Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 16 Jul 2015

1. Greek debt: Tsipras wins vote, eurozone grants €7bn loan

Greek PM Alexis Tsipras is to push ahead with painful new austerity measures after winning backing from Greece’s MPs in a vote late last night, which went 229 to 64 in his favour, despite opposition from within the government. After the vote eurozone ministers agreed to give Greece a €7bn bridging loan to keep its finances afloat until the bailout.

Greece finally reaches deal to release €12bn bailout funds

2. Hunt: doctors must accept 7-day working

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he is willing to impose seven-day working on doctors. Negotiations on the issue between the government and the BMA broke down in autumn last year but Hunt has set a new deadline of September for a deal, saying he will not let the BMA be a “road block to reforms that will save lives”.

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Hunt declares seven-day NHS ultimatum in 'war with doctors'

3. Nasa probe reveals ice mountains on Pluto

Nasa’s New Horizons probe, the fastest spacecraft yet built, has sent back the first detailed images of the dwarf planet’s surface, revealing previously unknown ice mountains as high as the Canadian Rockies. Scientists have not found any impact craters on the dwarf planet, suggesting it has a “very young surface” shaped by geological forces.

Pluto: stunning new image unveiled by New Horizons

4. Watchdog approves 10% pay rise for MPs

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has confirmed that MPs' salaries will rise from £67,060 to £74,000. The 10% payrise was opposed by the Prime Minister and many MPs, but the watchdog said it was justified because of cuts to expenses, pensions and severance payments for MPs. The increase will not cost the taxpayer any money.

MPs get 10% pay rise after public sector pay capped at 1%

5. George Bush Sr breaks bone in neck in fall

George HW Bush, US president from 1989 to 1993, has broken a bone in his neck after falling at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. He is said to be in a stable condition but will have to wear a neck brace. Bush celebrated his 90th birthday last year with a skydive. He now suffers from Parkinson’s and cannot use his legs.

6. Whittingdale asks 'hard questions' over future of the BBC

Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has said "hard questions" must be asked about the future and purpose of the BBC. He has raised questions about the type of programming it should carry and has called into question the future of the "regressive" licence fee. The BBC Trust has warned that intervention would be a “big mistake”.

Slimming down: Why BBC is dropping 11,000 recipes

7. Singer Nick Cave’s son dies in cliff fall

One of Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave’s twin sons has died after falling from a cliff in Brighton, landing on an underpass. Arthur Cave, who was 15, was found with life-threatening injuries at around 6pm on Tuesday evening. It is not known why he fell but the BBC says he was at the clifftop with friends “having a good time”.

8. 'Extinct' pine marten spotted in England after 100 years

The first wild pine marten to be seen in England for over a century has been spotted in Shropshire. An photo of the animal, taken earlier this month, was given to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust and verified by an expert. Pine martens are related to stoats and weasels and were thought to be extinct in England, although they do live in Scotland and Wales.

9. Fifa official extradited to US on corruption charges

One of the seven Fifa officials held by police in raids in Zurich in May has been extradited to the US to face corruption charges. Swiss officials did not name the man, but it is believed to be Fifa vice-president and president of the Concacaf region, Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands. He is accused of accepting bribes worth millions of dollars.

Michel Platini will resign at Uefa's next congress

10. Briefing: Why the Ku Klux Klan is growing in numbers

As America struggles to come to terms with last month's murder of nine African American worshippers in a church in South Carolina, the number of new recruits joining the Ku Klux Klan is growing. The KKK was first established after the American Civil War by a small group of Confederate veterans who opposed the abolition of slavery and African Americans being granted basic civil rights. But now it is attempting to enter the mainstream – and to expand its membership base.

Ku Klux Klan boasts rising numbers as racial tensions soar

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