Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 9 Jan 2021

1. Twitter suspends Trump

Donald Trump has been permanently suspended from Twitter “due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” says the company. After reviewing the outgoing US president’s tweets, Twitter said it found two to be “in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy”. Trump then took to the US president's official @Potus account to state he would “look at the possibilities of building out our own platform in the future”.

2. Ad campaign amid Covid surge

A government advertising campaign is telling people in England to “act like you've got” Covid after 1,325 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were recorded in the UK on Friday. The Daily Telegraph says ministers are considering a “tough crackdown” to pressure more Britons to stay at home after the daily coronavirus death toll hit the record high.

3. Babies killed in hospital fire

Ten babies were killed in a maternity unit in the Indian state of Maharashtra when fire tore through a large hospital this morning. Although staff rescued seven babies at the Bhandara district hospital they were unable reach 10 others, Pramod Khandate, a senior doctor, said. Local media states that all of those who died were aged between a few days and three months.

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4. Gove warns of Brexit disruption

Michael Gove has told businesses to prepare for “significant additional disruption,” amid reports of lorries being delayed and refused entry at ports following Brexit. The Cabinet Office minister said that disruption at Britain’s border had not been “too profound” yet but warned of problems “on the Dover-Calais route.” A last-minute deal struck between Downing Street and Brussels on Christmas Eve meant businesses had little time to prepare.

5. Kim pledges nuclear expansion

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged to expand North Korea’s nuclear weapons arsenal and military potential. Mr Kim said that plans for a nuclear submarine were almost complete. He said the USA is his nation’s “biggest enemy” and that he does not expect Washington to change its policy toward Pyongyang after Joe Biden succeeds Donald Trump.

6. Apple ‘profiteers’ in UK

Apple devices are up to a third more expensive in Britain than the US, according to analysis in The Times. The software giant was accused of “profiteering” from UK customers after it was revealed that two thirds of its products, including iPhones, Macbooks and watches, cost the same in dollars as they did in pounds. A consumer expert said: “I can’t find one justifiable reason for these differences.”

7. Capitol rioter arrested

A man who was photographed lounging with his foot on the desk in House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during this week’s rampage through the US Capitol was arrested yesterday. Richard Barnett, 60, from Arkansas, was taken into custody and faces federal charges stemming from the siege of the Capitol on Wednesday, prosecutors said. The FBI has issued appeals for the public’s help in identifying the rioters.

8. Meghan scraps citizenship plan

The Duchess of Sussex has abandoned plans to become a UK citizen, says the Daily Telegraph. One year after stepping back from royal life, Meghan has decided that despite her tentative steps to start the process when she married Prince Harry, there is no reason to pursue it now the couple has set up home in California.

9. Warnings ahead of bad weather

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings of icy conditions across most of England, Wales and parts of Scotland from Friday evening until Monday. The public has been warned to beware of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces, dangerous driving conditions and delays to public transport as snow, ice and heavy rain are expected to hit.

10. Warning on Bitcoin ‘bubble’

Bitcoin prices have doubled in less than a month to more than $40,000 in “the mother of all bubbles,” says an expert. Michael Hartnett, chief investment strategist at Bank of America Securities, says that the surge of bitcoin during the past two years is far greater than the gains for other assets that have enjoyed massive run ups in the past few decades.