Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 6 Dec 2014

1. CHIEF: UK COULD BECOME ‘POLICE STATE’

The chief constable of Greater Manchester has warned that Britain could “drift towards a police state” with officers turning into “thought police”. Sir Peter Fahy said the battle against extremism and terror has left police to define what is acceptable free speech and what counts as extremism. He told The Guardian this should not be part of the role.

2. BALLS SLAMS 'EXTREME' OSBORNE

George Osborne is more extreme than Margaret Thatcher, says shadow chancellor Ed Balls. He tells The Guardian that if the Tories were to win the next election and Osborne “actually got his way and brought spending back down to the level of the 1930s”, then “I don’t think this would be the kind of country any of us would want to live in”.

3. ICY WINTER SWEEPS INTO BRITAIN

Gale force winds and snow showers are expected to batter Britain next week as much of the country feels the first icy blast of winter. A freezing plunge of air from northern Europe and the Polar region will cause temperatures to sink lower than Moscow in some parts of the country. Weather forecasters say a white Christmas is becoming more likely.

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4. WOMEN ‘TO FIGHT ON THE FRONTLINE’

Women are to serve on the frontline of the British Army for the first time, reports the Daily Telegraph. The Ministry of Defence is readying for the historic change after a six-month review into whether women are suitable for the demands and rigours of front-line combat jobs. The MoD is set to formally announce the news by the end of the year.

5. LAPD INVESTIGATE COSBY CLAIMS

US police have opened an investigation into claims Bill Cosby molested a woman when she was 15 years old. Judy Huth, who is suing the comedian for sexual battery, met Los Angeles police detectives for 90 minutes. Cosby’s lawyers described the allegations as “patently false”. In recent weeks, the 77-year-old has been accused by more than 15 women of sexual misconduct.

6. MAYOR WALKS OUT OF CHARITY DINNER

The Lord Mayor of Leicester walked out of a lunch hosted by an Islamic charity after being told his female guest would have to sit downstairs. Labour councillor John Thomas, 70, arrived at the function last weekend with Margaret Corley, 72. When he discovered that men and women would be segregated he left. A source said he had “insulted” other guests by walking out.

7. GREECE SLAMS UK ON SCULPTURE SALE

The prime minister of Greece has accused the UK of an “affront to the Greek people” over a clandestine operation by the British Museum to lend one of the Elgin Marbles to Russia. A furious Antonis Samaras is demanding the return of sculptures, saying that Greek civilisation cannot be “broken up, loaned out or conceded”.

8. TORY MP ACCUSES BBC OF ELECTION BIAS

The BBC wants Labour to win the general election because it is in a “fight to the death” over the future of the licence fee, Tory MPs have claimed. After David Cameron and George Osborne launched an unprecedented attack on the corporation’s coverage of the Autumn Statement, a senior Tory MP said the BBC will back Labour in the hope of avoiding a review of the licence fee.

9. UK IS TO OPEN MIDDLE EAST BASE

The UK is to establish a permanent £15m base in the Middle East, says the BBC. A deal, to be signed in Bahrain this weekend, will see the Royal Navy get a £15m base of its own in the Gulf. Defence secretary Michael Fallon said the base was an "expansion of the Royal Navy's footprint" and would "reinforce stability" in the Gulf and the UK.

10. CAN CHELSEA EXTEND THEIR LEAD?

Chelsea can extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points if they beat Newcastle in the lunchtime kick-off. Second-placed Manchester City host Everton at teatime. In between, the fixtures include the resurgent Arsenal visiting Stoke City. Meanwhile, the FA is to charge Liverpool’s Mario Balotelli for an Instagram post which appeared to include racist messages