Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 23 Jun 2018

1. Trump contradicts himself over North Korea threat

Donald Trump says that North Korea still poses an "extraordinary threat" to the United States. A matter of days after saying that the country’s nuclear program no longer constituted a danger, he signed an executive order extending for another year the "national emergency" in reference to North Korea, re-authorizing economic restrictions against it. The order mentions "the existence and risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material".

2. Anti-Brexit campaigners to march through London

Brits opposed to Brexit will take to the streets later to argue it is "not a done deal". The campaigners, who want the public to have the final say on the UK's departure, said people must make their "voices heard" about the damage of leaving next year without agreement. The demonstration comes on the two-year anniversary of the 2016 vote to leave.

3. Prince's tour 'an indirect apology' say Palestinians

Prince William’s visit to the Middle East next week is an “indirect apology,” says a Palestinian diplomat. Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian diplomatic representative in London, told the Daily Telegraph the visit is "political" and "an acknowledgement of what the Balfour Declaration has done to the Palestinian people - it is considered to be an act of indirect apology".

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4. Netflix fires its PR chief for using the 'N-word'

Netflix has sacked its head of communications over his use of the "N-word". Chief Executive Reed Hastings has apologised to staff for not acting sooner, saying the the comment showed a "deep lack of understanding". Taking to Twitter, Jonathan Friedland wrote: "I feel awful about the distress this lapse caused to people at a company I love." Netflix is worth around $180bn (£135bn).

5. NHS launches its first internet addiction clinic

The NHS is to open the first ever internet addiction centre for young people and adults. It will initially focus on gaming disorders, though it will extend its services to cover other internet-based addictions. The World Health Organization will classify gaming disorder as a mental health condition this week. There are some private hospitals in the UK where gaming disorder is being treated.

6. Manchester officers left 13-year-old boy in padeophile's home

Senior officers at Greater Manchester Police allowed a 13-year-old boy to spend nearly two hours in the home of a known paedophile to protect a covert operation, reports The Times. Dominic Scally, the officer in overall charge of the operation, has since been promoted to head of counterterrorism policing for the northwest. Another officer involved has described being "haunted" by the failure to intervene.

7. BMW echoes Airbus warnings over Brexit uncertainty

BMW has followed plane-maker Airbus in saying clarity on the course of Brexit is urgently needed. BMW, which makes the Mini and Rolls Royce and employs about 8,000 people in the UK, said: "If we don't get clarity in the next couple of months we have to start making those contingency plans... which means making the UK less competitive than it is in a very competitive world right now."

8. Syria risks US-Russia deal by barrel bombing rebel zone

The Syrian army has dropped barrel bombs on rebels, jeopardising the US-Russia deal. President Bashar al-Assad has begun ramping up an assault on opposition areas of the country’s south-west, threatening a "de-escalation" zone agreed upon by the US and Russia last year. Washington has reiterated its demand that the zone be respected, warning Assad and Moscow of "serious repercussions" of any violations.

9. Starving seabirds of Lord Howe Island are full of plastic

Starving seabirds on the remote Lord Howe Island were so full of plastic there was no room for food, say BBC reporters. Marine biologists who are working on the island to save the birds captured hundreds of chicks to flush plastic from their stomachs and "give them a chance to survive". One said: "They have no ability to detect plastic from non-plastic, so they eat it."

10. Johnny Depp speaks of suicide and wine extravagance

Johnny Depp says allegations of domestic violence and the collapse of his marriage led him to consider suicide. "I was as low as I believe I could have gotten," he said. "I couldn’t take the pain every day." After reports of his "ultra-extravagant lifestyle," he corrected one point. "It’s insulting to say that I spent $30,000 on wine," he said. "Because it was far more."

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