Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 17 Sep 2013

1. NAVY YARD SHOOTING: KILLER NAMED

The gunman who killed 12 people and injuring eight others at a US Navy base in Washington DC has been identified as a former Navy serviceman. Aaron Alexis, 34, of Fort Worth, Texas, died in a gun battle with police during the rampage at the Navy Yard. Authorities say the dozen victims ranged in age from 46 to 73.

Who was Aaron Alexis, the Washington Navy Yard killer?

2. £100M PAYOUT DUE TO BARCLAYS CUSTOMERS

More than 300,000 customers at Barclays are set to receive a refund of hundreds of pounds each next month following a £100 million blunder by the bank. Barclays admitted yesterday that it had incorrectly charged interest to personal loan customers after making mistakes on their paperwork. The errors are understood to date back five years.

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3. DANIEL PELKA REPORT CONDEMNS FAILINGS

"Critical lessons" must be learned after social workers failed to prevent the murder of a child who suffered "terrifying" abuse at the hands of his mother and her partner. A serious case review found Daniel Pelka, four, who died in Coventry last year, was "invisible" at times and "no professional tried sufficiently hard enough" to talk to him.

Daniel Pelka murder report: will anything really change?

4. LIB DEMS IN A SPIN OVER WEALTH TAX

The Liberal Democrats believe that wealthier Britons should be taxed more to help reduce the national deficit, according to Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander. But he refused to acknowledge that it was party policy to consider anyone earning more than £50,000 a year as ‘rich’, despite a leaked document suggesting just that.

Do Lib Dems plan to tax £50k earners or not? Chaos reigns

5. CAMERON ENTERS SPURS 'YID' DEBATE

David Cameron has contradicted Football Association official advice by saying that it is acceptable for Tottenham Hotspur fans to call themselves the ‘Yid army’ and chant ‘Yiddos’ because they are not abusing anyone by doing so. Last week the FA warned that any fan chanting the word ‘Yid’ could face criminal charges.

6. COSTA CONCORDIA RIGHTED AFTER 19 HRS

Engineers in Italy have successfully righted the wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship after a marathon operation that lasted some 19 hours. Officials said the hull was now "resting safely" on six platforms that have been built 30 metres below sea level. It will remain there throughout the winter while the salvage operation continues.

Video: time lapse shows Costa Concordia salvage

7. UN: DAMASCUS GAS ATTACK ‘DESPICABLE’

UN weapons inspectors have confirmed that sarin nerve gas was used in the 21 August attack on Damascus. The UN has declared it a “despicable” war crime but has not apportioned blame. However, Britain, the US and France say it is clear the gas was spread by Assad’s forces while Russia still insists tit could have been the rebels.

Syria gas attack confirmed: latest in history of atrocities

8. TOUCHSCREEN GERM RISK IDENTIFIED

Touchscreens on smartphones and tablet computers can carry more bacteria than a toilet seat, researchers have found. One tablet tested by consumer group Which? had a count of 600 units per swab of the staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which can create toxins that cause vomiting and diarrhoea. A typical toilet seat has a count of less than 20 UNITS.

Smartphones and tablets have more germs than a toilet seat

9. WIGGINS LEADS TOUR OF BRITAIN

Bradley Wiggins leads the Tour of Britain after winning stage three's individual time trial today. The Olympic gold medalist and Tour de France champion in 2012 powered round the 16km course in Knowsley, Merseyside in 19min 54sec."The wet conditions were not ideal for me,” he said, “but I thought I'd rather end up in hospital than be beaten.”

10. HOT TICKET: GRAND THEFT AUTO RETURNS

The latest instalment of the legendary action-adventure video game, Grand Theft Auto, is released in the UK today. GTA V is set in the fictional city of Los Santos, where three friends plan to make their fortune by carrying out a series of major heists. "Ridiculous fun," says The Guardian.

Grand Theft Auto game is back with 'staggering' GTA5