Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 22 Sep 2018
- 1. Donald Tusk says Brexit compromise is still possible
- 2. One in 20 deaths are linked to alcohol
- 3. Labour could renationalise the rail industry
- 4. Top US official denies plotting against Trump
- 5. Twitter warns users their direct messages have been leaked
- 6. One-third of TripAdvisor reviews 'are faked'
- 7. Sarah no longer in top 100 popular baby names
- 8. Javid accused of 'sneaking out' Windrush bombshell
- 9. Army to scrap easier fitness test for women and seniors
- 10. Barbados hands ambassadorial role to Rihanna
1. Donald Tusk says Brexit compromise is still possible
The president of the European Council has said a compromise with the UK over Brexit is "still possible", after Theresa May warned she was prepared to walk away from talks. Donald Tusk said he was a "true admirer" of the Prime Minister and claimed she had been "tough" and "uncompromising" in negotiations. May has told the bloc to accept her strategy or come up with counter-proposals.
2. One in 20 deaths are linked to alcohol
Alcohol is responsible for more than one in 20 of all deaths worldwide, according to new data from the World Health Organization. The report shows that of three million such deaths, 2.3 million in 2016 were of men. Vladimir Poznyak of the WHO, who was involved with the study, said the health burden of alcohol was "unacceptably large".
3. Labour could renationalise the rail industry
The shadow chancellor has stated that the rail industry could be completely renationalised within five years if Labour wins the next election. John McDonnell, who is planning to create a new unit in the Treasury to oversee the party's wider nationalisation plans, is examining whether break clauses in contracts could allow rail franchises to be taken into public hands.
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4. Top US official denies plotting against Trump
Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein has denied a report that he spoke with colleagues last year about the possibility of removing Donald Trump from office. The New York Times had suggested Rosenstein was planning to remove Trump under the 25th amendment and had discussed making secret recordings of the president. It cited anonymous justice department sources and internal memos.
5. Twitter warns users their direct messages have been leaked
Twitter has told some users that their private 'direct messages' may have been leaked to third-parties for more than a year. A software bug hit an undisclosed number of users, who are being notified with a message that appears when logging on to the social network. "The issue has persisted since May 2017," Twitter said. The bug has since been fixed.
6. One-third of TripAdvisor reviews 'are faked'
Hotels and restaurants are being accused of misleading the public after claims that as many as one in three reviews on TripAdvisor are fake. The Times says an undercover investigation found venues trying to buy five-star TripAdvisor reviews and negative reviews of rivals. It is estimated that more than £14bn a year is spent on travel and hotels as a result of reviews.
7. Sarah no longer in top 100 popular baby names
Sarah has dropped out of the top 100 names in England and Wales for the first time. Oliver and Olivia were the most popular baby names for the second year running, according to the Office for National Statistics. There were six new female entries: Aurora, Orla, Edith, Bonnie, Lyla and Hallie. Hunter and Ralph were the new male names in the list.
8. Javid accused of 'sneaking out' Windrush bombshell
Members of the Windrush generation will be refused British citizenship, the Home Secretary has announced. Sajid Javid said yesterday afternoon that a number of Caribbean nationals who came to Britain between 1948 and 1971 would not qualify for citizenship because they failed to meet the "necessary good character requirement" due to committing criminal offences. Critics says the news was snuck out during a heavy news day.
9. Army to scrap easier fitness test for women and seniors
The Army is set to end easier fitness tests for women and older troops next year. Currently, female and older soldiers are given fewer exercises or more time on marches. But gender and age-neutral trials will be introduced in 2019, with all combat soldiers having to meet the same physical standards. Lance Corporal Nicola Cotton of the Scots Guards told The Sun the move was "really positive".
10. Barbados hands ambassadorial role to Rihanna
Rihanna has been given a new ambassadorial role by the government of Barbados. The pop star was named Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for her home country, a role involves promoting education, tourism and investment. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said "Rihanna has a deep love for this country".
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