Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 2 Feb 2019

1. Documents warn of 'putrefying' rubbish after no-deal Brexit

Leaked documents show that government officials are preparing to deal with “putrefying stockpiles” of rubbish in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Export licences for millions of tonnes of waste will become invalid overnight if Britain crashes out of the EU on March 29. Meanwhile, Jacob Rees-Mogg says a short extension to the timetable to deliver Brexit is not impossible.

2. Met Office says temperatures could sink to -16 tonight

The Met Office has warned that Saturday night will be the coldest of the winter as snow causes further transport disruption. Officials said temperatures could reach -16C (3F) in Scotland on Saturday night but that Sunday should be milder. Thousands of people have been trapped, delayed and had their journeys disrupted by the heavy snow that swept across parts of the UK.

3. Court told Sir Philip Green's lawyer was 'victim' too

A court has heard that the lawyer who investigated harassment claims against Sir Philip Green was also a “victim” of the billionaire. Arcadia lawyer Deborah Cooper, who oversaw inquiries into accusations that Sir Philip had sexually harassed women at work, complained she had been bullied during the investigation. She has since left the company.

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4. Donald Trump says US is pulling out of nuclear treaty

Donald Trump has announced that the US is pulling out of a Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty with Russia. The US President said America would suspend its obligations under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty from today. He cited alleged violations of the 32-year-long agreement by Moscow. The news has sparked fears of a new arms race between the two nations.

5. Landmark first FGM conviction in a UK court

A landmark case has seen the mother of a three-year-old girl become the first person to be found guilty of female genital mutilation in the UK. The Ugandan woman and her Ghanaian partner, both from east London, were accused of cutting their daughter over the 2017 summer bank holiday. When police searched the mother’s home they found evidence of witchcraft.

6. Minister says schools should ban smartphones

A minister has told the BBC that pupils should be banned from taking smartphones into school. Nick Gibb, the minister for school standards in England, said: “While this is clearly a matter for the head teacher, my own view is that schools should ban their pupils from bringing smartphones into school or the classroom.” The trade union that represents head teachers has expressed doubt over an outright ban.

7. Virginia governor apologies for racist photo in yearbook

The governor of Virginia has apologised after his 1984 student yearbook page emerged, featuring pictures of a man in blackface and another man in Ku Klux Klan robes. “I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now,” said Ralph Northam in a statement. Black politicians in Virginia called the image “disgusting”.

8. Students told they cannot ban people over views

A new set of student guidelines states that views that “offend, shock or disturb others” are not grounds to prevent someone expressing them. In particular, the 51-page document rules that feminists who believe that transgender women are still men should not be barred from speaking at universities because their views do not break the law. The guidance was written by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

9. TV licence cancellations up amid 'Netflix effect'

The number of people cancelling their television licences has increased as viewers turn to streaming services such as Netflix. More than 860,000 TV licences were cancelled in 2017-18 - some 2,300 cancellations a day - compared with 798,000 a year earlier. The Times says the data supports anecdotal evidence that the “Netflix effect” is leading viewers to abandon the BBC entirely.

10. Security guards suspended after mother dragged from a train

Two security guards have been suspended after a pregnant mother was hurt while being removed from an underground train in Sweden. Footage of the confrontation has gone viral on social media, showing the woman being dragged on to the platform for allegedly travelling without a valid ticket. She was held down on a bench. The woman was then rushed to hospital.