Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 1 Aug 2019

1. Government adds £2.1bn for no-deal Brexit planning fund

Chancellor Sajid Javid has announced he is allocating an additional £2.1bn to cover the costs of a no-deal Brexit. The new funding brings the total amount set aside by the Treasury for no-deal preparations to £6.3bn and has been branded “a colossal waste of money” by anti-Brexit campaigners. The money will be used to pay for measures including enlarged traffic infrastructure, more border officers, extra freight capacity and a public information campaign.

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

2. Joe Biden under fire in Democratic debate

Former US vice president Joe Biden “stood his ground” as he came under fire from rivals yesterday during the second of two nights of debates among Democrats vying to win the presidential nomination, The Guardian says. The BBC agrees that Biden mounted a “vigorous defence” of his long record in US politics, in response to attacks from Kamala Harris and eight other candidates.

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3. Chinese military warns Hong Kong unrest will not be tolerated

The Chinese military has broken its silence on the democracy protests in Hong Kong, with the commander of the People’s Liberation Army garrison in the territory saying he is “determined to protect national sovereignty” - stoking fears that the military will intervene. Protesters have suffered violence at the hands of police and masked gangs thought to be triad gangsters.

What is happening in Hong Kong?

4. Flood disruption eases in north of England

Serious disruption caused by flash flooding in the north of England has eased this morning, after fire crews spent the night battling to protect homes and businesses from further damage following heavy rains. Firefighters say they rescued 11 people from flood water in the Cheshire town of Poynton. Further delays are expected for travellers today but there are no more weather warnings.

5. Osama bin Laden son ‘killed in air strike’

Hamza bin Laden, son of al-Qa’eda founder Osama bin Laden, has been killed in an air strike, according to intelligence sources cited by US media. The Pentagon and White House have refused to comment on the reports, which claim the 30-year-old died in a military operation at some point over the past two years but do not say where. He had called for attacks on Western countries.

6. Zoe Ball sheds hundreds of thousands of her Radio 2 listeners

Presenter Zoe Ball has lost 780,000 listeners from her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, latest figures show. The radio host, who took over from Chris Evans in January, saw her audience fall from 9.05 million to 8.27 million in the second quarter of the year, although her morning show is still the most popular, according to industry body Rajar.

7. Peckham teenager to be first jockey in hijab

A London teenager is to be the first woman to ride a competitive horse race in the UK wearing a hijab. Khadijah Mellah, an 18-year-old student from Peckham, has been riding for seven years and will take part in the all-female Magnolia Cup, an amateur charity race. Former cyclist Victoria Pendleton and TV presenters Alexis Green and Vogue Williams are also competing.

8. Wagner ‘ultras’ boo drag artist at Bayreuth

A black British drag artist has been booed after performing in Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhauser at the opening night of the Bayreuth festival in Bavaria, one of the most exalted events in the operatic calendar. Performer Le Gateau Chocolat, from Brighton, was heckled by ultra-conservative fans nicknamed the “Wagner ultras” in the German press, and was later the target of racist and homophobic abuse on social media.

9. Salford scraps ban on swearing at docks

Free-speech campaigners are celebrating after Salford City Council scrapped a ban on swearing at Salford Quays, once the the site of Manchester Docks. The ban on “foul and abusive” language in the area was imposed in 2016, in a bid to curb anti-social behaviour. Offenders who breached the order could be issued with fines of up to £1,000. No one ever was fined, however.

10. Briefing: the meaning of unconscious bias

Prince Harry has spoken about how “unconscious bias” and the failure of many people to acknowledge their own prejudices can lead to racism.

The Duke of Sussex made the remarks during an interview with conservationist and primatologist Dr Jane Goodall for the September edition of Vogue, which has been guest-edited by his wife, Meghan. So what exactly does it mean?

The meaning of unconscious bias