Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 12 Feb 2015

1. UKRAINE: CEASEFIRE AFTER ALL-NIGHT TALKS

A ceasefire in Ukraine has been agreed along with plans for weapon withdrawals and prisoner exchanges after talks in Minsk. The summit held by Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko, with the participation of the French and German leaders, lasted through the night.

Obama: Vladimir Putin trying to 'recreate Soviet empire'

2. LORD FINK ADMITS 'VANILLA' TAX AVOIDANCE

Former Tory treasurer Lord Fink, who yesterday threatened to sue Labour leader Ed Miliband over allegations of tax avoidance, has admitted taking "vanilla" tax-avoidance measures, but insisted he was not guilty of "aggressive tax planning". He said that his threat to sue was due to Miliband's use of the word "dodgy" in describing his financial affairs.

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Fink U-turn: top Tory admits to ‘vanilla’ tax avoidance

3. COSTA CONCORDIA CAPTAIN JAILED

The captain of the cruise ship Costa Concordia, which overturned off the coast of Italy in 2012, killing 32 people, has been jailed for 16 years for manslaughter. Francesco Schettino had denied the charges, saying the disaster was a collective failure of the ship’s crew and he was being scapegoated.

Concordia captain Francesco Schettino jailed for 16 years

4. S KOREA: NUT RAGE EXECUTIVE JAILED

A court in South Korea has found a former executive at the national airline guilty of breaking aviation law after she forced a plane she was travelling on to turn back because she was served nuts in a packet rather than on a plate. Heather Cho, daughter of Korean Air’s chief executive, has been jailed for one year.

South Korea: 'nut rage' airline executive jailed for a year

5. ‘DOMESDAY BOOK’ FOR TOWER BLOCKS

A new digital archive is to list and store images of every tower block in the UK. Created by social and architectural historians from Edinburgh College of Art, the project will include details on all tower blocks demolished within the last 30 years. The plan reflects an upsurge of interest in modernism.

6. BANK OF ENGLAND WARNS OF DEFLATION

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has warned that inflation could temporarily turn negative in the spring as a result of falling oil prices. Inflation currently stands at 0.5%, the lowest level on record, and well below the Bank's target of 2%. Even though the bank's interest rate also currently stands at 0.5% Carney said it could be cut further.

7. POPE: NOT HAVING CHILDREN IS SELFISH

Pope Francis has said that not having children is “selfish” - a controversial statement in Italy where traditionally large families have been dwindling over recent decades, with the birth rate falling. The pontiff added: “Life rejuvenates and acquires energy when it multiplies: It is enriched, not impoverished.”

8. HOUSE OF CARDS RELEASED IN ERROR

Netflix accidentally released the third series of political black comedy House of Cards two weeks early. The site realised the mistake and removed the episodes within 20 minutes of them appearing online - but by then, fans had already been able to watch. The award-winning series features Kevin Spacey as a fixer.

9. N KOREA UNVEILS 310 NEW SLOGANS

North Korea has unveiled 310 new political slogans covering “every conceivable topic”, says The Guardian. They include ‘Grow vegetables extensively!’ and ‘Should the enemy dare to invade our country, annihilate them to the last man!’ Many of the slogans reflect the fact that starvation is a threat.

North Korea detains another US citizen

10. BRIEFING: THE UNREST IN YEMEN

The British embassy in Yemen has been closed and all staff have been withdrawn due to the escalating crisis in the country. But what has caused the escalation in fighting? Last month, the US-backed President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi was forced to step down after rebel groups stormed the capital, leaving a power vacuum. Hadi and his ministers have been under house arrest since then and UN-brokered peace talks have now totally collapsed.

Yemen crisis: who are the rebel groups and why are they fighting?