Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 23 Jan 2014

1. SYRIA: AL-QAEDA REBEL DEMANDS UNITY

An Al Qaeda leader has called on militant rebel factions in Syria to stop fighting each other and set up a judicial committee to sort out their differences. The recording by Ayman al-Zawahri emerged as international peace talks on Syria looked close to collapse yesterday after a furious clash over President Assad's future.

2. SUICIDE GIRL'S MOTHER SLAMS 'TOXIC' SITES

The mother of a teenager who threw herself under a train at St Pancras Station has condemned the "toxic digital world" that contributed to her death. Tallulah Wilson, 15, a "talented young dancer" head-hunted by the Royal Ballet School, killed herself after becoming obsessed with blogs promoting self-harm.

Teenage ballerina's suicide blamed on 'toxic digital world'

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

3. UKRAINE: PROTESTERS CALL 8-HR TRUCE

An eight-hour truce has been declared by protesters in Kiev after a day of violence in which at least three people died and an opposition leader said he was willing to face "a bullet in the forehead" if Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovych, did not launch snap elections. The truce was announced by opposition politician Vitali Klitschko.

Ukrainian protesters ready to 'take a bullet in the head'

4. SUPER-HACKER 'GUCCIFER' ARRESTED

'Guccifer’, the anonymous hacker who became a thorn in the side of the US establishment by leaking politicians' and Hollywood stars' sensitive private emails, is anonymous no longer. He has been arrested by Romanian police and named as Marcel Lazar Lehel. The 42-year-old worked as a cab driver before turning to cyber-crime.

Super-hacker 'Guccifer' held and named as Marcel Lazar Lehel

5. MAN UNITED DROPS OUT OF RICH TOP THREE

For the first time, Manchester United is not among the top three richest clubs in the world, according to the football ‘rich list’ compiled by Deloitte. United fell to fourth place, leaving Real Madrid (topping the table for the ninth year running), Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the top three. Paris Saint Germain was fifth.

Man Utd: four reasons to be cheerful after League Cup exit

6. MEXICAN EXECUTED IN US DESPITE PRESSURE

A Mexican man, Edgar Tamayo, has been executed in Texas for the 1994 killing of a police officer, despite diplomatic pressure from the Mexican government. Lawyers argued the case was tainted because Tamayo was not informed, under an international accord, that he could get help from the Mexican consulate.

7. LIB DEMS SUSPEND MP OVER SEX CLAIMS

As the Lord Rennard affair rumbles on, Lib Dems face more embarrassment, suspending a veteran MP, Portsmouth South’s Mike Hancock. A constituent claims Hancock committed serious sexual misconduct against her in 2009. He denies acting improperly, but fears of a cover-up prompted his suspension.

Lib Dems hit by sex scandal 'more serious' than Rennard

8. JUSTIN BIEBER ARRESTED FOR DUI IN MIAMI

Pop star Justin Bieber has been arrested and charged with DUI and resisting arrest without violence after a Lamborghini he was driving was pulled over in Miami at 4am. Police say the 19yr-old told them he had drunk beer, smoked marijuana and taken a prescription medicine before he was stopped.

Justin Bieber held in Miami for DUI and resisting arrest

9. NEW RIVER DOLPHIN SPECIES DISCOVERED

Scientists in Brazil have found the first new species of river dolphin since 1918. Only the fifth known river dolphin species worldwide, the new dolphin has been named after the Araguaia river, where 1,000 of the creatures are believed to live. China’s Yangtze river dolphin is thought to have gone extinct in 2006.

10. HOT TICKET: COENS' INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

The Coen Brothers' ode to the 1960s folk scene, Inside Llewyn Davis, opens in UK cinemas this week. A self-absorbed young folk singer struggles to make it as the world and his own actions conspire against him. Stars Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan. "Utterly enthralling," says Empire.

Inside Llewyn Davis – reviews of Coen brothers' ode to folk