Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 17 Sep 2018

1. EU ‘to accept tech solution for Irish border’

EU Brexit negotiators are secretly preparing to accept a frictionless border for Ireland and Northern Ireland, with plans to use technology to control the flow of goods and people after the UK leaves the EU, The Times reports. The agreement will give Theresa May a “boost” and raises her chances of striking a Brexit deal by the end of 2018, the newspaper says.

2. Hopes fade for miners trapped by typhoon

At least 40 people are missing after a mountain collapsed on houses and a goldmine in the Philippines. The landslide was triggered by Typhoon Mangkhut, in which at least 65 people are confirmed to have died. Mangkhut made landfall on Saturday, with the strength of a category 5 hurricane.

3. Large minority of Brits think multiculturalism undermines UK

Four in ten Britons believe that multiculturalism has undermined British culture and that immigrants do not properly integrate, according to new research into attitudes to immigration. The survey also reveals that only 15% of people believe the Government has managed immigration competently and fairly.

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4. UK economic growth forecast downgraded

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has lowered its forecast for growth in the UK economy for 2018, from 1.3% to 1.1%. The prediction for 2019 has also been reduced, from 1.4% to 1.3%. The BCC also says that by 2020, the economy will have experienced its second-weakest decade on record, thanks in part to Brexit uncertainty.

5. Novichok ruled out after Russian falls ill in Salisbury

Police say there is “nothing to suggest” that novichok nerve agent is behind the illness of two people, one said to be Russian, who became unwell in a Prezzo restaurant in Salisbury on Sunday evening. Police say it is “not yet clear if a crime has been committed”. There were fears that the pair had been “exposed to an unknown substance”.

6. Australian strawberry sabotage spreads

Sabotage of strawberries has been reported in six states and territories of Australia, according to latest reports. A man was taken to hospital after biting into a strawberry that contained a sewing needle, and needles have been found in other contaminated punnets. New Zealand’s biggest grocers have stopped selling Australian strawberries as a safety precaution.

7. Katie Hopkins applies for insolvency agreement

Reality TV star and former Daily Mail columnist Katie Hopkins has applied for an insolvency agreement, to avoid being declared bankrupt. The Guardian blames her financial plight on a “costly libel case” involving its food writer Jack Monroe. Hopkins falsely implied in posts on Twitter that Monroe had backed the defacement of war memorials by protesters.

8. Queen’s thoughts on McGuinness handshake

David Cameron has revealed what the Queen thought about her famous handshake with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness in 2012. According to the former PM, the monarch shook hands because “it would be awkward not to”. Cameron also says she was “as ever, not sure what all the fuss was about”.

9. Vets untangle tails of five entwined squirrels

Five squirrels whose tails became entangled have been given a new lease of life by vets in Winsconsin. The rodents were siblings raised in the same drey, and their tails got stuck together by strips of plastic that their mother used as nesting material. They were “wiggly and unruly” and had to be sedated before they could be unravelled, said the vets.

10. Briefing: how to retire in your 30s

A new movement called Fire is growing in the US, with more young professionals hoping to quit their high-pressured jobs forever.

Millennials view Fire, which stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early, as “a way out of soul-sucking, time-stealing work and an economy fueled by consumerism”, reports The New York Times.

Fire Movement: how to retire in your 30s