Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 3 Aug 2019

1. Conservative rebels could cross House to foil Brexit

Tory rebels could cross the House of Commons to block Brexit in the aftermath of the by-election that reduced Boris Johnson's working majority to just one MP. Dr Phillip Lee MP told The Guardian he is considering defecting to the Lib Dems or sitting as an independent, a move that would leave Johnson at the helm of a minority government.

2. Report finds that no English river is safe for swimmers

No river in England is now certified as safe for swimmers, as dangerous pollutants in England’s waterways reach their highest levels since modern testing began. Some 86% of England’s rivers fall short of the EU’s ecological standard — the minimum threshold for a healthy waterway — up from 75% ten years ago.

3. US won't sign UK trade deal unless digital tax is dropped

The US will not sign a free trade deal with the UK unless a new digital services tax is dropped. The Daily Telegraph quotes a source as saying that Washington issued the warning after the new tax was proposed by then chancellor, Philip Hammond, saying: “The message was ‘if you go ahead and introduce this tax, we will not begin free trade negotiations with you’.”

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4. Work continues on damaged dam as storms are forecast

Storms are expected as work to stop a damaged dam in Derbyshire from bursting continues. Rescue workers have reduced the water level at the 300-million-gallon Toddbrook Reservoir near Whaley Bridge. The water level at the reservoir has fallen by half a metre and further high-volume water pumps are being brought in, police said.

5. UN warns over resumption of international terrorist attacks

The UN has warned that a recent lull in international terrorist violence may soon end, with a new wave of attacks possible before the end of the year. The authors of a new report say up to 30,000 foreigners travelled to the “caliphate” to fight and may still be alive. “Their future prospects will be of international concern for the foreseeable future,” the report says.

6. Trump taunts lawmakers over break-in at his home

Donald Trump has goaded Democrat Elijah Cummings over reports of a break-in at his home. The US President tweeted: “Really bad news! The Baltimore house of Elijah Cummings was robbed. Too bad!” Trump has been embroiled in a race row since branding the lawmaker’s district a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess”.

7. Being socially active could fend off risk of dementia

A new study has found that being socially active in your 50s and 60s may help lower the risk of developing dementia in later life. Using data that tracked more than 10,000 people from 1985 to 2013, the researchers found that seeing friends almost daily at age 60 was associated with a 12% lower likelihood of developing dementia in later life.

8. Researchers in China create first monkey-human hybrid

Scientists in China say they have created the world’s first human-monkey hybrid. The researchers injected human stem cells capable of creating any type of tissue into a monkey embryo. They say they want to use animals to create organs for human life-saving transplants. The experiment was stopped before the embryo was old enough to be born.

9. Meghan plans to write children's book featuring dogs

Meghan Markle plans to become a published author and has started writing her first book, according to royal sources. The Duchess of Sussex, 37, plans to write a children's book featuring her rescue dogs. Previously, Prince Charles and Sarah Ferguson penned successful children's books. Meghan recently guest-edited the September issue of Vogue magazine.

10. Broadband bosses hit back at Boris Johnson over fibre target

Broadband bosses have fired back at the Prime Minister after he said he wanted full-fibre broadband “for all” by 2025. An open letter from industry figures, including the chair of the Internet Services Providers Association, said the target is possible, but only if the government tackles four problems causing delays.