Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 28 Jun 2018

1. May to tell EU bosses that Brexit plan is progressing

Theresa May will tell EU leaders at a working dinner in Brussels tonight that her government is moving closer to deciding what sort of Brexit it wants. Irish leader Leo Varadkar contradicted that claim last night, however, saying that there was a “disappointing” lack of progress. Varadkar said he expected the EU heads to warn May that talks must “intensify”.

2. Military tackles blaze on Saddleworth Moor

Around 100 soldiers and an RAF helicopter have joined firefighters to help battle the huge blaze raging on Saddleworth Moor in Greater Manchester. The fire, which started on Sunday, is now seven square miles across and could take weeks to put out, firefighters said. A total of 34 homes have been evacuated, but authorities fear a change in wind direction could put lives in danger.

3. Watchdog gets tough with hotel booking sites

The Competition and Markets Authority has said that hotel booking websites must stop making misleading claims about discounts and giving users a false impression of room availability and urgency. The watchdog did not name companies but is believed to have been referring to Booking.com, Expedia, Late Rooms and others.

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4. Trump begins search for Supreme Court judge

US President Donald Trump has begun the search for a new Supreme Court judge to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is stepping down after 30 years. Kennedy was conservative but often voted with more liberal colleagues. Those on the political left and centre are deeply worried about who Trump will choose a replacement.

5. England fans arrive in Kaliningrad for Belgium match

England football fans are arriving in Kaliningrad in Russia to see the national team take on Belgium in their match at 7pm UK time tonight. Attendance by England supporters is up following two convincing victories, against Tunisia and Panama. If tonight’s match is a draw, the leaders will be decided by fair-play records, with England ahead.

6. China tells US: ‘We won’t give up one inch’

China’s President Xi Jinping has told US Defence Secretary James Mattis that he will not give up “even one inch” of territory, referring to China’s claim on islands in the South China Sea. Xi added that China had peaceful intentions. Mattis, who is on a three-day visit to the Asian superpower, said their meeting had been “very, very good”.

7. Michael Jackson’s father dies at 89

Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the musical family, has died of cancer at the age of 89. Tributes have been muted, with Jackson widely perceived as having dominated his children to the point of abuse. Michael Jackson, the most successful of his children, distanced himself from his father after reaching adulthood. Other say his discipline made the Jackson Five.

8. Police give up hunt for ‘Putney pusher’ jogger

Police in London say they have exhausted all lines of inquiry to find a male jogger who pushed a woman into the path of a bus last year. The victim fell backwards into the road on London’s Putney Bridge, with her head inches from the front wheel of the No. 430 bus and was only saved by the driver’s quick reflexes. Three men were arrested but released without charge following the incident on 5 May 2017.

9. Macron to reintroduce national service in France

French President Emmanuel Macron is to make good an election pledge by reintroducing national service, albeit in a modern form. French politicians are considering a plan that would impose a one-month mandatory placement – either civil or military – for all 16-year-olds, who would also be able to opt to serve an additional three-month voluntary period.

10. Briefing: how a bionic penis works

A British man born without a penis has been been fitted with a bionic version.

Andrew Wardle successfully underwent the final stage of a £50,000 penis implant operation at London’s University College Hospital on Friday and “has been given the all-clear to finally lose his virginity” once a two-month recovery period is up, says the Daily Mail.

How a bionic penis works