Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 1 Nov 2016

1. Clinton attacks FBI's 'double standards'

Hillary Clinton's campaign team has again attacked the FBI's director for announcing an investigation into her use of a private email server 11 days before the US presidential election. The team accused James Comey of having "blatant double standards", saying he is holding back information on Republican Donald Trump's links to Russia.

What is Hillary Clinton doing now?

2. MI5 chief warns of threat from Russia

A serving head of MI5 has given an interview to a newspaper for the first time. Andrew Parker told The Guardian Russia is posing an increasing threat to the stability of the UK, using "propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks" to push its agenda. He also warned there are 3,000 violent Islamist extremists in the UK.

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MI5 boss warns of growing threat from Russia

3. Cyber security strategy targets hackers

Chancellor Philip Hammond will today lay out details of a new £1.9bn cyber security strategy to stop hackers hijacking websites or setting up fake versions of official domains. The scheme will also enlarge existing specialist police units that tackle organised online gangs.

Government vows to 'strike back' at cyber-attackers

4. Japanese firms get Brexit offers from EU

Japanese firms in the UK are receiving offers from EU countries who want their business after Brexit, according to the president of the Japanese chambers of commerce. Haruki Hayashi, who is also chief executive of Mitsubishi in Europe, told MPs firms need more "general reassurances" to stay.

5. Man killed in multiple stabbings in Croydon

One man was killed last night and three others injured after reports of multiple stabbings in Croydon. Three of the men, who are in their 20s, are in a serious condition. They were found at 8pm in the town's Gloucester Road. A fifth man was treated for stab wounds which were not serious. Police are investigating.

6. Iraqi forces reach outskirts of Mosul

Iraqi forces have reached the outskirts of Mosul as they battle to force Islamic State fighters out of the city. On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned IS militants in the city to "surrender or die". The state television building in the east of the city has been taken, but elite Iraqi fighters are said to be facing fierce resistance.

UK 'risks repeating Libya mistakes in Mosul'

7. Obama to hand on Twitter handle

The next president of the US will take over Barack Obama's @Potus (President Of The United States) Twitter handle while the account's existing tweets will be archived in a new account - @POTUS44. Obama was the first president to use the micro-blogging platform. The same will be done with his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

8. China unveils new Chengdu stealth fighter

China has unveiled its Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in a show of military might at the Zhuhai air show, its biggest meeting of aircraft manufacturers and buyers. Bradley Perrett, of Aviation Week, said the plane was "clearly a big step forward in Chinese combat capability".

9. Heseltine 'strangled his mother's pet alsatian'

Michael Heseltine, the former Tory deputy prime minister, has confessed to strangling his mother's Alsatian. The 83-year-old peer, speaking to Tatler magazine, said he pulled the dog's choke chain tight after it attacked him following "some kind of mental breakdown" and the dog "went limp".

Michael Heseltine confesses to strangling mother's dog

10. Briefing: Russia vs Nato

The UK will send fighter jets to Romania next year while the United

States has promised troops, tanks and artillery to Poland in Nato's

biggest military build-up on Russian borders since the Cold War. The

news follows last week's "storm in the petrol pump", as the BBC's

Jonathan Marcus put it, when Russia withdrew a request to refuel three

warships in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta after Defence

Secretary Michael Fallon claimed they were on their way "to bomb

Syrian civilians in Aleppo".

US and Russia spar over vetoed Syria sanctions