Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 16 Jun 2015

1. EU REFERENDUM: 5 MAY RULED OUT

The government has said it will not hold the referendum on EU membership on 5 May next year, after MPs voiced concerns. There are already parliamentary and assembly elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on that date - as well as the London mayoral election and local authority elections.

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

2. GREEK PM BLAMES IMF AS GREXIT LOOMS

The prime minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, has claimed that the IMF has a "criminal responsibility" for the country's debt crisis and has refused to agree to new economic reforms. Athens must repay €1.6bn to the IMF this month to unlock more bailout funds, and will inch closer to a eurozone exit - or Grexit - if it misses the payment.

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Greece finally reaches deal to release €12bn bailout funds

3. FAMILY OF 12 FROM BRADFORD ‘IN SYRIA’

Police will announce more details today of the disappearance of three sisters from Bradford and their nine children who are feared to have crossed the Turkish border to join Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The Dawood sisters and their children, aged three to 15, were due back on Thursday after a trip to Mecca.

Fathers 'distraught' over nine children feared to be in Syria

4. MICHELLE OBAMA IN UK FOR CHARITY WORK

US first lady Michelle Obama, in the UK on a two-day visit, was cheered and hugged by pupils at an all-girls school in Tower Hamlets as she promoted her charity initiative Let Girls Learn. Earlier Obama, her daughters Malia and Sasha and mother Marian Robinson had tea with Prince Harry. She was due to meet David Cameron at Downing Street later in the afternoon.

5. JEB BUSH KICKS OFF WHITE HOUSE BID

The latest Bush to aspire to the US presidency, former Florida governor Jeb - the brother of George W - kicked off his campaign yesterday in Miami, promising 19 million new jobs and a four per cent growth rate if he is elected. Jeb attempted to establish himself as the anti-Washington candidate, promising to stop the capital “causing problems”.

6. EU CRISIS TALKS ON MED MIGRANTS

EU interior ministers are meeting today for crisis talks on the Mediterranean migrant issue, focusing on a plan to distribute asylum seekers crossing the sea from Syria and north Africa more evenly between all 28 member states. More than 100,000 ‘boat people’ have arrived in Greece and Italy already this year.

Islamic State targets vulnerable refugee children for recruitment

7. ISLAND SUFFERS FIRST CRIME FOR 50 YEARS

The Scottish island of Canna in the Inner Hebrides has suffered its first recorded crime since the 1960s, after the village shop was raided. Thieves stole sweets, toiletries, batteries and six knitted bobble hats made by the manager, worth £200. The unstaffed shop, which works on an honesty basis, is often left open overnight for fisherman.

8. NESTLE TO DESTROY NOODLES WORTH $50M

Nestle has said it will destroy more than $50m-worth of its instant ‘Maggi’ brand noodles, hugely popular in India, after they were banned by the national food safety regulator there. The noodles were found to be “unsafe and hazardous” and Nestle was said to have failed to comply with food safety laws during production.

9. FIVE DIE IN US BALCONY COLLAPSE

Five people have died and eight have been injured after a fourth-floor balcony in Berkeley, California, collapsed. The five dead are said to be Irish students, in California to work over the summer. Some of the injured are said to have life-threatening injuries. They had been attending a 21st birthday party when the balcony gave way.

10. BRIEFING: WAR CRIMES SUSPECT GOES FREE

South Africa has let Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president and a wanted war crimes suspect, leave the country, despite increasing pressure to arrest the leader. Human rights groups have condemned the government's failure to hand him over to the International Criminal Court, and the country's own High Court has said the decision is unconstitutional.

South Africa threatens to leave ICC over Bashir scandal