Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 16 Nov 2015

1. Paris attack: weapons seized in raids across France

More than 20 people have been arrested and weapons including a rocket launcher have been seized in a series of raids on suspected Islamist militants across France using special powers granted under a state of emergency. There have also been raids in Belgium, where some of the attackers lived. French PM Manuel Valls said the attacks had been organised from Syria.

US warns of Europe Christmas terror

2. Paris attack: border guards 'let suspect go'

French police have named a man wanted for Friday's terror attacks in Paris. A photo of Salah Abdesalam, 26, has also been released. Reports say he and two others were stopped by police as they drove near the Belgian border after the attacks. Officers apparently checked his ID then let him go. Seven terrorists died in the attacks.

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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

Paris attacks: names and stories of the victims begin to emerge

3. France to 'intensify' airstrikes against Syria

French president Francois Hollande plans to "intensify" air strikes against Islamic State in Syria. France carried out its heaviest air strikes on Sunday, two days after the Paris attacks in which terrorists killed 129 people. The French defence ministry said 20 bombs were dropped on a training camp and an arms depot in a "massive" attack on the IS stronghold of Raqqa, with US support.

US and Russia spar over vetoed Syria sanctions

4. G20: Putin urged to change course in Syria

Barack Obama yesterday spent 35 minutes in an unscheduled meeting with Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Turkey, urging him to stop bombing moderate Syrian forces opposed to Bashar al-Assad and focus on air strikes on Islamic State (IS). David Cameron is making a similar case to Putin today at the summit.

5. British spies to get cash boost to fight IS

The government has announced extra funding for the security services to help them fight the terror threat posed by IS. The money will be used to recruit another 1,900 officers for MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. Prime Minister David Cameron said: "This is a generational struggle [against] those who would destroy us and our values."

SAS told 'shoot on sight' as UK hires 2,000 new spies

6. France train crash: terror attack 'unlikely'

Eleven people are dead and five still unaccounted for after a high-speed test train crashed in north-east France. While police say sabotage or an attack cannot yet be ruled out, they are considered "unlikely". National rail firm SNCF is to investigate why children were on board the train, which was carrying engineers and other staff.

Strasbourg rail crash: why were children on board test train?

7. Britain braced for more bad weather from Barney

In the wake of Storm Abigail, Britain is braced for another battering from Storm Barney, which is expected to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph across England and Wales this week. Flooding caused by weekend rains has not been as bad as predicted, although trains were cancelled and the A66 was closed. Cumbria was affected and the river Otley burst its banks north of Leeds.

UK weather: floods followed by warnings of worse to come

8. Teenager shot dead in Liverpool 'gang fight'

A teenager has been shot dead in Liverpool after reports of a "gang fight" by a canal. Lewis Dunne, 16, was found injured on a towpath in Eldonian Village, Vauxhall, on Sunday night. He was taken to Royal Liverpool University Hospital but later died. Police divers have been searching the canal near where the teenager was discovered.

9. Veteran actor Saeed Jaffrey dies aged 86

Veteran actor Saeed Jaffrey, who was nominated for a Bafta for his role in My Beautiful Laundrette, has died at the age of 86. Also known to Western audiences for his roles in A Passage To India, Gandhi and TV series The Jewel In The Crown Jaffrey also starred in more than 100 Bollywood productions. He also appeared in Coronation Street.

10. Briefing: the emissions scandal widens

Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal may soon drag in a host of rival car-makers, as the German motoring watchdog opens investigations into 23 other brands. The probe will cover a total of 50 models from manufacturers including German marques BMW and Mercedes, as well as international peers such as Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Renault and Toyota.

VW Scandal: Emission fix leaves thousands with problems