Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 6 Sep 2015

1. Government ‘preparing to bomb Syria’

Is the government preparing to bomb Syria? George Osborne says the solution to the refugee crisis required action against the “evil” regime of Bashar al-Assad and ISIS. Senior sources say the government is drawing up plans to persuade Labour MPs to back airstrikes in Syria in a Commons vote in early October. Tory whips believe enough Labour backbenchers may vote for bombing,

2. Archbishop warning on assisted dying bill

Britain would cross a "legal and ethical Rubicon" if the law on assisted suicide in England and Wales is changed, warns the Archbishop of Canterbury. Justin Welby said the Assisted Dying Bill, due to be debated by MPs on Friday, would mean suicide was "actively supported" instead of being viewed as a tragedy. He said the bill moved from "merely legitimising suicide to actively supporting it".

3. Thousands more refugees arrive in Germany

Austria and Germany anticipate thousands more migrants from Hungary after Budapest eased restrictions on their travel. Hungary is once again filling up with new arrivals, most of who arrived from Syria via Turkey, Greece, Macedonia and Serbia. David Cameron is prepared to accept 15,000 refugees from Syria, says The Sunday Times.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

4. Most Brits ‘would now vote to leave EU’

A majority of the British public would vote to leave the European Union in the wake of the migrant crisis, according to a new Mail on Sunday poll. The research found that, if a referendum were to be held tomorrow on whether to remain a member of the EU, 51% of British people would vote ‘No’. For years, polls have given comfortable leads to the pro-European camp.

5. Government orders uni ‘lad culture’ probe

The government is demanding an inquiry into a sexist “lad culture” in British universities after one in seven women claimed to have been seriously sexually assaulted. Business secretary Sajid Javid has written to university vice-chancellors demanding they set up a taskforce to investigate the “sexual and verbal assault” against women on campus, reports The Sunday Times.

6. Six killed at Spanish car rally

Six people were killed and around a dozen injured after a car spun out of control during the Coruna Rally in Galicia, Spain. The motorist lost control and sped off the track killing four women, one of whom was pregnant, and two men. Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy wrote on Twitter: "The Coruna Rally is in mourning. My deepest condolences to the bereaved.”

7. Charities pledge new rules on fundraising

Leading charities have pledged to introduce new rules to prevent vulnerable donors from being exploited. Amid a public outcry over aggressive fund­raising tactics, the heads of 17 of the UK’s biggest charities have expressed regret for having “failed to live up to” the “high standards” expected of them. The head of their industry group admitted being “shocked” at the revelations.

8. Lord Carey: ‘Lets crush ISIS once and for all’

Britain should "crush" ISIS by taking part in military action in Syria, says a former Archbishop of Canterbury. As calls rise for further air strikes, Lord Carey writers in the Sunday Telegraph that it is "not enough" to send aid to Syria and allow thousands of refugees into the UK. He says ISIS should be dealt for "for once and for all" with "air strikes and other British military assistance".

9. BBC Four could be closed amid new plans

BBC Four could be closed after the corporation developed plans to focus its money on developing high quality new dramas like Poldark, Wolf Hall and Sherlock. Smaller television channels could be shut for good to help the BBC free up an additional £50m a year for drama designed to compete with US networks and online streaming services like Netflix and Amazon.

10. Rooney must wait to beat Bobby’s record

Wayne Rooney equalled Sir Bobby Charlton’s international goalscoring record as England booked their place at Euro 2016 with a comfortable victory over San Marino. England won 6-0, to make it seven wins out of seven in qualifying to ensure they will be in France next summer. Rooney was substituted after 58 minutes, as he stood on the brink of history.

Explore More