Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 2 Feb 2011

published 2 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. PRO- AND ANTI-MUBARAK PROTESTERS CLASHRiding camels and horses, pro-Mubarak supporters entered Tahrir Square in central Cairo today and began fighting the pro-democracy protesters who are demanding President Mubarak stands down. Last night, he gave a TV address in which he promised to go at the next election, but said he wanted to see out his term. His opponents want him to leave now. Nigel Horne: Egypt protests turn nasty Philip Jacobson: Now what for Egypt? CYCLONE YASI TEARS INTO QUEENSLANDCycline Yasi, described as the "most catastrophic storm ever seen" in Queensland, has made landfall on Australia's north-east coast. More than 90,000 people were left without power and roofs were ripped off buildings as the storm bore down on the state. Premier Anna Bligh said people should just "grab each other" and find safety. "Remember that people are irreplaceable," she said, prior to the category five storm's arrival on Wednesday night. BRADLEY MANNING 'NEEDS BRITAIN'S HELP"Amnesty International is pressuring the British government to intervene in the case of Bradley Manning, the US soldier accused of passing documents to WikiLeaks, because he is a UK citizen through his Welsh mother and needs protection. Recent reports from the marine base where he is held in the brig describe "harsh and punitive" conditions which, says Amnesty, may not be in line with international standards. Amnesty: Britain should help Manning LIMP START TO BIG PHARMA JOBS OFFENSIVEThe Pfizer research and development plant in Kent, where Viagra was first discovered, is to be closed with the loss of 2,400 jobs. The decision is a huge disappointment to the coalition government, which only last month announced tax breaks to help the pharmaceuticals industry drive Britain's economic recovery. About 400 scientists hope to be relocated, but the remaining 2,000 staff face redundancy. WOMEN TO THROW KNICKERS AT BERLUSCONI MANSION A women's protest group which claims to have 100,000 signatures demanding the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi is to mount a protest at his Milan mansion next Sunday when they will throw pairs of knickers over the fence. They want him out of office because of the accusations that he paid for women - including underage girls - for sex at "bunga bunga" parties at the house. LOCKERBIE MOTHER ATTACKS 'CALLOUS' MINISTERS The American mother of a student killed in the Lockerbie bombing has described British ministers' behaviour as ³cold, callous and brutal² after it emerged yesterday that the Foreign Office had volunteered legal advice to the Libyans on how they might get the convicted bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, freed on compassionate grounds. "This confirms everything that we have been saying," said Susan Cohen, "that business and oil deals were being done behind the scenes". Will Megrahi scoop soften US attitude to Assange? WIKILEAKS: FBI HUNTING 9/11 SURVEILLANCE TEAM US embassy documents published by WikiLeaks in partnership with the Daily Telegraph disclose that the FBI is hunting a previously unknown team of men involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The three Qatari men flew from London to New York three weeks before 9/11 to carry out surveillance on the targets - the World Trade Centre, the White House and the Pentagon. TWO GOALS FROM ROONEY HELP MAN UTD TO VICTORY Wayne Rooney chose the day when all eyes were on the staggering fees paid for strikers Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll to suddenly refind his Premier League goal-scoring form. Two goals - his first brace for Manchester United in nearly a year - helped his side to a 3-1 win over Aston Villa. Chelsea continued their improved form with a 4-2 win at Sunderland. Arsenal came from behind to beat Everton 2-1. Rooney finally finds his scoring boots CAMERON ALLOWS TORIES TO DEFY STRASBOURG David Cameron is to give Tory MPs a free vote on the demand from the European Court of Human Rights that thousands of prisoners should be given the vote for the first time in 140 years. The decision puts Parliament on a collision course with the Strasbourg court. Delighted Tory MPs are expected to come out massively against the 'votes for prisoners' issue when it goes to the vote in the Commons later this month. CABLE NETWORK PICKS UP THE KENNEDYSThe Kennedys miniseries, which was suddenly shelved by the History Channel last month under pressure from friends and family because of its depiction of President John F Kennedy and his brothers, has found a new home. It has been bought by the Minnesota-based cable network ReelzChannel, which will give the series its world premiere on April 3. It stars Greg Kinnear as JFK and Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy.