Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 23 Jan 2015

1. NEW SAUDI KING PROMISES CONTINUITY

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has died at the age of 90 after a short illness. Abdullah became king in 2005 and had a reputation as a, somewhat limited, moderniser and friend of the West. He has been replaced by his half-brother, Crown Prince Salman. He has vowed to maintain the same policies as his predecessors and has already appointed new heirs and ministers.

Oil price posts two-year highs - but how long can it last?

2. EBOLA VACCINE SHIPPED TO LIBERIA

The first batch of an experimental vaccine against the Ebola virus has been shipped to Liberia, produced by British company GlaxoSmithKline and the US National Institutes of Health. However, with cases of the virus on the decline, experts say it may be difficult to establish conclusively if the vaccine works.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Ebola vaccine: first large-scale trial begins in West Africa

3. ENERGY COMPANIES ACCUSED OF TOKENISM

Despite four of the big six energy companies announcing price cuts, they have been accused of "tokenism". Gillian Guy of Citizens Advice said: "Token energy price cuts to standard tariffs do not reflect the big savings that energy firms can pass on to households." Ofgem says some households could save as much as £250 a year by moving to fixed-rate tariffs.

4. A&E WAITING TIMES IMPROVE SLIGHTLY

A&E waiting times in England have improved to their best levels since November but are still falling short of government targets. Last week 92.4% of patients were seen within four hours, although the target is 95%. The target has been missed every week since early October, but the latest figures are an improvement on those earlier this month when only 87% were seen on time.

5. GREECE: LEFT PARTY TO ‘END HUMILIATION’

Alexis Tsipras, the leader of left-wing Greek political party Syriza, has promised an end to “national humiliation” after polls three days ahead of a general election put him in the lead. He has promised to have half of Greece’s nation debt written off and pledged to put an end to unpopular austerity policies.

6. SEVEN LEADERS INVITED TO TV DEBATES

Broadcasters have revealed plans for pre-election TV debates with the leaders of seven different parties invited. The BBC and ITV hope to show debates featuring the leaders of the Conservative, Labour and Lib Dems parties as well as those of the Greens, UKIP, SNP and Plaid Cymru. Sky and Channel 4 want to host a head to head between David Cameron and Ed Miliband.

7. HONG KONG TYCOON KA-SHING TO BUY O2

Asia’s richest person, Li Ka-shing, is in talks to buy UK mobile phone network O2 from Spain’s Telefonica for as much as £10.25bn. Ka-shing’s firm Hutchison Whampoa already owns Three, so the sale could create the biggest network in the UK and face tough scrutiny from competition regulators, warns the BBC.

8. UK CAR PRODUCTION AT SEVEN-YEAR HIGH

Car plants in the UK produced more cars last year than they have since 2007, with 1.5 million vehicles manufacturers. Annual sales were up 1.2% year-on-year, with increased demand for premium brands like Jaguar Land Rover helping the spike. Exports were down for the second year running, however.

9. SHOCK DEFEAT FOR FEDERER IN AUS OPEN

Roger Federer is out of the Australian Open after losing to unseeded Italian Andreas Seppi in four sets. It is the first time Federer, the second seed, has not made the semi-finals since 2003, he is without a Grand Slam title since Wimbledon 2012. Earlier Andy Murray set up a last-16 clash with Grigor Dimitrov as he beat Joao Sousa of Portugal in straight sets.

10. BRIEFING: WINSTON CHURCHILL'S LEGACY

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Winston Churchill. While his war-time record secured his status as a giant of the British stage, he was also a maverick who divided opinion throughout his lengthy political career. Historians are still arguing about how we should remember him.

Winston Churchill: antifascist hero or racist warmonger – or both?