Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 26 Apr 2017

1. Trump backs down on Mexico wall funding

Donald Trump yesterday conceded he will not be able to finance the building of a wall between the US and Mexico, one of his key campaign promises. Democrats vowed to block the passing of a key spending bill this week if any money was earmarked for the scheme, leaving the US President facing the prospect of a government shutdown if he pressed ahead.

Donald Trump sued by two states over business links

2. May holds face-to-face meeting with EU heads

Theresa May will meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and chief EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier for a working dinner at Downing Street tonight. The two men are on what European officials have termed a "flying visit" to London and Brexit is the only item scheduled for discussion. It is the first time the Prime Minister has met Barnier.

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3. Pope Francis urges world leaders to be 'humble'

Pope Francis gave a surprise talk at the annual TED conference in Vancouver yesterday and urged world leaders to "act humbly". Speaking via video link, the pontiff's 18-minute address also included his hopes that technological progress would not leave people behind. It would be "wonderful" if more social inclusion followed better technology, he said.

4. Labour vows pay rises for 'undervalued' NHS staff

Labour has promised to increase pay for NHS staff and scrap tuition fees for nurses and midwives if elected. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth will today say health workers have been "taken for granted" and are "undervalued, overworked and underpaid". The Conservatives said the plans were "nonsensical" and would put the health service in danger.

General election 2017: Security tight as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn cast their votes

5. Madeleine McCann: Police pursuing 'significant' lead

Police say they still hope to provide answers about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann ten years ago and are following a "significant line of inquiry". The toddler vanished while on holiday in Portugal in 2007. Her mother Kate said the ten-year anniversary was a "horrible marker of time, stolen time".

What happened to Madeleine McCann? A timeline of the case

6. Safe return policy for refugees 'beyond morality'

Fifty organisations which work with refugees in the UK have written to Home Secretary Amber Rudd to complain that the new "safe return review" policy for refugees is "beyond basic morality". Under the policy, refugees have to take part in a review of the situation in their home country after five years in the UK. Campaigners say it will "put an end to hope of stability".

7. China launches first aircraft carrier built at home

China has launched its second aircraft carrier, its first to be built domestically, which is expected to enter service in 2020. News of the surprise launch will increase concerns around the South China Sea about Beijing's increasing assertiveness in the region. China's other carrier is a Soviet-era refit.

8. Saturated fat 'not linked to heart disease'

Saturated fat does not increase the risk of heart disease by clogging up arteries, say three highly-respected cardiologists, sparking a furious debate. In an editorial pubslihed in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the doctors say it is "misguided" to rely on on foods marked "low fat" to avoid heart disease and instead recommend exercise and a Mediterranean diet. Critics say the report will confuse the public over which foods they should eat.

Fact Check: The truth about saturated fat

9. Tax fraud raids at Newcastle and West Ham

HM Revenue and Customs have raided the offices of football clubs Newcastle United and West Ham as part of a fraud investigation. Newcastle's managing director Lee Charnley is one of several people who have been arrested. Properties in the UK and France have been searched and 180 officers were involved in the raids which focuses on cross-channel transfer deals.

Newcastle United MD Lee Charnley arrested in tax raid

10. Briefing: Labour's Brexit reset

Labour will scrap the government's white paper on Brexit and replace it with a new one should Jeremy Corbyn become prime minister in June.

In a speech today, shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said: "We do not accept that there has to be a reckless Tory Brexit."

He added that if Labour won the election, it would rip up Theresa May's plans for leaving the EU and give EU citizens the right to stay.

General election 2017: Security tight as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn cast their votes