Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 31 Oct 2018

1. Protests as Trump visits synagogue massacre site

Around 2,000 people protested in Pittsburgh yesterday as US President Donald Trump visited the synagogue where 11 people were shot dead on Saturday. Earlier, a group of Jewish leaders had told Trump that he was not welcome in Pittsburgh until he denounced white nationalism “fully”. Suspected gunman Robert Bowers faces 29 charges.

2. NHS to crack down on violence against staff

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will today lay out a new “zero tolerance” approach to violence against NHS staff, more than 18 months after the national body charged with NHS staff safety was scrapped. Hancock will announce measures to ensure prosecutions happen more quickly, a new system for reporting attacks and better training for staff.

3. Pakistan acquits death row blasphemy woman

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has overturned a death sentence given to a Christian woman for allegedly insulting Islam during an argument with neighbours. Asia Bibi was convicted of blasphemy on the evidence of two women in 2010 but has always maintained her innocence. There are fears that hardliners will react violently to the ruling.

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4. Osborne: ending austerity won’t beat Labour

Former chancellor George Osborne last night warned that ending austerity measures or “trying to outspend our political opponents” will not win elections. Appearing on the BBC’s Newsnight, the Conservative MP admitted having “regrets” about how his party had handled immigration, which he said led to the Brexit vote.

5. Storms hit France and Italy, killing 11

At least 11 people have died in fierce storms that battered hit France and Italy on Monday and Tuesday, with several others missing. Winds of 110mph and torrential rain brought flooding to Venice and forced the closure of tourist attractions in Rome. In central and eastern France, heavy snowfall blocked roads and left motorists stranded in cars.

6. US mafia boss Whitey Bulger murdered in jail

An American gangster whose life story was told in films starring Johnny Depp and Jack Nicholson has been beaten to death in jail by fellow inmates, at the age of 89. James “Whitey” Bulger was jailed for his part in 11 murders in 2013, after 16 years on the run. The New York Times says Bulger was so badly beaten in his wheelchair that he was unrecongisable.

7. Dash to get Irish passports as Brexit nears

New figures have revealed a rush among Britons with Irish ancestry to secure an Irish passport before Brexit. The Irish embassy in London says it received 44,000 passport applications between January and June this year. In 2015, there were 46,000 applications. This rose to 63,500 in 2016, and 80,752 in 2017.

8. Britons spending ever more on Halloween

Britons are set to spend an estimated £419m celebrating Halloween this year as the popularity of the annual event continues to grow, new figures show. Market research firm Mintel says Britons are forking out 5% more than they did last year on chocolates, sweets, decorations and fancy dress for Halloween, which until just a few decades ago was a smaller event in the UK than Guy Fawkes Night.

9. Great British Bake Off winner revealed

The latest series of TV talent show the Great British Bake Off concluded last night on Channel 4, with Indian-born research scientist Rahul Mandal winning despite a disaster when his glass storage container smashed in the 32C heat of the baking tent. Mandal said: “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I just feel I need to talk with my mum.”

10. Briefing: will Prince Charles ever be king?

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are preparing to embark on a nine-day tour of West Africa.

The couple will begin their trip in The Gambia, where they will celebrate the country’s re-entry into the Commonwealth earlier this year, before moving on to Ghana and Nigeria.

Will Prince Charles ever be crowned king?