Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 9 Nov 2012

1. MCALPINE 'VICTIM OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY'

Lord McAlpine, the senior Tory figure at the centre of the allegations of child sex abuse at a former Welsh care home, has been the victim of mistaken identity, The Guardian reported last night. Keith Gregory, a victim who is now a local councillor, said McAlpine, party treasurer under Mrs Thatcher, had been confused with another member of the McAlpine family, now dead.

Lord McAlpine 'wrongly linked' to Wales sex abuse scandal

2. WELBY CONFIRMED AS ARCHBISHOP

Bishop of Durham Justin Welby has been confirmed as the next Archbishop of Canterbury in a tweet by Prime Minister David Cameron. Bishop Welby's appointment means the first woman bishop could be consecrated as early as spring 2014, according to The Times. Welby's long-standing support for the move is expected to clinch a vote in favour of consecrating women bishops this month.

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Justin Welby: conflict resolution specialist for a warring Church

3. SYRIAN OPPOSITION 'CLOSE TO A DEAL'

Disparate Syrian opposition groups meeting in Doha say they hope to reach an agreement on forming a new leadership body. They are meeting under pressure from the West and Gulf states to unify their attempts to topple President Bashar al-Assad. David Cameron is keen to consider arming the rebel armies directly.

4. HSBC: 'ACCOUNTS FOR CRIMINALS'

HSBC bank, which has already been fined in the US for breaking money laundering rules, is facing allegations that it opened accounts for criminals living in Britain. Notorious criminals are thought to be among a list of 4,000 named accounts based in Jersey leaked to the taxman, The Daily Telegraph reports. Hundreds of tax dodgers could be unmasked.

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5. NAVY SEALS PUNISHED OVER VIDEO GAME

Seven US Navy Seals, including a member of the team that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, have been disciplined for working without permission as paid consultants on the video game 'Medal of Honor: Warfighter'. They received letters of reprimand and had half of their pay docked for two months for dereliction of duty and disclosure of classified material.

6. HU: CHINA MUST CUT OUT CORRUPTION

Chinese President Hu Jintao opened the Communist Party congress that begins a once-in-a-decade power transfer with a diatribe against corruption which he said "could prove fatal to the party". The week-long assembly of 2,000 delegates will install new, more conservative, leaders expected to hold back China's rush to free markets and personal liberties.

7. CALL FOR STATE ROLE IN PRESS REGULATION

A group of 44 influential Conservatives have written to The Guardian, ahead of the release of the Leveson Inquiry findings, to say the state must play a role in regulating the press – it cannot be left to the newspaper industry to self-regulate. To be "credible", any new regulator must be independent of both press and politicians, the letter says.

44 Tories call for state press regulation on eve of Leveson

8. DORRIES: 'JUST LIKE FOREIGN MINISTER'

MP Nadine Dorries is said to have angered fellow Tories by claiming that her decision to participate in ITV's 'I'm a Celebrity' show in Australia is no different to trips taken by foreign minister Alistair Burt. Dorries has been suspended by Westminster Tories after travelling to Australia without party permission.

Dorries says I'm A Celebrity is like a ministerial overseas trip

9. MITT: NOT SO POPULAR AMONG MORMONS

One final obscure fact from the US presidential election: Mormon multi-millionaire Mitt Romney won less of the Mormon vote than George Bush achieved in 2004. Romney took 78%, Dubya took 80%. The Florida ballot result was still being counted today – with the Obama camp confident the Democrats took the state by a whisker, not that the result matters now.

10. HOT TICKET: ARGO IS 'GRIPPING AND FUNNY'

US thriller 'Argo', directed by Ben Affleck, has opened in UK cinemas. Based on the real-life events of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, 'Argo' stars Affleck as a CIA operative trying to rescue US diplomats from Tehran disguised as film crew. "Gripping and funny", says the Daily Mail.

Ben Affleck's hostage thriller Argo is gripping and funny