Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 8 Dec 2014

1. TORIES AND LIB DEMS CLASH OVER ECONOMY

David Cameron said yesterday his Lib Dem coalition partners were “all over the place” on the subject of cutting the deficit, while, writing in the Daily Telegraph, Lib Dem Treasury secretary Danny Alexander said the Tories were in a “pre-election panic”. The next election is less than five months away.

2. MPS CALL FOR LIVING WAGE TO FIGHT HUNGER

A cross-party committee of MPs has called for a living wage, the extension of free school meals and a faster benefits payments system to reduce the use of food banks in Britain. The inquiry acknowledged that the rising cost of living has hit families who are on low incomes “disproportionately hard”.

3. DRIVERS WARNED AS SNOW HITS SCOTLAND

The Met Office has issued a yellow ‘be aware’ warning for most parts of Scotland after snow fell overnight on roads including the busy M9 link between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Icy conditions were reported. More snow is expected today in Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and eastern Wales.

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4. WILLIAM AND KATE ARRIVE IN NEW YORK

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in New York last night for a three-day tour of the eastern US. They will pay their respects to those who died in the 9/11 attacks and meet president Barack Obama. William will give a speech at the World Bank conference, highlighting wildlife crime.

5. JUDGE MAY DISMISS DEWANI MURDER CASE

A South African judge could decide today to dismiss the case against British businessman Shrien Dewani, who is accused of arranging the murder of his wife Anni on their honeymoon in Cape Town in 2010. Last week, Anni’s family made a statement urging Dewani to tell his story in court.

6. SPORTS STARS WEAR ‘I CAN’T BREATHE’ SHIRTS

US sports stars have shown their solidarity with protests in major cities against police after the deaths of two African-American men killed by white officers. Cleveland Browns football player Johnson Bademosi wrote the slogan ‘I Can’t Breathe’ on his shirt before an NFL game this weekend.

7. FARAGE BLAMES M4 TRAFFIC ON IMMIGRANTS

Ukip leader Nigel Farage has blamed immigration for his failure to attend an event in Port Talbot, Wales, saying the M4 was congested with immigrants. Supporters had paid £25 each to meet the right-wing politician but he arrived too late. Shadow Welsh secretary Owen Smith said the excuse was “absurd”.

8. AIR POLLUTION RISK: WARNING FROM MPS

A cross-party committee of MPs has warned that schools and other public buildings should be built away from main roads because of a public health “crisis” caused by air pollution, which is thought to kill nearly as many in the UK each year as smoking. A national diesel scrappage scheme was also urged.

9. UK-LED MISSION WILL INVESTIGATE MOON BASE

The organisers of a UK-led moon mission, for which the bulk of the £500m cost will be met by crowd-funding, have laid out their plans. They want to drill deeper into the lunar surface than ever before to obtain rock samples, survey the moon’s south pole, and investigate the feasibility of a moon base.

10. HOT TICKET: MOTHER GOOSE IN HACKNEY

Christmas pantomime Mother Goose has opened at the Hackney Empire, London. Clive Rowe stars as fairytale dame Mother Goose, who becomes corrupted by wealth and dreams of youth and beauty after receiving a goose that lays golden eggs. "Fabulous," says the Daily Telegraph. Until 4 January.