Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 9 Dec 2011

1. UK WITHDRAWS FROM EU DEAL

The Prime Minister has refused to join an EU financial crisis accord after 10 hours of negotiations in Brussels. Mr Cameron said it was not in Britain's interest "so I didn't sign up to it". France's President Sarkozy attacked Cameron's "unacceptable" demands for exemptions over financial services.

In or out? Bulldog Cameron to face calls for EU referendum

2. STORM BRINGS CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION

A trail of destruction has been left over Scotland and northern England after gales of up to 165mph hit Britain. The worst storm in a decade left 60,000 Scottish homes without power. The gales caused a 300ft wind turbine to explode into flames in North Ayrshire and a bridge to collapse in North Yorkshire.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Weather bomb: the storm phenomenon brewing over Britain

3. TWO DEAD IN VIRGINIA UNI GUNFIRE

Two people have died after a shooting at Virginia Tech university, including a campus policeman who was a father of five. The shooting began during a routine traffic stop by the officer. Reports suggest the gunman shot himself. The campus was the scene of America's worst college massacre four years ago.

Virginia Tech locked down after policeman shot dead

4. LEVESON: INQUIRY NOT A WITCH-HUNT

Lord Justice Leveson says he is not on a "great witch-hunt" against newspapers. Speaking at his inquiry into phone-hacking and media standards, he said he still believes that an "enormous amount goes absolutely right" in the industry and that tabloids do "an enormously valuable job".

5. PUTIN BLAMES US FOR DEMOS

Vladimir Putin has accused the US of orchestrating the protests in Russia following Sunday's election. In a Cold War-style outburst, he said Hillary Clinton sent activists to stir-up trouble and also claimed foreign countries were spending hundreds of millions of dollars to influence Russian elections.

6. EARLY AFGHANISTAN PULL-OUT MULLED

Up to 4,000 British troops could leave Afghanistan early in a move being considered by the Prime Minister. The Guardian believes the pull-out is favoured by at least two senior members of the cabinet, who want to cut the costs of the decade-long military campaign.

7. IRAN DISPLAYS 'CAPTURED' DRONE

The US Stealth Sentinel drone believed to have been shot down by Iran has been paraded on state television under a banner reading “We’ll trample the US”. Russia and China have asked Iran for permission to inspect the technology of the RQ-170 Sentinel drone, which appeared intact.

'US can't do a damn thing' says Iran after drone capture

8. GOLDMAN WHISTLEBLOWER FACES SACK

The whistleblower who revealed that HM Revenue & Customs excused Goldman Sachs from paying £10million of tax penalties faces disciplinary procedures and could be sacked. HMRC managers have launched an inquiry into the conduct of solicitor Osita Mba, who could be prosecuted.

9. WOMEN TO SERVE ON SUBMARINES

Women will be allowed to serve aboard Royal Navy submarines from 2013. They had previously been excluded because of now-disputed fears that levels of carbon dioxide in the vessels carried risks for female fertility. Many navy wives oppose the move, fearing sex scandals.

10. HOT TICKET: RUIZ’S LAST TAKE

The last film of acclaimed French-Chilean arthouse director Raul Ruiz, who died earlier this year, opens in the UK today. The sprawling adaptation of 19th century Portuguese writer Camilo Castelo Branco’s novel about an orphan’s search for his origins is long, but The Guardian calls it “a gorgeous, mesmeric spectacle”.

Mysteries of Lisbon: fitting testament to arthouse great