Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 7 Mar 2013

The Times claims there is a right-wing plot among senior Conservatives to "unseat" the coalition and possibly challenge David Cameron's leadership before the 2015 general election. David Davis, Liam Fox, John Redwood and Chris Grayling are all named as attendees at a private dinner. Grayling is said to have warned the group that it would be "madness" to challenge Cameron.

Over-indulgence in processed meat such as sausages, ham and bacon is to blame for one in 30 deaths, according to new European-wide research. Deaths from cancer and heart disease have been linked to the high concentration of fats in processed meat. Researchers say 20g a day is a safe maximum – equivalent to one small rasher of bacon.

Around half of the UK's exploding deer population needs to be shot every year to stop the devastation of woodlands and birdlife, a group of scientists from the University of East Anglia says in a study published today in the Journal of Wildlife Management. The deer population has reached 1.5 million, the highest number since the last Ice Age.

Some of Britain's top authors and playwrights, including Stephen Fry, Sir Tom Stoppard, William Boyd and Margaret Drabble, last night called on all party leaders to implement a libel bill easing draconian 170-year-old laws which have made London the "libel capital of the world". The bill, launched three years ago, has languished since the Leveson inquiry began.