Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 3 Mar 2012

1. PM KNEW RAISA WAS POLICE HORSE

Downing Street admitted last night that David Cameron knew Raisa - the horse loaned to former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks - was a former police horse when he rode her in 2010. The spokesperson said Cameron "knew that he was on an ex-police horse when he rode it" and that he did so "more than once".

2. SICK LEAVE REFORM COULD COST £100m

Employees who fall ill during their holidays will be given the legal right to take extra time off work under plans to be introduced in October by the Business Secretary Vince Cable. The Government estimates that this change to the working time directive could cost employers more than £100 million annually.

3. US TOWN 'GONE' AFTER DEADLY TORNADO

Tornadoes and storms have killed at least 27 people in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Indiana was the worst hit, with 13 dying as tornadoes swept through three counties leaving one town so badly damaged that an official described it as "completely gone". Widespread damage has also been reported in Alabama.

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4. EURO CRISIS 'OVER' - OR IS IT?

The euro crisis is all but over, claimed French President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday - an assessment hotly disputed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Speaking at the EU summit, Sarkozy said: “We are turning the page on the financial crisis." Merkel insisted: “We remain in a fragile situation. The crisis is far from over.”

5. FIRMS OFFERED POLICE ROLE

Private security firms could investigate crimes and patrol communities after West Midlands and Surrey police invited bids from security companies for a £1.5bn contract. Critics claim this takes the police a step closer to privatisation. The Home Office stressed private firms would not be able to arrest suspects.

6. DANDO 'EXECUTED BY SERB' CLAIM

TV presenter Jill Dando was murdered by a Serbian hit man because she had appeared in a BBC appeal on behalf of Kosovan-Albanian refugees, claims the widow of a Serbian journalist murdered weeks before Dando died. " I think they were both executed," said Branka Prpa, the widow of Slavko Curuvija.

7. OBAMA TELLS IRAN: WE'RE NOT BLUFFING

President Barack Obama has insisted that the United States is "not bluffing" when it warns that it could take military action to prevent Iran developing a nuclear bomb. "When the United States says it is unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, we mean what we say," he said, adding: "We've got Israel's back".

8. BP REACHES OIL SPILL DEAL

BP has reached a $7.8bn (£4.9bn) deal with thousands of plaintiffs suing the company over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil rig spill. The plaintiffs include 100,000 fishermen, local residents and clean-up workers. BP has still not admitted liability and faces further claims from the US government and drilling firms.

9. IRAN CLAIMS BIG VOTE TURNOUT

The Iranian regime claims yesterday's parliamentary elections were a success and "a day of national unity", but opposition groups claim that bribes and threats were used to force people to vote. The state media reports that polling time had to be extended by five hours to satisfy demand. Human rights groups attacked Iran for disqualifying candidates.

10. FA WON'T RUSH APPOINTMENT

The FA says it will wait until the "back end of the season" before appointing a new England manager. General Secretary Alex Horne said: "A lot of the managers on the list are employed and we don't want to interrupt anyone's season." Sir Alex Ferguson says reports linking Harry Redknapp to the job could affect Tottenham's run-in.