Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 10 Mar 2015

1. HUNDREDS OF SEX OFFENDERS MISSING

Almost 400 registered sex offenders, who are supposed to be monitored by police, are missing across the UK, according to information published under a Freedom of Information request. One convicted sex offender in Gloucestershire has been missing since 2000, while another in Northumbria disappeared in May 2002.

2. OLYMPIC STARS KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH

Eight French sports stars and two pilots filming a reality television show in north-western Argentina have died after their helicopters collided in mid-air. The victims, which include Olympic gold medallist swimmer Camille Muffat and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine, were taking part in the popular French survival series Dropped.

3. UK 'CAUGHT NAPPING' AMID DEFENCE CUTS

Former Army chief Sir Peter Wall has warned that Britain has been left unable to tackle the Russian threat because of 10% cuts to the defence budget over the last five years. His comments come after Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, said that peacekeeping missions in conflict areas need contributions from European militaries "more than ever".

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4. HRT PILLS 'LINKED TO CLOTS AND STROKE'

New research on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has found that its users face a small increased risk of blood clots and possibly stroke. The research, published in the Cochrane Library international database, looked at medical trials involving some 40,000 women and concluded that HRT remains a valid treatment for symptoms associated with the menopause.

5. VULNERABLE PEOPLE HELD IN POLICE CELLS

Vulnerable children and adults are being held in police cells, often because parents or care homes cannot cope with them, a report from the police watchdog has found. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said that police had become the default response for vulnerable people in crisis and a substitute for social and health care.

6. UKRAINE: REBELS 'WITHDRAW WEAPONS'

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that pro-Russian rebels have pulled back a "significant" amount of heavy weapons, one month after a ceasefire was reached. Government forces claim they have also withdrawn "the lion's share" of their weaponry. At least 6,000 people are said to have died since the conflict began last April.

7. EU EXIT IS THE 'NORTH KOREA OPTION'

Former prime minister Gordon Brown has warned that an EU exit would turn the UK into a friendless "North Korea" of Europe. In a Guardian article, he says that leaving the EU is the "North Korea option, out in the cold with few friends, no influence, little new trade and even less new investment".

8. ENGLAND DEFEATED IN CRICKET WORLD CUP

England cricket coach Peter Moores has said he "desperately" wants to continue his job after Bangladesh knocked a dismal England out of the Cricket World Cup with a 15-run victory in Adelaide. England and Wales Cricket Board managing director Paul Downton has said he has "full faith" in Moores.

9. GUILTY VERDICT IN BUTTOCK JAB CASE

A former madam who claimed she was "the Michelangelo of buttocks injections" has been convicted of murdering a dancer, whose heart stopped after she was injected with nearly two litres of silicone. Padge-Victoria Windslowe, 43, admitted she had performed the procedure on thousands of young women without medical training.

10. BRIEFING: CAN BOKO HORAM BE STOPPED?

Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has pledged allegiance to the leader of Islamic State in a new video. Will this alliance make Boko Haram stronger and will the Nigerian government ever be able to put an end to the terrorist group's reign of terror.

Boko Haram: what is it and how can it be stopped?