Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 30 Aug 2011

Our popular news catch-up service is posted Monday to Friday at 8.0am. You can rely on it to keep you up to date through the working day with the main news talking points. Libyan rebels give Gaddafi forces ultimatumThe Libyan rebel National Transitional Council has given loyalists of deposed dictator Colonel Gaddafi holed up in Sirte and other towns until Saturday to surrender or face armed action. Meanwhile, Libya's new justice minister said Gaddafi will be given a public trial and executed in private by firing squad if he is caught and convicted of crimes against humanity. Gaddafi's wife Safia and children escape to Algeria Man behind YVONNE fletcher murder 'found dead' One of the men implicated in the shooting of WPc Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984 has been found dead in Tripoli, rebel sources have told the Daily Telegraph. Abdelgader Mohammed Baghdadi, a trusted Gaddafi aide, is thought to have ordered the killing. Man admits blackmailing coleen rooneyA man has pleaded guilty to blackmailing Coleen Rooney, the wife of Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney. Lee Platt, 28, also pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods. Coleen lost her mobile phone at a concert in Manchester last year. A 25-year-old woman and 42-year-old man pleaded not guilty to the same charges. US COUNTS COST OF HURRICANE IRENENew York City may have escaped the worst of it, but at least 40 people are now thought to have died, mainly from drowning, across eight states hit by Hurricane Irene. Damage to property is estimated to be at least $13bn in total. President Obama and state governors have warned that the impact will be felt "for some time". Irene: a media storm of hype - or a lucky escape? HEATHER WATSON NEARLY TAKES SHARAPOVA DOWNWith the crowd rooting for her, Guernsey teenager Heather Watson, ranked 102 in the world, put up a heroic fight against Maria Sharapova in the first round of the US Open, coming within a few games of pulling off a major upset. In the end, shrieking as loud as she ever has, Sharapova dismissed Watson 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Heather Watson comes close to Sharapova upset SCOTLAND WILL NOT ASK FOR MEGRAHI'S RETURNDespite pressure from politicians and some victims' relatives, Scotland will not ask for the extradition from Libya of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. First Minister Alex Salmond said new pictures of Megrahi "clearly demonstrate" that he is close to death from his prostate cancer. Lockerbie bomber Megrahi discovered close to death DSK GETS 'EMOTIONAL FAREWELL' FROM IMF STAFFDominique Strauss-Kahn, who stood down as managing director of the International Monetary Fund to fight his case against the hotel maid who accused him of attempted rape, visited the fund's Washington HQ on Monday to say goodbye to his old staff. "It was a very emotional, warm farewell," said Brazilian board member Nogueira Batista. ARSENAL FANS GET FREE TICKETS IN RECOMPENSEAll 3,000 Arsenal fans who travelled to Manchester on Saturday are to be given free tickets to another match in recompense for the Gunners' "disappointing" performance which saw them thrashed 8-2 by Manchester United. "Our travelling fans were magnificent throughout and we want to recognise their fantastic support," said the club. Arsenal thanks its heroic fans with free tickets AI WEIWEI TAUNTS BEIJING AUTHORITIESThe Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who was held in detention for 81 days by the authorities earlier this year, has described Beijing as "a city of violence" and "a constant nightmare" in an article for Newsweek magazine. He taunts China's leaders, accusing them of denying the people basic rights. Detainees "truly believe [captors] can do anything to you". 'COUPON-CRAZY' BRITONS ARE BEING SOLD SHORTDiscount voucher companies like Groupon are now responsible for nearly half the rulings by the Advertising Standards Agency as recession-hit Britons are tempted by the offers, according to the Times. Complaints are mainly about the availability of goods and services on offer and exaggerated promises regarding the discounts.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up