Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 2 Apr 2017

1. Arrests after 'scum' attack teenage asylum seeker

Six people have been arrested after a teenage Kurdish Iranian asylum seeker was beaten up and left unconscious. The four men and two women, all aged between 20 and 24, were arrested on Saturday evening at several addresses in Croydon, southeast London, on suspicion of attempted murder and violent disorder. The MP for the area described the attackers as "scum".

2. Wealthy peers are paid 'for doing nothing'

Multimillionaire peers are claiming up to £40,000 a year in expenses for "doing nothing", says The Sunday Times. An investigation found that the "broken" allowance system rewards members of the Lords simply for attending the house. Rules allow members to claim up to £300 a day for "attendance", the only requirement being that they momentarily show their faces in the chamber at some point.

3. Manhunt underway as Colombian mudslides kill 254

Security forces in Colombia are searching for hundreds of missing people after heavy mudslides left at least 254 dead. A long period of torrential rain caused rivers to overflow and sent mud and sediment onto houses and roads in the city of about 350,000 people, burying entire neighbourhoods and forcing residents to flee their homes. About 1,100 soldiers and police are involved in the rescue effort.

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4. Academics warn that 'dark money' threatens democracy

Leading academics are demanding an urgent review of "weak and helpless" electoral laws amid fears that uncontrolled "dark money" poses a fundamental threat to British democracy. A working group at the London School of Economics warns that current laws are unable to ensure a free and fair election or control the influence of money in politics because of new technology’s disruptive power.

5. 'Bewildered' Prince Charles 'spent 14 years in therapy'

Prince Charles spent 14 years in therapy after becoming "shocked and bewildered" by the "erratic behaviour" of Diana, Princess of Wales, according to a new book. In the biography Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, Sally Bedell Smith describes a husband struggling to adapt to his wife’s "emotional storms, which shocked him in their intensity and suddenness".

6. Surgeries face closure as NHS rent charges soar

Several dozen GP surgeries are threatened with closure after the NHS raised its property service charges by up to 1,000%. Many practices that rent premises from the health service say they will have to close or resort to cutbacks on medical staff. Some surgeries have refused to pay the invoices, resulting in threatening letters and the use of debt collection agencies.

7. Several injured as bonfire explodes at French carnival

At least 18 people were injured when a bonfire exploded at a carnival in northern France. Hundreds had gathered for the annual spring event in Villepinte yesterday when the sudden explosion caused massive panic. Some attendees were hit by chunks of burning debris as they tried to flee. The authorities said the explosion was accidental, with no evidence of arson or terrorism.

8. Government set to announce 'toxin tax' on diesel cars

Diesel drivers are to be hit with "toxin taxes" of up to £20 a day in 35 towns and cities across England. As part of a government crackdown, vehicles that cause air pollution could be banned from polluted areas in peak hours, face charges to enter town centres, or both. As many as 10m diesel cars could be affected by the measures which are due to be announced within days.

9. Varsity boat race expected to go ahead after bomb find

Sky News says the Oxford v Cambridge boat race is expected to go ahead as planned, despite an unexploded World War Two bomb being discovered near the starting line. Race organiser Michelle Dite said: "Any decisions regarding changes to the event will be made in conjunction with the police." Crowds of up to 300,000 people are expected if the annual event goes ahead.

10. 'Very nice' Bob Dylan finally accepts his Nobel prize

More than three months after the awards ceremony, Bob Dylan has finally accepted his Nobel Prize for literature. According to reports in Sweden, the singer-songwriter received his medal at a private event in Stockholm before a scheduled concert in the city. A member of the Swedish Academy said the presentation "went very well indeed", and that 75-year-old Dylan was "a very nice, kind man".