Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 9 Dec 2017
- 1. Gove says UK voters can change final Brexit deal
- 2. Israel bombs Gaza Strip as tensions boil over
- 3. British universities 'complacent' over sexual abuse
- 4. UK snow and ice could 'cut off' some rural areas
- 5. 'Get out and vote for Moore,' Trump tells Americans
- 6. Johnson flies to Iran to plead for Zaghari-Ratcliffe
- 7. Soldiers charged over training death
- 8. Peacekeepers killed by Islamist militants in Congo
- 9. Southern Californian fires destroy 'avocado capital'
- 10. Apple in talks to buy music-recognition app Shazam
1. Gove says UK voters can change final Brexit deal
Michael Gove says voters can use the next general election to have their say on a final Brexit deal. Although the environment secretary lauded Theresa May's "tenacity and skill" during negotiations, writing in the Daily Telegraph he added that if British people "dislike the arrangement", they can change it. The next general election is due to be held in 2022, three years after the UK leaves the EU.
2. Israel bombs Gaza Strip as tensions boil over
Israel has bombed a number of Gaza sites it says belongs to militant group Hamas. The attacks come after three rockets were fired from Gaza to Israel. Two Palestinian men died after Israeli troops fired on crowds in Gaza during clashes on Friday. Simmering between Israelis and Palestinians have boiled over since US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
3. British universities 'complacent' over sexual abuse
UK universities are guilty of a "complacent and inadequate response" to sexual harassment and gender violence, an investigation by The Guardian has found. Responses to freedom of information requests sent to 120 universities revealed that many do not provide training to staff on sexual misconduct including harassment and assault. The End Violence Against Women coalition said the news revealed "shocking and depressing complacency by universities".
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4. UK snow and ice could 'cut off' some rural areas
The authorities are issuing warnings as snow continues to fall in many parts of the UK and icy conditions threaten to leave some rural areas "cut off". The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" warnings for parts of the country, with an amber "be prepared" alert in place on Sunday. It said snow would continue to affect Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, northern England and parts of the Midlands.
5. 'Get out and vote for Moore,' Trump tells Americans
Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind Alabama's Republican Senate candidate, Roy Moore. Many senior Republicans have distanced themselves from Moore as he faces a series of allegations of sexual misconduct, but the US president said: "We need someone in that seat seat who will vote for our Make America great agenda. So get out and vote for Roy Moore."
6. Johnson flies to Iran to plead for Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Boris Johnson is on his way to press for the release of jailed British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. In his first visit to Tehran, Johnson will try to build firmer relations with Iran, which have been strained since 2011 when an Iranian mob ransacked the British Embassy. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in April 2016 when on holiday to introduce her daughter Gabriella to family.
7. Soldiers charged over training death
Two Army officers and a sergeant have been charged with negligently performing their duty after a soldier was killed on a training exercise by a stray shot. Capt Jonathan Price, Lt Col Richard Bell and CSgt Stuart Pankhurst did not enter pleas at Bulford Military Court, Wilts. The charges relate to an incident in which Ranger Michael Maguire of the Royal Irish Regiment was shot in the head. (This story initially and incorrectly reported that the soldiers had been charged with manslaughter. We apologise for the error.)
8. Peacekeepers killed by Islamist militants in Congo
Militants have killed at least 15 peacekeepers and five soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In what The Guardian describes as "one of the worst attacks on United Nations personnel in recent memory," heavily armed fighters from an Islamist group overran a remote base in the east of the central African country. António Guterres, the UN secretary general, described the attack as a "war crime".
9. Southern Californian fires destroy 'avocado capital'
Wildfires in southern California have destroyed a large area of the region's avocado crop. Experts in Fallbrook in Ventura County - the 'Avocado Capital of the World' - believe farmers may have suffered devastating losses. Avocado prices have already been higher in America during the second half of the year, in part due to a poor harvest last year in both the US and Mexico.
10. Apple in talks to buy music-recognition app Shazam
Apple is closing a deal to buy Shazam, the British music-recognition service behind a leading mobile app. Sources say the deal, which would value London-based Shazam in the hundreds of millions of dollars, could be agreed and unveiled as soon as next week. It would help to boost the iPhone maker’s music streaming service and would be one of the largest-ever deals for Apple and London’s consumer technology market.
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