Theresa May has narrowly avoided a humiliating defeat over the Brexit bill, with MPs voting by 324 to 298 last night to back the Government. Tory rebels were placated at the eleventh hour by concessions from the prime minister. During a private meeting, May promised that the Commons will get a bigger say on the final Brexit deal.
Daily Briefing
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Government avoids defeat on Brexit bill
North Korea says Trump will lift sanctions
North Korean state media has reported that US President Donald Trump “expressed his intention” to lift sanctions when he met Kim Jong Un in Singapore yesterday. Sanctions were not mentioned in the document that the two leaders signed, and Trump said after the historic summit that they would remain in place for the present.
Sorrell to earn £19m in bonuses from WPP
Sir Martin Sorrell, who left his job as chief executive of the world’s biggest advertising firm in mysterious circumstances earlier this year, is set to receive £19m in bonuses from WPP. Shareholder are expected to approve the payment at the firm’s AGM today. The BBC predicts that around 25% of the votes cast will oppose the move.
Backflip FBI agent charged over bar shooting
An FBI agent who accidentally shot a bystander in a bar has been charged with second-degree assault. Mobile phone footage showed Chase Bishop performing a backflip in the bar in Denver on 2 June, causing his gun to fall onto the floor. In picking it up, he shot into the crowd, hitting a man. The 29-year-old turned himself in to police.
Petrol price ‘unjustifiable’, says the RAC
The RAC says the current price of petrol cannot be justified and should fall by 2p per litre immediately, to reflect recent falls in the wholesale cost of the fuel. Fuel prices have risen almost every day since April, despite wholesale costs dropping about 2.5p per litre since 24 May, according to the motorists’ group. Diesel prices are similar.
Uber driver ‘forced lesbian couple out of car’
An Uber driver in New York City has had his licence suspended by the ride-sharing app after he told a lesbian couple to get out of his car because they were kissing. Alex Iovine and Emma Pichl say they had a “peck” on the lips as they travelled from Brooklyn to Manhattan on Saturday, which Ahmad El Boutari said was “disrespectful”.
Macedonia to change name to placate Greece
The former Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia is to change its name after 27 years in order to end a diplomatic row with neighbouring Greece, which says the name infringes on its northern province of Macedonia. The country will now be the Republic of North Macedonia. In return, Greece will lift its objections to its neighbour joining Nato and the EU.
Tourists fall to death ‘while taking selfie’
A tourist couple, believed to be British and Australian, have fallen to their deaths in Portugal, apparently while trying to take a selfie at the top of a 130ft-high sea wall. Portuguese media say the couple died at the Praia dos Pescadores beach near Ericeira on the west coast. It is thought the pair fell while trying to retrieve their dropped phone.
Ten-year-old handbag sells for £162,500
A ten-year-old handbag sold in London yesterday has set an auction price record for Europe. The used Hermes Birkin bag went for £162,500, exceeding its top estimate of £150,000. The world auction record for a handbag is £253,700, for a Hermes Birkin that went under the hammer in Hong Kong last year.
Briefing: why are Africa’s baobab trees dying?
Despite typical lifespans of hundreds or even thousands of years, Africa’s baobab trees are dying off rapidly, according to a new study by ecologists.
Also known as upside-down trees, baobabs, with their distinctive bulbous trunks and spindly branches, are synonymous with the African bush, where the vast majority of them are found.
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