Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 8 Sep 2018

1. Fault-based divorce to be scrapped in shake-up

The biggest shake-up of family laws in 50 years seeks to take the 'blame game' out of divorces. With fault-based divorce set to be scrapped, spouses would also lose the right to contest the breakdown of a marriage under plans being drawn up by justice secretary David Gauke. There are fears in Whitehall the move could run into opposition among Tories and Christians.

2. Boris Johnson's allies deny he leaked separation news

Allies of Boris Johnson have denied claims that news of his separation from his wife was leaked to clear the way for a leadership run. They said that Johnson was angry that The Sun had quoted his daughter, Lara, in its coverage on Thursday. Polling suggests that Johnson is the overwhelming favourite to succeed Theresa May among Tory rank-and-file members.

3. Troubled rapper Mac Miller dies at the age of 26

Rapper Mac Miller has died aged 26, his family have announced. In a statement, they said: "Malcolm McCormick, known and adored by fans as Mac Miller, has tragically passed away at the age of 26." The statement did not give further details on the circumstances of his death. The star had reportedly struggled with substance abuse and depression. He is a former boyfriend of pop star Ariana Grande.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

4. Obama denounces Trump's 'politics of fear'

Barack Obama has spoken out against Donald Trump and denounced "the politics of fear and resentment". The former president said Trump’s approach of "appealing to tribe, appealing to fear, pitting one group against another" is an approach that is "as old as time". He added: "It did not start with Donald Trump. He is a symptom, not the cause."

5. Syria: Idlib braces for attack after meeting breaks down

The rebel enclave of Idlib is bracing for an assault after Russia and Iran dismissed calls for a ceasefire. In the aftermath of a tense meeting between Russia, Iran and Syria, there were warnings that Moscow is pushing the country towards the edge of an abyss, while Washington claimed it had evidence that the Syrian government was preparing to use chemical weapons.

6. Was murdered Russian exile was targeted before?

Detectives believe a Russian exile murdered in London was previously the target of a poisoning attempt carried out by two mysterious men from Moscow who visited him in a Bristol hotel room. A prominent critic of Putin, Nikolai Glushkov was found dead in March at his home in New Malden, south-west London. He had been strangled. He was a friend of the late oligarch Boris Berezovsky.

7. Domestic abuse rose during the World Cup finals

Police say there was a "significant rise" in domestic abuse reports during the World Cup. More than 60 incidents were reported after England's semi-final defeat by Croatia, compared to the highest figure of 24 during Euro 2016. Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts said forces dealt with "record numbers" of crime. Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe added: "Whilst emotions may run high, there is no excuse to abuse your partner."

8. British Airways faces potential £500m fine over breach

British Airways could be fined £500m as news of a data breach leads to a backlash from passengers, including threats to boycott the airline. BA has admitted that 380,000 customers’ bank details could have been stolen from its website and smartphone app. Customers took to Twitter to complain about the carrier’s response to the breach.

9. New measures in force to end 'menace' of cold calls

Measures to end "the menace of nuisance calls" for millions of householders come into force today. The public are now given the choice to opt-in to be contacted by companies offering to sell payment protection insurance or settle personal injury claims. Any companies which call customers without their consent face fines of up to half a million pounds by the Information Commissioner's Office.

10. Former Trump adviser Papadopoulos jailed for 14 days

A former Trump adviser has been sentenced to 14 days in jail. George Papadopoulos told the court in Washington DC he was a "patriotic American" who made a mistake by lying, after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about the timing of meetings with alleged go-betweens for Moscow. The 31-year-old’s remarks in a London pub sparked the US inquiry into possible collusion with Russia

Explore More