1. Olivia Colman wins best actress Oscar
British star Olivia Colman won the best actress Oscar last night for The Favourite – and charmed the audience at the Hollywood awards ceremony with a tearful but witty speech. Best picture went to Green Book, with Mahershala Ali bagging best supporting actor for his performance in the film. Rami Malek won best actor for his portrayal of Queen singer Freddy Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
2. May urged to consider delaying Brexit
Theresa May is under pressure from her own ministers to say she will postpone Brexit until 23 May if MPs reject her withdrawal plans for a second time. The postponement plan is seen as an alternative to the cross-party amendment that calls for the Commons to be given the power to put off leaving the EU rather than exit with no deal on 29 March.
3. Birmingham pub bombing inquests reopen
Inquests into the deaths of 21 people in the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings reopen today, following a long campaign by relatives. Six men were imprisoned and served almost 17 years for the crime in a notorious miscarriage of justice documented in 1993 film In the Name of the Father. The inquests will not seek to identify perpetrators.
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4. Trump announces China tariffs delay
Donald Trump has said he will delay the latest round of new tariffs on imports from China, following talks in which the US president says “substantial progress” was made. A rise in duties from 10% to 25% was due from 1 March, affecting $200bn (£153bn) of Chinese goods. Trump started his trade war with China last year.
5. Stonewall founder condemns ‘trans extremism’
One of the original founders of Stonewall has criticised the human rights campaign group’s “extreme” stance on transgender people. The group wants people to be allowed to self-identify their gender without earning a Gender Recognition Certificate. Simon Fanshawe, 62, said it was wrong to assert that the issue was not even debatable.
6. GCHQ: UK must beware China tech firms
The head of intelligence agency GCHQ has warned of threats posed by Chinese technology used in communications systems in Britain. In a speech in Singapore, Jeremy Fleming said his agency must “pioneer a new form of security for the cyber age”. He also called for cyberattacks to be made against Isis and other terrorist groups.
7. Meghan impresses with French skills
The Duchess of of Sussex impressed onlookers in Morocco yesterday by speaking fluent French to schoolchildren as she and her husband began a two-day tour of the north African country. Prince Harry apologised for his “schoolboy” French, but his wife was able to chat comfortably. The Duchess also speaks Spanish.
8. Junk food ads banned from London transport
Advertisements for junk food will no longer appear on the London transport network from today. Workers are removing existing posters for foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar from bus shelters, although some ads will remain visible for longer because advertisers have booked time slots that will still be honoured. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he wanted to tackle the “ticking time bomb” of child obesity in the capital.
9. New research may explain left-handedness
A new study has suggested a reason for left-handedness: it seems that southpaws make better fighters. Evolutionary biologist Thomas Richardson, of the University of Manchester, analysed the careers of almost 10,000 boxers and martial artists and found that 54% of the time left-handed fighters rated higher than right-handed ones.
10. Briefing: how can you lose your British citizenship?
The case of Shamima Begum, the jihadi bride who wants to return to the UK, has become shrouded in controversy after the Home Secretary Sajid Javid stripped her of her British citizenship.
Javid used his powers under the British Nationality Act 1981 as he claims she is eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship. But Begum denies this claim and says she is only a citizen of the UK.
Should terrorists lose their British citizenship?
