Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 26 Jul 2018

1. Juncker and Trump agree to lower trade tariffs

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and US President Donald Trump held a joint press conference in the White House yesterday after a bilateral summit. Trump said he had pledged to work towards zero tariffs on imports from the EU. Juncker agreed to more trade, including greater soy bean imports from the US.

2. Even Fox News objects to Trump’s CNN ban

Even Donald Trump’s favourite news network, Fox, has joined a chorus of protest after the US President’s press people banned a CNN reporter from a White House event because she had asked awkward questions at an earlier press call. Kaitlan Collins asked Trump why Vladimir Putin had not yet accepted his invitation to visit the US this autumn.

3. Dozens escape fire in block of flats in London

Prompting memories of the Grenfell Tower disaster last year, around 50 people had to be evacuated from a block of flats in West Hampstead, London, last night. Fire broke out shortly after 1am this morning in the five storey block on Inglewood Road. The BBC reported this morning the blaze was now under control, with 15 engines attending.

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4. Heatwave to be ‘new normal’ within 30 years

The current heatwave conditions experienced in Britain – said to be the most extreme since the summer of 1976 – could become the “new normal” within 30 years, the MPs of the cross-party environmental audit committee are warning. They predict 7,000 heat-related deaths in the UK every year by 2050, without action to limit climate change.

5. Rape defence of ‘outercourse’ causes anger

A US lawyer’s claim that his client was seeking “outercourse” with a woman he sexually assaulted, as opposed to intercourse, has caused anger. Attorney Eric Multhaup was appealing on behalf of former Stanford student Brock Turner, who was convicted of sexual assault and intent to rape an unconscious woman at the university in 2015.

6. Khan leads Pakistan election as count continues

Former cricketing star Imran Khan has taken an early lead as votes are counted in Pakistan’s general election – but it remains to be seen if his PTI party can secure a majority in parliament. Results are coming in slowly, prompting rivals to accuse PTI of organising vote rigging. Election officials insist that the delays are due only to technical issues.

7. Heatwave temperatures may break more records

The Met Office is now predicting temperatures of 35C on Thursday and 37C on Friday, in the south-east of England and London, edging towards a new all-time record. The hottest temperature ever recorded in the UK was 38.5C in August 2003. The last few weeks were the driest first half of a summer in the country since records began.

8. Facebook shares plummet on disappointing growth

Facebook’s share value fell by 20% on Wednesday after the social networking giant announced disappointing growth and revenue. At the end of June, Facebook had 2.23 billion active users, an increase of 11% on June 2017. This is the slowest annual growth the site has seen in more than two years. The site also expects revenue gains to slow.

9. Gary Lineker calls for second EU referendum

Gary Lineker, former footballer, has added his name to those calling for a second EU referendum, saying: “Some things in life are more important than football.” The 57-year-old pledged his support to the People’s Vote campaign, which is calling for another ballot. As a sports presenter, Linker is allowed by the BBC to voice an opinion.

10. Briefing: who is in charge of Brexit?

Theresa May has announced that she will take personal control of Brexit talks with EU negotiators, as the deadline to Britain’s exit from the bloc draws nearer.

The prime minister told Parliament yesterday that overall responsibility for the negotiations is being moved to the Cabinet Office - where a dedicated team reporting directly to May has “played an increasing role in Brexit talks during recent months”, says the BBC.

Who is in charge of Brexit?