Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 20 Mar 2017

1. Drugs and alcohol found in Orly gunman's blood

Blood tests have revealed that a man shot dead at Orly airport in Paris on Saturday had consumed cocaine, cannabis and alcohol. Ziyed Ben Belgacem, 39, was killed after stealing a soldier's gun and holding it to her head, saying he wanted to "die for Allah". He had a criminal record for armed robbery and drugs and was on a terror watch list.

Paris Orly attack: Drugs and alcohol found in gunman's blood

2. Theresa May to trigger Article 50 next week

Prime Minister Theresa May will next week trigger Article 50 and begin the Brexit process by notifying the European Union that the UK is leaving. Downing Street said she would write to the European Council on 29 March. Negotiations on the terms of Britain's exit from the EU will then begin. The EU says it is "ready and waiting" for the letter.

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Brexit: Theresa May says ‘trust me’ to deliver

3. FBI chief confirms Russia probe, rejects Trump wiretap

FBI director James Comey has confirmed that his agency is investigating claims of collusion between Russia and Donad Trump's presidential election campaign and whether any crimes may have been committed. He also said there was "no information" to support Trump's assertion that he had been wiretapped by Barack Obama or the British secret service.

Donald Trump sued by two states over business links

4. Care firms end council contracts after funding squeeze

Care homes have cancelled their contracts with 95 councils in the UK, saying they are not paid enough to deliver the services required, according to a BBC investigation. A Freedom of Information request also revealed 69 companies providing care at home have closed in the last three months, while one in four of the 2,500 firms still operating are at risk of insolvency.

Social care system 'beginning to collapse'

5. Ghana: School pupils killed in freak accident

Up to 20 people were killed and many more injured in a freak accident in Ghana's Brong-Ahafo region. The victims, many of them pupils at a local high school, were swimming at a popular beauty spot beneath the Kintampo waterfalls during a storm when a tree fell on them. Eighteen died at the scene while another two died in hospital.

6. Tampons and nappies to fuel UK power stations

A waste management firm has patented a method to convert used nappies, tampons and incontinence pads into fuel for power stations. The initiative turns the sanitary products into dry bales which can be burnt to generate electricity. PHS Group says it will be able to process up to 45,000 tonnes of waste a year when its West Bromwich site hits full capacity.

7. Google apologises over ad placements

Google's European boss Matt Brittin has apologised after more firms, including M&S, Sky, Vodafone and HSBC, pulled advertising from YouTube over concerns their ads had appeared next to extremist content, potentially generating funds for hate groups and terrorists. Ads may have been shown next to videos supporting Islamic extremists, white supremacists and pornographers.

Google boycott: US firms join exodus over extremist content

8. Neighbours 'could disappear from UK television screens'

Australian soap Neighbours could disappear from UK television screens after reports that talks between the show's makers, FremantleMedia, and Channel 5 on renewing a contract have broken down. The soap, which was first broadcast in the UK in 1986, helped launched the careers of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce.

9. White cliff tribute to Dame Vera Lynn

An image of Dame Vera Lynn will be projected on to the "white cliffs of Dover" today to celebrate her 100th birthday. The 350ft-tall image of the Forces' Sweetheart will also promote her new album, Vera Lynn 100. "I am truly thrilled by this wonderful gesture," said the singer.

10. Briefing: Haddock fisheries 'no longer sustainable'

Fish and chip shops across the UK are bracing themselves for a change to their menus after haddock from the North Sea was removed from a list of sustainable fish to eat.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) downgraded the fish after stocks fell below the required levels needed for 'green' or 'safe to eat' status last year.

Two fisheries in the North Sea now have a four out of five 'amber' rating on a scale where one is the most sustainable. Another in the west of Scotland has been downgraded to three, meaning 'eat only occasionally', the BBC reports.

North Sea cod back on the menu