Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 10 May 2018

1. Trump and Kim to meet in Singapore

The historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un – the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader – will take place in Singapore, CNN reports. The claim was made after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo returned home from North Korea with three US citizens who had been held captive there.

2. Israel and Iran exchange fire in Syria

Israel and Iran appear to have moved closer to all-out war, says The Guardian, with Israel carrying out extensive strikes on Iranian forces in Syria. Israel says the Iranian Quds force fired around 20 missiles in the early hours of this morning on its positions in the occupied Golan Heights. There have been no confirmed Israeli casualties.

3. Malaysia leader clings on after historic election

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, has refused to concede defeat and is reportedly offering opposition MPs £4.4m to swap sides. Razak lost power to his former mentor Mahathir Mohamad, who joined the opposition coalition this year and won the election aged 92. It was the first loss for Najib’s UMNO party in 60 years.

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4. BT to cut 13,000 jobs as its profits rise 11%

Telecom firm BT is to cut 13,000 jobs over the next three years, in what it says is an effort to save £1.5bn by slimming management and back-office roles. At the same time, the firm says it will be hiring 6,000 frontline staff and moving its headquarters out of central London. The firm has just revealed its annual pre-tax profits are up 11%.

5. EastEnders star Barbara Windsor has Alzheimer’s

The husband of Carry On and EastEnders actor Dame Barbara Windsor has revealed she is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Scott Mitchell, 55, said the 80-year-old was now suffering from “a definite continual confusion”. He said he hoped by making her diagnosis known to make it easier for her to appear to still appear in public.

6. ‘Huge destruction’ as dam bursts in Kenya

At least 20 people have been killed and “huge destruction of both life and property” caused by a bursting dam in Nakuru, Kenya. More than 100 homes have been affected and many people are still unaccounted for. The disaster, around 120 miles north of Nairobi, comes after weeks of heavy rain. Witnesses said they heard an explosion.

7. Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora rise up Rich List

The Sunday Times is slowly revealing its annual Rich List – and the latest information is that Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora and Calvin Harris are among young musicians to have joined or risen up the list. However the richest musicians by far are still the old guard – Sir Paul McCartney and his partner are at the top, with Sheeran in 35th place.

8. Nasa says moon mission will not stop Mars trip

Nasa’s chief administrator has said that a directive from US President Donald Trump committing the agency to putting astronauts on the moon again will not interfere with the race to reach Mars, but will complement it. Jim Bridenstine is the first politician to serve as head of the space agency and was picked for the job by Trump.

9. Trump upsets Scots with hotel Irn Bru ban

Fans of Scotland’s other national beverage – Irn Bru – are upset after it emerged that US President Donald Trump’s golf resort in Turnberry, Ayrshire, has banned the lurid orange fizzy drink for fear it will stain carpets. Trump is going to meet the Queen at her Scottish residence Balmoral when he visits the UK in June, with protests expected.

10. Briefing: Stephen Hawking’s memorial service

Admirers of Stephen Hawking can enter a ballot for a chance to pay their respects in person at a memorial service in his honour at Westminster Abbey next month.

The physicist and author of pop science bestseller A Brief History of Time died at the age of 76 on 14 March and was cremated at a private funeral ceremony in Cambridge on 31 March.

How to enter the ballot for Stephen Hawking’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey