Top story: Rouhani warns US not to scrap deal
Happy bank holiday briefers. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories today.
Boris Johnson is due to have a series of meetings in Washington today as he tries to persuade the Trump administration not to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. The foreign secretary will not meet the president himself, having to make do with the vice-president, Mike Pence, and the national security adviser, John Bolton. However, he is later today scheduled to appear on Trump’s favourite TV news show, Fox and Friends, in the hope that the president is watching. Trump is an avowed opponent of the deal and has until this Saturday to decide if he will again waive sanctions against Iran in exchange for limitations on its nuclear ambitions. Last time he signed off on the waivers he said it was Iran’s “last chance” to be more transparent about its nuclear programs. Johnson’s entreaties come as Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, warned on Sunday that the US was risking “historic regret” if it pulled out.
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Hot stuff – In case you hadn’t heard, parts of Britain are set to enjoy record-breaking temperatures today as the mercury heads above 28C. South-east England, East Anglia and the Midlands will have the best of it but it’s likely to be better than usual in most other areas as well following fine weather on Sunday. Scotland and Northern Ireland had their hottest days of the year yesterday and the sunniest place in Britain was Boulmer in Northumberland. It’ll be no surprise either that the sunsine brought that great British tradition, bank holiday transport chaos. The main problem was engineering works on the main line between London and Brighton, causing severe overcrowding and disruption. Southern Rail advised people not to travel, helpfully, but it didn’t seem to do much good. The line closure continues today so see this briefing as an early warning in case you’re thinking of a trip to the seaside in that part of the world.
Another great British bank holiday tradition is to ask whether we should have them at all. Julian Baggini thinks we should abolish them and institute public holidays that actually mean something to people. He suggests they could even be regionalised, so you have a Manchester Day or a Kent Day, for example.
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‘Callous’ immigration system – More woes for the Home Office as MPs and experts have warned that more than 1,000 highly skilled migrants seeking indefinite leave to remain in the UK are wrongly facing deportation under immigration laws designed in part to tackle terrorists. Advocates say the workers, who include teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers and IT professionals – are accused of lying in their applications to remain, for changing their tax records, or having discrepancies in declared income. Alison Thewliss, SNP member for Glasgow Central, said the cases laid bare the “callous incompetence” of the Home Office.
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Prayers for Sir Alex – Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson remains in a serious condition today following a brain haemorrhage. The world of football has rallied to his support since the news emerged on Saturday with former proteges such as David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo adding their best wishes to a deluge of messages urging a swift recovery.
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Active ingredient – If exercise could be made into a pill, it would prescribed to every cancer patient in the world, according to researchers in Australia. The advice comes in a statement from the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia, which has launched a push to promote the benefits of patients keeping active. The lead author, Prof Prue Cormie from the Australian Catholic University, said the advice was based on “indisputable” evidence. “We know now that people who exercise regularly experience fewer and less severe treatment side-effects; cancer-related fatigue, mental distress, quality of life.”
Lunchtime read: Mexico’s would-be president is a real Corbynista
You could call Andrés Manuel López Obrador the Mexican Jeremy Corbyn. You could even say he is a real Corbynista. Obrador, or Amlo to call him by his very handy acronym, is a veteran leftwinger who is riding a wave of popular dissatisfaction with corrupt elites and threatening to spring a major surprise in the presidential elections on 1 July. But the 64-year-old, who is a longstanding friend of Corbyn’s, will be hoping to do slightly better than Labour did in the local elections last week. “López Obrador is the only option,” Margarita García Rodriguez, a homemaker from Mexico City said at an Amlo rally. “If he can’t help us out, then there’s nobody else that can. The whole system will collapse.”
Sport
The Class of 92 snooker revival has not disappointed as John Higgins and Mark Williams head into the second day of the World Championship final at the Crucible with just three frames between them. Arsenal provided the perfect farewell for Arsène Wenger with a 5-0 hammering of Burnley at the Emirates Stadium as the curtain fell in a classy send-off. Jürgen Klopp made clear his disapproval of the dive from Mohamed Salah that led to the footballer of the year being booked as Liverpool succumbed to Chelsea, a result that offered last season’s Premier League champions hope of infiltrating the top four. And a Gareth Bale goal denied 10-man Barcelona victory over Real Madrid in El Clásico.
Business
The future of strike-hit Air France is in the balance following the departure of its chief executive, the French economy minister has warned. The airline’s workers are planning to walk out for a 14th day today as they press for a 5.1% pay increase from their loss-making employer.
The markets are closed in London but they won’t be missing much judging by a subdued session so far in Asia. The pound is up very slightly at $1.355 and €1.132.
The papers
Today’s front pages are a varied bunch, aside from a common theme of photographs showing people enjoying the bank holiday sun.
The Telegraph leads on a new law that could give grandparents the right to see their grandchildren. The Mail splashes on the “River of plastic that shames Britain”. The Guardian has the latest deportation scandal to hit the Home Office.
The Times goes with a story from Brussels saying that a “fear of Corbyn” is prompting the EU’s tough line on Brexit.
The FT also has a political splash: “May to risk Tory rebels’ wrath by pressing ahead with customs plan”.
The Express is concerned with the spate of violent crime across the country that has left three dead and one injured. The Mirror is the lone paper to put Sir Alex Ferguson’s health on its front, rather than back, page, with Eammon Holmes urging the nation to “Pray for my mate Fergie”. The Sun has a story about Freddie Flintoff being arrested on holiday.
For more news: www.theguardian.com
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