Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 16 Jun 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. AL-ZAWAHIRI IS NEW LEADER OF AL-QAEDA The Egyptian-born cleric Ayman al-Zawahiri, generally believed to have been the "operational brains" behind the 9/11 attack on New York, has been appointed leader of al-Qaeda following the killing of Osama bin Laden last month. The terrorist group announced in a statement that al-Zawahiri "may God guide him" had "assumed responsibility as the group's amir". US CONGRESSMAN WEINER STEPS DOWN Shamed US congressman Anthony Weiner (above) is to resign over a 'sexting' scandal in which he sent lewd pictures and messages to woman on the internet. Weiner, who has gone into rehab, admitted sending the messages but had previously refused to stand down, despite coming under pressure from President Obama. Anthony Weiner action figure crashes website BBC APOLOGISES OVER PRIMARK DOCUMENTARY The BBC must make an on-air apology to retailer Primark over a 2008 Panorama documentary that included faked footage of child labour. The BBC Trust said the footage of boys supposedly working on Primark clothes in a Bangalore workshop was not authentic. It apologised for the "rare lapse in quality". BUDWEISER TO SPONSOR FA CUP The FA Cup is to be sponsored by American beer brand Budweiser from next season. For the next three years the competition will be known as the FA Cup with Budweiser. It was previously sponsored by energy company E.On. The US firm is already a sponsor of the football World Cup. RETAIL SALES FALL 1.4 per cent in MAYUK retail sales fell 1.4 per cent in May reversing a rise in April when sales were boosted by warm weather and the royal wedding. A dip was expected in May, but the figures are worse than expected. Higher petrol prices, low consumer confidence and a difficult economic outlook were blamed for the fall. UK suffers surprisingly sharp fall in retail sales JUNE 30 MASS STRIKE 'IRRESPONSIBLE' Government ministers accused the PCS union of being "irresponsible" in joining with the teachers' unions in a coordinated strikes of 750,000 of public sector workers on June 30, claiming they had "extremely limited support" as only 32.4 per cent per cent of their membership had voted. Strikes: this is not about public sector v private JUROR JAILED FOR CONTACTING DEFENDANT ON FACEBOOK A juror who contacted a defendant in a drugs trial on Facebook has been jailed for eight months for contempt of court. Joanne Fraill got in touch with cleared Jamie Sewart as the jury was still considering charges against other defendants in the case. Her actions caused the trial to collapse. TWO CHARGED WITH PLAN TO HARM JOSS STONETwo men were last night charged with conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and to rob singer Joss Stone at her Devon farmhouse. Kevin Liverpool, 33, and Junior Bradshaw, 30, from Manchester, were arrested after neighbours spotted them acting suspiciously. They will appear in court today. Joss Stone murder plot - two arrested in Devon ED MILIBAND TWITTER CHAT 'HIJACKED'Labour leader Ed Miliband's attempt to launch a question and answer on Twitter – #AskEdM - has been hijacked by Tories and others, asking questions such as: 'Do you feel bad about stabbing your brother in the back?' and 'Do you cry at night?' Most pertinent: 'Will you be firing the person who suggested this?' #AskEdM saboteurs make Ed Miliband look a twit NORTHERN ROCK TO BE RE-PRIVATISED IN AUCTIONNorthern Rock, one of the first casualties of the global banking crisis, which had to be nationalised in February 2008 at a cost of £1.4bn to the taxpayer, is to be sold. Chancellor George Osborne has announced an auction, expecting a price of about £1bn. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Money is among the likely bidders.

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