Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 19 Jul 2019

1. May gives public sector workers £2bn rise

Theresa May will mark her final days in office by announcing the biggest public sector pay rise in six years, according to reports. Under the plan, to be unveiled on Monday, workers including teachers, police officers, soldiers and senior civil servants will enjoy rises of between 2% and 2.9%, at an estimated total cost of £2bn, The Times claims.

2. Tehran denies US shot down Iranian drone

Iran has refuted claims that the US shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz and hinted that the Americans may have shot down one of their own by mistake. President Donald Trump has said the USS Boxer downed the Iranian aircraft after it came within 1,000 yards of the vessel. The Pentagon repeated the claim but did not mention whether the drone was Iranian.

3. Cabinet trio ‘will resign if Johnson wins’

Three cabinet ministers including the chancellor will resign immediately if Boris Johnson becomes prime minister, rather than waiting to be sacked by their new leader, according to The Times. Philip Hammond, David Gauke and Rory Stewart all defied the Tory whips yesterday to try to stop a plan that could see Johnson suspending Parliament in order to push through a no-deal Brexit.

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Today’s newspapers: ‘Bullish Boris ready to walk away’

4. Ursula von der Leyen: hard Brexit would be bad for EU

Jean-Claude Juncker’s successor as European Commission president has said that a hard Brexit would have “massively negative consequences” for both the UK and the EU. Ursula von der Leyen, due to take office on 1 November, suggested that the EU could provide emergency help to member states bearing the economic brunt of a no-deal Brexit, in particular Ireland.

Ursula von der Leyen: who is she and what does she think of Brexit?

5. Anime studio arson: donations pass $1m

Police are still looking for clues at the Japanese animation studio where an arson attack yesterday killed at least 33 people, as donations to support the company and victims pass the $1m (£800,000) mark. The fire at Kyoto Animation was the deadliest in Japan for nearly two decades. A 41-year-old man arrested following the attack is said to have accused the firm of plagiarism.

6. ‘Send her back’: Ilhan Omar calls Trump fascist

One of four US congresswomen of colour targeted by their president and told to “go back” to the countries from which their families originated said yesterday of Donald Trump: “I believe he is fascist.” Ilhan Omar - who came to the US after fleeing war in Somalia at the age of eight - was the subject of chants of “send her back” at a Trump rally earlier this week.

The Squad: who are the four women targeted in Trump’s ‘racist’ tweets?

7. Penalty points for drivers without seatbelts

The British government is considering introducing penalty points on driving licences for people caught not wearing seatbelts. Under the current system, motorists in England, Scotland and Wales who don’t buckle up only receive a fine. The use of front seat belts became compulsory in 1983, with the rule extended to cover adult passengers in back seats in 1991.

8. Crash at ‘car cruise’ event leaves 17 injured

At least 17 people have been injured in a car crash in Stevenage that has been described as “horrendous” by witnesses. The crash occurred at a so-called car cruise event - at which people gather to see modified vehicles. Two cars collided and then ploughed into people watching from the side of the road at about 9.45pm yesterday.

9. Listening to music ‘as good as pre-op sedative’

Listening to music may be as effective as taking a sedative to calm the nerves of patients about to undergo surgery, a study of 157 people in the US has concluded. The patients were played Weightless, a song written British band Marconi Union in collaboration with sound therapists with the specific aim of lowering listeners’ anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate.

10. Briefing: is there a cure for Ebola?

The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been declared a “public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO), following the spread of the disease to a major city.

On Sunday, the central African nation’s Health Ministry confirmed the first registered case of the deadly virus in the eastern city of Goma, home to two million people and a major transport hub. Amid growing fears of an outbreak across the continent, on Wednesday the UN agency issued the highest level of alert that it can sound.

Ebola: what are the symptoms and is there a cure?