Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 7 Jan 2017
- 1. Red Cross says the NHS faces 'humanitarian crisis'
- 2. Five dead after Florida airport shooting
- 3. Top Tory donor threatens to withdraw funding over EU
- 4. Repair bill for potholes set to exceed entire roads budget
- 5. Israel cuts UN contribution over settlements row
- 6. Renewed anger as SeaWorld killer whale Tilikum dies
- 7. White House identifies young woman as 'election hacker'
- 8. Tesco says pyjama controversy is 'not a big issue'
- 9. Campaigners urge Obama to take nukes off high alert
- 10. Outrage as Sir Tom Jones says Voice winner failed due to weight
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".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
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".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 hilariously hypermasculine cartoons about Pete Hegseth's nomination
Cartoons Artists take on battlefields, mommy issues, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Teriyaki salmon skewers recipe
Recipe This delicious Asian-inspired dish is easy to make
By The Week UK Published
-
Gregg Wallace: a man out of time?
Talking Point MasterChef presenter's downfall shines spotlight on how mistreatment of junior staff has all too often been ignored
By The Week UK Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 24, 2024
Daily Briefing Trump closes in on nomination with New Hampshire win over Haley, 'Oppenheimer' leads the 2024 Oscar nominations, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 23, 2024
Daily Briefing Haley makes last stand in New Hampshire as Trump extends polling lead, justices side with US over Texas in border fight, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 22, 2024
Daily Briefing DeSantis ends his presidential campaign and endorses Trump, the US and Arab allies push plan to end Gaza war, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 21, 2024
Daily Briefing Palestinian death toll reportedly passes 25,000, top Biden adviser to travel to Egypt and Qatar for hostage talks, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 20, 2024
Daily Briefing Grand jury reportedly convened to investigate Uvalde shooting response, families protest outside Netanyahu's house as pressure mounts for hostage deal, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 19, 2024
Daily Briefing Congress averts a government shutdown, DOJ report cites failures in police response to Texas school shooting, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 18, 2024
Daily Briefing Judge threatens to remove Trump from his defamation trial, medicine for hostages and Palestinians reach Gaza, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 17, 2024
Daily Briefing The US strikes Houthi targets in Yemen a third time, Trump's second sex defamation trial begins, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published