4 Things You Need To Know (22/6/17)

Welcome to our daily update, where we summarise the key talking points from the last 24 hours.

1. Theresa May in Brussels

Theresa May is in Brussels today, meeting with European Union leaders as Brexit negotiations continue. She has been focusing upon the rights of EU and UK citizens, and hailed the start of talks as “constructive.”

In contrast, European Council President Donald Tusk has suggested that the UK could still change its mind on Brexit. Quoting John Lennon’s Imagine song, he said, “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”

2. Tower block tests

The number of buildings with cladding similar to the Grenfell tower could be around 600. Tests are set to be carried out on the 600 buildings, and so far seven tests have revealed combustible cladding.

It has also been revealed that insulation boards fitted to the outside of Grenfell tower gave off poisonous gas, which may have contributed to the 79 deaths inside the building.

3. Prince Harry on the future of the royal family

Prince Harry has said that no royal wants to be King or Queen, telling Newsweek, “Is there any one of the Royal Family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so.”

He added that “We will carry out our duties at the right time.”

Does this put the future of the monarchy into question? Vote in our daily twitter poll.

4. Trump gives wall update

President Donald Trump has boasted that his Mexico border wall is going to have solar panels fixed to it. He told a rally in Iowa, “Pretty good imagination, right? Good? My idea.”

He had originally claimed that Mexico would pay for the border wall, but the use of solar panels could help to fund the build. “We’re thinking of something that’s unique, we’re talking about the southern border, lots of sun, lots of heat. We’re thinking about building the wall as a solar wall, so it creates energy and pays for itself.”

What do you think about the debate behind today’s big news stories? Have your say on our twitter or facebook