Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 29 Feb 2016

1. Brexit: civil servants warn of 'decade of uncertainty'

Whitehall officials say leaving the European Union would adversely affect the lives of millions, with the UK taking ten years to recover from uncertainty that would hit the "financial markets, investment and value of the pound". The comments come from a report written by civil servants in the Cabinet Office and seen by The Guardian.

Scottish independence: Is IndyRef2 'dead' after election losses?

2. Oscar for DiCaprio as Spotlight surprises

After years of near misses, Leonardo DiCaprio has finally won an Oscar, taking home the best actor trophy for his portrayal of a frontiersman attacked by a bear in The Revenant. Best picture went to Boston abuse drama Spotlight, while British actor Mark Rylance was named best supporting actor for his role in Bridge of Spies.

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PwC accountants 'banned' from Oscars after best picture fiasco

3. Donald Trump U-turns on Ku Klux Klan

Would-be Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he now "disavows" the support of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke after pressure from rivals Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. The businessman at first side-stepped the issue by saying he knew "nothing" about Duke or the Klan. Trump can take a big step towards the candidacy on 'Super Tuesday'.

What is Hillary Clinton doing now?

4. Syria: UN expands aid as ceasefire holds

The United Nations is getting food and other aid to besieged civilians in Syria as the new ceasefire holds, despite expectations to the contrary. A rebel commander said there had been violations "here and there" but the truce, which began on Saturday, seems broadly to be working. The UN hopes to help 1.7 million people in March.

5. Morrisons to sell fresh food through Amazon

Amazon and Morrisons have joined forces to sell food online, with the supermarket striking an agreement to supply fresh, frozen and non-perishable products for the Amazon Prime Now and Amazon Pantry services. The expanded Amazon service will be available later this year. Analysts say the move could lead to a big shake-up in grocery shopping.

6. Emergency services take part in disaster exercise

Firefighters, police officers and ambulance staff have been taking part in Europe's largest disaster training exercise, involving a London Underground train and 1,000 volunteer "casualties". The drill involves a tower block collapse at Waterloo tube station in London. The London Fire Brigade organised the exercise at a disused power station in Kent and four other venues.

7. Oscars host Chris Rock confronts racism row

Chris Rock addressed the row about racism in the US film industry head-on as he hosted the Oscars last night. The black actor and comic joked he had decided not to join a boycott of the ceremony because "the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart". He welcomed the audience to the "white people's choice awards".

Oscars 2016: Chris Rock's ten most controversial jokes

8. Violence as the 'Jungle' camp is demolished

Violence broke out in Calais after the French authorities began demolishing the "Jungle" refugee camp. Police fired tear gas as stones were thrown on workers entering the camp. Fires were also started. Meanwhile, migrants on the border between Greece and Macedonia have broken down a barbed wire fence, using a steel pole as a battering ram, in an attempt to get into Europe.

9. Peter Rabbit to appear on 50p coin

Peter Rabbit is to be the first character from children's literature to appear on a British coin. Special 50p pieces will be minted later this year to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter in 1866. Another three of her characters will also feature on the coins, the Royal Mint says. Potter died in 1943, at the age of 77.

10. Briefing: How smartphones are revolutionising banking

Smartphones have already revolutionised the way we communicate, now banks are planning to use them to change the way we shop and bank. Mastercard has announced that it is going to trial facial recognition for payments in the summer, which will allow users to pay for things online without passwords or pins. HSBC, meanwhile, will soon be using fingerprint and voice recognition to log people on to online banking. If they prove popular, the changes may mean you will never have to remember a password again.

How smartphones are revolutionising banking