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Wednesday briefing: Stephen Hawking, a mind that held the stars

This article is more than 6 years old

Brilliant explainer of time and space dies aged 76 … Theresa May due to announce action against Russia … and what now as Trump fires Rex Tillerson

Top story: Cosmology great dies aged 76

Hello, it’s Warren Murray shining a beacon of news through the informational fug of your morning.

Stephen Hawking, one of the world’s most celebrated scientists, has died at the age of 76. In a statement released early this morning, his children Lucy, Robert and Tim said their “beloved father” and “extraordinary man” had passed away at home in Cambridge.

Hawking, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 1963, was renowned for a brilliant academic career devoted to unravelling the mysteries of the universe. But it was his great popular work, A Brief History of Time, first published in 1988, that set him on the path to a different kind of stardom. It made the wheelchair-using scientist with the compturised voice a celebrity, known almost as much for his wicked sense of humour and wild driving around Cambridge as for his research.

The trappings of success included lecturing at the White House in the 1990s and being given the Hollywood biopic treatment in The Theory of Everything. Hawking’s name has also become a synonym for genius in popular culture and he guest-starred or was name-checked everywhere from The Simpsons to Pink Floyd’s album The Division Bell. A small galaxy of tributes has already formed this morning, from across “the space community” to the worlds of politics and celebrity. “Genius is so fine and rare,” said the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. “Goodbye Professor Hawking. You inspired us all.” Here are some memorable quotes of the great cosmologist.


May readies Russia reprisals – A midnight deadline has expired for Russia to satisfy the British government that it was not behind the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Meanwhile, counter-terror police are investigating the death on Monday of another Russian exile, Nikolai Glushkov, at his home in New Malden, south-west London. The involvement of counter-terrorism command was described as “a precaution because of associations that the man is believed to have had”.

The prime minister will today consider punitive measures against Russia including possible fresh sanctions, visa bans, crackdowns on Russian money in the UK, and cancelling Russia Today’s broadcasting licence. In what promises to be a portentous statement to MPs, she is expected to dig in for a long battle to rein in Russia and set out plans to enlist international support. Donald Trump has told May in a phone call that he is “with the UK all the way”, while the EU parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, Guy de Verhofstadt, has called for a common stance.


Oilman out, waterboarder in – Donald Trump has fired Rex Tillerson as secretary of state and installed the head of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, as his replacement. The latest ejection from the White House throws US diplomacy into turmoil. It also elevates two officials condemned by human rights groups for endorsing or overseeing torture: Pompeo and his CIA deputy, Gina Haspel, who is slated to step up into his post.

Trump, about to board the Marine One helicopter at the White House, said his big differences with Tillerson included the Iran nuclear deal – “I think it’s terrible. I guess he thought it was OK.” During his tenure, former ExxonMobil boss Tillerson refused to deny reports that he had called Trump a “fucking moron”. Asked if this was a factor, Trump said: “I respect his intellect. I respect the process that we’ve all gone through together … I think Rex will be much happier now.”

Trump on Tillerson: 'It was a different mindset' - video

A demoralised Tillerson spoke briefly at the state department and called for an “orderly and smooth transition” as the nation faces great security challenges. In what some interpreted as a parting shot at Trump, he singled out the “troubling behaviour and actions” of Russia. Tillerson’s departure might seem like a rolling of one of the administration’s scarce supply of level heads. But Richard Wolffe argues Tillerson was a hapless, hopeless figure who turned the state department into a shambles.


Quick catch-up: It’s Wednesday and never too early for a round of shorts.

> > The 1p and 2p coins might have outlived their currency. The Treasury is considering whether to abolish the coins, seldom used in the digital age, as well as the $50 note, rarely used for “routine purchases” and linked to shady cash dealings.

> If you adore Chinese food but found out via the Briefing yesterday that it can contain inordinate amounts of salt, we won’t rub that condiment into the wound. Instead here are our tips for healthier takeaway or home-cooked Chinese.

