Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 28 Jul 2011

published 28 July 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. PHONE HACKING PROBE MAY TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR The phone hacking scandal has grown so large that the judge in charge of the public inquiry fears he may not be able to report his findings within the timescale of one year. Lord Justice Leveson said that the terms of reference had grown "very substatially", and that while he would "strive" to meet the deadline, would not do so at "at all cost". White House 'rickrolls' AmericaThe White House twitter feed 'rickrolled' its followers yesterday after someone complained its coverage of the US debt ceiling talks was boring. In reply @WhiteHouse tweeted: "Sorry to hear that. Fiscal policy is important, but can be dry sometimes. Here's something more fun," before presenting an anonymous link to a YouTube video of 1980s popstar Rick Astley singing 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. CENTRICA MAKES £1.3BN IN SIX MONTHS Centrica, the owner of British Gas, reported operating profits of £1.3bn in the first half of the year. The overall figure was down 19 per cent on the same period last year and there was a 54 per cent fall in operating profits British Gas, to £270m. British Gas is to increase its prices by almost 20 per cent next month. Centrica reports £1.3bn profit before gas price hike BBC REPORTER AMONG 22 KILLED IN AFGHAN ATTACKAt least 22 people, inlcuding a local BBC reporter, have been killed in a Taliban attack on the town of Tarin Kowt in south Afghanistan. Insurgents armed with machine guns and at least three suicide bombs led the attacks, but it was reported that all eight attackers had been killed. The BBC reporter was Ahmed Omed Khpulwak, a reporter for the corporation's Pashto radio service. MORGAN SAYS HACKING ACCUSERS ARE 'LYING SMEARERS'Piers Morgan, former editor of the News of the World and the Daily Mirror turned celebrity US TV host, yesterday took to Twitter to denounce accusers who say he knew he had printed stories derived from phone hacking as "lying smearers". He named them as Paul Staines (blogger Guido Fawkes), former Mirror editor Roy Greenslade, and Tory MP Louise Mensch. Phone hacking: Morgan hits out at ‘lying smearers’ TWO GUILTY OF MURDER OF BRITISH COUPLE IN ANTIGUATwo men were last night found guilty of murdering Welsh honeymoon couple Ben and Catherine Mullany on the Caribbean island of Antigua in July, 2008, two weeks after they married. Kaniel Martin, 23, and Avie Howell, 20, had both denied the murders. Both of the Mullanys were shot in the back of the head during a robbery at their hotel cottage. DID AMY WINEHOUSE DIE TRYING TO STAY SOBER?Amy Winehouse's family believe she may have died from a 'cold turkey' seizure brought on by avoiding alcohol and drugs for three weeks, according to reports. Her father Mitch dismissed claims of a 72-hour binge and family members said doctors had warned that the 27-year-old's 4' 11" body might not be able to withstand the shock of withdrawal. A police officer was quoted as saying no drug paraphernalia was found by her side. The destruction of Amy: a proper Greek tragedy NORWAY MASSACRE: POLICE CALL OFF SEARCHPolice in Norway have called off their search for bodies around the island of Utoeya after Anders Breivik's gun rampage last week. Meanwhile the leader of the police squad who caught him said it was a "completely normal arrest". Haarvard Gaasbakk said Breivik appeared with his hands up and his gun laid down. PM Jens Stoltenberg has announced an investigation into the police response. Man ARRESTED IN SHETLAND ISLANDS over lulzsecAn 18-year-old was arrested yesterday in the Shetland Islands as part of the international investigation into the hacking groups Anonymous and LulzSec. He is suspected of being a hacker called 'Topiary', who claims to be a spokesman for both groups. The police Central E-Crime Unit said the arrest was linked to cyber attacks on Soca, the US Senate, the CIA and the Sun newspaper. LulzSec suspect ‘Topiary’ arrested in Shetland STAR OF YORKIE BAR ADS ADMITS KILLING WIFEThe star of the famous 1970s Yorkie chocolate bar adverts has admitted killing his terminally ill wife. Stuart Mungall, 71, pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He smothered his wife, Joan, who was 69, with a pillow at their home in Tooting, south London. Mungall found fame in the 1970s playing a trucker in the Yorkie adverts.