Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 9 Oct 2012

1. NEW RIGHTS TO USE FORCE ON BURGLARS

Householders who attack burglars will not face arrest or prosecution unless they use "grossly disproportionate" violence, such as stabbing a burglar who is already unconscious, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling told the Conservative party conference today. He said the law would be changed at "the first opportunity".

Right to use force on burglars 'a victory for householders'

2. BORIS PRAISES PM'S FIRM LEADERSHIP

Responding to criticism that he has tried to upstage David Cameron at the Tory conference, Boris Johnson today paid tribute to the PM's "firm leadership", and said of his own achievements as London mayor: "We fought to keep London from lurching back into the grip of a Marxist cabal of taxpayer-funded Chateauneuf du Pape-swilling tax minimisers and bendy bus fetishists."

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Has Cameron done a 'Granita deal' with Boris Johnson?

3. IMF DOWNGRADES GROWTH PROSPECTS

The global economic recovery is weakening as government policies have failed to restore confidence, the International Monetary Fund reports, singling out the UK for one of its biggest downgrades with the warning that it expects the economy to shrink by 0.4% this year. It expects global growth to decline to 3.5% from 3.3% this year.

Pressure on Osborne as IMF issues gloomy growth forecast

4. SAVILE POLICE HAVE 120 LINES OF INQUIRY

Police investigating claims of sexual abuse by late DJ Jimmy Savile are pursuing 120 separate lines of inquiry and believe there may be between 20 and 25 victims. There have so far been two allegations of rape. Comedian Freddie Starr yesterday admitted he was at a TV recording where one sex attack allegedly took place.

Freddie Starr backtracks over meeting girl on Savile show

5. NEW US POLL SHOWS ROMNEY LEADS OBAMA

Republican contender Mitt Romney has been given a four-point lead over Barack Obama in a Pew Research Centre poll released last night, the first to suggest that he has pulled ahead following last week's presidential election television debate. The poll was of "likely voters" and showed gains for Romney among women and in the Mid-Western heartlands.

Romney poll surge: grim for Obama, or par for the course?

6. ASSANGE BACKERS TO FORFEIT BAIL

Nine supporters who pledged bail for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange were yesterday ordered to forfeit £93,500 and told to produce the money by 6 November. The bail holders had "failed in their basic duty to ensure his surrender" when Assange sought sanctuary at the Ecuadorian embassy in June. Last night he entertained pop star Lady Gaga at the embassy.

Lady Gaga visits Julian Assange after backers told to forfeit bail

7. BAUMGARTNER ATTEMPTS MACH 1 FREEFALL

Chances of Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner being able to complete his attempt to break the speed of sound were described this afternoon as 50-50 because of imperfect local weather conditions. Baumgartner was due to skydive at 5.30pm BST from a balloon at the edge of space, 36km above Roswell in the American state of New Mexico.

8. COMEDIAN GUILTY OF HARRASSING PARTNER

Comedian Justin Lee Collins has been sentenced to 140 hours of community service after being convicted of harassing former partner Anna Larke. The court heard that she faced emotional abuse and violence. The comic forced her to sleep facing him and made her throw away DVDs featuring actors she found attractive.

9. PROTESTS AS MERKEL VISITS GREECE

German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced furious anti-austerity protests as she arrived in Greece today. Protests were banned within a 100m radius of the route of her motorcade and snipers were positioned on rooftops. Riot police fired tear gas and stun grenades at a crowd after they attempted to pull down a barrier outside parliament to get to Merkel.

Greece rolls out the red carpet for Angela Merkel - pictures

10. HOT TICKET: PLAY THE REVENGE GAME

New stealth video game 'Dishonored' is released in the UK this week. Gamers take on the role of bodyguard-turned-assassin, Corvo Attano, and find inventive ways to take revenge on his enemies in the fictional city of Dunwall. Voices include Susan Sarandon and Carrie Fisher. "Deliciously macabre," says The Guardian.

Revenge is sweet in magical stealth game Dishonored