laws. Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormality are not considered legal grounds for a termination.
8. Government says 'time is right' for more national parks
Environment Secretary Michael Gove says England could get more national parks as he announces a review into the country's natural landscapes. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Gove said "the time is right" for a review, nearly 70 years on from the creation of the first national areas. England currently has 10 national parks including the New Forest and Dartmoor.
9. Hugh volcano spewing in Hawaii dusts communities
Summit explosions yesterday spurted ash from Kilauea volcano up to 11,000ft and "dusted" communities to the south-west. The Observer says the trio of explosions occurred during the fourth successive week of what experts rank as one of the biggest eruption cycles from the Big Island volcano in a century. The number of houses and other structures destroyed by lava flows in the island’s lower Puna district have reached 82.
10. Bale cheer and Karius misery in Champions League final
Gareth Bale scored a wonder goal to help Real Madrid overcome Liverpool and win their third successive Champions League title. While Bale starred, Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius endured a hellish match, making two mistakes. Liverpool had already been dealt the blow of losing top scorer Mohamed Salah midway through the first half. The victory sealed Real's record 13th win in this competition, and their fourth in five seasons.
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