Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 7 Sep 2010

Julia Gillard Prime Minister of Australia

published 7 September 2010

Our popular news catch-up service, which until last week ran only on Monday mornings, is now daily. You can rely on it to keep you up to date with the main news talking points... GILLARD IS AUSTRALIAN PM Julia Gillard will stay on as Australian PM after winning the backing of two of the three independent MPs who held the balance of power after a close election. Dubbed the Three Amigos, the rural independents negotiated with both sides for two weeks compared to a national soap opera. Welsh-born Gillard called an early election but her support dissipated. google doodle mystery Google has the tech world stumped over the temporary logo on its search home page - a series of dots that form the word 'Google', but which disperse when a mouse is rolled over them. Google has shot down speculation the dots are a birthday celebration. The latest theory? It's a gimmick to promote changes to Google's search engine, due to be announced tomorrow. FRANCE STEPS INTO IRAN STONING ROWInternational pressure is increasing on Iran not to execute Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who has been sentenced to death by stoning for alleged adultery, even though her husband was dead. French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said yesterday he will fly to Tehran to plead for her life. She may be executed soon after Ramadan ends. Iranians put Ashtiani through mock execution... Ashtiani tortured before murder ‘confession’... £100M BANKER TO BECOME BARCLAYS BOSSBob Diamond is to replace John Varley as CEO of Barclays, in a surprise move to be announced today. US-born Diamond is a controversial figure because of his unashamed support for bankers’ bonuses and his own £95m fortune. Once dubbed “the unacceptable face” of banking, he currently heads Barclays' investment arm. Varley and Diamond: the odd couple... mps launch new PHONE HACKing inquiry MPs have announced a fresh inquiry into alleged phone hacking by journalists at the News of the World after John Yates, the police officer in charge of the 2006 investigation, said Andy Coulson, the paper's former editor, was likely to be interviewed now that he had reopened the case. Did Murdoch know about phone hacking? Cyber-savvy Prescott makes running on phone hacking... Andy Coulson 'discussed phone hacking'... PETER CAREY MAKES MAN BOOKER SHORTLISTThe shortlist for the Man Booker Prize has been announced and Australian author Peter Carey could become the first person to win the award three times, with his novel Parrot and Olivier in America. However, his fellow countryman Christos Tsiolkas has failed to make the cut, even though his book The Slap was one of the early favourites. The new favourite is Tom McCarthy with his novel C. GOVE’S NEW SCHOOLS TO TEACH ETIQUETTEThe education secretary today approved 16 ‘free’ schools proposed under his flagship scheme – and their plans include the teaching of etiquette in Bradford and compulsory Latin in London. Michael Gove said the proposals were all responding to local needs. The schools, fewer than the 800 he had hinted at earlier this summer, open in September 2011. Who will pay for the 'free' schools? ‘ALL ABOARD’ SAYS CHARLES Prince Charles gave the TV cameras a rare glimpse of the inside of the royal train yesterday in Glasgow as he began a week-long tour around the UK to promote his new sustainability initiative, Start. The £800,000-a-year locomotive runs on bio-diesel made from old cooking oil but what grabbed the Telegraph’s attention was the drab ‘Travelodge’ decor. Afghan mission accomplished, says think tank An influential security think tank has said the main aim of the US and Britain's intervention in Afghanistan has been achieved and Allied troops should be brought home. The International Institute for Strategic Studies says that now al-Qaeda has been removed, the West's military presence "is out of proportion to the threat the Taliban pose outside Afghanistan". PUTIN HINTS AT 12 MORE YEARS AT THE TOPVladimir Putin, former Russian president and current PM, has given his clearest indication yet that he may stand for the top job again. Invoking the example of former US president Roosevelt, who served four terms, Putin said: “We have been discussing for a long time what should happen in 2012.” He has already spent eight years in the Kremlin. Action man Putin on his summer holiday...