Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 22 Jun 2013

1. US CHARGES SNOWDEN WITH SPYING

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has been charged with spying by the US Justice Department. The charge came as Snowden made new claims that the British spy agency GCHQ has secretly gained access to the fibre optic cables that carry most of the world's email messages and phone calls and shared the information with US intelligence agencies.

2. MADELEINE MCCANN: NEW LEADS

A review of the case of missing toddler Madeleine McCann by Met police has uncovered new potential suspects and may lead to the re-opening of the case. Senior CPS prosecutors have already travelled to Portugal to discuss the new leads with their counterparts.

3. BUILD ON 'BORING' FIELDS SAYS BOLES

Developers should be allowed to build on green spaces if they are "environmentally uninteresting" planning minister Nick Boles has said. He made the remarks in a letter to a Tory MP who had accused him of failing to protect the countryside.

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4. 80MPH MOTORWAYS PLAN SHELVED

Ministers have put the brakes on plans to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph because of fears it will "alienate" female voters. The decision will anger many motorists, but come as a relief to road safety campaigners and environmentalists.

5. MERKEL AND PUTIN CLASH IN RUSSIA

German chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Russia has got off to a disastrous start after she clashed with President Putin over the return of art looted by the Soviet Union at the end of WWII. Merkel later accused the Russian of talking too loudly at a Q&A forum, leading Putin to reduce his voice to a theatrical whisper.

6. FORREST 'GROOMED ME' SAYS GIRL

There are claims that Jeremy Forrest, the maths teacher jailed for abducting a 15-year-old girl he took to France, attempted to "groom" another of his pupils. Chloe Queen, who was 13 at the time, says Forrest sent her cards, invited her to watch his band and made her stay behind for extra lessons.

7. MANDELA MAY BE CLOSE TO DEATH

Nelson Mandela is "unresponsive" and has not opened his eyes in days, leading his family to discuss the withdrawal of medical treatment. The 94-year-old's liver and kidney functions are said to be down to 50%, contradicting recent reports that his health is improving.

8. BA PILOT SENT 'LEWD' COCKPIT TEXT

A senior British Airways pilot allegedly typed a lewd message on a cockpit computer, photographed it and texted the image to his girlfriend as he prepared for take-off. Graeme Hindley reportedly wrote "Show us ur tits" on the console. BA is investigating the matter.

9. BRAZIL REFORMS SEEK TO QUELL UNREST

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has unveiled a series of reforms in an attempt to end days of nationwide anti-government protests. In a televised address she said she would draft a new plan to benefit public transport and that all oil royalties would be used in education.

10. GANDOLFINI: 8 DRINKS AT LAST MEAL

James Gandolfini "struggled with booze addiction" in his final weeks and consumed eight alcoholic drinks with his final meal, the New York Post says. The actor's family have said an autopsy showed he died of "natural causes" - a heart attack - while on holiday in Rome.