Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 16 Dec 2011

1. CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS DIES AT 62

Controversy-courting British journalist Christopher Hitchens has died in hospital in Texas at the age of 62, 18 months after he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. During his provocative career, Hitchens moved from the radical left to supporting George W Bush's re-election and the war in Iraq.

Wit and wisdom of Christopher Hitchens (1949 - 2011)

2. IMF: WORLD FACES 1930S DEPRESSION

Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, said yesterday that countries must settle their differences and work together or the world risks sliding into "retraction, rising protectionism, isolation" and a 1930s-style depression. Meanwhile, France called for the UK's triple-A credit rating to be downgraded.

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Sacre bleu! France and UK at war over banker's intervention

3. ENGLAND BRACED FOR SNOW

Those living in the triangle between Cardiff, London and Stoke-on-Trent have been warned by the Met Office to expect up to four inches of snow overnight tonight. Further south, on the coast, the weekend could bring snow, ice, sleet, flooding and 70mph winds. Yorkshire was blanketed in snow yesterday.

4. GIGGS DROPS BLACKMAIL ACCUSATION

Footballer Ryan Giggs was forced yesterday to admit in court that his claim Imogen Thomas tried to blackmail him was false. Giggs had been granted a gagging order preventing media discussing his affair with the model on the basis that he suspected her of blackmail and selling her story to the papers.

5. SECOND LIFE SENTENCE FOR JACKAL

Carlos the Jackal, the Venezuelan-born terrorist whose real name is Ramirez Sanchez, received a second life sentence in a French court yesterday after he was found guilty of organising a series of terrorist attacks in France in the 19980s which killed 11. Defending himself, he wept for Muammar Gaddafi.

6. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ASSANGE APPEAL

The Supreme Court has said it will hear the case of Julian Assange, who Swedish authorities want to extradite to answer questions about alleged sexual misconduct. The court decided that the WikiLeaks editor's case raises questions of "general public importance".

7. CHRISTIAN BALE PUNCHED IN CHINA

Actor Christian Bale, who stars in a new state-funded historical movie about China's 1937-45 war with Japan decried by some as propaganda, was punched and chased for 40 minutes by thugs as he tried during a publicity trip to China to visit dissident lawyer Chen Guangcheng, who is under house arrest.

8. ARSENAL TO PLAY AC MILAN

The Premier League's two remaining Champions League hopes, Arsenal and Chelsea, have both drawn Italian opposition in the knockout stages. Arsenal must play Serie A champions AC Milan in the last 16, while Chelsea are up against Napoli. In the Europa League Manchester City play Porto, United face Ajax and Stoke were paired with Valencia.

9. BRADLEY MANNING GOES TO COURT

The lawyer for Bradley Manning, the army intelligence officer accused of sending classified files to WikiLeaks, has demanded that the investigating officer withdraw from the case on grounds of bias. Manning was making his first public appearance in more than 18 months at a pre-trial hearing at Fort Meade in Maryland.

Bradley Manning goes on trial: no remorse from 'snitch' Lamo

10. HOT TICKET: RITCHIE RETURNS TO HOLMES

A Game of Shadows, the sequel to British director Guy Ritchie’s 2009 Sherlock Holmes rejig, opens in UK cinemas today. Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law team up again as Holmes and Watson in a madcap romp through Europe to foil a dastardly plot by nemesis Moriarty. The Telegraph calls it “rollicking good fun".

A Game of Shadows brings panto to action cinema