Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 7 Jun 2017

1. General election 2017: Final day of campaigning

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are making a last-minute push for votes, returning to their core themes as general election campaigning enters its last day. May will tour England promising Brexit will be a success while Corbyn speaks in England, Scotland and Wales, pledging to "save the NHS".

Britain's return to two-party politics

2. May threatens to scrap human rights laws

Theresa May says she will change the Human Rights Act if she feels it is stopping the fight against terrorism. "If our human rights laws get in the way... we will change the law so we can do it," she said last night. Opponents accused her of making up policy on the hoof to win votes as the Tories have pledged to stay in the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Election manifestos 2017: Parties compared on security and terror policies

3. London Bridge attack: Police make new arrest

A 30-year-old man was arrested in Ilford this morning in connection with the London Bridge attack on Saturday, while the third attacker was named yesterday as Youssef Zaghba, a Moroccan-Italian. Elsewhere, a man was arrested this morning in connection with the Manchester Arena bombing. Seven men are now in custody over the incident.

CCTV reveals midnight meeting between London Bridge terrorists

4. Islamic State kill 160 civilians fleeing Mosul

Islamic State fighters have massacred at least 160 civilians, apparently in a single incident, as they tried to flee fighting in the city of Mosul. Drone footage filmed by Iraqi forces shows the bodies of men, women and children lying in the streets. Tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in the western half of the city as fighting continues.

5. Several dead in terror attacks on Iranian sites

At least 12 people have been killed and dozens injured in attacks on the Iranian parliament and Ayatollah Khomeini's mausoleum in the capital, Tehran. Gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs attacked the parliament building and a suicide bomber detonated a device at the mausoleum. So-called Islamic State has claimed it carried out the attacks.

6. Uber fires 20 staff in harassment inquiry

Uber has fired 20 staff and is training others after two investigations into sexual harassment and bullying uncovered 215 complaints. More than 50 allegations remain under investigation. The move comes after a blog post written by former employee Susan Fowler, in which she claimed her manager made sexual advances towards her, went viral.

7. Watergate 'less serious than Trump and Russia', says Clapper

Accusations of collusion between Donald Trump's campaign team and Russia are more serious than the Watergate scandal which brought down president Richard Nixon in the 1970s, former US director of national intelligence James Clapper claimed yesterday. Giving a speech to Australia’s National Press Club, he said Trump's firing of FBI boss James Comey was "egregious and inexcusable".

8. Diane Abbott temporarily steps down due to illness

Diane Abbott has temporarily stood down as shadow home secretary due to ill health, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced today. Abbott's colleague Barry Gardiner claimed she had been diagnosed with a long-term medical condition, although the 63-year-old politician said she would "rejoin the fray" soon.

9. Clooneys announce birth of twins

George and Amal Clooney have announced the birth of twins, Ella and Alexander. A statement from the actor's publicist read: "Ella, Alexander and Amal are all healthy, happy and doing fine. George is sedated and should recover in a few days." These are the first children for the Hollywood star and human rights lawyer, who married in 2013.

10. Briefing: Why Gulf states have turned on Qatar

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Libya and Yemen have severed diplomatic ties with their neighbour Qatar.

Tensions have been building for years, particularly over Qatar's ties to Islamist groups and to Iran, which is Saudi Arabia's regional rival, says the BBC.

Several analysts have speculated that US President Donald Trump's speech in Riyadh last month, in which he condemned Iran's "reckless pursuit of conflict and terror", may have emboldened Saudi Arabia and its allies to take Qatar to task over its alleged links with Iran.

Israel announces plans to close Al Jazeera offices

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