Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 22 Dec 2012

1. PRIEST: CHURCH IS 'INSTITUTIONALLY RACIST'

The Church of England is suffering from “institutional racism" says leading Anglican priest Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin. Speaking to The Times, Hudson-Wilkin said she had been victim of racism. “I’ve had people who did not want me to do a funeral,” she said. Turning to the row over gay marriage, she added: “The Church has always been obsessed with sex, I really don’t understand it."

2. LIFE GOES ON AFTER DECEMBER 21

The world did not end yesterday as it reached the end of the Mayan calendar. The doomsday moment of 11.11am GMT passed with no reports of comets, magnetic shifts or other phenomena wiping out the human race. There were gatherings at key locations including a sacred mountain in France, Stalin's bunker in Moscow and a holy site in Mexico.

3. PRINCE CHARLES INTERVENES ON HEALTH

The health service must do more to enhance "those age-old qualities of human kindness and compassion", argues Prince Charles. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, he declared: "I have heard of others speaking of the need to restore urgently a climate of care and compassion at the heart of our health services."

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4. THATCHER RECOVERS FROM SURGERY

Baroness Thatcher is "absolutely fine" after undergoing minor surgery, says her spokeswoman. The former prime minister is recuperating in hospital after having a growth removed from her bladder. Friends of the 87-year-old, who was admitted into hospital on Thursday, say she is expected to remain in hospital for some days.

5. MENSA MAN SPARKS CARROT CONTROVERSY

The BBC has apologised after a spokesman for Mensa declared on-air that those with IQs of around 60 are "carrots". Peter Baimbridge was being interviewed on BBC Breakfast when he said: "So most IQ tests will have Mr and Mrs Average scoring 100 and the higher you get, the brighter you are. And if your IQ is somewhere around 60 then you are probably a carrot".

6. NEON MUM LOSES TREATMENT FIGHT

The mother of seven-year-old Neon Roberts has lost her legal fight to prevent him receiving radiotherapy treatment for his cancer. The high court dismissed Sally Roberts's claim that the treatment could cause devastating damage to his body. "The mother has gone through a very stressful time," said Mr Justice Bodey.

7. SCARGILL LOSES RENT BATTLE

Former National Union of Mineworkers leader Arthur Scargill has lost his lengthy legal battle to have the union pay the rent for his £1.5m London apartment. After the high court ruled that Scargill would have to foot the bill, he said: "To any independent observer this is another judgment with the anti-Scargill feeling to it".

8. UK'S 'MOST DESIRABLE PLACE' NAMED

Hart in Hampshire has been named the UK's most desirable place for the second year running. The annual survey takes into account a range of factors including jobs, housing, health, crime, traffic and property prices. Elmbridge in Surrey, which has topped the poll on four occasions, came second, with Tunbridge Wells perhaps disgusted to only finish third.

9. HUGH GRANT SETTLES HACKING CLAIM

Hugh Grant has accepted a "substantial sum" as settlement of his legal claim over phone-hacking by the News of the World, says his solicitor Mark Thomson. Grant will donate the sum to the Hacked Off group, which campaigns against press intrusions. The actor described some sectors of the UK press as "toxic" at the Leveson inquiry.

10. FERGIE WOULD 'LOVE' RONALDO TO RETURN

Sir Alex Ferguson says he would "love" to see Cristiano Ronaldo return to play for Manchester United. Ronaldo will return to Old Trafford when Real Madrid face his old side in the last 16 of the Champions League next year. The Portuguese forward, who left United in an £80m move, says he won't celebrate if he scores in the tie.