Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 12 Oct 2015

1. Putin defends Russian bombing in Syria

Vladimir Putin has defended Russian air strikes on anti-government forces in Syria, saying his aim is to “stabilise the legitimate authority” of Bashar al-Assad. In a Russian TV interview, the president also said he wanted to “create conditions for a political compromise”. He denied that Russia was hitting moderate opposition groups.

US and Russia spar over vetoed Syria sanctions

2. Turkey believes Islamic State behind bombing

Islamic State is thought to be responsible for a bomb attack that killed at least 97 people at a peace rally in Turkey on Saturday. Two male suicide bombers are thought to have carried out the attack at a rally calling for an end to violence between the government and Kurdish separatists. The Turkish air force has since carried out air strikes on Kurdish militants.

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Turkey bombs Kurdish rebels as nation continues to mourn

3. Ex M&S boss Rose launches pro-EU campaign

Stuart Rose, former chairman of Marks and Spencer, has launched a campaign aimed at keeping Britain in the European Union when the referendum on membership takes place. Rose is backed by three former Prime Ministers - John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown - and had the support of celebrities including June Sarpong as he launched Britain Stronger in Europe.

Remain-voting City lobby group calls for 'dramatic Brexit U-turn'

4. Two Britons die in Afghanistan helicopter crash

Two British RAF service personnel are among five people who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan which the MoD says was “an accident”. Five other people were injured in the incident when the Puma Mk 2 crashed as it was landing at a Nato base in the capital, Kabul. Some reports say the helicopter hit a security surveillance balloon.

Two Brits among five troops killed in Kabul helicopter crash

5. Labour deputy Watson may be grilled over Brittan

A parliamentary select committee is considering summoning Labour deputy Tom Watson to answer questions over claims he has made about the late Leon Brittan, connecting him with a ‘VIP’ paedophile ring. Watson has admitted he should not have dubbed Brittan “close to evil” but some Tory MPs want him to apologise further still.

6. Facebook pays £4,327 in UK corporation tax

Facebook paid just £4,327 in corporation tax in the UK in 2014, despite UK revenues of more than £100m. The figure is less than the tax and national insurance bill of the average UK worker. The social network posted figures showing a pre-tax loss of £28.5m last year, but it also awarded its 362 UK staff a total of £35.4m in share bonuses.

Facebook profits surge 71% in second quarter

7. Police to stop guarding Assange embassy

Police will no longer guard the Ecuadorean embassy in London where Julian Assange has been living since 2012. Officers were stationed outside the building after the Wikileaks founder sought asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden over an allegation of rape. The Met says it will keep the building under surveillance and would use "overt and covert tactics to arrest him".

8. Scottish economist wins Nobel prize

Scottish-born economist Angus Deaton, whose work has concentrated on measurements of poverty and wellbeing has won the Nobel prize for economics. The 69-year-old professor at Princeton University in the US previously taught at Cambridge and Bristol universities. The panel said he had transformed "microeconomics, macroeconomics, and development economics".

9. Redcar steelworks to close down permanently

Coke ovens at the SSI steelworks in Redcar are to be turned off after no offers to buy the plant were received after the company went into liquidation. It means the loss of 2,200 jobs and there are fears that many more could be lost elsewhere in the supply chain as a result of the closure. Receivers had kept the ovens burning over the weekend in case a buyer emerged.

10. Briefing: Inside Chequers, the PM's country residence

Since 1921, Britain's prime ministers have been using Chequers as their official country residence while in office. Situated in more than 1,000 acres of Buckinghamshire countryside, just outside Aylesbury, it is used both for relaxation and as a place to entertain high-profile visitors. During their stay at the ten-bedroom house, the prime minister and guests are looked after by a staff drawn from serving members of the armed forces. At the last count, there were 12 full-time employees, including a chef.

Inside Chequers, where Boris Johnson is recuperating