Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 5 Feb 2019

1. May in Northern Ireland: ‘I can deliver Brexit’

Theresa May is in Northern Ireland today to give a speech underscoring her commitment to avoiding a hard border. The goal of the visit to Belfast is to reassure businesses and politicians that the prime minister can break the Brexit deadlock in Westminster. Meanwhile, The Times is reporting that Brexiteer MPs yesterday rebuffed an offer for the EU to pledge that the backstop deal will be temporary.

2. Woman arrested after Paris fire kills eight

A woman has been arrested for possible arson after a fire in her Paris apartment block killed eight people. At least 30 more have been injured, including six firefighters. Fire crews are still working to control the blaze, which began in the early hours of Tuesday in the eight-storey block in the trendy 16th arrondissement.

3. Canadian mogul buys struggling chain HMV

A Canadian music entrepreneur has bought HMV and pledged to keep 100 of its 127 music shops open. Doug Putman owns Sunrise Records, a similar outlet in Canada. In a statement, he said physical media retailing was “here to stay” and said he would safeguard around 1,500 HMV jobs. The chain collapsed shortly before Christmas.

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4. Billionaire gives record £100m to alma mater

A British hedge fund billionaire has set a new UK record for donations to an educational institution by giving £100m to Cambridge University. David Harding, who studied physics at Cambridge four decades ago, has given £79m to support postgraduates and £20m to create “debt-free degrees” for underprivileged students. The final £1m will help fund Cambridge’s access programmes.

5. Police warning after ‘paedophile hunters’ arrest

Police have warned so-called paedophile hunters to stop confronting suspected child abusers after five people were arrested on suspicion of wrongly imprisoning members of the public. Attempts to entrap suspected paedophiles online have become so widespread the groups across the UK are forming a national federation.

6. Actor Liam Neeson’s comments spark race row

Northern Irish actor Liam Neeson has caused controversy by telling an interviewer that he plotted to kill a random black man when he was younger because a woman close to him had been raped by a black person. The 66-year-old star’s comments provoked amazement online. He made the claims while advertising his new film, Cold Pursuit, in which he plays a man avenging the murder of his son.

7. Xanax and fake drugs linked to 204 UK deaths

At least 204 people have died because of the misuse of anxiety drug Xanax, or after taking a fake version of the medicine, since 2015, the BBC says. Of that total, 126 deaths were in Scotland between 2015 and 2017. Pfizer, which makes the drug, said it was “alarmed” by the rise of counterfeit versions and was working with police to tackle the problem.

8. Magnetic north pole ‘moving fast’ to Russia

The Earth’s magnetic north pole is drifting faster than anticipated, forcing scientists to revise the data used in consumer electronics and navigation systems. Magnetic north - the point that a compass recognises as north - is drifting at about 34 miles a year and is now leaving the Canadian Arctic and heading towards Siberia. GPS navigation is not affected because it relies on satellites.

9. Hawaii considering raising legal smoking age to 100

A Democrat politician in Hawaii is proposing raising the minimum age at which cigarettes can be bought to 100 – effectively a ban. Richard Creagan, a doctor and former smoker, called the cigarette the “deadliest artefact in human history” and said his law would free smokers from “slavery”. Hawaii already has some of the world’s toughest laws on cigarette sales.

10. Briefing: what went wrong at Debenhams?

Up to 20 Debenhams stores face closure by the end of the year under a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) being planned by the retailer, according to reports.

Thousands of jobs could be lost if a deal is reached, and landlords could also see heavy rent reductions for properties where stores stay open.

Can Debenhams survive?