Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 7 Sep 2019

1. Johnson told to come up with a plan B for Brexit

Cabinet ministers have told Boris Johnson to scrap his Brexit strategy and “come up with a plan B” after opposition parties pledged to veto any bid for a general election until he asks the EU for an extension. The demand came on another tough day for Johnson in which the House of Lords passed a bill that would force the prime minister to seek a three-month Brexit extension if he has not reached a deal with Brussels by October 19.

2. India loses touch with lunar lander as moon mission fails

India's space agency has lost touch with its lunar lander as it approached the moon's south pole. The fate of the craft is not yet known, but the prime minister of India told his country's space scientists he was proud of a programme that had come so near to putting a probe on the Moon. India would have been the fourth nation to make a soft landing on the Moon. The PM, Narendra Modi, added: “In life there are ups and downs.”

3. Donald Trump tells Britain to cough up for his wall

Donald Trump has demanded that Britain and its Nato partners pay for Washington’s military projects in Europe that face being axed to free up funds for the Mexican border wall. The Pentagon says the projects in the UK, which include intelligence and operations units, cost around $250 million (£203 million). The US president has often told Nato member states they are not spending enough on defence, accusing them of getting a free ride at America’s expense.

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4. John McDonnell says he might ban bankers' bonuses

The shadow chancellor says he would consider banning bankers’ bonuses. John McDonnell accused lenders of creating “grotesque levels of inequality” in society. “If it continues and the City hasn’t learnt its lesson, we will take action, I’ll give them that warning now,” McDonnell told the FT. “If we have to take action, we will. People are offended by bonuses.”

5. Video ‘shows Savoy doorman beating homeless man’

The Met has reopened an investigation into an alleged assault on a rough sleeper by a Savoy Hotel security guard last year. Footage has emerged of the doorman beating a man and jumping on his head outside the exclusive five-star hotel. It also shows the guard throwing a man to the floor after he reportedly searched for coins in a decorative fountain. A spokesperson for the hotel said: “We are shocked and appalled.”

6. Golf club don't want Prince Andrew at teenage event

Prince Andrew is facing new discomfort as his hosts at a forthcoming golf event in Northern Ireland face uproar from members over his invitation. The Times says members of the Royal Portrush Golf Club are concerned about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein because the event is for boys and girls aged under 18. “Maybe it would be best for everyone if he decided he wasn’t able to come,” said one member.

7. Merkel under pressure to take China to task on human rights

Angela Merkel is under pressure to take a stronger line on China's human rights record as she meets Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing. Chinese state media welcomed the visit, stating that there is “an urgent need for Germany and China to safeguard an open global economy”. However, campaigners have told her to speak up, stating: “You have first hand experience of the terrors of a dictatorial government.”

8. Woman of 73 delighted as she gives birth to twins

A 73-year-old woman in India has given birth to healthy twin girls, describing it as “the happiest time of my life”. The babies were delivered through caesarean section on Thursday. The mother and her children were in good health. Mangayamma Yaramati said she had previously been stigmatised for not having kids. “They would call me a childless lady,” she said.

9. Exercise to strengthen muscles twice a week, say experts

Exercises to strengthen your muscles should be done at least twice a week, according to official health guidelines. The UK’s Chief Medical Officer has advised adults to incorporate activities, such as carrying heavy shopping or intensive gardening, into their routines to cut their risk of various conditions. Adults who do at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by 40%, heart disease by 35% and depression by 30%.

10. Australian show slammed for calling Meghan Markle a ‘monster’

The makers of an Australian documentary have been attacked after the trailer described the Duchess of Sussex as “a fiend and a monster”. The clip said the programme it will demonstrate how “Meghan Markle lost her sparkle - from adored to insufferable in less than a year”. Controversial columnist Katie Hopkins appears in the promo, calling Meghan “a no one” before attacking the royal's “bad clothes”.