Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 16 Oct 2014

1. OBAMA REASSURES AMERICANS OVER EBOLA

Barack Obama has said the risk of an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the US is “extremely low” after a second nurse, Amber Vinson, was revealed to have the disease after treating a sufferer in Dallas. However Obama has set up rapid response units to deal with any further cases. The WHO expects the number of cases to pass 9,000 this week.

Ebola: US suit stockpile causes shortage in Africa

2. HONG KONG BOSS: WE’RE READY FOR TALKS

CY Leung, the chief executive of Hong Kong, says the authorities there are ready for a new round of talks with pro-democracy campaigners who have been holding demonstrations on the streets for weeks. The protesters want Leung’s successor to be elected via a free and democratic process.

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Hong Kong: police adopt tough tactics as protests escalate

3. 'TREASON CHARGE' FOR BRITISH I.S FIGHTERS

A Kurdish official has told the BBC that Islamic Srate fighters besieging the Syrian town of Kobane are retreating after intensive air strikes by the US. Meanwhile Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has hinted that British jihadists who have "sworn personal allegiance " to IS could be tried for treason if they return here.

4. CRIME FIGURES FALL, BUT RAPES UP BY 29%

Crime has fallen to its lowest level since 1981 after the number of reported incidents fell by 16 per cent to 7.1m in the year to June according to the Office for National Statistics. However, separate police figures, which recorded 3.7m offences, showed a 21% rise in sexual offences, including a 29% increase in rape.

5. CAMERON CALLS FOR IMMIGRATION CONTROL

David Cameron has said he will have "one last go" at thrashing out a new EU deal to give the UK "more effective control of migration". He was speaking on a visit to Kent ahead of a forthcoming by-election triggered by the defection of Tory MP Mark Reckless to Ukip. One of the potential Tory candidates in the election has criticised the government's immigration policy.

6. SHARE PRICES KEEP ON FALLING

Share prices around the world continued to fall today, reflecting fears over global economic growth and the Ebola crisis. Wednesday saw the biggest dip in share prices for 18 months and after a brief recovery on Thursday morning in Europe they continued to slide, with the FTSE 100 index down around 10% on its record high of last month.

7. PISTORIUS SISTER FLEES COURT AFTER 'INSULT'

There was drama at the sentencing hearing of Oscar Pistorius as the Paralympian's sister fled the court in tears after allegedly being insulted by a friend of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot dead by Pistorius last year. Earlier Steenkamp's cousin Kim Martin told the court that Pistorius "needs to pay for what he has done".

Oscar Pistorius out of legal options as request to appeal rejected

8. FREUD TOLD TO QUIT OVER DISABILITY REMARK

There are growing calls for welfare reform minister Lord Freud to resign after it emerged he told a meeting at the Tory Party conference that some disabled people were "not worth" the minimum wage. The peer issued a "full and unreserved apology", and PM David Cameron said Freud's remarks did not reflect "the views of the government".

Lord Freud faces calls to resign over disabled wage comments

9. EXTINCT KANGAROOS ‘TOO HEAVY TO HOP’

New research by US scientists suggests that the largest branches of an extinct family of giant kangaroos, the sthenurine, were too large to hop and instead walked on their hind feet, bipedally. Analysis of skeletal remains suggests that smaller members of the family may have been able to do both.

10. HOT TICKET: LATE GREAT REMBRANDT

Rembrandt: The Late Works, a new exhibition of art by the 17th century Dutch master has opened at the National Gallery, London. It features large-scale Rembrandt masterpieces, self-portraits, rare prints and drawings from 1650-1669. "A guaranteed blockbuster," says The Times. Until 18 January.

Rembrandt: The Late Works – reviews of 'must-see' show