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

1. Struggling families '£2,500 a year worse off by 2020'

Welfare cuts will leave struggling families more than £2,500 a year worse off by 2020, say researchers. A study of 187,000 households found austerity cuts would hit low-income working families by £48.90 a week by the end of the decade, despite Theresa May's vow to help households that are "just about managing".

2. Study finds UK kids among least active on the planet

Children in the UK are among the least active in the world, an international study claims, with physical activity being "stripped out" of modern lifestyles. Simon Stevens, the head of NHS England, called for radical changes in family routines and said exercise was a "magic pill" that would be a "pharmaceutical blockbuster" if it could be bottled.

3. Obama may comment on Trump's policies

Outgoing US President Barack Obama says he may speak out after leaving office if he feels Donald Trump is threatening core US values. If an issue "goes to core questions about our values and our ideals and if I think that it's necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals, then I'll examine it when it comes", he said.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Donald Trump sued by two states over business links

4. MPs and doctors slam 'secret £22bn NHS cuts plan'

Doctors and MPs have reacted with horror to reports that local health bosses are drawing up secret plans to force through £22bn of cuts, closing hospitals, A&Es and wards. Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said: "The Tories are starving the NHS of the cash needed and patients are suffering as a result."

5. Nick Clegg leads calls for cannabis to be legal

Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and a cross-party group of MPs have renewed calls for cannabis to be legalised. Senior Lib Dems and a number of Labour and Tory MPs backed a report arguing the UK should follow the lead of the US, where eight states have legalised the drug. UK politicians "need to open their eyes", Clegg said.

6. Nicolas Sarkozy drops out of presidential race

Nicolas Sarkozy has conceded defeat in the battle to be the centre-right candidate for French president after coming third place in the primary with more than 80% of the votes counted. "I failed to convince a majority of voters," he said. Former prime ministers Alain Juppe and Francois Fillon will now battle it out.

French elections: Francois Fillon wins conservative primary

7. UK naval defences 'woefully low', say MPs

Britain's naval defences are at risk as uncertainty grows over plans to replace the "woefully low" number of Royal Navy warships, warn MPs. The defence select committee says the UK could "lack the maritime strength" to meet potential threats unless a clear timetable is set out for replacing older vessels.

8. Trump state visit under consideration

Donald Trump could make a state visit to the UK next year, where he would be the guest of the Queen, Downing Street has said. The government is anxious to maintain the "special relationship" between the US and UK and an invitation is "under consideration", said a spokeswoman. Earlier this year MPs debated banning Trump from entering the UK.

9. May calms business concerns over Brexit

Prime Minister Theresa May has tried to calm business fears over Brexit in a speech to the CBI. She promised early agreement on the status of UK nationals in Europe and EU nationals in the UK and clarity on negotiations. She also covered other topics and pledged to invest £2bn annually in research and development by 2020 and a new fund backing areas such as robotics and biotechnology.

Will May match Trump's corporate tax cuts?

10. Briefing: Five of the world's most expensive private islands

Buying an island is not an everyday occurrence. Those who splash out on their very own beach-laden paradise generally don't want to skimp on their investment. Here are some of the most expensive islands on earth available to buy right now.

Five of the world's most expensive private islands