Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 14 Jun 2010

published 14 June 2010

Avoided the news all weekend? Too depressed by England's hapless draw against the USA to read the Sunday papers? The First Post's catch-up service, posted at 8.0 am every Monday, is designed to help... AT LEAST 100 DEAD IN KYRGYZSTAN Tens of thousands of ethnic Uzbeks have been fleeing Kyrgyzstan into Uzbekistan, after mobs of Kyrgyz men rampaged through the south of the country, killing and burning down houses. In three days of violence, at least 100 have died. From the city of Osh, an Uzbek human rights worker told Reuters by telephone that almost the whole city was in flames. "God help us, they are killing Uzbeks like animals," he said. TORY MP CAUGHT IN AFFAIR WITH 'TOYBOY' A Conservative MP, Caroline Nokes, has been caught by the Sunday Mirror having an affair with a man 10 years her junior. Nokes, married with a daughter, has refused to comment. But the young man, James Dinsdale, a Tory councillor from Suffolk, admitted: "I can confirm Caroline Nokes and I have had a sexual relationship. I have no further comment to make." More... ISRAEL LAUNCHES FLOTILLA INQUIRYIsrael has agreed to hold an internal inquiry into its commando raid on the Freedom Flotilla last month, in which nine Turkish peace activists died, having earlier rejected a call for a UN investigation. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said: "We expect Israel's commission and military investigation will be carried out promptly." Today, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels are expected to increase pressure on Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza. 'HAND OF CLOD' FORCES ENGLAND-USA DRAW The England goalkeeper Rob Green fumbled a simple ball from Clint Dempsey to allow the USA to equalise in their World Cup match on Saturday. Hopes of an easy victory for England had been raised when newly installed captain Steven Gerrard scored a slick goal after only four minutes. But Green's error, and Ledley King's departure (possibly from the entire tournament) with a groin injury, caused England's confidence to wane and the score stayed at 1-1. The most popular tabloid headline yesterday was 'Hand of Clod'. CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF GOES EARLY Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff, is to leave his post this autumn, six months earlier than expected. The news was announced by Defence Secretary Liam Fox. A senior MoD civil servant, Permanent Under Secretary Sir Bill Jeffrey, is also going. The two men will first oversee the biggest budget cuts faced by the armed forces since the end of WW2, according to defence correspondent Robert Fox. OIL SPILL: OBAMA MOVES TO EASE TENSION In a "warm and amicable" phone call on Saturday, President Barack Obama made it clear to Prime Minister David Cameron that his criticism of BP over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill was not intended to "undermine BP's value" and that his frustrations about the oil spill "had nothing to do with national identity". Obama is visiting the Gulf region today ahead of a televised address on Tuesday night, and a meeting with BP's chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg, at the White House on Wednesday. 19 DIE IN ARKANSAS FLASH FLOOD Rescue workers were still searching yesterday for the bodies of 19 people who were swept away when a flash flood ripped through a camping ground in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas before dawn on Friday. Torrential overnight rain caused the 'mini tsunami' on the Little Missouri Rover. Visitors to the Albert Pike campground watched helplessly as family and friends were swept to their deaths. HAMILTON WINS CANADIAN GRAND PRIXLewis Hamilton has moved into lead position in the Formula One championship race after winning the Canadian Grand Prix in thrilling style on Sunday. Jenson Button came second to make it a McLaren one-two. Hamilton vied with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso throughout the Montreal race, but left him in third place by the end. Fourth and fifth places went to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. SARAH BROWN TO WRITE MEMOIRSSarah Brown has told her Twitter followers that she is writing a "very personal" memoir of life with Gordon Brown based on diaries she kept while the Browns lived at Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street. She tweeted: "Just agreed with my publisher Ebury to write a book - working title Behind the Black Door - so chained to laptop from Monday morning." She may want to rethink the title - it's the name of a 1987 porn film starring Ebony Ayes. COST OF ALCOHOL TO RISEThe cost of beer, wine and spirits will be increased by another five per cent in George Osborne's emergency budget on June 22, according to the Sunday Telegraph. It will be the second such rise in three months, a similar increase having been imposed in Alistair Darling's March budget. Vat is also likely to rise - from 17.5 per cent to 20 or even 25 per cent, depending on who you believe.