Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 20 Apr 2015

1. EU MINISTERS MEET OVER MIGRANT DEATHS

EU foreign ministers have been meeting in Luxembourg today to discuss the rising toll of migrants drowning as they try to cross the Mediterranean from north Africa to Europe. French president Francois Hollande has called for a “battle” against trafficking after the latest tragedy killed up to 700 people on Sunday.

Islamic State targets vulnerable refugee children for recruitment

2. SNP MANIFESTO CALLS FOR END TO AUSTERITY

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has launched her party's election manifesto, pledging to "demand an end to austerity" and to support a public spending increase of 0.5 per cent above inflation. Polls suggest the Scottish nationalists will hold the balance of power with 50 or more MPs in May.

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SNP manifesto 2015: Nicola Sturgeon's policies

3. ANZAC DAY PLOT: BRITISH TEEN HELD

A 14-year-old boy from Blackburn is being held in connection with an alleged Anzac Day terror plot in Australia. The teenager was arrested on 2 April by Greater Manchester police who uncovered evidence of a "credible terrorist threat" in Australia. There were several arrests in Melbourne over the weekend.

4. LAST DAY FOR VOTER REGISTRATION TODAY

Today is the last day to register to vote in next month’s general election. The registration process closes at midnight on Monday. The Electoral Commission said 1.7 million applications had been received in the last five weeks – most of them online. Turnout at the last election was 65.1% across the UK.

How to register to vote in the EU referendum before tonight's deadline

5. BOOTLE DOUBLE-MURDER SUSPECT HELD

Peter Fox, wanted by police in connection with the deaths of his mother and sister on Merseyside, has been arrested in London on suspicion of murder. The 26-year-old was arrested by British Transport Police at Euston station on Monday morning. The bodies of his mother and sister were discovered in Bootle last week.

6. SPANISH TEACHER KILLED WITH CROSSBOW

A schoolboy in Spain has killed a teacher with a crossbow. The attack took place at a school in Barcelona and four other people are believed to have been injured. The suspected, thought to be 13, arrived at school armed with a knife and bow. He attacked a teacher and her daughter, who was one of her students, before shooting another, male, teacher.

7. ED MILIBAND: SELFIES WITH HEN PARTY

Labour leader Ed Miliband made a bride-to-be’s day in Chester yesterday when he emerged from his tour bus to say hello to her hen party – and pose for many selfies. The group of women, from Knutsford, jokingly suggested the politician was “the stripper”. The bride was invited onto the bus to meet Miliband.

Election 2015: Nick Robinson, one man who’d welcome a second election

8. PILOT ARRESTED AT HEATHROW AIRPORT

A Cathay Pacific pilot was arrested at Heathrow airport on Saturday after allegedly being found in possession of knives an hour before he was due to take charge of a flight to Hong Kong. The 61-year-old was detained after a search of flight crew and has been bailed until next month. The flight was delayed by 15 hours as there was no relief crew available.

Cathay Pacific pilot arrested carrying knives at Heathrow

9. BOBBY BROWN: MY DAUGHTER ‘IS AWAKE’

R&B singer Bobby Brown surprised an audience in Texas yesterday by saying his daughter Bobbi Kristina “is awake” and watches him when he visits her in hospital. Bobbi Kristina was found unresponsive in her bath on 31 January. Her mother Whitney Houston suffered for years from drug and alcohol addiction.

10. BRIEFING: HOW IS FOREIGN AID SPENT?

This year the UK passed into law a bill committing it to spend 0.7 per cent of the country's gross national income on overseas aid. The commitment was established by the UN in 1970, but it was not until 2013 that the UK became the first in the G8 to meet the decades-old promise. So what are political parties saying about the 0.7 per cent target ahead of the election and where does the money actually go?

How is the UK’s foreign aid budget spent?