Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 15 Feb 2015

1. DANISH POLICE KILL SHOOTING SUSPECT

Police in Copenhagen say they have shot dead a man they believe was behind two deadly attacks hours earlier. Officers said CCTV indicated the man was responsible for an attack at a cafe on and another at a synagogue just hours later that happened just two miles apart. Prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt denounced the “terrorist” attacks.

2. BORIS TO RENOUNCE US CITIZENSHIP

Boris Johnson will renounce his American citizenship, reports The Sunday Times. The mayor of London has dual nationality because he was born in New York but says he wants to hand back his American passport, as a gesture of commitment to Britain. "The reason I'm thinking I probably will want to make a change is that my commitment is, and always has been, to Britain," he said.

3. LABOUR DONOR IN TAX AVOIDANCE ROW

Ed Miliband is accused of hypocrisy following revelations that a leading Labour donor placed shares in an offshore trust that can be used to avoid tax. Details of property tycoon David Garrard’s affairs came to light after Ed Miliband stepped up his attack on Lord Fink, the Conservative donor who said he had put shares into family trusts as part of “vanilla” tax avoidance measures.

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4. CRACK ADDICTED OAPS ON THE RISE

The number of pensioners being treated for class-a drug addiction has doubled in six years, says the Daily Star. Data released by Public Health England shows 634 pensioners aged 65 or above needed treatment for drug addiction in the last year. Most of them are being treated for problems with heroin and other opiates - but 80 are addicted to both heroin and crack.

5. ALASTAIR CAMPBELL: MPS NEED A SHRINK

Every MP needs a psychiatrist, says former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell. Speaking to The Sunday Times, he argues that “100%” of British politicians would benefit from psychiatric help to deal with the stresses of the job and to make them better leaders. Campbell revealed he once offered his own psychiatrist to Tony Blair.

6. IS UKRAINE CEASEFIRE HOLDING?

Sporadic shelling is still being reported after a ceasefire between Ukraine's army and pro-Russian rebels in the east came into effect. Ukraine's president ordered the army to stop fighting and said the truce agreed with pro-Russian rebels in the east must be honoured. Petro Poroshenko also warned rebels against continuing attacks on Debaltseve.

7. BOY OF 12 GETS GASTRIC BAND

A boy of 12 has become the youngest person in Britain to have a gastric band fitted, reports the Mail On Sunday. As doctors struggle to fight the child obesity epidemic, the paper found that 62 young people aged 18 or under had the surgery at NHS and private hospitals over a three-year period. They include the 12-year-old, one boy aged 13 and two boys aged 15.

8. SIX NATIONS: ENGLAND BEAT ITALY

England continued their unbeaten start to the Six Nations beating Italy 47-17. However, head coach Stuart Lancaster said his side "lacked intensity" in their victory over Italy at Twickenham. Meanwhile, Ireland remain unbeaten in this year's Six Nations after a hard-fought victory over a lacklustre France in Dublin.

9. TAX: HSBC IN FULL-PAGE APOLOGY

HSBC has published a full-page advert in several newspapers this morning, offering "sincerest apologies" over banking standards at its Swiss operations eight years ago. In the open letter to its customers, shareholders and colleagues, the lender’s group chief executive Stuart Gulliver described the controversy as as a "painful experience".

10. RODGERS PRAISES SCORING STURRIDGE

Brendan Rodgers praised the contribution of Daniel Sturridge after Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in the FA Cup yesterday. "You can see his qualities - his speed, his touch and he doesn't need too many chances to score,” he said. Meanwhile, West Ham chairman David Gold apologised to the travelling supporters following the Hammers' 4-0 loss at West Brom.

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