The 10 most important things in the world right now

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Italy earthquake

AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

Aerial view of Amatrice in central Italy, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016.

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Hello! Here's what you need to know on Thursday.

1. A powerful earthquake shook central Italy on Tuesday killed at least 159 people and injured over 350. Rescues efforts are ongoing to pull people trapped under rubble.

2. JPMorgan estimates that Apple could be on the hook for as much as $19 billion (£14.3 billion) in taxes following an investigation by the European Commission, the Financial Times reports. The commission is accusing Apple of striking a sweetheart tax deal with Ireland, in which the iPhone maker would move its profits to wholly owned Irish subsidiaries to reduce its corporate taxes.

3. Colombia's government and the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) say they have reached a deal to end a 52-year civil conflict. The details of that agreement will reportedly be announced on Wednesday evening, though the deal must still be approved by voters in a nationwide plebiscite.

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4. Turkey's prime minister said that the Russian Air Force could possibly operate out of a Turkish base where US and NATO forces are currently stationed. The offer comes after Iran cut Russia's engagement at Hamedan Air Base after Moscow released televised video of bombs dropping from Tu-22s over Syria, which Iran said demonstrated a "kind of show-off and ungentlemanly attitude."

5. Nigel Farage spoke at a campaign rally with Donald Trump in Jackson, Mississippi on Wednesday. "You can go out and beat the pollsters, you can beat the commentators, you can beat Washington and you'll do it by doing what we did for Brexit in Britain," he said.

6. France's ban on the burkini - a swimsuit that covers the entire body except for the hands, feet, and face - has boosted sales of the garment by 200%, creator Aheda Zanetti told the BBC. French authorities maintain that the laws are in place to protect secularism but critics argue that the bans violate women's rights.

7. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un called its recent submarine-launched ballistic missile test the "greatest success," according to Pyongyang's state media. The US mainland and the operational theatre in the Pacific are now "within the striking range" of North Korea's army, KCNA news agency reported Kim as saying.

8. Goalie Hope Solo was suspended by US Soccer for calling the Swedish team "cowards" after losing to them in the quarterfinals of the Olympics. Solo will also not be eligible to play for the US Women's National Team until February 2017.

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9. A new study of low-income neighborhoods in Berkeley, California found that people significantly cut back on soda after the city introduced a tax on sugary beverages. The new tax, which went into effect in May 2015, made a 20-ounce bottle of Coke 20 cents more expensive for distributors.

10. A Japanese truck driver playing Pokemon Go hit and killed one pedestrian and and injured another. Earlier this month, the game added a pop-up asking for confirmation the user was not driving when it detected an increase in speed.

And finally ...

US Olympic swimming star Katie Ledecky is passing up an estimated $5 million in endorsement deals to enroll at Stanford University and have a "college experience."

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