Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 15 Feb 2012

1. UK UNEMPLOYMENT AT 16-YEAR HIGH

UK unemployment has risen to 8.4% - the highest level for 16 years, according to the Office for National Statistics. Between October and December the number of unemployed people rose by 48,000 to 2.67 million. The number of unemployed 16- to 24-year-olds rose to 1.04 million - a record high.

2. EUROZONE HEADS REJECT GREEK PLEDGES

A meeting of Eurozone financial leaders expected to rubber-stamp a huge bailout for Greece has been cancelled after the country's creditors said they were not convinced of its government's commitment to austerity measures to close a looming 325m euro shortfall. The country's economic future is back in doubt.

Greek bailout on hold again – what’s gone wrong this time?

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3. 'SEXIST' RYANAIR AD BANNED

Budget airline Ryanair has been forced to withdraw a series of adverts which feature "red hot" cabin crew posing in lacy underwear after complaints of sexism. The press ads included pictures from the airline's 'Girls of Ryanair' 2012 charity calendar. The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that "the appearance, stance and gaze of the women... were likely to be seen as sexually suggestive".

Ryanair's 'red hot cabin crew' ads banned for being sexist

4. KNOX VERDICT CHALLENGED IN ITALY

Italian prosecutors have lodged an appeal against the verdict that acquitted Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia in 2007. The legal challenge could lead to a retrial if it is decided that correct legal procedures were violated previously.

Meredith Kercher family launch appeal against Knox's acquittal

5. ISRAEL: THAI BOMBS WERE IRAN PLOT

Israel's defence minister, Ehud Barak, has raised tensions by accusing Iran of being behind three bomb blasts in Bangkok that wounded five men and blew the legs off one bomber, an Iranian national. The bombings came just a day after other bomb attacks targeted Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia.

6. PENN: WILLS SHOULD NOT BE IN FALKLANDS

Hollywood actor Sean Penn has followed up yesterday's attack on the UK's "ridiculous colonialism" by saying Britain should not have sent Prince William to serve as an RAF pilot in the Falkland Islands. Earlier, Argentine war veterans said a visit by British MPs to the Falklands next month is a "provocation".

Sean Penn says UK should not have sent William to Falklands

7. EIGHT TOP ENGLISH CLUBS FACE TAX THREAT

Tax investigations have been launched into eight Premier League football clubs, raising fears they could be forced into administration like Rangers. The Scottish club has come unstuck over a £9m tax bill – and a further debt caused by a tax avoidance scheme being ruled illegal which could total as much as £70m.

8. MAN ARRESTED IN VICAR STABBING

A 43-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of a Church of England vicar who was found in a locked vicarage, stabbed to death. Police had to borrow a key from a caretaker to enter Rev John Suddards's Gloucestershire cottage. The 59-year-old had only served the parish in Thornbury for six months.

9. QUEEN DEFENDS ESTABLISHED CHURCH

The Queen has said that the established Church is "occasionally misunderstood". She explained that its role is to protect the free practice of all faiths in the UK. Yesterday Richard Dawkins used the results of a poll to argue that the Church of England should not privileges such as Bishops sitting in the House of Lords.

Dawkins and Warsi threaten Britain's history of tolerance

10. HOT TICKET: PICASSO AT TATE BRITAIN

A new exhibition surveying Picasso’s influence on British art opens at Tate Britain today. ‘Picasso and Modern British Art’ features works by Francis Bacon, Ben Nicholson, David Hockney among others influenced by Picasso – and more than 60 paintings by the Spanish master himself. The Times calls it “revelatory”.

New Tate exhibition reveals British artists' Picasso envy