Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 1 Jun 2018

1. Widespread condemnation for Trump's 'illegal' tariffs

Donald Trump’s huge tariffs on steel and aluminium have been criticised by the EU, Canada, Mexico and top congressional Republicans. As affected nations planned tit-for-tat tariffs, French President Emmanuel Macron told the US President by phone that the move was "illegal" and that European Union will respond in a "firm and proportionate manner". UK trade secretary Liam Fox says the tariffs are "disappointing" and "absurd".

2. Stage set for populist government in Italy

Italy is set for a populist administration after law professor Giuseppe Conte agreed to take on the role of prime minister. Italian President Sergio Mattarella gave Conte a second mandate to form a populist government in the eurozone's third largest economy. Ministers will be drawn from both the anti-establishment Five Star and the right-wing League, bringing an end to four days of political and constitutional crisis.

3. Floods and fire crews and after heavy rain

Torrential rain and severe thunderstorms have caused flooding and travel disruption in large parts of the UK. Fire crews are being called out to flooded homes as river levels rise and airlines have been forced to cancel flights. A Met Office amber warning - meaning a potential risk to life - was in force across Wales and the south west of England overnight.

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4. 'Hypocritical' Tories accepted Russian donation after Skripal

The Conservatives accepted a £50,000 donation from a former Kremlin aide’s wife on the same day Theresa May blamed Moscow for the Skripal poisoning, reports the Mirror. Lubov Chernukhin’s husband is the former deputy finance minister of Vladimir Putin. Labour and the Liberal Democrats described the acceptance of the payment as "hypocrisy". The Kremlin has denied involvement in the poisoning.

5. 'Holy grail' blood test could be cancer game-changer

A blood test for 10 types of cancers could eventually allow doctors to screen for the disease before patients show symptoms. The liquid biopsy test screens for cancer by detecting traces of DNA released by cancer cells into blood. It is hoped the test, described as a "holy grail" by one expert, will become part of a "universal screening" to detect cancer in patients.

6. Many infants start school 'unable to speak or use toilet'

The head of Ofsted will say today that children are starting their school years unable to speak properly, dress themselves or even use the toilet. Speaking to nursery leaders, Amanda Spielman will encourage daycare staff to step in and help children by teaching them basic skills. She will say the "family culture" for some youngsters means they do not have bedtime stories or nursery rhymes.

7. Ecuador warns Julian Assange not to break embassy conditions

The president of Ecuador has said Julian Assange’s asylum status in the country’s London embassy is under threat if he breaks conditions. Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Lenin Moreno said his government would "take a decision" if Assange didn’t comply with the restrictions, which prevent him from voicing political opinions or intervening in the politics of other countries.

8. Jamie Oliver slammed for using animated monster as PR

Jamie Oliver has been criticised for using an animated creature to promote a 436-calorie muffin while campaigning against cartoon characters encouraging children to eat junk food. After he called for the end of the use of cartoon characters such as Tony the Tiger, the Frosties mascot, he released a Facebook video featuring the Furi Moshi monster character to encourage children to bake muffins.

9. Muslim group wants test case for Tory Islamophobia

Muslim leaders want a Tory MP who shared a fake story from an anti-Muslim website to be made a test case for how the party deals with Islamophobia. Bob Blackman shared a tweet by the notorious website ShankhNaad, which read: "BREAKING: Hindu woman Tina Rajawat stabbed to death by her Muslim driver Naeem Khan for rejecting marriage proposal in #Udaipur! #LoveJihad."

10. Abramovich row puts Chelsea's new stadium on hold

Chelsea football club has halted plans to build a new stadium after owner Roman Abramovich withdrew his application to obtain a UK investor visa. The club announced that the £500m project had been put "on hold" because of the "current unfavourable investment climate". UK authorities are enforcing new and extensive checks on the sources of visa applicants’ wealth.