Daily Briefing

Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 10 Oct 2012

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

1. CAMERON: LABOUR IS PARTY OF ONE NOTION

To cheers from the Tory party conference, David Cameron today used his keynote speech to defend the coalition's austerity programme and call Ed Miliband's Labour the party of "one notion... borrowing". Labour borrowed when they were in power and their only solution to the UK economy is to go on borrowing, he said, and it simply doesn't make sense.

Cameron leaves Tories confused - are we right wing or right on?

2. BAE AND EADS MERGER TALKS COLLAPSE

The merger of aerospace and defence giants BAE and EADS has been called off after talks between the British, French and German governments broke down. One sticking point was the amount of influence one government could have over the new company, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel was said to oppose the whole deal.

Syria uprising

3. SYRIA: TWO ARRESTED AT HEATHROW AIRPORT

A man and a woman, both aged 26, were arrested at Heathrow last night as part of a police investigation into people travelling to Syria to commit acts of terrorism. They had flown in from Egypt, and it is unclear whether they were heading to or returning from Syria. Two homes in east London are now being searched under the Terrorism Act.

Heathrow arrests: are Islamists training in Syria for attacks in UK?

Malala Yousafzai

4. PAKISTANI REVULSION AT ATTACK ON GIRL

The shooting by a Taliban gunman of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai, who campaigned for girls' rights in Pakistan, led to widespread revulsion in the country last night. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said: "We have to fight the mindset that is involved in this." Surgeons in Peshawar say Malala is stable after the successful removal of a bullet from her head.

Islamists join Pakistani anger at attack on Malala Yousafzai

Savile abuse claims

5. SAVILE HEADSTONE SENT TO LANDFILL

The headstone was removed from Jimmy Savile's grave in Scarborough overnight and will now be destroyed and sent to a landfill site, according to funeral director Robert Morphet. In the light of child abuse allegations, Savile's family made the decision in an attempt to retain the "dignity and sanctity" of the Woodlands Cemetery.

Jimmy Savile's headstone sent to landfill on his family's orders

6. APRIL JONES: BRIDGER REMANDED IN CUSTODY

Mark Bridger, the 46-year-old man charged with the abduction and murder of five-year-old April Jones, has been remanded in custody by Caernarfon Crown Court after appearing via video link from prison in Manchester. Bridger, who also faces a charge of perverting the course of justice, will appear again in January.

Football finance

7. NEWCASTLE WONGA DEAL OUTRAGE

Newcastle United's newly announced sponsorship deal with payday loans company Wonga has caused outrage. The company has been described as a 'legal loan shark' by MPs and the Muslim Council of Britain has urged the club's Muslim players not to wear shirts bearing the sponsor's logo.

Newcastle's Muslim stars told not to wear Wonga shirt

8. WET SUMMER MEANS HIGHER FOOD PRICES

Food prices will rise for British families after poor harvests due to the record wet weather of the summer following the spring drought, the National Farmers' Union warns. Wheat yields were almost 15% down, and fruit and vegetable harvests were low. The British Retail Consortium also blamed droughts in the US and Russia.

Asia Pacific

9. GILLARD MISOGYNY RANT WINS ADMIRERS

Australian prime minister Julia Gillard has been acclaimed after rounding on the leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott, accusing him of misogyny, during a parliamentary debate. However, many Australian commenters claim her attack was hypocritical as she was defending a political ally from sexism allegations.

Gillard's 'misogyny' rant wins praise, but is she a hypocrite?

Theatre

10. HOT TICKET: ART AND DEATH IN VENICE

A revival of Howard Barker's drama about artistic freedom, 'Scenes from an Execution', is winning plaudits at the National Theatre. Fiona Shaw stars as a free-spirited artist in 16th century Venice, who is imprisoned and betrayed by her lover when her artwork offends her patron. "Wonderful," says The Times.

Fiona Shaw gives bravura show in Scenes from an Execution