Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 25 Jan 2018

1. Minister reprimanded over ‘groping’ event

A government minister has been reprimanded by Downing Street for attending a men-only charity gala at which hostesses were groped, according to an undercover investigation by the Financial Times. Nadhim Zahawi said he attended the fundraiser but left early as he “felt uncomfortable”. Hostesses at the event were told to wear skimpy dresses.

2. Trump ‘looking forward’ to being questioned

Donald Trump has said he is “looking forward” to being questioned as part of the inquiry into alleged links between his election campaign team and Russia, subject to advice from his lawyers. The US president said the interview could take place in the next two to three weeks.

3. J.P.Morgan boss warns of Brexit job losses

J.P.Morgan chief Jamie Dimon has warned that the bank may have to cut as many as 4,000 jobs in the UK if financial rules change following Brexit. Before the referendum, Dimon said that 4,000 people might be fired immediately after a vote in favour of Brexit, but that estimate proved inaccurate. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Dimon said rule changes could spoil London’s role as a finance hub.

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4. Cameron says Brexit is ‘a mistake, not a disaster’

David Cameron has been filmed talking candidly about Brexit at the Davos forum. Speaking to Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, the former PM said Brexit is “a mistake, not a disaster”. He added: “It’s turned out less badly than we first thought. But it’s still going to be difficult.”

5. Monkeys cloned in world first

A primate has been cloned using the same technique developed in Edinburgh more than two decades ago to clone Dolly the sheep. In a world first, scientists in China cloned two monkeys using the single cell nuclear transfer method. The advance could mean identical monkeys can be created for use in research into human diseases.

6. The Fall singer Mark E. Smith dies at 60

Mark E. Smith, the lead singer of post-punk band The Fall, has died at the age of 60. Smith formed the band in 1976 and had worked alongside 66 different members since then, falling out with and firing most of them. One former Fall bassist, BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Marc Riley, paid tribute to the irascible frontman, saying he “taught me a lot”.

7. North Korean ice hockey team arrives in South

Ice hockey players from North Korea have arrived in South Korea, with a group of officials, to begin training with players from the South. The women will form a combined team for the Winter Olympics in an expression of Korean unity. Meanwhile, dictator Kim Jong Un promised to “smash” all barriers to Korean reunification.

8. Boris Johnson’s father defends NHS leak

The Foreign Secretary’s father, Stanley Johnson, has said his son was not responsible for the leak to the press that he intended to push the Cabinet for more NHS funding. The leak earned Boris Johnson a rebuke from the Prime Minister – but Stanley Johnson insisted the row was “not actually of his making”.

9. Grumpy Cat wins $710,000 copyright case

The owners of a cat famed for her sour expression have been awarded $710,000 (£500,000) by a US court that found a coffee company broke the terms of a marketing contract. “Grumpy Cat”, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, is renowned for her lugubrious expression, caused by an underbite and feline dwarfism.

10. Briefing: Netflix overtakes Goldman Sachs

Netflix’s stock market value topped $100bn for the first time this week, catapulting it above Goldmans Sachs and other masters of the financial universe.

The online media company reached a market capitalisation of $108.31bn early this week.

Netflix tops $100bn valuation - and overtakes Goldman Sachs