Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 1 May 2015

1. MILIBAND: I WON’T BE PM WITH SNP HELP

Ed Miliband last night said there would be no Labour government if it meant a coalition with the SNP, insisting he "couldn’t be clearer" on the issue. David Cameron said Miliband's pledge "changed nothing" and insisted the dangers of a Labour/SNP alliance remained "the same". Nigel Farage, meanwhile, said Ukip could back another Tory/Lib Dem coalition.

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2. NEPAL EARTHQUAKE: MORE THAN 6,000 DEAD

The death toll from last weekend’s Nepal earthquake is now known to be more than 6,200, with 13,982 injured. The Red Cross says the fate of thousands more in remote villages is still unknown but areas close to the epicentre have suffered “almost total devastation”. Nepal’s government fears 10,000 have died.

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3. HOUTHI REBELS ‘ATTACK SAUDI BORDER’

Saudi Arabian state media has reported that Houthi rebels in Yemen yesterday launched a major attack over the Saudi border. Saudi troops are said to have used ground fire and air strikes to repel them, killing “dozens”. A Saudi-led Arab-African coalition has been carrying out strikes on the rebels since March.

4. BALTIMORE: GRAY DEATH WAS 'HOMICIDE'

The death of Freddie Gray, which sparked riots in Baltimore, was homicide according to state prosecutor Marilyn Mosby. Police officer Caesar Goodson was charged with second-degree murder, while charges including manslaughter, assault, and misconduct in public office were brought against five other officers.

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5. SOUL LEGEND BEN E KING DIES AT 76

Soul legend Ben E King has died at the age of 76. Best known for the classic song Stand By Me, King began his career in the 1950s with The Drifters, and sang on hits including There Goes My Baby. He first released Stand By Me in 1961 and saw it return to the top of the charts in the 1980s. His other hits included Spanish Harlem.

6. TESLA LAUNCHES BATTERIES FOR HOMES

Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, has launched low-cost batteries for use in homes and businesses. Company founder Elon Musk said the wall-mounted batteries would store wind and solar energy and could be used when sunlight is low, during grid outages, or at peak demand times, when electricity costs are highest.

7. MERCURY MESSENGER CRASHES TO ITS END

A probe sent by Nasa to Mercury ten years ago has ended its mission, as expected, by crashing into the planet’s surface at 12 times the speed of sound. As Mercury has no atmosphere to slow Messenger’s descent, the impact will have created a crater the size of a tennis court - and obliterated the probe.

8. CLIMATE CHANGE A THREAT TO 1 IN 6 SPECIES

A report by US scientists says one in six species on the planet could become extinct if nothing is done to stop climate change and global temperatures rise by 4C, as currently predicted. Worst-affected will be South America, with amphibians particularly at risk. The report is a meta-analysis of 131 studies.

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9. MAN SORRY HE HUNG UP ON POPE – TWICE

An Italian man has apologised after he twice hung up the phone on Pope Francis, refusing to believe it was really the pontiff speaking. The Catholic leader often cold-calls suffering strangers he has heard about - and Franco Rabuffi was ill in hospital when he rang. On the third attempt, Francis convinced him.

10. BRIEFING: RUSSIA TESTS BALTIC NERVES

Finland's defence ministry announced this week that it had fired warning shots at an unidentified object in its waters, sparking speculation that Russia has once again been overstepping its boundaries. Earlier this year, the country joined Denmark, Sweden and Norway to form a loose alliance aimed at deterring Russian aggression.

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