10 things you need to know today: October 4, 2012

1. MITT PLAYS OFFENSE AT FIRST DEBATE

An aggressive Mitt Romney came out swinging against President Obama in the first presidential debate in Denver on Wednesday night. The Republican ripped Obama's record, arguing that the president's vision for the future would kill jobs. While there was no knockout moment, the tables seemed to turn in the GOPer's favor as he forced the president to defend his first term. Romney criticized Obama's plan to repeal tax cuts for small businesses and referenced Vice President Joe Biden's "buried" gaffe this week, saying "Under the president's policies, middle-income Americans have been buried." [Washington Post]

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2. TURKEY CONTINUES STRIKES AGAINST SYRIA

Turkey continued to shell military targets in Syria for the second consecutive day on Thursday. The attack was in retaliation for Syrian forces' pounding of a Turkish town, which killed five civilians on Wednesday. NATO has called for an emergency meeting and is urging Syria to immediately stop violence against Turkey. The attacks come as Ankara lawmakers debate legislation allowing cross-border raids, as violence escalates between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebel forces who want to oust him. [New York Times]

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3. TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN BORDER AGENT DEATH

Two suspects have been detained in Mexico in connection with the killing of U.S. Border Patrol agent Nicholas Ivie. The shooting occurred in Naco, Ariz., on Tuesday when a sensor triggered an alarm along the border and three agents went to investigate. Another agent was wounded, while the third escaped. The suspects are being held in a Mexican military facility in Agua Prieta. [Reuters]

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4. LANDSLIDE BURIES 18 STUDENTS IN CHINA

A landslide in southwest China on Thursday buried 18 elementary school students studying during a public holiday to make up for classes canceled due to recent earthquakes. The landslide toppled Youfang Elementary School and hit two farmhouses in Zhenhe village, in the southwestern part of the country. The area was hit by an earthquake last month that killed 81 people. [Associated Press]

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5. CAR BOMB KILLS FIVE IN IRAQ

A car bomb explosion west of Baghdad has killed five people and injured 13, according to Iraqi officials. The bomb went off in the chic Mansour district, narrowly missing a convoy of employees working for a foreign security company. No one immediately took responsibility for the attack, in which three policeman were wounded. [Associated Press]

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6. BOOK: OBAMA WANTED CIVILIAN TRIAL FOR OSAMA

According to a new book, President Obama wanted to put Osama bin Laden on trial if the terrorist mastermind surrendered during a U.S. raid in Pakistan last year. Obama told Mark Bowden, author of The Finish, that he believed a trial would show the U.S.'s commitment to due process. It would also prevent bin Laden from "appearing as a martyr," argued Obama. [Washington Post]

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7. CABRERA NABS MLB'S TRIPLE CROWN

The Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera won baseball's esteemed Triple Crown — the first one since 1967 — during a game with the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. The honor is earned when a player leads the league in batting average, runs batted in, and home runs. "It's an unbelievable feeling," Cabrera said. "It was hard the last two days because everybody talked about it. I just had to focus, I had to go out there and do the job." [Sports Illustrated]

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8. EX-PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT ARROYO ARRESTED

Authorities arrested former Philippine President Gloria Macapgal Arroyo on Thursday for corruption. Arroyo was served the arrest warrant while in a hospital, where she had gone for a neck ailment. Arroyo allegedly misused $8.8 million in state lottery funds while in office. It is her third indictment since her resignation two years ago. Police said Arroyo was cooperative with the arresting officers. [Associated Press]

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9. REPORT: IPAD MINI PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN

Apple has begun to produce a smaller iPad, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The tablet will feature a 7.85-inch LCD display. It has a lower resolution than the latest iPad, which has a 9.7-inch screen. According the report, mass production of the new iPad began last month. [Wall Street Journal]

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10. OBAMAS CELEBRATE 20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

President Obama celebrated his 20th anniversary with First Lady Michelle Obama in front of 40 million people watching the presidential debate on Wednesday night. Obama kicked off the face-off in Denver by saying he "became the luckiest man on earth" when he married his wife. He called her "sweetie" and wished her a happy anniversary from the podium. Republican Mitt Romney congratulated the couple, joking that "[the debate stage] is the most romantic place you can imagine, here with me." [Associated Press]