Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 9 Apr 2019

1. May asking Merkel and Macron for Brexit extension

Theresa May is holding last-minute Brexit talks with the leaders of Germany and France today to urge them to back her request to delay Brexit once more. With just four days to go before the UK is due to leave the European Union, the prime minister will meet with Angela Merkel in Berlin, followed by Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

2. Divorce law overhaul to end ‘blame game’

Divorce laws in England and Wales are to be reformed so that couples can part ways faster and with less rancour. The legislative overhaul will mean they will only have to state that the marriage has broken down irretrievably, and will prevent one partner from refusing a divorce if the other wants it. Justice Secretary David Gauke says the new laws are being introduced to end the “unnecessary blame game”.

3. Trump may impose new tariffs on Euro goods

Donald Trump’s administration is considering slapping tariffs on some $11bn (£8.4bn) worth of goods from the EU in response to European subsidies to aeroplane and defence company Airbus. Cheese and aircraft are among the products that could be hit by tariffs, the US Trade Representative’s office is warning. The World Trade Organization has found that the Airbus subsidies have “adverse effects” on the US.

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4. Electrical current ‘may help improve memory’

Pain-free brain stimulation has successfully reversed memory loss in the elderly, a new study has found. The method uses mild electrical current to reconnect “faulty circuits” in the brain. Scientists from Boston University managed to boost working memory in older participants to match those of people in their 20s. The researchers hope the new technique could one day help halt the effects of dementia.

5. Cautious Brits throw away 720 million eggs

Britons are throwing away 720 million eggs each year, according to newly released data. The waste is being blamed on overcautious consumers relying on best-before dates, amid a rise in sales because of the growing flexitarian movement. A total of 7.2 billion eggs were sold in 2018 – a 4% year-on-year increase – according to figures from the British Egg Industry Council.

6. British police probe Rwandan genocide suspects

Scotland Yard detectives are investigating five men living in the UK suspected of committing atrocities during the Rwandan genocide. The police force opened the case at the request of the Rwandan government, and predict that it will be a “protracted and lengthy process”. One of the suspects, Celestin Mutabaruka, a 63-year-old pastor in Kent, said he welcomed the chance to clear his name, insisting: “I have nothing to hide.”

7. Prison officers attacked by teenage inmates

Thirteen prison officers were taken to hospital after being assaulted by teenagers at a young offenders institution, it has emerged. The officers were among about 20 staff attacked during a violence at the weekend at Feltham YOI, in west London. The Prison Service described the assaults as “completely unacceptable”. The officers were all later discharged from hospital.

8. First drone delivery business gets go-head

A world-first drone delivery business has been granted approval to take to the skies over Australian capital Canberra. Project Wing, an offshoot of Google, has been trialling drone delivery of products including food, drinks and medication for some months. The Australian aviation watchdog said the safety of the drones, traffic management system, maintenance, drone pilot training and operational plans had all been considered before the green light was given.

9. Daughter of Dubai insult woman begs for her release

The daughter of a British woman facing jail in Dubai for calling her ex-husband’s new wife a “horse face” on Facebook has called for her mother to be released. Laleh Shahravesh, 55, was arrested under the UAE’s strict cybercrime laws after she was reported by Samah Al Hammadi for the insult, which was made on social media three years ago.

10. Israel election 2019: who will win?

A general election in Israel is set to be the closest that the country has seen for years, with incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fighting for political survival amid a series of scandals.

Israel election 2019: who will win?