Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 23 Mar 2013

1. BORIS: 'I'D BE PM IF PUBLIC WANTED ME'

Boris Johnson has given another hint that he has leadership ambitions, comparing himself to Roman statesman Cincinnatus. Asked if he would like to be PM, he said: "If, like the Roman leader Cincinnatus, I were to be called from my plough to serve in that office I wouldn't, of course, say no." He added: "If people genuinely wanted me, of course I would want to do it."

2. ISRAEL APOLOGISES FOR FLOTILLA RAID

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologised to Turkey for "any errors that could have led to loss of life" during the 2010 raid on the flotilla that tried to breach the Gaza blockade. His Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan accepted the apology and committed to normalising relations between the two countries.

3. MILIBAND: UK RISKS 'LOST DECADE'

Ed Miliband says Labour must persuade voters it can save Britain from a “lost decade” of economic decline. Speaking to The Times, Miliband said the coalition government have run out of ideas and are “shrugging their shoulders”. He believes that Labour must overcome a sense of “fatalism” among British voters.

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4. BURGERS 'SAFER THAN SALADS'

'Ready to eat' salads are more dangerous than beefburgers, a leading food expert has warned. Following a spate of Cryptosporidium infections linked to prepared salads, professor Hugh Pennington said: "You can only make vegetables safe by cooking and you can't obviously do that with salad.” He advises the public to “thoroughly wash” all bagged salads.

5. UKIP TO TARGET LABOUR VOTERS

UKIP will be "actively targeting" Labour supporters in the forthcoming local elections in England and Wales, its leader Nigel Farage is set to announce. Speaking at the party's spring conference, he will tell activists that the party's appeal goes beyond disaffected Tory voters. He is expected to focus on the impact of immigration in working-class communities.

6. COLD SNAP CLOSES SELLAFIELD

The Sellafield nuclear plant has been shut down because of severe weather conditions. Sellafield Ltd says the “site incident” presents no safety issues. There are further warnings that Britain faces gas rationing if the cold weather continues. Energy expert Ann Robinson tells The Independent that rationing would be “inevitable” if the cold snap continues for the next two weeks.

7. UK AND US PUBLIC OPPOSE SYRIA ARMING

The UK and US public both reject the idea of supplying arms to Syrian rebels and the possibility of sending western troops into the country, according to a bilateral poll. Amid disputed reports of Damascus using chemical weapons, 45% of US voters oppose sending arms, against 16% in favour. In Britain, 57% oppose, with 16% in favour.

8. CYPRUS MPS CONTINUE BAILOUT TALKS

MPs in Cyprus have voted to restructure the island's lenders and approved capital controls to prevent a bank run. They have also voted to create a "solidarity fund" which will allow the pooling of state assets for an emergency bond issue. The EU has told the country it has to raise €5.8bn by Monday in order to secure a €10bn bailout deal.

9. ARMY AND POLICE FACE MORE CUTS

The army and the police face more spending cuts because the coalition government will not sanction further reductions to welfare payments, says treasury minister Danny Alexander. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, he said only the NHS, schools and international development will be ring-fenced from the £11.5bn of cuts due in 2015-16.

10. ENGLAND THRASH SAN MARINO

England beat San Marino 8-0 in last night's World Cup qualifier – their biggest win since October 1987. An early own goal from Allesandro Della Valle set the scene, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney among the subsequent scorers. Wales beat Scotland 2-1, while the Republic of Ireland drew 0-0 in Sweden.