Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 1 Nov 2014

1. BRANSON CONTINUES SPACE VENTURE

Sir Richard Branson is vowing to continue his space tourism project despite one of his spacecraft exploding in a fireball during a test flight, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. Branson said he was "shocked and saddened" but insisted he would "persevere" with space travel. Virgin Galactic boss George Whitesides added: "Space is hard and today was a tough day.”

2. POLICE CAUTIONS TO BE SCRAPPED

Police cautions are to be scrapped in England and Wales. Justice secretary Chris Grayling said the move is being made to prevent victims feeling that criminals are "walking away scot-free". Minor offenders will instead be asked to offer a written or verbal apology to the victim or make good by offering financial compensation or repairing any damage.

3. MILIBAND TO CALL FOR NEW 2ND CHAMBER

Ed Miliband is to call for the House of Lords to be replaced by a new second chamber. The Labour leader will argue for an elected chamber that is representative of the cities, regions and nations of the UK. “It cannot be right that the north-west has almost the same population as London but only a small fraction of London’s number of peers,” he will say.

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4. BRITISH ‘WORST SAVERS IN EUROPE’

British workers are the worst savers in Europe, according to data from the European Commission. Brits save just 9.9% of everything they earn – less than half the proportion in France and below the levels in economically troubled nations such as Spain and Portugal. Experts say the news is evidence of a "dramatic" change in culture in Britain.

5. POLICE SNOOPING ON MOBILE CALLS

Police are using a secret snooping device to monitor mobile phone calls, reports The Times. Tens of thousands of innocent people are having their mobile phones snooped on using IMSI Catchers that “hoover up” the identity, call and message data of mobile phones. The devices, used to monitor phone activity of suspects, capture information from all active mobiles within their range.

6. SOME ETHNIC GROUPS LESS CANCER AWARE

Some ethnic groups are less aware of the warning signs of cancer than white people, claims a study by King’s College London. According to the research, black people are least likely recognise a persistent cough as a possible symptom. Meanwhile, South Asians were most likely to be too embarrassed to seek medical help.

7. ‘GLOBAL THREAT’ AGAINST UK TOURISTS

British holidaymakers travelling anywhere in the world are at risk of being attacked by Islamist terrorists, claims the government. The foreign office issued a worldwide travel warning last night, saying tourists are at risk of attack as a result of Britain’s intervention in Iraq and Syria. The warning reflects a “generalised threat”, rather than intelligence of a specific attack.

8. UKIP 15 POINTS AHEAD IN STROOD

Ukip is set to thrash the Conservatives in the Rochester and Strood by-election, according to a new study. The Survation poll gave Ukip candidate Mark Reckless a 15-point lead over his former party. The lead has broadened by six points since an identical poll just weeks ago, despite mammoth Tory campaigning to hold the seat.

9. STARBUCKS TO DELIVER COFFEE

Starbucks will start delivering coffee to its customers when they place orders via a new mobile app, reports the Daily Telegraph. The coffee giant will launch a new mobile order-and-pay app across America and "select markets”. Starbucks will deliver the items to customers wherever they are. Chief executive Howard Schultz describes the service as "our version of e-commerce on steroids”.

10. CAN CHELSEA TRAIN ROLL ON?

Chelsea hope to extend their lead at the top of the table when they host struggling neighbours QPR today. Arsenal hope to continue their recent mini-revival by beating bottom-placed Burnley at the Emirates. Southampton, in second place, can continue their surprise form with a win at Hull. Manchester City host neighbours Manchester United tomorrow.