Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 18 Aug 2016

1. Racial inequality 'entrenched in the UK'

Racial inequality and prejudice are "entrenched" in the UK, says a new review. The Equality and Human Rights Commission found an "alarming picture" of inequality, with black graduates earning an average 23.1% less than their white peers. The government has said it wil deliver "real social reform".

Racial inequality in Britain is widening, watchdog warns

2. Ebola nurse 'concealed temperature'

Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey, who survived Ebola, could face disciplinary action over claims she concealed the fact she had a temperature when she returned to the UK from Sierra Leone in December 2014. She was diagnosed with the illness after returning to Scotland and spent a month in isolation at London's Royal Free Hospital. She has been back to hospital twice since then.

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3. A-level results: Number of highest grades falls again

A-level results for students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been released. This year, the number of students across the UK receiving the highest grades has fallen for the fifth year in a row, while the pass rate has remained the same. Meanwhile, the gap in earnings between graduates and non-graduates will soon shrink, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says.

A-level results day 2019: how does clearing work?

4. Nearly 18,000 die in Syrian prisons

Nearly 18,000 people have died in Syrian jails since the start of the country's civil war in 2011, Amnesty International says. The human rights charity says abuse and torture are rife in prisons and is publishing interviews with 65 people who say they were tortured. The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using torture in prisons.

Syria 'planning a new chemical attack', US claims

5. TV presenter in a coma at Rio Olympics

TV sports presenter Charlie Webster is in an induced coma in Rio after contracting a rare form of malaria at the Olympics following a 3,000-mile charity bike ride. She fell ill after watching the Olympic opening ceremony and was initially thought to be suffering from a kidney problem. But she is now being treated for malaria with help from doctors at the London School of Tropical Medicine.

Olympics 2016 virals: TV star in coma and hockey beats football

6. Choudary 'given publicity by media, not Muslims'

Extremist preacher Anjem Choudary was given the "oxygen of publicity" by the media and ideologues, not by Muslims, says the Muslim Council of Britain. His "pulpit was not to be found in mosques but on the television screen and in national newspapers", it said. Choudary is thought to have led at least 100 people to terrorism.

7. California: Thousands evicted by wildfires

"Ferocious" wildfires have led to the eviction of thousands of people from their homes in southern California. Firefighters say the Blue Cut blaze is the worst they have ever seen. The fire has destroyed homes and disrupted transport links between California and Nevada since Tuesday.

8. Rowling reveals new Harry Potter stories

JK Rowling is to publish three new collections of Harry Potter short stories this autumn. The collections will be published as e-books and some may already have appeared on the Pottermore.com website. One collection, Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists, will include the tale of the early life of the series villain, Lord Voldemort.

9. 'Tatler Tory' probe branded a 'whitewash'

An inquiry into bullying within the Conservative Party has been branded a "whitewash" by the father of an activist who took his own life. The investigation by law firm Clifford Chance identified 13 alleged victims of Mark Clarke, then 'Tatler Tory' at the heart of the scandal, who has been accused of six sexual assaults. Clarke denies the allegations.

Tatler Tory scandal: Bullying report branded a 'whitewash'

10. Briefing: Can Specsavers really trademark a verb?

Perhaps Specsavers' rivals should've seen this coming: they're set to

be banned from using the common contracted verb "should've" in their

adverts. On Tuesday, the UK Intellectual Patent Office approved the

optician's application for the sole right to use the word, which

features in its tag line, "should've gone to Specsavers"

Can Specsavers really trademark a verb?