Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Monday 30 Oct 2017

1. Sex abuse claims: May calls for reform

Theresa May has called for a reform of the disciplinary regime in the House of Commons after claims of sexual harassment of staff by MPs. The Prime Minister also wants an independent mediation service and says the current system lacks “teeth”. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has offered to meet May to discuss claims of a toxic culture at Westminster.

2. Kevin Spacey apologises after sex claim

The actor Kevin Spacey has said he is “sincerely sorry” for “deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour” after Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp accused him of making a sexual advance when Rapp was just 14. Spacey said he did not remember the incident, which would have been more than 30 years ago, when Spacey was 26 and a rising star.

3. Catalonia’s Puigdemont ‘could run for office’

Spain says former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont could stand in new regional elections to be held in December - if he is not in jail by then. Prosecutors are preparing charges against the former regional president, removed from office on Friday for declaring independence. Spain’s central government has taken control of the region from local powers.

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4. Storms kill five in Central and Northern Europe

Fierce storms have brought flooding and high winds to Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, killing at least five people. A camper drowned in a storm surge, while the other four were killed by falling trees. Thousands of households in Czech and Poland are still without power this morning, and the centre of Hamburg is flooded.

5. Hammond’s Budget dilemma detailed by IFS

Chancellor Philip Hammond is “between a rock and a hard place” as he prepares his 22 November Budget, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The Institute says Hammond may have to abandon his deficit reduction target if he wants to spend more on public services – and must also deal with an expected cut in productivity growth.

6. Grenfell Tower’s huge impact on mental health

More than 11,000 people may have PTSD and other mental health problems as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire, according to the psychologist in charge of the response. Dr John Green says the medical effort to help victims of the blaze in the west London tower block is the biggest ever seen in Europe, with the local NHS Trust now the “largest trauma service in the UK”.

7. Saudi Arabia to allow women into sports stadiums

Saudi Arabian women will be allowed into sports stadiums for the first time from next year – if they are accompanied by men. The announcement comes after a month after a ban on women driving was lifted. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said he wants to take the oil-rich nation back to a more moderate form of Islam.

8. Gordon Brown: ‘I wasn’t touchy-feely enough’

Former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown has said he lost the 2010 election because he wasn’t “touchy-feely” or comfortable with the “public display of emotion … authentic or not” that is now “seen as evidence of a sincerity required for political success”. Brown’s comments come in a new autobiography, published next week.

9. Octopuses found walking in Wales

Dozens of octopuses have been spotted crawling on a beach in west Wales, three nights in a row. As many as 25 curled octopuses, which grow up to 20 inches in length, were seen slithering up the sand. It is not known what caused this unusual behaviour – but experts suggested the recent heavy storms may have confused the animals.

10. Briefing: Why ‘edge sorting’ is illegal in casinos

US poker star Phil Ivey has lost his UK Supreme Court bid to claim £7.7m that he won using a technique known as “edge sorting” at a London casino.

The former World Series of Poker champion tried to claim the cash following a private game of punto banco - a form of baccarat - at the Crockfords Club casino in Mayfair in 2012, according to the BBC News website.

But Crockfords accused the 40-year-old and his gambling partner, Cheung Yin Sun, of cheating by using edge sorting, and refused to pay up.

Why ‘edge sorting’ is illegal in casinos