Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 30 Aug 2019

1. Johnson to ‘step up the tempo’ on Brexit talks

Boris Johnson says he is upping the “tempo” of talks with the EU on Brexit, with the two sides to meet twice a week next month. The prime minister is aiming to “reassure” Tories who are unhappy with his decision to close Parliament early in order to prevent MPs from blocking a no-deal exit, according to the The Guardian.

Can MPs still block a no-deal Brexit?

2. New study doubles estimated risk of breast cancer from HRT

An international study has found that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is twice as likely to cause cancer as was previously thought. It had been believed that the treatment, given to women to treat menopausal symptoms, caused 1,400 cases of breast cancer in the UK every year, but the real number is now thought to be 3,000. HRT is believed to have caused a million cancers in the Western world since 1990.

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3. Google reveals ‘iPhone hack dating back years’

Google says it has found evidence of a “sustained effort” to hack iPhones that dates back at least two years and uses booby-trapped websites that implant malicious software to gather contacts, images and other data from phones. Apple told the BBC it did not wish to comment when asked about the claims.

4. Trump launches Pentagon command for space warfare

Donald Trump has officially launched SpaceCom, a Pentagon unit focusing on space warfare. There is already an US air force unit dedicated to space, but the president’s new command will focus specifically on the type of technology dubbed “Star Wars” by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.

5. Alabama man freed after 36 years in jail for $50 theft

A 58-year-old man has been freed from jail after serving a 36-year sentence in Alabama for stealing $50.75 (£41.65) from a bakery in 1983. Alvin Kennard was given the harsh sentence under the state’s “three strikes” law. He had already served probation for three counts of burglary in 1979 when he was found guilty of the bakery theft. Kennard finally walked free after a judge this week re-sentenced him.

6. Vegans may be lacking crucial nutrient for brain health, says expert

People who eat vegan or plant-based diets must “have a plan” to make sure they get enough choline, a little-known nutrient found in dairy and meat that is vital for brain health, nutritionists have warned. In a newly published paper in journal BMJ, Dr Emma Derbyshire says that many people already do not meet daily recommendations for choline and that the growing popularity of plant-based diets could make the problem worse.

7. Great white sharks flee from killer whales

The world’s most photographed population of great white sharks has disappeared from the South African coast following the arrival of “rogue” killer whales, environment officials say. Not a single great white has been seen off the beaches of False Bay this year, compared with an average of 205 sightings a year between 2010 and 2016. Their disappearance follows the arrival in 2015 of two killer whales, or orcas, who in a world first were previously sighted attacking a great white shark and consuming its liver.

8. Cricketer Jofra Archer to get rubies for wickets

England cricketer Jofra Archer is to get a ruby for every wicket he takes during the Ashes. The fast-bowling sensation, born in Barbados to an English father, is known for his extravagant gold chains and is sponsored by UK-based jeweller Pragnell. The firm has announced it is making him a chain and will add a ruby per wicket.

9. Cantona at Uefa: ‘Humans will become eternal’

Eric Cantona baffled football fans yesterday during an appearance at the Uefa Champions League draw. Sporting an enormous beard, the former Manchester United star - famed for his gnomic utterances - produced a “philosophical monologue loosely based on football”, promising “soon… we will become eternal”, The Guardian reports.

Today’s back pages: Kyle Walker axed as England boss Gareth Southgate gets tough

10. Briefing: will China invade Hong Kong?

China has reportedly rotated fresh troops into its Hong Kong border garrison, prompting new fears of a crackdown on the ongoing anti-government protests in the city-state.

The future of Beijing’s approach to Hong Kong appears to be hanging in the balance.

Will China invade Hong Kong?