Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 31 May 2017

1. Manchester: Abedi 'assembled bomb alone'

Salman Abedi, the man behind the Manchester Arena bombing, bought the parts needed to make his bomb himself, and was working alone in the days prior to the attack. But police have yet to work out whether he was part of a wider terror network. Sixteen people have been arrested across the country in connection with the attack.

2. Pound drops after hung parliament poll

The value of the pound fell last night after a YouGov poll published in The Times suggested the Conservatives might fail to win an outright majority in the 8 June general election. Sterling fell by more than 0.5% but had recovered a little by early this morning to be trading 0.44% lower against the dollar and 0.29% against the euro.

Theresa May: 'I got us into this and I will get us out'

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3. Ariana Grande to play concert in Manchester

US singer Ariana Grande is to return to Manchester for a benefit concert for victims of the bombing which took place after her gig there last week. She will perform at Old Trafford with a stellar line-up including Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, Take That, Miley Cyrus and One Direction's Niall Horan on Sunday 4 June.

Manchester Arena attack: Salman Abedi 'assembled deadly bomb alone'

4. Jeremy Corbyn to appear in TV debate

Theresa May has defended her decision not to take part in a general election TV debate after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn changed his mind about appearing just hours before it was due to be shown. Corbyn said he would join other leaders on the seven strong panel on Wednesday night and said May's absence was a sign of '"weakness". Amber Rudd will represent the Conservative party.

General election 2017: Security tight as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn cast their votes

5. Kabul: At least 80 dead in car bomb

At least 80 people have been killed by a massive car bomb in Kabul, with hundreds more injured. The huge explosion hit near the German embassy in the centre of the Afghan capital during rush hour this morning. The blast was so heavy more than 30 vehicles were destroyed or damaged and windows and doors in houses hundreds of metres away were blown in.

Huge car bomb in Kabul kills at least 80 people

6. Rogue breast cancer surgeon jailed for 15 years

Ian Paterson, the breast cancer surgeon convicted last month of wounding patients by carrying out unnecessary operations, has been jailed for 15 years. The 59-year-old has been described by police and his victims as having a "god complex". Many of the procedures were done privately, with the proceeds used to fund a lavish lifestyle.

7. 'Dangerous' prisoner escapes from hospital

A 'dangerous' prisoner has escaped from a Wiltshire hospital and is believed to be armed with a razor blade. Michal Kisiel, 30, was being treated for a head wound at Salisbury District Hospital yesterday and escaped at 7pm. Police have asked the public to report any sightings but not to approach Kisiel if he is seen.

8. Brexit retirees 'could cost NHS £1bn'

The cost of treating retired Britons who live in other EU countries could double to £1bn if they all decide to return home after Brexit, health charity the Nuffield Trust reports. At the moment, the UK pays other countries £500m a year for their care but the cost of treating them at home might be double that, requiring 1,600 more NHS staff.

9. Trump 'covfefe' tweet sparks curiosity

Just after midnight last night, US President Donald Trump sent the following tweet: "despite the constant negative press covfefe". The strange non-word ending the message quickly became a trending topic, prompting reams of speculation. Readers were confused that the tweet was not deleted and speculated it might be Trump's last.

President Covfefe: The best reactions to Donald Trump's latest Twitter gaffe

10. Briefing: Will Brexit derail London's Crossrail 2?

The prospect of a new Crossrail 2 mass-transit rail line running north to south across London is looking "bleak", as the appetite for the project in the wake of the EU referendum appears to be diminishing, The Guardian says.

The project was given the go-ahead last year by the then-chancellor George Osborne after the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) concluded that Crossrail 2 was the most important single project for Britain. But following the referendum, "the project's prospects look bleak," as politicians have grown increasingly wary of making investment decisions that appear to favour the capital, the paper says.

Crossrail 2: what's the route and when will it open?