10 things you need to know today: July 31, 2015

1. Beijing picked to host 2022 Winter Olympics

The International Olympic Committee on Friday selected Beijing to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Chinese President Xi Jinping made a last-minute promise that the Games would be "fantastic, extraordinary, and excellent." The Chinese capital, which hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, beat out runner-up Almaty, Kazakhstan, in a secret ballot held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Beijing will be the first city to ever host both a Winter and Summer Olympics.

The Guardian

2. Police say repeat attacker stabbed 6 at Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man named Yishai Schlissel was arrested Thursday for allegedly stabbing six marchers in Jerusalem's annual Gay Pride Parade. Schlissel was released from prison three weeks ago after serving 10 years for stabbing and wounding three marchers in the 2005 Gay Pride Parade. After that attack, he reportedly told police he had tried to "kill in the name of God." The parade has faced longtime opposition from Orthodox groups. One ultra-Orthodox news website called it "the Parade of Abomination."

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The New York Times

3. University of Cincinnati cop pleads not guilty in fatal shooting

Former University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing pleaded not guilty on Thursday in the July 19 fatal shooting of Samuel DuBose, an unarmed black man. Tensing, 25, was released on a $1 million bond. He was indicted on murder and involuntary manslaughter charges a day earlier. County prosecutor Joe Deters said Tensing shot DuBose in the head after stopping him for a missing license plate and "losing his temper." Two other officers were placed on administrative leave.

Reuters Cincinnati Enquirer

4. U.S. investigates lion's death as Zimbabwe requests hunter's extradition

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday it was investigating the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe. That country's wildlife minister, Oppah Muchinguri, said Friday his government was requesting the extradition of Minnesota dentist and hunter Walter James Palmer to face poaching charges. Palmer left Zimbabwe after the hunt, and said he relied on his local guides to ensure that he did everything legally. Some locals were puzzled by the "fuss" over the lion's death.

The New York Times The Associated Press

5. Taliban confirms Mullah Omar's death

The Afghan Taliban confirmed Thursday that its leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had died. The group said Omar had died "a while ago" from an unspecified illness. Afghan officials said he died two or three years ago. A source in Pakistan said the cause of death was tuberculosis. The Taliban said its No. 2 leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, was taking over as leader of the Islamist group, which sheltered Osama bin Laden and was toppled by a U.S.-led coalition following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Wall Street Journal

6. Indiana clears Planned Parenthood after uproar

Indiana's investigation of Planned Parenthood cleared the family planning organization of any wrongdoing in its handling of fetal tissue from abortions. Gov. Mike Pence (R) two weeks ago ordered a review of practices at three Planned Parenthood facilities — in Indianapolis, Bloomington, and Merrillville — after an anti-abortion group released secretly recorded videos suggesting illegal sales of fetal tissue for research. Planned Parenthood says it follows all laws and never profits from fetal tissue donations.

The Associated Press

7. Economy grew by 2.3 percent in second quarter

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the U.S. economy gained strength in the second quarter, growing at a 2.3 percent rate. The government also upgraded its estimate of first quarter GDP, saying it grew at a 0.6 percent rate instead of shrinking at a 0.2 percent rate as initially reported. Second quarter growth was slightly below economists' expectations of a 2.6 percent rate, but it was strong enough to support Federal Reserve indications that the recovery is picking up steam.

Reuters Bloomberg

8. Palestinian toddler dies in arson attack blamed on Jewish extremists

A Palestinian toddler was killed when arsonists believed to be Jewish extremists torched two homes in a Palestinian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Friday. Four other people were injured. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack an act of terrorism. So did Palestinian leaders, but they blamed the Israeli government for creating an atmosphere of hate and incitement, saying it encouraged anti-Palestinian violence.

The Washington Post

9. Judge rules chimps are not "legal persons"

A New York judge ruled Thursday that two research chimpanzees, Hercules and Leo, are not "legal persons," as claimed by an animal rights group that asked the court to set them free. The Nonhuman Rights Project filed a lawsuit in March arguing that the 8-year-old chimps were intelligent creatures, so keeping them at the State University of New York at Stony Brook amounted to illegal imprisonment. The Florida nonprofit group said it would appeal the ruling.

NBC News

10. Nigerian troops free dozens held by Boko Haram

Nigerian soldiers rescued 71 girls and women from Boko Haram militants, the country's military said Thursday. Many Boko Haram fighters reportedly were killed as troops fought their way into two of the Islamist extremist group's camps. Some of the women said they had been held for a year. Many complained they were never given enough to eat. "I was waiting for death," a woman in her 20s, Yagana Kyari, said. "They often threatened to kill us."

U.S. News & World Report