Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 10 Dec 2019

1. NZ volcano eruption: Ardern says questions ‘must be asked’

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said that “questions must be asked and they must be answered” about the volcanic eruption on White Island that has claimed at least five lives. A further eight people are feared to have been killed by the eruption, which came a week after the threat level at the volcano had been raised from one to two - leading many to ask why tourists were still allowed to visit the site.

2. Labour accuse Johnson of ‘lying’ following disastrous day for Tories

Labour has accused Boris Johnson of trying to “lie” his way out of a campaign PR disaster yesterday that saw the prime minister refusing during a TV interview to look at a picture of a young boy lying on the floor of a crowded hospital. The Tories later incorrectly claimed that an aide had been punched by a left-wing activist outside the hospital, in what Labour claims was an attempt to distract attention from the PM’s insensitive reaction.

3. Johnson: Tories might scrap BBC licence fee

Boris Johnson has said that the Conservatives might replace the BBC licence fee with a pay-to-watch subscription model if they are returned to office in this week’s election. Speaking at a campaign rally in Tyne and Wear yesterday, the PM questioned whether the licence fee “still makes sense” in a digital media world. The plan is not in the Tory manifesto.

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4. Ukraine and Russia agree to implement ceasefire

Ukraine and Russia have agreed to implement a “full and comprehensive” ceasefire in eastern Ukraine by the end of the year, the BBC reports. The agreement was reached at a summit in Paris on Monday between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel.

5. Military plane ‘vanishes’ with 38 on board

A Chilean military aircraft has disappeared en route to Antarctica with 38 people on board. The C-130 Hercules plane was about 450 miles into a 770-mile journey to a military base on King George Island when contact was lost on Monday evening. Chilean officials say the pilot may have been forced to land after running out of fuel.

6. UK employers ‘pause’ job recruitment

Employers across the UK have stopped hiring amid worries over Brexit and the slow-down in global trade triggered by the US-China trade war, a survey used as a key economic indicator by the Treasury has found. The poll of 2,101 firms by recruitment company ManpowerGroup shows that the majority have“paused” hiring, with demand for new workers at a seven-year low.

7. Bisexual Falklands veteran to have medals restored

A Falklands War veteran who was stripped of his long service and good conduct medals after being forced out of the Royal Navy over his sexuality is to have the honours restored. Joe Ousalice, 68, served as a radio operator for 18 years and also completed six tours of duty in Northern Ireland, but was discharged in 1993 because of a ban of LGBT+ people in the Armed Forces.

8. This Morning hosts Phil and Holly deny rift

ITV breakfast show presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby have rubbished reports of tension between them. The pair have presented This Morning together for ten years but The Sun has repeatedly published stories claiming that Schofield has been the subject of internal complaints by various colleagues. Speaking at the launch of ITV’s Dancing on Ice 2020, Willoughby said it would be “impossible” to do the job “without getting along”.

9. Killer whale grandmothers ‘babysit’ their offsprings’ calves

Female killer whales that are past the age when they can reproduce look after their grand-calves, helping them to find food when it is scarce, a research led by the University of York suggests. Orcas are one of the only animal species except for humans and some other whales in which females can live on for decades following menopause.

10. Briefing: is an end to the Ukraine conflict in sight?

After more than five years of war, the leaders of Ukraine and Russia are holding their first face-to-face peace talks.

Since war broke out in 2014, more than 13,000 people have been killed in the fighting between the Ukrainian army and Russian-backed separatists, but today’s talks are said to offer a “slim hope” of peace.

Ukraine conflict: is an end in sight?