Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 2 Jun 2016

1. Angela Merkel hopes Britain remains in Europe

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she hopes the UK will vote to remain in the EU in this month's referendum, saying it "would be our interests, but also in the interests of Britain". Arguing that the UK would still be bound by European rules if it left the bloc, she warned Brexiters: "You will never get a really good result in negotiations... when you're not in the room and giving input."

2. Losing inches from the waist reduces prostate cancer risk

Men in their fifties can significantly reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer by losing a few inches from their waists, a study shows. In a study of more than 140,000 people across Europe, scientists at the University of Oxford found that overweight men who reduced their waist size by four inches were 13% more likely to avoid the most aggressive type of prostate cancer.

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3. Clinton: Trump is a 'fraud' out to 'scam' the US

Democrat White House hopeful Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump is a "fraud" who would "scam America", comparing the Republican’s political efforts with his now-defunct business training programme which is at the centre of a class action lawsuit. The Trump U program "took advantage of vulnerable Americans" by encouraging them to "destroy their financial futures" while offering "false" promises, she said.

Trump fumes as Miami golf course loses PGA event to Mexico

4. 'Britain's worst paedophile' confesses to scores of attacks

A British man faces multiple life sentences after he confessed to raping and assaulting 23 children, aged between six months and 12 years, in Malaysia and Cambodia. Richard Huckle, from Ashford, in Kent, infiltrated an impoverished Malaysian community and abused children for nearly a decade. Investigators believe he ultimately raped and sexually abused up to 200 children.

Why wasn't Richard Huckle arrested sooner?

5. 11,000 jobs at risk as BHS goes into liquidation

Department store BHS is to go into liquidation with the loss of up to 11,000 jobs after administrators failed to find a buyer for the retailer. There will be closing-down sales at all 163 stores in the coming weeks. There had been a number of offers for the business but administrators said they fell short on the "working capital" needed to finance a turnaround.

Sir Philip Green's Arcadia agrees £30m deal in BHS legal battle

6. West calls for aid air drops as Syria deadline passes

Western nations have urged the UN to begin air drops of humanitarian aid in Syria. The US, UK and France said the Syrian government had ignored the deadline for aid distribution agreed by world and regional powers. "While air drops are complex, costly and risky, they are now the last resort to relieve human suffering across many besieged areas," said Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

7. Tutankhamun had 'extra-terrestrial' dagger

A dagger found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun was made with "extra-terrestrial" iron from a meteorite, new analysis has shown. Researchers from Italy and the Egyptian Museum used "X-ray fluorescence spectrometry" to accurately match the chemical composition of the blade to a meteorite named Kharga, which was discovered at Mersa Matruh, 150 miles west of Alexandria, in 2000.

Tutankhamun's dagger 'was of extra-terrestrial origin'

8. Bank of England unveils plastic £5 note

The Bank of England has unveiled its new polymer £5 note featuring Sir Winston Churchill at a ceremony at his birthplace, Blenheim Palace. It will go into circulation in September and will be followed by two more plastic notes, a £10 bearing an image of author Jane Austin and a £20 with a portrait of artist JMW Turner. The new notes will be more durable and more secure than paper.

9. Aston Villa appoint Roberto di Matteo as manager

Aston Villa have appointed former Chelsea boss Roberto di Matteo as manager, with Steve Clarke named as his assistant. The pair have not worked together in management but were team-mates at Chelsea for two years in the 1990s. Villa, now owned by Chinese businessman Tony Xia, were relegated from the Premier League last season, finishing bottom of the table with just 17 points.

10. 'Hugely significant' dig unearths London's oldest document

The earliest written reference to London has been unearthed under an office block in the capital. Britain's largest and oldest collection of Roman waxed writing tablets was discovered in what is described as a "hugely significant" find. The haul also includes the oldest-dated handwritten document in Britain and evidence that a bustling trading hub sprung up soon after the city's foundation.

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