Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 20 Jun 2015

1. EARTH ENTERS ‘NEW EXTINCTION EVENT’

The planet Earth has entered a new period of extinction and humans could be among the first casualties, a study by three US universities has concluded. The research, led by the universities of Stanford, Princeton and Berkeley, said vertebrates were disappearing at a rate 114 times faster than normal. Its author said: "We are now entering the sixth great mass extinction event."

2. OBAMA: RACISM IS STILL A ‘BLIGHT’

Racism is still "a blight" on American society, says Barack Obama. In the wake of the killing of nine African-Americans in a South Carolina church, the president said: "When [racism] is poisoning the minds of young people, it betrays our ideals and tears our democracy apart." Police are treating the killings at the church in Charleston as a hate crime.

3. SKELETON STAFF IS NEW NHS NORM

Skeleton staffing is the new norm for the NHS, says The Independent this morning. Leading doctors are warning that hospitals are pushing young medics to the brink of “burnout” by forcing them to work extra hours to plug long-term gaps in ward rotas, after new research showed that the effects of NHS staff shortages are worsening.

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4. PUTIN OFFERS ATHENS EMERGENCY FUNDS

Vladimir Putin is offering Athens funds as Greece teeters on the brink of bankruptcy. Moscow is ready to provide emergency aid to Greece, Alexis Tsipras was told yesterday. The Greek prime minister flew to Russia even as his country reached the brink of bankruptcy. European Union officials prepared for “all eventualities”, including a default and break-up of the euro.

5. PM SPEECH ‘DEMORALISES MUSLIMS’

David Cameron could demoralise British Muslims with his “misguided” claim that some of the Muslim community are quietly condoning Islamist extremism, says former cabinet colleague and Conservative party co-chair Lady Warsi. She said the prime minister’s controversial speech “would at best fall on deaf ears, at worst further alienate”.

6. ALTON TOWERS PAYOUTS BEGIN

The Alton Towers ‘Smiler’ ride may never reopen, say lawyers acting for some of the injured, as the first insurance payments are made to the victims of the headline-grabbing crash. Law firm Stewarts Law has announced payouts, which it said will help with the rehabilitation of its clients - Joe Pugh, Victoria Balch and Leah Washington and five others affected by the crash earlier this month.

7. EVANS: CLARKSON ‘HEARING VOICES’

Chris Evans has poured scorn on Jeremy Clarkson's claims he could have made a Top Gear comeback and insisted it could have been “voices inside his head” offering the disgraced broadcaster the job. Evans’ remark follows reports suggesting that the BBC made a U-turn last week and offered Clarkson the chance to return to the BBC2 show, only for him to turn them down.

8. NOBEL WINNERS DEFEND TIM HUNT

Eight Nobel-winning scientists have leapt to the defence of Sir Tim Hunt, the scientist forced to resign after his comments on the “trouble with girls” in laboratories. The distinguished prize-winners said the incident has dented leading academics’ freedom to speak their minds. Sir Tim resigned his honorary professorship at University College London after an outcry.

9. HULL VICAR IN PAEDOPHILIA ROW

A vicar has compared homosexuality to paedophilia and adultery during a radio interview, reports The Guardian. Rev Melvin Tinker, vicar of St John in Newland in Hull, attacked York Minster’s plans to support an LGBT Pride march, asking: “Would he say serial adulterers should be welcome in the church? Should he say that people who are engaged in paedophilia should be involved in the church?”

10. SOCKS AND SANDALS SHAME SUMMER

Wearing socks with sandals is the worst fashion faux pas, a survey has found. Competing with the outfit of shame for top place were streaky fake tan and wearing a strapless top with bra straps. However, the survey of 1,000 British adults found that 60% of us believe the biggest summer fashion no-no is socks with sandals.