Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 11 August 2022

1. Brown says Tories must act now

Energy companies that cannot offer lower bills should be temporarily brought into public ownership, Gordon Brown has said. Writing in The Guardian, the former prime minister called for the energy price cap to be cancelled and for the government to negotiate new lower prices with the companies. “Time and tide wait for no one,” he wrote. “Neither do crises. They don’t take holidays, and don’t politely hang fire – certainly not to suit the convenience of a departing PM and the whims of two potential successors.”

Energy bills: what to expect this winter

2. Sunak will ‘stay true to principles’

Rishi Sunak would rather lose the Conservative leadership race than “win on a false promise”. Speaking to the BBC, the former chancellor said he would tell people what “they needed to hear” and stay “true” to his values. Meanwhile, Liz Truss signalled last night that she would hand government cash to the poorest to help with energy bills as the Treasury confirmed that it was working on options for a new PM to address the cost-of-living crisis.

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How Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak would tackle a recession

3. ‘Exceptional’ wildfire risk this weekend

Wildfires could sweep across swathes of the country this weekend after the government was warned of an “unprecedented” risk. Fire chiefs said that devastating blazes are likely to spread into residential areas, powered by bone-dry conditions and a powerful easterly wind. The Met Office has raised the Fire Severity Index, which assesses how easily a blaze could spread, to the highest “exceptional” level for much of southern England and stretching as far west as Abergavenny in Wales.

4. Inflation eases in the US

Asian markets and Wall Street both climbed after the latest US inflation data came in slightly below estimates and boosted investor hopes. US headline consumer prices rose 8.5% in July compared to the same period a year earlier, just shy of economists’ expectations of 8.7%. The data also showed no month-on-month inflation from June to July. The FT said the reprieve has “bolstered confidence”.

Is the Inflation Reduction Act a win for the Democrats?

5. Meta’s new chatbot criticises Zuckerberg

Meta’s new chatbot has told the BBC that Mark Zuckerberg exploits its users for money. The chatbot, which uses artificial intelligence, was asked what it thought of the company’s CEO and founder and it replied “our country is divided and he didn’t help that at all”. It added: “His company exploits people for money and he doesn’t care. It needs to stop!” Meta said the chatbot was a prototype and might produce offensive responses.

Meta: Facebook gambles on a virtual world

6. Police ‘dire’ on burglary

Police are routinely failing victims with a “dire” response to burglary, robbery and theft, the chief inspector of constabulary has warned. Andy Cooke said officers are not doing the basics such as gathering CCTV evidence, conducting house-to-house enquiries, giving crime prevention advice and keeping victims informed. They are therefore missing opportunities to solve crimes “from the moment a member of the public reports the crime to the point where a case is finalised”, he said. “This isn’t rocket science.”

7. Hall files to ‘cancel divorce petition’

Jerry Hall has asked judges to cancel the divorce petition she filed five weeks ago against Rupert Murdoch, according to the Daily Mail. A notice filed at the Los Angeles superior court by the former model’s lawyer, Ronald Brot, states the divorce should be dismissed without prejudice, meaning that it can be revived. The Guardian said it is unclear why Hall filed the dismissal or whether the couple had agreed to settle out of court after it emerged in June that they were to separate.

8. Rajapaksa applies to enter Thailand

Thailand has received a request from former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to enter the country. Rajapaksa, who fled Sri Lanka in July amid widespread anti-government protests, is currently in Singapore. Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said that, as a holder of a Sri Lankan diplomatic passport, Rajapaksa can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 90 days. However, he added, the stay would be temporary and the Sri Lankan is not seeking political asylum.

9. ‘Beatles’ IS man arrested in Luton

A man believed to be the fourth member of the so-called “Beatles” Islamic State (IS) terror cell has been arrested in the UK. Aine Davis, 38, from west London, was arrested last night after arriving at Luton Airport on a flight from Turkey. He was held in relation to offences under sections 15, 17 and 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000. He had arrived in the UK after his release from a jail in Ankara, where he served a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for membership of the terrorist group.

How four men from west London became the IS ‘Beatles’

10. Kim had ‘fever’ during pandemic

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un suffered from “fever” during the Covid-19 pandemic, his sister has said. The BBC reported that the comment appears to be the first suggestion he had the virus. Kim Yo Jong also blamed South Korea for her country’s outbreak – saying it sent leaflets contaminated with Covid across the border, a claim rejected by South Korea as “groundless”. The news comes after the North Korean leader declared victory in the battle against Covid, ordering a lifting of anti-epidemic measures imposed in May.