Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 10 Jan 2018

1. Davis and Hammond in Germany to make Brexit plea

Chancellor Philip Hammond and Brexit Secretary David Davis are visiting Germany today in order to make a direct plea to business leaders for a special deal for UK financial services after Britain leaves the EU. The bloc’s negotiators say only goods, not services, can be covered by the new trade deal to be agreed for a post-Brexit UK.

2. Mudslide kills 13 in southern California

A waist-deep flood of mud has killed 13 people in southern California. Five were found dead in the upmarket town of Montecito, in Santa Barbara, where actors including Rob Lowe and Oprah Winfrey have properties. The mudslides have been triggered by heavy rain falling on areas where huge wildfires recently removed vegetation.

3. Study draws the air pollution map of Britain

A new study by the company EarthSense has revealed Britain’s most polluted streets, mapping the levels of harmful nitrogen dioxide across the country in 100-metre squares. The data allows the public to see for the first time exactly how polluted an individual street is. NO2 gas is one of the gases emitted by diesel engines and can cause respiratory problems.

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4. Plastic bag charge to be extended in England

The 5p levy for plastic shopping bags England introduced in 2015, years after the other home nations, is to be extended. It currently applies only to shops with 250 staff or more – and does not apply to paper bags. Extending the scheme will be part of Environment Secretary Michael Gove’s 25-year plan, to be unveiled later this week.

5. Paul McCartney warns ‘future of music in danger’

Sir Paul McCartney is among a host of celebrated musicians throwing their support behind an MP’s bill that aims to make it harder for developers to close music clubs in the UK. The former Beatle said the “future of music in general is in danger”. Campaign group UK Music claims 35% of music venues have been forced to close since 2008.

6. Body found in Stockport garden after confession

A body has been found in a garden in Stockport after a woman walked into a police station and confessed to killing and burying a man “a number of years ago”, police say. The 63-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Local residents have been asked if they remember a man called Kenneth Coombes, who was in his late 80s in 2005.

7. Deneuve and 100 women defend male ‘seducers’

Oscar-nominated actor Catherine Deneuve is one of 100 prominent French women who have written an open letter to Le Monde newspaper warning of a new “puritanism” since the Harvey Weinstein allegations broke. The letter says that men should be free to “hit on women” and that persistent or clumsy seduction is not a crime.

8. Heavy snow strands 13,000 skiers in Swiss Alps

Around 13,000 holidaymakers are unable to leave in the popular Swiss resort of Zermatt after heavy snowfall forced the closure of roads, trains and cable cars. There are fears of deadly avalanches in the area. An “air bridge” has been set up, taking 100 people an hour out of the town by helicopter.

9. Steve Bannon forced out of job at Breitbart website

US President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, has been forced out of his job at Breitbart, the right-wing website that he helped create. Bannon, who left the White House last summer, stepped down yesterday after a new book reported him as accusing Trump’s son, Donald Jr, of “treason” for meeting a Russian lawyer.

10. Briefing: are free and fair elections now impossible?

Russia is being accused of orchestrating a sophisticated campaign to influence the presidential election in Mexico - the latest smear against Moscow following allegations involving the US presidential vote, the UK Brexit referendum, elections in France and Kenya, and Catalonia’s secession vote.

Russian meddling: are free and fair elections impossible?