Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 31 Jul 2012

1. SILVER FOR GB EVENTING TEAM

Great Britain's eventing team took Olympic silver today at Greenwich. The team, which features the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips and 51-year-old Mary King, came second behind Germany after the showjumping. Yesterday the British men's gymnastics team took its first group Olympic medal for a hundred years when they claimed bronze.

GB's 'greatest ever' gymnasts win first medal for 100 years

2. CHINESE SWIMMER DENIES DOPING CLAIM

A 16-year-old Chinese Olympic swimmer who took gold on Saturday for a swim in which she outpaced the winner of the men's event has been forced to deny doping insinuations after the US swimming coach John Leonard called her performance "disturbing". Ye Shiwen broke a new record for the 400m individual medley.

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Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen's feat 'disturbing' says US coach

3. POLICE ARREST TEEN OVER DALEY TWEETS

Police have arrested a teenager in Weymouth after an internet 'troll' sent abusive messages to teenage British diver Tom Daley on Twitter. Earlier Daley and his partner Pete Waterfield just missed out on a medal in the diving competition. One tweet included the words "You let your Dad down" - Daley's father is dead.

Teenager arrested after diver Tom Daley gets hate tweets

4. SYRIAN REBELS HOLD OUT IN ALEPPO

The 'Syrian Free Army' has lasted another night in the country's second city despite a heavy government offensive now entering its fourth day. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled the city while hospitals and clinics are said to be at breaking point. The US and Turkey have called again for a "political transition".

If Assad falls, is Britain ready to rescue Syria's Christians?

5. MET WINS COURT ORDER ON MULCAIRE

The Met police has won a court order giving detectives the right to see a statement made by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, at the centre of the phone-hacking scandal, in which he names the News of the World officials who he says ordered him to tap into the voicemails of celebrities and other people in the news.

6. HALF OF INDIA LEFT WITHOUT POWER

More than half of India has been left without power after the northern, eastern, and north-eastern electricity grids broke down. The outages have affected around 600m people in 20 of India's states. The Prime Minister has blamed states for taking too much power from the national grid.

7. AUTHOR MAEVE BINCHY DIES AT 72

Novelist Maeve Binchy, who sold more than 40m books worldwide and had her work translated into 37 different languages, has died at the age of 72. One of Ireland's best-loved writers, her book Circle of Friends became a Hollywood film in 1995. She wrote about the collision between tradition and modernity in Ireland.

Leading writers pay tribute to Irish author Maeve Binchy

8. SAVILE'S TREASURES OUTSELL ESTIMATES

An auction of Sir Jimmy Savile's possessions has raised far more than the anticipated £250,000. His Rolls Royce Corniche sold for £130,000, while a silver lame tracksuit went for £190. The late DJ's last wish on his death in October at the age of 84 was that his things be sold to raise money for his charitable trust.

9. MILLION POUND VIOLIN LEFT ON TRAIN

A Stradivarius violin - so unique it is hard to price, but possibly worth several million pounds - has been handed in to a railway lost property office after a musician left it on a train. The instrument was found at Bern station in Switzerland after a fruitless search. CCTV footage showed it being carried off by another passenger.

10. HOT TICKET: THE ORCS ARE BACK IN TOWN

‘Orcs Must Die 2!’ is a new video game featuring The Apprentice – nothing to do with Lord Sugar, but a human survivor facing the deadly Orcs. It’s the sequel to last year’s hit game, and provides users with a winning combination of skill and blood-letting. “Awesome,” says Game Spy.

Orcs Must Die 2! - sheer joy in calculated carnage