Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 11 Aug 2018

1. Stolen plane crashes after F-15 jets gave chase

A plane stolen from Seattle-Tacoma international airport by a mechanic has crashed, say authorities. F-15 fighter jets were scrambled and flights grounded in a major security incident after the airline employee made "an unauthorised take-off" without any passengers on board. A law enforcement spokesperson said the incident was a suicide. The unnamed pilot was described as a 29-year-old mechanic.

2. Former adviser says Trump is 'racist' and 'misogynist'

Donald Trump is a "racist" who has used the "N-word" repeatedly, says Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former Apprentice contestant and ex-White House adviser. In what is being described as a "searing" memoir, Manigault Newman, once the most prominent African American in Trump’s White House, writes that she realised the US President is a "racist, a bigot and a misogynist".

3. Rees-Mogg says Boris burka probe is a 'show trial'

The Conservative party’s investigation into Boris Johnson is a "show trial" and is being used to stop him becoming leader, claims Jacob Rees-Mogg. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the Tory backbencher says Theresa May's "personal rivalry" with Johnson is "taking the heat off Labour". Johnson sparked controversy this week by describing women in burkas as looking like "letter boxes" or "bank robbers".

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4. Top universities are struggling to fill courses

Russell Group universities are struggling to fill places through clearing, new data shows. Following the lifting of the cap on student numbers, 4,000 courses still have vacancies at 18 out of 24 of the country’s leading institutions, ahead of A-level results day on Thursday. Even high-demand courses such as Law, Engineering, English Literature and History are still available at Russell Group universities.

5. One killed in explosion at military factory near Salisbury

One person has been killed and another has been left in a critical condition after an explosion at a military hardware factory near Salisbury. The Chemring Countermeasures site, which is to the north of the Wiltshire city, produces hardware designed to help protect military ships and aircraft from incoming fire. In March, a former Russian military officer and his daughter Yulia Skripal were poisoned in Salisbury, with a Novichok nerve agent.

6. Mike Ashley snaps up stricken House of Fraser

Mike Ashley says he will turn House of Fraser into the "Harrods of the high street" after his £90m takeover of the troubled department store. The Times says Ashley’s Sports Direct firm "pounced" on the 169-year-old chain after it went into administration yesterday morning. Ashley, whose personal fortune is estimated at £2.45bn, has pledged to "keep as many stores open as possible".

7. Monsanto must pay $289m over 'cancerous' herbicide

Monsanto has been ordered to pay $289m (£226m) damages to a man who claimed herbicides had caused his cancer. A Californian jury found that the chemical giant knew its Roundup and RangerPro weedkillers were dangerous and failed to warn consumers. The ruling is being described as a legal landmark, as it's the first lawsuit to go to trial alleging a glyphosate link to cancer.

8. Refugee warning as Assad prepares to wipe out rebels

The Assad regime is preparing to wipe out last of the rebel fighters in Syria, says The Times. Jets and artillery were readying for a battle for the rebel-held province of Idlib despite reassurances from Moscow and UN warnings of a "potential bloodbath" in an area with millions of refugees. In recent days, regime helicopters have dropped leaflets urging rebel fighters to surrender.

9. Tesla and Musk sued twice over 'squeeze' claims

Tesla and Elon Musk have been sued twice by investors who say they fraudulently engineered a scheme to squeeze short-sellers. The suits claim that Musk’s proposal to take the electric car company private was part of the scheme. Earlier this week Musk announced on Twitter that he might take Tesla private in a record $72bn transaction that valued the company at $420 per share.

10. Turkey's crisis deepens as Trump announces new tariffs

The on-going economic crisis in Turkey has worsened after Donald Trump announced he was doubling US import tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminium. This accelerated the country’s currency freefall and shook financial markets. The Turkish lira sank by more than 20% against the dollar after the president announced the move. Washington and Ankara are at odds over the imprisonment of the US pastor Andrew Brunson.