Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 11 Apr 2019

1. ‘Humiliation’ as Brexit delayed until Halloween

The EU last night agreed that Britain can remain a member of the bloc until 31 October, a turn of events dubbed a “humiliation” for Theresa May by newspapers on both sides of the Brexit divide today. European Commission President Donald Tusk said the UK could leave earlier if it wanted, but pleaded: “Please do no waste this time.”

2. House prices ‘set to keeping falling’

House prices are likely to keep falling for another six months in the UK and for the whole of 2019 in London and the Southeast, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. An industry survey by the group found that inquiries from buyers fell for the eighth month in a row in March, while the average time to sell remains unchanged at 19 weeks.

3. Queues build as India goes to polls

India’s general election begins today, with long queues forming outside polling stations this morning. The vote will be conducted in seven phases and will not be complete until 19 May, with counting taking place on 23 May. It will be the largest election in human history, with 900 million people eligible to vote.

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4. Blackmailers ‘got hold of Assange CCTV’

WikiLeaks claims that blackmailers tried to extort money from the organisation in return for footage from CCTV cameras in the Ecuadorian embassy in London where founder Julian Assange has been in hiding since 2012. According to The Times, an unnamed source said the footage included “sensitive, possibly sexual, material”.

5. Parkinson’s sufferers accused of being drunk

One in five Britons living with Parkinson’s disease have been accused of being drunk because of their poor balance and slurred speech, a new survey suggests. The study by Parkinson’s UK found that 10% have been laughed at in public and 57% have cancelled plans or gatherings because they were worried about their symptoms.

6. Unknown human species found in Philippines

Teeth and finger bones found in a cave on the Philippines island of Luzon belong to a previously unknown human species, which has been dubbed Homo luzonensis, experts say. The finger bones found are slightly curved, suggesting that the species still climbed in trees. How they travelled the ocean from Africa to Luzon is unknown.

7. Home Office sorry for EU citizen data breach

The Home Office has apologised to hundreds of EU citizens living in the UK after it sent an email revealing their personal email addresses, in what is believed to have been a breach of the Data Protection Act. The department blamed an “administrative error”. The people whose addresses were leaked were all seeking settled status.

8. Surprise as Michael Crick leaves Channel 4

One of the country’s most respected political reporters, Michael Crick, has abruptly left Channel 4 after seven years. The network gave no reason for the 60-year-old’s departure, and The Guardian says staff who work with him were surprised by the news.

9. Three-parent baby born by IVF in Greece

Fertility doctors in Spain and Greece are celebrating the birth of a baby boy by IVF who contains DNA from three adults. The team used an egg from the mother, sperm from the father, and another egg from a donor woman in order to overcome infertility problems. The baby boy was born weighing 6lbs (2.9kg) on Tuesday.

10. Why Norway refuses to drill for oil worth billions

Norway’s parliament has dealt a blow to the nation’s vast oil industry by withdrawing support for explorative drilling off the Lofoten Islands in the Arctic.

Why Norway is refusing to drill for oil worth billions