Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 23 Feb 2016

1. Top companies warn against UK leaving EU

The bosses of 36 FTSE 100 companies have signed a letter saying the UK should remain within the European Union and that Brexit would put the economy at risk, threaten jobs and deter investment. Another 162 company heads, including the chief executives of both Heathrow and Gatwick airports, also added their signatures.

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

2. Swedish teenager 'rescued from IS'

Kurdish special forces have reportedly rescued a 16-year-old Swedish girl from Islamic State militants in Iraq. She travelled to Syria with her boyfriend last year and was seized in the northern city of Aleppo in August, said the regional security council. The girl was reportedly rescued near the city of Mosul on 17 February.

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3. Pollution linked to 40,000 deaths a year

Pollution is contributing to 40,000 early deaths a year in the UK, doctors warn. The Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Paediatrics and Child Health cite diesel fumes, tobacco, wood-burning stoves, spray deodorants, cleaning products and air fresheners as risks. Mould and mildew in poorly ventilated rooms can also cause illness.

Household products putting lives at risk, say experts

4. Mars recalls bars in 55 countries, including UK

Mars is recalling chocolate bars in 55 countries, including the UK, after pieces of plastic were found in its products. The recall covers Mars, Snickers and Milky Way bars and certain packs of Celebrations. The products involved were made at a factory in the Netherlands and have best before dates from 19 June 2016 to 8 January 2017.

5. Call for mothers-to-be to get a £3,000 birth budget

The National Maternity Review has recommended that mothers-to-be should get a £3,000 budget to spend on NHS services of their choosing for the birth. They would be allowed to opt for where to have scans in a system likened to the personal health budgets given to people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

NHS to hand pregnant women £3,000 'birth budgets'

6. Woman sues for £4.2m after fall in beer garden

A woman who tripped over a rope outside one of London's best-known gastropubs is suing the owners for £4.2m after fracturing her wrist. HR consultant Carmen Mazo says the injury, which dates back to 2009, destroyed her career, left her with scars, caused post-traumatic arthritis and damaged her mental health.

Woman sues pub for £4.2m after tripping over rope

7. Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey back in hospital

Scottish Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey is in hospital for a third time after suffering a "complication from her previous infection by the Ebola virus". The 40-year-old has been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital in London, where she was treated twice in 2015 after contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone. She overcame the disease she was later diagnosed with meningitis caused by the virus.

8. Obama reveals plans to close Guantanamo Bay

US President Barack Obama has revealed plans to close Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba. The Pentagon has proposed transferring the remaining 91 detainees to their home countries or to military or civilian prisons in the United States. Obama made closing the controversial facility one of his first pledges after assuming office in 2009, but Congress is expected to block the move.

9. Trump tipped to win Nevada as Super Tuesday looms

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump is being tipped to win today's Nevada caucus, giving him a third win in a row. And with 'Super Tuesday' looming next week the celebrity businessman seems likely to further cement his front-runner status when 11 states pick their candidate on 1 March. Some observers even believe he could achieve a clean sweep.

Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

10. Briefing: the pros and cons of EU membership

Perhaps the greatest uncertainty associated with leaving the European Union is that no country has ever done it before so no one can predict the exact result. Nevertheless, many have tried. We summarise the arguments about trade, economic investment, migration, regulations and international influence advanced by supporters and opponents of the EU.

Brexit: what are the pros and cons of leaving the EU?