Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 15 Dec 2014

1. POLICE STORM SYDNEY SIEGE CAFE

Armed police in Sydney have stormed the cafe where a gunman had been holding customers hostage. The 16-hour siege ended with gunfire and explosions and there have been reports of fatalities. Earlier the gunman was identified as Iranian refugee Man Haron Monis, a self-styled Muslim cleric on bail for charges including being an accessory to the murder of his wife.

Sydney siege update: victims named as details of gunman emerge

2. UKIP’S SMITH QUITS OVER OFFENSIVE CALL

Kerry Smith, the man who replaced Neil Hamilton as Ukip’s candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock in next year’s general election, has quit after a recording of a phone call emerged in which he referred to “old poofters” and jokingly suggested hunting “peasants” in the streets of Chigwell in Essex.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Worst Ukip gaffes: apologies all round as party trips up again

3. JJB SPORTS BOSS JAILED FOR FOUR YEARS

Christopher Ronnie, the former chief executive of retailer JJB Sports, has been jailed for four years for taking £1m in backhanders from suppliers. The payments from three suppliers were made in 2008. He was convicted of three counts of fraud and two of furnishing false information. The retailer was dissolved in November 2012.

4. AMAZON ERROR AS ITEMS SELL FOR 1P

A software malfunction at online retail giant Amazon has caused hundreds of items to be wrongly sold for 1p by small affiliate firms. Some of the companies fear the error could leave them bankrupt. A piece of software called RepricerExpress, supposed to keep prices competitive automatically, went wrong.

Amazon 1p 'sale': software glitch causes stampede

5. COSBY SPEAKS ABOUT SEX CLAIMS

Comedian Bill Cosby has spoken out about allegations of sexual abuse made against him for the first time, telling the New York Post that he expects only the "black media" to remain "neutral" in their coverage of the claims. He also praised his wife Camille for her "love and strength". The 77-year-old also said that he had been advised not to talk to the media.

6. RUSSIA DENIES NEAR MISS WITH JUMBO JET

Russia has denied a claim by Swedish defence sources that one of its jets nearly collided with a passenger airliner that had just taken off from Copenhagen International Airport in Denmark. Swedish and Danish jets were scrambled. This is the latest in a series of alleged provocative near misses.

Russian military jet in 'near miss' with passenger plane

7. LEWIS HAMILTON IS BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY

British F1 driver - and this year’s world champion - Lewis Hamilton was yesterday given the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. A “speechless” Hamilton collected the trophy in person in Glasgow after a public vote left golfer Rory McIllroy in second place and athlete Jo Pavey in third.

How did Lewis Hamilton beat Rory McIlroy to SPOTY award?

8. LABOUR URGED TO AVOID IMMIGRATION

A leaked document sent to Labour MPs and activists urges campaigners to avoid the topic of immigration when talking to voters in the run-up to the general election. It says they should "move the conversation" on to different subjects if the issue comes up. Ed Miliband will today set out plans to stop cheap foreign labour replacing British workers.

9. BOYS AGED 13 AND 14 HELD OVER MURDER

Five boys aged 13 and 14 have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 52-year-old man was stabbed to death at his home in Edmonton, north London, on Sunday. It is thought the man died after rowing with the boys on the doorstep of the flats. They were attempting to gain entry to a party being held in the block.

10. HOT TICKET: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

A revival of Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands has opened at Sadler’s Wells, London. The dance-drama, based on Tim Burton’s movie, tells the story of a boy with scissors for hands who struggles to find love and acceptance in an unsympathetic world. “Enchanting,” says The Times. Until 11 January.

Edward Scissorhands – reviews of ‘enchanting’ dance