Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 15 Jul 2017
- 1. Blair: EU may compromise on freedom of movement
- 2. Former Soviet intelligence official attended Trump meeting
- 3. Teenagers held after acid attack spree in London
- 4. Kids as young as 12 are dealing class-a drugs
- 5. Three die in high-rise building fire in Honolulu
- 6. Hammond slammed for 'sexist' train driver comment
- 7. Planet's large carnivores are being pushed off the map
- 8. Two women killed in Red Sea stabbing attack
- 9. How Camilla 'saved Prince Charles from the edge'
- 10. Vogue magazine apologises after 'gender fluid' controversy
1. Blair: EU may compromise on freedom of movement
Tony Blair says European leaders would be willing to tighten up the free movement of people as a way to avoid Brexit. The former PM argued that the "will of the people" may be changing and he called for a "proper debate" over the different options. He also argued that that the combination of Brexit followed by a Jeremy Corbyn government would soon leave Britain "flat on our back".
2. Former Soviet intelligence official attended Trump meeting
A former Soviet spy has admitted he attended a meeting with Donald Trump's son last year. Rinat Akhmetshin, named by the US Senate as a former "Soviet counter-intelligence officer", confirmed he was present at the controversial discussion Trump Jr had with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. The president's eldest son has this week played down the meeting, which took place on 9 June 2016.
3. Teenagers held after acid attack spree in London
Two teenagers are being held by police after acid was thrown in people's faces in five attacks during a 90-minute spree in London. An eyewitness said he heard a victim, who he believed was a delivery driver, "screaming in pain". Another victim suffered "life-changing injuries". Meanwhile, one of the victims has told Sky News it felt like his face was on fire during the attack.
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4. Kids as young as 12 are dealing class-a drugs
Children are being arrested for dealing class-a drugs, reports The Independent. According to police records, criminals are turning to children as young as 12 to sell hard drugs. Freedom of Information requests revealed that last year, 71% of forces arrested children under the age of 16 on suspicion of supplying crack, heroin or cocaine.
5. Three die in high-rise building fire in Honolulu
At least three people have been killed after a fire in a high-rise apartment building in Honolulu, Hawaii. The blaze, which started on the 26th floor and quickly spread two floors higher, caused debris, including window frames, to fall onto the street below, reports The Guardian. Although hundreds fled, there are reports of people trapped in their units in the burning building and some residents were unaccounted for.
6. Hammond slammed for 'sexist' train driver comment
Chancellor Philip Hammond has been condemned after it emerged that he joked during a cabinet meeting that driving trains is now so easy "even a woman" can do it. The Sun says that Theresa May gave him a "withering slap-down" in response. Meanwhile, Pauline Cawood, a train driver for more than 20 years, said: "It’s an old-fashioned, sexist comment. He ought to be ashamed of himself."
7. Planet's large carnivores are being pushed off the map
Six of the world's large carnivores have lost more than 90% of their historic range, reports the BBC. Human settlement and farming have caused the Ethiopian wolf, red wolf, tiger, lion, African wild dog and cheetah to be squeezed out. Conservationists are calling for the "scientifically sound" reintroduction of carnivores into areas where they once roamed.
8. Two women killed in Red Sea stabbing attack
Two European women were killed in a stabbing attack at the Red Sea holiday resort of Hurghada yesterday. According to reports, the knifeman sought out foreign tourists in the attack which also left four wounded. He was eventually wrestled to the ground and tied up by hotel staff after he swam from one hotel beach to another. "We don’t know his motives yet," said the authorities.
9. How Camilla 'saved Prince Charles from the edge'
The Duchess of Cornwall saved Prince Charles "from the depths of despair", says The Times. Penny Junor, author of a new biography of Camilla, said: "At the end of his marriage, after Diana died, he was a very morose, depressed man who seemed to be always on edge." She added: "Without Camilla, that is the man he would be today."
10. Vogue magazine apologises after 'gender fluid' controversy
Vogue has apologised after being widely condemned for describing their August 2017 cover stars Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik as "gender fluid". The fashion mag has admitted that it "missed the mark", when it suggested that the heterosexual couple are gender fluid because they sometimes borrow each other's clothing. The description had caused a storm on social media and beyond.

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