Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 4 Jul 2012

1. FORMER BARCLAYS BOSS DIAMOND 'SORRY'

Former Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond, who resigned this week after Libor rate-fixing scandal, has told MPs he only discovered the true extent of the rigging recently and said emails between traders made him feel "physically ill". Appearing at the Treasury Select Committee he said he was "sorry, disappointed and angry".

Bob Diamond's denial boosts case for new judicial inquiry

2. MANCHESTER UNITED SALE ON WALL STREET

Manchester United, the Premier League giant owned by the American billionaire Glazer family, has applied to list on the New York Stock Exchange in a share sale aimed at raising $100 million. The Glazers, who need to pay off debt weighing down the club, had earlier proposed listing on the Singapore stock market for $1billion.

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Glazers plan Manchester United IPO to raise $100m

3. COMEDY GREAT ERIC SYKES DIES AT 89

Comedy legend Eric Sykes has died at the age of 89. Sykes rose to fame in the 1950s and was a star of radio, TV and film, but was best known for his 1970s sitcom Sykes, starring alongside Hattie Jacques. Bruce Forsyth described him as "great" and younger performers including Stephen Fry and Mark Gatiss also paid tribute.

4. SCIENCE HAILS HIGGS BOSON DISCOVERY

Physicians have been celebrating the discovery of the Higgs boson, or so-called 'God Particle', which holds the universe together. News of the findings came from scientists at the Cern project in Switzerland. TV physicist Brian Cox described the breakthrough as one of the most important scientific discoveries of all time.

Higgs boson: one of biggest days in the history of science

5. IRAN TESTS MISSILES TO WARN ISRAEL

Iranian television reports that the Revolutionary Guard yesterday test-fired a ballistic missile capable of hitting Israel. Defence analyst Robert Fox reports today for theweek.co.uk that US and British forces are readying for an attack by Israel on Iran's nuclear centrifuges at Natanz this summer.

Western forces gather as Israel looks set to attack Iran

6. ROW OVER SALE OF CONSTABLE'S 'LOCK'

John Constable's 'The Lock' became one of the most expensive British paintings ever yesterday, fetching £22.4m at Christie's in London. The sale prompted a row at the museum in Madrid where it had hung, with trustee Norman Rosenthal quitting over the "moral shame" of Baroness Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza's decision to sell it.

Rosenthal quits over Spanish sale of Constable's The Lock

7. TOM CRUISE 'TRIED TO RECRUIT MURDOCH SON'

Rupert Murdoch's inflammatory comments about Scientologists are thought to stem from an attempt by Tom Cruise tried to recruit his son Lachlan to the Church when they were friends in the 1990s. Lachlan, Murdoch's oldest son, "never considered" joining, but said he "comes close" to his father's views.

Cruise divorce: Murdoch lays into 'creepy, evil' Scientology

8. HACKING PRIVATE EYE LOSES APPEAL

Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator at the heart of the phone-hacking scandal, has lost his appeal against being forced to reveal who at the News of the World allegedly instructed him to listen in to telephone messages. The court rejected Mulcaire's claim that he was protected by privilege against self-incrimination.

Mulcaire ordered to reveal all on anniversary of Dowler story

9. GEORGE ENTWISTLE NAMED BBC DG

The next Director-General of the BBC will be George Entwistle, currently boss of BBC Vision. He beat off stiff competition from Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards and BBC chief operating officer Caroline Thomson, to succeed Mark Thompson. Entwistle's salary will be £450,000 - half his predecessor's.

Who is BBC's new director general George Entwistle?

10. HOT TICKET: TRIBES GAME GETS THUMBS-UP

Spectacular effects, "incredible" shooting mechanics and a backdrop of "galactic intrigue" have made 'Tribes: Ascend' a winner among critics. "A worthy successor to its forbears," says the Telegraph of the latest version of the cult shooter series. It's free to play – but gamers can pay for weapons upgrades.

Tribes: Ascend - a shooting game with 'galactic intrigue'