Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 19 Aug 2017

1. Was a British schoolboy killed in Barcelona attacks?

There are fears that a seven-year-old British schoolboy was killed in the terror attacks in Barcelona. Meanwhile, the driver in Thursday's van attack may still be on the run, according to Spanish police. Moroccan-born Younes Abouyaaqoub has been named by Spanish media as the suspected driver. Islamic State said the attackers responded to its call to target countries involved in a US-led coalition targeting the group.

2. Fired Steve Bannon will 'go to war for Trump'

President Donald Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon is leaving his White House post. The controversial Bannon was a key Trump adviser during last year's election campaign. "If there's any confusion out there, let me clear it up: I'm leaving the White House and going to war for Trump against his opponents - on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in corporate America," he told Bloomberg News.

3. Stephen Hawking attacks the government over NHS record

Stephen Hawking has accused the government of damaging the NHS in what The Guardian describes as "a passionate and sustained attack for slashing funding, weakening the health service though privatisation, demoralising staff by curbing pay and cutting social care support". The 75-year-old physicist will say today that he owes his long life and famous scientific achievements to the NHS.

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4. Anger as study shows one in 10 own second home

One in 10 British adults now owns a second property, according to research from the Resolution Foundation. Its data shows that the number of people with multiple properties rose from 1.6m to 5.2m between 2000 and 2014 - a 30% increase. The Homeowners Alliance described the news as "shocking”, adding: "It's really the haves and have nots." In 2016, the Cornish town of St Ives voted to ban the building of second homes.

5. McDonald's 'punished workers for joining unions'

McDonald’s faces its first strike on British soil after zero-hour contract workers said the fast-food giant punished them for joining unions. "Workers have found themselves living on low wages with no guarantee of hours," said the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union. "This has… seen employees struggle to meet their rent payments, whilst some have even lost their homes."

6. Tributes paid to 'national treasure' Bruce Forsyth

Tributes have been paid to Sir Bruce Forsyth, who has died age 89. His co-host on Strictly Come Dancing, Tess Daly, said she was "heartbroken" and praised his "generosity, his brilliant sense of humour and his drive to entertain the audiences he so loved". Former Strictly judge Len Goodman said: "His work ethic, professionalism and charm will be with me forever." On Twitter, Prime Minister Theresa May said the country had "lost a national treasure".

7. Should vaccines be re-named as 'equines'?

Vaccines should be called 'equines', says an expert. The word 'vaccine' comes from the Latin for cow, vacca, as Dr Edward Jenner is said to have used the cowpox virus to inoculate an eight-year-old boy against smallpox. But Dr Clarissa Damaso, of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, says the smallpox vaccine might actually have come from horses, not cows.

8. Brands withdraw Mumsnet adverts over sweary posts

Leading brands are pulling adverts from the Mumsnet website because they do not want to be associated with bad language on the forum. The Times says that Italian fashion label Bulgari lost patience after its marketing appeared alongside posts titled "I can’t f***ing do this any more" and "Is this wanky?" National Trust and Confused.com have also asked for their banner ads to be pulled.

9. Roman Polanski case must go on despite victim's pleas

A Los Angeles court has ruled that a 40-year-old rape case against Roman Polanski must continue despite his victim pleading for charges to be dropped. Samantha Geimer, who was 13 at the time of the offence, asked the judge to end attempts to bring Polanski back to the US for sentencing, saying said she had forgiven him. "I would implore you to do this for me, out of mercy for myself," she said.

10. Charities cancel fundraisers as Trump's Florida property

Seven major charities have cancelled their fundraisers at Donald Trump’s South Florida Mar-a-Lago property after he blamed "many sides" for the Charlottesville violence that occurred over the weekend. The American Cancer Society lead the way, saying: "Our values and commitment to diversity are critical as we work to address the impact of cancer in every community."

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