> Britain throws out 25 million slices of bread a day in case it’s stale. Love Food Hate Waste wants us to toast it straight from the freezer instead. (But what about the CO2 emissions from all those toast slices’ worth of electricity? #guardianproblem)

> In the US, a small dog taken on to a United Airlines flight in a carry bag has died after the owner was made to put it in an overhead locker. United apologised – “pets should never be placed in the overhead bin” – and refunded the family’s tickets.


Austerity bites – Philip Hammond hinted at public spending increases in his spring statement but austerity continues to grind down poor families, with an extra 1.5 million British children predicted to fall into poverty by 2021. More than 600,000 people sought help last year after getting into trouble with debts ranging from council tax to to credit cards, according to the charity StepChange. And in the absence of any financial lifeline from the chancellor, councils are not only draining their reserves but moving to sell off parks, museums, historic town halls and art, just to fund basic services.


Language gap – Sajid Javid has revealed that 770,000 people living in England speak hardly any or no English. The communities secretary is promising to expand teaching of English for immigrants, saying up to 70% of those needing it are women, mostly Pakistani or Bangladeshi. When his mother learned English 15 years after arriving from Pakistan it “transformed her life”. The government is publishing a green paper containing £50m worth of plans to tackle segregation in Britain.

Lunchtime read: New rules of clubbing

“The more clubs that close, the more the illegal scene grows; people are always going to find somewhere else to do it,” says renowned club DJ Eclair Fifi. Recently police shut down a rave in Liverpool accessible only by a tunnel, while last year in Hounslow 1,500 people partied in an empty Morrisons until riot police arrived.

Meanwhile, legal clubs are adapting to survive – some becoming boutique, sanitised experiences (£15 Negronis and “adult ball pits”), others enforcing female-friendly policies, embracing brand sponsorship or becoming community hubs for the gender-fluid. Sam Wolfson looks at these and other big changes on the dance floor.

Sport

“I know this has happened at Manchester United before because I have sat in this chair as manager of Porto and of Real Madrid. I don’t think it is something new for this club.” Those were the words of José Mourinho after Sevilla’s Wissam Ben Yedder, who scored two, and the excellent Éver Banega sent United crashing out of the Champions League with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. Roma joined Sevilla in the quarter-finals thanks to a magnificent finish by Edin Dzeko in a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Stadio Olimpico. Dylan Hartley and Elliot Daly have been given an extra 24 hours in their efforts to prove their fitness to face Ireland on Saturday after England named a bloated squad for their final Six Nations match. And Willie Mullins could not turn over the Nicky Henderson-trained favourite in Tuesday’s big race at the Cheltenham Festival but revenge could be his when Min takes on Henderson’s Altior, hitherto unbeaten over fences, in the Queen Mother Champion Chase today.

Business

It’s been a nervy start to the trading day in Asia with investors spooked by the prospect of US-China trade war, and the surprise sacking of Rex Tillerson. Shares fell across the board in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong, and the FTSE 100 is set to open down 0.26% this morning. The pound is buying $1.397 and €1.126.

The papers

News of Stephen Hawking’s death came at about 3.30am UK time so no chance of it making the front pages. Instead these were mainly gripped by the ongoing Salisbury poisoning crisis and (to a lesser extent) by the chancellor’s spring statement.

The Telegraph says the death of a second Russian exile in Britain has triggered a “new terror probe”. The i expects May to “target Russians with wave of sanctions”. The Guardian also has the Nikolai Glushkov story on the front along with the chaos in US diplomacy after the firing of Rex Tillerson by Donald Trump. The Sun has the headline “I’m on Putin’s hit list” and says the exiled Glushkov had claimed he was in danger.

The Mail leads with claims that Putin is upping the stakes and references a quote from the Russian embassy in the UK that any action from Britain will be met “with a response”. The Express avoids Russia and plumps for a story about tax cuts, saying “At Last! Tax cuts on way”. The FT also follows yesterday’s spring statement speech by Philip Hammond, saying he proclaimed a “turning point” for the UK economy. The Mirror has a different take on the the nation’s finances, saying the chancellor is looking to axe 1p and 2p coins.

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This article was amended on 14 March 2018 because Chris Hadfield is Canadian, not American as an earlier version said.

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