Wednesday, 17 August 2022

Trump critic Cheney falls in U.S. primary

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

by Linda Noakes

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Here's what you need to know.

Ukraine targets Russian supply lines, UK inflation hits its highest since 1982, and Musk's tweets about buying Manchester United are no joke for fed-up fans

Today's biggest stories

Republican candidate U.S. Representative Liz Cheney looks on during her primary election night party in Jackson, Wyoming, August 16, 2022. REUTERS/David Stubbs

U.S.


U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, a fierce Republican critic of Donald Trump who has played a prominent role in the congressional probe of the assault on the Capitol, lost to a Trump-backed primary challenger in Wyoming. Cheney broadened her attack on the former president, saying he was spreading an "insidious lie" in alleging that the FBI agents who searched his Florida home were politically motivated.

The FBI has interviewed Trump's former White House counsel, Pat Cipollone, and his deputy in its investigation into sensitive documents stored at Mar-a-Lago, a source familiar with the situation said.

President Joe Biden signed into law a $430 billion bill that is seen as the biggest climate package in U.S. history, designed to cut domestic greenhouse gas emissions as well as lower prescription drug prices and high inflation.

The U.S. government spared seven Western states from mandatory Colorado River water cutbacks for now but warned that drastic conservation was needed to protect dwindling reservoirs from overuse and severe drought exacerbated by climate change.

TikTok will work to prevent content creators from posting paid political messages on the short-form video app, as part of its preparation for the midterm election in November, the company said.

Ukrainian servicemen travel on a Wheeled-BTR fighting vehicle near Bakhmut, in Donetsk region, August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

WORLD

Russia blamed saboteurs for explosions at one of its military bases in Moscow-annexed Crimea while Ukraine hinted it was responsible as its officials said their strategy was to destroy supply lines supporting Russia's invasion. We look at how action to isolate Russia is waning at the United Nations almost six months into the war.

China is scrambling to alleviate power shortages and bring more water to the drought-hit basin of the Yangtze river as it battles a record-breaking heatwave by deploying relief funds, seeding clouds and developing new sources of supply.

North Korea fired two cruise missiles from the west coast town of Onchon, a South Korean military source said. The launches come a day after Seoul and Washington kicked off four days of preliminary joint drills in preparation for the long-suspended live field training Ulchi Freedom Shield, which takes place from August 22 to September 1.

Explosions and fires ripped through at least 17 locations in southern Thailand, authorities said, in what appeared to be multiple coordinated attacks that injured seven people.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced disgust at remarks by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that the German leader said diminished the importance of the Holocaust, while Israel accused Abbas of telling a "monstrous lie". During a visit to Berlin, Abbas accused Israel of committing "50 Holocausts" in response to a question about the upcoming 50th anniversary of the attack on the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics.

BUSINESS

British consumer price inflation jumped to 10.1% in July, its highest since February 1982, intensifying the squeeze on households. Reuters UK economics correspondent Andy Bruce has been diving into government archives to reveal the echoes of the dire 1970s in today's Britain.

German utility Uniper, the most high-profile victim of Europe's energy crisis so far, reported a net loss of $12.5 billion for the first half and warned it would take until 2024 before it could turn a profit again.

China's Tencent Holdings reported its first ever quarterly sales fall, hurt by a lack of game approvals and regulations that limit playing time, as well as COVID lockdowns and a weak economy that squeezed ad sales.

Cineworld warned a lack of big-budget movies was hitting admissions and would likely persist until November, potentially complicating efforts to cut debt that it warned could significantly dilute shareholder interests. Shares in the world's second largest cinema chain slumped about 40% in early trading.

China's EVE Energy Co will supply BMW with large cylindrical batteries for its electric cars in Europe, two people with knowledge of the matter said, as the German automaker follows Tesla in adopting the new technology.

Western companies with iconic brands like Coca-Cola that exit Russia face years of battling knockoffs and unauthorized imports clamoring to fill the void they leave behind, a risky bid as courts show little sympathy for firms that depart.

Having seen eight coaches come and go in less than 10 years, Manchester United fans know their false dawns. Today shed a different light on strife at the giant football club: Elon Musk said he was buying it - and then said it was all a joke.

Quote of the day

"I was steering the ship in the middle of the tempest"

Australia's Scott Morrison says he secretly took five ministries because responsibility was his

Video of the day

Engineers create smart textile which acts like muscle

Biomedical engineers have developed a smart textile which incorporates artificial 'muscles', in the hope that it will revolutionize the future of soft robotics and wearable exoskeletons.

And finally…

NASA's giant moon rocket emerges for debut launch

The Space Launch System moon rocket, topped with an uncrewed astronaut capsule, began an hours-long crawl to its launchpad ahead of the behemoth's debut test flight this month.

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