Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 15 Aug 2017
- 1. UK proposes temporary customs union
- 2. Trump condemns neo-Nazis – at last
- 3. Jo Cox hero Bernard Kenny dies at 79
- 4. Taylor Swift wins DJ groping case
- 5. British men to be caned in Singapore
- 6. North Korea to hold off Guam attack
- 7. France: Girl killed by car attack
- 8. Train derails outside Waterloo
- 9. Primark settles pronounciation debate
- 10. Briefing: The NHS vs global healthcare systems
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1. UK proposes temporary customs union
The government wants the EU to agree a temporary customs union for up to two years after Brexit. After that period, the UK will either enter another union with the EU or match its customs arrangments closely. Labour's Keir Starmer said the plans were "incoherent and inadequate".
Brexit: Theresa May says ‘trust me’ to deliver
2. Trump condemns neo-Nazis – at last
After provoking anger and disbelief by condemning "many sides" when a neo-Nazi drove a car into a protest in Virginia on Friday, killing a woman, US President Donald Trump has finally said the KKK and neo-Nazis are "criminals and thugs" and "racism is evil".
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3. Jo Cox hero Bernard Kenny dies at 79
Bernard Kenny, the retired miner who intervened when Thomas Mair killed Jo Cox MP and was stabbed by the right-wing extremist, has died of cancer at the age of 79 before he could collect the George Medal for bravery. His son Phil said he was "stubborn, kind and fair".
4. Taylor Swift wins DJ groping case
Taylor Swift has won her legal suit against the DJ she accused of grabbing her backside at a meet and greet event, David Mueller. Mueller had denied the claims and sued Swift for $3m (£2.3m). She counter-sued for a symbollic $1. Mueller's suit has been thrown out of court.
5. British men to be caned in Singapore
Three British men have been sentenced to caning and jail time for sexually assaulting a Malaysian woman during a stag party in Singapore. Khong Tam Thanh, 22, Le Michael, 24, and Vu Thai Son, 24, pleaded guilty on Monday to "aggravated outrage of modesty".
Britons get jail and caning in Singapore
6. North Korea to hold off Guam attack
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has decided not to immediately launch a missile strike at the US base on the Pacific island of Guam, state media says. The dictator told his generals to be ready to launch missiles at any time in order to "wring the windpipes of the Yankees".
North Korea to close nuclear test site
7. France: Girl killed by car attack
A girl of 13 – originally reported to be eight – died in a village east of Paris yesterday when a car was deliberately driven into a pizzeria, injuring 12 others, four of them seriously. The incident was said not to be terror-related and the driver, aged 32, was arrested.
Paris pizzeria attack 'deliberate but not terror-related'
8. Train derails outside Waterloo
A train partially derailed this morning near Waterloo Station in central London, without anybody being harmed. South West Trains warned passengers that the incident would lead to further delays at the station, where several platforms are already closed for engineering works.
9. Primark settles pronounciation debate
Budget clothing retailer Primark has told shoppers they should pronounce its name "Pr-Eye-Mark", settling an intense online debate. Some customers had claimed that pronouncing the store's name that way was an affectation and the correct pronounciation was Preemark.
10. Briefing: The NHS vs global healthcare systems
The NHS has once again topped the table of global healthcare systems compiled by the Commonwealth Fund, a US health policy think-tank, according to The Guardian.
This may come as a surprise to Brits, given the endless headlines about a crisis in the health service and the belief that the NHS is at imminent risk of collapse.
In real terms (after inflation) the NHS is still suffering from the longest budget squeeze in its history. A number of trusts are still reporting problems coping with the workload caused by a rising and ageing population who have more complex health needs than their predecessors.
So how does the NHS compare to other systems and what can we learn from them?
The NHS vs global healthcare systems
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