Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 26 Sep 2013

1. MANDELSON: ENERGY FREEZE IS 'RISKY'

Labour grandee Peter Mandelson has warned that Ed Miliband’s new policy of freezing energy bills for 20 months if elected risks taking the public perception of his party “backwards” and warns it could undo the work he did as part of New Labour to create a ‘third way’ approach to government intervention in the economy.

Ed Miliband - from Wallace to Stalin in just seven days

2. ARREST WARRANT FOR LEWTHWAITE

Interpol has issued an international arrest warrant for Samantha Lewthwaite, the British terror suspect dubbed the 'White Widow'. The request was put out at the request of Kenyan police and is likely to increase speculation that Lewthwaite was involved in the attack on Nairobi's Westgate mall.

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

Is Samantha Lewthwaite really a terrorist mastermind?

3. QATAR 'APPALLED' BY SLAVERY CLAIMS

The organisers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar say they are appalled by claims in The Guardian that migrant construction workers in the Gulf state are the victims of "modern-day slavery" as building work gets underway. Tournament organisers say they and the Qatari government will study the allegations and Fifa adds it is "concerned".

Qatar 2022: Nepalese workers endure 'modern-day slavery'

4. MPS CRITICISE RURAL BROADBAND ROLLOUT

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has criticised the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for failing to ensure competition in allocating rural broadband contracts - all of which have gone to BT after the only other company to tender withdrew. BT said it was “disturbed” by the claim and the PAC was “simply wrong”.

MPs criticise BT's monopoly of rural broadband rollout

5. PERU COCAINE TWO: ‘GUILTY’ PLEAS REJECTED

A Peruvian judge has rejected the guilty pleas made by two British women, Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid, who are accused of attempting to smuggle 11kg of cocaine out of the country and who originally maintained they had been coerced. The plea bargain was denied as the pair only accepted partial guilt.

British drug smuggler Melissa Reid released from Peru prison

6. ASDA PULLS ‘MENTAL PATIENT’ COSTUME

Supermarket Asda has apologised and will make a "very substantial" donation to mental health charity Mind after it sold a 'Mental Patient Fancy Dress Costume' on its website. The costume - including a 'blood-spattered' white coat, fake cleaver and mask - provoked outrage. Tesco has withdrawn a similar costume, called 'Psycho Ward'.

7. AINSLIE HELPS USA WIN AMERICA’S CUP

British sailing legend Sir Ben Ainslie, brought in as tactician, has helped guide the USA team to a remarkable comeback victory in the America's Cup, brushing off an 8-1 deficit to beat New Zealand in the decider in San Francisco. Docked two points for cheating in the build-up, the USA went on to take the cup 8-9.

America's Cup: Ainslie wants British win after US triumph

8. FUNERAL SERVICE HELD FOR APRIL JONES

The funeral service for murdered five-year-old April Jones has been held in her home town of Machynlleth, mid Wales, almost a year after she disappeared. Hundreds of mourners lined the streets and followed the procession carrying her coffin to St Peter's Church. Mark Bridger, 47, was jailed for life for her murder in May.

April Jones funeral: 'beginning of an end to horrific case'

9. VILLAGE DROPS ‘TEA AND BONDAGE’ EVENT

The trustees of a small village hall in Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, have cancelled an event which they claim was booked on false pretences as a “relationship support” meeting when in fact it also offered a “flogging workshop”, “kink on a budget” and tea, sandwiches and cake served by “maid Sarah”.

10. HOT TICKET: KIDNAP THRILLER PRISONERS

American kidnapping thriller Prisoners opens in UK cinemas this week. Hugh Jackman stars as a deeply religious father who becomes a violent vigilante after his six-year-old daughter goes missing, while a police officer (Jake Gyllenhaal) runs his own investigation. "Spellbinding," says Variety.

Jackman stars in 'spellbinding' kidnapping thriller Prisoners