Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 2 Apr 2013

1. BRITAIN TO ESCAPE TRIPLE-DIP SLUMP

Britain has avoided a triple dip recession, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) claimed last night following a survey of 7,000 companies which indicated that a "strong performance" by service industries had kept the economy growing in the first three months of 2013. Official figures show the service sector grew by 0.8%, but employment fell.

Britain will avoid triple-dip recession, says BCC

2. NORTH KOREA CALL FOR MORE NUKES

North Korea says it has restarted a nuclear reactor capable of producing "one atomic bomb's worth of plutonium" a year. Pyongyang's decision to restart the Yongbyon reactor comes two days after the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, called for the expansion of "the quality and quantity" of his country's nuclear arsenal.

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N Korea re-opens reactor that can make plutonium

3. CYPRUS FINANCE MINISTER QUITS

The Cypriot finance minister, Michael Sarris, resigned today after concluding talks with the island's international lenders. President Nicos Anastasiades, who accepted his resignation, was reportedly unhappy with Sarris' handling of the island's financial crisis. Labor Minister Haris Georgiadis is considered a possible successor.

4. TOURIST RAPED ON RIO MINI-BUS

A foreign tourist was raped and robbed on a minibus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian police reported last night. The woman, believed to be an American in her 20s, was attacked alongside her boyfriend after they boarded the bus in the Copacabana beach area of the city. The couple were also forced to withdraw cash. Two men have been arrested.

5. MICK AND MAIREAD PHILPOTT GUILTY

Mick and Mairead Philpott, the parents of six children who died in a house fire in Derby, have been found guilty of their manslaughter. The court heard Mick had been attempting to frame his ex-mistress to win custody of his other children when he set the fire last May. They will be sentenced tomorrow alongside their friend Paul Mosley, who was also found guilty.

6. DI CANIO HITS BACK AT RACISM CLAIMS

New Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio, accused of praising Mussolini and making fascist salutes, yesterday retorted that to call him a racist was "absolutely stupid and ridiculous". Chief executive Margaret Byrne said the accusations were "insulting not only to him but to the integrity of this football club." But protests spread among supporters.

'Fascist' Sunderland boss Paolo di Canio must explain himself

7. IDS RIDICULED OVER BENEFITS CLAIM

More than 130,000 people have signed an online petition calling on Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to prove his assertion that he could live on £53 a week. Duncan Smith made the comment on Radio 4's Today programme as he defended the Government's shake-up of the benefits system.

Iain Duncan Smith ridiculed over '£53 a week' claim

8. SUN CRIME EDITOR IN THE CLEAR

The crime editor of The Sun has been told by police investigating illegal payments to public officials that he will face no further action. Mike Sullivan was arrested on 28 January last year. The 49-year-old, who was detained at the same time as three other current and former journalists from the tabloid, welcomed the decision.

9. CHELSEA BEATS MAN U TO CUP SEMI-FINALS

FA Cup holders Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-nil in the replay yesterday to secure a place in the FA cup semi-finals. The win set up the possibility of a fifth FA cup win for Chelsea in seven years. The winning goal was scored by the Senegalese striker Demba Ba. Manchester United played without injured Wayne Rooney.

Man Utd face title anticlimax as Ba brilliance lifts Chelsea

10. HOT TICKET: PETER PAN MEETS ALICE

John Logan's new play Peter and Alice, starring Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw, has opened at the Noel Coward Theatre. When the girl who inspired Alice in Wonderland meets the real life inspiration for Peter Pan, they reflect on how their literary characters have changed their lives. "Haunting," says the Daily Telegraph. Until 1 June.

Skyfall duo Dench and Whishaw 'terrific' as Peter and Alice