Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 22 Dec 2011

1. UK 'COULD BREAK-UP WITHIN YEARS'

Britain's most senior civil servant Sir Gus O’Donnell has questioned whether the United Kingdom will still exist in a few years’ time. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, O'Donnell - who steps down on Jan 1 - said the union faces "enormous challenges", including the pressure for Scottish independence.

2. CALL FOR NUKE SUBS IN FALKLANDS

The government should send a nuclear submarine to the Falkland Islands in response to Argentina and some of its neighbours closing their ports to ships flying the Falklands flag, says the former head of the Royal Navy. Lord West also urged Britain to start military exercises in the region.

3. HANSEN'S 'COLOURED PLAYERS' GAFFE

Football pundit Alan Hansen has talked his way into the ongoing furore about racism in football by using the word "coloured" during a discussion of the issue on Match of the Day. "There's a lot of coloured players in all the major teams," said Hansen, sparking outrage on Twitter.

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Alan Hansen scores own goal with 'coloured players' remark

4. MILLS DENIES PLAYING TAPE TO MORGAN

Heather Mills says she has never played a voicemail message from her ex-husband to Piers Morgan. It had been suggested that she might have been the source that allowed Morgan to hear the message. She denied this and declared herself "more than happy" to answer questions at the Leveson Inquiry.

5. SAUDIS FIRM ON FEMALE DRIVER BAN

The Saudi Arabian government has refused to overturn a sentence of flogging for a woman who defied its ban on female drivers, a decision activists see as evidence of the growing influence of the new hardline Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. Shaima Jastaniya was sentenced to ten lashes for defying the ban.

Saudis could still flog woman who dared to drive car

6. LONG XMAS BREAK FOR MILLIONS OF BRITS

Five million British workers will take nearly a fortnight off for Christmas because business is so slow there is no point them going to work, a leading think tank has predicted. The Centre for Economics and Business Research predicts one in six workers will take longer than usual breaks, many starting today.

7. LOCKERBIE BOMBER PROTESTS INNOCENCE

The man convicted of the Lockerbie bombings has protested his innocence from his sick bed in what he calls his last ever interview. Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, who has prostate cancer, also sounded a warning to key prosecution witness Tony Gauci, saying: "We are all together when we die.”

8. ADOPTION SELECTION OVERHAUL

An overhaul is planned of the checks made on prospective adoptive parents in England. Ministers want to speed-up the "painfully slow, repetitive and ineffective" process and allow social workers to make "sound, common-sense judgements about someone's suitability to adopt".

9. GIGGS IN NEW PREM SCORING RECORD

Ryan Giggs set a new Premier League record when he scored in Man Utd's 5-0 demolition of Fulham last night : he has now scored in all 20 Premier League campaigns. Man City guaranteed top place for Christmas by beating Stoke City 3-0. Arsenal beat Aston Villa 2-1, with a late winner from Yossi Benayoun.

Man Utd cruise to victory but City take festive top spot

10. HOT TICKET: HANDEL’S MESSIAH

Handel's Messiah, one of the best loved choral works of the season, will be performed by The Orchestra of St John’s tonight. The OSJ combines talents with soprano Hannah Davey, counter-tenor Roderick Morris, tenor John Pierce and baritone David Pike. “Heartfelt and unaffectedly memorable” says the Evening Standard. Kings Place.