Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 17 Dec 2017

1. Theresa May says she is proving the doubters wrong

Theresa May insists she will "not be derailed" from securing an "ambitious" Breixt deal. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Express, the Prime Minister claimed the government is "proving the doubters wrong" with its negotiations in Brussels. Meanwhile, in The Sunday Times, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Britain must not become "a vassal" - or subordinate - state of the EU.

2. Mueller's inquiry team has thousands of Trump emails

Robert Mueller has obtained tens of thousands of emails from President Donald Trump's transition team as part of a probe into the 2016 election, according to reports this morning. Although a lawyer from the Trump for America group claims the emails were obtained unlawfully from a third party, a spokesperson for the special counsel said the "appropriate criminal process" had been followed.

3. Bookies aren't enforcing 'problem gamblers' scheme

Bookmakers are failing to enforce a government scheme that aims to bar problem gamblers. An undercover reporter for BBC radio posed as a known problem gambler who should have been ejected from bookmakers when attempting to use fixed-odds betting terminals. He was asked to leave only two out of the 21 betting shops he visited. The scheme was introduced last year to "strengthen social responsibility".

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4. Watchdog investigates Amazon over parcel delays

Amazon is being investigated over complaints it is failing to deliver on time in the run-up to Christmas. The advertising watchdog sprung into action after customers said they had been "duped" into signing up to its premium £79-a-year service in order to get their presents before Christmas Day. Amazon Prime promises delivery within two days, but many customers have found packages have taken twice as long to arrive.

5. Pentagon's UFO programme reported 'hovering objects'

The Pentagon ran a secret multi-million dollar programme to investigate UFOs, the New York Times reports. Although paperwork from the operation describes strange speeding aircraft and hovering objects, experts say these do not necessarily prove life in outer space. The secret Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Programme ran from 2007 to 2012 with $22m (£16.5m) in annual funding.

6. Swathes of UK 'will be hotter than Madrid on Tuesday'

Parts of Britain will be warmer than Madrid this week, reports the Sunday Telegraph. It is predicted that northeast Wales, northeast England and eastern Scotland could enjoy unseasonable temperatures as high as 15 degrees on Tuesday, three degrees warmer than forecasts for central Spain. Meteorologist Helen Roberts said the conditions will be "pretty good for this time of year".

7. Britons 'support Remain over Leave by 10 points'

Brits now back Remain over Leave by 10 points, a new poll has found. The BMG Research survey showed 51% support remaining in the union, while 41% want Brexit. This gives Remainers their biggest lead since the 2016 referendum. Writing in The Independent, Michael Heseltine, Peter Mandelson, Gina Miller and Vince Cable have called for a new referendum.

8. Pension saving will start at 18, says government

Automatic pensions saving would start at 18 under new government plans. Currently, employers must enroll staff aged 22 and over and earning above £10,000 into a pension, but ministers hope to reduce the minimum age to 18 within the next 10 years. This would affect about 900,000 young people. "For an entire generation of people, workplace pension saving is the new normal," said the Work and Pensions Secretary.

9. Australia-based North Korea agent is charged

A "loyal agent of North Korea" based in Sydney has been charged with trying to sell missile on the black market to raise money for Pyongyang, Australian police have announced. Chan Han Choi, a naturalised Australian citizen of Korean descent, was attempting to close deals that could have generated "tens of millions of dollars" for North Korea in breach of international sanctions, the Australian Federal Police said.

10. Minnie Driver criticises Matt Damon over abuse remarks

Actress Minnie Driver says men "simply cannot understand what abuse is like on a daily level". She was speaking after actor Matt Damon told ABC News this week that alleged sexual misconduct by powerful men involved "a spectrum of behaviour". In response, Driver said: "I honestly think that until we get on the same page, you can’t tell a woman about their abuse."