Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 14 Feb 2012

1. KERCHER FAMILY SEEK KNOX RETHINK

Lawyers representing the family of Meredith Kercher were today launching a petition in Italy’s Supreme Court to overturn the acquittals of Amanda Knox and Rafael Sollecito for Meredith’s murder in 2007. They say errors were made by the Appeals Court in Perugia that freed them last October.

Meredith Kercher family launch appeal against Knox's acquittal

2. UK INFLATION FALLS SHARPLY

Both measures of UK inflation have fallen sharply. The Consumer Prices Index dropped to 3.6% in January from 4.2% in December, while the Retail Prices Index fell from 4.8% to 3.9%. The news came as credit rating agency Moody's put the UK on "negative outlook", warning it may lose its triple 'A' status within 18 months.

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

Inflation down, but Moody's alert should be troubling Osborne

3. ABU QATADA'S MOTHER WANTS HIM HOME

Amid the furore over the release of "hate preacher" Abu Qatada, who got out of jail last night, the Daily Mail has tracked down his 70-year-old mother in Jordan. She denies her son is a terrorist and wishes he could return home. But his brother admitted he had been in close contact with Osama bin Laden.

New moves in London and Amman to get Qatada deported

4. CPS: ALI DIZAEI 'ABUSED HIS POWER AND POSITION'

The CPS has said the jailing of Met policeman Ali Dizaei yesterday vindicates its decision to pursue the case and that he abused his power and position as a senior officer. Dizaei was convicted of misconduct and perverting the course of justice after his original conviction was quashed last year on appeal.

A flash, brash, arrogant copper: shed no tears for Ali Dizaei

5. HOUSTON MEMORIAL SERVICE PLANNED

Whitney Houston will be eulogised on Friday at the Prudential Center, an 18,700-seat arena in her home town Newark, New Jersey. Earlier, it emerged that investigators think the singer might have died after taking a 'cocktail' of prescription drugs and alcohol - and not to have drowned in the bath where she was found underwater on Saturday.

Whitney Houston's family divided on where to bury singer

6. SHIRT SPONSOR SLAMS LIVERPOOL'S SUAREZ

Shirt sponsor Standard Chartered has responded to the furore over Liverpool's Luis Suarez who refused to shake hands with Man United's Patrice Evra on Saturday, whom he had previously racially abused, criticising both the club and the striker. The £80m sponsorship deal is among the most valuable in football.

Suarez row: sponsor demanded apology from Liverpool too

7. SEAN PENN PUTS OAR IN ON FALKLANDS

Actor and sometimes-ridiculed activist Sean Penn has accused the UK of "ridiculous colonialism" after meeting Argentina's president, Cristina Kirchner in Buenos Aires. The Hollywood leading man used the Argentine name for the islands – Las Malvinas – as he called for "true dialogue" with the UK.

Penn accuses UK of 'ridiculous colonialism' over Falklands

8. 'OH GOD': DAWKINS FORGETS HIS DARWIN

Arch-atheist Richard Dawkins has been hoist by his own petard after claiming on the Today programme that most Christians couldn't name the first book of the New Testament. Challenged to give the full name of Charles Darwin's 'Origin of Species', Dawkins stuttered before saying: "Oh God."

'Oh God': Dawkins forgets name of evolution's bible

9. GLASGOW RANGERS IN ADMINISTRATION

Scottish football club Rangers has gone into administration, and will be docked 10 points. The Glasgow club, which won the league last year, says it faces a tax bill of more than £50m. The move comes after an unsuccessful legal bid by HM Revenue and Customs to appoint its own administrator today.

Scottish football champions Rangers set for administration

10. HOT TICKET: RETURN TO CASABLANCA

In time for Valentine’s Day, the WW2 romantic drama ‘Casablanca’ has been re-released to mark the film’s 70th anniversary. Humphrey Bogart was never better, Ingrid Bergman never more beautiful. “Better and better as time goes by,” says the Observer. At the Curzon Mayfair and selected cinemas nationwide.