Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 12 Mar 2015

1. TWO POLICE OFFICERS SHOT IN FERGUSON

US authorities have confirmed reports that two police officers have been shot in Ferguson, Missouri, the town where unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot by a white policeman last summer. Officers were facing protesters after police chief Thomas Jackson stood down after a scathing government report.

Ferguson: state of emergency declared as protests continue

2. LIB DEM CANDIDATE QUITS OVER ‘DONATION’

A former head of fundraising for the Lib Dems, Ibrahim Taguri, has said he will withdraw as a party candidate in the next election after the Daily Telegraph claimed he had accepted a “potentially illegal donation” offered by an undercover reporter posing as a businessman. Taguri denies wrongdoing.

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Lib Dems wish Ibrahim Taguri would just go away

3. FRANCE OVERTAKES UK IN I.S AIR STRIKES

French fighter jets are now flying three times the number of sorties carried out by UK aircraft against IS (Islamic State) in Iraq, says Sky News, undermining David Cameron’s claim that the UK is the major partner to the US in the war effort. A French navy aircraft carrier arrived in the Gulf last month.

4. NEMTSOV DAUGHTER: PUTIN IS TO BLAME

The daughter of murdered Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov has said Vladimir Putin is “politically responsible” for his death. Speaking from Italy, Zhanna Nemtsova admitted she had no evidence the president issued an order for her father to be shot. She plans to return to Russia this weekend.

5. UKIP TO SCRAP RACE EMPLOYMENT LAWS

Ukip leader Nigel Farage says he would scrap “much of” the existing law against racial discrimination by employers, saying that they should be free to discriminate between a British-born candidate and a foreign one on grounds of race. He said he would ban laws forbidding discrimination on race or colour.

Nigel Farage's calls to axe equality laws branded 'absurd'

6. AUSTRALIAN TEEN IN I.S SUICIDE BOMBING

An Australian teenager who went to Iraq to join IS (Islamic State) and has been dubbed ‘Jihadi Jake’ has been claimed by the Sunni terror group to have carried out a suicide bombing. It is thought the group may be claiming Jake Bilardi was behind one of 13 suicide car bombings on security personnel on Wednesday.

7. ‘BIGOTED’ GILLIAN DUFFY TO VOTE LABOUR

Gillian Duffy, the woman described by Gordon Brown as “bigoted” in off-guard remarks caught on camera during the 2010 election campaign, says she plans to vote Labour this year. The Rochdale grandmother said she opposed Ukip and added: “I just want a Labour government in and I want the coalition out.”

8. FANTASY AUTHOR SIR TERRY PRATCHETT DIES

Sir Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld series, has died at the age of 66 following a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Sir Terry, who had described the disease as an "embuggerance", wrote more than 70 books. His publisher said he had "enriched the planet like few before him".

9. BELGIUM DROPS WATERLOO EURO PLAN

Belgium has withdrawn a design for a new euro coin showing the Lion Hill memorial at Waterloo, near Brussels, after the French government made an official objection to the proposal. France said the memorial, where Napoleon was famously defeated in 1815, was a “negative” symbol for some Europeans.

10. BRIEFING: PROTECT YOURSELF ONLINE

The internet is a powerful tool for business, education and entertainment, but it is also home to plenty of hackers who could steal your data, money and even your identity. To minimise your risk of falling into their traps, follow this simple seven-step guide to online security.

Internet security: how to protect yourself in two hours