Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 29 Oct 2017

1. Spain says Catalan leader can run in new elections

Madrid has said sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is welcome to participate in new elections. The Spanish government has ordered that fresh polls for the regional parliament of Catalonia should take place in December. Anti-independence activists who want Catalonia to remain part of Spain will take to the streets of Barcelona later as the constitutional crisis deepens.

2. Dr David Kelly's body 'mysteriously' exhumed

The remains of Iraq weapons inspector Dr David Kelly have been exhumed. Dr Kelly was found dead in 2003, days after being named as the source of a BBC report claiming the Tony Blair had "sexed up" a pivotal dossier about whether Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Although he was ruled to have committed suicide, questions and theories about his death have persisted.

3. Sensitive Heathrow airport data 'found on the street'

A USB stick containing confidential data about Heathrow – including the exact route the Queen takes to the airport – has reportedly been found in the street. The Sunday Mirror says a total of 76 folders were on the stick, including maps, videos and documents. An airport spokesperson said: "We have reviewed all of our security plans and are confident that Heathrow remains secure."

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4. Top donors tell May to prepare for no-deal Brexit

Leading Tory donors have told Theresa May that she should walk away from Brexit negotiations rather than accept an "unsatisfactory and unfavourable deal". A donor accused some 'Remainer' cabinet ministers of suffering from 'Stockholm syndrome' – when hostages develop a bond with their captors. However, it is widely predicted that a 'no deal' outcome woukld lead to foreign firms leaving, massive price rises and widespread job losses.

5. Trump administration working on nuclear escalation

Donald Trump is developing a nuclear weapons policy that would mark a "decisive end" to post-cold war disarmament, says The Observer. The president wants to boost America’s arsenal and relax the conditions under which it would be used. Commenting on the plans, vice president Mike Pence said: "History attests the surest path to peace is through American strength."

6. Mike Ashley 'pays over the odds' for slice of Debenhams

Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has bought shares in rival retailer Debenhams - and the Financial Times says the retailer "apparently paid considerably more than they are worth". Sports Direct was committed to buying 10.5% of Debenhams’ shares in 10 transactions during October and November. The news comes just days after Debenhams unveiled a 44% decline in pre-tax profit.

7. Stephen Crabb caught sending explicit messages - again

Former cabinet minister Stephen Crabb sent a young woman sexually explicit messages after rejecting her application for a job his parliamentary office, reports the Sunday Telegraph. This is the second time Crabb – a devout Christian who voted against same-sex marriage - has been revealed to have sent explicit messages to a young woman while married.

8. Public wanted to see opponent 'unconscious' says Joshua

Anthony Joshua retained his heavyweight titles in what Sky News calls an "unexpectedly tough fight" against stand-in opponent Carlos Takam. The "bloody bout" was stopped the fight in the 10th round after Joshua "rocked his opponent", who was battling on despite a bad cut over his eye. "People want to see Takam unconscious on the floor, and that's what I was trying to get to," said Joshua.

9. NHS chief warns service is not tackling 'safety problems'

The medical director of the NHS has warned that hospitals are failing to tackle "significant safety problems" which can cause death or serious disability. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Prof Sir Bruce Keogh said that while "people accept that their disease has risks", they "should never have to accept is that the way we design and deliver our services adds to that risk".

10. Amber Rudd 'would back old foe Boris Johnson'

Amber Rudd would back Boris Johnson in a Tory leadership bid – to act as a "brake" on the Foreign Secretary’s "wilder excesses", claims the Mail on Sunday. Friends of the Home Secretary say that if Theresa May resigns before Brexit, Rudd would aim to join forces with her former foe. Rudd has previously Rudd said Johnson is "not the man you want to drive you home at the end of the evening".