Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 5 May 2013

1. SYRIANS FLEE AFTER SECOND 'MASSACRE'

Hundreds of Sunni families have sought safety following a massacre by president Assad's troops. Activists say more than 100 people, including women and children, have been killed by regime forces in the Sunni village of al-Bayda and the nearby coastal town of Baniyas. Meanwhile, Israel has reportedly struck a military facility near Damascus.

2. HAGUE: 'NO CHANGE OF COURSE NEEDED'

William Hague says the Conservatives do not need a "drastic change of course" despite their poor results in the local election. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he argued the Tories must "resolve not to fall into the trap of lowest common denominator politics" in the face of UKIP's growth. However, The Observer reports that senior Tories are demanding two referendums on Europe.

3. DEPUTY SPEAKER IN RAPE ARREST

Deputy House of Commons Speaker Nigel Evans has been released on bail after being arrested yesterday on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. The 55-year-old Tory MP was questioned about alleged attacks on two men in their 20s. The alleged offences took place between July 2009 and March 2013 in Pendleton, Lancashire. Speaker John Berco said of the arrest: “It has been a total shock."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

4. MOCKINGBIRD AUTHOR IN COPYRIGHT SUIT

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, has filed a lawsuit to resecure the copyright to her Pulitzer prize-winning novel. Lee - who at 87 years of age is now wheelchair-bound and partially blind - claims that she was cheated out of the copyright by Samuel Pinkus, the son-in-law of her former literary agent. To Kill a Mockingbird has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.

5. POLICE DROP 850,000 INQUIRIES A YEAR

Police are abandoning inquiries into around 850,000 crimes a year — including sexual assaults and burglaries — because officers believe they are unlikely to be solved. New data reveals up to 90% of some offences are being “screened out” as unsuitable for investigation in a bid to save resources. The Met abandoned investigations into more than 362,300 crimes in 2011-12.

6. SCIENTIST BUST-UP OVER ANDREW

Leading British scientists are in revolt over the election of Prince Andrew as a fellow of the Royal Society because of his “over-colourful” past and lack of a scientific background. The objectors are angry that the Royal Society used a ballot paper that only allowed them to vote 'yes'. The Duke of York was elected with just 11% of the vote following a huge number of abstentions.

7. FERGUSON SORRY FOR GAY REMARK

Harvard professor Niall Ferguson has apologised for saying economist John Maynard Keynes did not care about society's future because he was gay and had no children. Asked at a conference to comment on Keynes's observation that "in the long run we are all dead", Ferguson said: "Keynes was a homosexual and had no intention of having children.”

8. AMY WINEHOUSE FORTUNE DWINDLES

Just £118,000 of Amy Winehouse's £10 fortune is left, claims the Sunday Mirror. Amy’s parents have been forced to take out loans of £600,000 to cover the costs of dealing with her financial affairs. Accounts published this week reveal that there is less than £180,000 left in her six music companies, despite the singer being reportedly worth £10m at the height of her fame.

9. DOUBTS OVER OSBORNE STRATEGY

George Osborne is pushing ahead with a huge nationwide road-building programme despite serious concerns from ministers and Department for Transport officials that there is little evidence it will boost the economy. The Independent On Sunday reports that road use has been steadily falling for at least five years, undermining a key plank of the chancellor's strategy.

10. WALCOTT FIRES GUNNERS INTO THIRD

Theo Walcott scored the fastest Premier League goal of the season as Arsenal beat QPR and moved into third place. Earlier, Tottenham had beaten Southampton to maintain their bid for a Champions' League place. Hull City are promoted to the Premier League. Today, Manchester United play Chelsea and Liverpool host neighbours Everton.