Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 30 Jul 2012

Divers Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield just missed out on a medal as they came fourth in the men's synchronised 10m platform at the Olympics. Earlier weightlifter Zoe Smith broke the British record in the clean and jerk and Heather Watson and Laura Robson progressed in the women's tennis singles. Rowers Kath Grainger and Anna Watkins set an Olympic record in the women's double sculls heats.

US defence secretary Leon Panetta has said that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s assault on his country’s second city will be “a nail in his coffin” as heavy fighting continues there. Panetta, touring the middle east, said there was no doubt Assad’s regime was ending. The UN says 200,000 have fled Aleppo.

RBS chief Stephen Hester has told The Guardian his bank faces damage to its reputation and a huge fine for its part in the interest rate-fixing scandal which engulfed Barclays bank earlier this year. He said: “RBS is one of the banks tied up in Libor. We'll have our day in that particular spotlight as well.”

The Daily Mail claims that “several Tory cabinet ministers” had grave concerns about Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony for the Olympics, described by Aidan Burley MP as “leftie crap”. While Boris Johnson said that claim was “nonsense”, one Labour MP has praised the “progressive socialist sentiments” of the show.

World-record holder Paula Radcliffe yesterday announced she will not compete in the marathon at this year’s games. The 38-year-old’s osteoarthritis in one foot flared up in June and has left her out of condition. She said: “As desperate as I was to be part of the [Games], I don’t want to be there below my best.”