Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 5 Jan 2015

1. ANDREW: PALACE MULLS LEGAL RESPONSE

Lawyers for the Royal Family are said to be considering the legal position after media reports last week into allegations that Prince Andrew had sex with an underage girl supplied by his investor friend Jeffrey Epstein. The Prince took the unusual step of issuing a direct statement denying the claims.

The prince, the paedophile and the masseuse: what’s up?

2. ELECTION BATTLE BEGINS IN EARNEST

The Tories have attacked Labour for apparently pledging £20bn of spending if they win the election without saying where the money would come from. On the first day of campaigning for the next general election, Ed Miliband has promised his party will be offering "hope, not falsehood" and called the Tory attacks "completely false".

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Morning One goes to Labour as NHS dominates discussion

3. STRICKEN SHIP WAS GROUNDED ON PURPOSE

The huge container ship Hoegh Osaka, which has been lying on a sandbank near Southampton since Saturday night, was deliberately grounded to protect its 24 crew after it began to list on leaving port, it has emerged. Investigators are trying to determine if the ship’s cargo of cars had shifted.

4. CHARITY TO PROBE HOW NURSE GOT EBOLA

Save the Children says it will leave “no stone” unturned as it launches an investigation into how nurse Pauline Cafferkey contracted the Ebola virus after working with sufferers in Kerrytown, Sierra Leone. Cafferkey, who remains critically ill in a north London hospital, was allowed to travel home to Glasgow.

Ebola: charity to investigate how British nurse caught the virus

5. JOHN LEWIS BOSS IN BLACK FRIDAY WARNING

Retailer John Lewis saw like-for-like sales in the five weeks to 27 December rise 4.8%, with growth driven by online sales. The shop made £777m in that period, with internet purchases up 19%. However, managing director Andy Street said he hoped retailers would not "stoke the fire" of Black Friday as it was too "challenging" for retailers.

6. DEAD BODY FOUND IN SCHOOL GROUNDS

Three people have been arrested after a body was discovered in the grounds of a school in Shrewsbury. A woman, thought to be in her 20s, was found in the grounds of Harlescott Junior School just before midnight on Sunday. Two men, aged 32 and 39, and a 31-year-old woman are being questioned on suspicion of murder by West Mercia Police.

7. SEARCH RESUMES FOR AIRASIA BLACK BOX

Divers from Indonesia and Russia are today back in the water looking for the ‘black box’ flight recorders from the crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501. Only 34 bodies have been recovered so far, with “zero visibility” hampering the search on Sunday. The plane went down with 162 people on board.

AirAsia QZ8501: pilots 'turned off critical computer system'

8. OLDHAM MAY DROP CHED EVANS DEAL

Oldham Athletic is considering pulling out of signing footballer Ched Evans, a convicted rapist, after nearly 20,000 people put their names to a petition opposing the deal. The striker was due to start training with the League One club today. The club says an announcement is to be made on Tuesday afternoon.

Ched Evans: Oldham sponsors disagree over deal for rapist

9. LEBANON BRINGS IN SYRIA VISA RULE

Syrians entering Lebanon must now obtain a visa under new rules designed to stem the influx of refugees fleeing the country's civil war. There are already more than a million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, which has a population of just 4.5 million. The new rules could also affect Syrians who entered the country legally but did not apply for refugee status.

10. HOT TICKET: BLACK COMEDY BIRDMAN

Alejandro Inarritu's black comedy Birdman has opened in UK cinemas. Michael Keaton stars as a faded Hollywood actor trying to reboot his career on Broadway, while struggling with his cast, his family and his own tormented ego. "Beautiful, hilarious, film-defying film,"​ says the Daily Telegraph.

Birdman – reviews of 
'brilliant' black comedy