Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 5 Oct 2010

published 5 October 2010

Our popular news catch-up service is posted Monday to Friday at 8.0 am, and on weekends at 11.0 am. You can rely on it to keep you up to date with the main news talking points... BACKLASH FOR OSBORNE'S BENEFITS GAMBLEChildren’s minister Tim Loughton last night admitted the Chancellor’s plan to revoke child benefit for families paying the higher rate of tax may have to be revised after senior Tories complained George Osborne was attacking the middle classes. Osborne yesterday announced families with one parent earning over £44,000 would no longer receive the formerly universal benefit. Why Tory hacks have got it in for George Osborne MCGUINNESS SLAMS conflict 'JUNKIES' after car bombNorthern Ireland’s deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein, has condemned a major explosion in Londonderry which is thought to be the work of dissident republicans. A car bomb near Derry’s Da Vinci hotel caused substantial damage but no injuries last night. McGuinness slammed the "futile activities" of "conflict junkies". CHERYL COLE ACCUSED OF RACISMX Factor judge Cheryl Cole has been accused of racism by fans of the show after she decided not to put Zimbabwean contestant Gamu Nhengu through to the final, despite admitting she had a great voice. A Facebook group, ‘Gamu should have gone through’ has 128,000 members while another is called ‘I hate Cheryl Cole! She is racist’. Cheryl starts X Factor row by picking Cher not Gamu MISSING BALLOONIST LEFT VOICEMAILThe US balloonists who went missing last week during the Gordon Bennett race, Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis, left a message for their ground crew 90 minutes before their balloon disappeared over the Adriatic. Abruzzo says "things are good" and "we’re scooting along" in the voicemail. They are not thought to be alive. GOODBYE, SIR NORMAN WISDOMThe comic actor Norman Wisdom has died at his Isle of Wight nursing home, aged 95. Wisdom (above), who has been suffering from dementia, was said to have declined over the past few months with a series of strokes. His downtrodden everyman persona made him famous in films praised by Charlie Chaplin and enjoyed by the Queen. RESCUE IMMINENT FOR CHILE MINERSThe 33 miners trapped underground in Chile by a tunnel collapse in August could be out within the next 10 days, considerably sooner than had been expected. A massive drill widening an existing tunnel will reach them in 48 hours. Then, the sides of the tunnel must be lined with metal tubing before the men can be hauled to the surface. Pic of the day: Chile miners' rescue capsule IT'S GOING TO BE 'DR LENNY'Comedian and actor Lenny Henry has revealed he is about to start a PhD studying the representation of black people in the media at Royal Holloway University in London. The former Tiswas presenter left school with no qualifications but started O-Levels while working and was inspired by the death of his mother in 1998 to earn an MA. TONY CURTIS BURIED IN ARMANIHollywood icon Tony Curtis was buried yesterday in white shorts, his favourite Armani scarf and driving gloves, his wife said. The Some Like it Hot star’s Stetson, iPhone and packets of his favourite cigarettes were interred with him. He was eulogised by his daughter actress Jamie Lee and California governator Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tony Curtis is buried with his iPhone and a Stetson A life in pictures: Tony Curtis remembered CAPELLO NAMES ENGLAND SQUADFabio Capello has called up 33-year-old Bolton striker Kevin Davies for England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro next week. The uncapped veteran's inclusion is something of a surprise as young Newcastle striker Andy Carroll was expected to be picked. Wayne Rooney was also selected along with goalkeeper Robert Green and Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole. IVF MAN WINS NOBEL PRIZEBritish physiologist Robert Edwards, the 'father' of IVF fertilisation, has been honoured with the Nobel prize for medicine or physiology. Edwards was responsible for the conception of Louise Brown, the world's first test tube-baby. A Vatican spokesman yesterday said the Nobel committee’s decision was "out of order". IVF pioneer Robert Edwards wins Nobel Prize