Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 1 Dec 2013

1. SOCIAL SERVICES TAKE BABY FROM WOMB

A pregnant woman has had her baby taken from her womb by social services, reports the Sunday Telegraph. Authorities in Essex secured a high court order against the woman that allowed her to be forcibly sedated and her child to be taken from her womb. The woman, an Italian in Britain on a work trip, had suffered a mental breakdown.

2. GLASGOW CHOPPER GROUNDED LAST YEAR

The helicopter that crashed into a Glasgow pub had been the subject of safety fears, says The Independent. The Eurocopter EC135 Type 2 was grounded last year after concerns over safety. Police have named one of the eight people who died in the crash as Gary Arthur, 48, from the Paisley area. A further 14 people are being treated for serious injuries.

3. BRITISH PUPILS LAG BEHIND OTHER NATIONS

UK pupils lag far behind key international competitors despite billions of pounds of investment, says the Sunday Times. On Tuesday, worldwide rankings based on tests of 500,000 pupils in 65 countries will show UK teenagers are far behind their equivalents in China, South Korea and Singapore. It will show the UK has “stagnated” since its poor showing in the last rankings four years ago.

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4. DENG’S ‘WARM FEELINGS’ FOR BLAIR

Rupert Murdoch’s ex-wife Wendi Deng wrote a note expressing "warm feelings" for Tony Blair, claims the Mail On Sunday. The paper also alleges Blair was forced to cancel plans to attend the world’s biggest media conference in Sun Valley after Rupert Murdoch objected to his presence. Mr Murdoch’s divorce from Chinese-born Ms Deng was finalised last month.

5. MET OFFICE SLAMS WINTER SCARE STORIES

The Met Office has denied predicting three months of exceptionally cold weather, as media scare stories warn the public of a “killer three month freeze” set to hit Britain. In a blog post, the Met Office said the furthest afield it can forecast is 30 days and that “fairly normal conditions for early winter are most likely”. It adds that “speculative forecasts” in the media are “doomed to failure”.

6. ARMY DEPLOYED AT BANGKOK DEMO

Troops have been deployed in the Thai capital of Bangkok as riot police shield government buildings from protestors. Tear gas has been fired as protestors tried to breach barricades outside Government House. Anti-government activists have threatened to storm key buildings, including the headquarters of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

7. 27% OF SCOTS WOULD VOTE ‘YES’

A poll of Scottish voters suggests just 27% will vote for independence in next year’s referendum, reports the Mail On Sunday. The survey, the first carried out since the SNP launched its white paper on independence, found that 56% intend to vote no and 17% are undecided. In an identical poll carried out in September, 27% of Scots said they intended to vote yes.

8. COALITION OUTLINES ENERGY PLANS

The government has outlined plans to reduce energy bills, claiming its measures will cut bills by an average of £50. Writing in The Sun on Sunday, David Cameron and Nick Clegg said they will pay for some measures currently included in bills and the cost of insulating homes would be spread over a longer period. Labour says the government’s energy policy is a “shambles”.

9. UNMARRIED PARENTS MORE LIKELY TO SPLIT

Unwed parents are four times more likely to split than the married, reports the Sunday Times. Unmarried couples account for more than half of all family breakdowns, despite making up only one fifth of all couples with children. Harry Benson of the Marriage Foundation said there is an “epidemic” of family breakdown because “the odds are stacked against unmarried cohabitees.”

10. GUNNERS GO SEVEN POINTS CLEAR

Arsenal moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 victory at Cardiff yesterday. Aaron Ramsey scored twice against his old club, with Mesut Ozil returning to top form with two assists. Second-placed Liverpool play Hull on Sunday, with Chelsea hosting Southampton and Manchester City at home to Swansea.