Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 3 Feb 2011

published 3 February 2011

Our popular news catch-up service is posted Monday to Friday at 8.00 am. You can rely on it to keep you up to date through the working day with the main news talking points. US 'THREATENED CHINA WITH MILITARY ACTION'The United States threatened to take military action against China as a secret "star wars" arms race between the two nations escalated within the past few years, according to WikiLeaks documents published today by the Daily Telegraph. In a show of strength, both nations shot down their own satellites using sophisticated missiles, according to leaked embassy cables. Egypt elections could be brought forwardEgyptian vice president Omar Suleiman has indicated that the presidential elections, in which current premier Hosni Mubarak will not stand, may be brought forward from September to August. Meanwhile, anti-government protesters appeared to beat back Mubarak supporters who had yesterday attacked them in Cairo's central Tahrir Square. 'Mubarak's thugs', as they are known, have also attacked BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera journalists. Vodafone slams Egypt for hijacking network In pictures: Mubarak's men fight back Alexander Cockburn: Egypt and America's long and dirty history WHITE STRIPES DISBAND AFTER 13 YEARSThe Detroit rock duo Jack White and Meg White - aka The White Stripes - have announced they have split up and will "make no further new recordings or perform live". They said there many reasons, "but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band". The White Stripes won five Grammys in their 13 years together and headlined several festivals including Glastonbury in 2005 BBC'S CRAIG OLIVER TO REPLACE ANDY COULSONDavid Cameron has gone to the BBC to find himself a replacement communications chief following the resignation of Andy Coulson. The PM has picked Craig Oliver, controller of BBC global news. Oliver has a strong reputation at the BBC where he revamped News at Ten and ran the general election coverage last year. Unlike Coulson, who edited the News of the World, Oliver has no links to Rupert Murdoch. The First Post: David Cameron's new man CYCLONE YASI: IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSEThousands of homes have been damaged after Cyclone Yasi made landfall in north Queensland at midnight local time on Wednesday, passing directly over the tiny seaside community of Mission Beach. The category-5 storm caused far less destruction than expected because it landed away from the major conurbations of Cairns and Townsville. It has now been downgraded to a category-2 cyclone. In pictures: Cyclone Yasi KATE MOSS 'ENGAGED TO JAMIE HINCE'Supermodel Kate Moss is tying the knot with her boyfriend Jamie Hince, guitarist with The Kills, according to the Sun. The newspaper claims Hince proposed earlier this week and the couple were seen visiting a jewellery store in London yesterday. Moss, who recently moved to a new home in Highgate, north London, has not confirmed the report. PRO- AND ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS IN YEMENThousands of pro- and anti-government protestors have taken to the streets of another Arab capital, Sanaa in Yemen, but so far the demonstrations have been peaceful. The marches were held after president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power for 32 years, announced that he would not stand for re-election in 2013. However, Saleh made a similar promise in 2005 but later changed his mind, and there are fears that the demonstrations could exacerbate tribal divisions in the country. MURDOCH LAUNCHES THE iPAD DAILYAnnouncing in New York that "new times demand new journalism", Rupert Murdoch yesterday launched The Daily, designed specifically for the iPad and other tablet computers. For 99 cents a week, or $39.99 a year, iPad users in the US will receive a daily "newspaper" offering 360-degree photographs, video, audio and animated graphics as well as news reports. Murdoch hopes for equal revenue from advertising and subscriptions to meet the weekly $500,000 costs. PUBS CAN SHOW FOOTBALL ON FOREIGN TV STATIONS Premier League TV rights holders Sky and ESPN have been told that they cannot stop pubs showing games on cheap foreign broadcasters after the European Union's highest court was advised to rule that pubs that did so were not breaking the law. The case was brought by a Portsmouth landlady who was prosecuted by the Premier League for showing games using a Greek broadcaster. It could spark a revolution in how the Premier League sells its media rights. NEW YORK BANS SMOKING IN PARKS AND ON BEACHESStringent new anti-smoking laws have been approved by councillors in New York. The measures, which have been approved by the city's mayor Michael Bloomberg, make it an offence to smoke in parks, beaches and pedestrian areas like Times Square. The new rules come into force in three months time. The NYPD will not actively enforce the ban but the city's Park Department will be able to fine offenders.