Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 4 Jan 2017

1. EU ambassador quits and warns of 'muddled thinking'

Sir Ivan Rogers, the UK's ambassador to the EU, quit unexpectedly yesterday, saying he wanted to give his successor time to take charge of the Brexit negotiations. In his resignation email, which was leaked to the press, he told fellow civil servants in Brussels to challenge "ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking".

Sir Ivan Rogers: Diplomat's departure means Brexit 'chaos'

2. Wildlife and farming at risk from Brexit, say MPs

Brexit poses a threat to both wildlife and farming, a group of MPs warns. The cross-party environmental audit select committee says key protections for wildlife could be left as ineffective "zombie legislation", while farmers face the "triple jeopardy" of increased competition, lost subsidies and new export tariffs.

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3. Chelsea fans convicted of racist violence

Four Chelsea football fans have been found guilty of racist violence in France after they stopped a black man from getting on to a metro train in Paris. Richard Barkle, William Simpson, Joshua Parsons and James Fairbairn were given suspended sentences and must pay damages.

4. Southern rail strike reduced to three days

A six-day strike by drivers on the Southern rail network next week has been cut to three days, but significant disruption is still expected and Aslef has warned of further action in the bitter dispute. Drivers were due to walk out on Monday, halting services for a week, but will now strike on 10, 11 and 13 January. Southern accused Aslef of "contempt" for passengers.

5. Firearm found in M62 shooting car

Police say they found a firearm in the car of Yassar Yaqub, the man they shot dead on an M62 slip road in Huddersfield on Monday. Demonstrators took to the streets of Bradford yesterday to protest the shooting, which is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Police find gun in car of man killed in M62 shooting

6. Sugar-free drinks don't help weight loss, say scientists

There is no evidence that drinks made with artificial sweeteners, such as Diet Coke or Pepsi, help weight loss, UK and Brazilian researchers say. The academics add that "diet" drinks could be as big a part of the obesity problem as those made with sugar, although they do not cause people to put on weight.

Zero sugar - zero effects? Why 'diet' drinks might not work

7. Janet Jackson has her first baby at age of 50

Janet Jackson has given birth to her first child at the age of 50. her publicist said, adding the singer had a "stress-free healthy delivery" and was "resting comfortably". Jackson and her businessman husband, Wissam Al Mana, who married in 2012, are said to be "thrilled" at the birth of son Eissa.

Janet Jackson gives birth to first child

8. Killer Charles Manson 'seriously ill in hospital'

Charles Manson, who incited his supporters to murder the actress Sharon Tate and six others in 1969, is seriously ill and been moved from prison to hospital in California, the Los Angeles Times reports. Tate was heavily pregnant when she was stabbed to death as Manson, now 82, tried to incite a race war.

9. Israeli solder convicted of manslaughter

An Israeli soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian has been convicted of manslaughter at a military court. Sergeant Elor Azaria was filmed shooting Abdul Fattah al-Sharif, 21, in the head as he lay on the ground in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank in March 2016. The incident occurred after another soldier had been stabbed.

Elor Azaria: Israeli soldier convicted over Hebron shooting

10. Briefing: Why are the Republicans dismantling a major ethics committee?

Republicans in the US House of Representatives have voted to strip the Office of Congressional Ethics of many of its powers as they prepare to consolidate their control of Congress. In a secret party ballot, the GOP voted to add the amendment to a rules package. Republicans currently control both the House of Representatives and the Senate, meaning the amendment is almost guaranteed to pass.

Why are the Republicans dismantling a major ethics committee?