Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 25 Feb 2017

1. White House bans some media outlets from briefing

The White House has barred several leading media outlets from attending an informal press briefing. The BBC, CNN, the New York Times were excluded from an audience with press secretary Sean Spicer hours after President Donald Trump delivered another attack on the media in a speech, saying that "fake news" was the "enemy of the people". Politico, the Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed were also excluded.

2. Miliband 'deeply concerned' for Labour's future

David Miliband says the Labour Party is at its weakest point in half a century. The former minister spoke after a Tories won the Copeland by-election - the first such gain by a sitting government in 35 years. Miliband told The Times he was "deeply concerned" about the party's future. "I don't think this is just a repeat of the 1980s," he said.

3. Theresa May plans to deprive 150,000 of disability payments

Theresa May faces a backlash over efforts to claw back enhanced disability payments from more than 150,000 people. Her government has announced emergency legislation to overturn two tribunal rulings on entitlement to personal independence payments, which help disabled people with their living costs. When George Osborne tried to scale back the payments last year it plunged David Cameron’s administration into crisis.

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4. Small Canadian company 'swung the referendum result'

A "tiny" Canadian IT company helped determine the Brexit vote for Leave, reports the Daily Telegraph. AggregateIQ, a technology company based above an opticians in a provincial Canadian city, was given £3.5m by Leave campaigners in the run up to last year’s EU vote. Vote Leave officials said the company had been "instrumental" in the campaign by honing their online message.

5. Tens of thousands of London pupils breathe toxic air

Tens of thousands of children at more than 800 schools, nurseries and colleges are exposed to illegal levels of air pollution that risk causing lifelong health problems, reports The Guardian. A study has pinpointed 802 educational institutions in London where pupils as young as three are being exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide that breach EU legal limits and which the government accepts are harmful to health.

6. India shocked over Kansas 'hate crime' murder

A man in Kansas has been charged with shooting dead an Indian man and wounding two people in a bar, in a suspected hate crime. Adam Purinton, 51, was charged in Johnson County, Kansas, with one count of premeditated first degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first degree murder. The BBC says India has expressed shock over the incident.

7. MPs pocket pay rise higher than public sector

MPs will receive a 1.4% pay rise this year — above the 1% cap imposed on public sector workers. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority confirmed yesterday that annual salaries would rise from £74,962 to £76,011 on April 1. It defended the automatic increase, which follows a one-off 10% rise in MPs’ pay two years ago, which took the basic pay for an MP from £67,000 to £74,000.

8. Mexico threatens revenge over Trump's tax plan

Mexico has warned Washington against imposing a unilateral tax on Mexican imports to finance a border wall, saying it could respond in kind. Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said the government could place tariffs on selected goods from US states reliant on exports to Mexico. The warning came after US President Donald Trump vowed to start building the wall "soon, way ahead of schedule".

9. Another Oscar nominee is barred from the United States

A second Oscar nominee has been denied entry to America. Khaled Khatib, a 21-year-old Syrian filmmaker, was banned at the last minute from travelling to Los Angeles for this weekend’s Academy Awards. His film, The White Helmets, which tells the story of the country’s brutal civil war, is nominated for an award in the Documentary (Short Subject) category.

10. Claudio Ranieri says 'dream died' when Leicester sacked him

Claudio Ranieri says his "dream died" when he was sacked as Leicester boss nine months after winning the Premier League. The 65-year-old won the title for the Foxes despite them being rated 5,000-1. However, Leicester are now one point above the relegation zone with 13 matches left. "After the euphoria of last season and being crowned champions, all I dreamt of was staying with Leicester," he said.