Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 11 Jun 2018

1. Kim and Trump arrive in Singapore for summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Singapore yesterday, followed a few hours later by US President Donald Trump. The two men are scheduled to hold a summit in the island city-state tomorrow, the first time a sitting US president will have met a North Korean leader. Cameras caught Kim being driven through Singapore, with bodyguards jogging alongside.

2. Sir Martin Sorrell ‘accused of paying prostitute’

The resignation of Sir Martin Sorrell, the man behind the world’s biggest advertising firm, in April was promted by an allegation that he used a company credit card to pay a prostitute around £300 in London,according to The Times. A friend of the former chief executive told the newspaper that Sorrell denies the claim and that it was made by a disgruntled former employee of WPP.

3. MPs call for inquiry into Arron Banks’ Russia links

MPs from several parties have called for police and select committees to investigate links between millionaire Arron Banks, the UKIP donor who bankrolled the Brexit campaign, and the Russian government. Banks allegedly met with Russian officials multiple times in the run-up to the EU referendum. He admits meeting the Russian ambassador but denies being involved in espionage.

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4. Trump insults G7 allies following summit

US President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter once again to insult some of his closest allies, after provoking anger by refusing to endorse the conclusions reached at the G7 summit. Responding to complaints from Germany, France, Canada and others, Trump protested that the US is badly served by free trade deals.

5. Italy refuses to allow migrant ship to dock

A ship carrying 629 migrants is stranded in the Mediterranean after Italy’s new right-wing interior minister, Matteo Salvini, closed the country’s ports to the vessel. The ship, managed by European charity SOS Mediterranee, picked up the migrants from smaller boats. Salvini says they should be taken to Malta, but the Maltese government insists that the migrants are Italy’s problem.

6. Forecasters predict long, hot summer for UK

After the hottest May on record, Britain is set for a long, hot summer, the Met Office says. The recent good weather is expected to continue for the next three months – after an initial “blip” of rainier conditions over the next week to ten days. Last month was the sunniest May since records began in 1929, with 245.4 hours of sunshine.

7. Harry and Meghan to visit Australia and Fiji

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga this autumn, in their first official overseas tour after getting married. The Invictus Games for ex-servicemen, of which Harry is a patron, will be held in Sydney in October, and the couple have been invited to attend and to visit Australia and New Zealand by the two nation’s governments.

8. Sainsbury’s to sell ‘bleeding’ fake meat burgers

Sainsbury’s is to sell vegan burgers that ooze “blood” when cut open, placing them in the chiller section alongside real meat burgers as part of a trial targeting so-called “flexitarian” eaters. The UK is thought to have around 22 million flexitarians – people who enjoy meat but are also keen to eat less of it. The trial will take place in 400 of Sainsbury’s stores.

9. ‘Selfie generation’ warned over fake degrees

Students have been warned to be careful when they pose for selfies, or other photographs, holding their new degree certificates this graduation season. A qualification-checking service says forgers are finding it easier to fake certificates because many graduands post high-quality digital pictures of themselves with their degrees online.

10. Briefing: the pros and cons of electric cars

The electric car revolution is racing ahead, with some of the world’s biggest manufacturers set to enter the EV market with exciting new vehicles.

What are the pros and cons of electric car ownership?