Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 25 Mar 2016
- 1. Brussels brothers 'were planning a nuclear attack'
- 2. Jeremy Corbyn overtakes Cameron in popularity poll
- 3. Comedy legend Garry Shandling dies at 66
- 4. LGA says winter floods cost authorities £250m
- 5. Police charge Croydon's 'Muslim woman confronter'
- 6. Microsoft pulls artificial intelligence bot after bizarre tweets
- 7. Donald Trump: Britain will vote for EU exit
- 8. Aung San Suu Kyi 'snapped at BBC interviewer'
- 9. EU migrants 'more likely to have job than Brits'
- 10. John McDonnell calls for lifelong ban for anti-semitism
1. Brussels brothers 'were planning a nuclear attack'
The Brussels terror cell was plotting radioactive bomb attack, reports The Times. A nuclear industry official was secretly filmed by jihadists last year, according to the authorities. Yesterday, the brothers suspected of suicide strikes on Brussels airport and Metro, were linked to the surveillance. Eleven Belgian nuclear workers have had their work passes revoked in the wake of the news.
2. Jeremy Corbyn overtakes Cameron in popularity poll
Jeremy Corbyn has overtaken David Cameron in leadership satisfaction ratings, according the latest Ipsos MORI poll. In the aftermath of last week’s budget, the Labour leader’s ratings improved a net 10 points, while the Prime Minister’s fell by the same margin. Corbyn is now on net -11 while Mr Cameron is on net -25 with the pollster.
3. Comedy legend Garry Shandling dies at 66
Groundbreaking comedian Garry Shandling, famed for hits such as It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and The Larry Sanders Show, has died at 66. Los Angeles police officers were sent to his home yesterday in response to a report of a medical emergency, according to the Associated Press. A coroner said that comic’s death appeared to be from natural causes.
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4. LGA says winter floods cost authorities £250m
The winter floods caused £250m worth of damage to roads, bridges, public rights of way and drainage systems, according to the Local Government Association. The LGA called for more financial help from the government as the cost was likely to be "much higher". The government says it has announced an extra £130m to repair infrastructure.
5. Police charge Croydon's 'Muslim woman confronter'
Matthew Doyle, the man who claimed on Twitter that he had confronted a Muslim woman to ask her to “explain Brussels”, has been charged under the Public Order Act. He is accused of posting allegedly racist comments. Doyle, 46, whose messages were widely mocked on Twitter, has been charged under section 19 of the Public Order Act 1986.
6. Microsoft pulls artificial intelligence bot after bizarre tweets
Microsoft has been forced to withdraw an artificially intelligent “chatbot” after its interactions with humans on Twitter saw it tweet controversial and bizarre remarks. The tweets the bot reportedly sent included: “bush did 9/11 and Hitler would have done a better job than the monkey we have now” and “Ricky gervais learned totalitarianism from adolf hitler, the inventor of atheism”.
7. Donald Trump: Britain will vote for EU exit
Donald Trump says “it’s time” for Britain to leave the EU due to “the craziness that’s going on with migration” and insisted he was correct to claim that parts of London had become “radicalised”. The Republican White House hopeful said that “people pouring in all over the place” would be the final straw for British voters when it comes to June’s referendum.
8. Aung San Suu Kyi 'snapped at BBC interviewer'
Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi snapped at a BBC interviewer, telling her: “No one told me I was going to be interviewed by a Muslim.” The Nobel Peace Prize laureate lost her cool when she was given a tough quizzing from BBC Today presenter Mishal Husain, according to a new book, The Lady And The Generals: Aung San Suu Kyi And Burma’s Struggle For Freedom, by Peter Popham.
9. EU migrants 'more likely to have job than Brits'
Migrants from the EU are more likely to be employed than British people, according to a think-tank. However, the study from the Institute for Public Policy Research also found EU migrants are more likely to be claiming in-work benefits. The research found that 83% of migrants from the newest EU are in work, compared with 74% for UK nationals.
10. John McDonnell calls for lifelong ban for anti-semitism
Labour Party members who express anti-semitic views should be expelled for life, says John McDonnell. As calls grow for the party to take stronger action on the issue, the shadow chancellor told The Independent anyone making such comments should be “Out, out, out”. He added: “If people express these views, full stop they’re out.”
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