Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 30 Sep 2015

1. First UK womb transplants are approved

The first UK womb transplants have been approved. In a landmark move, medics have been granted approval to carry out the UK's first 10 womb transplants, following the success of the procedure in Sweden. Statistics show that around one in 5,000 women are born without a womb, while others lose their womb to cancer.

First womb transplants approved in the UK

2. Islamic State planning 'nuclear tsunami'

Islamic State is planning a “nuclear holocaust to wipe hundreds of millions from the face of the earth”, according to a reporter who was embedded within the terror group. A veteran German journalist who spent ten days with the group says IS wants to launch a “nuclear tsunami” against the West and anyone else that opposes their plans for an Islamic caliphate.

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3. British tennis star Konta beats world No2

British tennis player Johanna Konta has beaten world number two Simona Halep to reach the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open in China. Konta was 5-1 down in third set before a remarkable turnaround saw her win six games in a row. The last time a British woman beat such a high-ranked opponent was when Sue Barker defeated Tracy Austin in 1981. She must now play Venus Williams.

4. 1.2m vehicles in UK affected by VW scandal

Almost 1.2 million vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen and sold in the UK have been fitted with the software behind the emissions scandal. They include diesel-powered cars with the brands VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda as well as VW commercial vehicles. Plans are in place to contact retailers and owners, who will be told how to check if their vehicle is affected.

VW Scandal: Emission fix leaves thousands with problems

5. Jeremy Corbyn rules out using Trident

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has ruled out using nuclear weapons if he became Prime Minister. Corbyn, who reiterated his opposition to renewing Trident during his conference speech on Tuesday, told the Today programme that he would never press the nuclear button. "I am opposed to the use of nuclear weapons. I am opposed to the holding of nuclear weapons," he said.

Jeremy Corbyn is a 'disaster', says Stephen Hawking

6. Russia begins air strikes in Syria

Russia has launched air strikes in Syria, amid reports that it has been targeting enemies of president Bashar al-Assad near the city of Homs, rather than Islamic State terrorists. The US says it was informed of the strikes in advance, and had been asked to avoid Syrian airspace. President Assad is believed to have asked Russia for military help in the country's four-year civil war.

7. Uber taxis face crackdown in London

Transport for London is poised to launch a crackdown on Uber, putting forward a raft of new rules that will hit the popular minicab-hailing app in one of its most popular cities. The new proposals for private hire companies would ban operators from showing cars for hire within a smartphone app. Black cab drivers have campaigned against the rise of Uber.

Who is Uber's new boss Dara Khosrowshahi?

8. Mark Carney warns of climate-change cost

Mark Carney has warned that climate change poses a huge risk to global stability. At a gathering of leading insurers at Lloyd's of London, the Bank of England governor highlighted the escalation in extreme weather and the resultant leap in both the physical and financial costs. He added that the current cost of climate change might "pale in significance compared with what might come".

9. Jim Carrey’s ex-girlfriend in apparent suicide

An ex-girlfriend of Hollywood actor Jim Carrey has died in an apparent suicide, the Los Angeles coroner says. Cathriona White was found dead in her apartment on Monday night, deputy chief coroner Ed Winter has announced. Pills were found near her corpse, prompting authorities to suspect a drug overdose as the cause of death.

Cathriona White: Jim Carrey 'shocked' by death of ex-girlfriend

10. Briefing: Uzbekistan's human rights crisis

Uzbekistan, a country with a long history of suspected human rights violations, has been in the headlines again this week for all the wrong reasons. With two activists detained and beaten and the government curtailing citizens' freedoms, the international community is beginning to pay closer to attention to the former Soviet state. The United Nations has yet to formally comment on the latest developments in the country, but the UN's permanent mission to Uzbekistan has long held human rights reform on its agenda.

Uzbekistan activists beaten and detained