Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 31 Jul 2015

1. MH370: debris ‘very likely’ from missing jet

An Australian investigator says it is “very likely” that debris washed up on French territory Reunion is from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The barnacle-covered piece is thought to be a wing part called a 'flaperon' from a Boeing 777 and none are known to have gone missing. It is being flown to Toulouse in France for identification.

MH370: mysterious 89kg load ‘added to cargo flight list after take-off’

2. Six stabbed at gay pride parade in Jerusalem

An ultra-orthodox Jew has run amok at a gay pride march in Jerusalem for the second time. Yishai Schlissel stabbed six people, one woman seriously. He had been released from jail three months earlier after serving ten years for a similar attack in 2005. He had distributed leaflets calling on Jews to risk imprisonment to prevent the parade.

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Israeli police arrest man after six stabbed in Gay Pride parade

3. England beat Australia to take 2-1 Ashes lead

England have taken a 2-1 lead in The Ashes, beating Australia by eight wickets in just two-and-a-half days at Edgbaston. Australia who started the third day just 23 ahead, eventually set England 121 to win after some spirited tail end batting. England lost Alastair Cook and Adam Lyth early on, but Ian Bell and Joe Root steered the home side to victory.

The Ashes 2015: crazy cricket could mean 'financial disaster'

4. Calais migrant crisis: MoD land to help traffic

Land owned by the MoD is to be made available to alleviate traffic problems in Kent caused by the migrant crisis in Calais. Thousands of lorries are still queuing on the M20 due to the disruption at the other end of the Channel Tunnel where migrants have been attempting to board trains to the UK. Extra sniffer dogs and fencing will be sent to Calais.

Refugee crisis: Calais Jungle children 'have nowhere to sleep'

5. Litvinenko: Putin 'personally ordered' killing

An inquiry into the death of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London in 2006, was "personally ordered" by Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Litvinenko family's lawyer, Ben Emmerson QC, said it had been proved "beyond reasonable doubt" that Russia was behind the plot and called Putin a "despot".

6. Theresa May to review Ai Weiwei visa decision

Home Secretary Theresa May is to review a decision to deny Chinese artist Ai Weiwei a six-month visa. The application was refused as Weiwei, a well-known critic of the Chinese Communist Party who was detained in 2011, did not declare a criminal conviction in his home country. The decision prompted an outcry among his supporters.

Ai Weiwei: Home Office to rethink visa ban after outcry

7. Comet probe discovers ‘frozen primordial soup’

The European Space Agency lander Philae, dropped by the probe Rosetta onto a comet last November, has discovered a rich array of carbon compounds under the surface, dubbed “frozen primordial soup” by one scientist as it contains just the right ingredients thought to have been necessary for the emergence of life on earth.

Rosetta researchers find 'building blocks of life' on comet

8. Morrissey alleges sexual assault at airport

Morrissey has filed a sexual assault complaint with the US Transport Security Administration (TSA) after an incident at San Francisco airport on Monday in which he says he was groped. The singer alleged that an airport security officer inappropriately touched his “penis and testicles” as he prepared to board a flight to London. The TSA refutes the claim.

9. Ebola vaccine could be a 'game-changer'

An Ebola vaccine that offers 75% and 100% protection from the deadly virus could be a "game-changer" says the World Health Organization. The "remarkable" results of a trial of the VSV-EBOV vaccine in Guinea were published in The Lancet. The vaccine was started by the Public Health Agency of Canada and then developed by the pharmaceutical company Merck.

10. Briefing: What next for the Taliban after leader's death?

The Afghan government has confirmed reports that Taliban leader Mullah Omar died two years ago, raising questions about fragile peace talks as well as the future of the terrorist group. Rumours of Omar's death have circulated for years, but a White House spokesperson said the US government believed that the latest report was "credible". The news comes at a turbulent time for the Taliban, which has splintered as conflicting ideologies have emerged.

Mullah Omar 'dead': what next for the Taliban and Afghanistan?