10 things you need to know today: August 25, 2016

1. Death toll rises after Italy earthquake

Rescuers rushed Wednesday to reach people trapped in rubble following the 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck central Italy. The death toll from the quake reached at least 247, but it was expected to rise. More than 1,000 people have been displaced, and emergency-response officials ordered residents not to sleep in the mostly destroyed historic town of Amatrice on Wednesday night, as regular aftershocks posed an ongoing danger.

CNN BBC News

2. Trump calls Clinton 'a bigot'

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump escalated his criticism of Hillary Clinton in his bid to win more support from minorities, calling his Democratic rival "a bigot who sees people of color only as votes, not as human beings worthy of a better future." Clinton responded by saying that Trump has questioned President Obama's citizenship, "courted white supremacists," and been sued for housing discrimination in minority neighborhoods. "He is taking a hate movement mainstream," Clinton said.

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3. 13 killed in attack on American University of Afghanistan

Several gunmen, some reportedly wearing explosive vests, attacked the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul on Wednesday, killing 13 people, including seven students. Students pinned down by the militants were seen jumping from second-story windows to escape the gunfire and explosions. Afghan security forces surrounded the walled school compound and exchanged fire with the militants.

The New York Times

4. Iranian ships intercept U.S. destroyer

Four Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels "harassed" an American destroyer, the U.S.S. Nitze, near the Strait of Hormuz this week, a U.S. official said Wednesday. Two of the Iranian vessels ignored repeated warnings and came within 300 yards of the Nitze in a "high-speed intercept" that was "unsafe and unprofessional," and could have escalated, the official said on condition of anonymity. The incident was the latest in a series of tense situations in the region, including Iran's brief detention of 10 U.S. sailors in January.

Reuters CNN

5. Colombia reaches peace deal with rebels after decades of war

The Colombian government reached a historic peace deal with rebel leaders in Havana on Wednesday. "We do not want there to be one more victim in Colombia," the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as FARC, said in a joint statement. Under the deal, FARC will lay down its arms, and its leaders will probably avoid prison. The agreement, if it holds, will mark the end of the longest running conflict in the Western Hemisphere after five decades of fighting that left 220,000 Colombians dead.

USA Today The Washington Post

6. 4 die in Myanmar earthquake

At least four people died Wednesday when a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar, also known as Burma. The quake damaged at least 171 brick pagodas out of about 2,200 pagodas, and 10th- to 14th-century Buddhist temples and pagodas in the historic city of Bagan, one of the country's top tourist destinations. The quake was centered fairly deep — about 52 miles — underground, which helped limit its surface damage.

Los Angeles Times

7. Obama creates national monument in Maine

President Obama created a new national monument in Maine's North Woods on Wednesday in a move intended to honor the National Parks Service's centennial. "This designation will build on the robust tradition of growing the park system through private philanthropy, and will reinforce the need to continue protecting our great outdoors as we enter the second century of the National Park Service," the White House said in a statement. The formation of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument ends a controversial effort by Burt's Bees co-founder Roxanne Quimby to give the land to the government for a new national park.

The Washington Post

8. French authorities consider whether burkini bans are legal

France's highest administrative authority, the Council of State, is holding a hearing Thursday to consider whether local bans on the full-body burkini are legal. Rights groups have called bans imposed this summer in several towns discriminatory, and religious tensions have risen in recently days after police have been photographed forcing Muslim women in burkinis to partially disrobe on public beaches. Aheda Zanetti, the swimsuit's Lebanese-Australian inventor, said sales have skyrocketed since the bans took effect. A decision on whether to overturn the policies is expected within 48 hours.

Time The New York Times

9. Potentially habitable planet discovered near Earth's solar system

Researchers have discovered the closest potentially habitable planet to Earth, according to findings published Wednesday in the journal Nature. The planet orbits the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, about 25 trillion miles — or 4.25 light-years — away from Earth. It is too distant to be visible to the naked eye. Few details are known about the planet, other than that it is a little more massive than Earth and completes a trip around its star every 11 Earth days. Its temperatures would be mild enough for any water on the planet to be in liquid form.

Nature NPR

10. U.S. Soccer suspends Hope Solo for 6 months

U.S. Soccer suspended women's goalkeeper Hope Solo for six months on Wednesday following an outburst against the Swedish team during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Sweden defeated the U.S. 4-3 on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals, and Solo, 35, said because they focused on defense rather than offense, they were "a bunch of cowards." U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said Solo's comments were "unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players. Beyond the athletic arena and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions."

The Associated Press BBC News