Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 13 Feb 2018

1. Commonwealth ‘making secret plans’ for next head

The Commonwealth has set up a secret “high-level group” to examine who should succeed the Queen as head of the multinational organisation after her death, according to the BBC. The role is not hereditary, so will not pass automatically to her son. The bloc now has 53 member states, most of which are former territories of the British Empire. The Queen is head of state of 15 of them.

2. ANC to formally request Zuma’s resignation

South Africa’s ruling ANC party will make a formal demand that President Jacob Zuma steps down, following his repeated refusal of requests to do so. If Zuma ignores the recall demand, the next step for the party, which he no longer leads, will be a no-confidence vote. The 75-year-old, in power since 2009, has been dogged for years by allegations of corruption.

3. Kim hails Korean reconciliation as sister returns

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has called for further reconciliation between the two Koreas following his sister’s return home from South Korea, where she led the official delegation at the opening of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Kim Yo Jong’s visit has been the most talked-about aspect of the Games, with some complaining of her links to human rights abuses.

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4. Judge to rule on Julian Assange arrest warrant

A British judge will rule today on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s legal bid to halt action against him for breaching bail. Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, after seeking asylum there to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault charges, which have since been dropped. Today’s case could force the UK Government to disclose any US extradition requests.

5. Charity Commission to investigate Oxfam scandal

The Charity Commission is to investigate Oxfam’s handling of a 2011 internal probe into claims that senior staff in Haiti used prostitutes, possibly underage. The watchdog says it believes Oxfam may not have “fully and frankly disclosed material details”. The charity’s deputy chief executive, Penny Lawrence, has already stood down over the scandal.

6. US policeman fired for not shooting wins damages

A police officer in Virginia who was sacked for refusing to shoot a black man has been awarded $175,000 (£126,000) for wrongful dismissal. Stephen Mader arrived at a domestic incident to find R.J. Williams apparently armed and distraught. Mader attempted to calm Williams, only for another officer to arrive and shoot Williams dead.

7. Trump Jr wife hospitalised after white powder scare

Vanessa Trump, wife of US President Donald Trump’s son Donald Jr, was taken to hospital yesterday as a precaution after she opened an envelope sent to her husband that contained a white powder. New York police say the powder has been tested and was not hazardous. Trump Jr said the incident was “disgusting”.

8. Snapchat redesign prompts 600,0000-signature petition

More than 600,000 people have signed a petition demanding that social network Snapchat reverses a new redesign that is proving deeply unpopular. The petition says many of the app’s typically young users find the update has made it harder to use. According to Buzzfeed News: “Teens are losing it over Snapchat’s unpopular app redesign.”

9. South Korea holds first robot skiing tournament

The world’s first skiing tournament for robots took place yesterday on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Eight teams from local universities and tech firms entered a humanoid robotic competitor for a $10,000 (£7,200) prize on a beginner’s slope one hour west of Pyeongchang, where the Games are being held. The robots were required to spot flags and turn on skis to avoid them.

10. Briefing: James Bulger murder, 25 years on

Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the abduction of James Bulger. His murder at the hands of two ten-year-olds shocked Britain and sparked a nationwide debate as to the criminal responsibility of children.

James Bulger murder, 25 years on