Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 25 Aug 2018

1. Abortion pill at home to be made legal in England

Women in England are to be legally permitted to take the second abortion pill at home. Women are presently required to take both pills 24-48 hours apart in a clinic to end an early pregnancy before 10 weeks' gestation. The move will end the risk of women miscarrying, or bleeding and suffering pain, in public while on the journey home.

2. Trump cancels Pompeo's North Korea visit

The US Secretary of State will not be travelling to North Korea in the immediate future after Donald Trump asked him to call off a planned trip. Cancelling Mike Pompeo’s visit, the US president tweeted that insufficient progress was being made in dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear programme and that Beijing was not putting enough pressure on North Korea.

3. Theresa May 'to extend plastic bag charge to all stores'

The government is to extend the plastic bag charge to every shop, claims the Daily Mail. The prime minister will reportedly announce the move next week – and consult on proposals to double the levy from 5p to 10p. Theresa May will confirm the charge will affect all stores rather than just large retailers, lifting the exemption on small businesses with fewer than 250 staff.

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4. Pope Francis to meet victims of clerical sexual abuse

Pope Francis is set to meet victims of clerical sex abuse later during the Republic of Ireland's first papal visit for almost four decades. The Pope is due to arrive at Dublin Airport at around 10.30am today for his two-day visit. His stay will end with a Mass for 500,000 people at Phoenix Park on Sunday.

5. Procter & Gamble wants to trademark LOL and WTF

Procter & Gamble has applied to trademark text-speak acronyms including LOL and WTF. The household products company hopes to use the terms to market products such as soap, detergents and air fresheners to attract younger consumers. Previously, Walmart tried unsuccessfully to trademark the yellow smiley face emoji, which has been around since the 1970s.

6. Daughter of deceased Egypt visitors rejects natural causes

The daughter of British tourists who died in a hotel room in Egypt has dismissed claims by officials the deaths were due to natural causes and said: "Something suspicious has gone on". Kelly Ormerod has demanded a full investigation. "They were in perfect health when they went to bed," she said. Thomas Cook has dismissed claims they may have been victims of carbon monoxide poisoning.

7. 'No saint' Salmond denies sexual misconduct claims

The former Scottish first minister, Alex Salmond, has described sexual misconduct allegations against him as "patently ridiculous". The Daily Record says the claims date back to December 2013, when Salmond was still in office. Salmond said "I am no saint, I have got flaws" but insisted "I have not sexually harassed anyone."

8. Jeremy Corbyn explains his 2013 'Zionist' comments

Jeremy Corbyn has defended his 2013 remarks that a group of Zionists had "no sense of irony" despite "having lived in this country for a very long time". In a statement last night, the Labour leader said he used the "Zionist" term "in the accurate political sense and not as a euphemism for Jewish people". Shadow chancellor John McDonnell says Corbyn’s words were taken out of context.

9. John Lennon's killer denied parole for tenth time

Mark Chapman, the killer of John Lennon, has been denied parole for the 10th time. Chapman, 63, has been serving a life sentence for the murder of the former Beatle in New York in 1980. He shot the musician, who was 40, four times in front of his wife, Yoko Ono. Rejecting his request, the parole board in New York told him he had to wait another two years before he could apply again.

10. Senator John McCain to cease treatment for brain cancer

The US politician John McCain will no longer receive treatment for brain cancer, his family said in a statement on Friday. The 81-year-old Republican, who stood for president in 2008, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer, last year. His wife Cindy said on Twitter: "I love my husband with all of my heart. God bless everyone who has cared for my husband along this journey."