Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 30 Oct 2018

1. MPs to debate Hammond’s ‘giveaway’ budget

The Commons will today discuss Chancellor Philip Hammond’s budget, the last before Brexit, which is hailed by The Times as the “biggest giveaway … since the Tories came to power in 2010”. Hammond confirmed the NHS in England will receive an extra £20.5bn over the next five years and revealed tax cuts which will benefit high earners.

2. Humans ‘wiping out life on Earth’, says WWF

Conservation group the WWF has warned that, by 2050, only one tenth of the Earth’s land will be free from human impact. In a new report, it says humanity has wiped out 60% of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970. The group is warning that the destruction of animals and the environment could also spell the end for humanity.

3. Underwater search for bodies after Lion Air crash

Divers are searching round the clock for the bodies of 189 people who are believed to have died when a Lion Air jet crashed into the ocean off the coast of Indonesia shortly after take-off on Monday. Human remains have been recovered, with 10 body bags filled so far. It is not thought possible for there to be any survivors.

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4. Jamal Khashoggi fiancee criticises Trump’s response

The former fiancee of the murdered Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi has spoken out, criticising US President Donald Trump for “paving the way for a cover-up”. Hatice Cengiz spoke in London at a memorial service for Khashoggi, who has not been seen since he was filmed entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October.

5. Garden dug up in search for Suzy Lamplugh

Police are digging up a garden in Sutton Coldfield which once belonged to the mother of the prime suspect in the disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, who was last seen meeting a client in Fulham in 1986. Convicted killer John Cannan denies killing Lamplugh but is currently in jail for killing a woman in 1987 and raping others.

6. Mystery Italian ‘may have fled Chinese mafia’

An Italian found in a cathedral in Edinburgh claiming to have forgotten his identity and native language may have fled the Chinese mafia, his lawyer says. Salvatore Mannino, 52, is being treated in a psychiatric hospital in Pisa. He used to manage a supermarket in a Chinatown in Tuscany and had searched online for how to start a new life.

7. India to spend £8bn on world’s highest railway

India is to build the world’s highest railway, spending £8bn on a line from Bilaspur to the hill town of Leh in the Himalayas, to boost tourism in Kashmir by cutting the 40-hour journey from Delhi in half. The line will climb to 17,600 feet – almost half the height of Mount Everest – and will have pressurised cabins to prevent altitude sickness.

8. Judge rules Assange must follow embassy rules

A judge in Ecuador has ruled that Julian Assange must follow new rules about his residence at the country’s embassy in London, where he has been holed-up since 2012 for fear of extradition to the US. Karina Martinez disagreed with Assange’s claim that being forced to pay for his internet access and clean up after his cat violated his rights.

9. ‘Rude foreigners’ cost Tokyo garden thousands

A government-owned garden in the centre of Tokyo has lost tens of thousands of pounds in revenue because a member of staff was too afraid of rude foreigners to charge them. The man has admitted he stopped charging tourists to enter the Shinjuku Gyoen park in 2014 after being shouted at. It is thought he lost the garden £172,000.

10. Briefing: what is Blexit?

Kanye West has continued his foray into US politics with a new line of clothing.

The music mogul has created a collection for Candace Owens, who is urging black Americans to abandon the Democratic Party by supporting “Blexit” - short for “black exit”.

What is Blexit?