Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 15 Jan 2012

1. TONY BLAIR WORTH 'UP TO £40M'

Tony Blair's personal fortune could be as high as £40million and enough for him to enter enter Britain’s unofficial rich list, says The Sunday Telegraph. The report estimates that in the 12 months to March 31 2011, he made 61 trips abroad totalling almost 224,000 miles – the equivalent of travelling to the moon.

2. SYRIAN FORCES 'BEHEAD BABY'

The Syrian army is accused of murdering and torturing children as it attempts to quell the rebellion that is sweeping the country. One former soldier from the army's 11th Armoured Division told The Sunday Times he witnessed first-hand government troops beheading a seven-month old baby.

3. CRUISE SHIP CAPTAIN DETAINED

The captain of the submerged cruise ship Costa Concordia has been detained for questioning. A South Korean couple were rescued from the ship overnight but 40 of the 4,000 passengers are still believed to be missing. Two French passengers and a Peruvian crew member died, and another 30 were injured.

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4. RED PLATES CAN 'HELP DIETERS'

Eating from a red plate could help people lose weight, a study by German and Swiss scientists has claimed. The researchers found that serving meals on a red plate cut consumption by around 40%, because the colour is associated with danger and seen as an order to 'stop'.

5. COUNCIL BIN FINES TO BE SCRAPPED

Councils will be banned from imposing fines on the public of up to £1,000 for over-filling their dustbins or putting them out on the wrong day. Ministers will tell councils to reduce the level of fines before the controversial fines system - introduced under Labour - is phased-out by new legislation.

6. TORY FUNDRAISER QUITS AFTER VIDEO BUST

A senior Tory fundraiser quit the party yesterday after it emerged he had been filmed offering access to David Cameron’s mobile number for £10,000. Rickie Sehgal made the offer to an undercover journalist. Sehgal says he is “highly embarrassed” and claims his promise was an exaggeration.

7. OUTRAGE OVER ANTI-YOGA ARTICLE

The $5bn yoga industry is up in arms after a New York Times article claimed that the popular regime can "wreck your body". The article, by the paper's senior science writer, alleges yoga participants and teachers are injuring themselves "in droves" and that "the vast majority of people should give up yoga altogether".

8. STOP AND SEARCH PROFILING RISES

Black people are now 30 times more likely to be stopped by the police than white people, according to research. The London School of Economics and the Open Society Justice Initiative claim their findings - based on government statistics - means the UK has the worst record of discrimination involving stop and search.

9. GAY CLERIC THREATENS LEGAL ACTION

The UK's most senior openly gay cleric has threatened to take legal action against the Church of England unless he is made a bishop. The dean of St Albans, Jeffrey John, has twice been blocked from becoming a bishop. He has hired a leading discrimination lawyer to fight his case under the Equality Act.

10. DEVOLUTION POLL'S SURPRISE FINDING

There is more support in England for Scottish independence than there is in Scotland, according to a Mail on Sunday poll. 29% of English people said Scotland should quit the UK, compared to 26% of Scots. Former chancellor Alistair Darling told The Observer independence would be a "massive risk" for Scotland's economy.