Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 9 Sep 2017

1. Hurricane Irma lashes Cuba as Florida braces

Irma has hit Cuba after being classified as a category five hurricane. It is pounding Cuba with strong winds and heavy rain after devastating several Caribbean islands. Meanwhile, around 5.6m Florida residents have been ordered to evacuate the state as Hurricane Irma gets closer. In recent days it has killed at least 22 people and left a trail of destruction in its wake.

2. Nato says world more dangerous than 30 years ago

Nato says the world is more dangerous today than it has been in a generation. With the nuclear crisis escalating on the Korean peninsula and an estimated 100,000 Russian troops preparing to mobilise on the EU’s eastern borders, Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the military alliance, told The Guardian: "It is more unpredictable, and it’s more difficult because we have so many challenges at the same time."

3. Mexico day of mourning after earthquake kills 61

The death toll from the earthquake off the southern coast of Mexico has risen to at least 61. President Enrique Peña Nieto, who has declared a day of mourning, says at least 200 people have been injured. A massive rescue operation is under way in Tabasco, Oaxaca and Chiapas after the 8.1-magnitude quake, which hit late on Thursday. It was the strongest to hit the region in a century.

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4. Top Tory donor brands Theresa May 'hopeless'

Theresa May is a "hopeless" leader of a "weak" government, says a leading Tory donor. Speaking to The Times, Lord Harris of Peckham said the PM was "no Thatcher". He also criticised her "shell-shocked" general election performance. "I’d much rather have a strong Labour government than a weak Conservative one and I’m a Conservative through and through," he added.

5. Archbishop Tutu criticises Aung San Suu Kyi

Desmond Tutu has called on Aung San Suu Kyi to end military-led operations against Myanmar’s Rohingya minority. After 270,000 refugees were driven from the country in recent weeks, the 85-year old archbishop said the "unfolding horror" and "ethnic cleansing" had forced him to speak out against the woman he considered "a dearly beloved sister".

6. Rise in number of animals slaughtered without stunning

The number of animals killed without being stunned has risen dramatically thanks to a government exemption for Muslims and Jews from humane slaughter rules, reports The Times. Data from the Food Standards Agency for April to June this year shows that almost a quarter of lambs had their throats cut without being stunned - an increase from 2013 when 15% of lambs were killed without being stunned and 10% in 2011.

7. Could anti-inflammatories treat depression?

Depression is a physical illness caused by a faulty immune system and could be treated using anti-inflammatory drugs, say scientists. According to official data, around one in 13 people in Britain suffers from anxiety or depression and last year the NHS issued 64.7 million prescriptions for antidepressants, double the amount given out a decade ago. A series of studies and trials have shown that treating inflammation alleviates depression.

8. Online trolls hurling 'vile' abuse at terror victims

Cyber trolls have volleyed "vile and upsetting abuse" at victims of the London and Manchester terror attacks, NHS doctors have revealed. Victims and relatives have been targeted on social media by trolls accusing them of "cashing in" on the atrocities. NHS England has produced guidance warning anyone caught up in a terrorist incident to beware of "unpleasant and abusive" trolls.

9. Country singer Don Williams dies at 78

Country music star Don Williams has died aged 78. The Texan native passed away after a short illness, his publicist said. Williams - who became known for his easy-going singing style - began his solo career in 1971, and enjoyed 17 number one country hits. Among his standout tracks were Gypsy Woman, Tulsa Time, You're My Best Friend and I Believe in You. In 2010 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

10. Jason Rees-Mogg a 'deadbeat dad' says Harman

Jacob Rees-Mogg is a "deadbeat dad", claims Labour’s former deputy leader Harriet Harman. Demanding that parliament change its rules to allow MPs six months of paid leave after having a child, Harman said: "Men who don’t change nappies are deadbeat dads – and that includes Jacob Rees-Mogg." The Tory MP admitted recently he had never changed a nappy.

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