1. Trump to hold second summit with Kim
US President Donald Trump last night used his State of the Union address to Congress to announce he will hold a second nuclear summit with Korean despot Kim Jong Un later this year. The Guardian says Trump’s speech was “divisive”, with a reference to “ridiculous partisan investigations” underlining his anger over the Russia inquiry.
2. May continues talks in Northern Ireland
Theresa May is battling to break the Brexit deadlock by meeting with Northern Ireland’s five main political parties in Stormont for talks today. During a speech in Belfast yesterday, the prime minister promised business leaders that she was aiming to change the border backstop plan but would not scrap it. Irish PM Leo Varadkar is meeting EU leaders in Brussels.
3. Pope offered $1m to go vegan for Lent
Campaigners have challenged the Pope to show his commitment to environmental concerns by going vegan for Lent, in return for a $1m (£770,000) donation to his chosen charity. The Million Dollar Vegan campaign is led by a 12-year-old girl, Genesis Butler, who became vegan at the age of six after learning how chicken nuggets are made.
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4. Francis admits priests used nuns as sex slaves
Pope Francis yesterday admitted that Catholic priests had used nuns as sex slaves in at least one convent, which is believed to have been in France and was dissolved by his predecessor Benedict. The Catholic leader said abuse of nuns in the Church was an ongoing problem that he was “working on”. Nuns affected by abuse are reported to have been afraid to speak out.
5. Jogger suffocates and kills mountain lion
A runner in northern Colorado choked a mountain lion to death after the animal attacked him. The man suffered “serious but non-life threatening” injuries when the big cat leapt on him from behind, say rangers at Horsetooth Mountain Park. The runner was bitten on the face and wrist, and suffered puncture wounds to his arms, legs and back, but was able to drive himself to hospital.
6. Oscars 2019 to go ahead without host
Oscars organisers have announced that no one will host this year’s ceremony, after comedian Kevin Hart quit the role following a row over homophobic tweets. Instead, a series of celebrity guests will give awards and announce winners. The last time the Oscars was host-less was in 1989.
7. Rolf Harris investigated over school visit
Convicted child sex abuser Rolf Harris is being investigated by police and probation officials after allegedly entering the grounds of a primary school near his home. The 88-year-old former TV star - released from prison on licence in 2017 - was reportedly seen waving at children in classrooms before being escorted off the grounds.
8. Ivanka Trump criticises lookalike artwork
Ivanka Trump has criticised an art installation at a Washington DC gallery that features a lookalike of her hoovering a carpet onto which art lovers are invited to throw crumbs. Artist Jennifer Rubell says Ivanka Vacuuming is intended to satirise the “almost comically wide range of feminine identities” presented by the US president’s daughter.
9. John Humphrys to leave Today
Veteran broadcaster John Humphrys has said he is “assuming” he will leave the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme some time this year, after 32 years at the helm. Now 75, the Welshman is planning to publish a memoir provisionally titled The Today Files. He told the Daily Mail he still enjoyed the job “enormously”, despite the 3am starts.
10. Briefing: what is ASMR?
If you’ve ever found that certain sounds give you a feeling of “chills” across your scalp, on the back of your neck or down your spine, you may well have been experiencing ASMR.
Although the label may be relatively new, the phenomenon is far from uncommon, judging by the thriving online community of ASMR content producers, the most popular of whom have attracted a following of millions.
What is ASMR and what are the most common triggers?
