Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 27 Nov 2015

1. Paris attacks remembered, two weeks on

A service has been held in France to remember the 130 victims of the Paris terror attacks two weeks ago. President Francois Hollande joined 1,000 guests, including survivors and the relatives of those who died, and delivered an emotional speech. However, some families boycotted the event in Paris saying not enough was done to prevent the attacks.

US warns of Europe Christmas terror

2. Putin threatens to pull out of Syria coalition

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said he will continue to co-operate with the West over Islamic State in Syria, following talks with French president Francois Hollande. But he warned that he would stop if there was a repeat of the incident that saw a Russian plane shot down over Turkey. He has refused to meet Turkish leader Reccep Erdogan since the incident.

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

US and Russia spar over vetoed Syria sanctions

3. Shadow cabinet MPs 'may resign' over Syria

Some of Jeremy Corbyn's front bench may quit their shadow cabinet roles over his opposition to air strikes on Syria, it has been claimed. Some newspapers are saying that Labour is "at war" with itself over the issue after Corbyn wrote to MPs opposing military intervention. But shadow foreign secretary Hillary Benn and others say the case for air strikes laid out by David Cameron is "compelling".

Jeremy Corbyn is a 'disaster', says Stephen Hawking

4. Protests over mass executions in Saudi Arabia

There have been protests in Saudi Arabia over plans to execute more than 50 prisoners in a single day. Among those facing the death penalty is believed to be Ali al Nimr, who was only 17 when he was arrested in 2012. Saudi Arabia claims many of the prisoners are terrorists but Amnesty International has accused the Arab state of using counter-terrorism to settle political scores.

5. Child abuse inquiry to feature 12 investigations

A wide ranging inquiry into child sex abuse will include 12 separate investigations covering institutions including the Anglican and Catholic churches, local councils, detention centres and care homes. Former and current MPs will also be investigated. The scale of Justice Lowell Goddard's inquiry is "unprecedented" and it is expected to take at least five years.

6. Fears over A&E waiting times as winter approaches

Hospitals across the country are struggling to meet A&E waiting time targets as winter approaches, according to new research. The NHS is committed to a maximum wait of four hours, but the Royal College of Emergency Medicine says only 88% of patients were treated or admitted within that time period – below the 95% target. The data was collected more than 40 NHS trusts.

A&E waiting times worsening as winter approaches

7. 'Black Friday' shoppers expected to break records

British retailers are hoping for record sales today on Black Friday, the 'traditional' day of reductions imported from the US. Online purchases are predicted to tip over the billion mark for the first time, while Visa says Britons will spend £1.9bn on its cards, both online and in-store. Asda is not taking part after fights in its shops last year.

The best Black Friday deals of 2019

8. US rocket debris washes up on Scilly Isles

A large piece of debris thought to be from an unmanned rocket which blew up on its way to the International Space Station six months ago has washed up on a beach in the Scilly Isles. The large piece of alloy measures 10m by 4m and has markings including a stars and stripes flag. The Space X rocket launched from Florida on 28 June.

9. Belgium fight back in Davis Cup thriller

Britain got off to a flying start in the Davis Cup final against Belgium, but in the end Kyle Edmund lost the opening rubber to David Goffin. The match began in extraordinary fashion as Edmund, making his Davis Cup debut, won the first two sets against the world number 16. But Goffin recovered and fought back to 2-2 before winning the final set 6-0.

10. Briefing: whose side is Vladimir Putin on?

When Russia moved troops, tanks, combat jets and helicopters into Syria in September, many feared an escalation in the multi-player war. When Islamic State blew up a Russian passenger jet and massacred Parisians, Russia and the West appeared close to agreement on the urgency of tackling the militant group. Then Turkey, a member of Nato, shot down a Russian jet on Tuesday, leading to angry words on both sides, and diplomatic retaliation from Moscow. What exactly does the Russian president hope to achieve in Syria?

Russia in Syria: whose side is Vladimir Putin on?