Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 9 Dec 2012

1. SAVILE POLICE PROBE 25 CELEBRITIES

Operation Yewtree detectives are investigating allegations of sexual offences by 25 celebrities and plan to arrest at least six of them in the coming weeks, reports The Sunday Times. Most of the 25 suspects are television and radio entertainers. A source said: "They all tend to be white men of the Savile generation".

2. WAITE SHAKES HANDS WITH HEZBOLLAH

Terry Waite has shaken hands with the leadership of Hezbollah, the organisation that masterminded his kidnapping 25 years ago. Waite, who was held hostage for five years, admitted he might be dismissed as "crazy" for his gesture of "reconciliation", which he said he undertook to spotlight the predicament of Christians who have fled civil war in Syria.

3. FAMILY OF TRAGIC NURSE IN SHOCK

The mother in law of hoax call nurse Jacintha Saldanha says the family is in “utter disbelief” over her apparent suicide. Saldanha's husband says he is devastated at the death of “my beloved Jacintha”. Meanwhile, a colleague of the nurse said: “She could be quite an emotional woman, something like this would have really affected her.”

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4. BORIS BACKS GAY MARRIAGE CAMPAIGN

Boris Johnson is among the senior Conservatives to join a new group that will campaign for same-sex couples to be allowed to marry in churches. The group, which also includes ministers Michael Gove and Patrick McLoughlin, has written to The Sunday Telegraph, arguing: “Marriage should be open to all, regardless of sexuality."

5. HAMAS WANTS 'EVERY INCH' OF ISRAEL

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has vowed to fight Israel for every "inch of land", saying: "Palestine is ours, from the river to the sea and from the south to the north." Speaking at a rally to mark 25 years of Hamas, a group designated a terrorist organisation by the US and EU, he said: "We will never recognise the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation."

6. ASTRONOMER SIR PATRICK MOORE DIES

The Astronomer and TV presenter Sir Patrick Moore, famous for his rumpled demeanour and monocle, has died peacefully at home in West Sussex at the age of 89 after a short stay in hospital last week. As well as many honours, Sir Patrick held the distinction of being the longest-running presenter of a TV programme in the world, The Sky At Night.

7. MICHAEL GOVE 'ON WAR FOOTING'

Education secretary Michael Gove has put his department on a "war footing" as it prepares to tackle the "destructive power" of teaching unions, reports The Sunday Times. The government is considering legislation to make it harder for teachers to call strikes, to shore up his plan to tie pay rises to classroom performance.

8. SENIOR AFGHAN WOMAN SHOT DEAD

A senior female government worker has been shot dead in Afghanistan just five months after her predecessor was killed by a bomb. Nadia Sediqqi, acting head of women's affairs in Laghman province, was shot as she was getting into a rickshaw to go to work. Her death raises further doubts about Afghan women’s hopes of holding on to newly-won rights.

9. DEGREES COULD COST £100,000

The cost of a university degree is to soar to as high as £100,000 for some students, according to government documents reported in The Independent On Sunday. Interest charges and other fees mean the true cost will reach the landmark figure for many students in the 'squeezed middle' income bracket.

10. ROONEY: LET'S INFLICT DERBY WOE

Wayne Rooney has urged his Manchester United team-mates to “pile the misery on City" in today's Manchester derby. “Us going six points clear would be a big statement," he said. Yesterday, Fernando Torres scored twice as Chelsea beat Sunderland 3-1, easing pressure on interim boss Rafa Benitez. Arsenal beat West Brom 2-0.