Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 21 Mar 2016

1. Cameron blames Osborne for disability 'mess'

David Cameron blames George Osborne for the on-going controversy over disability cuts, according to a Cabinet colleague. "Cameron said in no uncertain terms that Osborne had messed up, it was all his fault and would have hell to pay in the papers," a source claimed. Labour has said that Osborne's Budget it "absolute chaos" and should be withdrawn.

How Osborne got himself in a pickle on disability benefit cuts

2. Barack Obama arrives in Cuba for historic visit

Barack Obama has become the first sitting US president in 88 years to visit Cuba. "What's up Cuba? Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people," he tweeted from Jose Marti International Airport. Obama has been holding trade talks with Cuban leader Raul Castro. Earlier he visited Havana's old town.

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Obama locks horns with Castro during historic visit to Havana

3. CBI says Brexit would cost UK £100bn

Britain leaving the European Union could cost the country £100bn and nearly one million jobs, the CBI warned. The business lobby group said such a move would cause a "serious economic shock" that would have "negative echoes" lasting many years. CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn said Brexit "would be a real blow for living standards, jobs and growth".

Remain-voting City lobby group calls for 'dramatic Brexit U-turn'

4. UK public receives 12m nuisance calls each day

The British public is being bombarded with more than 12 million nuisance calls every day, according to a new report. Powering the surge are "ambulance-chasing lawyers" who show a "blatant disregard for the law", according to Axa Insurance, which published the study and says the practice is driving the cost of car insurance higher.

5. Five die in Irish pier tragedy, but baby saved

Five people have died after the car they were in slid into the sea in Ireland. The only survivor was a baby girl, who is in a stable condition in hospital after being rescued when the vehicle slipped from a pier in County Donegal. The victims were named as Ruth Daniels, 57, her daughter Jodie Lee , 14, Sean McGrotty, 49, and his sons Mark, 12, and Evan, eight.

Baby 'stable' after five die in Co Donegal pier tragedy

6. Djokovic: Men should be paid more than women

Male tennis players should be awarded more prize money than their female counterparts, says world number one Novak Djokovic. His comments came after Indian Wells Tennis Garden chief executive Raymond Moore said the women's WTA Tour "ride on the coat-tails of the men". Djokovic described that remark as "not politically correct", but said male players "should fight for more" pay.

Novak Djokovic: Male tennis stars deserve to get more money

7. Sir Paul McCartney bids to reclaim Beatles catalogue

Sir Paul McCartney has filed legal papers in the US to try and reclaim the publishing rights to The Beatles's back catalogue, much of which will be available in 2018. Although he co-wrote most of the band's hits, McCartney has never controlled the publishing but under US law, writers can reclaim the rights after 56 years.

8. Eddie Izzard finishes his marathon challenge

Eddie Izzard has completed his challenge to run 27 marathons in 27 days for Sport Relief. The 54-year-old actor ran a double marathon yesterday to finish his challenge beneath a statue of Nelson Mandela, in Pretoria, South Africa. His previous attempt at such a feat in South Africa in 2012 ended when he was forced to withdraw for health reasons.

9. Teenager convicted of killing policeman

Car thief Clayton Williams, 19, has been convicted of killing a policeman by running him down in a stolen pick-up truck. The teenager hit PC Dave Phillips during a high-speed police pursuit in Merseyside in October. Williams was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter and ordered to serve 20 years.

Teenager who killed PC David Phillips guilty of manslaughter

10. Briefing: Britain's foreign aid budget

Britain is a significant contributor to helping developing countries, last year becoming the first G7 country to honour its commitment to ring-fence 0.7 per cent of gross national income for aid. However, as a result of disappointing economic figures delivered in last week's Budget, the amount the UK will spend in cash terms will go down by £700m. Foreign aid has become a politically divisive issue, with some angry at what they perceive to be the government's commitment to helping people overseas while cutting vital services at home.

How is the UK’s foreign aid budget spent?

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