The Daily: October 23

We scour the news so you don't have to.

Battle of Britain hero dies age 99
Battle of Britain hero William Walker died on Sunday having suffered a stroke. Walker joined the RAF in 1938 and was the oldest surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain. During the famous battle his plane was hit and he bailed out, landing in the Channel with a bullet in his ankle. Walker clung to a shipwreck and was eventually rescued and brought ashore where he was greeted by a large crowd and presented with a packet of cigarettes by an elderly woman.  Battle of Britain Memorial Trust chairman Richard Hunting CBE said: "Flight Lieutenant William Walker was a warm, engaging and friendly man who always had a twinkle in his eye. He knew how important it was that we continue to tell the story of what he and the rest of the [pilots] did in 1940."

Black Caviar lined up as a possible date for Frankel
Black Caviar and Frankel, the two highest-rated horses in the world, could meet in the breeding sheds once time is called on the unbeaten mare’s racing career. Frankel, who signed off at Ascot on Saturday with a 14 -win record, has been shortlisted as a possible date for the mare, who is unbeaten in 22 starts. He will retire at Banstead Manor Stud in Suffolk and is valued at £100 million, a record for a thoroughbred. "We would consider going to Frankel because he is clearly the best distance horse in the world," said Black Caviar's co-owner, Neil Werrett.

Skyfall: will Bond finally get an Oscar?
The Bond films have never been popular with the Academy Award voters and have only been awarded nine nominations in its half-a-century run. However, this year may be different. Bond producers believe that Dame Judi Dench’s performance as M in Skyfall, her 23rd appearance in the Bond films, is well-deserved of an Oscar. Dench is, unlike Bond, popular with the Academy Awards and has been nominated for six films and won the supporting actress award for her role in Shakespeare in Love. Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said she "wouldn’t be surprised if Judi was nominated for this one.”

Pudsey’s designer makeover for Children in Need
The world’s biggest fashion designers including Missoni, Gucci, Mulberry, Smythson, Burberry and many more have given Children in Need’s faithful mascot Pudsey a fashionable makeover.  The Lady’s favourites include Mulberry’s suede bear who carries a miniature brown leather satchel, which looks suspiciously like a mini Alexa bag, Louis Vuitton’s leather bear is decorated with studding and comes with a leather backpack, Smythson’s bright blue velvet bear is well equipped with exquisite pink and orange bear sized notebooks and Balenciaga’s bear comes in four different floral patterns. Enough for a teddy bears picnic!

Revealing portraits of women in the British army in Afghanistan
Photojournalist Alison Baskerville went to Afghanistan in May 2012 and has captured sensational images demonstrating the changing roles of women in the Forces. Alison was granted unparalleled access to the British Army’s Female Engagement Officers (FEOs) and the women at the Afghan National Army’s training centre in Kabul. The FEOs receive specialist cultural and language training and aim to create relationships with Afghan women. This enables them to gain access to compounds and Helmand’s residents. On some occasions they pretend to have a ‘Helmand husband’ to help them gain rapport with women who do not understand the concept of remaining unmarried.