Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 13 Aug 2018

1. Plan to end rough sleeping in England by 2027

Communities Secretary James Brokenshire has announced a £100m initiative that he hopes will halve rough sleeping in England by 2022 – and end it altogether by 2027. About one third of this sum will be spent on mental health treatment and this will include helping people fight drug addictions. Charities warn the new strategy will not be a “total fix”.

2. Thunderstorms and floods to hit UK today

The Met Office has issued six yellow weather warnings for this morning in northern and eastern England and southern Scotland. There are predictions of thunderstorms and heavy downpours that will make driving conditions difficult and could lead to flooding. The forecasters say there is a small chance of power cuts.

3. Passport delays at Heathrow up to two-and-a-half hours

People trying to enter the UK on non-EU passports at Heathrow are now waiting as long as two-and-a-half hours to get through the airport. This means the UK Border Force missed its target to process 95% of non-EU visitors within 45 minutes on 30 of the 31 days in July. Virgin Atlantic chief executive Craig Kreeger said: “The UK needs to show the world it is open for business.”

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4. Euro drops as markets react to Turkey crisis

The euro fell to a one-year low against the US dollar in early trading today as investors reacted to the financial crisis engulfing Turkey. The country’s lira currency fell a further 9% this morning, after plunging 20% last week. It is down almost 40% this year. The crisis has been exacerbated by fears of worsening relations between Turkey and the US.

5. Children among victims of Moss Side shooting

Two children are among 12 people injured when a shotgun was fired into the crowds at a street party in Manchester’s Moss Side in the early hours of yesterday morning. A man is believed to have suffered a broken leg during a stampede to escape the scene. None of the injuries are life threatening but police are treating the incident as attempted murder.

6. Boy rapists ‘expect girls to cry during sex’

Boys are so desensitised by misogynistic pornography that they see women’s tears as “part of foreplay”, a leading feminist claims. Speaking at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism website, told of a 14-year-old boy involved in a rape case who when asked by a teacher why he did not stop when he saw his victim was crying, had replied that it was “normal” during sex.

7. White supremacists outnumbered at White House

White supremacists were outnumbered by counter-demonstrators at a rally near the US White House yesterday. Police formed a “ring of steel” around a park to prevent the two groups meeting and the day passed without violence. The march came two years after an anti-fascist was killed in Charlottesville, Virginia, by a supremacist.

8. Killer whale lets go of dead calf after weeks

A killer whale seen to be carrying the body of her dead calf off the coast of Washington state, apparently in grief, has let it go at last, after 17 days. The whale, known as J35, has returned to feeding and normal behaviour with her pod. The group of orcas have struggled recently to reproduce and to find enough salmon to eat.

9. Idris Elba tweet Bond hints

After years of rumours linking him to the role, British actor Idris Elba has sent a tweet which hints he might be the next James Bond. The 45-year-old, who has previously said he may be too old to play 007, wrote simply: “My name’s Elba, Idris Elba.” To many readers this seemed like a reference to the line: “The name’s Bond. James Bond.”

10. The pros and cons of legalising euthanasia

Euthanasia is a controversial topic for legislatures around the world. Legal and normalised in some countries while totally taboo in others, it remains one of the key ethical debates at the juncture where politics meets philosophy.

Also known as assisted suicide, euthanasia involves “administering a lethal dosage of a certain medication, or ending all life support means, and letting a person who is terminally ill pass away at their own will,” says blog Flow Psychology.

The pros and cons of legalising euthanasia