Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 25 Oct 2014

1. BLAIR: ED MILIBAND ‘CANNOT WIN’

Tony Blair believes Ed Miliband cannot win the next general election, says the Daily Telegraph. The former Labour leader has reportedly told allies that he believes the Conservatives will win next May because Miliband has failed to connect with Labour voters. However, Blair’s office said last night the story is “absurd” and that he believes Labour can win.

2. PIERS MORGAN FACES NEW HACKING CLAIMS

The publisher of the Daily Mirror has admitted that stories likely to have been obtained via illegal phone hacking appeared in the paper when Piers Morgan was editor. Mirror Group Newspapers says stories probably obtained via “unlawful interceptions of voicemails” appeared between 2002 and 2004. Morgan has consistently denied knowingly publishing any story obtained via hacking.

3. FEARS ISIS USED CHEMICAL WEAPON

Has Isis used a chemical weapon? Kurds fighting the extremist group for control of Kobani fear that might be the case after patients with abnormal symptoms such as blisters, burning eyes and breathing difficulties presented themselves to a clinic after an explosion was heard on Tuesday evening. Some reported “a bad smell”, said a doctor.

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4. PUTIN BLASTS AMERICAN ‘FOLLIES’

Vladimir Putin has blasted US “follies” in one of his most anti-American speeches. The Russian president accused Washington of triggering Crimea’s breakaway from Ukraine and the thousands of deaths in the war in the east of the country. He described the US as “nouveaux riches” who have failed to “manage their wealth wisely” and have “committed many follies”.

5. IRAN EXECUTES CAMPAIGN WOMAN

Iran has executed Reyhaneh Jabbari - the woman who killed a man she said was trying to sexually abuse her. Despite an international campaign urging a reprieve, she was hanged in a Tehran prison, says her mother Shole Pakravan, who confirmed the execution in an interview with BBC Persian. Pakravan said she is going to the cemetery to see her daughter's body.

6. NEWSNIGHT ATTACKED OVER RUSSELL BRAND

Newsnight has been attacked over its interview with Russell Brand, during which the comic said al-Qaeda may not have been responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Left-wing blogger Sunny Hundal said Brand’s views were “anti-intellectualism on an epic scale”, while the Daily Mail’s Stephen Glover describes Brand as "a ludicrous charlatan”.

7. US GUN STUDENT’S SINISTER TWEETS

The US school student who went on a shooting spree before killing himself sent a series of sinister tweets in the months leading up to the attack. Jaylen Ray Fryberg, 15, shot friends at a high school in Washington. Earlier this year, after posting a picture of him holding a rifle, he sent a tweet warning an apparent love rival, saying: "Your not gonna like what happens next [sic]."

8. WOMAN SUFFERS ‘SIMON COWELL ALLERGY’

A woman has told The Sun she is allergic to Simon Cowell. Michelle Hall says she suffers from vomiting and fainting whenever she sees the X Factor star. The 43-year-old adds that she screams and breaks out in sweat when exposed to him. She says doctors have put her on a course of Prozac to treat her condition. “It’s difficult,” she says. “There’s no escaping him.”

9. JOHANN LAMONT QUITS LABOUR POST

Johann Lamont has resigned as leader of the Scottish Labour Party, accusing the UK party leadership of treating Scotland as a "branch office". A Scottish party source said Lamont felt she lacked the support of the UK party and had "had enough". She described some Labour MPs as "dinosaurs" who failed to recognise that "Scotland has changed forever" after last month’s referendum.

10. SUAREZ BATTLES BITE ‘IMPULSE’

Manchester City hope to make up ground on leaders Chelsea as they take on West Ham in today’s lunchtime kick-off. Injury-ravaged Arsenal travel to Sunderland, hoping to get their Premier League campaign back on track after last week’s disappointment against Hull. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Luis Suarez says he is getting help in order to control his "impulse" to bite.