Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 25 Nov 2011

1. LEVESON HAS BEEN 'HIJACKED BY CELEBS'

A potential witness at the Leveson Inquiry has refused to give evidence claiming that the investigation into media standards has been "hijacked" by celebrities airing their grievances. Graham Foulkes, who lost his son in the 7/7 bombings and allegedly had his phone hacked, said he was concerned about a "knee-jerk" reaction that would undermine "important journalism".

Leveson has been 'hijacked by celebrities' claims hack victim

2. RFU 'URGED PLAYERS TO PAY HUSH MONEY'

Three players were pressured by the Rugby Football Union during the World Cup in New Zealand to pay NZ$30,000 to a hotel maid to stop her selling her story to the press, The Times reports today from the leaked Rugby Players Association report. James Haskell, Chris Ashton and Dylan Hartley refused, claiming they were being blackmailed.

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RFU 'pressured players to pay $30,000 to silence hotel maid'

3. EGYPTIAN MILITARY APPOINTS NEW PM

Egypt's military rulers yesterday appointed ex-Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri to form a national salvation government, but thousands of protestors have remained in Cairo's Tahrir Square where presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei was mobbed when he took part in Friday prayers. Rival demonstrations in support of elections have been held elsewhere in the capital.

4. £1BN PLAN TO GET YOUNG INTO WORK

Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister, is to announce a £1bn programme today to get 400,000 young people into work in the private sector by using taxpayers' money to pay £2,275 towards the cost of each hire. Yesterday it emerged that the number of young 'Neets' (not in education, employment or training) had risen to a record 1.163m.

Clegg recycles job scheme as youth unemployment gets toxic

5. IRAN ANNOUNCES ARREST OF US SPIES

Iran yesterday reported the arrests of 12 "spies for the US Central Intelligence Agency", accusing them of working with Israeli Mossad agents to target the nation's nuclear programme. There are no details of their nationalities or of when they were arrested. The claim follows reports that both Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah had unraveled CIA spy rings.

US 'flying blind' in Iran and Lebanon after CIA ops busted

6. FAMILIES TO 'SPEND LESS' ON CHRISTMAS

Four in ten British families will spend less on Christmas this year, according to Which?, the consumer magazine, in a report yesterday, with some unable even to afford a tree. The warning came as the government issued latest figures showing that the average family is spending £40 a week less than before the economic crisis in 2007.

7. AARON SORKIN SET FOR STEVE JOBS MOVIE

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who created The West Wing and won an Oscar for The Social Network, his portrayal of the creation of Facebook, has confirmed he is "reading" the biography of Apple founder Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and is "strongly considering" writing a screenplay. Sony has bought the rights.

8. NOV 30: AIRPORT CHAOS WARNING

The threat of a strike by immigration officials at Heathrow next week has prompted the airport to ask airlines to halve the capacity on international flights coming in to the UK. Heathrow chief Normand Boivin has warned of huge disruption and delays of up to 12 hours. Up to 2 million public sector workers are to hold a one day strike on 30 November.

9. ITALY PAYS RECORD RATES ON BONDS

Italy has been forced to pay record interest rates on an auction of treasury bonds, designed to raise €10bn for the troubled eurozone nation. €8bn came from the sale of six-month bills on which it must pay 6.5%, and it raised a further €2bn in two-year bonds, at an eye-watering rate of 7.8%. The news sent the benchmark 10-year yield to nearly 7.4%.

10. HOT TICKET: THE DEEP BLUE SEA

Terence Davies film adaptation of Terence Rattigan's classic 1952 play The Deep Blue Sea opens in UK cinemas today. Rachel Weisz stars as a frustrated married woman, tormented by her obsessive love for an air force pilot in post-war Britain. Empire magazine calls it "a mesmeric, haunting and often very beautiful study of isolation".

Rachel Weisz shines in film of Rattigan's Deep Blue Sea