Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 27 Oct 2019

1. Opinion poll puts Tories 16 points ahead of Labour

A fresh opinion poll has put the Tories 16 points ahead of Labour. The survey found that support for the Conservative Party rose three points to stand at 40 per cent, while Labour was unchanged on 24 per cent. The Lib Dems slipped one point to 15 per cent while Nigel Farage's Brexit Party was on 10 per cent.

2. ‘Major statement’ due after reports US has killed IS leader

The US has carried out a raid in Syria targeting the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, according to reports overnight. A Washington official confirmed to Reuters that an operation had taken place targeting the leader but did not say whether it had succeeded in capturing or killing him. The White House says Donald Trump planned to make a “major statement” at 9am Washington time.

3. Bercow's victims claim ‘stitch-up’ over bullying

Leading political figures who accused John Bercow of bullying are boycotting Westminster’s new complaints process over claims an “establishment stitch-up” has protected the Speaker from being investigated before he steps down this week. David Leakey, the former Black Rod, and Angus Sinclair, the Speaker's former private secretary, said a new rule allowing investigations into claims by former staff has come “too late”.

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4. Prince Andrew commissions probe into Epstein photos

Prince Andrew’s inner circle has commissioned experts to examine photographs incriminating him in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The Duke of York believes the image of him with Epstein in New York’s Central Park in 2010, two years after his friend admitted soliciting prostitution from girls as young as 14, may have been orchestrated by the billionaire.

5. Chilean president dismisses cabinet after mass protests

Chile's President Sebastian Piñera has dismissed his whole cabinet to form a new government and introduce social reforms demanded by protesters. His move came after more than a million people joined a rally on Friday in the capital Santiago, calling for social justice. The Observer says hundreds have been shot and beaten on the streets.

6. Catholic bishops vote to allowed married men as priests

Catholic bishops have approved a measure allowing some married men to be ordained as priests in the Amazon region. The proposal passed by a vote of 128-41 and applies only to those churches in the Amazon region that are experiencing a shortage of priests. If Pope Francis approves the measure it would be a historic change to the church's traditions.

7. Lib Dems and SNP join forces to push for December election

The Lib Dems and Scottish National Party have teamed up to try and trigger a 9 December election. The two parties reject Boris Johnson's later election date saying it would include time for him to “ram through” his Brexit Bill. They have also asked EU Council President Donald Tusk to grant a three-month extension of the date for Brexit.

8. Emma Thompson defends waiter suspended for selfie request

Emma Thompson has come to the rescue of a waiter suspended for asking the actress for a selfie. The waiter at Brown’s, the five-star hotel in Mayfair, asked for a photograph with Thompson and her friends. She declined politely but the next day the waiter was suspended. Thompson has since phoned the general manager and urged Brown’s to reverse the decision.

9. Most UK voters now think the EU referendum was a bad idea

A majority of UK voters now think it would have been better never to have held a referendum on Brexit, according to a poll in The Observer. Researchers found that 57% of UK adults surveyed said that they believed it would have been better not to have had a public vote in June 2016. Just 29% of voters believe it was the right move.

10. Kurt Cobain's burnt cardigan sells for £260,000 at auction

The cardigan worn by Kurt Cobain during Nirvana's Unplugged session has sold at auction for £260,000. The olive green mohair garment is a true grunge item: it even has a cigarette burn hole in one of the pockets. Julien's Auctions' chief executive, Darren Julien, said: “There's still a fascination with him and his music and he's constantly getting a new fan base.”