Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 1 Mar 2017

1. May faces defeat on Brexit bill in Lords

Theresa May is expected to watch the House of Lords vote on amending her Brexit bill today, with peers of all parties demanding a firm guarantee for the rights of EU citizens living in the UK. The Prime Minister has been accused of using them as a bargaining chip.

Brexit: Theresa May says ‘trust me’ to deliver

2. Trump vows to 'renew the American spirit'

US President Donald Trump promised the "renewal of the American spirit" as he addressed Congress for the first time yesterday. He also warned of the threat posed by Islamic State, pledged to replace Obamacare and vowed to secure the country's borders.

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Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

3. Green 'still stained' despite BHS pay-out

Sir Philip Green still has "stains" on his reputation despite agreeing to pay £363m to the BHS pension scheme, a senior MP says. Business select committee chairman Iain Wright also said letting the businessman keep his knighthood would be the "biggest case of cash for honours we've ever seen".

Sir Philip Green's Arcadia agrees £30m deal in BHS legal battle

4. New drivers caught using phones will lose licence

New drivers will lose their licence if they are caught using a mobile at the wheel, under new rules that come into force today. The penalty for using a phone while driving also doubles to six points and a £200 fine. Police are to carry out a crackdown, with extra patrols looking for phone use.

5. Liverpool Lime Street station closed 'for days'

Liverpool Lime Street train station will remain closed for "for several days" after a wall collapsed on to the tracks on Tuesday. A section of wall fell blocking all four lines into the station and damaging overhead wires, said Network Rail said. Some trains are running to Manchester, but London trains will start and finish at Runcorn with rail replacement buses.

6. Women charged with murder of Kim Jong-nam

Malaysia has charged two women with murder following the death of North Korean exile Kim Jong-nam last month. Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam and Siti Aisyah from Indonesia are alleged to have smeared VX nerve agent on Kim's face. They said they thought they were taking part in a TV prank show.

7. Cumbrian zoo has 500 animal deaths in four years

Councillors in Cumbria are being urged not to renew the licence of South Lakes Safari Zoo after it emerged nearly 500 animals at the site have died in four years. A spokeswoman for Captive Animals' Protection Society called on the council to take action to "prevent more animal suffering ". The zoo was fined £255,000 last year after an employee was killed by a tiger.

Calls for South Lakes Safari Zoo to close after 486 animals die in four years

8. Sex education compulsory ion schools

Sex education is to be made compulsory in all schools in England. Education Secretary Justine Greening said all children from the age of four would be be taught about safe and healthy relationships and, from an "appropriate" age, sex. Previously sex eduction was only compulsory in council-run schools. Parents will have the right to withdraw children from the classes.

9. Obamas agree $60m book deals with Penguin

Former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have signed book deals with Penguin Random House thought to be worth a combined $60m (£48m). The couple say they will donate a "significant portion" of their proceeds to charity.

What are the Obamas doing now?

10. Briefing: The best new smartphones of 2017

Not so long ago, the smartphone market was almost exclusively controlled by Apple and Samsung, with their top-tier devices battling it out at the top of the sales charts. But the market has changed and there's now a lot more on offer for people looking for an alternative to phones from the two tech giants.

The best smartphones of 2018: iPhone XS, Huawei Mate 20 Pro and more

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