Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 14 Dec 2012

1. MILIBAND: ALL BRITONS SHOULD SPEAK ENGLISH

Anyone who works in a publicly-funded role and interacts with the public will have to speak reasonable English if Labour return to power, Ed Miliband will say today. Ideally, all Britons should speak the language if Britain is to be a “connected nation" rather than a “segregated one", the Labour leader will say. "We can only converse if we can speak the same language."

'We got it wrong': Miliband calls for all Britons to speak English

2. BRITAIN PAYS £2.2M TO RENDITION VICTIM

The British government has agreed to pay £2.2 million to Libyan dissident Sami al-Saadi to settle legal claims that MI6 was involved in his kidnapping and illegal rendition to Libya in 2004, where he was tortured. Al-Saadi and his family were forced onto a plane in Hong Kong. The settlement avoids a court hearing.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

MI6 and CIA under scrutiny after 'rendition' court cases

3. ONE OF NURSE'S NOTES 'CRITICISED STAFF'

One of the suicide notes left by Jacintha Saldanha criticised staff at the King Edward VII hospital, according to The Guardian, despite hospital officials previously maintaining they were fully supportive of her. In Australia, the two radio presenters who made the hoax call went into hiding yesterday following death threats.

Jacintha Saldanha left note 'critical of hospital staff'

4. GARY MCKINNON WILL NOT FACE CHARGES

Computer hacker Gary McKinnon, whose extradition to America was blocked in October, will not face criminal charges in the UK it has been announced. The news brings to an end a ten-year legal battle. McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, was wanted in the US after he hacked into US government computers. His mother Janis Sharop said the news was "amazing".

5. LINCOLN FILM LEADS GLOBE NOMINATIONS

British star Daniel Day-Lewis was nominated for best actor last night as Steven Spielberg's presidential biopic Lincoln became the front-runner for this year's Golden Globes, bellweather for the Oscars, with seven nominations. Ben Affleck's thriller Argo and Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, not yet released, collected five nominations each.

Lincoln tops Golden Globes, but where are Bond and Batman?

6. BRITAIN ON NOTICE OVER AAA RATING

Britain's gold-plated AAA credit rating yesterday suffered a new blow after the Standard and Poor's rating agency became the third to give it a “negative outlook" warning. The agency said there was a “one in three" chance that they would cut Britain's rating within two years because of growing debt and declining growth.

7. ENGLAND ROCK INDIA IN FOURTH TEST

England had India on the rack at the close of day two in the final Test in Nagpur after Jimmy Anderson claimed three wickets to leave the hosts reeling on 87-4, still 243 runs behind England's first innings total. Earlier debutant Joe Root, wicketkeeper Matt Prior and Graeme Swann all scored half centuries as England posted a respectable total of 330.

8. TOUR DE FRANCE TO START IN LEEDS

The Tour de France will start in Yorkshire in 2014. The 'Grand Depart' will take place in Leeds and and after two stages in the north the third day of the race will feature a finish in London. Race director Christian Prudhomme said the success of Bradley Wiggins and the popularity of the Tour's last visit to England in 2007 had convinced them.

9. HUGH GRANT 'WORST GUEST EVER'

English actor Hugh Grant has been singled out by the American comedian Jon Stewart as the worst guest ever on his Daily Show. Stewart said the rom-com actor was unpleasant to the programme staff and would never be allowed back. “He's a big pain in the ass," Stewart told a fundraiser for the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey

Hugh Grant 'worst guest ever' says US host Jon Stewart

10. HOT TICKET: CRITICS PRAISE SMASHED STARS

American comedy-drama 'Smashed' opens in UK cinemas today to glowing reviews for actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead and 'Breaking Bad' star Aaron Paul. They play a hard-drinking young couple whose relationship is threatened when one of them tries to get sober. “Winstead and Paul are dynamite," says Rolling Stone.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Smashed deserves an Oscar