Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 9 Aug 2019

1. Corbyn: Johnson must not hold election after Brexit

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has written to Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, the country’s top civil servant, asking him to confirm that Boris Johnson would be in breach of electoral “purdah” rules if he called a general election for just after the 31 October Brexit deadline. The request comes after it emerged that No. 10 would be prepared to delay an election if the prime minister loses a no-confidence vote, in order to deliver Brexit with or without a withdrawal agreement.

2. Warning of disruption as heavy rain and winds hit UK

The Met Office has put several yellow warnings for rain and wind in place for much of the UK, with “unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain” expected to sweep across the country from the west on Friday, Saturday and early on Sunday morning. The weather service warned that trees in full leaf were more vulnerable to being felled by high winds than in the winter.

3. Man charged over machete attack on policeman

A 56-year-old man from Luton has been charged with attempted murder and possessing an offensive weapon following a machete attack on a police officer in east London late on Wednesday night. The 28-year-old officer is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after being stabbed in the head, neck and hands. Suspect Muhammed Rodwan is due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court today.

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4. Mexico: gang hangs mutilated corpses from bridge

One of Mexico’s warring drugs cartels has claimed responsibility for hanging nine mutilated corpses from a bridge in a city to the west of the capital, in a grisly show of force. The increasingly dominant Jalisco New Generation gang is also thought to have dumped at least another ten dismembered and bullet-ridden bodies near the bridge in Uruapan, 250 miles from Mexico City.

5. Children ‘working overnight’ to make Alexa smart speakers

Schoolchildren as young as 16 are working nights and many hours of overtime, often in breach of labour laws, to make Amazon’s Alexa devices in China, according to leaked documents from the tech giant’s supplier Foxconn. Teenagers are classed as “interns” and their teachers are asked to accompany them – and to encourage them to accept overtime, in a bid to meet production targets.

6. Asthma deaths at highest in decade

A lack of basic care such as inhaler checks is behind a rise in the number of people dying of asthma attacks in England and Wales, Asthma UK has claimed. Latest figures show that the number of deaths reached more than 1,400 in 2018 - an 8% increase on the previous year, and up from 1,071 in 2008. The NHS insists that air pollution is the chief cause of the increase.

7. P&O cancels Gulf cruises as political tensions rise

Up to 18,000 P&O customers will have to change their holiday plans after the the cruise line yesterday announced the cancellation of its routes through the Gulf of Oman, amid rising political tensions in the region. All passengers booked to take the 11-day voyage on the MV Oceania between Bahrain, the UAE and Oman will receive refunds. The firm said it had made the decision after seeking advice from “external authorities”.

8. Earthquake shakes homes in west Cornwall

A 2.2 magnitude earthquake shook homes in parts of west Cornwall shortly before 5pm yesterday. No structural damage was reported following the quake, in Helston, Redruth and Falmouth, but residents said they heard a loud bang and felt their houses move.

9. Helter-skelter installed in Norwich Cathedral

A full-size fairground helter-skelter has been set up in Norwich Cathedral in order to allow visitors to get a new perspective on the ancient building. The installation of the 55ft vintage ride has triggered a furious debate, with some critics accusing cathedral bosses of turning the holy site into a tourist attraction. The Very Reverend Jane Hedges, the cathedral’s dean, has insisted that the helter-skelter is “not a gimmick”. It will remain in place until 18 August.

10. Briefing: what is a government of national unity?

Former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve, a staunch Remainer, claims that if the PM lost a no-confidence vote, a temporary government could step in and stop a no-deal Brexit.

What is a national unity government and who would lead it?