Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 25 May 2016
- 1. Greece granted another €10.3bn bailout
- 2. NHS doctor left UK to join Islamic State
- 3. IFS and ex-generals add to EU warnings
- 4. Taliban confirms death of leader Mansour
- 5. Russia frees Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko
- 6. Death penalty sought for Charleston church accused
- 7. Bill Cosby to stand trial for sexual assault
- 8. Trump win overshadowed by protests
- 9. Florence riverbank collapses near Ponte Vecchio
- 10. Briefing: What is fracking and why is it so controversial?
1. Greece granted another €10.3bn bailout
After an 11-hour meeting yesterday, Greece's eurozone creditors have agreed to give the country another €10.3bn (£7.9bn) bailout. The International Monetary Fund backed down from its call on Monday for "upfront" and "unconditional" debt relief for the stricken nation, in the face of opposition from Germany. Greece now owes €321bn (£245bn).
Will 'breakthrough' deal solve Greece's debt problems?
2. NHS doctor left UK to join Islamic State
A practising NHS doctor has left the UK and joined Islamic State, the BBC says. Issam Abuanza, 37, left behind a wife and two children in Sheffield in 2014 to join the terror group after seven years with the NHS. He has been pictured on social media posing with guns and wrote he was sorry a Jordanian pilot had not suffered more as he died.
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3. IFS and ex-generals add to EU warnings
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that leaving the EU could lead to two more years of austerity measures for the UK, while a group of 12 ex-senior military officers have said membership of the block is undermining the UK's defence. Among the generals is Sir Michael Rose, who originally publicly lent his support to the Remain camp.
Remain-voting City lobby group calls for 'dramatic Brexit U-turn'
4. Taliban confirms death of leader Mansour
The Taliban has announced a new leader and confirmed the death of former head Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who was killed by a US drone strike in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Saturday. Mansour had run the hard-line organisation since 2015, when he took over from its original founder. He is replaced by Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada.
5. Russia frees Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko
Moscow has freed a Ukrainian pilot jailed for 22 years in Russia after being convicted over the deaths of two Russian journalists. Nadia Savchenko, considered a hero in Ukraine, was captured in June 2014 by pro-Moscow rebels during fighting in the east of the country. Two Russian prisoners have been freed in return.
Nadia Savchenko: Russia releases Ukrainian pilot convicted of murder
6. Death penalty sought for Charleston church accused
Prosecutors in the US are seeking the death penalty for 22-year-old Dylann Roof, charged with the murder of nine people at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, last year. Police say Roof holds white supremacist views and shot his victims after sitting with them in a bible study class.
Dylann Roof sentenced to death for Charleston church massacre
7. Bill Cosby to stand trial for sexual assault
A judge in the US has ordered 78-year-old actor and comedian Bill Cosby to stand trial on charges of sexual assault. More than 40 women have accused the Cosby Show star but no case has come to court so far because most took place too long ago for charges to be pursued. Andrea Constand, however, says she was assaulted in 2004.
Bill Cosby ordered to stand trial over sex assault allegations
8. Trump win overshadowed by protests
Donald Trump yesterday won the Washington State primary, further cementing his presumptive Republican candidacy for the presidency. However, the victory was overshadowed by anti-Trump protests which turned violent in Albuquerque. Demonstrators smashed windows and threw rocks at police, who responded with pepper spray.
9. Florence riverbank collapses near Ponte Vecchio
A section of the Arno riverbank near the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy, has collapsed. Nobody was hurt in the incident, but around 20 parked cars and a section of road were swallowed up. It is believed the ditch, around 650ft long and 23ft wide, opened up after a large water pipe failed below the road.
10. Briefing: What is fracking and why is it so controversial?
Commonly known as fracking, hydraulic fracturing has transformed the energy market in the US. Supporters of the technique say it could do the same for the UK, but critics argue that drilling for shale gas will cause untold environmental damage while with the oil price dropping, economists are less sure of its financial benefits.
What are the pros and cons of fracking?
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