Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 7 May 2012

1. SOCIALIST HOLLANDE WINS IN FRANCE

French socialist Francois Hollande won a clear victory in yesterday’s run-off in the country's presidential election, polling just under 52% of votes. He is the first socialist presidential winner since Francois Mitterrand 31 years ago and promised a rally at the Bastille to lead France away from German-dominated austerity.

Francois Hollande: win gives Miliband chance to push Plan B

2. GREEK VOTERS PUNISH AUSTERITY GOVERNMENT

Early results in Greece's parliamentary elections yesterday showed losses for the two main parties, with Pasok and New Democracy, governing in coalition with EU austerity programmes since last November, losing support to anti-austerity parties and with a left coalition taking second place. A new period of instability is predicted.

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Greece elects neo-Nazis amid new fears for euro and Europe

3. TORY MPS: HIRE BORIS CAMPAIGN MAESTRO

Tory MPs smarting at local election losses yesterday called for London Mayor Boris Johnson’s campaign manager Lynton Crosby, an Australian 'master of the dark arts', to take over Conservative national strategy in place of Chancellor George Osborne.

4. AVENGERS BREAKS BOX OFFICE RECORDS

The Marvel 'Avengers Assemble' superhero movie has broken the record for the biggest opening weekend, taking £123m in the US, figures showed last night, for a worldwide total of £396m. The previous best opening weekend was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Only the British film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was released on the same day.

5. ‘DRUG DRIVING’ LAW FOR QUEENS SPEECH

A law to make ‘drug driving’ a specific offence, with penalties of a jail term, £5,000 fine and 12-month driving ban, are to be set out in the Queen's Speech. It will be included in the Crime, Communications and Court Bill and target drugs including cocaine and cannabis. Police will be issued 'drugalysers' to test suspects’ saliva for drugs.

6. MOSCOW: ANTI-PUTIN DEMOS TURN VIOLENT

Protests against the election of Vladimir Putin, due to be sworn in for a third term as Russian president today, turned violent yesterday after demonstrators tried to break through cordons of riot police as they converged on a bridge in Moscow. Dozens were arrested, including opposition leaders who were urging the crowd to stage a sit-in.

7. CUSTOMS’ GUARD DROPPED IN UK BORDER CRISIS

Customs screening to stop drug and gun smugglers getting into Britain has been “downgraded” as Border officials struggle to get to grips with immigration queues at major airports, senior immigration officers complained yesterday, saying Heathrow was being left with “no border controls”. Officers were being diverted to passport booths.

8. OXFORD STUDENT TO BE ‘NEXT J.K. ROWLING’

Oxford undergraduate Samantha Shannon, 20, was yesterday billed as “the next J. K. Rowling” after signing a six-figure book deal with Bloomsbury, which publishes the Harry Potter series. The contract is for her novel The Bone Season, set in 2059, and two sequels. She started writing at 15 and will use the advance to pay off student loans.

9. MAN CITY CLOSE ON PREMIER TITLE

Manchester City have one hand on the Premier League crown after winning 2-0 away at Newcastle. The win puts the Sky Blues on 86 points, the same as Manchester United, but City's vastly superior goal difference leaves them in the driving seat ahead of 'Super Sunday' in six days' time.

Manchester City just 90 minutes from title after Toure double

10. ARGENTINA NOT SORRY FOR FALKLANDS AD

Argentina's foreign minister Héctor Timerman has rebuffed UK defence secretary Philip Hammond's call for an apology over a provocative Olympics ad filmed on the Falkland Islands, saying: “Mr Hammond should know that the world is safer when we use our creativity, rather than bomb civilians in sovereign countries.”

Argentina claims Falklands in 'disrespectful' Olympic video