Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 16 Sep 2018

1. May 'irritated' by ongoing leadership speculation

Theresa May has admitted that she gets "irritated" by speculation over the Tory leadership. Speaking to the BBC, the Prime Minister said: "This debate is not about my future. This debate is about the future of the people of the UK and the future of the United Kingdom." She also said it was "inappropriate" of Boris Johnson to describe her Brexit strategy as putting the UK in a "suicide vest".

2. Eleven dead as Florence set to cause 'catastrophic' floods

At least 11 people had been killed by Storm Florence and officials are forecasting catastrophic flooding in the Carolina region. Some towns have already seen 2ft (60cm) of rain in two days, with totals forecast to top 3.5ft (1m) in places. Meanwhile, at least 25 people are known to have died in the Philippines as a result of Typhoon Mangkhut.

3. Brexit: Sadiq Khan calls for second EU referendum

The London mayor has called for a second EU referendum. Writing in The Observer, Labour’s Sadiq Khan said that the UK faced either a "bad deal" or "no deal". He said had become "increasingly alarmed as the chaotic approach to the negotiations had become mired in confusion and deadlock". However, Theresa May has stated that a second vote would be a "betrayal of our democracy"

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4. Russia's intelligence services 'in crisis' over Skripal

British intelligence officers claim the Russian secret services are in crisis over the fallout from the "botched" chemical weapons attack in Salisbury. Whitehall sources claim the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service, is being accused by rival agencies of "crossing the line" over the way the attempted killing of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia was handled.

5. Middle-classes 'drink and take drugs more than the poor'

The middle-classes drink more and take more drugs than the poor, according to a landmark report to be published next week. Two-thirds of the better off have drunk to excess in the past year compared with just 58% of the poor, it found. It also reports 22% of the middle-class had taken illegal drugs, nine percentage points higher than the figure for those below the poverty line.

6. Ruth Davidson won't run for leader due to mental health

Ruth Davidson has ruled out ever running for the Tory leadership and revealed a history of self-harm and thoughts of suicide. Speaking to The Sunday Times, the head of the Scottish Conservatives said that during her teenage years she suffered bouts of depression that resembled a "smothering black blanket over my head". Asked if she would ever run for leader, she replied: "No. I value my relationship and my mental health too much for it."

7. Syrian media says Israel has targeted Damascus airport

Israel targeted Damascus airport with a missile attack, activating air defences which shot down some of the projectiles, according to state media in Syria. "Our air defences responded to an Israeli missile attack on Damascus International Airport and shot down a number of hostile missiles," said a military source, in a report accompanied by shaky footage.

8. US border worker charged with murdering four women

A US Border Patrol worker has been charged with murdering four women during a two-week killing spree in Texas. Juan David Ortiz, who was found hiding in a truck in a hotel parking lot in Laredo, has been charged with four counts of murder as well as aggravated assault and unlawful restraint. The victims worked as prostitutes.

9. Jeffrey Archer: 'I'd vote Corbyn if I lived in the north.'

Jeffrey Archer, the former Tory MP, says he would vote for Jeremy Corbyn if he lived in the north of England. "I was travelling through the north-west… and as I looked out of the window it did make me think I’d vote for Corbyn if I lived up here," he told the Sunday Telegraph. "I felt… I’m over-privileged. And with half of what Corbyn says, I find myself agreeing with him 100 per cent."

10. Former British soldier is jailed in for seven years in Turkey

A 25-year-old former British soldier who fought against Islamic State has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years in Turkey. Joe Robinson was arrested while on holiday in Turkey last year for allegedly fighting alongside the People's Protection Units of Syrian Kurdistan in Syria. The Kurdistan Solidarity Campaign praised Robinson for "selflessly" battling IS.