Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 6 Mar 2017

1. FBI director 'denies Trump wiretap claim'

FBI director James Comey has asked the Department of Justice to publicly reject Donald Trump's claim that Barack Obama tapped his phones during the election campaign, according to US media. Officials are also reported as saying Comey believed there was no evidence to support the allegation.

Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

2. Peugeot-Citroen agrees £1.9bn Vauxhall-Opel deal

French car manufacturer PSA Group, the owner of Peugeot and Citroen, has confirmed it is to buy Vauxhall and Opel from the European wing of US giant General Motors. The deal, worth £1.9bn, will make PSA the second-largest car firm in Europe. The prospect has raised fears of job losses at Vauxhall's British factories.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Vauxhall's new boss says hard Brexit is an 'opportunity for UK suppliers'

3. North Korea fires missiles into Japan waters

North Korea fired four ballistic missiles this morning, three of which fell in Japan's territorial waters. There are no reports of damage to ships or aircraft. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it a "dangerous action". The launches, which violate UN rules, come as South Korea and the US run a annual joint military exercise in the South.

4. Francois Fillon: 'No-one can stop me from running'

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon yesterday said "no one" could stop him from running for office, as he tried to convince Republican Party colleagues he can put an expenses scandal behind him. The centre-right politician has denied allegations that members of his family were paid taxpayers' money for fictitious jobs.

French elections: Francois Fillon vows to remain in race

5. 'Thirteen terror plots' foiled in four years

Thirteen terrorist plots have been foiled in the the UK in the past four years, says the UK's most senior counter-terrorism police officer. Mark Rowley, of the Metropolitan Police, also said security services have more than 500 investigations running at any one time and arrests are being made at a rate of close to one a day. He added that the threat to the UK remains severe.

Thirteen terror attacks foiled on UK soil in four years

6. South Lakes Safari Zoo licence bid rejected

The owner of a zoo where a keeper was killed by a tiger in 2013 and almost 500 animals have died in four years has lost a bid to renew his licence. In January inspectors said they were "dismayed" by conditions at South Lakes Safari Zoo in Dalton-in-Furness. Barrow councillors have now refused David Gill's claim for a licence.

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

7. DUP and Sinn Fein warned of 'limited window'

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire will today warn the leaders of Northern Ireland's political parties they have a limited window of time to form a new power-sharing executive following last week's assembly elections, which ended the unionist majority. Brokenshire will be in Stormont to meet the leaders later today.

8. Trump to sign new US travel ban

Donald Trump was today expected to sign a new executive order on immigration. The revised order has been expected since an earlier ban, that suspended the US refugee resettlement programme and barred citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations, was blocked by a federal court. President Trump says the ban is needed to keep the US safe.

9. Dartford Crossing not assessed for pollution

The Dartford Crossing, which carries 50 million vehicles a year over the Thames estuary on the London ring road the M25, is classified as a "rural" road, excluding it from government air quality assessments passed on to the EU, it has emerged. Defra and the Department for Transport blamed each other for the mis-classification.

10. Briefing: Who is and who isn't allowed to give blood?

The number of new blood donors in the UK has dropped by more than 40 per cent in the last decade, leading to fears of blood shortages. The NHS describes blood donation as an "essential part" of the healthcare system. And although more than a quarter of Britons will require a blood transfusion in their lifetime, just four per cent of the population donate regularly - and some people are confused about whether they can donate.

Blood donation rules: who can donate?