Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 8 Aug 2018

1. Burka row: May tells Johnson to apologise

Theresa May has called on Tory MP Boris Johnson to apologise for calling the burka and niqab “weird” and “ridiculous” in a newspaper article about proposals to ban face-covering veils in public places. Tory peer Lord Sheikh has urged the party to expel Johnson over the article in The Daily Telegraph, in which the former foreign secretary said that women wearing them look like “letterboxes” and “bank robbers” but argued against a ban.

2. One in four HS2 employees earning six figures

Almost a quarter of the 1,346 people employed on the new high-speed rail link between London and the North are earning six figures in wages and perks, despite Government promises to keep a tight grip on the cost of the controversial project, The Times reports. The number of HS2 employees paid more than £100,000 has more than doubled since 2015-16.

3. Tesla shares spike as Musk vows to go private

Tesla boss Elon Musk has announced that he has funding in place to take the electric car company private. Shares in the firm rose 7% on the news, before trading was temporarily suspended. Musk has been under pressure from investors over his irascible behaviour online, including calling a diver involved in the rescue of 12 boys from a cave in Thailand a “paedo”.

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4. William and May mark Battle of Amiens centenary

Prince William and Theresa May are among dignitaries attending commemoration ceremonies in France marking the centenary of the Battle of Amiens, which was the beginning of the end of the First World War. Improved tactics and new equipment, including tanks, were used by British troops in an attack known as the Hundred Days Offensive.

5. Kellogg’s and KFC broke junk food ad rules, says watchdog

The Advertising Standard Authority has told Kellogg’s and KFC to remove adverts that promoted their junk food to children despite strict rules against the practice. Kellogg’s advertised its Coco Pops on TV during a Mr Bean cartoon deemed likely to have been watched by minors, while KFC advertised its food on a phone box near a school.

6. Prisoners smuggle fillet steak and fish into jail

The latest contraband to be smuggled into Thorn Cross open prison in Cheshire is not the usual mobile phones or drugs: instead, prisoners are requesting and receiving fillet stake and fresh fish from outside, amid frustration over poor quality food and small portions in jail. A prison watchdog says vegetables are also being smuggled in.

7. Dina Asher-Smith sets new British 100m record

Athlete Dina Asher-Smith won gold in the 100m at the European Championships yesterday and set a new British record in the process, with a time of 10.85 seconds. Pundit Denise Lewis said: “Her feet were like pistons out of the blocks. It was sensational.” British athlete Zharnel Hughes won gold in the men’s 100m, with a time of 9.95 seconds, at the championships in Berlin.

8. Peru: ten killed by contaminated food at funeral

At least ten people have died in Peru after eating contaminated food at a funeral in a remote region in the Andes. A total of around 50 mourners fell ill following the wake in San Jose de Ushua on Monday, including the mayor of the village. The authorities say the food was contaminated with organophosphates, a group of chemicals use in some pesticides.

9. Shops urged to open up toilets for public use

The British Toilet Association is urging businesses to let the public use their toilets – and to display a sticker offering their use – as part of a new campaign, called Use Our Loos, aimed at combating the shortage of public facilities. There are a third fewer public toilets in the country now than there were in 2000, with cash-strapped local councils shutting them to cut costs.

10. Briefing: how to survive five terrifying scenarios

One of the more curious repercussions of the UK’s heatwave appears to be an increase in reports of snake sightings.

Those terrifying encounters have prompted advice from experts on what to do should an uninvited reptile show up in your bed or other nearby spaces.

Here are more tips on how to survive near-death experiences.

How to survive five terrifying scenarios: from falling lifts to snakes in your bed