Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 11 Mar 2016

1. Rubio questions Trump's stance on Islam

Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio criticised frontrunner Donald Trump's assertion that Islam "hates America", during the latest televised debate between the candidates. Rubio said the religion had a problem with radicalisation but many Muslims were proud Americans. Another former candidate, Ben Carson, who withdrew from the race last week, today endorsed Trump

Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

2. Johnson: Leaving EU a 'vote for freedom'

Boris Johnson has said that the UK is "big enough and strong enough" to survive outside the EU. In his first speech since breaking ranks with David Cameron he said leaving Europe was a ""win-win for all of us" and a "vote for freedom". Meanwhile former PM Tony Blair has demanded more "fervour" from the pro-Europe campaign on the day Cameron said a Brexit would cost British farmers £330m a year.

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3. Welby: It's not racist to fear immigration

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said Britons are "justified" in fearing mass immigration and to call those who do racist is "absolutely outrageous". He said: "Fear is a valid emotion … This is one of the greatest movements of people in human history. Just enormous. And to be anxious about that is very reasonable."

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

4. White House back-pedals on Cameron criticism

The White House said last night that David Cameron has been "as close a partner" as President Barack Obama has had, in an apparent attempt to address embarrassment caused when the US leader told The Atlantic the Prime Minister had become "distracted" after the 2011 invasion of Libya and described the situation there as a "mess".

Barack Obama criticises David Cameron for Libya 's*** show'

5. Trump supporter: 'Next time we'll kill him'

A 78-year-old man who was filmed punching a black protester at a rally for Donald Trump said: "Next time we see him we might have to kill him." John Franklin McGraw has been charged with assault and disorderly conduct. Rakeem Jones was pinned to the ground by several police officers immediately after being punched.

6. Rafa Benitez takes over as Newcastle manager

Former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez has been named as the new manager of Newcastle United after Steve McClaren was sacked. He takes over with ten games remaining this season and the Magpies second from bottom of the Premier League table. Under McClaren this season Newcastle have won just six of their 28 Premier League matches.

Newcastle sack McClaren: Can Benitez resurrect the Magpies?

7. Murray: Sharapova 'deserves a ban' for drug use

British tennis star Andy Murray says Maria Sharapova deserves a ban from the sport for failing a drug test. He also said it was wrong for any player to take a drug not specifically required for a medical condition and was critical of his own racket manufacturer, Head, for saying it will extend the Russian star's sponsorship.

Sharapova deserves to be suspended, says Andy Murray

8. '4ft rat' discovered on London estate

A "4ft-long" rat has been found in east London. Gas engineer Tony Smith spotted the dead rodent in a bush near a children's playground on an estate in Hackney. He said the animal was bigger than his pet Jack Russell dog and weighed 25lb. Normal brown rats are around a foot long and the largest rat species in the world, found in the Philippines, has a body length of just over 3ft.

9. Former Putin press minister 'died of blunt force'

Vladimir Putin's former press minister, Mikhail Lesin, suffered blunt force injuries to his head, neck, torso, arms and legs before his death in November, US authorities say. Lesin, who set up the television network Russia Today, was found dead in a hotel in Washington DC. Family members said at the time he had died of a heart attack after a long illness.

10. Briefing: Aung San Suu Kyi picks aide to be president

Aung San Suu Kyi has nominated her senior aide and former driver to be president of Myanmar, ending hopes she could become the country's first democratically elected leader. Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won power in a landslide victory in national elections last November, but a constitutional clause drawn up by the country's military in 2008 prohibits her from becoming leader as her sons are British citizens. After weeks of negotiations, the Nobel Peace Prize winner failed to have the clause overruled.

Aung San Suu Kyi picks aide to become president of Myanmar

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