Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 24 Nov 2019

1. Labour promises funds for women caught in pension trap

Labour has pledged £58bn for women caught in the pension trap by steep increases to the state pension age. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell says the party owes a “debt of honour” to the three million women. Speaking to The Observer, he said Labour would introduce a universal scheme that would see the women affected given a maximum payment of £31,300, with an average payment of £15,380.

2. Police assaulted after machete brawl at Midlands cinema

A number of police officers have been assaulted after they were called to reports of people with machetes involved in a brawl at a Birmingham cinema. Officers were called to Star City, in the Nechells area, just after 5.30pm on Saturday following reports that a group of people with machetes had arrived. “Pockets of fighting” broke out as officers tried to clear the area, West Midlands Police said in a statement.

3. Conservatives set to launch manifesto with Brexit promise

The Conservative Party will launch its general election manifesto today with a headline promise to “get Brexit done”. The manifesto, to be launched in the West Midlands, also includes plans for a “triple tax lock” and a pledge to raise the National Insurance threshold. Party leader Boris Johnson has vowed to “unleash the potential” of the UK.

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4. New questions over Prince Andrew sex claims

The Metropolitan Police is facing questions from the Victims’ Commissioner over its decision not to pursue a full investigation into claims a teenager was trafficked to the UK to have sex with Prince Andrew. Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Duke’s fomer wife Sarah Ferguson and daughter Princess Beatrice were among the figures encouraging him to go ahead with last weekend's disastrous Newsnight interview.

5. Sheriff killed in shooting near Alabama convenience store

An Alabama county sheriff has been killed following a shooting near a convenience store. He was answering an emergency call at the shop in Hayneville, about 20 miles southwest of the state capital Montgomery. Governor Kay Ivey described County Sheriff John Williams as a “pillar of the community” and offered prayers and sympathy to his family and the Lowndes County Sheriff's Department.

6. Warnings in place as Britain braces for more heavy rain

Yellow weather warnings and flood warnings are in force with Britain due to be lashed with heavy rain today. Devon and other areas have already received two weeks’ worth of rain in one day, according to the Met Office. “There are parts of the country that have seen flooding during the past month and any more rain is not going to be welcome,” said a spokesperson.

7. Vegan diet boosts virility finds study of sportsmen

A vegan diet boosts virility in men, according to a new study. The experiment, overseen by Dr Aaron Spitz of the American Urological Association, found that after eating vegan dishes, sportsmen enjoyed erections that had lasted between 303% and 477% longer than after the meat meals. The firmness had increased by between 8.8% and 13.5%.

8. High turnout reported as Hong Kong goes to polls

Voting is under way in Hong Kong elections, with signs of a high turnout at polling stations. More than 17.4% of registered voters cast ballots in the first three hours of polling compared to 6.8% for the same election four years ago. Voters are choosing representatives for 452 seats in the city's 18 district councils. The election has taken on symbolic importance due to recent protests.

9. Pope Francis calls for a world without nuclear weapons

Pope Francis has called for “a world without nuclear weapons” during a visit to Nagasaki, one of two Japanese cities destroyed by American atomic bombs in 1945. Condemning the “unspeakable horror” of nuclear weapons, he said: “I ask political leaders not to forget that these weapons cannot protect us from current threats to national and international security.”

10. Dozens dead after landslides in flood-hit Kenya

At least 36 people are dead after devastating rains caused huge landslides in West Pokot County, Kenya. Floods and relentless torrential rain have caused mass displacement and seen villages buried under earth. Samuel Poghisio, a senator from the county, told Reuters: “We can confirm that the number of those dead has sadly reached 36. Some people who we thought were lost have been found dead.”