Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 9 Jan 2015

1. CHARLIE HEBDO: POLICE 'KILL SUSPECTS'

Police in France have stormed the printworks in the French town of Dammartin-en-Goele where the two Charlie Hebdo massacre suspects have been holed up. There were explosions and gunfire as special forces entered the building. The men, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, are thought to have been killed in the operation, but their hostage has been freed.

Charlie Hebdo suspects dead as police free hostages

2. AIR ASIA CRASH: PINGS DETECTED

Investigators have recorded ‘pings’ which may be coming from the black box flight recorders of Air Asia flight QZ8501, which crashed on 28 December with 162 people on board. The tail section of the plane was found earlier this week but the recorders were not inside. No survivors have been found.

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3. MI5: AL QAEDA PLOTS MASSACRE IN UK

The UK intelligence services have said Al Qaeda still has ambitions for a “spectacular” terrorist atrocity in the UK, massacring a large number of civilians there or in another western country. Extra police have been deployed at UK ports and stations which serve the Eurostar train in the wake of the Paris shootings.

MI5 admits it cannot protect UK from every terror attack

4. STORMS CLOSE TRAIN SERVICES IN SCOTLAND

All Scotrail services in Scotland are closed today after sever weather yesterday. Winds of up to 113mph lashed the country, with the Forth Road Bridge closed as gales there topped 91mph. About 70,000 homes in the Highlands and Islands have been left without power. An Amber warning is in place.

UK storm: Rail services cancelled due to hurricane force gales

5. ACTOR LANCE PERCIVAL DIES AGED 81

Actor Lance Percival has died at the age of 81. Percival found fame on satirical 1960s show, That Was The Week That Was, with David Frost. He graduated to his own comedy shows and appeared in several films, including Up Pompeii the 1971, alongside Frankie Howerd, in 1971. In the 1960s he also voiced Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in The Beatles cartoon.

6. ... AS PARIS HOSTAGE TAKER ALSO KILLED

In a second operation, another gunman, who had taken several people hostage in a kosher supermarket in Paris, was also reported to have been killed. The man, thought to have shot dead a policewoman in on Thursday, was believed to have connections to the Charlie Hebdo attackers. There have been reports of other deaths at the supermarket.

7. COSBY: BE CAREFUL DRINKING AROUND ME

Bill Cosby won applause at his stand-up show in London, Ontario, last night by making a reference to the allegations made by several women that he drugged and sexually assaulted them. As an audience member left to go to the bar, the 77-year-old warned her: “You have to be careful, drinking around me.”

8. HAWKING BIOPIC IS BAFTA FAVOURITE

The Theory of Everything, a biopic of physicist Stephen Hawking, is leading the field in the newly-announced Bafta nominations, where it is listed in the four biggest categories, including Best Film. Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel has the most nominations overall, up for awards in 11 categories.

Bafta Awards 2015: Grand Budapest Hotel leads nominations

9. TRANSSEXUALS FACE DRIVING BAN IN RUSSIA

Russia has banned transsexual and transgender people from driving, including them in a list of “mental disorders” which preclude people from driving. Also included are people whose sexual interests extend to fetishism, exhibitionism or voyeurism. Pathological gamblers and kleptomaniacs are also banned.

Transsexuals barred from driving in Russia under new laws

10. HOT TICKET: SPORTS DRAMA FOXCATCHER

Real-life sports drama Foxcatcher opens in UK cinemas today. Steve Carell stars as the mega-rich John du Pont who attempts to build a gold medal-winning wrestling team with the help of the Schultz brothers. But, as ambitions falter, the relationship becomes deeply troubled. "Magnificent," says Den of Geek.

Foxcatcher - reviews of 'compelling' sport drama