Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 19 Aug 2015

1. Vaping safer than smoking, says NHS body

Public Health England, the body which advises the government on health issues, says that vaping (using electronic cigarettes) is safer than smoking - and could one day be available on the NHS to those trying to quit cigarettes. The organisation said that vaping was not free from risk but was probably about 95% safer than smoking.

E-cigarettes should be prescribed on the NHS, says health body

2. Bangkok bomber 'part of network', say Thai police

Police in Thailand say a man seen leaving a package at the site of a massive bomb blast that killed 22 people in Bangkok was "part of a network" and are hunting his accomplices. An e-fit of the young man, who was wearing a yellow T-shirt has been released. The Hindu shrine targeted by the attack, in which one Briton died, has now reopened.

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Bangkok bomb inquiry branded 'chaotic' as two men cleared

3. Seb Coe wins top job in world athletics

Britain’s Sebastian Coe has been elected to the top job in world athletics, president of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations), just as the organisation is reeling from widespread doping allegations. The former Olympic 1500m champion, 58, beat nearest rival Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka by 115 votes to 92.

Seb Coe takes over at IAAF: is he the man to save athletics?

4. Ashley Madison adultery data ‘dumped online’

Hackers who stole the personal data of millions of people who were registered with a website which exists to facilitate adultery appear to have fulfilled their threat to dump the records online, leaving them publicly available. AshleyMadison.com was hacked in July by Impact Team, supposedly because of a policy of charging to delete data.

Ashley Madison: nearly all female accounts were fake or dormant

5. Migrant numbers at EU borders at record levels

More migrants were recorded at the borders of the EU than ever before in July, the EU border agency Frontex has said. The 107,500 recorded in Hungary and other states is the most in one month since the agency began records in 2008. France and the UK are to sign a deal in Calais tomorrow, strengthening co-operation.

6. Syrian archaeologist beheaded by Islamic State

A renowned Syrian archaeologist who spent 50 years studying ancient ruins in the historic city of Palmyra has been beheaded by Islamic State, apparently after refusing to reveal the whereabouts of valuable artefacts. Khaled al-Asaad, 82, was tortured by the terror group, which hung his body from a column in the Greco-Roman city.

7. Sharp rise in reported sex crimes on trains

The number of sex crimes committed on trains recorded by police has risen by 25%, British Transport Police say. The figures for England, Scotland and Wales show 282 more attacks in 2014-2015 than the previous year, a total of 1,399. Police say they believe the sharp rise is due to increased reporting after a campaign to encourage it.

8. Armed police drama for Mumsnet founder

Armed police rushed to the home of Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts after a hoax call, and the parenting website has been forced reset its users' passwords after a series of online attacks. The campaign, which has included 'swatting attacks' on members and website hacks, appears to be linked to a Twitter account called @DadSecurity.

9. 'Female viagra' Flibanserin approved in the US

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug for women dubbed the "female Viagra", although it continues to divide opinion. Flibanserin has already been rejected twice by the drugs agency and there are concerns about the safety and efficacy of the much-anticipated pill, designed to enhance libido for women.

'Female Viagra': why the libido-boosting drug is so controversial

10. Briefing: inside Russia's propaganda factory

An undercover journalist and activist has won symbolic damages against a secretive Russian agency after infiltrating the organisation and exposing the inner workings of the "propaganda factory". Lyudmila Savchuk sued the pro-Kremlin Internet Research Agency for breaching labour laws after she was unmasked as a reporter and fired by the company. "I am very happy with this victory," the 34-year old said outside court in St Petersburg. "I achieved my aim, which was to bring the internet trolls out of the shade."

Russia's troll army: how the propaganda factory operates