Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 28 Feb 2018

1. North Korea ‘helps Syria make chemical weapons’

A UN report says North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria which could be used to make chemical weapons. Around 40 shipments of equipment were sent from 2012 to 2017, the report says, and North Korean missile experts were seen at Syrian weapons factories. The report has been leaked but has not yet been published.

2. Johnson accused of ‘remarkable duplicity’

Tory grandee Michael Heseltine has accused Boris Johnson of “remarkable … duplicity” after a letter the Home Secretary wrote to Theresa May was leaked. The letter makes it clear Johnson is prepared to consider a hard border between Northern Ireland and the republic, despite his several claims no physical border is necessary.

3. Extreme weather continues for UK

Heavy snow fell overnight in parts of the country, causing further disruption, as temperatures dropped as low as -12C in some places. Amber warnings for snow are in place for many areas, with deep snow expected and Scotland considering raising its threat level to ‘red’. Train cancellations continue in many places and roads are closed.

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4. Trump aide agrees to help inquiry

A former aide to Donald Trump, Rick Gates, has agreed to help the inquiry into alleged links between the US President’s team and Russia, in return for having nearly two dozen fraud charges dropped. Meanwhile, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has had his top-level security access revoked after failing to disclose meetings.

5. Toys R Us and Maplin facing collapse

Two major UK retailers – Toys R Us and Maplin – are on the brink of collapse, putting 5,500 jobs at risk. The two firms have different owners but are both in serious financial trouble. Rutland Partners has put Maplin up for sale but talks are said to have broken down, while the US owner of Toys R Us has failed to find a buyer for the toy chain.

6. ‘Bucket list’ murderer jailed for 28 years

A British woman who killed a teenager in Australia after fantasising about committing murder has been jailed for 28 years. Jemma Lilley, 26, had listed ‘murder’ on her ‘bucket list’ of things she wanted to do during her life. Her victim, Aaron Pajich, was garotted from behind and then stabbed as he installed games on her computer.

7. Most UK cannabis ‘is super-strength skunk’

Most of the cannabis smoked in the UK is super-strength sinsemilla, or skunk, researchers say. A team from King’s College in London analysed samples of the drug confiscated by police and found that 94% in 2016 was skunk, as opposed to just over half in 2005. They warn skunk poses a greater threat to mental health than weaker strains.

8. BBC charity admits staff harassed women

BBC Media Action, the development wing of the World Service, has admitted firing six staff – all foreign nationals – over the past 10 years for sexual harassment or watching pornography on work computers. The charity has received £70m from the Government during that period but DfID says it has no record of sexual misconduct.

9. Streisand had much-loved dog cloned

Singer Barbra Streisand has revealed she had a beloved dog cloned twice, after its death, to create two new puppies. She told Variety that cells were taken from 14-year-old Samantha’s mouth and stomach to create Miss Scarlett and Miss Violet. Cloning a dog can cost anywhere between $50,000 (£36,000) and $100,000 (£72,000).

10. Briefing: how to help homeless people

Emergency shelters have been opened for the homeless as freezing conditions and heavy snowfall hit the UK.

The special measures, which come into effect when temperatures plummet below zero, allow councils across Britain to offer extra accommodation for people living on the streets.

How to help homeless people this winter