Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 8 Oct 2017

1. John Major slams May's 'self-absorbed' critics

"Disloyal" rebel Tory MPs are "self-absorbed" and should stop undermining Theresa May or risk allowing Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street, Sir John Major has said. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, the former prime minister said: "The country has had enough of the self-absorbed and, frankly, disloyal behaviour we have witnessed over recent weeks." However, he also called on the government to "show its heart again".

2. Hurricane Nate makes landfall in the USA

Hurricane Nate has made landfall in Louisiana, near the mouth of the Mississippi River, and a second about five miles west of Biloxi, Mississippi. The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 85mph (137km/h), is moving north. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of Florida have issued warnings and evacuation orders. It is the fourth major storm to strike the US in less than two months.

3. Man arrested after Natural History museum car incident

A man in his 40s was arrested after a car mounted the pavement outside the Natural History Museum in London, injuring 11 people. Detectives are appealing for witnesses after 11 people were injured in a crash at London's Natural History Museum. Police have confirmed the collision was a road traffic accident and is not being treated as terror-related.

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4. Trump: 'only one thing will work with North Korea'

Donald Trump says "only one thing will work" with North Korea after 25 years of talks with Pyongyang brought no results. "Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years," tweeted the US President, arguing that this "hasn't worked". Trump has previously warned that the US could destroy North Korea as the two nations trade insults.

5. FA 'ignored brain damage warning 22 years ago'

The Football Association was first informed of the link between football and brain disease at least 22 years ago, reports the Sunday Telegraph. Baroness Elaine Murphy says she wrote to the FA in 1995 with evidence of the link but says that the FA "were very short and refuted any such association could exist". The Jeff Astle Foundation has called for a parliamentary inquiry into missed warnings.

6. France and Germany dash Theresa May's transition hopes

Germany and France have rejected Theresa May’s request to fast-track talks on a two-year post-Brexit transition deal, insisting that Britain’s EU divorce bill must be resolved first. The Prime Minister had hoped that Brussels would kick-start negotiations at a high-profile summit later this month by approving the opening of talks on a transition period after Britain’s exit in 2019.

7. Fireball as gas tanker explodes in Ghanaian capital

Deadly gas explosions have shaken Ghana's capital. A huge fireball erupted after a tanker exploded near a petrol station in Accra. "There was some panic and we all just moved away from the scene," eyewitness George Agbey told Sky News. "It was like refugees moving away from a war-torn zone." The government in Ghana said it was "too early to give any figures" on the number injured and dead.

8. Rise in attacks on NHS mental health workers

Two out of five NHS mental health workers have been abused or attacked by a patient over the past 12 months, reports The Observer. With services overstretched because of staff shortages, workers have been strangled, kicked, punched and headbutted, according to a survey of more than 1,000 people employed in mental healthcare. Unison said "severe staff shortages" are "making violent attacks more likely".

9. Madrid may constitutionally block Catalonian bid

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says he may use constitutional powers to suspend Catalonia's autonomy and prevent the region from gaining independence. Madrid dismissed last weekend’s referendum, in which Catalan separatists claimed an overwhelming victory, as invalid and illegal. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has said separatist leaders "have to talk" to the Spanish government.

10. 'Posh popcorn' sees dental injury complaints soar

The rate of popcorn-related problems reported in dental surgeries has doubled over the past three years, from around 5% of cases to 10%. The Sunday Telegraph reports that thanks to the rise of 'posh popcorn', the snack has eclipsed those of other notorious offenders like hard-boiled sweets and fudge or caramel in the tooth injury stakes.