Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 6 Oct 2016

1. Haiti: Rescuers struggle through floods

At least ten people have died and thousands have been homeless in Haiti by Hurricane Matthew, with rescuers struggling to reach parts of the country cut off by the passage of the most powerful Caribbean storm in a decade. Matthew has now reached the Bahamas while the US states of Florida and South Carolina are preparing to be hit.

2. May distances herself from Cameron

Theresa May signalled a decisive break from her predecessor David Cameron in her closing speech to the Conservative Party conference yesterday, pledging her government would help working class voters and reduce immigration. She said the EU referendum was a mandate to take a tougher line on migrants and increase state intervention generally.

3. Heathrow runway 'within pollution laws'

New research led by the University of Cambridge suggests a new runway could be built at Heathrow without breaking EU pollution laws. The report said there would be an increase in nitrogen dioxide from the airport, but this would be set against a general decrease from traffic around the area, as buses and other vehicles are electrified or reduce their emissions.

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. Hard Brexit 'would cost 80,000 Scottish jobs'

A "hard" Brexit would lead to the loss of up to 80,000 Scottish jobs and cause wages to fall by an annual average of £2,000 per head north of the border, says think-tank the Fraser of Allander Institute. The group told the Scottish Parliament that the break with the EU would shrink the economy by 5%, or £8bn, in a decade.

5. Met Police ignored 'Fake Sheikh' warnings

The Guardian newspaper says the Metropolitan Police were warned ten years ago that News of the World reporter Mazher Mahmood, the so-called "Fake Sheikh", used suspect methods but continued to with him and use his evidence to bring prosecutions. Mahmood was convicted this week of tampering with evidence.

6. Alton Towers crash victim 'not angry' after losing leg

A woman who lost a leg when the Alton Towers rollercoaster ride Smiler crashed in June last year says she does not "see the point of being angry". Victoria Balch, now 21, was one of two people who needed amputations when their rollercoaster car hit a stationary one at 50mph. A judge said the crash was "needless and avoidable".

7. FBI arrests NSA contractor for alleged theft

The FBI has arrested a man working for the same consulting firm as whistleblower Edward Snowden on suspicion of stealing codes developed by the National Security Agency to hack foreign governments' computers. Harold Thomas Martin, 51, was detained in August, but the news has only just been made public, says Sky News.

8. Kylie 'won't marry until Australia has equality'

Kylie Minogue and her British actor fiance Joshua Sasse say they won't marry until Australia passes marriage equality rules. The Australian government has proposed holding a referendum on the subject next year. The couple have been vocal in their support for marriage equality since announcing their engagement earlier this year.

9. Replacement Samsung Note ignites on plane

Samsung recalled 2.5 million of its Note 7 smartphones last month after reports of the handsets catching fire when charging. It has offered replacement units and claims to have replaced 60% of the affected phones. Yesterday, however, one of the replacement units started to smoulder on a flight in the US.

10. Briefing: Why you might want to switch your savings to Nationwide

Interest rates may be pitiful for savers but there are a couple of places where you can still get a good rate. Regular savings accounts remain one of the few ways you can still lock in a reasonable interest rate - but a few of the most popular options have recently cut what they pay out.

Why you might want to switch your savings to Nationwide