WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
Post Office scandal, misused party funds, and sweetened infant milk

 
today's UK news story

Review ordered into another Post Office IT system

What happened 
The government has agreed to launch a review of a another Post Office software system called Capture, which was introduced years before the notorious Horizon system, amid claims dozens more sub-postmasters may have been wrongly convicted.

Who said what
Capture software shows "a very similar pattern of IT glitches that predate the Horizon system by a number of years", said solicitor Neil Hudgell, who is representing 35 former sub-postmasters who used the system. Campaigners found floppy disks with the software on them that dated back to the 1990s. Steve Marston, a sub-postmaster who was convicted of theft and false accounting, said the discovery offers "definitive proof" that his convictions – and those of others – were wrongful.

The commentary 
The "shocking miscarriage of justice" surrounding the Horizon software system has been "hauled back into the spotlight" by the ITV drama "Mr Bates vs The Post Office", said the Daily Mail. But it also led to fellow sub-postmasters "recognising similarities between the Horizon and Capture systems". Documents seen by Sky News also show the Post Office "knew Capture was prone to glitches that could cause accounting issues".

What next? 
A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: "As soon as these accusations came to light we asked the Post Office to investigate the Capture system. We are now reviewing all the materials provided to us, including those from postmasters and the Post Office, and we will set out next steps shortly."

 
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today’s politics story

Tories investigate MP over 'misused campaign funds'

What happened
Conservative MP Mark Menzies has lost the party whip following claims he misused campaign funds. The Fylde MP has also been accused of making a late-night call to an aide asking for help because he had been locked in his flat by "bad people" and needed £5,000 as a matter of "life and death".

Who said what
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said it was "frankly appalling" that the Conservatives had been aware of the allegations for more than three months. Menzies disputes all the accusations, including that £14,000 given by Tory donors was transferred to his personal bank accounts and used for private medical expenses.

The commentary 
The claims against Menzies were reported "months ago", said The Times, "but the wheels of party justice have turned slowly".

What next?
The Conservative Party has confirmed that it is investigating the allegations. Meanwhile, Menzies is "continuing with plans to stand at the next election", The Times said.

 
 
Today’s international story

Nestlé 'sweetening' infant milk in poorer countries

What happened
Nestlé adds sugar to infant milk sold in developing countries, a report has found. Swiss investigative organisation Public Eye sent samples of the multinational's formula and its baby food sold in Africa, Asia and Latin America to a Belgian laboratory for testing. Sugar in the form of sucrose or honey was present in both.

Who said what
The world's largest consumer goods company "must put an end to these dangerous double standards" and stop adding sugar to products for children under three "in every part of the world", said Laurent Gaberell, Public Eye's nutrition expert.

The commentary
The World Health Organization's guidance for Europe says no sugar or sweetener should be added to products aimed at children under three. Nestlé's actions run contrary to these guidelines, which are aimed at preventing chronic diseases and obesity, said The Guardian.

What next?
Researchers say WHO guidance for Europe "remains equally relevant to other parts of the world". Globally more than a billion people are now obese and rates are rising in the developing world.

 
 

It's not all bad

Early research shows a tiny carbon bead that improves gut health could be used to prevent cirrhosis of the liver. In research with rats and mice scientists found that the bead, called Carbalive, absorbed toxins in the gut and, in turn, reduced inflammation and acute chronic liver failure. It also prevented liver scarring. Human trials will start soon and scientists say they are hopeful Carbalive can help with other gut-related health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

 
 
under the radar

Why au pairs might become a thing of the past

Since the Second World War au pairs have been "serving as the largely unmentioned glue holding middle-class families together", but now the industry has "collapsed", according to a report.

The double blow of Brexit and a minimum wage ruling have "ruined the tradition of exchanging bed and board for help with the kids", said The Sunday Times, and a leading trade body has waved the white flag and shut its doors.

There were between 60,000 and 90,000 au pairs in Britain before it left the European Union, but that number had halved by 2022, said The Telegraph.

The arrangement was "dealt a crushing blow by Brexit and the barriers that came with it", said The Sunday Times. With the end of free movement of labour from the EU the UK government did not provide an entry route specifically for au pairs.

Then earlier this month there was another "possibly fatal" setback when the government announced that even live-in workers would "henceforth" be entitled to earn the minimum wage.

Previous guidance from the Home Office suggested au pairs should earn "pocket money" of about £90 a week in exchange for being treated as a member of the family and helping out around the house.

But now anyone employing an au pair under 21 for the basic 25 weekly hours – even with a live-in allowance applied – will have to pay £145.07 a week, rising to £330.47 for an au pair aged over 21 working 35 hours a week.

In the wake of these developments the British Au Pair Agencies Association (BAPAA) announced its closure on Facebook and there are fears the longstanding arrangement has had its day.

 
 
on this day

18 April 1506

Pope Julius II lays the first stone of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. It took more than a century to complete the majestic building, which features the works of Italian artists Michelangelo, Bernini and Peruzzi. Parts of the Basilica are currently covered by scaffolding with major restorations underway. The work is due to finish in November, officials say.

 
 
Today’s newspapers

The Sun leads on Prince Harry officially registering himself as a US resident. The tabloid says the move to describe the US as his "new country" suggests he has "cut all ties with Britain". Drug shortages are the "new normal" in Britain and are being worsened by Brexit, according to a report in The Guardian. Meanwhile, The Times reports that Rishi Sunak's election plans have been hindered by inflation falling more slowly than predicted.

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Watching waste lines

A Cheshire dad has earned the unusual title of "Binfluencer" for publishing photographs of more than 100 bins in his local town. Andy Bailey, who documents his hobby at @bins_of_congleton on Instagram, snaps the refuse disposals before rating them out of 25 – with a potential top score of five for characteristics including "personality", "placement popularity" and "pristine". "I haven’t given a score of 25 yet," Bailey said. "Maybe I never will."

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Harriet Marsden, Julia O'Driscoll and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Matt Cardy / Getty Images; Richard Townshend / UK Parliament; Fabrice Coffrini / AFP via Getty Images.