Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 21 Jan 2012

1. BODY OF IRAQ HOSTAGE RETURNED

The body of Iraq kidnap victim Alan McMenemy has been handed over to the British Embassy in Baghdad. McMenemy was taken hostage alongside four other men in May 2007. One, Peter Moore, was released alive in 2010 and the bodies of the other three returned in 2009.

2. NEWT GINGRICH SURGES IN POLL

White House hopeful Newt Gingrich has risen in an opinion poll ahead of today's South Carolina Republican presidential primary. The former House Speaker opened a six per cent lead over Mitt Romney after furiously challenging allegations about his personal life during a television debate.

3. SOUL LEGEND ETTA JAMES DIES

The legendary soul singer Etta James has died aged 73. James, who sang classics such as At Last and I'd Rather Go Blind, was diagnosed with leukaemia last year and died from complications related to the condition. Her manager said James' husband and sons were at her side as she passed away in hospital.

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

4. IRANIAN POLICE TARGET BARBIE DOLLS

Police in Iran have targeted shops selling Barbie dolls as the battle against Western influence continues in the Islamic Republic. The dress and hairstyle of Barbie dolls offends demands for female modesty. The crackdown follows a similar campaign against shop window mannequins.

5. POLICE HANDED HUHNE CASE EMAILS

The case against Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce - who are being investigated over conspiracy to pervert the course of justice relating to a speeding incident - has been strengthened after The Sunday Times agreed to hand to police potentially incriminating emails.

6. COE: LET PARENTS CHEER ON KIDS

Employers should let working parents take time off work to watch their children play sport, Lord Coe tells The Times. The Conservative peer and chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games said: “It is crucial for children that they are supported."

7. ANTI-GAY MUSLIMS CONVICTED

Three Muslims from Derby who circulated leaflets calling for gay people to be killed have become the first people in Britain to be convicted of inciting hatred on the grounds of sexuality. The men admitted distributing the leaflets but pleaded not guilty to the charges. They will be sentenced in February.

8. CONCORDIA CAPTAIN 'CRIED LIKE A BABY'

The increasingly besieged captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship "cried like a baby" and hugged its chaplain just hours after the boat capsized, the priest told a French magazine. Meanwhile, the company that operated the cruise ship is facing a class-action lawsuit in the US.

9. ASSASSIN THREAT AGAINST RUSHDIE

Salman Rushdie has withdrawn from a literature festival in India after being warned that assassins from the Mumbai underworld were on their way to "eliminate" him. "While I have some doubts about the accuracy of this intelligence, it would be irresponsible of me to come to the Festival in such circumstances," he said.

10. HARI DECLINES INDIE RETURN

Johann Hari, the journalist suspended from The Independent for plagiarism, has rejected a return to the newspaper. Hari - who also admits to malicious Wikipedia editing - said he does not want others at the newspaper to "take the flak" for his actions. He now plans to write a book.