Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 21 Sep 2018

1. ‘Humiliation’ as EU rejects May’s Brexit plan

The leaders of the other 27 EU nations yesterday rejected Theresa May’s plans for Brexit, saying they were unworkable. It was an “ambush” that “humiliated” May and created a crisis in her cabinet, says The Times. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the EU must soften its position on the Irish border or face no deal.

2. Police chiefs knew of officer’s relationship

Police chiefs knew that undercover officer Mark Kennedy was deceiving a woman into having a relationship with him as he pretended to be an environmental activist, new documents show. Police have previously insisted that such relationships would never have been sanctioned. Kennedy was with Kate Wilson for two years.

3. Tanzania: hundreds missing as ferry capsizes

Hundreds of people are feared to have drowned after a ferry on Lake Victoria capsized close to the Tanzanian shore yesterday. At least 42 deaths have been confirmed, but officials say that the overloaded vessel was carrying 400 and that the final death toll could be more than 200. The MV Nyerere is believed to have overturned when crowds on board moved to one side of the ferry in readiness to get off as it approached the dock.

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4. Storm Bronagh brings floods and gales to UK

Storm Bronagh brought flooding and high winds to the UK as it swept eastwards across Wales and England overnight. Flooding was reported in the north of England, and police warned drivers to watch out for fallen trees, debris and power lines during their commutes.

5. Westminster attacker sent kiss emoji to wife

Suspected Westminster Bridge terror attacker Khalid Masood sent his estranged wife a message showing an emoji character blowing a kiss shortly before he drove a hired car into pedestrians on 22 March 2017, killing four, before and stabbing police office Keith Palmer to death. Rohey Hydara said Masood, who was shot dead by police following the attack, took steroids and experienced fits of rage.

6. Salisbury poisoning ‘hoax’ couple face lawsuit

The Prezzo restaurant chain is threatening legal action against a couple who collapsed in its Salisbury branch on Sunday night, following claims that the incident was a hoax. Police have said the hoax theory is one line of inquiry but are still trying to determine what happened to married couple Alex King, 42, and Russian-born Israeli citizen Anna Shapiro, 30.

7. Trident nuclear deterrent ‘not fit for purpose’

The Trident nuclear submarine system is “not fit for purpose” following a series of decisions by the MoD that have delayed maintenance programmes, a cross-party committee of MPs claims. The Public Accounts Committee warned of a £2.5bn funding gap and said Brexit could make the situation worse owing to reliance on imports.

8. Indie band Wolf Alice win Mercury Music Prize

London four-piece indie band Wolf Alice last night confounded the bookies to win the Mercury Music Prize for their second album, Visions of A Life. They beat Noel Gallagher, Lily Allen and the favourite, Nadine Shah, who according to the BBC “stole the televised prize ceremony with a fierce and passionate performance”.

9. Bali complains of ‘low-quality’ tourists

The authorities in Bali are to bring in new rules aimed at tackling a decline in “quality of tourists” that has seen visitors taking bikini selfies in front of temples and scrambling over ancient structures. Deputy governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Sukawati, known as Cok Ace, said he would re-evaluate the system that allows tourists to visit Hindu temples alone.

10. Briefing: was Prezzo Salisbury poisoning a hoax?

Police investigating an incident at a Salisbury restaurant that triggered a novichok poisoning scare last weekend are considering the theory that it may have been a hoax, according to reports.

A major incident was declared in the Wiltshire town on Sunday evening after a couple apparently fell ill at a branch of Prezzo not far from where the attack on the Skripals took place earlier this year.

Was Prezzo Salisbury poisoning a hoax?