Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 8 Aug 2017

1. Kidnapped model 'was to be sold as a sex slave'

A British model who was allegedly kidnapped in Italy says she was told she would be "sold to somebody in the Middle East for sex", according to her lawyer. Chloe Ayling claims she was held captive for six days after going to Milan for a bogus photoshoot. She said she had been through a "terrifying experience".

Chloe Ayling: how the model’s kidnapping unfolded

2. Four in ten maternity wards forced to turn away patients

More than 40% of maternity wards in England were forced to close to new admissions last year, according to a freedom of information request given to the Labour Party. A lack of beds and staff were cited as the most common reasons. Labour says the figures show the "devastating impact" of underfunding the NHS.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

3. Man convicted over Manchester Airport bomb

A 43-year-old man from Bury has been found guilty of attempting to smuggle a pipe bomb onto a Ryanair plane at Manchester Airport. Nadeem Muhammad was arrested when the "crude improvised explosive device" was found in his hand luggage in January. It was "potentially viable" but experts say it is unlikely to have brought the aircraft down.

4. Netflix buys Millarworld comic franchise

Netflix has bought Millarworld, the comics universe created by Scottish author Mark Millar. The terms have not been revealed. Millar said he was still "blinking" at the news, which he called the "best thing that ever happened in our professional lives". His comic novels Kick-Ass and Kingsman are not included in the deal.

5. Republicans 'searched for Trump dossier author'

Two Republican staff workers reportedly flew to London this summer to try and find former spy Christopher Steele, the author of a report alleging links between Donald Trump's election campaign and Russia. Critics say it shows the GOP is attempting to influence the investigation into the alleged collusion.

Secret justice: How do US grand juries work?

6. Northerners '20% more likely to die young'

Thousands more people die prematurely in the north of England every year than do in the South, according to a study led by the University of Manchester. Examination of death records suggest northerners are 20% more likely to die before they reach 75 than their southern counterparts. Researchers blamed poorer resources in the north.

7. US government email bans phrase 'climate change"

Staff at the US Department of Agriculture have reportedly been banned from using the term "climate change", says The Guardian, citing internal emails which it has seen. It adds that workers must say "weather extremes" instead. Another email forbids talk of reducing greenhouse gases.

8. Stomach bug strikes at World Championships

The World Athletics Championships in London has been hit by an outbreak of gastroenteritis, with 30 athletes and officials struck by the illness. Several competitors have been forced to pull out of their events and those affected have been "quarantined" to stop the bug spreading. Many of those affected were staying at the Tower Hotel, but it denies it is the source of the outbreak.

Makwala 'sabotage' claim overshadows Van Niekerk win

9. Indian police sacked for Everest fakery

Two police officers have been sacked after it emerged their claim to be the first Indian duo to climb Everest was fake. Dinesh and Tarakeshwari Rathod said they had climbed the world's highest mountain last year. Their claim was initially validated by Nepal's tourism department but doubts emerged later.

10. Briefing: China and India square up over Himalayan dirt road

A dirt road in a desolate mountain pass high in the Himalayas between China and India has sparked "one of the worst border disputes between the nuclear-armed rivals in more than 30 years", says Al Jazeera.

In June, China crossed into territory that Bhutan claims as its own while extending a road in Donglang, a remote plateau on the three-way border between the two countries and India, which knows the area as Doklam.

At Bhutan's request, Indian troops crossed the border to stop the construction and "formed a human chain to physically prevent the Chinese from working", says the Indian Express.

China and India square up over Himalayan dirt road