Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 9 August 2022

1. FBI raid Trump’s home

Donald Trump said his Florida home was “raided” by the FBI and that agents broke open a safe. “My beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” the former US president said in a statement. Sources told CNN that the raid was held as part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents, including classified documents, that may have been brought there. If Trump did move classified documents from the White House to Florida he may have broken federal law.

What is Donald Trump doing now?

2. Truss writing ‘electoral suicide note’

The Tories will be writing an “electoral suicide note” if Liz Truss pushes ahead with her plans for an emergency tax-cutting budget. Writing in The Times, deputy PM Dominic Raab said prioritising tax cuts would damage the living standards of millions of voters who would cast the Tories into the “impotent oblivion” of opposition. The i newspaper reported that Sajid Javid and other senior MPs backing Truss have suggested she will be forced to change her position despite the influence of advisers who are committed to free-market solutions.

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Can anything stop Liz Truss?

3. Russia suffers ‘up to 80,000 casualties’

Washington has claimed that Russia has suffered between 70,000 and 80,000 casualties, either killed or wounded, since the invasion of Ukraine began. Vladimir Putin’s forces are taking a “tremendous number of casualties”, said Colin Kahl, the Pentagon’s under secretary of defense for policy. The announcement came as the US sanctioned a further $1bn in new military aid for Ukraine. “At every stage of this conflict, we have been focused on getting the Ukrainians what they need, depending on the evolving conditions on the battlefield,” said Kahl.

4. ‘Perfect lady’ Newton-John dies

John Travolta said his Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John “made all of our lives so much better”, as he led tributes to the singer and actress, who has died of cancer at the age of 73. US broadcaster Oprah Winfrey said the British-born Australian’s “positivity was just infectious” and Rod Stewart called her “the perfect lady”. Newton-John, who died peacefully at her ranch in California, had a “breathy voice” and “wholesome beauty” which “made her one of the biggest pop stars of the 70s and charmed generations of viewers”, said CNN.

5. ‘Postcode lottery’ on heart attacks

One in 25 people who die of a heart attack in the north-east of England could have survived if the average cardiologist effectiveness was raised to the standards in London, according to a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Researchers looked at the records of more than 500,000 NHS patients in the UK, over 13 years, and discovered a stark “postcode lottery” of how people living in some parts of the country have access to lower quality healthcare. “This research shows that patients living in different parts of the country do not have access to the same quality of care,” said a spokesman.

6. Hosepipe bans ‘until October’

Hosepipe bans are expected to last until October as statistics show it has been the driest year since 1976 across swathes of the country. According to data from the Met Office, south-east England has had 144 days with little or no rain – the most in nearly half a century. According to modelling by Southern Water, thousands of households could remain under restrictions until October. However, some companies, including Bristol Water, Portsmouth Water and Affinity Water, said their supplies mean that hosepipe bans will not be necessary for their customers this year.

Hosepipe bans and crop failures: how drought may hit England

7. Ex-staff to testify against PM

Former Downing Street staff will testify that Boris Johnson misled Parliament over what he knew about the partygate scandal, The Telegraph reported. Three people contacted by the committee investigating whether the prime minister misled MPs have alleged that Johnson did not give the fullest account of the facts as he knew them at the time. One has agreed to give evidence to the committee, and two others are considering following suit. Asked if Johnson misled Parliament, one said “absolutely, damn well he did”.

8. Seven die in South Korean floods

At least seven people have died and nine others have been injured in flooding in South Korea’s capital Seoul. Torrential downpours submerged roads, flooded metro stations and caused blackouts across the city and neighbouring provinces. Korea’s meteorological agency said some areas received the highest rate of rainfall in 80 years. President Yoon Suk-yeol called for a review of the country’s disaster management system, as extreme weather is expected to become increasingly commonplace due to the climate crisis.

9. Giggs ‘headbutted’ ex-girlfriend

Former footballer Ryan Giggs “deliberately headbutted” his ex-girlfriend, a court has heard. Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said Giggs’ private life involved a “litany of abuse, both physical and psychological”. The former Manchester United and Wales star denies a charge of coercive behaviour and assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her sister. His defence counsel said the case against him was based on “distortion, exaggeration and lies”. The trial is expected to last around ten days.

10. Mum dies in front of children on flight

A woman died in front of her two children and husband after becoming unresponsive on a flight from Hong Kong to the UK. Helen Rhodes, who was returning to the UK with her family after more than 15 years abroad, was found unresponsive hours into the flight. For the remaining eight hours of the flight, her children sat next to their mum in a “breathless sleep” until they landed in Frankfurt, a friend of the family wrote. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with unexpected expenses and to “honour our dear friend Helen”.