Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 1 Oct 2015

1. Russian air strikes in Syria ‘killed civilians’

A Syrian political coalition opposed to president Bashar al-Assad has claimed that Russian air strikes in the country have killed 36 civilians, including children. Russia strongly denies the allegations made by the Syrian National Council, which says there were no Islamic State forces present in four areas it claims were hit on Wednesday.

US and Russia spar over vetoed Syria sanctions

2. Afghan forces take on Taliban in Kunduz

There has been fierce fighting in the Afghan city of Kunduz after the army claimed it had reclaimed the city from the Taliban. The Islamist group, which stormed Kunduz on Monday, denied that the city had fallen, and there have been reports of intense clashes in key areas. Kunduz became the first major centre to fall to to the Taliban for 14 years.

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

3. Trump: I’ll send back all Syrian refugees

Wannabe Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made another controversy courting assertion about immigration, saying he will send home all refugees from Syria's civil war taken in by the US if he is elected. The self-styled billionaire, who was at first regarded as a joke candidate, said he believed some could be IS fighters.

Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives

4. Smoking with children in car becomes illegal

A ban on smoking in a car when children are present has come into force in England and Wales today. Smoking is now illegal with under-18s in the car even if a window or sunroof are open but will be permitted in an open-topped vehicle. Drivers could face a £50 fine. Scotland is to consider a similar prohibition next year.

Car smoking ban comes into force: what you need to know

5. Footballer jailed for stamping on opponent

A Sunday league footballer who deliberately broke an opponent's leg during a match has been jailed for a year. The incident took place in August last year during a game in Stockport. Stuart Parsons was left with a broken and dislocated ankle and spent two weeks in hospital after the stamp. Nathaniel Kerr, 24, was jailed after admitting assault at Manchester Crown Court.

6. Lord Lawson to lead Tory EU exit campaign

Lord Lawson is to lead a Conservative group campaigning for a ‘no’ vote in the upcoming referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU. The Tory peer, who was chancellor under Margaret Thatcher from 1983 to 1989, said it looked increasingly likely that David Cameron would secure only “wafer thin” reforms to EU membership terms.

7. Corbyn challenged on nuclear weapons pledge

On the last day of the Labour Party conference yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn faced a challenge to his authority when six members of his shadow cabinet rebuked him for being “unhelpful” in saying he would never authorise the use of nuclear weapons if he was PM. Today Corbyn is in Scotland rallying support for Labour.

Jeremy Corbyn is a 'disaster', says Stephen Hawking

8. Sinkhole swallows road in St Albans

A ten-metre deep sinkhole that opened up on a St Albans street, swallowing a front garden and driveway, has forced several families to evacuate their homes and left scores of others without electricity, gas and water. The hole, which is now 20-metres wide, began to appear last week. The local council had been planning to fill in the pothole before it expanded.

9. Teenager planned 'major terror plot' from bedroom

A teenager from Blackburn who helped plan an attack on an Anzac Day parade in Australia had become "dangerously radicalised" over the internet a court has heard. The 14-year-old boy admitted a charge of inciting terrorism in July. The "major terrorist plot", which would have seen police beheaded, was just days away from being put into action when he was arrested.

10. Briefing: Six common pension scams to avoid

Pensions are being increasingly targeted by fraudsters, in the wake of the new rules allowing people greater access to their retirement savings. The most common scams are: being contacted out of the blue with an offer of a free pension review, being pitched an investment with incredible returns, being presented with paperwork requiring an immediate signature, being advised to invest overseas, being advised to put all your money in one investment, and being approached by someone saying you can access your pension before the age of 55. All of these may be scams, The Pension Advisory Service warns.

Six common pension scams to avoid