Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 8 Mar 2019

1. Zaghari-Ratcliffe gets diplomatic protection

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced that diplomatic protection will be accorded to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian woman imprisoned in Iran since 2016 accused of spying. The move is expected to have a significant impact in efforts to free charity worker Zaghari-Ratcliffe, with her imprisonment now a formal, legal dispute between Iran and the UK.

2. May warned she could lose control of Brexit

Remainers in the Cabinet are warning Theresa May that she must hold a series of Commons votes on what to do next if she loses Tuesday’s vote on her Brexit divorce deal – or forfeit control of the Brexit process altogether. The prime minister’s deal is expected to be rejected by MPs unless she can secure concessions on the Irish backstop from the EU.

3. Trump’s former campaign chief sentenced

Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former presidential campaign manager, has been jailed for 47 months for hiding millions of dollars earned from political consulting in Ukraine from the US tax authorities. Manafort still faces sentencing in a separate case related to illegal lobbying.

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4. Tories under fire over tax haven donations

The Conservatives are under pressure to answer questions about more than £1m in donations raised before the 2017 general election that came from Britons based in overseas tax havens. A law passed in 2009 is supposed to prevent donations from offshore firms but successive governments have failed to enact it with an official order.

5. Fashion blogger’s body found in shallow grave

The body of missing fashion blogger Laureline Garcia-Bertaux has been found buried in a shallow grave in her garden in Kew, one of London’s wealthiest areas. The 34-year-old was last seen in a supermarket on Saturday night. She had been due to meet a man she told a friend was a “charismatic vet” for a coffee the night before she disappeared.

6. US police detain black man picking up litter

Colorado police have started an internal inquiry after footage emerged showing a black man being confronted by gun-wielding officers while clearing rubbish in his garden. The officers drew their firearms on the man and ordered him to put down his “weapon” - actually a pair of clamps used to pick up litter. Boulder police chief Greg Testatold told city officials it was an “extremely concerning issue”.

7. Cracks found in Scottish nuclear reactor

Pictures have been released showing hairline cracks in the graphite bricks that make up the core of nuclear reactors at Hunterston B Power Station in Ayrshire. One in ten bricks are thought to be cracked but owner EDF Energy wants permission to restart the plant, which has not been online for a year. The company says it can still shut down the reactor quickly enough if necessary.

8. Headteachers criticise education minister Hinds

A campaigning group of headteachers is sending a letter home to millions of families in England criticising Education Secretary Damian Hinds for refusing to meet heads and hear from them how funding cuts are impacting schools. The letter tells parents the group has been rebuffed three times when trying to secure a meeting with Hinds.

9. Ash tree disease spreading more quickly

A deadly disease infecting ash trees is spreading more quickly across the UK than previously feared, experts say. Natural Resources Wales has warned that millions of trees will have to be felled, creating a “very significant impact” on the landscape. Landowners are already paying out thousands to fell infected trees.

10. Briefing: what is colourism?

The decision to cast Will Smith as the father of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams in an upcoming Hollywood film has triggered allegations of “colourism”.

Angry critics claim Smith “is too light-skinned for the part”, and say the role should go to an actor with a darker skin tone, reports the BBC.

What is colourism and how does it work?