Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 13 Jun 2018
- 1. Government avoids defeat on Brexit bill
- 2. North Korea says Trump will lift sanctions
- 3. Sorrell to earn £19m in bonuses from WPP
- 4. Backflip FBI agent charged over bar shooting
- 5. Petrol price ‘unjustifiable’, says the RAC
- 6. Uber driver ‘forced lesbian couple out of car’
- 7. Macedonia to change name to placate Greece
- 8. Tourists fall to death ‘while taking selfie’
- 9. Ten-year-old handbag sells for £162,500
- 10. Briefing: why are Africa’s baobab trees dying?
1. Government avoids defeat on Brexit bill
Theresa May has narrowly avoided a humiliating defeat over the Brexit bill, with MPs voting by 324 to 298 last night to back the Government. Tory rebels were placated at the eleventh hour by concessions from the prime minister. During a private meeting, May promised that the Commons will get a bigger say on the final Brexit deal.
2. North Korea says Trump will lift sanctions
North Korean state media has reported that US President Donald Trump “expressed his intention” to lift sanctions when he met Kim Jong Un in Singapore yesterday. Sanctions were not mentioned in the document that the two leaders signed, and Trump said after the historic summit that they would remain in place for the present.
3. Sorrell to earn £19m in bonuses from WPP
Sir Martin Sorrell, who left his job as chief executive of the world’s biggest advertising firm in mysterious circumstances earlier this year, is set to receive £19m in bonuses from WPP. Shareholder are expected to approve the payment at the firm’s AGM today. The BBC predicts that around 25% of the votes cast will oppose the move.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
4. Backflip FBI agent charged over bar shooting
An FBI agent who accidentally shot a bystander in a bar has been charged with second-degree assault. Mobile phone footage showed Chase Bishop performing a backflip in the bar in Denver on 2 June, causing his gun to fall onto the floor. In picking it up, he shot into the crowd, hitting a man. The 29-year-old turned himself in to police.
5. Petrol price ‘unjustifiable’, says the RAC
The RAC says the current price of petrol cannot be justified and should fall by 2p per litre immediately, to reflect recent falls in the wholesale cost of the fuel. Fuel prices have risen almost every day since April, despite wholesale costs dropping about 2.5p per litre since 24 May, according to the motorists’ group. Diesel prices are similar.
6. Uber driver ‘forced lesbian couple out of car’
An Uber driver in New York City has had his licence suspended by the ride-sharing app after he told a lesbian couple to get out of his car because they were kissing. Alex Iovine and Emma Pichl say they had a “peck” on the lips as they travelled from Brooklyn to Manhattan on Saturday, which Ahmad El Boutari said was “disrespectful”.
7. Macedonia to change name to placate Greece
The former Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia is to change its name after 27 years in order to end a diplomatic row with neighbouring Greece, which says the name infringes on its northern province of Macedonia. The country will now be the Republic of North Macedonia. In return, Greece will lift its objections to its neighbour joining Nato and the EU.
8. Tourists fall to death ‘while taking selfie’
A tourist couple, believed to be British and Australian, have fallen to their deaths in Portugal, apparently while trying to take a selfie at the top of a 130ft-high sea wall. Portuguese media say the couple died at the Praia dos Pescadores beach near Ericeira on the west coast. It is thought the pair fell while trying to retrieve their dropped phone.
9. Ten-year-old handbag sells for £162,500
A ten-year-old handbag sold in London yesterday has set an auction price record for Europe. The used Hermes Birkin bag went for £162,500, exceeding its top estimate of £150,000. The world auction record for a handbag is £253,700, for a Hermes Birkin that went under the hammer in Hong Kong last year.
10. Briefing: why are Africa’s baobab trees dying?
Despite typical lifespans of hundreds or even thousands of years, Africa’s baobab trees are dying off rapidly, according to a new study by ecologists.
Also known as upside-down trees, baobabs, with their distinctive bulbous trunks and spindly branches, are synonymous with the African bush, where the vast majority of them are found.
Why are Africa’s baobab trees dying?
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The biggest viral moments of 2024
In the Spotlight From Glasgow's Wonka-shambles to Moo Deng, these are the memes that went mainstream this year
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
What will happen in 2025? Predictions and events
The Explainer The new year could bring further chaos in the Middle East and an intensifying AI arms race – all under the shadow of a second Donald Trump presidency
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
4 tips to make your New Year's financial resolutions a success
The explainer Self-discipline alone may not do the trick
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 24, 2024
Daily Briefing Trump closes in on nomination with New Hampshire win over Haley, 'Oppenheimer' leads the 2024 Oscar nominations, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 23, 2024
Daily Briefing Haley makes last stand in New Hampshire as Trump extends polling lead, justices side with US over Texas in border fight, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 22, 2024
Daily Briefing DeSantis ends his presidential campaign and endorses Trump, the US and Arab allies push plan to end Gaza war, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 21, 2024
Daily Briefing Palestinian death toll reportedly passes 25,000, top Biden adviser to travel to Egypt and Qatar for hostage talks, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 20, 2024
Daily Briefing Grand jury reportedly convened to investigate Uvalde shooting response, families protest outside Netanyahu's house as pressure mounts for hostage deal, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 19, 2024
Daily Briefing Congress averts a government shutdown, DOJ report cites failures in police response to Texas school shooting, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 18, 2024
Daily Briefing Judge threatens to remove Trump from his defamation trial, medicine for hostages and Palestinians reach Gaza, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 17, 2024
Daily Briefing The US strikes Houthi targets in Yemen a third time, Trump's second sex defamation trial begins, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published