1. Trump accepts deal for temporary end to shutdown
Donald Trump has signed a bill to temporarily end the government shutdown, without winning a promise of $5.7bn funding for his wall along the southern border. The US president had vowed to reject any budget unless it included $5.7bn (£4.3bn) to fund his signature campaign pledge, but the Senate and House have unanimously passed a bill to temporarily end the shutdown, which Trump signed into law.
2. Met police disproportionately targeting black people
The Metropolitan Police is disproportionately using stop and search powers on black people, according to official figures from the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. Although black people make up 15.6% of London’s population and white people make up 59.8%, the data shows that during 2018, 43% of searches were of black people, while 35.5% were of white people.
3. Rees-Mogg says Queen spoke on advice of Downing Street
Jacob Rees-Mogg says the Queen’s intervention on Brexit would only have been made on the advice of Downing Street. The leading Brexiteer said “Constitutionally, the Queen can only speak on the advice of her ministers and could not have said this without the agreement of the government.” He added: “This is not the Queen’s point of view; it is Her Majesty’s Government speaking.”
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4. Nine dead and hundreds missing after dam collapse in Brazil
Nine people have died and up to 300 people are missing after a dam collapsed at an iron ore mine in south-eastern Brazil. The incident, which happened near the city of Belo Horizonte, saw a torrent of mud unleashed towards the town of Brumadinho in the south east of the country. Governor Romeu Zema said there was little chance of finding people alive.
5. Genetic test to be offered for sale on NHS
The National Health Service is to charge healthy people to map their genetic code under plans to amass data on millions of Britons. Ministers will offer to sequence a person’s whole genome for around a few hundred pounds. The testing, which promises to predict the risk of cancer, dementia and other diseases such as Alzheimer’s, is already offered free to seriously ill patients.
6. Guaidó rejects talks as Venezuelan power struggle continues
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has rejected an offer of talks from President Nicolás Maduro. Guaidó declared himself “acting president” this week, a move that has been recognised by several countries, including the US. Maduro dismisses the move as a “coup” influenced by the US. Guaidó is urging fresh protests and bidding for the support of Russia and China.
7. Government to unburden teachers to stem exodus
Teachers are to be given more help to job share and a lighter workload in an attempt to stop the exodus of experienced staff, says the education secretary. Damian Hinds’ plans aim to ease longstanding burdens on teachers such as marking and lesson planning, as well as more recent burdens such as email overload and data entry.
8. Michael Jackson 'staged mock weddings with children'
A new documentary claims that Michael Jackson gave his young male victims jewellery in exchange for sexual acts and staged mock weddings with children. The four-hour film had its world premiere on Friday at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. USA Today reports that there are “many common parallels” in the victims' testimonies, including Jackson “grooming them to hate their parents and women in general”.
9. 'Crisis' as just 8% of crimes are prosecuted
Only 8% of crimes are prosecuted in England and Wales, reveals The Independent. Experts, including lawyers, police and victim support workers, say police cuts, rising crime, and rows over disclosure are among the factors to blame. Richard Atkinson, co-chair of the Law Society’s criminal law committee, said: “We are facing a crisis within our justice system, we are starting to see it crumble around us.”
10. Rich Tory donors turning their backs on May
Leading Tory donors are refusing to give money to the party because of “disgust” at Theresa May’s leadership and her handling of Brexit, claims the Daily Telegraph. The businessmen do not want to fund a potential snap general election with May at the helm and some said they were planning to boycott next month's Black and White Ball, one of the party’s biggest annual fundraising events.
