Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 9 Jun 2016

1. Major and Blair warn against Brexit

Former prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair have joined forces in Northern Ireland to warn that leaving the EU would "jeopardise the unity" of the UK. However, their claims that a vote for Brexit would leave the region's "future at risk" has angered many involved in the peace process.

EU referendum debate: Who won at Wembley?

2. People smuggler suspect 'is the wrong man', say friends

Friends of a man accused of being a suspected people smuggler known as The General say police have the wrong man. The claim that the man, who was extradited to Italy from Sudan on Tuesday, is actually Medhanie Tesfamariam Kidane and not the wanted Mered Medhanie. The UK's National Crime Agency said it was "too soon to speculate".

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3. EU referendum: Registration ends tonight

Voters have until midnight tonight to register to take part in the EU referendum, after technical problems left many unable to sign up by the initial deadline. The gov.uk site crashed when a large number of users tried to access it at once on Tuesday evening. New legislation extended the deadline by 48 hours.

4. Government 'failing' flood-hit communities

A select committee of MPs says the government is not doing enough to protect vulnerable UK communities from flooding. The environmental audit committee argued the state should pay for the upkeep of existing defences as well as investing in new ones. The government said it was spending "record amounts".

5. G4S-run child jail: Five more arrests

Five more people have been arrested in connection with the G4S-run Medway youth jail in Kent, which has been hit with allegations of abuse and use of excessive force by staff. The three men and two women were detained on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Eleven staff were fired or resigned in January after a BBC documentary alleged malpractice at the centre.

6. Fossils show 'hobbit' humans shrank rapidly

New fossil finds in Indonesia have shown that Homo floresiensis, an ancient race of tiny humans, reached their small size very quickly after larger humans moved to the island. Nicknamed "the hobbit", floresiensis existed as recently as 50,000 years ago. The latest discoveries are of equally small ancestors from 700,000 years ago.

7. Blood cancer is 11 different diseases

One of the most prevalent forms of blood cancer, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), is actually 11 distinct diseases, say researchers, who made the discovery after detailed genetic analysis of the disease from 1,540 patients undergoing clinical trials. Most patients respond well to chemotherapy in the short term but the relapse rate is particularly high.

Major blood cancer is actually 11 distinct diseases

8. Ed Sheeran sued for 'copying' X Factor winner

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is facing a £14m lawsuit for allegedly copying a song by The X Factor winner Matt Cardle. The songwriters behind 2010's Amazing have accused Sheeran of exploiting their work "on a breathtaking scale" for his 2015 hit Photograph.

9. Four killed in Tel Aviv mass shooting

Four people have died and up to six others were injured in a mass shooting in the centre of Tel Aviv. A police spokesman said the gunmen behind the "harsh terror attack", near a popular open-air food market close to army headquarters, had been "neutralised". Two Palestinian cousins are suspected.

Israel suspends Palestinian permits as four die in Tel Aviv attack

10. Briefing: How Sadiq Khan's London travel fare freeze will work

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has set out a savings programme for Transport for London to fund a fares freeze until 2020. The move promises to benefit millions of Londoners who use the Tube, TfL rail services, buses and trams - but will not include hundreds of thousands of commuters with travelcards.

How Sadiq Khan's London travel fare freeze will work

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