Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 19 May 2022
The Week’s daily digest of the news agenda, published at 8am
- 1. 1.7bn affected by price hikes
- 2. ‘Use discretion’ for food theft
- 3. Male politician made rape claim
- 4. No. 10 ‘blocking windfall tax’
- 5. Eating disorders on the rise
- 6. Russian pleads guilty to war crime
- 7. Taliban criticises ‘naughty women’
- 8. Probe into social media role in shooting
- 9. M&S warns Sunak against online tax
- 10. Musk: Democrats are ‘party of hate’
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
1. 1.7bn affected by price hikes
Western officials have accused Vladimir Putin of “weaponising” global food supplies by stealing grain and destroying agricultural equipment during the war in Ukraine. The officials fear Moscow has embarked on a “deliberate policy” of disrupting food supplies, causing a global crisis and putting people in developing countries in danger of starvation, The Telegraph reported. The UN estimates that 1.7 billion people in more than 100 countries are being affected by the surge in food, energy and commodity prices.
How the UK’s cost-of-living crisis compares with the rest of the world
2. ‘Use discretion’ for food theft
Police officers should use their “discretion” when deciding whether to prosecute people who steal in order to eat, the new chief inspector of constabulary has said. In an interview with The Guardian, Andy Cooke said “the impact of poverty, and the impact of lack of opportunity for people, does lead to an increase in crime”. He added that he “fully” supports “police officers using their discretion – and they need to use discretion more often”. But Cook insisted he was not “giving a carte blanche for people to go out shoplifting”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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.
3. Male politician made rape claim
The recent allegation of rape by a Conservative MP was made by a male politician who was a teenager when they first met, reported The Telegraph. Labour leader Keir Starmer has become the latest prominent figure to call for the backbencher to be publicly identified, while the names of suspected perpetrators have been widely circulating on social media. MPs have been warned by the Commons Speaker against using parliamentary privilege to name the individual, who was released on police bail yesterday.
Does Tory MP rape arrest herald more Pestminster claims?
4. No. 10 ‘blocking windfall tax’
Plans for a windfall tax on energy companies are being blocked by No. 10, said The Times. Although treasury officials believe that the levy is “politically unavoidable”, the PM’s advisers feel introducing such a tax would be “ideologically unconservative”. Rishi Sunak has left the door open for imposing a one-off tax on energy suppliers, while Treasury officials believe the move would send a powerful message to the public that the government is “on their side”. A recent poll found that the levy would be “wildly popular” among Brits.
The arguments for and against a windfall tax on oil and gas profits
5. Eating disorders on the rise
The number of people admitted to hospital with eating disorders in England has surged by 84% in the last five years, according to an analysis by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. There were 24,268 admissions for illnesses such as bulimia and anorexia in 2020/21, up from 13,219 in 2015/16. Tom Quinn, from the eating disorder charity Beat, said he was “very concerned” about the rise, which has been seen across all age groups. Experts say the Covid pandemic has made an already growing problem even worse.
Arguments for and against calorie-count menus
6. Russian pleads guilty to war crime
A 21-year-old Russian soldier has pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian. In the first war crimes trial in Ukraine since the war started, Vadim Shishimarin admitted to shooting a 62-year-old man a few days after the invasion began. When asked in court whether he was guilty of the allegations, which included war crimes and premeditated murder, Shishimarin responded “yes”. The BBC said he “looked nervous, and kept his head bowed” as he sat just a couple of metres away from the widow of the man he killed. He now faces life in jail.
7. Taliban criticises ‘naughty women’
A senior Taliban official has suggested that “naughty women” who have protested against the Afghanistan regime’s record on women’s rights should stay at home. Speaking to CNN, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan’s acting interior minister and the Taliban’s co-deputy leader since 2016, said that “by saying naughty women, it was a joke referring to those naughty women who are controlled by some other sides to bring the current government into question”.
The countries that support the Taliban
8. Probe into social media role in shooting
New York state’s top prosecutor is investigating the role that social media companies played in the mass shooting in Buffalo, reported the BBC. The attorney general’s office said the inquiry will look at the extent that social platforms were “used to stream, promote, or plan the event”. The state’s governor has already argued that tech firms share some blame for the attack.
Everything we know about the Buffalo white supremacist shooting
9. M&S warns Sunak against online tax
Marks & Spencer has warned Rishi Sunak that an online sales tax would damage the high street. The Treasury argues that the proceeds of such a levy would go towards funding a reduction in business rates for shops, but M&S believes it would instead “punish” the retailers it plans to support and leave them with less money to invest in high street stores. A three-month government consultation on the question closes this Friday. Last year, Tesco called for a 1% sales tax to be levied on online competitors, including Amazon.
10. Musk: Democrats are ‘party of hate’
Elon Musk has described the Democrats as “the party of division and hate” and complained that “phoney social justice warriors” ejected Tesla from an ethical investing index, said The Telegraph. The billionaire said he had previously voted for the Democrats and regarded them as “the kindness party”, but added that he “can no longer support them and will vote Republican” in the future. The credit agency S&P had delisted Tesla from its environmental, social and governance 500 index, citing issues including racial discrimination claims.
The pluses and minuses of Elon Musk’s Twitter buyout
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Why the Roman Empire is suddenly everywhere online
The Explainer It fell more than 1,500 years ago — so why is it dominating social media?
By Justin Klawans Published
-
How climate change is going to change the insurance industry
The Explainer Some regions will soon be 'uninsurable'
By Devika Rao Published
-
TV to watch in October, from 'Loki' to 'The Fall of the House of Usher'
The Explainer Celebrate spooky season with some eerie streaming shows
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 26 September 2023
The Week’s daily digest of the news agenda, published at 8am
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 25, 2023
Daily Briefing GOP leaders pressure far-right holdouts to help prevent a shutdown, Hollywood writers reach tentative deal to end strike, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 24, 2023
Daily Briefing Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population to leave region amid fears of persecution, Atlantic coast remains under flood warnings from Ophelia, and more
By Justin Klawans Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 22, 2023
Daily Briefing Zelenskyy visits Washington as Biden unveils more Ukraine aid, Rupert Murdoch steps down at Fox and News Corp., and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 21, 2023
Daily Briefing Biden extends temporary protections to 470,000 Venezuelans, Republicans grill Garland on Biden and Trump investigations, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
Woman reunited with egg she signed in 1951
It Wasn't All Bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 20, 2023
Daily Briefing Zelenskyy, Biden urge UN members to oppose Russian aggression, hardline Republicans block spending bill as shutdown looms, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 19, 2023
Daily Briefing Iran, US swap prisoners in a complex deal, Canada accuses India of role in Sikh leader's assassination, and more
By Harold Maass Published