Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 10 May 2011

Presidents Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and George W Bush of the USA

published 10 May 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. SUPER-INJUNCTIONS BECOMING 'MEANINGLESS' Lord Falconer, the former Lord Chancellor, said yesterday that the mass defiance of super-injunctions on Twitter could render them "meaningless". By last night, an estimated two million Twitter users had been forwarded the list of celebrities said - in some cases, erroneously - to be hiding behind the controversial gagging orders. Twitter is based in San Francisco and is outside the jurisdiction of the UK courts. Can Twitter users breaking injunctions be prosecuted? APRIL BOOST FOR UK RETAILERS Retail sales in Britain enjoyed a surge in April – up 5.2 per cent on the same period last year. The combination of two bank holidays, royal wedding celebrations and warm weather helped, with sales of champagne and garden furniture both up. But house prices experienced their largest annual fall last month since October 2009. Good weather and bank holidays boost retail sales BIN LADEN MISSION 'AGREED 10 YEARS AGO' In a secret deal struck between General Musharraf and President Bush in 2001, the US was granted permission by Pakistan to launch a unilateral raid inside the country if it ever learned where Osama bin Laden was hiding, according to the Guardian. As part of the deal, it was agreed that Pakistan would – for the benefit of the public – "put up a hue and cry" at the incursion. DIANA'S DEATH PHOTO TO BE SCREENED AT CANNES The paparazzi photograph of a dying Princess Diana is to be screened untouched at the Cannes Film Festival in the documentary Unlawful Killing. It was taken as she died in the rear of a Mercedes and was pixilated when produced at her inquest. The film is backed by former Harrods owner Mohammed Fayed, whose son Dodi died with her. WILLIAM AND KATE ON HONEYMOON IN SEYCHELLES Royal newlyweds Prince William and Kate have flown to the Seychelles for their honeymoon. They are reportedly staying on a private island in a £4,000 per night villa. A royal spokesman refused to confirm the destination, but the Indian Ocean island nation's tourism ministry blurted the news to the Daily Telegraph. William and Kate on honeymoon in Seychelles LAWS BROKE 'AROUND SIX' expenses rules The Standards and Privileges Committee has decided that Lib Dem MP David Laws broke "around six" expenses rules, reports the BBC. Laws resigned as Chief Secretary to the Treasury last year after it was revealed that he had paid £40,000 in rent to his partner - a practice forbidden under Parliamentary rules. An investigation has now found further breaches, including one relating to phone bills and building work. WIFE OF SYRIAN DICTATOR 'FLEES TO UK'The London-born wife of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was reported last night to be living with their three children in a safe house in either London or the Home Counties. Asma Assad, 35, once a City banker, was told to flee as violence escalates, according to Arab diplomats, and may have been in Britain for three weeks. Assad’s wife leaves horrors of Syria for England HUGH LAURIE TO QUIT 'HOUSE' TO SING BLUES Hugh Laurie is leaving the hit hospital drama House after the current eighth season to become a blues musician, he told the Radio Times. He earns £258,000 an episode as grumpy Dr Gregory House, but dislikes living in Los Angeles away from his family in Britain. He has become the top-rated Brit on American TV. ROMANS FLEE PREDICTED MAY 11 EARTHQUAKE Rome is bracing itself for a devastating earthquake tomorrow, according to the Guardian. Thousands are expected to leave the city because of a prediction by self-taught seismologist Raffaele Bendandi - also known as the "earthquake prophet" - who died 30 years ago. However geologist Paola Lagorio has denied that Bendadi ever made the prediction in his documents, saying: "The date is not there. The place is not there." MISSISSIPPI FLOODING THREATENS NEW ORLEANSThe Mississippi 'crested' higher last night than at anytime since 1927 because of spring floods. Engineers were preparing to open sluices and breach levees in a last-ditch attempt to save tens of thousands of homes and farms being flooded in the New Orleans area.