Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 19 May 2015

1. PRINCE CHARLES MEETS GERRY ADAMS

Prince Charles has shaken hands with Gerry Adams at a meeting in Galway, the first time a leading figure in Sinn Fein and a member of the British royal family have met in the Republic of Ireland. The encounter came at the start of the Prince’s four-day tour of Ireland with his wife Camilla. In 2012, Martin McGuinness met the Queen in Belfast.

Prince Charles shakes Gerry Adams' hand in 'teatime miracle'

2. CAMERON TO PUBLISH REFERENDUM BILL

David Cameron is signalling his determination to hold an in-out EU referendum soon by publishing the bill paving the way for the vote the day after the Queen’s speech next week, says The Guardian. Thinktank Open Europe has boosted the PM with a positive analysis of his hopes to renegotiate the UK’s membership.

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Remain-voting City lobby group calls for 'dramatic Brexit U-turn'

3. VAROUFAKIS: WE’LL HAVE GREEK DEAL SOON

Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis says he expects to reach an agreement with the country’s eurozone creditors within the next week, releasing the next instalment of Greece’s €7.2bn bail-out fund. The country is perilously close to running out of cash and is due to make a €1.5bn repayment to the IMF on 5 June.

4. COOPER: MILIBAND HURT BUSINESS LINKS

Labour leadership front-runner Yvette Cooper has distanced herself Ed Miliband’s views on business, saying the former leader presided over “rhetoric” which has undermined the party’s “positive relationship with business”. The shadow Home Secretary added that she wanted to “reset” that relationship.

Jeremy Corbyn is a 'disaster', says Stephen Hawking

5. CHRISTIAN BAKERS FINED OVER 'GAY CAKE'

A Christian-run bakery in Northern Ireland has been found guilty of discrimination against a gay customer after refusing to make a cake with a pro-equal marriage slogan. Ashers Baking Company was taken to court by activist Gareth Lee and ordered to pay £500 compensation. The owners say they are considering an appeal.

6. HATTON GARDEN HEIST: SEVEN HELD

Seven men have been arrested over the Hatton Garden safety box heist. They were held in police raids at 12 addresses in north London and Kent. Four men, aged 67, 74, 58 and 48, were arrested in Enfield; one, aged 59, was arrested in east London; and two other men, aged 76 and 50, were arrested in Dartford.

How the real Hatton Garden robbery played out

7. 'SHAKESPEARE PORTRAIT' DISCOVERED

A 400-year-old botany manual could contain the only portrait of William Shakespeare made during his lifetime. Historian Mark Griffiths claims the Bard's image appears in the first edition of John Gerrard's book The Herball, published in 1598. He says an engraving on the title page features a 33-year-old Shakespeare.

Life portrait of Shakespeare revealed in ancient book

8. UK INFLATION RATE TURNS NEGATIVE

The UK inflation rate has turned negative for the first time since 1960, according to official figures. The consumer price index for April was 0.1% down on the same period last year, mainly because of falling air and ferry fares. The Chancellor and economists said the decline was temporary and did not constitute deflation.

Deflation: UK prices are now falling, but is that a bad thing?

9. JAGGER’S BACKSIDE: ‘FINEST VIEW IN UK’

Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has described Mick Jagger’s bottom as “one of the finest views in the country”. The 73-year-old - taking part in a Twitter Q&A, despite admitting he doesn’t have “a mobile phone, let alone a Twitter”- was asked if he was sick of the sight of “Jagger’s arse” after 52 years in the band.

10. BRIEFING: CAN ISLAMIC STATE BE STOPPED?

After Islamic State's advance across northern Iraq last summer, the group's progress appeared to have slowed, but over the weekend they flooded into Ramadi. Here's how the group now calling itself Islamic State grew out of the chaos and sectarian hatred unleashed at the end of the Iraq war – and analysts' views on how they can be stopped.

Isis: what does the future hold for the terror group?

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