Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 12 Sep 2014

1. PISTORIUS GUILTY OF CULPABLE HOMICIDE

Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of the culpable homicide of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Yesterday, judge Thokozile Masipa decided the ‘blade runner’ was not guilty of her murder. She said his actions on the night had been “negligent”, however.

Oscar Pistorius out of legal options as request to appeal rejected

2. SCOTS INDEPENDENCE: NO VOTE BACK ON TOP

A new poll has given the No vote in the upcoming Scottish independence referendum a narrow lead of four points. The poll was conducted by YouGov for the Times and Sun newspapers. YouGov’s previous poll was the only one so far to give the Yes vote a lead, prompting alarm among No campaigners.

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Scottish independence: UK party leaders pledge new powers

3. NEW EU SANCTIONS OVER UKRAINE START

New sanctions against Russia because of its annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in eastern Ukraine take effect today. EU states have agreed to block loans to five big state banks and curb business with oil and defence firms. Russia will respond tit-for-tat, possibly banning car imports from the EU.

4. BOY OF 15 ARRESTED FOR DOGS’ HOME ARSON

A boy of 15 has been arrested after an arson attack on one of the country’s largest dogs’ homes left 40 animals dead and was describe by a manager as “soul destroying”. Residents near the Manchester Dogs’ Home reported hearing animals “yelping”. It is reported some risked their lives to save dogs.

5. GIRL SHOT IN HEAD IN SUSSEX VILLAGE

A girl of eight is fighting for her life in King’s College Hospital, London, after being shot in the head in the village of Northiam, East Sussex. She was shot by a man, believed to be her father, who then turned the gun on himself and who is now dead. Police say they are not treating the death as suspicious.

6. SIR DONALD SINDEN DIES AT AGE OF 90

Actor Sir Donald Sinden, well known for his TV appearances in shows including 1980s sitcom Never The Twain but also highly respected for his Shakespearean roles and his stage work, has died at his home in Kent at the age of 90. Sir Donald had suffered for several years from prostate cancer.

7. ‘BREAD’ ACTOR TO STAND AS CLACTON MP

An actor best known for his performance in Carla Lane’s 1980s comedy Bread, about an impoverished working-class family in Liverpool, Giles Watling, is to stand as Conservative candidate for Clacton in the upcoming by-election triggered by the defection of sitting MP Douglas Carswell to UKIP.

8. SCOTS INDEPENDENCE: JOHN LEWIS WARNING

The chairman of John Lewis, Sir Charlie Mayfield has said there will be “economic consequences” to a Yes vote in next week’s Scottish independence referendum, warning that retailers would be likely to raise prices north of the border because “it does cost more money to trade in parts of Scotland”.

9. NEW FOSSIL REVEALS SWIMMING DINOSAUR

A new giant fossil, discovered in the Sahara desert, has confirmed the theory that the largest known carnivorous dinosaur, Spinosaurus, was aquatic. The animal had flat paddle-like feet, a long neck, nostrils on top of its head, a snout like a crocodile and a seven-foot-long fin like a sail on its back.

10. HOT TICKET: SPY FILM A MOST WANTED MAN

One of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s last films, spy thriller A Most Wanted Man opens in UK cinemas today. The John Le Carre story follows German-US authorities as they race to determine whether a Russian-Chechen torture survivor is a dangerous extremist. “Mesmerising,” says the Daily Telegraph.

A Most Wanted Man – reviews of ‘haunting' Hoffman spy film