Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 8 Apr 2019

1. May rules out fourth vote and no-deal Brexit

Theresa May appears to have ruled out a fourth vote on her Brexit withdrawal deal, in a video statement released on Twitter in which the prime minister also insists that the UK cannot quit the bloc without a deal. The PM acknowledged that MPs have already rejected her deal three times and that “as things stand, I can’t see them accepting it”. She added that the choice was now between leaving the EU “with a deal or not leaving at all”.

2. Trump’s homeland security chief quits

The US secretary of homeland security has resigned after reportedly clashing with the US president. Kirstjen Nielsen, who enforced Donald Trump’s contentious separation of migrant families, said it had been “an honour of a lifetime” to work in the department. According to reports in the US, she left unwillingly and under pressure from Trump following a series of disagreements.

3. Councils hiring agency social workers in recruitment crisis

Councils are spending hundreds of millions on agency social workers amid a crisis in recruitment, according to data published by The Guardian. The figures, obtained through freedom of information requests, show that local authorities in England spent a total of at least £335m in 2017-18 on agency staff. Vulnerable children and families are often being monitored by a series of different social workers as a result.

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4. Internet chiefs to be fined for failing to block harmful content

Websites bosses may be fined and face their pages being blocked if they fail to tackle “online harms” such as child abuse, revenge pornography or terrorist propaganda, under new plans from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Charities have welcomed the news but critics have described the measures as an attack on freedom of speech.

5. Warnings of transgender ‘experiment’ on children

The only NHS gender clinic for children is risking a “live experiment” by sending hundreds for life-changing medical intervention without sufficient evidence of its long-term effects, experts are warning. The Times says five clinicians have resigned from the service amid concerns over the treatment of vulnerable children diagnosed as transgender.

6. Carlos Ghosn ousted from Nissan board by shareholders

Nissan shareholders have voted to eject the company’s former boss from its board. Carlos Ghosn was re-arrested in Tokyo last week while on bail pending trial over claims of financial misconduct. The Japanese carmaker had already sacked Ghosn as chairman after he was first detained in November. Ghosn has denied any wrongdoing.

7. Palestinians lead censure of ‘racist’ Netanyahu

Palestinian leaders have condemned Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu after he announced controversial plans to annex settlements in the West Bank if he secures a fifth term in the national election tomorrow. Figures around the world have criticised the plan, with US Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke calling Netanyahu a “racist”.

8. UK woman facing jail in Dubai for insulting ex’s new wife

A British woman is facing two years in jail in Dubai for calling her ex-husband’s new wife a “horse” on Facebook. Laleh Shahravesh, 55, was arrested at a Dubai airport after flying in to attend her former husband’s funeral. Shahravesh, who has been bailed and is living in a Dubai hotel, could be jailed under the UAE’s cybercrime laws.

9. Jewish group passes vote of no confidence in Corbyn

The Jewish Labour Movement has passed a motion of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn and concluded that he is “unfit to be prime minister”. The JLM said that the Labour leadership has “fundamentally failed” to address the problem of anti-Semitism in the party and that a government led by Corbyn “would not be in the interest of British Jews”.

10. What is the Good Friday Agreement - and is it at risk?

Landmark peace accord could be in danger if a no-deal Brexit brings a hard border back to Ireland.

What is the Good Friday Agreement - and is it at risk?