Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 15 Feb 2018

1. At least 17 killed in Florida school shooting

At least 17 people are dead after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Nikolas Cruz, a former pupil who had been expelled, is suspected of being behind the killings. He was arrested in the nearby town of Coral Springs about one hour after he left the scene. Pupils say they hid under desks or in cupboards when they heard shots.

2. ‘No prospect’ of a deal for NI assembly

DUP leader Arlene Foster said yesterday there is “no current prospect” of talks with Sinn Fein resulting in a deal to restore Northern Ireland’s power-sharing assembly at Stormont. Foster asked the Government to “set a budget and start making policy decisions”. Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill said the DUP had “collapsed this process”.

3. South Africa’s Zuma resigns under pressure

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has resigned after intense pressure from the ANC party which he used to lead. The 75-year-old, in power since 2009, had been told to resign or face a no-confidence vote because of long-running corruption claims. Deputy president and ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to take over power.

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. Zimbabwe opposition leader Tsvangirai dies

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, has died at the age of 65 after suffering from cancer of the colon for two years. Tsvangirai’s illness means his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will be divided as it goes into the first elections since the end of Robert Mugabe’s four-decade rule late last year.

5. Ultra-processed food linked to cancer risk

Research in France and Brazil has found a link between eating ‘ultra-processed’ foods like packaged biscuits, fizzy drinks and instant noodles and cancer. The five-year study of nearly 105,000 people found that for every 10% more factory-processed food a subject consumed, there was a 12% greater risk they would get cancer.

6. UK blames Russia for NotPetya cyber attack

The UK government has blamed the Russian military for a malicious cyber-attack last year which affected the sales of UK firms including Reckitt Benckiser. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said Russia was “ripping up the rule-book” and Britain must respond. Russia denied responsibility for the attack which first targeted Ukraine.

7. Trump’s military parade could cost $30m

The military parade ordered for Washington by US President Donald Trump after he was inspired by visiting France’s Bastille Day celebrations could cost as much as $30m (£21m), the White House budget chief has said. Critics have ridiculed Trump for proposing a costly display at a time when the Pentagon is struggling to cope.

8. Fox attacks baby in Plymouth family home

A baby girl was treated in hospital on Tuesday after being attacked in her home by a fox. Raeya Wyatt, who is seven months old, was bitten on the hand and foot as she played in a bouncer in her Plymouth home when the animal entered through a door which was on the latch. Mother Leanne Boundy said the attack lasted 30 seconds.

9. Snapchat petition signed by one million

An online petition asking the owners of social networking app Snapchat to reverse changes made to its interface has been signed by one million people. The changes were intended to address the rise of fake news, according to founder Evan Spiegel, but are unpopular partly because they separate celebrity users from ordinary people.

10. Briefing: do e-cigarettes cause cancer?

E-cigarette devices are promoted as a safer alternative to tobacco but studies into the health impacts of vaping have reached conflicting conclusions.

New US research suggests that vaping is “far from harmless” and could pose a serious health risk. However, a Public Health of England evidence review published last week says swapping combustible tobacco cigarettes for e-cigarettes - which turn liquid nicotine into vapour - brings substantial health benefits.

Why everyone’s talking about vaping