The VICE UK Morning News Bulletin

UK NEWS

Tortured Logic

The UK may return tortured asylum seekers to the country they fled, according to immigration minister Robert Goodwill. At a parliamentary debate on torture, he said that not all proven survivors of past torture “automatically qualify for protection” if they cannot produce additional evidence that they would be at risk of further serious harm upon being sent back to where they had fled. – Independent

Younger Recruits

MI6 returns to “tapping up” in an effort to recruit black and Asian officers. The agency’s chief, Alex Younger, said that they needed to reach out to communities that were “selecting themselves out” of a potential career in the world of secret intelligence gathering. – Guardian

What’s Done Cannot Be Undone

Theresa May will today accuse the SNP of ignoring the priorities of ordinary Scots due to an “obsession” with independence. Ahead of Ms May’s speech to the Scottish Conservatives conference, Nicola Sturgeon accused May’s government of thinking “it can do what it wants to Scotland and get away with it.” – Herald Scotland

Science Brings Us More Mice

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have created “artificial embryos” using stem cells from mice, in what they believe is a world first. The team used two types of stem cells and a 3D scaffold to create a structure closely resembling a natural mouse embryo. – BBC

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russian Arc

US attorney general Jeff Sessions has bowed to pressure and recused himself from any investigation relating to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Sessions failed to disclose at his Senate hearing that he had been in contact with a top Russian spy recruiter during the 2016 election. – CNN

Anyone Could Look in the Pence-Sieve

US Vice President Mike Pence routinely used a private email server to conduct public business as governor of Indiana, discussing sensitive matters and homeland security issues. Pence’s personal email account was hacked last year. – USA Today

Palmyra Reclaimed

The Syrian army claims it has recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from ISIS in for the second time in a year. According to British-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ISIS withdrew completely on Thursday. – Reuters

Escaping South Sudan

The humanitarian crisis in North Africa continues, as 1.5 million people flee South Sudan amidst fighting and famine. The political rivalry between South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar ignited a civil war in 2013, with fighting continuing despite a 2015 peace deal. – Arab News

EVERYTHING ELSE

Not the Rant You’re Expecting

Usually when you see a headline like “sportscaster goes on rant about transgender athlete” it’s bad news. But Texas WFAA sportscaster Dale Hansen posted a video to Facebook to defend Mack Beggs, a 17-year-old trans wrestler who was forced to compete against female wrestlers despite identifying as male. Beggs takes down those who are standing in the way of Beggs, in this passionate and eloquent video. – Mic

Blowing a Gale

What’s the weather like on Mars right now? If you’re anywhere near NASA’s Curiosity rover, it’s summer and windy. Curiosity snapped some video of dust devils spinning across Gale Crater. If you’re wondering which time period would be best to live in, it’s the one where we get to see things like this. – Motherboard

Process Story

It’s commonly thought that junk food is cheaper than healthier options, but findings from the Institute of Economic Affairs challenge this belief. In a new report, researches have revealed that vegetables are actually cheaper than processed foods when cost is measured by edible weight. – Munchies

One Last Oscar Piece

If you’re not yet sick of hearing about the Oscars controversy, in which Best Picture was mistakenly given to La La Land before they realised it was supposed to go to Moonlight, this will be worth a read. Oscars stage manager Gary Natoli unravels the confusion and takes us through, beat-by-beat, what happened on the night. – The Wrap

Hayao Takes Flight Once More

Legendary Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki has announced he is coming out of retirement for one last film. Although we don’t know much about his next work, currently titled Boro the Caterpillar, it’s reasonable to assume it will incorporate the majesty of flight. This is a feature common to most Miyazaki films, as Zach Prewitt demonstrates in this inspiring film essay video. – Creators Project

Get Some Paleo Pear and Banana Bread First

If you hadn’t considered moving to Australia to join the Finance Department, this video may change your mind. Described as one of the most excruciatingly awkward videos ever made, the video has clocked up hundreds of thousands of views from aspiring “game changers.” – ABC