Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 12 November 2022

1. Democrats inch closer to Senate win

The Democrats have edged nearer to keeping control of the Senate, with a projected win in Arizona following the midterm elections. The forecast outcome in Arizona would leave the Senate at 49 Democratic seats and 49 Republican seats, with just Nevada and Georgia yet to be called. The vote count in Nevada is neck and neck, while Georgia’s race will be settled by a run-off election in December.

2. Ukrainians celebrate in Kherson

Ukrainian soldiers have been welcomed into Kherson by after Moscow said it had fully withdrawn its troops from the key southern city. Video showed locals on the streets, “flying Ukraine’s national flag and chanting as Kyiv’s troops arrived, said the BBC, as “some sang patriotic songs around a large camp fire well into the night”. Kherson was the only major city Moscow had managed to take in almost nine months of war.

3. Sunak shelves growth plans

Rishi Sunak’s plans to boost productivity by cutting taxes on business investment will be shelved, said the inews site. Senior Tories fear that tens of billions of pounds worth of tax rises and spending cuts, expected to be announced next week, could prolong any recession. As chancellor, Sunak pledged to “cut the tax rates on business investment” this autumn through reforming investment allowances.

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4. Companies impersonated on Twitter

Twitter has dramatically halted its new $8 blue tick subscription offering as a number of accounts impersonating big brands received the verification mark. In one instance, a user claiming to be drugs firm Eli Lilly said “insulin was free”, losing the company 4% on the markets. A verified account impersonating arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin tweeted: “We will be halting all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States until further investigation into their record of human rights abuses.”

5. Concern over Raab ‘bullying’

Top civil servants at the Ministry of Justice were offered “respite or a route out” of the department when Dominic Raab was reappointed last month, said The Guardian. The offer was made due to concerns that some were still “traumatised” by his behaviour during a previous stint there, said the paper. Sources said he was “demeaning rather than demanding”, “very rude and aggressive” and “a bully”.

6. No ‘family photo’ at G20

World leaders will not take part in a traditional “family photo” when they meet at the G20 next week because of their unease over Russia’s presence at the Bali summit. Even though Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has said he will not attend, attendees do not want to pose alongside his deputy, Sergei Lavrov. Western finance ministers walked out of an April G20 meeting to show their opposition to Russia’s presence.

7. Queen’s final Order of Merit announced

The broadcaster and author Floella Benjamin and former nurse Dame Elizabeth Anionwu have become the first two black women to become members of the Order of Merit. Six new appointments to the prestigious order were chosen by the late Queen in the days before she died. The order, which recognises distinguished service to the Armed Forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture, is the most senior honour in the personal gift of the sovereign.

8. Care homes ‘must admits visitors’

Care homes will be forced to allow visitors under plans being drawn up by the care minister. Helen Whately said she was “determined to fix” the issue, adding: “No one can be in any doubt now how much visits matter”. Although visiting restrictions are dropped and Covid cases and hospitalisations are falling, hundreds of care homes still refuse to accept visitors entirely and others restrict residents to one relative at a time.

9. Marriage is ‘down but not out’

Researchers have claimed that British couples will have all but given up on marriage in two generations, with only one in 400 getting married each year. The Civitas think tank concluded that, by 2062, annual marriage rates will have fallen by more than 70%. Harry Benson, research director of the Marriage Foundation charity, said “marriage may be down, but it is far from out” and called on the government to increase benefits for married couples.

10. Dorries ‘does not fancy’ Boris

Nadine Dorries said she hates people saying she must “fancy” Boris Johnson. Speaking to The House magazine, the ex-culture secretary also rejected the suggestion that she was anything other than friends with the former prime minister. Predicting a comeback for the former PM, the Tory MP said: “He will be back. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, I don’t know whether it will be 10 years or 10 months.”