It wasn’t all bad

More than 7,500 acres of woodland are to be planted along England’s rivers, in a government scheme intended to improve water quality and reduce flooding by slowing down rivers. England is among the least forested countries in Europe, with just 10% of its land covered in woodland, versus 31% in France and 33% in Germany. The tree-planting scheme will be carried out by a partnership involving various groups, including the Beaver Trust and the National Trust.

A woman has been appointed president of The Magic Circle for the first time in the society’s 116-year history. At the age of 28, Megan Swann is also the youngest person to lead the Circle, whose members must pledge not to disclose “magical secrets”. Swann, from Eltham in London, has been practising magic since she was five, and likes using her powers to teach people about the environment. In 2016, the Circle reported that just 68 of its 1,500 members were female. “A few years ago I’d say people still mistook me for the assistant,” Swann said. “But it has started to change.”

A baker from Tunisia who entered France as an illegal migrant has won the Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris, the contest started by former president Jacques Chirac that crowns the capital’s best baguette. Makram Akrout’s bakery will now supply bread to the Élysée Palace for a year. Akrout beat more than 170 bakers, whose baguettes must measure between 55cm and 65cm, and weigh 250-300g, to be eligible for entry. Akrout’s father was also a baker, and he said he felt “happiness, pride and fear” on winning the prize.