Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 4 Mar 2013

1. KENYA POLL: POLICE HACKED TO DEATH

Four Kenyan police officers are reported to have been hacked to death by members of a machete-wielding gang on the eve of today's general election. Police say it is the most fraught election in Kenya's 50-year history. They fear criminals dressed as police aim to disrupt voting and that Somali militants are ready to launch attacks.

Kenya goes to polls hoping to avoid violent crisis of 2007

2. CARDINAL ADMITS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

Cardinal Keith O'Brien is expected to face a Vatican inquiry, once a new Pope is in place, after admitting yesterday that his sexual conduct had "fallen beneath the standards expected of me". O'Brien, leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, was forced to resign last week after complaints of "inappropriate advances" to fellow priests.

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Cardinal O'Brien faces Vatican inquiry over sexual conduct

3. QUEEN LEAVES LONDON HOSPITAL

The Queen has left the King Edward VII hospital in London where she was admitted yesterday as a "precaution" to be assessed for symptoms of gastroenteritis, Buckingham Palace announced. It was the 86-year-old monarch's first hospital stay in 10 years. All her official engagements for the week, including a trip to Rome, were postponed or cancelled.

4. FARAGE: UKIP 'NOT JUST A PROTEST VOTE'

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said yesterday that the second-place finish in the Eastleigh by-election was not just a "protest vote" and that his party offers "policy solutions" and "commonsense ideas". Claims that Eastleigh was "basically a protest vote" were simply "the default position of the political establishment".

After Eastleigh, Cameron's innate optimism is no longer enough

5. CYCLIST 'HEFF' KILLED IN ROAD RACE CRASH

Up-and-coming cyclist Junior Heffernan, known as 'Heff', was killed in a collision with a car yesterday while competing in the Severn Bridge Road Race. The 23-year-old Devon man was making his debut appearance with the new Herbalife-Leisure Lakes team when he was involved in the collision near Olveston, Gloucestershire.

Cyclist Junior Heffernan dies after hitting car during race

6. HAGUE: UK 'COULD ARM SYRIAN REBELS'

Foreign Secretary William Hague responded to a "delusional" interview with Syria's President Assad in the Sunday Times yesterday with a promise to step up aid to the rebels, including the possibility of supplying arms if that proved the only way to break the deadlock and "save lives". He is due to make a statement this week on a new aid package.

7. TOTTENHAM WIN NORTH LONDON DERBY

Two goals in two minutes from Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon gave Spurs an overwhelming lead in yesterday's much anticipated north London derby. Per Mertesacker clawed one back in the second half but Tottenham came out 2-1 winners. Arsenal manger Arsene Wenger admitted that finishing in the top four will be a struggle.

2-1 victory over Arsenal gives Spurs hope of top three finish

8. BABY 'CURED' IN HIV BREAKTHROUGH

An American baby girl born with HIV appears to have been cured after very early treatment with standard drug therapy, "proving the concept that HIV can be potentially curable in infants". The child is now two-and-a-half and shows no signs of re-infection, said Dr Deborah Persaud, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Have we cured HIV? Mississippi baby born with virus now healthy

9. UK 'MUST ADAPT TO FLOODS AND DROUGHT'

Britain must become more resilient to extremes of both drought and flooding, Environment Agency chairman Chris Smith said yesterday. New figures from the agency show that one in every five days saw flooding in 2012, yet one in four days saw drought. Meteorologists expect extremes of weather to increase as global temperatures rise.

10. HOT TICKET: WRIGHT TAKES ON PINERO

A revival of Arthur Wing Pinero's comedy 'Trelawny of the Wells', has opened at the Donmar. 'Atonement' director Joe Wright makes his stage debut with this tale of a popular actress who leaves the theatre for her well-to-do beau, but finds upper-class life a challenge. "Charming," says The Guardian. Until 13 April.

Joe Wright's 'charming' stage debut Trelawny of the Wells