Theresa May is preparing to cave in to hardline Brexiters over amendments to the customs bill, rather than allow Jacob Rees-Mogg and colleagues to stage a show of parliamentary strength. As the prime minister tried to sell her Chequers deal on Brexit to the public and her own backbenchers, the European Research Group (ERG) of pro-Brexit MPs tabled four amendments to the legislation last week.

The ERG believes May’s “facilitated customs arrangement”, which would see the UK collect EU tariffs on some imports, and plans for a “common rulebook” for goods and agriculture, would allow for too close a future relationship with the EU27.

Rees-Mogg held talks with the chief whip, Julian Smith, on Monday, and Downing Street suggested it had not ruled out accepting amendments that did not contradict government policy. However, a source suggested there were still concerns about one of the four, which would prohibit HMRC from “collection of certain taxes or duties on behalf of territory without reciprocity” – a move aimed at blocking the facilitated customs arrangement.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “There are a number of amendments on both pieces of legislation and, as we did with the withdrawal bill, we will consider the amendments and set out our position in due course.” Downing Street said it was “very clear that the proposal we put forward at Chequers delivers on the will of the people in the referendum”. “Cabinet is behind it, businesses have come out to support it and now we need to get on with negotiating with the EU,” the spokesman said.(theguardian)…[+]

Christian women who have pledged lifelong virginity as “brides of Christ” have expressed shock at a Vatican document that suggests literal virginity is not a prerequisite for their consecration. The Vatican’s new instruction on consecrated virginity, Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago, was published earlier this month after requests from bishops who reported an increasing number of women being called to the vocation.

There are an estimated 5,000 consecrated virgins in at least 42 countries, with the largest numbers in France, Italy and Argentina. Consecrated virgins are unmarried women who offer their physical virginity as a gift to Christ, and devote time to penance, works of mercy and prayer. Unlike nuns, they do not live in enclosed communities or wear special clothing. Most have jobs, and they provide for their own needs.(theguardian)…[+]

A British cave diver who was instrumental in the rescue of 12 children trapped in a northern Thailand cave says he is considering legal action after the inventor Elon Musk called him a “pedo” on Twitter.Vernon Unsworth told the Guardian on Monday he was “astonished and very angry” at the attack, for which Musk offered no evidence or basis. The billionaire initially doubled down on the comments made on social media, but has since deleted them.

Unsworth told journalists at the cave site, where a clean-up operation is under way, that the remarks about him were an attack on the entire rescue crew. “I believe he’s called me a paedophile,” he said. “I think people realise what sort of guy [Musk] is.” Asked if he would consider taking legal action against Musk, he told reporters: “Yes, it’s not finished.”Musk was responding to an interview Unsworth gave on Sunday in which he said a child-sized submarine the Tesla chief executive delivered to the cave site last week “had absolutely no chance of working”.(theguardian)…[+]