Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 20 Jul 2019

1. UK warns Iran of ‘consequences’ over tanker seizure

The UK government says it is “deeply concerned” over Iran's “unacceptable” seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt says Tehran will face “serious consequences” if it does not release the tanker, which was taken in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard say they took the Stena Impero after it infringed maritime regulations.

2. Brussels to offer Boris no-deal extension beyond Halloween

EU leaders are preparing to offer Boris Johnson a no-deal Brexit extension beyond 31 October. The Guardian says the move is a bid to “help him keep the Conservative party together and provide one more chance to strike an agreement deal”. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has again given his backing to Johnson, saying: “I like him.”

3. Pension scams are ‘the next big financial scandal’

Pension scams are costing British savers up to £4bn, according to a new report. The Times says that mis-selling cases have risen sharply since 2015, when pension rules were relaxed. Last year at least 100,000 people transferred out of defined-benefit pension schemes. Experts say pension scams are the “next big financial scandal”.

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4. Man dies after self-immolating outside embassy in Seoul

A man in his seventies died after self-immolating inside his car in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Authorities in the South Korean capital said “it is presumed that the man, using 20 liters of gasoline and butane gas in the car, tried to set himself on fire”. The man’s motive is not known but there are escalating tensions between Japan and South Korea over a trade row.

5. Goddard pleads guilty to harassing Anna Soubry MP

James Goddard has admitted harassing Anna Soubry MP and racially abusing a police officer in a last-minute change of plea in court. The 30-year-old pro-Brexit protester filmed himself screaming abuse at the former Conservative MP and calling her a Nazi after claiming she was a “traitor” for betraying the country’s vote to leave the EU in 2016.

6. Bizarre messages as Scotland Yard's Twitter account is hacked

The Metropolitan Police's Twitter account has been targeted by hackers with a series of bizarre tweets on the force's official account. Among the now-deleted messages were: “What you gonna do call the police?”, “We are the police... Cal and Dylan are gay” and “no comment get my lawyer”. A Scotland Yard superintendent said the account had “been subject to unauthorised access”.

7. Death and injuries following fight near sanctuary in Congo

One person was killed and 14 were hurt in fighting near a gorilla sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The violence occurred near the Kahuzi Biega national park, a UNESCO heritage site in eastern DRC that is a haven for the world’s largest gorilla species. There has been mounting tension between park guards and local Pygmies.

8. LA police department spied on anti-Trump activist group

The Los Angeles police department has admitted that it spied on an activist group planning anti-Trump protests. A spy working with the LAPD secretly taped several meetings of a group called Refuse Fascism in 2017, according to newly disclosed police documents. The transcripts were submitted in a criminal case against activists who blocked a freeway during an anti-Trump demo.

9. Heatwave to follow weekend of rain and thunderstorms

A heatwave is expected to hit the UK next week as temperatures soar to 34C. The sizzling weather will follow a largely wet weekend, with thunderstorm warnings in place for parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland in coming days. But next week, London could see highs of around 32C on Wednesday, according to the Met Office.

10. Black representative racially abused in US supermarket

An African American lawmaker in Georgia said she was verbally attacked in a supermarket by a middle-aged white man who told her to “go back where you came from”. The incident, involving Erica Thomas, a Democrat and Georgia state representative from Austell, came days after Donald Trump tweeted that four congresswomen of colour should go back to the “broken and crime infested” countries they came from.