Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 21 Jan 2017
- 1. Donald Trump signs order to roll back Obamacare
- 2. Anger as George Osborne announces role at BlackRock
- 3. Gambia's Yahya Jammeh says he will step down
- 4. Obama era ends with airstrike on 'terror' camp in Syria
- 5. Temperatures to fall as low as -7 on chilly weekend
- 6. Theresa May on standby for Trump meeting 'within days'
- 7. Austrian police say arrest has averted Vienna terror attack
- 8. Labour canvassers say party 'will lose by-election'
- 9. Eton College to hire psychologist for boys and teachers
- 10. Nigel Farage joins Fox News as political commentator
1. Donald Trump signs order to roll back Obamacare
Donald Trump has signed his first executive order as President - a directive to federal departments "minimising the economic burden" of Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. His team has swiftly overhauled the White House website to include his pledge to roll back Barack Obama's strategy on climate change. Later, he and his wife First Lady Melania Trump danced to the song My Way at the inaugural ball.
2. Anger as George Osborne announces role at BlackRock
George Osborne is taking on a lucrative six-figure role as an adviser to leading fund manager BlackRock. Since losing his cabinet post, the former chancellor has given speeches to Wall Street banks helping to make him the highest earning MP in 2016. Labour’s shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, described the timing of the announcement, hours before the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president, as "interesting".
3. Gambia's Yahya Jammeh says he will step down
The Gambia's long-term leader Yahya Jammeh says he will step down. In an announcement on state television, he said it was "not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed". He added: "I have decided today in good conscience to relinquish the mantle of leadership of this great nation." The statement followed hours of talks between Jammeh and West African mediators.
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4. Obama era ends with airstrike on 'terror' camp in Syria
More than 100 suspected militants were killed in a US airstrike on an al-Qaeda training camp in Syria, the Pentagon said. "The removal of this training camp disrupts training operations and discourages hardline Islamist and Syrian opposition groups from joining or cooperating with al-Qaida on the battlefield," said a spokesman. The counter-terrorism strike took place in the final hours of Barack Obama’s presidency.
5. Temperatures to fall as low as -7 on chilly weekend
Britain will shiver this weekend, with temperatures expected to drop to -7C (19.4F) in some rural areas according to forecasters. Widespread frost and patches of fog could cause dangerous driving conditions. Yesterday, temperatures were as low as -7C in South Farnborough, Hampshire, -6C in Woburn, Bedfordshire, and -6C in Benson, Oxfordshire. The AA said drivers should take extra care.
6. Theresa May on standby for Trump meeting 'within days'
Theresa May is packing her bags for a trip to the White House within days, says The Times. Downing Street has been put on alert for a possible trip to Washington on Thursday. Donald Trump said earlier this week that he hoped May would visit "right after" he was sworn in, but it had been thought that the visit would take place in late February.
7. Austrian police say arrest has averted Vienna terror attack
Authorities in Austria say the arrest of a man in Vienna has foiled a possible terror attack in the city. A spokesman said the 18-year-old suspect was an Austrian citizen of a migrant background and there were "indications" of jihadist motives. Austrian newspaper Krone said Islamist militants of Albanian background had planned an attack in Vienna. Police are warning the public to be alert and to report suspicious objects.
8. Labour canvassers say party 'will lose by-election'
Labour is set to lose the Copeland by-election, according to the party’s own canvassers. The Daily Telegraph says that internal analysis of more than 10,000 conversations with voters in the Cumbrian constituency shows Labour’s support down by a third since 2015. A senior source claimed Jeremy Corbyn’s "incompetence" as a political leader is coming up repeatedly on the doorstep
9. Eton College to hire psychologist for boys and teachers
Eton College is to appoint a clinical psychologist deliver a "resilience programme" for its pupils. The famous public school, which has educated 19 British prime ministers, already has a consultant adolescent psychiatrist to provide "cognitive behavioural treatments" for its 1,300 male students. The new appointee will also provide a "coaching service" for staff to help them in their personal development.
10. Nigel Farage joins Fox News as political commentator
Nigel Farage is to become a commentator on Fox News. Fox announced that the former Ukip leader would be joining to provide political analysis on its main news channel and its business network. The Guardian says the development marks "another leap" in Farage’s "love affair with Donald Trump’s America". It is unclear whether the Fox role will affect Farage’s radio show on LBC.
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