Daily Briefing

Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 17 Aug 2012

The Week’s super-quick catch-up on the main news talking points, available from 8am daily

1. PUSSY RIOT JAILED FOR TWO YEARS

Three members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot have been found guilty of hooliganism after performing an anti-Putin song in a Moscow church and sentenced to two years in jail. A large protest is taking place outside the courthouse and chess legend Gary Kasparov and opposition leader Sergey Udaltsov have been arrested for taking part in it.

Pussy Riot three sentenced to two years in jail each

UK News

2. MOORS MURDERER: LEGAL COUNSEL HELD

Moors murderer Ian Brady's legal advocate, Jackie Powell, has been arrested in Wales for allegedly failing to reveal where one of his victims was buried. The arrest comes after Powell, a long-term visitor to his psychiatric hospital, apparently admitted to Greater Manchester Police that he had given her a letter containing the location of 12-year-old Keith Bennett's burial.

Ian Brady 'has finally told where child victim is buried'

Assange extradition

3. ASSANGE 'TO APPEAR IN FRONT OF EMBASSY'

Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder who is holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London amid a diplomatic row over the country's offer of asylum, is to appear outside the Knightsbridge building to make a statement at 2 pm on Sunday, WikiLeaks has announced. It was unclear whether this would offer Met police a chance to arrest him.

Assange: a pawn in Ecuador's power game with Uncle Sam

World News

4. MINERS SHOT BY SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE

Police in South Africa opened fire yesterday during clashes with striking miners at the British-owned Marikana platinum mine, one of the world's largest, leaving at least 35 people dead. The shooting started when miners carrying machetes, clubs and spears refused to disarm. President Jacob Zuma said he was "shocked and dismayed at this senseless violence".

South Africa in shock after massacre of 35 miners

UK News

5. TOM DALEY ADDS 'A' GRADES TO BRONZE

Tom Daley, the teenager who won bronze in the 10 metre dive at the Olympics, yesterday learned that he had earned an A grade in his Spanish A-level, adding to an A in photography and an AS in maths to give him a straight A score. Daley, 18, tweeted "thanks" to Plymouth College, where he plans to return in the autumn.

Seven key points from today's A-level exam results

6. 'LOCKED-IN' VICTIM REFUSED RIGHT TO DIE

Tony Nicklinson, 58, the 'locked-in' stroke victim paralysed from the neck down since 2005, yesterday lost his High Court case to allow doctors to end his life without fear of prosecution. Because he would be unable to participate in an assisted suicide, a doctor would in effect be committing murder and Lord Justice Toulson said "these are matters for Parliament to decide".

7. HEROIN USER DIES OF ANTHRAX

A drug user in Lancashire has died after being infected with anthrax. The man is thought to have contracted the infection after injecting contaminated heroin. There have been seven other cases of heroin users contracting anthrax in Europe since June, including one in Scotland, said the Health Protection Agency.

8. PROFESSOR CALLS FOR GENETIC SCREENING

Genetically screening unborn offspring to make better people is "responsible parenting", Professor Julian Savulescu, Oxford professor of practical ethics, claims today. "When it comes to screening out personality flaws, you could argue that people have a moral obligation to select ethically better children," he writes for Readers' Digest.

9. RIO FINED £45,000 FOR CHOC ICE TWEET

Footballer Rio Ferdinand has been fined £45,000 by the FA over a tweet he sent after the John Terry race trial, which branded Chelsea defender Ashley Cole as a "choc ice" - someone who is black on the outside but white on the inside. Cole gave evidence in support of Terry, who was accused of abusing Ferdinand's brother, Anton.

Film

10. HOT TICKET: ALL-STAR EXPENDABLES 2

Action sequel 'The Expendables 2' is considerably better than the first film, critics agree. An ensemble cast of action stars including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger feature in a tale of elite mercenaries seeking revenge for the murder of one of their crew.

Usual action suspects report for sequel duty in Expendables 2