Daily Briefing

Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 7 Sep 2012

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

Annecy shootings
1. ANNECY VICTIM'S BROTHER 'MUST BE QUESTIONED'
The brother of Saad al-Hilli, the man murdered along with his wife, mother-in-law and an unrelated cyclist in a shooting near Lake Annecy two days ago, "will have to be questioned at length", a French prosecutor has said. British police are believed to have told their French colleagues that the brothers had been in dispute over money.
Annecy shootings: Saad al-Hilli brother 'must be questioned'
euro debt crisis
2. MARKETS SOAR ON DRAGHI’S EURO PLAN
Stock markets soared late yesterday as European Central Bank president Mario Draghi defied Germany to launch an “unlimited” bond buying programme and said would offer a “fully effective backstop” to eurozone economies. London’s FTSE rose 2.1%. New York closed up and Asian markets rose this morning.
You have to admire Draghi, but this won’t save the useless euro
US election 2012
3. KEEP FAITH, OBAMA ASKS US VOTERS
President Obama called on American voters to keep faith with him for a second term when he addressed the Democratic convention last night. He said “I won’t pretend the path I’m offering is quick or easy”, but warned that, with Republicans turning to the right, “you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation”.
Obama finds Bill Clinton and Michelle hard acts to follow
4. 50 DEAD IN CHINA EARTHQUAKES
A series of earthquakes in southeast China has killed at least 50 people, injured 150 and damaged 20,000 homes. The quakes, which hit Yunnan and Guizhou provinces ranged in magnitude from 4.8 to 5.6. 100,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Yunnan, where most of the deaths occurred.
5. PRINCE HARRY SENT TO AFGHANISTAN
Prince Harry has been sent to Afghanistan for a four-month tour of duty, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The prince will fly in Apache helicopters as co-pilot and gunner. Earlier, the Press Complaints Commission announced it will not investigate The Sun’s printing of the photographs of Prince Harry romping naked in Las Vegas, because the royal had not complained.
People in the News
6. TV NATURALIST TERRY NUTKINS DIES
TV naturalist Terry Nutkins has died at the age of 66 while being treated for leukaemia. Famous for the two wavy tufts of hair that framed his mostly bald head, the TV presenter will be best remembered for his stints on the children’s shows Animal Magic and The Really Wild Show. Fellow 1980s children's TV presenter Phillip Schofield called Nutkins "a delightful man".
Terry Nutkins dies of leukaemia at 66: tributes pour in
7. PENTAGON ROBOT OUTRUNS USAIN BOLT
A robot called Cheetah, built for the Pentagon by the Boston Dynamics company, can run faster than Olympian Usain Bolt. It was put on display yesterday and will be “field tested” next year. With four legs and no head, it reached 28.3 mph on a treadmill, compared to Bolt’s top speed of 27.78. Its task: running down enemy soldiers.
8. OLD DRINKERS BIGGER PROBLEM THAN YOUNG
Laws mandating minimum prices for alcohol would save 50,000 pensioners from premature deaths over the next decade according to new research from Sheffield University commissioned by the BBC. It estimated that 1.4 million over-65s in Britain drink too much at home, and more end up in hospital than 16 to 24-year-olds.
Paralympics
9. GAMES WINNERS GET OWN HONOURS LIST
Britain’s victorious Olympians and Paralympians will get their own honours list. This will ensure that there is no restriction on the number of honours arising from the London Games. Josie Pearson added to Team GB's gold tally when she broke the F51 discus world record on Friday morning.
Peacock struts as Team GB beats Paralympic medal target
Film
10. HOT TICKET: ANNA KARENINA REVISITED
Joe Wright’s film adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic romantic tragedy ‘Anna Karenina’ opens in UK cinemas today. Keira Knightley stars as Anna, shunned by Russian high society for her adulterous affair with County Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). “Dazzling”, says The Daily Telegraph.
Knightley a ‘screen goddess’ in Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina