Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 24 Aug 2019

1. Boris tell to tell Trump NHS is ‘not on the table’

Boris Johnson will tell Donald Trump that the NHS would not be “on the table” in a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States. The prime minister will meet the US president over breakfast at the G7 summit in Biarritz. He is also expected to declare during the summit that Britain will not “retreat” from the international stage after leaving the European Union

2. Brazil's president sends the army in to the Amazon

The president of Brazil has sent in the armed forces to help fight the forest fires in the Amazon. He said: “We are a government of zero tolerance for crime, and in the environmental field it will not be different.” The order from President Jair Bolsonaro comes after intense pressure from European leaders.

3. Trump announces new tariffs on imports from China

President Donald Trump has announced new higher tariffs on imports from China as the trade war between the two nations intensifies. Taking to Twitter, Trump announced an additional tariff increase of 5% on imports from China. He has responded angrily to Chinese plans to put duties on $75bn (£61bn) of US goods. He said Beijing’s action was “politically motivated”.

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4. Corbyn says Tories are ‘failing a generation of children’

Jeremy Corbyn says the government is “failing a whole generation of children” and promised that his party would “unlock the potential of every child, not just a lucky few”. During a visit to Swansea, the Labour leader pointed to his party’s policies including extending free school meals to all primary schoolchildren, ending the benefits cap, and building one million affordable homes.

5. Boss says Huawei ‘army’ will ‘dominate the world’

Huawei will soon “dominate the world”, says its boss. Ren Zhengfei, a former officer in the People’s Liberation Army, told employees that they must become an “army” and enter “battle mode” to overcome the firm’s current woes. The Chinese telecoms giant is under scrutiny across the West amid escalating concern that its equipment could be used by the regime in Beijing for espionage and sabotage.

6. Jared O'Mara MP has been ‘arrested for fraud’

The controversial MP Jared O’Mara has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of fraud. O’Mara was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud after officers raided his constituency office. He was released pending further investigation, says the Daily Mirror. O’Mara, who was elected the Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam in 2017 but quit the party last year, has also been accused of sexual harassment.

7. Sir Philip Green accuser appears at first court hearing

Sir Philip Green has faced his first court hearing over allegations of criminal misconduct after a fitness instructor accused him of groping her at a spa resort. Katie Surridge told the Daily Telegraph that he fondled her bottom repeatedly and made sexual comments despite being asked to stop. Sturridge appeared alongside her husband and legal team at the first hearing in the case in Arizona.

8. UK consulate employee released by Chinese authorities

A UK consulate worker in Hong Kong who was detained in China has been released, his family has announced. “Simon [Cheng] has returned to Hong Kong. Thanks to everyone for your support!” said a message on the Rescue Simon Cheng Facebook page, which is run by his relatives. Police said he “confessed to his illegal acts” but did not provide details.

9. Person dies in the US from vaping-related illness

A person who contracted a serious lung disease after using a vaping device has died, in what is being treated as the first death in the US linked to the popular smoking alternative. According to llinois Department of Public Health, the patient, who was between 17 and 38 years old, had been taken to hospital when they fell ill after vaping.

10. Bury FC handed a reprieve by Alastair Campbell's son

Bury football club has been handed a “narrow” reprieve from threatened expulsion out of the EFL, reports The Guardian. Owner Steve Dale has finally agreed a deal to sell the club, after he had failed to provide evidence that he had the funds to pay Bury’s debts. Sports analytic company C & N Sporting Risk, co-directed by Alastair Campbell’s son Rory, had been in talks with the club for weeks.

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