Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 27 May 2017

1. Ariana Grande to stage a Manchester benefit concert

Ariana Grande plans to revisit Manchester to hold a benefit concert for victims of this week’s bombing. "I'll be returning to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with my fans and to have a benefit concert in honor of and to raise funds for the victims," she wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, armed police will guard hundreds of events across the UK this bank holiday weekend.

2. US admits it killed 105 civilians in western Mosul bombing

The US has revealed that an airstrike it carried out in western Mosul killed at least 105 civilians. The Pentagon says a US jet dropped a 500lb bomb targeting two Islamic State fighters, but the final civilian death toll could be as high as 141, an official investigation into the March attack has found, with 36 people still unaccounted for.

3. Anti-cholesterol statins could battle heart disease

"Cholesterol-busting" statins can decrease the risk of heart attacks by physically changing the organ, says The Times. Researchers, who employed magnetic resonance imaging to scan the hearts of 4,622 people, found that those taking the drugs were less likely to have abnormally enlarged hearts. They concluded that statins could stop heart muscle thickening – a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

4. Uber gets a four-month license as controversy rages on

Uber’s licence to operate in London has been renewed for a period of four months. Transport authorities are continuing to debate whether to grant the ride-hailing firm a five-year licence. There is considerable controversy over the matter, with both trade unions and black-cab drivers demanding that TfL rejects the application unless Uber gives assurances on a number of questions surrounding its operation and employment practices.

5. Autism charity 'concerned' over plans to reduce diagnoses

The National Autistic Society says it is "deeply concerned" about plans to reduce the number of children being diagnosed with autism. NHS commissioners in south-west London are considering restricting an autism diagnosis to only the most severe of cases. "An autism diagnosis…can explain years of feeling different and help unlock crucial advice and support," said the charity.

6. Donald Trump 'digs heels' over climate change agreement

Donald Trump "dug in his heels" over committing America to the climate deal signed by President Obama, reports The Times. On day one of a two-day meeting of the G7 leaders in Sicily, a Trump spokesman said the president "wants to do the right thing for the environment, he cares about the environment but he also cares very much about creating jobs for American workers".

7. Pensioners murdered in their County Armagh home

An elderly couple were stabbed to death in their home in Northern Ireland. Unconfirmed reports suggest the pensioners, both in their eighties, may have disturbed a burglar at their home in County Armagh before they were "brutally attacked". A man in his forties was arrested near the scene of the double murder and is being held in police custody for questioning.

8. Trump son-in-law 'discussed secret line to Moscow'

Donald Trump's son-in-law discussed the possibility of setting up a secret line of communication with Moscow, according to the Washington Post and New York Times. Jared Kushner, who is under scrutiny by the FBI as part of its wider investigation into Russian links, reportedly discussed creating the channel during a meeting in December. The White House has not commented on the claims.

9. Fishermen call for 'rodent' seals to be culled

Scottish fishermen and fishmongers have called for seals to be culled to protect salmon. "I am not saying annihilate them but they need to be managed like anything else," said Ian Paterson, a salmon net fisherman based in Dornoch on the Moray Firth. Lance Forman, who runs a salmon-smoking business, added: "Seals eat salmon that we would otherwise eat. They are essentially rodents."

10. Earl Spencer angry over forthcoming Diana documentary

Earl Spencer is demanding Channel 5 make changes to a forthcoming documentary which claims he wanted to walk alone behind sister Diana's coffin at her London funeral in 1997. "This is a fabrication," said a spokesman. Meanwhile, a former adviser to Tony Blair said the then PM’s first words on learning of the death were: "My God, these are enormous doings."