Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 15 Jun 2012

1. STIMULUS SCHEME BOOSTS BANK SHARES

Bank shares were up by six per cent today after Sir Mervyn King announced that the Bank of England will inject £140 billion into the economy in cheap loans. The move aims to get banks lending to businesses and house buyers in the face of a "worsening economic outlook".

Treasury and BoE prepare for Greece poll with money injection

2. 'FIFTY-YEAR STORM' HITS BRITAIN

Britain is braced for more stormy weather this weekend after a "once in 50 years" storm hit parts of Britain today. England, Wales and the Midlands have been put back on flood alert with predictions of a month's worth of rain in 24 hours, 70 mph winds and thunder storms continuing until Saturday. Up to 50mm of rain is expected in Wales and the south west, with rivers expected to burst their banks.

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UK weather misery continues as 'once-in-50-year' flooding hits

3. NO 'GAME OF MONOPOLY' WITH FALKLANDS

Prime Minister David Cameron told Argentine President Cristina Kirchner that Britain would not play "a game of global Monopoly" with the Falklands as the islanders marked the 30th anniversary of Britain's victory in the Falklands War. Kirchner denounced British "colonialism" at the United Nations, where a committee called for "peaceful talks".

Argentina and Falkland Islanders face off at United Nations

4. ALLEN STANFORD JAILED FOR 11O YEARS

Texas billionaire Allen Stanford, one-time backer of Twenty20 cricket, was yesterday sentenced in Houston to 110 years in jail for the $7 billion "Ponzi scheme" investment fraud in which he had treated thousands of investors "like roadkill". Stanford, 62, showed no contrition and said "I will always be at peace with the way I conducted myself".

5. BEATLE'S LIVERPOOL BIRTHPLACE SAVED

The red brick terraced 'back to back' where Beatle Ringo Starr was born has been saved from demolition, housing minister Grant Shapps announced yesterday. Nine Madryn Street and 15 neighbouring houses in Dingle were going to be knocked down by Liverpool City Council in a "regeneration" plan, but will be refurbished after a public outcry.

6. GAME OF THRONES PUTS BUSH'S HEAD ON SPIKE

The makers of Game of Thrones have apologised for putting a head that looks like the former US president, George W Bush, on a spike in an episode of the TV series. Creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss said: "Bush's head appears in a couple of beheading scenes. It's not a choice. It's not a political statement. We just had to use whatever head we had around."

HBO to delete Game of Thrones Bush head on spike scene

7. 99 ARRESTED IN PAEDOPHILE RAIDS

A retired teacher, members of the armed forces and a scout leader were among 99 people arrested yesterday as police throughout Britain executed 140 search warrants targeting online paedophilia. Eighty children were "removed from harm", including 20 found at raided homes. The operation was led by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

8. 'PITIFUL' PROGRESS ON SAVING OCEAN LIFE

Governments' fulfillment of commitments to protect marine life and restrict commercial fishing has been "pitiful" in the 20 years since international agreements were signed at the Rio Earth Summit, scientists from the Zoological Society of London write in the journal Science today, as environmentalists prepare for next week's Rio +20 summit.

9. COUNCIL CALLS OFF BAN ON CHILD'S BLOG

Argyll and Bute Council overturned a ban on nine-year-old Martha Payne posting pictures of her school dinners online today. Hours earlier, it claimed the schoolgirl's popular blog NeverSeconds was causing "harm and distress" to catering staff at her school.

Council overturns ban on child's school dinner blog NeverSeconds

10. HOT TICKET: CRONENBERG TAKES US FOR A RIDE

David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis, based on a Don DeLillo novel, opens in cinemas today. Twilight star Robert Pattinson plays a young billionaire on a day-long, cross-town, Manhattan limousine ride to financial and personal destruction. "Flat-out marvellous," says The Guardian.

Robert Pattinson shines in cyber-capitalism horror Cosmopolis