Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 29 Aug 2013

1. PM RULES OUT ANY ATTACK ON SYRIA

David Cameron has definitively ruled out British involvement in any military action against Syria after the government lost a crucial vote in the House of Commons last night which was designed to help pave the way for a possible intervention. The loss of the vote - described as a "devastating blow" to the PM's authority", by The Guardian - came after 30 Tory MPs joined forces with Labour to oppose the motion.

Syria crisis: PM accused of climbdown as intervention vote shelved

2. MAN CHARGED OVER KILBURN MURDER

Martell Warren, 22, has been charged with the murder of nursery worker Sabrina Moss. The nursery worker was shot in the early hours of Saturday morning as she celebrated her 24th birthday with friends in Kilburn, north London. Warren, who was charged with three counts of attempted murder, will appear in court on Friday.

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3. FORT HOOD 'TRAITOR' GETS DEATH PENALTY

A US Army psychiatrist who shot dead 13 of his fellow troops and injured many more after going on the rampage at a Texas army base has been sentenced to death. Nidal Malik Hasan, an American-born Muslim, fired 146 rounds on troops preparing for deployment in Afghanistan, the worst mass murder at a military installation in US history. He said he had "switched sides".

Nidal Hasan death sentence for Fort Hood killing spree

4. ROLF HARRIS CHARGED WITH 13 OFFENCES

Australian-born entertainer and artist Rolf Harris has been charged with nine counts of indecent assault and four counts of making indecent images of a child, the CPS has said. Six offences of indecent assault relate to a girl aged between 15 and 16 from 1980 to 1981 and three offences of indecent assault relate to a girl aged 14, in 1986.

5. SNOWDEN 'STOLE' IDENTITIES

Surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden accessed some secret national security documents by assuming the electronic identities of top NSA officials, it has been claimed. “Every day, they are learning how brilliant [Snowden] was,” a former US official with knowledge of the case told NBC News.

6. REPENT HOMOPHOBIA, WELBY TELLS CHURCH

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, says Christians should "repent" the way gay and lesbian people have been treated in the past, saying the church at different times could be seen to have "implicitly or even explicitly" supported homophobia. He said the vast majority of people under 35 think the Christian attitude to gay people is "wicked", but stood by his decision to vote against same-sex marriage.

7. TWITTER INSTALLS REPORT BUTTON

Twitter has installed a ‘report tweet’ option on its website that allows users to flag up abusive messages sent by online ‘trolls’. The move is in response to a campaign triggered by abuse sent to high-profile women including classicist and TV presenter Mary Beard and newspaper columnists Hadley Freeman and Grace Dent.

8. ZETA JONES AND DOUGLAS TO SPLIT

The film-star couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have separated after 13 years, announcing they are "taking some time apart to evaluate and work on their marriage". Both have suffered health problems in recent years- Douglas, 68, with throat cancer, while Zeta Jones has spoken about having bipolar disorder, which can lead to episodes of depression.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones announce split

9. BROADCASTER CLIFF MORGAN DIES AT 83

Cliff Morgan, the former Welsh rugby international and broadcaster, has died at the age of 83. During his career he captained Wales and the British and Irish Lions. After retiring he joined the BBC and is perhaps best known for his commentary on the Barbarians v New Zealand match in 1973 when he described what is now known as the 'greatest try ever scored'.

Cliff Morgan and 'greatest try ever scored' - video

10. HOT TICKET: THARK FARCE AT THE PARK

A revival of Ben Travers' 1927 Aldwych farce, Thark, has opened at the Park Theatre, London. After selling the family home of Thark, Hector Benbow and his family set out to disprove rumours that their old house is haunted. "Blissful tomfoolery," says The Independent. Until 22 September.

Classic Aldwych farce Thark is 'blissful' period tomfoolery