Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 23 Sep 2011

Traders on the New York stock exchange as shares plunge

published 23 September 2011

STOCK MARKETS SLIDE AGAINAfter a brief rally on Friday the world's stock markets resumed their slide amid fears over the global economy and concerns about European banks' exposure to Greek debt. Pledges from G20 nations to stabilise markets appeared to have worked, but by Friday afternoon the FTSE, German Dax and French Cac were all in decline again. BID TO 'FIX' BOXING GOLD AT 2012 OLYMPICSAzerbaijan paid £5.9m to the international boxing organisation World Series Boxing in return for a guarantee that Azerbaijani fighters would win two gold medals at the London 2012 Olympics, according to a BBC Newsnight investigation. WSB franchise of the amateur organisation AIBA which controls Olympic boxing. AIBA denies the claim. Cash for gold claim casts shadow over 2012 boxing WAS ALBERT EINSTEN WRONG?Scientists at Opera, an Italian particle physics research project, will today unveil results of an experiment unexpectedly challenging the core of Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity, which is that nothing travels faster than light. They measured 15,000 'neutrinos' travelling 60 billionths of a second faster around their accelerator, theoretically going backwards in time. Einstein’s theory of special relativity up in the air MEREDITH 'FORGOTTEN' SAYS SISTERMeredith Kercher, the English student murdered in Italy four years ago, has been "completely forgotten" since her death according to her sister. Stephanie Kercher said that everyone was now fascinated with Amanda Knox, the American convicted of killing her. Meredith's family are in Italy to hear the verdict in her appeal case. ‘Forget Amanda Knox – this is about Meredith’ US ACCUSES PAKISTAN OF 'PROXY WAR'Pakistan's Army chief offered to "make a phone call" when the US commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan personally asked him to stop an insurgent truck bomb which, two days later on September 10, wounded 77 US soldiers, the Guardian reports. The incident triggered US accusations of Pakistan fighting a "proxy war" in Afghanistan. SARKOZY AND CAMERON ARE 'ACCIDENTAL HEROES' David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy became "accidental heroes" in the Libyan conflict, according to an analysis by the Royal United Services Institute think tank released yesterday. The success of the Nato air strikes was down to "improvisation" and "good luck", overcoming "big political risk" and "ambiguous command". After Libya, back to reality for lucky Camo and Sarko DALE FARM EVICTIONS DELAYED AGAINThe Dale Farm evictions have been delayed again after two new applications for a judicial review were lodged at the High Court and the judge said he would not make any decision on the future of the site until next week. The eviction had intially been planned for Monday but residents gained an emergency injunction delaying it. SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION INQUEST VERDICTAn Irish coroner has ruled that a man who burned to death in his West Galway home died as a result of spontaneous combustion. Investigators told an inquest they were baffled as to the cause of death, and how the fire that killed him had started. Dr Ciaran McLoughlin said it was the first time in 25 years he had returned such a verdict. DEATH ROW 'LAST MEAL' BANNED IN TEXASTexas yesterday banned the 'last meal' for death row inmates before their executions, effective immediately. It followed a complaint from State Senator John Whitmore over the chicken fried steaks, triple bacon cheeseburger, three fajitas, fried okra and ice cream given white supremacist killer Lawrence Brewer before he was executed on Wednesday. FACEBOOK REVAMPED IN FACE OF NEW RIVALS Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg yesterday unveiled plans at his annual F8 conference to revamp the networking site as a hub for users to share the media they consume, including music and movies, in response to new rivals Google and Twitter. Facebook "identities" will also be defined through a "vertical timeline" of life events with photographs, videos and text.