Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 13 Aug 2012

1. SPICE GIRLS AND WHO CLOSE GAMES

The 30th modern Olympics ended last night with a spectacular show which, though "not profound" in Lord Coe's words, was hailed as "raucous fun", if "cheesy". Acts on a huge Union Flag stage designed by Damien Hirst included The Spice Girls, The Who, Queen, Ray Davies and the Pet Shop boys.

World loves cheesy and raucous Olympics closing ceremony

2. BRIAN MAY IN OLYMPIC BADGER ROW

Queen guitarist Brian May has been accused of making a political statement at last night's Olympic closing ceremony, when he sported shoulder patches depicting a badger and a fox. May is an opponent of fox hunting and has campaigned against a proposed badgers cull aimed at stopping the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

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Badger cull: rocker Brian May threatens legal action

3. BULGARIAN STRIPPED OF SHOT PUT GOLD

Bulgarian shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk has been stripped of the gold medal she won at the London Olympics after failing a doping test. She was disqualified after officials found the steroid metenolone in a urine sample she provided. New Zealand's Valerie Adams, who was second, has now been awarded gold.

4. TIA MURDER: GRAN'S BOYFRIEND IN COURT

Stuart Hazell, the boyfriend of the grandmother of schoolgirl Tia Sharp, whose disappearance became national news during a nine-day search, has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with her murder. Yesterday, Tia's mother Natalie Sharp and stepfather David Niles laid tributes at a makeshift shrine.

Tia Sharp's body found in bed sheet and bin bag in gran's loft

5. SID WADDELL, VOICE OF DARTS, DEAD AT 72

Darts commentator Sid Waddell has died "peacefully with his family around him", his manager said yesterday. The son of a Northumberland miner, Waddell was also a writer of children's TV shows and was known for his funny, florid and colourful commentary. He had been suffering from bowel cancer.

6. CAMERON: BORIS NOT THE ONLY BIG HITTER

David Cameron has attempted to dispel the momentum that seems to be gathering around Boris Johnson's presumed desire to replace him as leader of the Tory party, playing down his importance and saying he will not "anoint" Johnson as his successor because he is not the only "big hitter" in the party.

7. OBAMA: RYAN IS IDEALOGICALLY DRIVEN

Barack Obama has commented on new Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan, saying he is a "decent" man but the "idealogical leader" of the Republicans, with views "fundamentally" at odds with his own. Ryan is known for radical proposals to reform government social spending and health care.

Obama camp likens Romney VP pick Paul Ryan to Sarah Palin

8. KING WARNS OLYMPIC BOOST WILL FADE

Sir Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, has warned that any boost to business from the Olympics will quickly fade - and won't alter the dire economic outlook for the UK. Writing in the Daily Mail, he urges improved education and skills and reform banks so they "focus less on making money in the short term".

Coalition aims to soothe Olympic hangover with economic cure

9. EGYPT ARMY BOSS OUSTED IN POWER GRAB

Egypt's president, Mohamed Morsi, has fired the head of the military, Hussein Tantawi, as he makes an audacious grab for the power the army had clung to, overturning an order by the military which curbed the powers of the office of president. He has also announced the appointment of a vice-president.

10. HOT TICKET - BOURNE AGAIN

The latest instalment in the Bourne film series, The Bourne Legacy, opens in cinemas today. Past hero Matt Damon is replaced by Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) as a drug-enhanced field agent the CIA want to kill to cover up a black ops program. Also stars Rachel Weisz and Ed Norton. "Dazzling", says LA Times.

Thinking person's action hero Renner takes on Bourne Legacy