Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 8 Dec 2015

1. Fresh power cuts slow Storm Desmond recovery

Engineers are trying to restore power to 42,000 properties in north-west England after another power cut caused by floods from Storm Desmond. Sixteen severe flood warnings are still in force across the region and there heavy rain predicted from 6am Wednesday to 9am Thursday for northern England and parts of Scotland.

2. Donald Trump: ban all Muslim arrivals from US

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, whose controversial campaign has his more mainstream rivals on the ropes, says all Muslims should be banned from entering the US. His comments were condemned by the White House and other Republicans. Candidate Jeb Bush said Trump was "unhinged".

3. Pistorius back in court after murder decision

Oscar Pistorius is in court today to learn if he must return to jail after an appeal court ruled that he should have been convicted of murder, rather than the lesser charge of culpable homicide. The athlete was released to house arrest in October but may now spend 15 years in jail for shooting dead his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

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4. Gordon Brown joins board of asset manager

Former prime minister Gordon Brown has joined the board of global asset management firm, Pimco. A spokesman for Brown said he would not benefit financially from the "minor" role and all the money he earns will instead go to support the charitable and public service work the Labour stalwart does with his wife Sarah.

5. Turner prize awarded to group of 18 architects

Britain's leading contemporary art award, the Turner Prize, has been given to an architecture and design collective, Assemble, who have regenerated 10 houses in Liverpool's run-down Toxteth area. The £25,000 prize was presented to the group - which has between 14 and 18 members, most architects - by singer Kim Gordon.

6. Beijing issues first ever 'red alert' for smog

Construction work has been halted and schools closed across Beijing as the city faces its first ever 'red alert' for air pollution, two years after a tiered alert system was introduced. Some factories have been ordered to close and car use has been limited. China is the world's worst polluter and is taking part in climate change talks in Paris.

7. Police 'aren't prepared to combat honour crime'

Police in England and Wales don't have the proper training to fight 'honour crime', the police watchdog has warned, saying only three out of 43 forces are fully ready and three have no idea how to combat the problem. Honour killings and abuse are carried out by people who claim they are protecting their culture or religion.

8. Russia presents France with replacement puppy

A French police dog, Diesel, became an internet cause celebre after he was killed during a police raid in St Denis in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks. Now Russia has presented France with a replacement puppy, named Dobrynya. The two-month-old German Shepherd may have to spend some time in quarantine before joining the police.

9. Eagles of Death Metal perform in Paris again

The band Eagles of Death Metal, who were on stage in the Bataclan theatre in Paris when attackers from Islamic State killed 90 people there last month, have performed in the city again. At the end of a U2 gig in the AccorHotels Arena, the Irish band invited the Eagles of Death Metal to take over the stage. Bono wore a Tricolore flag.

10. Briefing: what will the end of socialist rule mean for Venezuela?

Venezuela's opposition coalition has stormed to victory in the country's legislative elections, ending nearly two decades of socialist control of the country's National Assembly. Fireworks erupted across the capital Caracas after it was announced that Democratic Unity had won 99 seats in the chamber, with 22 seats yet to be declared. But what will the loss mean for the late Hugo Chavez's Bolivarian Revolution?

Venezuela election: what the end of socialist rule will mean