Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 22 June 2022

1. Rail chaos could last for months

Negotiations between RMT, Network Rail and train companies have resumed, but strikes are still planned for tomorrow and Saturday. Although today is not technically a strike day, disruption is still expected for train services in Britain, with just 60% of trains expected to be running. The Times said Boris Johnson believes the government must win its battle with the rail unions and is prepared for the stand-off to last for several months. He told his cabinet that Britain must be prepared to “stay the course”, the paper added.

Mick Lynch: the veteran trade unionist leading rail walkouts

2. Documents ‘can prove Carrie plot’

Paperwork can prove that Boris Johnson attempted to secure a senior role for his then-girlfriend, Carrie Johnson, at the Foreign Office in 2019, reported The Guardian. A source who worked with Johnson at the time said the PM – who was the foreign secretary – had repeatedly pressed for Carrie to be chosen for the senior taxpayer-funded job, a fact reflected in internal documentation from the period that could be examined by an inquiry. Johnson was still married to his second wife, Marina Wheeler, at the time.

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Carrie Johnson, the vanishing story and questions about ‘plum jobs’

3. Rwanda ban may be overturned

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ban on sending asylum seekers to Rwanda could be overturned by the UK government. New proposals which are being introduced to parliament would allow ministers to ignore the court’s injunctions. The abolition of the Human Rights Act, including reducing the influence of the ECHR, will be introduced before parliament in what the government described as a restatement of Britain’s sovereignty, said The Guardian. But critics say the move is an attempt by the government to make itself “untouchable” by the courts.

Why is Britain still bound to the European Court of Human Rights?

4. Brexit worsening living crisis

Britain’s cost of living crisis is being made worse by Brexit, according to a new study. Instead of the expected effect of narrowly reducing exports to the European Union, Brexit has “more broadly reduced how open and competitive Britain’s economy is”, the joint report by the Resolution Foundation think tank and the London School of Economics concluded. The researchers also found that the immediate impact of Brexit has been a “depreciation-driven inflation spike... and business investment falling”.

Brexit: the pros and cons of leaving the EU

5. Beijing jets enter Taiwan airspace

China has sent dozens of warplanes into the skies near Taiwan. A total of 29 warplanes entered Taiwan’s self-declared air defence identification zone on Tuesday, said the island’s Defence Ministry. According to CNN, the group included fighter jets, early warning and control aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft and electronic intelligence aircraft. The Taiwanese military “scrambled combat aircraft to warn the jets away, issued radio warnings and deployed air defence missile systems” in response. Beijing regards the self-ruled island as part of its territory.

What would happen if China invaded Taiwan?

6. Health trackers could detect Covid early

Researchers have found that everyday health trackers worn on the wrist could be used to diagnose Covid-19 days before any symptoms appear. Scientists now believe that wearable sensor technology could be adapted with artificial intelligence to provide an early warning signal to users that they may be infected with the virus. In turn, this may help to prevent the spread of Covid-19 more widely, said The Guardian. The algorithm is now being tested in a much larger group across the Netherlands.

What to expect from the next Covid wave

7. Jury finds Cosby assaulted teen

A jury has found that the comedian Bill Cosby sexually assaulted a teenager at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles in 1975. Judy Huth testified to the civil trial that Cosby had forced her to perform a sex act on him at the venue when she was 16 years old. The jury also ruled that Cosby must pay $500,000 (£407,000) in damages to Huth, who is now 64. Cosby, 84, has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. Huth’s attorney said the case “proves that you can run but you can’t hide”.

8. Shoppers ‘setting till limits’

Some shoppers are setting £30 limits at checkouts and petrol pumps, the chairman of Asda has told the BBC. “What we’re seeing is a massive change in behaviour,” said Stuart Rose. “People are trading back. They are worried about spending… They’ve got a limit that they’ve set out, too. They say £30 is one limit... and if they get to more than £30 then that’s it, stop. It’s the same with petrol.” Economists polled by Reuters expect UK consumer price growth to have hit 9.1% on an annual basis in May.

Who is eligible for the July cost-of-living payment?

9. Putin issues Satan II warning

Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will deploy its newest intercontinental ballistic missile within months. Putin said he would place the first batch of Sarmat, Russia’s newly tested intercontinental ballistic missile, on combat duty before the end of the year. The Telegraph said the missile, also known as Satan II, has a range of 11,000 miles and can deliver between 10 to 15 nuclear warheads.

How dangerous is Vladimir Putin’s new nuclear weapon?

10. Lycett joke investigated by police

The stand-up comic Joe Lycett has said he was investigated by police after an audience member complained about a joke in one of his shows. Posting on Instagram, Lycett wrote that “someone came to my tour show a few weeks back and was offended by one of the jokes” and “their perfectly understandable response to this was… to call the f***ing police”. The comedian added that “the fuzz were very nice about it all” and “have since closed the matter”.