Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 2 Mar 2017

1. Trump attorney general met Russian ambassador

US attorney general Jeff Sessions met the Russian ambassador twice during his time as a team member of Donald Trump's election campaign, it has been confirmed. Sessions denied having "communications with the Russians" when asked about this during his confirmation hearing in January.

Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

2. Ministers 'disappointed' by Brexit bill defeat

Theresa May's government said it was "disappointed" that the House of Lords had voted in favour of amending the Brexit bill to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK. Ministers will push to overturn the change when the bill returns to the House of Commons.

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What will happen to EU citizens after the December Brexit deadline?

3. Living standards show 'weakest growth in 60 years'

Living standards are experiencing their weakest growth in 60 years, with low-income families bearing the brunt, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says. The think-tank also says average household income will be 18% lower in 2021-22 than if the 2007 crash had not happened.

The Business: UK betting income rockets as terminals grow

4. Police watchdog warns of 'national crisis'

Policing in the UK is facing a "national crisis", says HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, in a report it says is raising a "red flag". The police watchdog warns victims are being failed, criminal cases shelved and suspects left to go free as police forces fail to carry out basic functions.

Police 'rationing' services in face of budget cuts

5. Oscars mix-up pair 'will never return'

Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz, the PwC employees responsible for the mix-up over the best film award at this year's Oscars, will not do the job again, Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said. Cullinan, who gave the wrong envelope to presenter Warren Beatty, had been distracted backstage, she added.

PwC accountants 'banned' from Oscars after best picture fiasco

6. Northern Ireland votes for new Stormont assembly

Northern Ireland goes to the polls for the second time in ten months today after former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned. Two hundred and twenty-eight candidates are competing for 90 seats in the Stormont assembly. McGuinness has since left politics to recover from a serious illness.

7. Kim Jong-nam murder: North Korean freed

Malaysia is to release and deport a North Korean national arrested last month over the murder of Kim Jong-nam, saying there was insufficient evidence to charge Ri Jong Chol and he was a "free man". Two women arrested for the attack have been charged with murder.

Kim Jong Nam death: murder trial begins in Malaysia

8. Sweden reintroduces military conscription

Sweden is to reintroduce military conscription amid growing conerns about Russian military drills in the Baltic. The move, backed by MPs, means 4,000 men and women will be called up for service from 1 January 2018. They will be selected from about 13,000 young people born in 1999, who will be asked to undergo a military assessment.

9. World's oldest fossils found in Canada

Fossils unearthed in a remote part of north-east Canada are thought to be the oldest found. An international research team led by University College London believes the tiny fossils, half the width of a human hair, are at least 3.77 billion years old.

10. Briefing: Barack Obama's book deal

Barack and Michelle Obama have signed book deals believed to total $60m (£48.5m) to write about their time in the White House. Publishers have been fighting to secure the rights to the couple's memoirs, which are all but guaranteed to top the bestseller lists, the Financial Times reports. While HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster were in the running, the top bid came from Penguin Random House imprint Crown, whose hopes for the books are understandably high.

What are the Obamas doing now?