Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 28 Oct 2017

1. Political parties 'not taking harassment claims seriously'

Senior MPs say allegations of sexual harassment are still not being taken seriously enough by their parties and whips, reports The Guardian. Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph says that MPs have resisted attempts to protect staff from sexual harassment. Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have called for any staff members who have experienced sexual harassment or abuse to contact the House of Commons authorities or police.

2. US: charges filed in Russian interference investigation

The first charges have been filed in the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russia interference in the 2016 US election. Quoting unnamed sources, CNN said it is not clear what the charges were or who they targeted. However, anyone charged could be taken into custody as soon as Monday. US intelligence agencies say Moscow sought to help Donald Trump win the election.

3. Madrid strips Catalonia police of their powers

The Spanish government has stripped Catalonia's senior police officials of their powers as direct rule is imposed on the region. Madrid has also announced the dissolution of the regional parliament and the removal of the Catalan leader, and called snap local elections. The Spanish prime minister said the aim was to return Catalonia to "normality and legality" as soon as possible.

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. Navy men thrown off nuclear submarine after drugs test

Nine British servicemen have been dismissed from a nuclear submarine after testing positive for drugs, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The servicemen were thrown off HMS Vigilant - which carries the Trident nuclear deterrent. According to the Daily Mail, the drug they had taken was cocaine. The news comes weeks after the submarine's captain was relieved of his command after an alleged "inappropriate relationship" with a crew member.

5. Australia appoints acting PM amid citizenship saga

The prime minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull has appointed foreign minister Julie Bishop as acting prime minister after a citizenship scandal cost him his deputy and parliamentary majority. Turnbull, who is due to fly to Israel for a week-long visit, was unable to leave without a deputy to take the role of acting prime minister in his absence.

6. Men 'value honesty and loyalty over bodily perfection'

Men value honesty and sensitivity above having the perfect body, according to new research in The Times. The University of London’s study of more than 2,000 men found 97% put a high value on reliability and dependability. While just 7.4% thought attaining the ideal body was very important, honesty was valued by 96% and loyalty by 95%.

7. Kurdish officials charge UK man over IS membership

Officials in the Kurdish region of Syria say a 21-year-old man from Oxford has been charged with being a member of so-called Islamic State. Jack Letts, also known as Jihadi Jack, travelled to Syria in 2014 and was later snatched by the anti-IS Kurdish-led YPG. The BBC says Letts was captured in May 2017. He has previously said he is opposed to IS.

8. East Sussex residents are told to remain indoors

Emergency services have told residents of Seaford, East Sussex to stay indoors following reports of a "noxious odour". After police received calls about a "burning plastic" smell at around 6pm on Friday, some locals in the coastal town complained of stinging eyes and feeling sick. Just two months ago, a toxic haze caused comparable symptoms in nearby Birling Gap and Eastbourne.

9. Washington 'will never accept nuclear North Korea'

The United States will never accept a nuclear North Korea, says the US Defence Secretary. Jim Mattis added that Pyongyang's accelerating nuclear and missile programs will undermine, not strengthen, its security. Despite promoting a peaceful solution, he said North Korea’s military was no match for the Washington-South Korean alliance, and that diplomacy was most effective "when backed by credible military force".

10. Barack Obama to fulfil jury duty in Illinois

Barack Obama has been called up for jury duty and court officials say the former US president intends to show up. According to the Chicago Tribune, the chief judge of Cook County, Illinois, has announced at a budget hearing that Obama would be completing his civic duty next month. The judge added: "His safety will be uppermost in our minds."