Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 22 Mar 2017

1. Sturgeon asks MSPs to back referendum

MSPs will today vote on whether to back First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's push for a second independence referendum to be held between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, despite Theresa May's refusal to grant one. It is thought the Green party will support the SNP to carry the motion.

2. At least one dead in Westminster 'terror attack'

At least one person has died and many have been badly wounded in a suspected terror attack outside the Houses of Parliament. A vehicle was driven into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and into the railings of the Palace of Westminster. A man then charged through the gates of parliament wielding a knife. A police officer was stabbed and a man shot by police.

Khalid Masood: Police unlock Westminster attacker's final text

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3. UK bans laptops on flights from Middle East

The UK has joined the US in banning large electronics devices from cabin baggage on inbound flights from six Middle Eastern nations following a "credible" intelligence report that Islamic State was planning a terror attack using a laptop bomb. Phones and medical devices will still be allowed in the cabin.

Laptop ban on flights 'ineffective for keeping passengers safe'

4. Thames Water fined 20.3m over sewage leaks

Thames Water has been fined £20.3m after pumping nearly 1.5 billion litres of untreated sewage into the River Thames in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. The spills in 2013 and 2014 killed fish and river birds. The fine is the largest penalty handed down to a water utility after Judge Francis Sheridan said the incidents must have been known about by bosses.

5. NHS pay caps broken more than 200,000 times

Hospitals in England broke the agreed pay cap for emergency doctors 241,195 times in three months last year, a Freedom of Information request reveals. The cap is only supposed to be broken in exceptional circumstances, when the lack of a doctor would put patients at risk. One locum earned £128,790 in three months.

6. New test can predict Alzheimer's onset

Scientists have developed a new genetic test for Alzheimer's disease which can predict the age at which symptoms will appear. A high score on the test allows victims to be diagnosed many years earlier than those with a low-risk genetic profile, an international team led by the University of California found. Around a quarter of sufferers have family history of Alzheimer's.

7. Princess Anne defies her brother to support GM crops

Princess Anne may have exposed a division in the royal family over genetically modified crops. The Princess Royal told Radio 4 that arguments against GM crops were "not practical" and said she would grow them on her own land if permitted. She acknowledged that the issue of GM "divides people". Her brother, Prince Charles, has campaigned against the technology.

Princess Anne takes on Prince Charles over GM food

8. North Korea 'missile launch fails'

South Korea says its northern neighbour failed in its latest missile launch, a claim backed up by the US military, which said it had detected a missile that seemed to explode within seconds of being launched. North Korea is banned from developing missile or nuclear technology by the United Nations, but ignores the ban with increasing frequency.

North Korea detains another US citizen

9. Zoo cuts off rhino horns to guard against poachers

A zoo in the Czech Republic has cut the horns off its 21 rhinos to guard against attacks by poachers. The procedure is said to be painless and feels similar to having your nails cut. Earlier this month, a rhino at Thoiry zoo, near Paris, was shot dead by poachers and its horn removed with a chainsaw.

Why one zoo is sawing off the horns of 21 rhinos

10. Briefing: The rise and rise of probate fees

Dying is about to get a lot more expensive for half the nation. The Ministry of Justice has announced that probate fees are going to increase by as much as 9,300 per cent from May, with some estates having to fork out £20,000 just to be able to release the estate to beneficiaries.

At present fees for probate are set at £155 for those applying through a solicitor and £215 for those without legal representation. Estates worth less than £5,000 pay no fee at all.

A new stepped system will raise the zero-fee threshold to £50,000, but estates worth more will incur fees of at least £1,000 - and those valued at more than £2m will result in a charge of £20,000.

Probate fees hike scrapped – for now at least