Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 15 Feb 2016

1. HSBC will not move headquarters from UK

Banking giant HSBC has decided to keep its headquarters in London after a lengthy review prompted by tightened financial regulation. The bank said it had unanimously rejected the idea of moving because London still offers "the best outcome for our customers and shareholders". The decision has been seen as a vote of confidence in the UK.

HSBC shares rise after £1.5bn buyback pledge

2. New York-bound flight turned back by laser

A Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow to New York was forced to turn back last night after a laser beam was shone into the plane, causing the first officer to feel unwell. The Metropolitan Police said they were working to determine from where the laser was shone. There has been a dramatic rise of similar incidents in the past ten years.

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Laser beam forces plane to return to Heathrow

3. Steven Fry quits Twitter after Bafta joke row

Bafta host Steven Fry has quit Twitter in the wake of a row over a joke at the ceremony. He was widely criticised for comparing costume designer Jenny Beavan to a "bag lady" as he presented her with an award on Sunday. Fry, who had more than 12 million followers on the social network, said it had become a "stalking ground for the sanctimoniously self-righteous".

4. Japanese economy contracts by 0.4 per cent

Japan's economy shrank by 0.4 per cent between October and December last year, official figures show. The contraction is worse than the 0.3 per cent analysts had anticipated and has been blamed on weaker domestic demand and slower investment in housing. The country did avoid a technical recession, after suffering four since 2007.

5. Footballer wanted 'thank you kiss and more' from child

A teenage girl has told a court how she met England footballer Adam Johnson for a "thank you kiss and more" after he signed shirts for her. The 28-year-old winger, who was sacked by his club Sunderland last week, is accused of two counts of sexual activity with a child. The girl, who was 15 at the time, said the pair began exchanging messages in January 2015.

6. North Korea 'used wages for weapons programme'

South Korea has accused its northern neighbour of keeping back 70 per cent of the wages for North Korean workers at a joint industrial zone the two countries financed and using the money to develop weapons and buy luxury goods for its elite. South Korea pulled out of the Kaesong complex last week after the North's rocket launch.

7. Syrian hospital destroyed in 'deliberate' air strike

An air strike that devastated a hospital in Syria has been condemned by Medecins Sans Frontieres, which says the attack was "deliberate". Four rockets struck the facility in Maarat al-Numan, a rebel-held town in the north-west of the country. Eight members of staff are missing and nine have been reported dead. It has been claimed the Russian air force was responsible.

US and Russia spar over vetoed Syria sanctions

8. Pope John Paul II: intense letters to woman revealed

Letters telling the story of an intense relationship between Pope John Paul II and a married woman have been made public after years locked away in the national library of Poland, the pontiff's homeland. John Paul, born Karol Wojtyla, and Polish-born American philosopher Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka met many times.

Was Pope John Paul II in love with a married woman?

9. Tributes pour in for band Viola Beach

Tributes have continued to pour in for indie band Viola Beach, who were killed in a car crash in Sweden at the weekend. The Warrington fourpiece and their manager died after their vehicle plunged 25m from a bridge into a canal. Last month the band released their second single and last year performed at the Reading and Leeds Festival. They had been in Sweden to play at a festival.

Viola Beach crash: investigation examines how indie group died

10. Briefing: the prohibitive cost of renting a home

People in England who buy their first home this year will have already spent an average of £52,900 on rent, according to a report from the Association of Residential Letting Agents. The figure rises to more than £64,000 for those who start renting now, and to £90,000 for people about to start renting in London. "Rents are becoming alarmingly unaffordable due to the lack of available housing," said David Cox, the managing director of Arla.

Lifetime cost of rent set to hit £64k amid housing crisis