Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 5 Jan 2011

Alastair Cook

Our popular news catch-up service is posted Monday to Friday at 8.0 am. You can rely on it to keep you up to date through the working day with the main news talking points. WAS JO YEATES STALKED ON HER WAY HOME?The Daily Mirror has published a clip from a pub CCTV camera which purports to show murder victim Jo Yeates being closely followed by two figures as she walked home on the night of Friday December 17, the last time she was seen alive. Police have also revealed that when her body was discovered on Christmas Day she was missing a sock. There is speculation that it was used to strangle her or taken as a trophy by the killer. Jo Yeates ‘may have been followed by two men’ Public mystified by conflicting police messages ENGLAND ON COURSE FOR SYDNEY VICTORYEngland finished the third day of the Sydney Test on 488 for 7 in response to Australia's first innings total of 280 all out, putting them on course for victory if the weather holds. Alastair Cook (above) was the big run getter, scoring 189 before falling to a catch by Michael Hussey. Ian Bell scored 115 - his first Ashes century. Matt Prior was on 54 not out at stumps. Ashes hero Cook gets ready for lambing season In pictures: Ashes victory and other Christmas sport GERRY RAFFERTY DIES AT 63The Scottish singer songwriter Gerry Rafferty, who began his musical career as a busker on the London Underground, has died at his home in Paisley aged 63 after a loing illness. He had an international hit in the 1978 with his anthemic single Baker Street. According to the Guardian, he was still earning £80,000 a year in royalties from that one song before he died. ROYAL WEDDING DETAILS ANNOUNCEDDetails of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding have been announced. The royal couple will be married by the Archbishop of Canturbury, Rown Williams, at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony starting at 11am on April 29. Afterwards the newlyweds will return to Buckingham Palace by carriage in a procession that will travel down the Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and Parliament Square. There will be a reception at the palace later that evening. SALMAN TASEER ASSASSINATION CONDEMNEDThe assassination in Islamabad yesterday of one of Pakistan's most liberal politicians has brought international condemnation. Salman Taseer, the Governor of Punjab, was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards, angered by his boss's opposition to blasphemy laws. Hillary Clinton praised Taseer's attempts to promote tolerance while William Hague said he was shocked by the news of his death. 'NO MERGER' SAY CAMERON AND CLEGG David Cameron and Nick Clegg are due to campaign separately in Oldham ahead of next Thursday's by-election in a bid to dispel any idea that the two parties are secretly plotting to merge. Tory backbenchers have reacted angrily to rumours emerging over the Christmas holiday that Cameron is in favour of the coalition continuing beyond the next general election. Who'll go first? Cable? Lansley? Gove? Hague? HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR FTSE 100Leading shares surged on the first trading day of the New Year, with the FTSE 100 rising two per cent to 6,013 points - its highest level since June 2008, before the banking crisis hit. Yesterday's gains were due largely to a strongly performing manufacturing sector. The price of gold dropped two per cent as investors headed for riskier options. Happy New Year as FTSE breaks 6,000 barrier FIREFOX PASSES INTERNET EXPLORER IN EUROPEFirefox has overtaken Internet Explorer as the most used browser in Europe, according to web statistics company StatCounter. "This is the first time that IE has been dethroned from the number one spot in a major territory," said Aodhan Cullen, StatCounter's chief executive. "This appears to be happening because Google's Chrome is stealing share from Internet Explorer while Firefox is mainly maintaining its existing share." USS ENTERPRISE CAPTAIN WALKS THE PLANKThe captain of the nuclear-powered American aircraft carrier USS Enterprise has been relieved of his command following the emergence of video 'entertainments' he made for the ship's crew in 2006 and 2007. These included insults aimed at gay people, simulated masturbation and a scene in which Capt Owen Honors - then the ship's number two - appeared with two women in the shower. Honors mutiny: thousands support Captain Video JACKO'S DOCTOR 'WAITED 21 MINUTES'Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr Conrad Murray, waited for up to 21 minutes before calling FOR an ambulance after the pop star stopped breathing, a Los Angeles court heard yesterday. Prosecutors said this was to enable to Murray to get rid of evidence of a cocktail of drugs he had administered to the pop star. The preliminary hearing is to decide whether Murray should face a full manslaughter trial. Jacko's doctor hopes to escape manslaughter trial

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Jack Bremer is a London-based reporter, attached to The Week.co.uk. He has reported regularly from the United States and France.