Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 26 Feb 2018

1. Freezing temperatures and snow expected

Forecasters have warned that spring is not here yet: a weather front from Siberia will bring snow and cold conditions to most of the UK this week. Up to 20cm of snow is expected to fall in parts of England and, with wind chill, temperatures may feel as low as -15C. The Met Office has warned the conditions pose a risk to life.

2. Four dead in Leicester shop explosion

A massive explosion has left at least four people dead in Leicester, with others still not accounted for. Four more are in hospital, one with serious injuries. The blast at around 7pm last night destroyed a convenience store – and the flat above it. Leicestershire Police say the “major incident” is not being linked to terrorism.

3. Corbyn to say Labour wants customs union

Jeremy Corbyn will today detail Labour’s new Brexit policy: the party wants to sign a treaty that creates a new, permanent customs union with the EU following Brexit. The policy was first revealed by shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, who said it was the “only reliable way to get tariff-free access”.

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4. Fiat Chrysler to end diesel car production

Fiat Chrysler – the firm behind Jeep, Dodge, Maserati and other marques – has said it will no longer produce diesel passenger vehicles by 2022. The American-Italian company is the latest of several manufacturers to abandon diesel cars, which are increasingly expensive to produce due to stricter environmental protections laws.

5. Nigeria: Boko Haram kidnaps 110 schoolgirls

Troops and planes in Nigeria are searching for 110 schoolgirls believed to have been kidnapped by Islamist group Boko Haram last week from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State. President Muhammadu Buhari called the incident a “national disaster” and apologised to the families. In 2014, Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok.

6. China’s Xi Jinping set to be dictator for life

China announced on Sunday that it was abolishing the two-term limit for leaders that was introduced to prevent a Chairman Mao-style personality cult developing. The decision is being seen by China experts as the ultimate power grab by 64-year-old President Xi Jinping, signifying his desire to become a “dictator for life”.

7. Millennials on course to be fattest generation

People born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s are on course to be the fattest generation yet, according to Cancer Research UK. Research suggests that 70% of British millennials will be dangerously overweight before they hit middle age. The charity warns that excess weight is linked to 13 different types of cancer.

8. Bollywood superstar Sridevi dead at 54

The body of Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor is to be flown home to Mumbai from Dubai, where the 54-year-old died of a heart attack during a family wedding on Sunday. Kapoor was one of the few female Indian actors considered a big enough box office draw in her own right, without needing a major male co-star.

9. Starbucks begins charging for cups in trial

Coffee giant Starbucks is charging a levy of 5p per takeaway cup in 35 of its London branches from today, in a three-month trial of a possible nationwide policy. The charge is intended to encourage customers to use reusable cups, to reduce waste. The plastic lining in most takeaway coffee cups mean they cannot be recycled.

10. In Depth: Northern Ireland’s power games and players

If Theresa May thought last week’s invitation to Downing Street would push Sinn Fein and the DUP to resolve Northern Ireland’s power-sharing gridlock, the Prime Minister sorely underestimated her guests.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald was not impressed with May’s advice to “reflect” rather than reconvene negotiations, TheJournal.ie says. The British government has “no plan, no map” to restore power-sharing, McDonald told reporters.

Northern Ireland: power games and political players