Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 3 Sep 2013

1. OBAMA PLANS 'WIDER' SYRIA ATTACK

President Obama may be planning a wider attack on Syria than previously thought. Such an attack would seek to "degrade" the regime's military capacity by hitting aircraft, artillery and rockets containing sarin gas. The US president is also believed to be considering more support for Syria's rebels.

Syria crisis: Obama hints at wider action against Assad

2. ISRAEL CONFIRMS MISSILE LAUNCH

Israel has confirmed it carried out a test of its Sparrow missile defence system in the Mediterranean today, a launch detected by Russia's early warning system. The missile test triggered alerts across the region where tensions are running high due to the Syria crisis and threats of a US strike.

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

3. FIFTY SHADES MOVIE: ACTORS NAMED

Two relatively low-profile actors have been cast as the leads in the movie version of the bestselling trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey. Britain's Charlie Hunnam and US actress Dakota Johnson will play businessman Christian Grey and student Anastasia Steele, the author of the books, EL James announced.

50 Shades to star Dakota Johnson and Charlie Hunnam. Who are they?

4. BULGER: FURY AT JON VENABLES RELEASE

The parents of murdered toddler James Bulger have reacted furiously to the news that their son's killer, Jon Venables, has been freed from prison. Venables, 31, was released last week and given his fourth identity after serving three years in prison for downloading images of young children being abused.

Jon Venables is 'danger to the public' warns Bulger's mother

5. ARSENAL PAY £42.5M FOR REAL'S MESUT OZIL

Arsenal signed Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil for £42.5m on the last day of the transfer window, smashing the London club's previous record payout. The German midfielder, who signed a five-year deal, said he was "thrilled" to be joining the Gunners. Manchester United signed Marouane Fellaini from Everton for £27.5m.

Arsenal's Wenger cock-a-hoop at signing of 'great' Mesut Ozil

6. FUKUSHIMA LEAKS: JAPAN GOV'T STEPS IN

The Japanese government is to invest £300m in creating a wall of frozen earth around the damaged reactors of the Fukushima nuclear plant, destroyed in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The idea is to prevent groundwater coming into contact with radioactive water. The plant is operated by Tepco, but the government it was "essential" to be involved.

7. BBC VETERAN DAVID JACOBS DIES AT 87

David Jacobs, the suave BBC music presenter whose career spanned seven decades and included Juke Box Jury and Top of the Pops, has died at the age of 87. He had been treated for liver cancer and Parkinson's Disease. BBC director general Lord Hall called him "one of the great broadcast personalities".

8. WALKIE TALKIE TOWER BLOCK 'MELTS' CAR

Developers of the tower block at 20 Fenchurch Street, London, known as the ‘Walkie Talkie' for its distinctive shape, are investigating reports that the building's sun-reflecting sides have melted a bicycle seat and damaged cars. A businessman said the panels of his Jaguar had warped and his wing mirror had melted in the reflected heat.

London skyscraper 'melting' cars with scorching ray of light

9. FEDERER KNOCKED OUT OF US OPEN

Roger Federer, the Swiss tennis star with 17 Grand Slam titles to his name, was knocked out of the US Open yesterday in a shock three-sets defeat by Spain's Tommy Robredo. This is the first year since 2002 that Federer has failed to reach a Grand Slam final. Some admirers are urging him to retire before he’s humiliated further.

Roger Federer urged to retire after US Open humiliation

10. HOT TICKET: BLUE STOCKINGS AT GLOBE

'Blue Stockings', written and directed by Jessica Swale, has opened at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. It is based on the true story of the battle fought at Girton College, Cambridge, in 1896 to earn women the right to graduate and is dedicated to Malala Yousafzai, the teenager who defied the Taliban to go to school. "A triumph," says The Times.

Jessica Swale's Blue Stockings at the Globe 'a triumph'