Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 28 Feb 2019

1. Trump-Kim talks end early with no deal

Talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Hanoi have been cut short without any agreement reached. Asked yesterday if he was willing to denuclearise, Kim said: “If I’m not willing to do that, I wouldn’t be here right now.” Trump said this morning that Kim had wanted all sanctions lifted in return.

2. India tells Pakistan to release downed pilot

India has demanded the release of a fighter pilot shot down by Pakistan following Indian air strikes on the Pakistani half of Kashmir. Pakistan has released a video showing the captured pilot, bleeding and blindfolded. The aerial attacks are the first across the Line of Control dividing Indian and Pakistan territory in the disputed border region since the official war between the two nuclear powers in 1971.

3. Semi-identical twins found for second time

Doctors in Australia have identified a pair of twins as being semi-identical, rather than identical or fraternal, for only the second time in history. The four-year-old boy and girl in Brisbane are identical on their mother’s side but only share some of their paternal DNA because two of his sperm fertilized one egg simultaneously.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

4. Michael Cohen tells of Trumps ‘dirty deeds’

Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, yesterday accused the president of being a “conman” and a “racist”, during a seven-hour testimony to the US Congress. Cohen claimed Trump knew in advance that his eldest son, Donald Jnr, was meeting Russians who were promising dirt on then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 – and hinted that the FBI may have evidence proving it.

5. Booker prize finds new five-year donor

Welsh-born venture capitalist Sir Michael Moritz has agreed to fund the Booker literature prizes for the next five years, after sponsor the Man Group pulled out. The prizes will no longer be known as the Man Booker and the International Man Booker. However, Sir Michael’s name will not be attached to the award, which will be called simply the Booker Prize.

6. Largest sovereign fund invests billions in UK

The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global, has announced that it will continue investing in Britain, despite a £62bn fall in the value of its UK holdings this year. Chief executive Yngve Slyngstad said: “With our time horizon, which is 30 years-plus, current political discussions do not change our view.”

7. UK climber missing on Pakistan’s ‘Killer’ mountain

One of the country’s top climbers is feared to have died on a Himalayan peak in Pakistan that has been dubbed The Killer. Tom Ballard’s mother, Alison Hargreaves, was also a celebrated climber and died on K2 in 1995, when he was six years old. Ballard, now 30, and companion Daniele Nardi last made contact with their base camp team on Sunday.

8. ‘Momo challenge’ is a hoax, say charities

Stories about a so-called online Momo Challenge - supposedly a series of dares aimed at teenagers that culminates in an incitement to suicide - are bogus, charities say. The Samaritans and NSPCC found no evidence the challenge has ever caused harm, but are concerned that the panic surrounding the claims could be putting vulnerable people at risk by encouraging them to think of self-harm.

9. Prince William and Kate pull pints in Belfast

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pulled pints behind a bar in Belfast last night, at the end of the first part of a two-day trip to Northern Ireland. The pub event was an informal party to celebrate young people who have made a difference to the country. The royal couple also visited Windsor Park Stadium for a kick-around with youngsters.

10. Briefing: what is Britbox - and can it rival Netflix?

BBC and ITV are to team up to launch a streaming service called BritBox, featuring TV shows from their archives as well as new, exclusive content.

In a statement, the BBC said it was in the “concluding phase of talks” with its free-to-air rival to bring BritBox to the UK in the second half of 2019.

What is Britbox - and can it rival Netflix?