Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 24 Mar 2013

1. EXILED BEREZOVSKY FOUND DEAD

Police trained in detecting nuclear, chemical and biological materials are searching the house of exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who was founded dead yesterday. The 67-year-old was an enemy of the Kremlin who had survived numerous assassination attempts, including a bomb that decapitated his chauffeur. Police are treating his death as unexplained.

2. BISHOP SLAMS IMMIGRATION REFORM

A bishop has accused the government of a “disproportionate” response to immigration. The PM will announce that immigrants will be kept off council house waiting lists for two years, to remove "expectation that new migrants can expect the British taxpayer to give them a home on arrival". The Bishop of Dudley says fears about immigration “bear little relationship to the actual reality”.

3. HAS COLD SNAP KILLED THOUSANDS?

Recent freezing conditions could be to blame for a 5,000-strong increase in deaths in England and Wales, reports the Mail On Sunday. Compared to average death rates over the past five years, an extra 2,000 deaths were registered in the first two weeks of March, and an extra 3,057 in February. The National Federation of Occupational Pensioners says the final winter death toll could be “horrendous”.

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4. MIDDLETON'S CRITICS ARE 'JEALOUS'

The editor of Waitrose Kitchen magazine has defended his decision to hire Pippa Middleton as a columnist - comparing her to Cordon Bleu-trained masterchef Yotam Ottolenghi. William Sitwell's decision to replace Delia Smith with Middleton was greeted with derision, but he says her critics are “jealous” and “catty”.

5. 10 POLICE 'IN PLEBGATE PLOT'

At least 10 police officers are suspected of involvement in a plot to discredit former government minister Andrew Mitchell, who was accused of calling Downing Street armed guards “plebs”. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating claims that officers fabricated allegations, made false statements to reporters, and leaked information to the media.

6. BREIVIK MUSICAL TO HIT THE STAGE

A leading British playwright has created a musical based on the mass murders of Anders Breivik, reports The Observer. David Greig's play The Events will be previewed in Edinburgh this summer, before moving to London's Young Vic. "Breivik's violence was done to an entire society," said Greig. "I was interested in how people responded.”

7. POLICE PROBE GALLOWAY 'HACKING' CLAIM

Police have seized a laptop computer belonging to George Galloway MP following a complaint that he sanctioned the hacking of his former secretary's emails. Galloway, who suspended Aisha Ali-Khan last year, accuses her of a dirty tricks campaign against him and denies he condoned hacking. Ali-Khan claims she suffered “bullying and misogyny” in the MP's Bradford office.

8. CARDINAL ACCUSERS 'NOT GAY CABAL'

The men whose allegations of inappropriate behaviour against Cardinal Keith O'Brien led to his resignation deny reports suggesting they are part of a “gay cabal” seeking “revenge” over his anti-gay stance. One of the men tells The Observer: "I was surprised at the suggestion that I was part of a gay cabal. And my partner of 26 years? I'd say she was quite surprised too."

9. 'DEAD' WOMAN COMES BACK TO LIFE

A 63-year-old woman who was expected to die after her heart stopped for 45 minutes is recovering at home. Carol Brothers collapsed outside her home last month. Her daughter says doctors withdrew medication and "put mum on the pathway to die". The local church announced she had passed away, but days later "she came back to life".

10. KIWIS CLOSE ON TEST VICTORY

England face an uphill challenge to avoid a series defeat by New Zealand after an eventful third day of the final Test in Auckland. New Zealand fell to 8-3 in their second innings but closed on 35-3, opening a lead of 274. The hosts go into the fourth day confident of breaking the deadlock after two earlier draws. It would be their first home Test series win against England since 1984.