Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 31 Oct 2013

1. BROOKS, COULSON HAD SIX-YEAR AFFAIR

Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, the two former News of the World editors on trial for conspiracy to hack phones, had a six-year affair, the Old Bailey has been told. The revelation came a day after the prosecution opened its case against the pair, and six others, claiming they must have known what was going on at the paper.

2. JAMES BLAKE WINS MERCURY MUSIC PRIZE

James Blake, the singer-songwriter whose music emerged from the dubstep scene, has won the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for his “inventive, poetic and poignant” second album, Overgrown, at the Roundhouse in London last night. Blake, who beat odds-on favourites David Bowie and Laura Mvula, said: “Well, I lost the bet.”

Mercury Prize winner James Blake is the New David Bowie

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3. SYRIA ‘CHEMICAL WEAPONS DESTROYED’

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says that all of Syria's equipment used for producing, mixing and filling chemical weapons has been destroyed. Inspectors were sent to Syria following the alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians by the government.

Syria's chemical weapons equipment destroyed

4. GOOGLE OUTRAGE OVER NSA HACKING

Google and Yahoo have expressed their outrage over a Washington Post report which claims America’s NSA (National Security Agency) is able to collect data on their users at will, tapping into the fibreoptic cables which carry information to the firms’ data centres, outside the US - and in partnership with GCHQ in the UK.

Google 'outraged' by claims NSA hacked its data links

5. MPS TO VOTE ON HS2 PREPARATIONS

The Commons will today vote on whether preparations for the new high-speed rail link between London and the north, HS2, should go ahead. If they vote in favour, money will be released for surveys, buying land and compensating residents. Some Tories are expected to vote against it.

6. TV CAMERAS TO BE ALLOWED INTO COURT

British broadcasters are to be allowed to cover proceedings inside a British court. Cameras will be allowed into the Appeal Court for the first time from Thursday this week after lobbying by the BBC, ITN, Sky and PA. They will be allowed to show lawyers and judges making points, but not defendants, witnesses or victims.

Cameras in courts Q&A: how will trial by television work?

7. FOOTBALL FANS JAILED FOR RACIST SONGS

Six football fans who sang songs that “glorify and idolise” the 1993 racist murder of Stephen Lawrence have been jailed for between six and 18 months. The men, aged between 22 and 31 were supporters of Charlton Athletic and were travelling home on a train on January 7. Witnesses felt sexually and physically threatened.

8. TWITTER RISE HITS FACEBOOK SHARES

Facebook lost $18bn from its share price yesterday after its finance chief, David Ebersman, admitted that the social network has seen a decline in daily use among younger teenagers. A survey by financial firm Piper Jaffray earlier this month found that microblogging site Twitter has overtaken Facebook among teens.

9. HOUSE PRICES UP ONE PER CENT NATIONALLY

The latest Nationwide House Price Index suggests the average cost of a home in the UK has risen by 1% this month - but is still 7% below the all-time record, which was reached in 2007. Nationwide’s chief economist, Robert Gardner, said the housing market was following the wider economy’s “resilient upward trend”.

10. HOT TICKET: PIRATE ASSASSIN'S CREED

The latest instalment of adventure video game blockbuster Assassin's Creed has been released in the UK. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag shifts the story to the Golden Age of Piracy. Players follow pirate Edward Kenway as he sails the Caribbean for treasure and violent mayhem. "A triumph," says Forbes.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - reviews of pirate blockbuster