Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 16 August 2023

1. ‘Russian spy ring’ busted

An alleged Russian spy ring whose Bulgarian agents are thought to have posed as journalists to carry out surveillance in London has been broken up by the Metropolitan Police. Two men and a woman, who have lived in Britain for years and worked in a variety of jobs, were among five people arrested under the Official Secrets Act in February after raids on homes in London and Great Yarmouth. They lived in a flat one mile from an RAF base used by ministers and the Royal family, said The Telegraph.

2. Police ignored DNA evidence

Police and prosecutors in the Andrew Malkinson case knew there was another man’s DNA on the victim’s clothes as far back as 2007 but he remained in prison for another 13 years. Malkinson was found guilty in 2004 of raping a woman in Greater Manchester and only had his conviction quashed last month. The authorities knew forensic testing in 2007 had found a searchable male DNA profile on the female victim’s vest top that did not match Malkinson’s but they decided not to take further action.

Andrew Malkinson: why cleared inmates have to pay back prisons from compensation

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3. ‘Bleak’ Covid picture ahead

Experts have called for the public to start wearing face masks again as a Covid-19 variant “mutation” spreads. Fresh data showed that the number of people recorded with the virus jumped from an estimated 3.3 per 100,000 to 7.2 in the space of less than a month. Eris, a subvariant of Omicron, now accounts for 10% of Covid cases, but a brand new sub-strain, provisionally named “BA.6”, has led some to fear that a “bleak coronavirus picture” could emerge in the weeks ahead, said The Mirror.

The new Covid variant Eris behind a rise in cases this summer

4. Georgia chief disputes Trump

Georgia’s Republican governor has insisted that the 2020 presidential election in his state “was not stolen”, in a further blow to Donald Trump. After the former US president announced a press conference next week at which he promised to present “irrefutable” evidence of fraud, Brian Kemp said that “for nearly three years now, anyone with evidence of fraud has failed to come forward – under oath – and prove anything in a court of law”. Time has vindicated Kemp for “resisting Donald Trump’s stolen-election claims”, said the Wall Street Journal.

Teflon Trump no longer: is the Georgia indictment different?

5. POWs claim Russian torture

Former Ukrainian prisoners of war have told the BBC they were subjected to torture, including frequent beatings and electric shocks, while in custody at a detention facility in south-western Russia. The testimonies include men and women being repeatedly beaten, including in the kidneys and chest, and given electric shocks in daily inspections and interrogations. If true, the allegations would be “serious violations of international humanitarian law”, said the broadcaster. Russia has previously denied torturing or mistreating captives.

How Vladimir Putin’s filtration camps work

6. Biden facing Hawaiian anger

Joe Biden said he will travel to Hawaii “as soon as he can” as he faces criticism over his response to the island’s deadly wildfires. The US president said he wanted to ensure that the people in the state had “everything they need”. As the death toll from the fires reached 101, with some 1,300 people missing, Hawaii residents complained about the federal government’s response to the disaster. “Amid the ash of Lahaina, aid and anger are spreading”, said CNN.

‘Two Hawaiis now’: holidaymakers warned off wildfire-hit Maui

7. Regulator criticises councils

A watchdog has found that councils are frequently failing to use their powers to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said it upheld three-quarters of the cases it had investigated in the past year and found fault in how the councils had acted. Among the cases it cited were a resident being told a neighbour’s 13-hour long party did not warrant action. The Local Government Association said councils were committed to working with partners and communities to protect residents from offenders.

8. Russia hikes rates

Moscow has raised interest rates to 12% after the rouble fell to its lowest value in 16 months. After the currency fell past 100 per dollar, Russia’s central bank held an emergency meeting and decided to raise interest rates from 8.5% to curb inflation, which hit 4.4% in August. The devaluation in the Russian currency has “gathered pace in recent weeks”, said the Moscow Times, “triggering concerns it could set off an inflationary spiral and panic” in the nation’s financial markets.

Inflation vs. deflation: which is worse for national economies?

9. Mystery deepens over US soldier

North Korea said a US soldier crossed into its territory last month because of “inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination” in the army. Travis King, 23, rushed across the border from South Korea during a guided tour. According to state media, private King had “expressed his willingness to seek refuge” in the North. However, King’s family told CNN earlier this month that they had no reason to believe he would defect from the US military.

10. Linehan’s show cancelled

A comedy show featuring the controversial comedian Graham Linehan has been cancelled due to complaints. Leith Arches, in Edinburgh, said it had cancelled the gig because the Father Ted writer’s views do “not align with our overall values”. Responding on social media, Linehan challenged the venue to explain which of his views it found offensive. “It sure sounds like discrimination on the grounds of my legally protected beliefs”, wrote Linehan, who has been an outspoken critic of transgender self-identification.