Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 6 Sep 2013

1. SYRIA: PUTIN AND OBAMA STILL AT ODDS

Russian president Putin met US President Obama at the G20 summit and discussed the Syria crisis for about 20 minutes. Putin described the meeting as "constructive", but said the two leaders continue to disagree on a military intervention. Earlier, David Cameron reacted angrily to a Russian jibe that the UK is "a small island that no-one listens to".

Execution video should make Cameron think again on Syria

2. US AND UK 'CRACKING ENCRYPTION CODES'

The US and the UK have collaborated with tech companies to crack the encryption technology used to protect internet services like online banking and email, according to the latest Snowden leaks. The Guardian says a leaked memo reveals that when British analysts were first told of the extent of the programme, they were "gobsmacked".

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

NSA and GCHQ have learnt how to 'unlock' encrypted messages

3. GEORGE ZIMMERMAN TO DIVORCE

George Zimmerman, the Florida man whose acquittal on charges of murdering a black teenager divided America, is getting divorced. His wife of six years, Shellie, instigated divorce proceedings citing the pressure of her husband's trial as a contributing factor.

4. DIANA ROMANCE GETS LOVELESS REVIEWS

'Diana', starring Naomi Watts as the late Princess of Wales and focusing on her romance with a London heart surgeon, has been mauled by critics after its premiere. "I hesitate to use the term 'car crash cinema," says the Guardian critic – but that's what it is. "Wesley Snipes in a blonde wig would be more convincing [as Diana]," says the Mirror.

Diana film starring Naomi Watts 'car crash cinema'

5. HITLER'S BODYGUARD DIES AT 96

Rochus Misch, the last survivor of Adolf Hitler’s bunker in Berlin who witnessed the bodies of the Nazi leader and his wife Eva Braun after their suicide in 1945, has died at 96. Misch was a courier and telephonist in the Führer’s bunker and a member of Hitler’s bodyguard from 1940 until the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Rochus Misch, last witness to Hitler's death, dies aged 96

6. BBC TRUST MISLED MPS, CLAIMS FORMER DG

Mark Thompson, former director-general of the BBC, has accused BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten and trustee Anthony Fry of giving "fundamentally misleading" evidence to MPs by denying knowledge of controversial payoffs to executives. A Trust spokesman rejected any suggestion MPs were misled and called Thompson's claim "bizarre".

BBC Trust: Mark Thompson's pay-off statement is 'bizarre'

7. UK HOUSE PRICES UP 5.4% YEAR ON YEAR

House prices in Britain rose 5.4% in the three months to August compared to the same period last year, according to research released this morning by the Halifax. It means prices are growing at their highest annual rate.

UK house prices rise 5.4% in Q2, year on year, says Halifax

8. GOOGLE GETS LONDON HQ GO-AHEAD

Google has won final approval for a new UK headquarters in London, a "groundscraper" longer than the Shard is tall. The 920,000 sq ft building near King's Cross will have a swimming pool and running track on the roof, a bike park the size of seven tennis courts and a climbing wall between floors. It will be built by 2016.

Google gets go-ahead for huge London headquarters

9. 'DANCE!' JOB-HUNTER IS TOLD AT INTERVIEW

A university graduate was left "humiliated" after being told to dance to Daft Punk during a job interview. Alan Bacon, 21, spent a week preparing for an interview at Curry's in Cardiff, but once there, was made to dance robot-style in front of his interviewers. "I would have walked out but I need a job", he said. Curry's has apologised.

Grad made to do the 'robot dance' at job interview

10. HOT TICKET: HOMAGE TO LA DOLCE VITA

Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty opens at UK cinemas today. In this homage to Fellini's La Dolce Vita, an ageing journalist reflects on his lost love, squandered talent and hedonistic lifestyle in Rome after receiving a shock on his 65th birthday. With Tony Servillo. "Superb," says The Guardian.

The Great Beauty: astonishing modern take on La Dolce Vita