Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 27 Aug 2015
- 1. TV station had told gunman to get help
- 2. Net migration reaches an all-time high of 330,000
- 3. Jaguar executive: UK should stay in EU
- 4. William Hague and lingerie tycoon become Lords
- 5. British hacker for IS believed killed
- 6. ‘Batman’ killer sentenced to life in prison
- 7. Bolt strikes again to beat Gatlin in 200m final
- 8. Iannucci: Tories are ‘waging war’ on the BBC
- 9. ‘Senior moments’ can be a healthy sign
- 10. Briefing: South Sudan's president signs a peace deal
1. TV station had told gunman to get help
A gunman who shot dead a reporter and her cameraman as they broadcast live in Virginia had been told to get medical help by the TV station they all worked for. Vester Flanagan, known professionally as Bryce Williams, had been reprimanded for “lashing out” and “harsh language”. Flanagan killed himself after a police chase.
Virginia shooting: gunman was 'human powder keg' of anger
2. Net migration reaches an all-time high of 330,000
Net migration to the UK reached an all-time high of 330,000 in the year to March, according to the Office for National Statistics has said. The figure is 10,000 higher than the previous figure in 2005 and more than three times higher than the government's target. The number of foreign-born people living in Britain has passed the eight million mark for the first time.
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MPs and businesses cross swords over record net migration
3. Jaguar executive: UK should stay in EU
One of the most senior executives at Tata Group, the Indian giant which owns Tata Steel and Jaguar Land Rover has said the UK should stay in the EU. Executive council member Nirmarlya Kumar said it was “not rocket science” to see that businesses benefit from membership. Kumar is head of strategy for the group.
4. William Hague and lingerie tycoon become Lords
Former foreign secretary William Hague is among 45 new peers created by the PM, taking the number of people entitled to sit in the Lords to 826. Other new peers include lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone who joins David Willetts and Andrew Lansley on the Tory benches. David Blunkett, Alistair Darling and Tessa Jowell are among eight new Labour Lords.
5. British hacker for IS believed killed
A British man who became a key figure in Islamic State (IS) working as a hacker for its so-called “cyber-caliphate” is believed to have been killed in a US air strike. Birmingham-born Junaid Hussain was known as Abu Hussain al-Britani and is the second-most prominent Briton involved in the group after the murderer ‘Jihadi John’.
6. ‘Batman’ killer sentenced to life in prison
Gunman James Holmes, who killed 12 people in a cinema during a late-night screening of a Batman film in Colorado, has been formally sentenced to life in prison. He was told there was no possibility of parole after hearing two days of victim testimony from about 100 people. Holmes had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
7. Bolt strikes again to beat Gatlin in 200m final
Usain Bolt secured another sprint double at the World Championships in Beijing as he blew Justin Gatlin away in the men's 200m final. The Jamaican ran 19.55, his fastest time since the Olympic final in 2012, and was easing down when he crossed the line with Gatlin 0.2 of a second behind. It was Bolt's fourth consecutive world 200m title. Briton Zharnel Hughes finished fifth.
Bolt comes crashing down after 200m triumph – thanks to Segway
8. Iannucci: Tories are ‘waging war’ on the BBC
The award-winning comedy writer and show-runner Armando Iannucci has told the Edinburgh TV Festival that ministers are effectively trying to kill off the BBC, which is “bad capitalism”. He said: “If the BBC were a weapons system, half the cabinet would be on a plane to Saudi Arabia to tell them how brilliant it was.”
9. ‘Senior moments’ can be a healthy sign
New research from Chicago suggests people who catch themselves having a ‘senior moment’ of forgetfulness should take it as a good sign. The study showed that dementia sufferers stop noticing their own memory lapses two or three years before developing the condition. It followed adults before they were diagnosed.
10. Briefing: South Sudan's president signs a peace deal
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has signed a peace deal with rebels in a bid to end nearly two years of civil war.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in the capital Juba, the leader said he had "reservations" about how the negotiations had been conducted and some aspects of the deal, but his government had come under pressure from both the UN and the African Union to end the conflict. Many are sceptical that the deal will hold: seven ceasefire have unravelled since fighting began.
South Sudan signs peace deal with rebels - but will it last?
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