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

1. UK TRIED TO CHANGE TORTURE REPORT

The government has performed an abrupt U-turn and admitted it did ask the US Senate committee to redact parts of its report on CIA torture, released on Wednesday, days after insisting it had not. A spokeswoman for David Cameron insisted the redactions were sought to protect national security.

2. MOTHER OF SIX JAILED FOR TERROR POSTS

Runa Khan, a 35-year-old mother of six from Luton, has been jailed for more than five years for inciting terrorism online. Khan passed details of a route into Syria to an undercover police officer, reposted a manual on “Raising Mujahid Children” and said she hoped her son would become a jihadi.

3. SHUTDOWN AVERTED AS US PASSES BUDGET

The US House of Representatives last night averted a shutdown that was due to begin at midnight, agreeing to a $1.1tn budget. The Republican plans were approved by 219 votes to 206 after president Barack Obama urged his Democrat senators to back them to avoid another damaging closure of state-run services.

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4. WATER BILLS TO FALL BY 5% BY 2020

The water regulator, Ofwat, has ruled that companies must bring water bills down by an average of five per cent, not including inflation, by the year 2020, meaning the average bill will fall £20 from £396 to £376. Water companies are investing £44bn over the next five years to improve services.

5. MORE YOUNG BOYS IN A&E FOR SELF-HARM

The number of young boys admitted to A&E wards in England because they have self-harmed has risen by 30 per cent over a three-year period, partly due to a rise in self-harm overall figures from the NHS show. The BBC says the government is putting £30m into mental health support for A&E units.

6. AUSTRALIA PM WANTS ABORIGINAL VOTE

Tony Abbott, prime minister of Australia, has said he wants a referendum to change the national constitution to recognise the country’s aboriginal inhabitants by 2017. Abbott, a long-term supporter of recognition for aborigines, said he was prepared to “sweat blood” to make sure the vote takes place.

7. GCHQ’S NEW APP: GET ENIGMA ON YOUR TABLET

The electronic listening agency, GCHQ, has released it’s first app, a “fun” learning aid for 14-16 year olds studying the history of code making and breaking. ‘Cryptoy’ allows users to encrypt messages using four historical cyphers, including the German Enigma code cracked at Bletchley Park during WW2.

8. UK OLYMPIANS ROBBED IN BRAZIL

Two medal-winning UK Olympic sailors say they were left “shaken” after being robbed at knife-point in Rio de Janeiro. Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark, who won silver in the women’s 470 class at London 2012, were set upon by two men with seven-inch blades who “grabbed everything”.

9. BRAND AND FARAGE CLASH ON QUESTION TIME

Rabble-rousing comic Russell Brand faced Ukip leader Nigel Farage on the BBC’s Question Time yesterday, a hotly-awaited pairing. But, says The Guardian’s John Crace, the debate was disappointing. Brand blamed the economic downturn on Farage’s “mates in the City”, whom he said had “farted”.

10. HOT TICKET: HOBBIT TRILOGY FINALE

The conclusion to Peter Jackson’s Hobbit series, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies, opens in UK cinemas today. Bilbo Baggins has disturbed the dragon Smaug, unleashing its fiery wrath on the world, as evil sorcerer Sauron’s Orc army prepares to attack. “A triumphant adieu,” says Empire.