Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 11 Apr 2017

1. North Korea warns US it is 'ready for war'

North Korea said it is "ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US" and warned of "catastrophic consequences" in response to any further provocations by Washington. The statement came after a US navy battle group was sent to waters off the Korean peninsula. The US's air strike against Syria last week is seen as a warning to Pyongyang.

2. G7 rejects calls for sanctions against 'toxifying' Putin

Boris Johnson says Vladimir Putin is "toxifying the image of Russia" but the G7 group of nations has rejected his call for more sanctions after last week’s chemical attack in Syria. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is flying to Moscow to try to persuade Putin to abandon his Syrian ally President Bashar al-Assad.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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

Syria 'planning a new chemical attack', US claims

3. Scotland to get breast cancer and HIV drugs

A breast cancer drug which could be withdrawn in England due to its cost has been approved for use on the NHS in Scotland. Campaigners claim more than 100 women a year north of the border could benefit from taking Kadcyla. People at risk of HIV in Scotland are also to be given a drug not available in England.

Scotland approves breast cancer drug deemed 'too expensive' for England

4. China 'executes more than rest of world combined'

China executed more people than all other nations put together last year, according to a report from Amnesty International. The human rights group says that although it is impossible to calculate the exact number, the figure is more than the 1,032 people killed by the state in other countries in 2016. The US has has fallen out of the top five countries for judicial killings.

The death penalty: Who are the world's biggest executioners?

5. Stockholm suspect admits 'terrorist crime'

The prime suspect in the Stockholm terror attack in Sweden has admitted to a "terrorist crime" and accepts that he will be detained, says his lawyer. Rakhmat Akilov, 39, from Uzbekistan, is alleged to have driven a truck down a busy shopping street in the Swedish capital on Friday, killing four people, including one Briton, and injuring 15 others.

Stockholm attack: Rakhmat Akilov admits 'terrorist crime'

6. United Airlines boss defiant over removal of passenger

United Airlines' chief executive has defended his company's actions after a passenger was filmed being dragged off one of its planes. In a leaked memo to staff, Oscar Munoz said he "emphatically" stood by staff who forcibly removed a traveller from the overbooked flight, claiming the passenger was "disruptive and belligerent" and that "our agents were left with no choice".

7. Hundreds of social care workers quit every day

More than 900 social care workers a day quit their job in England last year, leading to vulnerable people receiving poorer levels of attention, according to the UK Homecare Association. It has also written to Theresa May warning that the system has begun to collapse. The government claims an extra £2bn is being invested in social care.

8. Edward Enninful becomes Vogue's first male editor

Vogue has appointed its first male editor-in-chief in its 100-year history. Edward Enninful, a UK stylist who has been awarded the OBE for his services to fashoin, takes the helm at the British edition of the fashion magazine this summer, when Alexandra Shulman steps down after 25 years. He previously worked for Italian and American Vogue.

9. Trump 'will not be pushed around by Putin', says son

Donald Trump's cruise missile attack on Syria proved he will not be "pushed around" by Vladimir Putin, says the US President's son. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Eric Trump said the move showed his father was not in league with Moscow and warned there would be "no one harder" than Trump if the Russian "cross us".

10. Briefing: who supports who in Syria

Syria's conflict is often called a civil war, but the reality is it spills across the country's borders and involves some of the most powerful countries in the world. So who is backing President Bashar al-Assad and his government and who believes peace can only be achieved by the removal of his regime?

A brief guide to who supports who in Syria

Explore More