Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 25 Aug 2011

published 25 August 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. Rebels turn attention to gaddafi's home townRebel Libyan forces, having taken most of Tripoli, have turned their attention to Colonel Gaddafi's home town of Sirte, which continues to support the dictator. However, they are facing fierce resistance. Meanwhile, special forces of the SAS regiment are leading the hunt for Gaddafi, who has a £1 million bounty on his head put up by two Libyan businessmen. In pictures: The battle for Tripoli STEVE JOBS RESIGNS, UNABLE TO ‘MEET DUTIES'Steve Jobs resigned yesterday as CEO of Apple and named Tim Cook as his successor. "I have always said that if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," said Jobs, 56, who is battling cancer. He will now be chairman. Apple shares fell five per cent. Can Apple survive without Steve Jobs? Who is Tim Cook, Steve Jobs’s successor at Apple? HURRICANE IRENE HITS BAHAMAS AND HEADS FOR USHurricane Irene grew to a category three storm last night as it hammered the Bahamas island chain. Roofs were blown off and up to 12 inches of rain fell. It is expected to build into a devastating category four today with winds of 135 mph as it heads north for the US east coast. The Outer Bank islands of North Carolina have been ordered evacuated. In pictures: Hurricane Irene BEST JOKE VOTED AT EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVALComedian Nick Helm has won best joke of the Edinburgh Fringe, voted for by viewers of digital TV channel Dave. It was: "I needed a password with eight characters so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." Last year's winner, Tim Vine, came second with: "Crime in multi-storey car parks. That is wrong on so many different levels." Nick Helm heads list of best Edinburgh jokes Glenn beck warns Israel that 'evil is growing'Right-wing broadcaster Glenn Beck yesterday told supporters in Jerusalem that "evil is growing, darkness is falling". Beck held the rally, attended mostly by American fundamentalist Christians, to show his support for the Jewish state. Organisers had claimed the event was sold out, but there was a large number of empty seats. Glenn Beck unites Israel’s right and left against him FERGUSON TO TALK TO THE BBC AGAINManchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who has not spoken to the BBC for seven years, has finally ended his feud with the broadcaster after talks with Mark Thompson, director general of the corporation. Fergie imposed the ban after a BBC documentary that made allegations about his son, Jason, in 2004. He is expected to talk to reporters this weekend. Fergie lifts BBC boycott after Thompson summit TEXAN RICK PERRY TAKES LEAD IN REPUBLICAN RACETexas Governor Rick Perry has surged to a commanding nationwide lead in the Republican race for the nomination for next year’s presidential election, a survey by Gallup showed yesterday. Perry on 29 per cent easily beat former frontrunner Mitt Romney (17 per cent). Tea Party favourite Michele Bachmann (10 per cent) has fallen behind Ron Paul (13 per cent). Alexander Cockburn: making a case for Obama just gets harder COULSON MAY HAVE BROKEN PARLIAMENTARY RULESFormer News of the World Editor Andy Coulson, under arrest on suspicion of phone hacking, faces a Parliamentary investigation after Labour MP Tom Watson filed a complaint that he had failed to declare the payments he was receiving from News International when he was granted a Parliamentary pass as the Conservative's media director. Why did NotW pay Coulson after he joined the Tories? GCSE RESULTS SHOW GENDER GAP HAS GROWNThis year's GCSE results have come out and show that the gender gap between girls and boys has widened. Around 650,000 young people sat exams and 70 per cent of entries were awarded a grade between A* and C. More than a quarter, 26.5 per cent, of girls' entries earned an A or A*, compared to 19.8 per cent of boys, a gap of 6.7 per cent. GCSE trends: girls beat boys, more than ever UK IMMIGRATION RISES 21 PER CENTThe UK saw a 21 per cent increase in immigration last year, partly because fewer people left the country. The Office for National Statistics said 239,000 more people arrived in the UK than left in 2010. The number of long-term immigrants was 575,000, up just 8,000 on the previous year. But the number of people emigrating fell 91,000.