Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 3 Sep 2018

1. Johnson: May’s Brexit plans give UK ‘diddly squat’

Boris Johnson has launched a fresh attack on Theresa May’s plans for Brexit, saying in his newspaper column that the proposals would make it “impossible” for the UK to thrive and would get the nation “diddly squat”. Yesterday 20 Tory MPs joined the Up 4 Brexit campaign group, which is calling for the negotiations to begin again from scratch.

2. Huge fire at landmark Liverpool building

Part of one of Liverpool’s best-known buildings has been destroyed in a massive fire. The blaze on Sunday evening destroyed the roof and upper floor of a wing of the art-deco Littlewoods Pools property, which has been empty since 2003. The cause of the fire is unknown and investigators have not yet been able to enter the building.

3. Police to test drivers’ eyesight

Three police forces in England are to start testing the eyesight of every driver they stop. Drivers who cannot read a numberplate from a distance of 65ft will have their licences immediately revoked. The data gathered by the participating forces - Thames Valley, Hampshire and West Midlands - will be used to improve understanding of the extent of the problem.

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4. Women caned for attempting sex in Malaysia

Two women have been caned in a public in Malaysia for attempting to have sex with each other. The pair, aged 22 and 32, were caned six times each in a court in the country’s conservative northeastern Terengganu state this morning. Human rights groups had urged the government to drop the punishment, saying it constitutes torture.

5. Nine-year wait for heart transplant ‘shows donor need’

A 45-year-old father of two from Stockport has been waiting nine years for a heart transplant, it has emerged. The NHS says the plight of Gareth Evans, 45, shows how badly organ donors are needed. Evans first had a heart transplant in 1990 at the age of 17 but the organ is now failing and his health deteriorating.

6. Farage fans heckled as ‘Nazi scum’ in Australia

Supporters of former UKIP leader and current MEP Nigel Farage were heckled yesterday as “Nazi scum” by protesters in Perth, Australia. Farage was in the city as part of a one-week speaking tour of Australia and New Zealand. At last night’s event, he spoke of his friendship with Donald Trump and praised far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

7. Journalists jailed for reporting in Myanmar

Two Reuters journalists have been sentenced to seven years each in prison in Myanmar for violating the country’s Official Secrets Act by trying to report on the brutal state suppression of the Rohingya Muslim minority. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo say they were set up by police who gave them secret documents and then arrested them.

8. One-legged golfer sues council golf course

A golfer who lost a leg to a flesh-eating bug is suing his local council for discrimination because they will not let him use his mobility scooter on a council-run course near his Essex home. Paul Houghton, whose right leg was amputated in 2000, has represented England at disability golf 13 times and has played on courses across Europe. Brentwood Council is defending the legal action.

9. Bono says his voice is back after Berlin letdown

U2 frontman Bono has issued a statement reassuring fans that his voice is recovering after vocal problems forced him to call a premature end to a concert in Berlin. The 58-year-old singer performed just a handful of songs before the rock band left the stadium. They will return to Berlin to play another gig.

10. Briefing: when can a priest reveal a confession?

To the Catholic Church, the answer is clear: the Seal of the Confessional must never be broken under any circumstances, even in cases of grave criminality.

The Australian government wants priests to break the code - and report accusations of child sexual abuse heard in the confessional - but the Code of Canon Law laid out by the Vatican Church says it is “absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason”.

When can a priest reveal a confession?