Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 16 Oct 2017

1. May and Davis travel to Brussels for talks

Theresa May and her Brexit Secretary, David Davis, will travel to Brussels this evening for talks on Brexit with Michel Barnier and Jean-Claude Juncker at a private dinner. The visit may be a last-minute arrangement, according to some sources. Sky News says it is being seen as the Prime Minister taking more control from Davis.

2. Storm Ophelia poses ‘danger to life’ in UK

Storm Ophelia is approaching the coast of Ireland this morning – and is said to pose a “danger to life” for the UK. Gusts of up to 80mph are expected in the worst storm to hit Britain for 50 years. The Met Office has issued amber warnings for wind in Northern Ireland and yellow for much of the rest of the UK, though not the Southeast.

3. Austria to elect world’s youngest leader

Austria’s conservative People’s Party is on course to win a general election, with votes still being counted, meaning the country will have the world’s youngest leader: 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz. The People’s Party seems to have won 31% of the vote, forcing it to seek a coalition partnership, possibly with the far-right Freedom Party.

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4. James Corden ‘truly sorry’ for Weinstein jokes

TV presenter James Corden has said he is “truly sorry” for a string of jokes about producer Harvey Weinstein, accused of rape and sexual assault by around 30 women, made at a black-tie event in Los Angeles. Two of the women who accuse Weinstein objected to the jokes, tweeting that Corden was a “motherf***ing piglet” and a “pig”.

5. Regulator warns of ‘pronounced’ debt increase

The Financial Conduct Authority is warning today of a “pronounced” build-up of personal debt among young people. The regulator’s head, Andrew Bailey, told the BBC that young people now have to borrow to meet basic living costs and were not borrowing recklessly. He said it was “about the affordability of basic living in many cases”.

6. Inflation to hit five-year high of 3%

Forecasts suggest that inflation figures released later this week will show the increase in prices at a five-year high. City economists say the Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be shown to have risen by 3% in September, up from 2.9% in August. If correct, the increase will add pressure to the Bank of England to raise interest rates soon.

7. Mogadishu bomb death toll rises to 276

A truck bomb attack in Mogadishu on Saturday is now believed to have killed 276 people, the single deadliest terror attack Somalia has ever seen. Around 300 more are believed to have been injured and the death toll will rise further, with inadequate medical care available in the city. It is widely thought Islamists al-Shabaab are to blame.

8. English hospitals to ban big chocolate bars

NHS hospitals in England are to ban “super-sized” chocolate bars and “grab bags” of sweets from canteens, shops and vending machines. NHS England wants all such snacks to be 250 calories or less. It also wants most pre-packed sandwiches to be under 400 calories. In April, the service, vowed to reduce sales of sugary drinks.

9. Hogwarts Express saves stranded family

Police sent the Hogwarts Express to pick up a family stranded in a remote cottage in the Scottish Highlands on Friday. The steam train from the J.K. Rowling films made an unscheduled stop miles from any station to pick up the Cluett family, with young children, after a downpour washed their canoe away, far from the nearest road.

10. Briefing: rugby in crisis

In March, Premiership Rugby welcomed the plans from World Rugby to kick off the season at the beginning of September from 2019-20, with the Premiership Final to be played at the end of June.

One of the biggest stars to speak out on the issue is England and Saracens No. 8 Billy Vunipola, who has warned that players could go on strike. His England colleague Joe Marler told The Daily Telegraph that he would also back strike action.

In an interview with The Times last month, Vunipola said his body could “not handle” a nine-month season, let alone ten months. Vunipola missed last season’s Six Nations and the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand after undergoing surgery on his knee and shoulder, and has since suffered another knee injury, leavng him facing four more months on the sidelines.

Rugby in crisis: potential strike amid injury and mental health fears