Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 20 Mar 2019

1. May to ask EU for ‘short’ Brexit delay

Theresa May will write to the EU asking for a “short” delay before the UK leaves the bloc, possibly of three months, the BBC reports. The prime minister will visit Brussels tomorrow to discuss the possible extension of Article 50 with the other 27 member states. The Times says they may insist she holds a second referendum in return.

2. Cyclone Idai: hundreds of thousand at risk

Hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk as a result of the huge tropical cyclone that hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi on Friday, the UN is warning. Widespread flooding and devastation amount to a “massive disaster” that may be “one of the worst weather-related disasters ever to hit the southern hemisphere”, the organisation says.

3. Christchurch terror attack: burials begin

The first burials of victims of the Christchurch terror attack have begun, with Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern promising to try to speed up coroners’ investigations in future to comply with Islamic tradition. Ardern called today for a global fight against racism and said she rejected claims that increased immigration was fuelling tensions in New Zealand.

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4. Tory MPs ‘would quit party if Johnson led’

“Several” Conservative MPs, including one minister, have said privately that they will quit the party if Boris Johson becomes leader, The Guardian reports. The paper quotes an unnamed minister who claims to know of “five or six” MPs prepared to leave if Johnson and other “Brexit ultras” were to take over. Many Tory MPs believe Theresa May’s days are numbered.

5. BBC criticised for EastEnders set project

A cross-party group of MPs has strongly criticised the BBC for “complacency” in the way the broadcaster handled a huge project to rebuild the set of long-running soap EastEnders. The Public Accounts Committee said the project was “flawed from the start”. The redevelopment has gone £27m over budget, costing a total of £86.7m.

6. Therapy offered to Love Island contestants

ITV is to offer therapy, social media training and financial advice to all contestants on reality show Love Island, following the suspected suicides of two former stars. Mike Thalassitis, 26, who took part in the series last year, was found dead in a park in north London on Saturday. His death comes less that of 32-year-old Sophie Gradon, who appeared on the show in 2016.

7. Scottish landowners ‘have too much power’

A review by government quango the Scottish Land Commission has recommended sweeping reforms to land ownership in Scotland, where much of the country by area is owned by a few ultra-wealthy individuals. The commission wants to make it easier for community groups to impose compulsory buyouts on landlords.

8. Donald Trump Jr: ‘UK democracy all but dead’

The eldest son of US President Donald Trump writes in The Daily Telegraph today that the delay to the Brexit process shows that democracy is “all but dead” in the UK. Businessman Donald Trump Jr criticises Theresa May in his column for having “ignored advice from my father” and writes that the process has been derailed by “elites”.

9. Woman honoured for tricking Nazis

An Italian woman of 91 who now lives in Brighton has received the Star of Italy medal for saving the lives of all the men in her village during the Second World War. Gabriella Ezra confronted a German officer on 28 April 1945 and lied to convince him that none of a group of men he planned to execute had fought in the Resistance, putting her own life at risk.

10. Briefing: will there be a Peterborough by-election?

MP Fiona Onasanya, who was convicted of lying to avoid a speeding ticket last year, has pleaded with voters to let her continue as their representative in Parliament.

In a video posted on social media, the former Labour MP who now sits as an independent, said she was innocent and vowed to fight to clear her name.

Peterborough by-election: who is in the running?