Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 7 Mar 2018

1. Terror police take over Russian spy inquiry

Counterterrorism police have taken on the inquiry into the poisoning of a Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury on Sunday, and the Government’s Cobra emergency committee is to meet to discuss the case. Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are still in critical condition in hospital after being found unconscious on a bench in a shopping centre.

2. PM to discuss Yemen with Saudi Prince Salman

The heir apparent to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, begins a three-day visit to the UK today – and Theresa May has promised to raise the issue of Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is fighting a proxy war with Iran. Mobile billboards have been out on the streets of London protesting against the prince’s visit.

3. Arctic experiences warmest winter on record

This year’s Arctic winter was the warmest ever recorded, new weather data shows. US expert Mark Serreze said the temperatures had been “crazy”, adding: “I’ve never seen anything like this.” It is believed that the unprecedented melting of Arctic sea ice played a role in sending the recent storms and low temperatures south across the North Atlantic.

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4. Trump’s top economic adviser quits

Gary Cohn, a former president of Goldman Sachs, has resigned from his role as top economic adviser to US President Donald Trump; the latest in a long line of high-profile advisers to leave the Trump team. The BBC says there has been speculation that Cohn was angered by Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel imports.

5. Sir Mo Farah racially harassed at German airport

British four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah claims he was racially harassed by a security guard at Munich Airport. The 34-year-old - who was travelling from Germany to Ethiopia to train for next month’s London Marathon - posted a video showing the incident, during which Farah tells the officer it is “pure, pure harassment”.

6. Porn star Stormy Daniels sues US president

Pornographic actor Stormy Daniels is suing Donald Trump. Daniels claims the president tried to enforce a hush agreement he made her sign about an alleged affair – but had not signed the document himself, making it “legally null and void and of no consequence”. Trump has denied the affair, which Daniels says began in 2006.

7. Britons blame cancer on stress and coffee

Half of Britons believe stress can increase the risk of cancer, a survey of 2,070 adults by YouGov for a cancer charity has found. In fact, there is no direct link, though stressed people may overeat or smoke, which will increase their risk. Almost 40% of those survey did not know being overweight does increase the risk, while others wrongly believed that coffee is carcinogenic.

8. Fraudsters jailed for faking official websites

A team of fraudsters have been sentenced to a total of 35 years in jail after being found guilty of creating copycat websites to defraud people applying for new passports and other official documents. Peter Hall, 47, and his wife Claire, 41, who masterminded the fraud, used the almost £37m proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, the court was told.

9. US says Kim Jong Un killed half-brother

The US is to impose new sanctions on North Korea after concluding that the rogue state assassinated the half-brother of leader Kim Jong Un at a Malaysian airport last year, using VX nerve agent. Two immigrant women are on trial for murdering Kim Jong-nam but say they were tricked and were told they were taking part in a hidden-camera TV show.

10. Briefing: what happened to Alexander Litvinenko?

The apparent assassination attempt on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury last week shows that Britain has failed to learn the lessons of the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, according to Litvinenko’s widow.

Sergei Skripal: woman found unconscious identified as Russian spy’s daughter Marina Litvinenko told The Times that reading about the suspected poisoning in Wiltshire had given her a sense of “deja vu”.

What happened to Alexander Litvinenko?