Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 11 Jun 2013

1. TURKEY: RIOT POLICE RE-TAKE TAKSIM SQUARE

Turkish authorities have regained control of Istanbul's Taksim Square after riot police moved in this morning firing tear gas and rubber bullets. Anti-government protesters who have occupied the square for the past fortnight responded with fireworks, fire bombs and stones. Many fled into neighbouring Gezi Park.

Riot police move into Istanbul's Taksim Square – in pictures

2. G8 PROTESTERS' LONDON HQ STORMED

Hundreds of riot police have launched a "massive crackdown" on anti-capitalism protesters in London amid fears of rioting in the West End. The officers raided a squat in Soho which was being used to organise protests scheduled to take place this afternoon in the run-up to next week's G8 summit.

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3. NSA LEAKER MISSING FROM HK HOTEL

Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old former CIA employee who admitted leaking dossiers showing that the US’s National Security Agency (NSA) receives data on calls from mobile phone firms, has disappeared from his Hong Kong hotel. Staff say he checked out yesterday. He is believed to still be somewhere in the territory.

Edward Snowden: will Russia offer whistleblower asylum?

4. NEW, TOUGHER, GCSE EXAMS REVEALED

The government has unveiled its revamp of GCSE exams for England, with continuous assessment abandoned in favour of a single exam at the end of two years and A* to G marks replaced with 1 to 8 grades. Content of courses is to be “more rigorous” - pupils taking English will read a whole Shakespeare play rather than extracts.

Tougher exams on the way - six questions answered

5. MANDELA IN HOSPITAL FOR FOURTH DAY

Former South African president Nelson Mandela remains in a "serious, but stable" condition in a Pretoria hospital where he is being treated for a recurrent lung infection. The 94-year-old, who has spent four days in hospital, has had visits from his family, including his ex-wife Winnie.

Why the world weeps for Nelson Mandela

6. N KOREA: TALKS WITH SEOUL COLLAPSE

High level talks between North and South Korea due to take place tomorrow have collapsed at the last minute due to a disagreement about who should lead the delegations. The Seoul meeting, if held, would have been the first talks held between senior Korean leaders in six years.

7. WW2 GERMAN BOMBER LIFTED FROM SEABED

The last surviving Dornier 17 light bomber has been salvaged from the seabed off the Kent coast where is has lain since being shot down on August 26, 1940. Divers lived on a barge for the past month as they prepared the rusting fuselage of the German plane to be hoist from the sea. It will now be restored for museum display.

German WWII Dornier bomber rises from the English Channel

8. HORSE TRAINER SIR HENRY CECIL DIES AT 70

Sir Henry Cecil, ten-time champion trainer, has died of cancer at the age of 70. Responsible for 25 British Classic winners, Cecil was also the leading handler at Royal Ascot with a record 75 successes. Towards the end of his career, he looked after Frankel, officially the best horse in the world and unbeaten in 14 starts before retirement.

Horse trainer Henry Cecil dies: five things you might not know

9. LIONS SCORE TEN TRIES IN 64-0 ROUT

The British and Irish Lions scored ten tries as they blew away their semi-professional opponents in the latest match of their Australian tour. The Lions, with Stuart Hogg at fly-half, beat a Combined Country XV 64-0. Nine different players touched down with George North scoring twice against a team that featured a carpenter, apprentice plumber, removal man and medical student.

As Lions win 64–0, do these walkovers serve any purpose?

10. HOT TICKET: SURVIVAL GAME ‘LAST OF US’

Survival action video game ‘The Last of Us’ is released in Britain this week. Players take on the role of black marketer Joel as he guides teenaged Ellie to safety through a post-apocalyptic America, where humans are infected by a mind-controlling fungus. “A triumph,” says the Daily Telegraph.

Survival game The Last of Us: post-apocalyptic triumph