1. Red Cross says the NHS faces 'humanitarian crisis'
The Red Cross has warned of a "humanitarian crisis" as NHS staff warned that the emergency care system is "on its knees". The charity’s chief executive Mike Adamson said: "We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much-needed beds." A third of hospital trusts in England warned they needed action to cope with patient numbers last month.
2. Five dead after Florida airport shooting
Five people have been shot dead by a gunman at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida, reports the BBC. The incident took place at the baggage claim area in Terminal 2, yesterday afternoon. Eight people were injured. The gunman, believed to be an Iraq war veteran, was taken into custody. "At this point, it looks like he acted alone," said Sheriff Scott Israel.
3. Top Tory donor threatens to withdraw funding over EU
A leading Conservative Party donor has warned Theresa May that he will withdraw financial support if she pulls Britain out of the EU’s single market. The intervention of Sir Andrew Cook, who has given more than £1.2m to the party, has raised concerns that rich donors will withdraw funding if May pursues a "hard Brexit". Another key Tory backer warned last night that he was experiencing "donor fatigue".
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4. Repair bill for potholes set to exceed entire roads budget
Britain is approaching "a tipping point" in tackling potholes with the repair bill set to soar to £14bn, it has been warned. The looming levy dwarfs the entire annual budget councils have to spend on highways and transport, which stood at £4.4bn in 2016. The Local Government Association has urged the Government to pump a further £1bn a year into roads maintenance.
5. Israel cuts UN contribution over settlements row
Israel says it will cut approximately $6m in its annual dues to the United Nations this year in protest at last month’s security council resolution condemning Israeli settlements as "a flagrant violation under international law". Israel said the figure represented the portion of Israel’s contribution to the UN’s regular budget totalling more than $40m allocated "to anti-Israel bodies".
6. Renewed anger as SeaWorld killer whale Tilikum dies
Tilikum, the killer whale featured in the documentary Blackfish, has died, SeaWorld has announced. Tilikum came under the spotlight after dragging a SeaWorld trainer to her death during a 2010 show in Orlando, Florida. The campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote on social media that the orca had died "after three decades of misery".
7. White House identifies young woman as 'election hacker'
A young Russian woman has been placed on a sanction list by the White House for allegedly helping Vladimir Putin interfere in the US election. Alisa Shevchenko has been employed by big businesses to track down weaknesses in their online security. A US intelligence report says Putin "ordered" a campaign aimed at influencing the election.
8. Tesco says pyjama controversy is 'not a big issue'
Tesco says shoppers wearing nightclothes in its stores is "not a big issue", after one customer asked it to ban them. A customer at the Salford store posted his request on Tesco's Facebook page alongside a picture of two women wearing pyjamas and dressing gowns. But the retailer said staff used "common sense" over the matter, adding: "In general, it's not a big issue ".
9. Campaigners urge Obama to take nukes off high alert
Arms control experts have Barack Obama to take America’s nuclear weapons off a state of high alert before Donald Trump takes office to stop him "impulsively blowing up the planet". The Ploughshares Fund has started a petition asking the outgoing President to move the weapons from their hair-trigger status to avoid the "worst disaster imaginable".
10. Outrage as Sir Tom Jones says Voice winner failed due to weight
There are calls for Sir Tom Jones to be sacked after he suggested The Voice winner Leanne Mitchell failed to become a star because of her weight. "When she first came on, I thought about her trimming down a bit," he said. He added that "rather than take the opportunity of winning… she put on more weight". Two charities have protested, with one calling his views "prehistoric".
