Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 23 Mar 2012

1. TEBBIT SLAMS 'LOUSY' GRANNY TAX

George Osborne is facing a torrent of criticism for his 'stealth tax' on pensioners. Tory party grandee Lord Tebbit called it an "error … unfair and lousy politics". Meanwhile, £30m was wiped off the value of bakery chain Greggs' yesterday after it was announced VAT would now be payable on hot takeaway food.

Granny tax: was this Osborne's Gordon Brown moment?

2. HOUSTON DROWNED AFTER COCAINE USE

Singer Whitney Houston, who was found dead in an LA hotel bath last month, died of accidental drowning, a coroner has ruled. However, he also found that drug abuse and heart disease were factors in her death. Tests indicated that the 48-year-old was a chronic cocaine user, which her family said was "saddening".

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3. TOULOUSE GUNMAN WAS ON 'NO-FLY' LIST

Mohamed Merah, the serial killer gunman shot dead by French police after an armed siege, was not under surveillance despite having been placed on the USA's no-fly list for suspected terrorists. The killer had also been 'summoned' by the country's police service after he was found visiting Afghanistan.

How Toulouse gunman Merah changed the French election

4. 'RAMPAGE' SOLDIER FACES MURDER CHARGES

Staff Sgt Robert Bales, the 38-year-old US soldier who is the only suspect in the "rampage" killing of Afghan civilians in Kandahar on March 11, will be charged with 17 counts of murder, US officials say. Bales, who is in a US military prison, could face the death penalty if he is convicted of the shootings.

Taliban vows revenge as Bales faces 17 counts of murder

5. CAMERON WANTS MINIMUM ALCOHOL PRICE

The government is proposing a minimum price for alcohol of 40p per unit in an attempt to tackle what David Cameron called the "scourge" of binge drinking. It says the plan would not affect responsible pubs or drinkers. A spokesman for the drinks industry quickly dubbed the plans "seriously misguided".

6. IAEA IS 'REPEATING IRAQ ERRORS'

The International Atomic Energy Authority has been accused by several former officials of repeating mistakes made over Iraq's supposed WMDs in its approach to Iran's nuclear programme: showing pro-Western bias, relying too heavily on unverified intelligence and sidelining sceptics.

7. TRAYVON MARTIN POLICE CHIEF QUITS

The police chief of a Florida city where a black teenager walking home from a sweet shop was shot dead by a neighbourhood watch member resigned last night after the state governor responded to thousands of demonstrators including the Rev Jesse Jackson by ordering a fresh investigation into the killing.

Justice Florida-style: will this vigilante get away with murder?

8. TITAN'S 1,000-YEAR RAINFALL EXPLAINED

US scientists have come to the conclusion that it rains every 1,000 years on the surface of Titan, one of Saturn's moons, based on the study of deep river channels on its surface. Titan is the only known body in the solar system, other than earth, where it rains – though it pours liquid methane rather than water.

9. ABRAMOVICH OFFERS GUARDIOLA £40M

The Sun claims today that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich wants to make Pep Guardiola the world's highest-paid manager by offering him a deal worth £40m after tax to take over at Stamford Bridge - £10m a year. Guardiola's deal with Barcelona, worth a mere £8m a year – is up at the end of the season.

10. HOT TICKET: EPIC HUNGER GAMES

The Hunger Games, a sci-fi action thriller adapted from a series of best-selling young adult novels by Suzanne Collins, opens at UK cinemas today. Jennifer Lawrence stars as tenacious heroine Katniss Everdeen, who must compete in a deadly televised survival game to save her younger sister. “Essential sci-fi”, says the Telegraph.

The Hunger Games – a sci-fi epic for our times