Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 5 May 2018

1. May urged toward 'no compromise' Brexit after polls

Theresa May is being encouraged to pursue a "no compromise" Brexit after Ukip voters flocked to the Tories in the local elections. Jeremy Corbyn was criticised by Labour MPs and defeated candidates as his party put in an electoral performance that one frontbencher described as "amateur hour". Analysis showed the two main parties were neck and neck overall in terms of national vote share - on 35% each.

2. Donald Trump likens London knife crime to 'war zone'

Donald Trump has spoken about London's knife crime, claiming that a hospital in the capital was "like a war zone for horrible stabbing wounds". He added: "They say it's as bad as a military war zone hospital. Knives, knives, knives, knives." Speaking at the National Rifle Association's conference in Texas, the US President also said that American gun rights were "under siege".

3. Government cancer hotline staffed by amateurs

Callers to the government’s breast cancer screening hotline are being connected with call-handlers who have had only one hour’s training and are using a "cheat sheet" of symptoms, reports The Guardian. Workers on the helpline, which opened this week, said they are "disgusted" at the chaotic way it is being run. Labour said the issues with the service were "hugely serious".

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. Fresh earthquakes in Hawaii after volcano eruption

Further earthquakes have struck Hawaii's Big Island, where a volcanic eruption has forced more than 1,700 people from their homes. Authorities said there were fissures on three streets and told any remaining residents to evacuate. The latest earthquakes began on Thursday with a 4.6 magnitude quake, which shook the island's active volcano Kilauea.

5. Israel pulls out of bid for UN security council seat

Israel is pulling out of the race for a seat on the UN security council. The state was in a three-way contest with Germany and Belgium for two seats on the UN’s most powerful body, starting from January. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post reports that Donald Trump will order Israel to withdraw from three east Jerusalem neighbourhoods.

6. UK set to ban most hybrid cars from 2040

The UK is set to ban most hybrid cars from 2040, reports the Financial Times. The vehicles that rely on traditional engines, such as the Toyota Prius, would be outlawed under clean-air plans being drawn up in Westminster. Hybrids would no longer be classified as "environmentally friendly" enough to be sold, according to sources.

7. Former Tory MP to sue over child sex abuse claims

The former Tory MP Harvey Proctor is suing the Metropolitan police and the man who accused him of child sex abuse and murder. Proctor, 71, said the disproved accusations and investigation had caused him to lose his "home, employment, reputation and other consequential losses including personal injury". He is claiming £1m in damages. The original allegation sparked the controversial Westminster child sexual abuse investigation.

8. 'Exciting' breakthrough as jab mimics gastric band

An injection which mimics a gastric band, helping people lose more than a stone in just four weeks, has been hailed as "the most exciting" treatment ever found for tackling obesity. Scientists at Imperial College say patients naturally ate 30% less food after being treated with the hormone jab. "It is going to be the most exciting agent for improving health that has yet been discovered," said one.

9. Stephen Lawrence suspect is arrested in Spain

Jamie Acourt, one of the men suspected of murdering Stephen Lawrence, was arrested in Barcelona yesterday in connection with an alleged multimillion-pound cannabis plot. The 41-year-old, who has been on the run from British authorities for two years, was detained by armed police as he left the Metropolitan Sagrada Familia gym. He is on the National Crime Agency’s "most wanted" list for his alleged involvement in a drugs ring.

10. Mobile companies slammed for premium rates bills

Mobile phone operators are under fire again after tens of thousands of customers said they were unwittingly signed up to premium-rate services paid for through their bills. The industry regulator is receiving thousands of complaints a month from customers who say they are being charged for expensive subscription services they did not agree to join or realise they had joined.