Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 26 Jan 2018
- 1. Four BBC men agree to take pay cut
- 2. Trump ‘did not know’ Britain First ‘was racist’
- 3. May forced to disown Hammond on Brexit
- 4. Casey Affleck pulls out of presenting Oscar
- 5. Shape Of Water director accused of plagiarism
- 6. Defence Secretary warns of Russian energy ‘plot’
- 7. At least 41 dead in South Korean hospital fire
- 8. New Zealand firm accused of ‘space graffiti’
- 9. Police called as ‘Nutella riots’ hit France
- 10. Briefing: the ethical dilemma behind the miracle monkeys
1. Four BBC men agree to take pay cut
Four of the BBC’s top-paid news presenters – all men – have agreed to take pay cuts so that female colleagues can be paid more. The corporation says Jeremy Vine, John Humphrys, Huw Edwards and Jon Sopel have all agreed, “either formally or in principle”, to reduced their salaries. Carrie Gracie resigned as China editor earlier this month over unequal pay.
2. Trump ‘did not know’ Britain First ‘was racist’
US President Donald Trump has said he did not know far-right party Britain First were “horrible, racist people” when he retweeted their bogus videos about terrorism. Interviewed at Davos by Piers Morgan for ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Trump said: “I would certainly apologise [for re-tweeting the group], if you’d like me to do that.”
3. May forced to disown Hammond on Brexit
Theresa May has disowned remarks made by Chancellor Philip Hammond at the World Economic Forum in Davos, to avoid upsetting Europhobes in her party. Hammond said that the purpose of Brexit trade negotiations was to change regulation, “hopefully, very modestly”. Downing Street said the changes would not be “modest”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
4. Casey Affleck pulls out of presenting Oscar
US actor Casey Affleck has pulled out of presenting the Best Actress award at this year’s Oscars following accusations against him of past sexual harassment, which he denies. Casey won Best Actor last year for Manchester By The Sea – and the winner of that award traditionally presents the Best Actress honour at the next ceremony.
5. Shape Of Water director accused of plagiarism
The estate of the late playwright Paul Zindel has said that director Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-nominated film, The Shape Of Water, is “obviously derived” from Zindel’s 1960s play Let Me Hear You Whisper – but that no permission was sought to use the rights. Fox Searchlight is insisting Del Toro and his co-writer had never read nor seen Zindel’s play.
6. Defence Secretary warns of Russian energy ‘plot’
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said the “real threat” faced by Britain is that Russia is spying on undersea electricity cables and gas pipelines leading to the UK that could cause “total chaos” if cut. Williamson told The Daily Telegraph that Russia would be willing to take action “any other nation would see as completely unacceptable”.
7. At least 41 dead in South Korean hospital fire
At least 41 people have been killed, and 79 injured, by a fire at a hospital in South Korea. The fire is thought to have started in the A&E ward of Sejong Hospital in the southern city of Miryang this morning. The hospital also contains a care home for the elderly. Authorities say the victims appeared to have died from smoke inhalation.
8. New Zealand firm accused of ‘space graffiti’
Space exploration start-up Rocket Lab has been accused of “space graffiti” following its launch of satellites into orbit from a remote New Zealand cattle farm last week. One of the objects sent up was an artwork, the Humanity Star. The reflective geodesic sphere is designed to look like a “new star” in the night sky and is expected to orbit the Earth for nine months - to the dismay of some astronomers.
9. Police called as ‘Nutella riots’ hit France
A 70% discount on Italian chocolate spread Nutella has prompted a series of near-riots in branches of French supermarket Intermarche, with police called to stop customers fighting and pushing each other. One customer told French media that shoppers were behaving “like animals” and that she had seen an old woman hit on the head with a box.
10. Briefing: the ethical dilemma behind the miracle monkeys
Chinese researchers have cloned two monkeys using the same method that birthed Dolly the sheep - a technique that raises moral and ethical questions about the possibility of cloning humans.
Chinese researchers created two identical long-tailed macaques, who have been called Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, born eight and six weeks ago respectively, according to the journal Cell. Since Dolly was created in an Edinburgh lab in 1996, scientists have cloned almost two dozen kinds of mammals, including dogs and cats using this method - and have also created human embryos.
Cloning monkeys: the ethical dilemma behind the miracle
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Italy's prisons crisis
Under the Radar Severe overcrowding, dire conditions and appalling violence have brought the Italian carceral system to boiling point
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
The potential effects of Israel's ceasefire with Hezbollah
THE EXPLAINER With the possibility of a region-wide war fading, the Palestinian militant group Hamas faces increased isolation and limited options
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Sudoku medium: December 9, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 24, 2024
Daily Briefing Trump closes in on nomination with New Hampshire win over Haley, 'Oppenheimer' leads the 2024 Oscar nominations, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 23, 2024
Daily Briefing Haley makes last stand in New Hampshire as Trump extends polling lead, justices side with US over Texas in border fight, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 22, 2024
Daily Briefing DeSantis ends his presidential campaign and endorses Trump, the US and Arab allies push plan to end Gaza war, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 21, 2024
Daily Briefing Palestinian death toll reportedly passes 25,000, top Biden adviser to travel to Egypt and Qatar for hostage talks, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 20, 2024
Daily Briefing Grand jury reportedly convened to investigate Uvalde shooting response, families protest outside Netanyahu's house as pressure mounts for hostage deal, and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 19, 2024
Daily Briefing Congress averts a government shutdown, DOJ report cites failures in police response to Texas school shooting, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 18, 2024
Daily Briefing Judge threatens to remove Trump from his defamation trial, medicine for hostages and Palestinians reach Gaza, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
10 things you need to know today: January 17, 2024
Daily Briefing The US strikes Houthi targets in Yemen a third time, Trump's second sex defamation trial begins, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published