Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 4 Mar 2019

1. May accused of £1.6bn ‘Brexit bribery’

Theresa May has been accused of trying to bribe Labour MPs to back her Brexit deal by offering £1.6bn of extra funding for struggling communities. Announcing the cash boost last night, the prime minister said that “prosperity has been unfairly spread”. The Stronger Towns Fund will be shared by the English regions, with a particular focus on the North.

2. Snow warning as storm Freya batters UK

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow in northern England and the south of Scotland as Storm Freya continues to bring strong winds and heavy rain to much of the UK. Winds approached 80mph in some parts of the country yesterday, leaving hundreds of homes without power, while flooding caused widespread travel disruption, with train services cancelled and roads closed.

3. Javid to talk knife crime with police chiefs

Home Secretary Sajid Javid is to chair a meeting of police chiefs this week to discuss how to tackle knife violence across the UK. The move comes as police search for two male suspects linked to the stabbing of 17-year-old Jodie Chesney in an east London park on Friday evening. Meanwhile, two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of murder over the knife killing of Yousef Ghaleb Makki, also 17, in Greater Manchester on Saturday night.

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4. Jeremy Corbyn egged during mosque visit

A man has been arrested after an egg was smashed over Jeremy Corbyn’s head as the Labour leader visited a mosque in his north London constituency yesterday. Corbyn, who was not injured, was at the Finsbury Park Mosque and Muslim Welfare House to coincide with Visit My Mosque Day.

5. At least 23 killed by tornadoes in Alabama

At least 23 people including children as young as six have been killed after two tornadoes swept through the US state of Alabama on Sunday. A local sheriff described the trail of destruction in Lee County as “catastrophic”. The search for survivors had to be suspended overnight as conditions became too dangerous.

6. Climate change: UK carbon reduction slowing

The UK’s reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is slowing, warns campaign group Carbon Brief. Emissions dropped for a sixth year running in 2018, reaching levels last seen in the late 19th century. However, the rate of decline slowed to 1.5% last year, compared with 3.2% in 2017.

7. Undercover police victim makes rape claim

A woman who found out her partner was a policeman paid to spy on her in order to infiltrate a campaign group has told the BBC that she was a victim of a “conspiracy to rape”. A public inquiry into the use of undercover officers - several of whom had relationships with women to get information - is still ongoing.

8. Ted Baker founder quits amid hugging row

The founder of clothing brand Ted Baker has quit the firm after being accused of misconduct including “forced hugging”. Ray Kelvin has been on voluntary leave since December last year while the company investigates the claims, which he denies. Employees say he also made inappropriate comments.

9. Trevor Noah sorry for India-Pakistan joke

Comedian and Daily Show presenter Trevor Noah has apologised after joking about the possibility of another war between India and Pakistan. During a segment on the US satire show, Noah said that war between the nuclear rivals would be “the most entertaining” and “longest of all time”.

10. Briefing: what is the Momo challenge?

An online “game” that encourages young people to harm themselves and in some cases even take their own lives has been reported in the UK for the first time.

Momo, described as a WhatsApp “suicide challenge”, features an avatar of a woman with dark hair, pale skin and oversized eyes, who sends young people images and instructions on how to harm themselves and others.

Momo challenge: what is it and how did the hoax begin?