Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 4 Dec 2018

1. MPs vote on Brexit contempt motion

MPs will decide today whether the Government should be held in contempt of Parliament for refusing to publish legal advice on Theresa May’s Brexit plans in full. The Guardian says the motion – tabled by Labour, the DUP and four other opposition parties – could lead to the suspension of a senior minister if it is carried in the Commons.

2. France to suspend fuel tax following riots

The French government is to suspend a planned fuel tax rise, following wweeks of increasingly violent protests that has seen 400 arrests made in Paris this weekend alone. Yesterday leaders of the protesters, dubbed the gilets jaunes (yellow jackets), called off a planned meeting with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, citing death threats.

3. Lords demands review of HMRC powers

The House of Lords has demanded a review of sweeping new powers given to HMRC, saying the tax authority is undermining the rule of law. Peers were particularly critical of higher penalty payments designed to deter individuals from appealing, calling them a tax on justice. They also said the agency may not be adequately resourced.

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4. Female Ballon d’Or winner asked to twerk

The inaugural female winner of France Football’s Ballon d’Or – an award for the best performing player in the sport worldwide – was asked by the DJ hosting the event to do the sexually suggestive “twerk” dance in celebration. Sweden’s Ada Hegerberg, 23, later said that she did not consider the incident to be “sexual harassment or anything”.

5. Criminal investigation over moped tactic

An officer from London’s Metropolitan Police is facing a criminal investigation after using the force’s controversial “tactical contact” technique to stop a suspect who was escaping on a moped. The officer used his car to knock the 17-year-old - who later pleaded guilty - off the bike, leaving him with head and other injuries.

6. Identity of VIP paedophile accuser revealed

The man whose claims prompted police to set up an inquiry into an alleged 1970s VIP paedophile ring, previously identified only as “Nick”, has been revealed to be Carl Beech, a 50-year-old former nurse and NHS manager. Beech is now in prison on remand after being accused of concocting his allegations against politicians for profit.

7. Prison inspectors reveal ‘zombie warzone’

Inmates at Birmingham Prison walked around “like zombies” while high on drugs during a surprise visit by inspectors, who compared what they found to a “warzone”, a new report reveals. Inspectors at the prison this summer, before it was taken out of the hands of private contractor G4S, said the conditions they found were “appalling”.

8. Michelle Obama: ‘I feel like an imposter’

Former US first lady Michelle Obama yesterday told an audience in London that she still suffers from “imposter syndrome”, which she described as a common feeling among women, working-class people and women of colour. Promoting her memoir, Becoming, the 54-year-old also recalled how the Queen told her that royal protocol was “all rubbish”.

9. Thames skeleton found wearing ‘wellies’

The skeleton of a man who died around 500 years ago has been found in the River Thames in London - wearing a pair of well-preserved knee-high leather boots. The skeleton was discovered earlier this year by archaeologists working on the site of a new sewerage system for the capital, it has emerged.

10. Briefing: the diciest issues for G20

Representatives from the world’s major economies faced major diplomatic challenges as they met in Argentina last week for the annual G20 summit.

So what were the trickiest topics on the agenda?

G20 summit: the diciest issues on the agenda