Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 7 Sep 2013

1. LABOUR PROBE CLEARS UNITE

An internal Labour Party investigation has cleared Unite of claims it tried to rig the selection of a party candidate in Falkirk. Labour has reinstated two union officials at the centre of the row after it found no rules were broken. The Tories said it showed the trade union was "calling the shots" and insists the report should be made public.

2. COWELL ON PRIVATE DETECTIVE LIST

Simon Cowell is on a list of individuals and blue-chip firms who have employed rogue private detectives, reveals The Times. The X Factor boss is among the 102 names on the list drawn up by the Serious Organised Crime Agency that the Commons Home Affairs Committee is threatening to publish on Monday.

3. OBAMA ASSEMBLES SYRIA COALITION

President Barack Obama has assembled a fragile alliance of 11 countries accusing Bashar al-Assad of being responsible for chemical attacks against civilians and calling for a “strong response”. However, Vladimir Putin claimed a majority of the G20 nations oppose intervention and he threatens military support for Syria if America attacks.

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4. HOUSING MARKET CONFIDENCE SOARS

Rising house prices, growing numbers of first-time buyers and a drop in mortgage defaults have sparked “contagious” confidence in the housing market, which will have a knock-on effect for the wider economy, say experts. The latest monthly index recorded a 5.4% rise in house prices, while there were 26,100 first-time buyers in July, the highest number for six years.

5. RICHARD DAWKINS ON 'MILD PAEDOPHILIA'

Richard Dawkins has sparked fresh controversy by saying he will not condemn “mild paedophilia”. He tells The Times: “I am very conscious that you can’t condemn people of an earlier era by the standards of ours.” He recalls a physical assault he experienced at boarding school, describing it as “extremely disagreeable” but saying it did him no “lasting damage”.

6. SECURITY ALERT CLOSES CROSSING

Thousands of motorists were stuck for seven hours last night after a security alert on one of Britain’s busiest bridges. Armed police swooped after a pedestrian was seen behaving “erratically” at the Dartford Crossing. A man was arrested and remained in custody on Friday night. Up to 40,000 vehicles endured a seven-mile tailback during rush hour.

7. BRITS ARE MOST LIKELY TO SLEEP NUDE

British people are more likely to sleep in the nude than any other nation, according to new research. The International Bedroom Poll found that 30% of British people sleep naked – compared with 12% of respondents from the US and 9% of Germans. While 55% of Brits change their sheets once a week, just 18% of Germans do the same.

8. ARREST AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

A man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary, trespass and criminal damage after scaling a fence to get into Buckingham Palace. A second man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary. Both men were bailed and a review into the incident, on Monday evening, is underway.

9. AUSTRALIANS GO TO THE POLLS

Australians are voting in a general election, with opinion polls suggesting Labour's Kevin Rudd is trailing Tony Abbot's Liberal-National coalition. The rivals are split over how to tackle Australia's budget deficit. Abbott has enjoyed the support of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers. More than 14 million people are expected to vote, as citizens over 18 must vote by law.

10. ENGLAND CRUISE PAST MOLDOVA

England beat Moldova 4-0 at Wembley last night, a win that took them top of Group H after Montenegro drew in Poland. Danny Wellbeck scored either side of half-time, with a goal apiece from Steven Gerrard and Rickie Lambert. Attention now turns to the crucial qualifier against third-placed Ukraine on Tuesday.