Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 16 Jun 2018
- 1. Huge fire wrecks the Glasgow School of Art again
- 2. European Union is preparing for Brexit to be delayed
- 3. Mother speaks out as epileptic son is denied cannabis oil
- 4. Court sends ex-Trump chair to jail for violating bail terms
- 5. Tributes paid as Eastenders star Grantham dies at 71
- 6. Fury as Conservative MP Chope blocks upskirting bill
- 7. Oxfam prepares for job cuts in wake of Haiti scandal
- 8. Ex-Treasury figures scornful of Brexit NHS claims
- 9. Drone kills Taliban chief behind Malala shooting
- 10. Ronaldo 'lights up World Cup' with sensational hat-trick
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
1. Huge fire wrecks the Glasgow School of Art again
Fire has broken out at Glasgow School of Art, four years after it was severely damaged in a blaze. More than 120 firefighters and 20 fire engines were tackling the fire, which broke out 11.30pm on Friday night. No casualties were reported. The building was badly damaged by fire in May 2014 and was due to re-open next year following a £35m restoration project.
2. European Union is preparing for Brexit to be delayed
The European Union is preparing for the possibility of Brexit being postponed, internal documents have shown. As talks with the UK appear unlikely to reach a conclusion by March, the European Council paperwork shows that the bloc is planning what to do "in the event that the United Kingdom is still a member state of the union" after the deadline.
3. Mother speaks out as epileptic son is denied cannabis oil
A mother says her epileptic son "could die" unless he is given cannabis oil. Charlotte Caldwell tried to bring the oil into the UK from Canada, but it was confiscated at Heathrow on Monday. Her son Billy was hospitalised after his seizures "intensified". The Home Office said it was contacting the 12-year-old’s medical team, and would "carefully consider" the options.
Article continues belowThe 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. Court sends ex-Trump chair to jail for violating bail terms
Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was taken into custody on Friday after a federal judge ruled that he had violated the terms of his bail. He is awaiting trial on multiple federal felony charges. Manafort, 69, is the second former Trump aide to go to jail related to charges brought by the special counsel Robert Mueller.
5. Tributes paid as Eastenders star Grantham dies at 71
Tributes have been paid to EastEnders actor Leslie Grantham, who has died aged 71. Anita Dobson, who played his on-screen wife Angie, said she was "deeply shocked and saddened". June Brown, who plays Dot Cotton, said she was "very fond of Leslie and am so sorry that he has gone". In 1966, Grantham was convicted of murdering a German taxi driver while serving as a soldier.
6. Fury as Conservative MP Chope blocks upskirting bill
A bill to make upskirting a specific criminal offence has been blocked in the House of Commons after a Conservative MP objected to it. Christopher Chope blocked the bill, which would have made taking surreptitious, sexually intrusive images punishable by up to two years in prison. "He hardly knows what upskirting is, I think. It’s just he doesn’t like private member’s bills," said another MP.
7. Oxfam prepares for job cuts in wake of Haiti scandal
Oxfam is to axe jobs and aid programmes as part of a £16m cuts programme. An internal document circulated last week by the chief executive of Oxfam GB, Mark Goldring, says the charity will "have to save substantial amounts of money to put [us] on a more stable and sustainable footing". The news comes after allegations that members of its staff used sex workers during a relief mission in Haiti.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
8. Ex-Treasury figures scornful of Brexit NHS claims
Former Treasury officials have rejected government claims that a "Brexit dividend" could fund a large cash injection for the National Health Service, reports the Financial Times. Nick Macpherson, Treasury permanent secretary until 2016, said: "There is an element of desperation in announcing more expenditure outside the Budget cycle . . . at a time when we still are running quite a large structural deficit."
9. Drone kills Taliban chief behind Malala shooting
The Taliban leader believed to have ordered the shooting of Malala Yousafzai has been killed in a drone strike in Pakistan, according to reports. Officials say that Mullah Fazlullah died with four other insurgents in the attack on Thursday morning near the border with Afghanistan. Malala Yousafzai was 15 when a Taliban gunman boarded her school bus and shot her in the head.
10. Ronaldo 'lights up World Cup' with sensational hat-trick
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo "lit up the World Cup" with a spectacular performance against Spain last night, says the BBC. Pundit Rio Ferdinand said of the hat-trick hero: "The night was about Cristiano. He is relentless in his pursuit of greatness. What he is doing on the world stage is ridiculous." Chris Waddle added: "I'm going to get a flight back tomorrow because I won't see a better game."