Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 11 Oct 2018

1. John Major: universal credit is new poll tax

Former prime minister Sir John Major has warned that the new universal credit benefits system could be as damaging to the modern Conservative Party as the poll tax proved in the 1980s and early 1990s. Major said that while he supported the thinking behind the new system, it was vital to protect families who might lose out in the short term.

2. Hurricane Michael calms after hitting Florida

Hurricane Michael was the most intense storm ever recorded in Florida when it made landfall yesterday, with 155mph, according to meteorologists. The category 4 storm left coastal towns flooded and uprooted trees, and caused at least two deaths, before calming to a category 1 as it moved across the state.

3. Durham student held on spying charges by UAE

A PhD student from Durham University has reportedly been held in solitary confinement in the United Arab Emirates for the past five months after being accused of spying. Matthew Hedges, 31, was prevented from flying out of the country in May at the end of a trip to research security policy. The Foreign Office says talks have taken place.

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4. Companies face having to publish race pay gaps

UK firms could be forced to reveal the disparity between the average pay received by white and ethnic minority employees, under plans being considered by Theresa May. The proposal follows the introduction of legislation mandating that companies with 250 staff or more must share their gender pay gaps. A government report last year found that some ethnic minorities were disproportionately likely to be low-earning.

5. Police escort for Fiona Bruce to read news

BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce received a police escort to race across London yesterday to record the News at Six at a back-up studio after technical problems at the national broadcaster’s base. Bruce flagged down a police car outside Broadcasting House and posed for a photo en route.

6. Britain’s hottest October day for seven years

Britain yesterday enjoyed the hottest October day since 2011, with temperatures peaking at 24.6C in Northolt, west London. Liverpool saw the mercury rise to 21C, while Edinburgh reached a high of 19C. Meanwhile, in Mallorca a British couple were killed in the worst flash floods in living memory. Anthony and Delia Green died along with taxi driver Juan Sillero.

7. Posthumous award for London Bridge hero

A City worker from Spain who used his skateboard to try to stop terrorists who killed eight people at London Bridge last year is being given a posthumous bravery award. Ignacio Echeverria, 39, was stabbed to death during the 3 June attack. His father, Joaquin Echeverria Alonso, is receiving the George Medal on his behalf at a ceremony in London today.

8. Hawking’s final work: black holes and soft hair

Stephen Hawking’s final scientific paper has been published, after being written up by colleagues following his death in March. Titled Black Hole Entropy and Soft Hair, the work examines how information can escape a black hole. The “soft hair” of the title refers to a sheen of photons that may escape black hole gravity.

9. World’s longest flight to resume at 19 hours

The world has a new longest scheduled flight after Singapore Airlines restarted its 19-hour, 9,000-mile Singapore to New York service, five years after it was deemed too expensive. Last year, Qatar Airlines introduced a non-stop 17.5-hour Auckland to Doha service. In August Qantas began a Perth to London flight at 17 hours.

10. Briefing: when will the Lower Thames Crossing open?

A planned major new road linking the counties of Kent and Essex will almost double capacity across the River Thames, Highways England has announced.

The three-lane Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) has been billed as the “UK’s most ambitious road scheme since the M25”, and will include the kingdom’s longest road tunnel, says the London Evening Standard.

Lower Thames Crossing: everything you need to know