Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 26 Aug 2017

1. Terror probe after knife arrest outside Buckingham Palace

Counter-terror detectives are investigating after two police officers were injured while tackling a man with a large knife outside Buckingham Palace. Officers approached the man after spotting a "large bladed weapon" inside his car, which stopped close to a police vehicle at 8.35pm on Friday. Two officers received minor injuries to their arms while they tried to arrest the man on The Mall, close to the palace's main entrance.

2. 'Major disaster' feared as Hurricane Harvey batters Texas

Hurricane Harvey has made landfall in Texas with winds of up to 130mph (215 km/h) pounding coastal areas. The storm is expected to be the worst to hit Texas for 12 years, with up to 40in (1m) of rain forecast to fall. The Daily Telegraph says a "major disaster" is feared. President Donald Trump has signed a disaster proclamation for the state, which will free up federal aid.

3. Eton deputy head leaves after exam scandal

Eton’s deputy headmaster has left the college after being accused of circulating questions from an upcoming economics exam to other teachers. Mo Tanweer, a former investment banker, is no longer employed at the establishment and relevant exam marks of pupils at the famous public school have been rescinded. "Whilst pupils had done nothing wrong, they were inadvertent recipients of confidential information," said a statement.

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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

4. Macron says 'entitled' France is 'ungovernable'

President Macron says France is "ungovernable" arguing that "the French hate reform". Days before he begins an overhaul of labour laws, he described France as "a society of entitlement and privileges", that required "transformation" rather than reform. His proposed overhaul has already sparked fierce opposition from unions and the left. Macron is suffering the worst slump in popularity of any new president for 20 years.

5. Trump accused of burying pardon of controversial sheriff

US President Donald Trump has pardoned controversial Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt. The 85-year-old, who was due to be sentenced in October, was found guilty after he defied a court order to stop traffic patrols targeting suspected immigrants. Critics say that Trump timed the announcement of the pardon to coincide with prominent coverage of Hurricane Harvey.

6. Northwest is the 'sickness scam capital of Britain'

The northwest has been named as sickness scam capital of the UK, says The Times. The paper found that four out of every five compensation claims for holiday sickness come from Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, while drivers in the northwest also make a disproportionate number of whiplash claims. "Fraudsters evolve," said a lawyer. "They always look for new areas of vulnerability."

7. North Korea 'fires three missiles into the sea'

North Korea has fired three short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast, according to the US military. The missiles, launched from near Kittaeryong in the North, did not pose a threat to either North America or the US Pacific territory of Guam, a US spokesman said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said: "The military is keeping a tight surveillance over the North to cope with further provocations."

8. Top schools encourage pupils to consider wider ranges of routes

Private schools moving away from pushing all students towards university and instead encouraging more pupils to learn a trade. Analysis by The Times found the numbers at independent schools taking Btec vocational qualifications at a standard equivalent to A-levels has doubled in the past four years. Head teachers admit they are increasingly advising students to consider different paths to the traditional university route.

9. Western allies drop demand that Syria's Assad steps aside

Britain and western allies have dropped their long-standing demand that President Assad must step down. Foreign secretary Boris Johnson told the BBC: "We used to say he has to go as precondition. Now we are saying that he should go but as part of a transition. It is always open to him to stand in a democratic election." This marks a turnaround in policy that Britain has maintained since 2011.

10. Brussels 'terror' attacker shot dead by troops

A man has been shot dead in Brussels after attacking soldiers with a knife in what is being described as a "terror attack". The suspect was taken to hospital in a critical condition, but later died, prosecutors in Belgium said. Local media reported the suspect was a Somali man who is alleged to have shouted "Allahu Akbar" - God is great - before the attack.