10 things you need to know today: October 26, 2014

1. 25 European banks fail stress test

Twenty-five of Europe's largest banks flunked a financial stress test because they did not have big enough cash buffers to weather a hypothetical economic crisis, the European Central Bank said Sunday. The stress test examined 25 eurozone banks' finances through the end of 2013. Among those that failed, 13 have still not raised enough capital to insulate themselves from a future crisis. In order to do so, the ECB said, they'll need to raise another 10 billion euros, or $12.5 billion.

The New York Times The Associated Press

2. Ukrainians vote Sunday for new parliament

Ukrainian voters headed to the polls Sunday for the first parliamentary elections since protests ousted former president Viktor Yanukovich. Voters are expected to back candidates who align with President Petro Poroshenko and favor closer ties to the West. That would give Poroshenko broader authority to pursue his agenda, but it would likely further strain Ukraine's rocky relationship with Russia.

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Reuters

3. U.K. ends combat mission in Afghanistan

Britain on Sunday officially ended its combat operation in Afghanistan when it turned over to Afghan forces its last military base in the country. The handover of Camp Letherneck and Camp Bastion, a sprawling base jointly run by the U.K. and the U.S., also marks the end of America's involvement in Afghanistan's war-torn Helmand province. Foreign troops are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

The Wall Street Journal CNN

4. Quarantined nurse criticizes Ebola policy

A nurse who was quarantined in New Jersey after treating Ebola patients in West Africa said the mandatory isolation policy treats health professionals like "criminals and prisoners." "This is not a situation I would wish on anyone, and I am scared for those who will follow me," the nurse, Kaci Hickox, who tested negative for Ebola, wrote in The Dallas Morning News. New York and New Jersey implemented the strict quarantine policy Friday after a doctor in New York City, who had been treating patients in Guinea, tested positive for Ebola.

The Dallas Morning News CNN

5. Federal government recognizes gay marriage in six more states

The federal government has added six more states to its list of those where same-sex couples can receive federal benefits, Attorney General Eric Holder said Saturday. The states are Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming, all of which had recently seen their gay marriage bans fall in the courts. Same-sex couples in 32 states may now receive federal benefits.

CBS

6. Giants beat Royals, knot World Series

The San Francisco Giants trounced the Kansas City Royals 11-4 Saturday night to even the World Series at two games apiece. Giants ace Madison Bumgarner gets the ball Sunday night to try and put his team one game away from a third title in five years.

ESPN

7. Army recruited football players with booze, women

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point's football team treated prospective players to a booze-filled dinner and a party bus loaded with cheerleaders, according to documents obtained by The Colorado Springs Gazette. West Point confirmed the report, saying in a statement it "adjudicated this at the highest level of the disciplinary code." The academy punished 20 cadets, two officers, and two coaches, though none were dismissed from the institution for violating NCAA recruiting rules.

Colorado Springs Gazette

8. WHO raises Ebola death toll to nearly 5,000

The World Health Organization on Saturday said the global death toll from Ebola had risen to 4,922 out of a total of 10,141 confirmed cases of infection. All but 10 of the deaths were confined to three countries: Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.

NBC

9. Cream bassist Jack Bruce dead at 71

Jack Bruce, bassist for the legendary supergroup Cream, died Saturday of liver disease. He was 71 years old. "The world of music will be a poorer place without him but he lives on in his music and forever in our hearts," his family said in a statement.

The Guardian

10. Google exec breaks skydive record with 'near-space' leap

Google executive Alan Eustace on Friday set a new record by skydiving from "near-space" at a height of 135,000 feet, or more than 25 miles above Earth. The leap bested the previous record of 127,852 feet, set by Felix Baumgartner in 2012. "It was beautiful," Eustace told The New York Times. "You could see the darkness of space and you could see the layers of atmosphere, which I had never seen before."

The New York Times