Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 10 Apr 2012

1. OSBORNE SHOCKED BY TOP TAX DODGERS

Chancellor George Osborne yesterday promised to track down millionaire tax dodgers and close the loopholes which let them get away with paying 10 per cent or "nothing at all". He told The Daily Telegraph that he had been shocked by the "aggressive avoidance" revealed in an HM Revenue study.

It's a bit late to be 'shocked' by millionaires' tax dodges, George

2. ROBERT MUGABE 'CLOSE TO DEATH'

Speculation is rising that Zimbabwe's 88-year-old President Robert Mugabe is close to death at a hospital in Singapore. Last week's cabinet meeting was cancelled, as was one due today. A WikiLeaks cable from 2008, released last year, said Mugabe had prostate cancer which had spread to other organs.

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

Will 'Crocodile' Mnangagwa succeed ailing Mugabe?

3. FACEBOOK PAYS $1BN FOR INSTAGRAM

Facebook yesterday bought the photo-sharing social network Instagram, founded just two years ago, for $1bn in cash and shares. Mark Zuckerberg pledged that Instagram's 30 million users would "keep the ability not to share photos on Facebook", but some subscriptions have already been cancelled.

Why has Facebook bought Instagram for $1bn?

4. SYRIA CEASEFIRE HOPES DASHED

A UN-backed deadline for the pull-out of government troops from key flashpoints in Syria has passed with no reduction in violence. New clashes were reported in Homs, northern Aleppo province and Damascus. Turkey says it is planning its response to Syrian attacks yesterday across their mutual border which killed two and injured dozens.

5. RAF SIMONS CHOSEN TO REPLACE GALLIANO

Christian Dior has named the Belgian designer Raf Simons, 44, from Jil Sander, as artistic director to replace Briton John Galliano, who left in disgrace last year after an anti-Semitic outburst. Simons will "inspire and push" the Dior style into the 21st Century with his first show in July.

6. EUROPEAN COURT BACKS US EXTRADITION

Abu Hamza, Babar Ahmad and three other terrorist suspects can be extradited to the United States, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. The judges say that the human rights of the five would not be breached if they are held in solitary confinement in ADX Florence, a 'Supermax' jail in Colorado. The men have three months to launch an appeal.

Abu Hamza can be extradited - but ECHR isn't off the hook

7. DAVIES SLAMS REDS' HILLSBOROUGH TRIBUTE

Comedian Alan Davies has received death threats from Twitter users after mocking Liverpool FC's traditional refusal to play on 15 April, the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. "It gets on my tits, that shit," said Davies in his regular podcast for Arsenal fans. "What are you talking about you can't play on the 15th? Why can't they?"

Alan Davies gets death threats from Liverpool fans for Hillsborough jibes

8. SEX PISTOLS SAY 'NO' TO OLYMPIC GIG

Iconic 1970s punk rock group the Sex Pistols have refused an invitation to perform before a worldwide audience at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics on August 12. Leader Johnny Rotten declined to join A Symphony of British Music in the Olympic Stadium for a token fee of £1.

9. EASTER GIFTS FOR THIRD-PLACE ARSENAL

Having defeated Manchester City 1-0 on Sunday, Arsenal watched their two nearest rivals drop priceless points on Easter Monday. Tottenham were beaten 2-1 by Norwich while Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham. Victory over Wolves tomorrow would put Arsenal five points clear of Spurs.

Easter gift for Arsenal as rivals drop points in third place chase

10. HOT TICKET: NEW VIEW OF ANIMALS

'Animal Inside Out' at London's Natural History Museum, designed by the team behind Body Worlds, features almost 100 skinless, plastinated animals including a gorilla, a shark stripped to its blood vessels and an exploded elephant. "Breathtaking", says the New Scientist. Until 16 September.

Animal Inside Out brings viewers face to face with death