Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 10 Feb 2018
- 1. North and South Korea shake hands at Winter Olympics
- 2. Davis and Barnier continue spat over Brexit talks
- 3. Israeli fighter jet is shot down by Syria
- 4. Second Trump aide quits over abuse claims
- 5. Government reviews Oxfam work after Haiti allegations
- 6. NHS plans smart homes that monitor your lifestyle
- 7. Russian nuclear workers detained over Bitcoin allegations
- 8. Ministers 'to erode workers' rights after Brexit'
- 9. YouTube suspends ads on Logan Paul's videos
- 10. Whitehall says 'Beatles' fighters should be tried in court
1. North and South Korea shake hands at Winter Olympics
North and South Korea have held an historic meeting at the Winter Olympics. The sister of North Korea's Kim Jong Un shook the hand of with South Korean president at the opening ceremony. In an awkward seating arrangement, US vice president was sat just metres away from North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong at the opening ceremony. The White House said Pence and Kim did not interact during the event.
2. Davis and Barnier continue spat over Brexit talks
David Davis’s has accused Michel Barnier of wanting to "have it both ways" in negotiations over Brexit. As the spat between the two rolls on, the Brexit Secretary said there was a "fundamental contradiction" in the approach being taken by Barnier. Meanwhile, the EU’s chief negotiator said Davis had been wrong to accuse him of being "discourteous".
3. Israeli fighter jet is shot down by Syria
An Israeli F-16 fighter has been shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft fire. The jet was on a raid to destroy Iranian facilities allegedly responsible for launching a drone into Israel, and what the Israeli military calls a "severe and irregular violation of Israeli sovereignty". Syrian state media said air defences opened fire in response to an Israeli act of "aggression" against a military base.
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4. Second Trump aide quits over abuse claims
A speechwriter has become the second White House aide this week to resign over to allegations of domestic abuse. The departure of David Sorensen, who denies his ex wife's allegations of emotional and physical violence, comes just days after another Trump official, Rob Porter, quit over allegations of abuse from two ex-wives. Porter also denies the allegations. Trump said of Porter: "We wish him well, he worked very hard."
5. Government reviews Oxfam work after Haiti allegations
The government is reviewing its relationship with Oxfam after the charity was accused of covering up the use of prostitutes by its aid workers in Haiti. The Department for International Development said Oxfam, which received nearly £32m from the DFID in the last financial year, had to answer "serious questions". The charity announced an inquiry into the claims in 2011 and denies a cover-up.
6. NHS plans smart homes that monitor your lifestyle
The National Health Service is planning "healthy homes" that pester families into better habits. The smart homes would include movement sensors and other smart tech, so exercise and other healthy tips could be flashed up on screens if activity levels fall. Residents would also be offered digital health trackers so they can be monitored by GPs without leaving their home.
7. Russian nuclear workers detained over Bitcoin allegations
Workers at Russia’s top nuclear research facility have been detained after they attempted to mine Bitcoin on its computers, according to Interfax news agency. The staff at Russia’s nuclear centre in the city of Sarov were held after making "an attempt to use the work computing facilities for personal ends, including for so-called mining", said a spokeswoman for the centre.
8. Ministers 'to erode workers' rights after Brexit'
Government officials have said that key workers’ rights could be reviewed after Brexit to boost Britain’s economy. MPs who have seen a Whitehall impact assessment say it shows ministers are considering weakening employment rights, including the one that prevents people from being forced to work too many hours. Theresa May has vowed to strengthen workers’ rights after Brexit.
9. YouTube suspends ads on Logan Paul's videos
YouTube has suspended advertisements from Logan Paul's channels after the controversial vlogger posted "potentially damaging" videos, including one where he used a Taser on dead rats. The company said Paul's "pattern of behaviour" was unsuitable for advertisers. Last month, Paul posted a video of him discovering a dead body in the "Japanese suicide forest".
10. Whitehall says 'Beatles' fighters should be tried in court
The government says that two captured British fighters should be tried in an international criminal court, rather than sent to Guantanamo Bay. Defence secetary Tobias Ellwood said it is important that "terrorists from any origin are transparently and fairly held account for their actions". Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are known as "the Beatles", because of their British accents.
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