Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 3 Feb 2020

1. Johnson calls for Canada-style free trade deal

Boris Johnson is setting out his vision today for a free trade agreement with the EU similar to that between the bloc and Canada - and will say there is “no need” for the UK to accept Brussels’ rules. In a bullish speech in London, the prime minister will insist that “Britain will prosper” regardless of the outcome of post-Brexit trade talks. Irish leader Leo Varadkar yesterday insisted that the UK needed to agree to a “level playing field” of common rules.

2. Streatham attacker freed from jail days ago after terror conviction

A man who stabbed three people in the south London suburb of Streatham yesterday before being shot dead by police has been named as Sudesh Amman, a 20-year-old released from prison a week ago. Amman was freed after serving half of a sentence of three years and four months for terror offences, according to the BBC. He was under active surveillance by police when he launched the attack. None of his victims are in a life-threatening condition.

3. Baftas: Prince William calls for inclusion as Mendes wins big

The Duke of Cambridge attended the Bafta awards in London last night and used his speech to call for a more inclusive film industry. Prince William told the audience that it “simply cannot be right” that he had to make the plea “in this day and age” - a sentiment that was echoed by Joker star Joaquin Phoenix. The big winner of the night was director Sam Mendes, for war epic 1917.

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4. Coronavirus: HK hospital staff strike to demand border closure

Hundreds of hospital staff in Hong Kong have gone on strike in protest at the border with China remaining open, as the coronavirus epidemic sweeps across the mainland. Cross-border rail and ferry services have been suspended, but doctors and other health workers want a complete closure. A total of 15 cases of the virus have been confirmed in Hong Kong.

5. Scotland ‘should plan for dry hot summers’

Dry, hot summers with temperatures of around 30C are set to become the norm in Scotland, researchers suggest. A new study by the Met office and experts from Edinburgh and Oxford universities says that unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut substantially, the country is likely to face heat-related problems including food shortages by the end of the century.

6. Surveillance objection to green number plate plan

The government watchdog regulating the use of CCTV in public places says a plan to introduce green number plates for zero-emissions vehicles is likely to lead to far more surveillance cameras on roads. Under the Department of Transport proposals, councils would be encouraged to give green plate holders “local incentives” such as free parking in a bid to encourage more people to buy electric and hydrogen cars. However, the Surveillance Camera Commissioner says the required monitoring systems would have serious privacy implications.

7. Michael Barrymore pool death: ‘mistakes’ made

Essex Police have admitted in an upcoming Channel 4 documentary that “mistakes” were made by officers at the “crime scene” where a man was found dead in the swimming pool at Michael Barrymore’s home following a party in 2001. Stuart Lubbock’s body was found to have suffered “horrific” sexual assault injuries. An investigation into his death continues.

8. Trump congratulates wrong state on Super Bowl win

US President Donald Trump last night congratulated the “Great State of Kansas” for winning the Super Bowl football tournament - after apparently failing to realise that victors the Kansas City Chiefs are based in Kansas City, Missouri. Trump quickly deleted the tweet and posted another naming the correct state. The Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20.

9. Mercenary ‘Mad’ Mike Hoare dies aged 100

A British Army major who helped defeat an uprising in Congo after becoming a mercenary has died at the age of 100. Michael Hoare, known as “Mad Mike” because of his fervent anti-communist views, was born in India to Irish parents. His success in Congo in the 1960s brought Hoare fame, but his career ended abruptly in 1981 when he was jailed for leading a failed coup in the Seychelles.

10. Briefing: who is Liam Scarlett?

The Royal Ballet has suspended a star choreographer over allegations of sexual misconduct.

Liam Scarlett, 33, is reported to have been banned from the ballet company’s Covent Garden base, pending the results of an inquiry into claims of inappropriate behaviour with students.

Royal Ballet sex scandal: who is Liam Scarlett?