Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 4 May 2013

1. DAVIS: 'NO MORE ETONIANS PLEASE'

David Davis MP says the Conservative Party must smash the impression it is "privileged and out of touch" following UKIP's success at the local elections. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Davis, a former Tory leadership contender, called for “less pandering to metropolitan interest groups; and please, please, no more Old Etonian advisers".

2. ISRAEL 'LAUNCHES AIR STRIKE IN SYRIA'

Israel has conducted an airstrike inside Syria according to two US officials. Reports in the US media say that the strike was conducted in “the Thursday-Friday timeframe” and that the primary target was a shipment of weapons headed for Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon. There has been no confirmation from the Israeli or Syrian government.

3. PRESS REGULATION CHARTER DELAYED

The government's proposal for a royal charter to underpin press regulation has been put on ice after newspaper editors put forward an alternative plan. The privy council was due to consider government plans, drawn up with the help of the campaign group Hacked Off, on May 15 but will now first consider the industry's proposals for self regulation.

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4. IS STUART HALL AVOIDING PAY-OUT?

Disgraced broadcaster Stuart Hall has been accused of trying to stop his child abuse victims from getting compensation by transferring his £1.2m home into his wife’s name. In February, less than a two weeks after he dismissed the allegations against him as “pernicious and cruel”, the former It’s A Knockout presenter transferred the family home in Cheshire, to his wife, Hazel.

5. UK 'WILL BE HOTTER THAN MAJORCA'

Britain is set for a sizzling bank holiday Monday, with temperatures expected to be higher than in Majorca and Cote D'Azur. Temperatures will reach 22C (72F) in south-east England on Sunday and Monday, according to Sky News. The warm weather is expected to see a surge in demand for barbecues with Asda reporting a sales increase of 142%.

6. ANGELA MERKEL: 'DEEP VOICES MATTER'

German chancellor Angela Merkel envies men their deeper voices, saying: “It matters in politics. And I tend to use deeper tonalities more often.” During a Q&A with women's magazine Brigitta, she revealed she does not consider herself a feminist, saying: “Real feminists would be offended if I described myself as one.” Asked what she likes in a man, she replied: “Beautiful eyes.”

7. MARKETS SOAR ON US JOBS NEWS

US markets have soared after unemployment reached its lowest level since 2008. The Dow Jones Industrial Average pushed past 15,000 after figures showed joblessness had fallen to 7.5% in April. Standard & Poor's 500-stock index set a new record passing 1,600 for the first time. US non-farm payrolls reveal that 165,000 jobs were created last month.

8. MITCHELL'S 'PLEBGATE' BIKE SOLD ON EBAY

Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell has sold the bike at the centre of the 'plebgate' scandal on eBay, raising £10,600 for charity. Mitchell says he auctioned the 18-speed Reflex Westminster to give it a "good home out of the limelight". The proceeds from the sale will go to Nyumbani UK, which helps HIV and Aids-affected children in Kenya.

9. CORRIE LEGEND SUFFERS HEART ATTACK

The actress Liz Dawn, best known for playing Coronation Street's Vera Duckworth, has suffered a heart attack, reports The Sun. Dawn was diagnosed with incurable emphysema in 2004. Three years later she left the soap due to her declining health, having appeared for 34 years. She once said: “I’ve only made one plan for 2013 — to make sure I am alive this time next year.”

10. DOCTORS FEAR BANK HOLIDAY CHAOS

Doctors fear the new NHS 111 helpline faces meltdown over the bank holiday weekend, claims the Daily Mail. A&E departments are bracing themselves for a surge of patients over the bank holiday weekend as a result of flaws in the 111 system which has replaced NHS direct and local surgery out-of-hours numbers. At least three patients may have died because of failings in the helpline.