Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 16 Jul 2012

1. OLYMPICS BUSES GET LOST IN LONDON

Two buses transferring members of the US and Australian Olympics teams got lost this morning, taking more than three hours to get from Heathrow airport to the Olympic village in east London, The Times reports. The Australians' coach driver admitted that he did not know how to use the on-board satnav. The first of 16,000 competitors in the Olympic Games began arriving today.

G4S boss is perfect scapegoat for a state-sponsored fiasco

2. £9.4BN FOR RAILWAY INVESTMENT

David Cameron and Nick Clegg today announce a £9.4bn investment in the railways which Clegg says will help "close the north-south divide". The measures include electrification of the line from Bedford to Sheffield, upgrades to the East Coast mainline and a series of improvements around Manchester.

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3. COALITION 'WILL END BEFORE ELECTION'

The chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee, Graham Brady, has given a rare interview to the BBC and used it to say he believes the Coalition will end before the next general election in 2015. Speaking about the divisive effect of the Lords reform bill, Brady said the timing would be "difficult" to predict.

Coalition 'doomed to succeed' says Boris as Tories fear election

4. BBC SELLS TELEVISION CENTRE

The BBC has sold Television Centre in west London to property developer Stanhope in a £200m deal. The building was put up for sale last year as part of a cost-cutting drive. The Beeb also revealed that spending on 'talent' fell £9.5m to just over £203m in the last financial year.

5. IMF DOWNGRADES UK GROWTH

The IMF has downgraded its growth forecast for the UK and warned that the eurozone economies remain in a "precarious" situation as the global recovery falters. The organisation predicted that UK growth in 2013 would be just 1.4%, previously it had expected 2%. It also downgraded its global growth estimate to 3.9% from 4.1%.

6. WIGGINS, 'LE GENTLEMAN' OF THE TOUR

British cyclist Bradley Wiggins was yesterday dubbed 'Le Gentleman' of the Tour de France for his handling of Stage 14 in the race which was spoiled by sabotage. Tacks were laid on the road, and about 30 riders suffered punctures. Wiggins slowed the 'peloton' down to give one of his key rivals a chance.

Bradley Wiggins halts Tour de France stage after sabotage bid

7. HAVE PETROL PRICES BEEN 'RIGGED'?

The Daily Telegraph asks today if the price of petrol at the pump was "rigged" by banks and traders just as the Libor interest rate was. According to a report produced for the G20, the oil market is wide open to "manipulation or distortion", leading fuel campaigners to demand the government investigates.

Petrol prices might have been fixed in same way as Libor

8. KEY GENERAL REMOVED IN NORTH KOREA

Officially, North Korean general Ri Yong-ho has had to step down due to ill-health – but few watchers of the Hermit Kingdom will be convinced by this innocent explanation. The general's sudden sidelining is being interpreted as political, of interest because he mentored the young leader, Kim Jong-un.

Kim Jong-un removes general in North Korea army 'purge'

9. CENSUS: POPULATION RISE FASTEST EVER

The population of England and Wales increased by 3.7 million - or 7.1 per cent - in the ten years between the 2001 and 2011 censuses - the fastest rate ever recorded. The population now stands at 56.1 million, according to the Office for National Statistics which released the first tranche of 2011 census data today.

Pressure on London as census shows 3.7m population jump

10. HOT TICKET: PARIS COMES TO LONDON

The London restaurateurs behind The Wolseley and The Delaunay have opened a new restaurant near Piccadilly Circus. Brasserie Zedel aims to transport the atmosphere of old-world Parisian dining to London, serving traditional French fare such as escargots and confit de canard in an Art Deco setting. “Excitingly cheap”, says the Evening Standard.

Brasserie Zedel – Paris style and low prices in the heart of London