Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 18 Nov 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. SUSPECT BOMB INTERCEPTED EN ROUTE TO GERMANYA suspected bomb bound for Germany has been discovered at Windhoek airport in Namibia. A bag was X-rayed before being loaded onto an Air Berlin flight bound for Munich and found to contain batteries, a detonator and a ticking clock. Last month, two parcel bombs from Yemen were discovered in cargo planes bound for the US, prompting a review of air freight security. GUANTANAMO MAN CLEARED ON 285 CHARGES The first Guantanamo Bay detainee to be tried in a US civilian court was found not guilty in Manhattan on Wednesday of 285 charges against him and guilty only of one - conspiracy to damage or destroy US property with explosives. The US Goverment's star witness in the trial of Tanzanian Ahmed Ghailani was not allowed to testify because his identity had been extracted under torture. The test case leaves the Obama administration's pledge to close Guantanamo Bay, and bring all the inmates to justice, in tatters. KATE MIDDLETON VISITS WESTMINSTER ABBEY Photographs of Kate Middleton paying a visit to Westminster Abbey last night, after it was closed early to the public, suggest that she and Prince William have chosen the site of his mother's funeral for their wedding ceremony. There are reports that Prince Charles will pay for the wedding, possibly with help from the Queen, but that the taxpayer will have to pay for security, which could be as high as £20m. Pressure mounts for a non-lavish royal wedding In pictures: The romance of Kate and Wills CORNISH RESIDENTS EVACUATED FROM HOMES Hundreds of people have spent the night in emergency accommodation after Wednesday's flash floods in Cornwall. Many people now face clearing up to a metre of mud from their homes and business premises. PM David Cameron has promised whatever help is needed. A flood warning remains in place for the River Fowey between Trekeivesteps and Lostwithiel. In pictures: floods in Cornwall EVA LONGORIA SEEKS DIVORCE AFTER ALL Just 24 hours after denying that her husband, basketball star Tony Parker, had filed divorce papers, Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria has confirmed that she is seeking divorce. Her petition, filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court, cites "irreconcilable differences". The couple married in a lavish ceremony at a chateau outside Paris in 2007. Recent rumours have claimed he was being unfaithful. ENGLAND 1 FRANCE 2: A BAD NIGHT AT WEMBLEY England, fielding several new young players, lost 2-1 to France at Wembley last night, the only goal scored by England regular Peter Crouch within seconds of him coming on as a late substitute. Manager Fabio Capello told reporters afterwards: "Every time I read the newspapers, they say 'pick the young players, pick the young players'. Well today I did and now you want to talk about the result." England 1 France 2: match report Blame Sky TV, not Capello, for England misery IRELAND BANK CHIEF EXPECTS huge loan Ireland's central bank governor Patrick Honohan has said he expects the debt-ridden country to accept a loan worth "tens of billions" of euros. Irish government has so far insisted it does not need a loan to deal with its huge debts, but Honohan's intervention means it is effectively 'game over'. Game over as Ireland bank chief expects loan Briefing: Why Ireland won't roll over CALL FOR ED MILIBAND TO LOOSEN UNION TIES Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson has told the Times that the electoral system that saw Ed Miliband made Labour leader because of the backing of trade unions votes is wrong and needs reforming. Margaret Hodge is among other senior Labour figures who believe the party should cut the "umbilical cord" with the unions. SWEDEN WANTS TO ARREST ASSANGE FOR RAPESweden has issued an arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on charges of rape and sexual molestation. Assange has previously suggested the allegations are part of a smear campaign conducted by enemies of WikiLeaks which has based some of its servers in Sweden because of the legal protection it affords whistleblowers. Assange's love affair with Sweden is over 40 NEW ENGINES NEEDED AFTER AIRBUS SCARE As many as 40 Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines need replacing on Airbus A380 superjumbos run by Qantas, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines, according to Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO. Rolls Royce has cut its profits forecast in light of the November 4 mid-air explosion of one of its engines. Despite the scare, the company has just won a $100m-plus share of an engine order from TAM Airlines of Brazil.

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