Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 23 Dec 2010

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. GRIDLOCK EXPECTED AS 18M MOTORISTS HIT ICY ROADSAs the UK's rail and air transport networks slowly return to normal, severe problems are expected on the country's roads. Today is expected to be the busiest day of the year for motorists as 18m try to get home before Christmas Eve but driving conditions are expected to be treacherous with ice on roads and more snow in the North-East. Where’s Cameron’s Big Society when we need it? Can Cameron deal with a winter of discontent? In pictures: snow in the UK FURTHER EMBARRASSMENT FOR LIB DEMSTwo senior Lib Dems told undercover reporters they voted for the tuition fees rise even though they were opposed to it, the Daily Telegraph reveals in its latest secretly-taped conversation. Deputy leader of the House David Heath said George Osborne was out of touch and transport minister Norman Baker said he didn't like him. The Mole: Cable pays a high price for unprotected chat JOANNA YEATES: ANOTHER APPEALAs police search the snow-covered Bristol Downs, the family of the 25-year-old architect Joanna Yeates, last seen on Friday, are expected to issue another appeal. Joanna's boyfriend Greg Reardon reported her missing on Sunday. "I desperately want her back," he told reporters. "I thought we would be together for ever." Parents appeal for missing architect OBAMA RELIEVED AS SENATE PASSES NUCLEAR TREATYBarack Obama says the New Start treaty on nuclear arms reduction with Russia, just ratified by the Senate after months of wrangling, is the most important such agreement for 20 years. The two nations will cut deployed nuclear warheads by 30 per cent after a welcome victory for Obama, who has disappointed liberal voters so far. Alexander Cockburn: President Obama, back from the brink SKYPE IS DROPPING 50% OF CALLSSkype, the voice-over-IP internet phone service, has apologised to users as technical problems have led to it dropping around half of its calls. During peak hours about 20m calls are being made at any one time via the service and only roughly 10m of these are currently working, with problems reported from Japan, Europe and America. WIKILEAKS: MAYOR PREDICTED CHRIS 'DUDAS' COKE RIOTSThe mayor of Kingston, Jamaica, begged the US not to extradite powerful druglord Christopher 'Dudas' Coke because it would lead to violence his police forces could not control, secret diplomatic cables from WikiLeaks show. Desmond McKenzie, whose prediction came all too true, warned of "serious repercussions". Seventy-three died. WikiPics: Images from the diplomatic cables NATALIE PORTMAN BEHIND CENSORSHIPNatalie Portman has had her bottom censored digitally. The svelte actress appears in her new film Your Highness wearing a thong bikini. But producers at Universal decided this was too rude for the trailer – and a pair of sensible brown pants were added by computer wizardry, without the necessity of re-shooting the scenes. CHARLES AND CAMILLA: THE UNHEEDED WARNINGRoyal protection officers guarding Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were warned not to drive down Regent Street minutes before the royal couple's car was set upon by rioters in the West End. The advice came from a police sergeant but was ignored by the protection team, according to a Scotland Yard report. BENITEZ SET FOR INTER EXITFormer Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez's reign as manager of European champions Inter Milan is to come to an end after just six months, although there has still been no official confirmation of his exit as his severance package is thrashed out. Rumours on Merseyside say the Spaniard will return to Liverpool but current Reds manager Roy Hodgson, unpopular with fans, said he was not concerned. SPOTLIGHT TURNS ON HUNT-MURDOCH LINKSRival media owners anxious that Rupert Murdoch will get an easy ride with his BSkyB takeover now that Business Secretary Vince Cable has been removed from the decision-making process, have more reason to worry this morning. The Guardian reveals that Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has taken over supervision of the takeover bid, held a private meeting in June with the tycoon's son, James, at which no civil servants were present. Vince Cable pays high price for unprotected chat

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up