Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 5 September 2023

1. Kim Jong Un ‘to visit Putin’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will travel to Moscow later this month to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin, a US official has told CBS News. The two leaders will discuss the possibility of North Korea providing Russia with weapons to support its war in Ukraine, the official said. Kim is most likely to travel by armoured train, sources told The New York Times. News of the potential meeting comes after the White House said it has new evidence that arms negotiations between the two countries are “actively advancing”.

Kim Jong Un’s daughter and North Korea’s succession plans

2. Sunak on the ‘back foot’

The schools scandal has forced Rishi Sunak to start off the new political year “on the back foot”, said the Financial Times. The Conservatives’ autumn relaunch has been “derailed” by the crumbling concrete crisis, just as two by-elections are approaching, said the paper. Meanwhile, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has defended being on holiday during the summer when further evidence of the use of unsafe concrete in buildings came to light.

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Can England fix its crumbling schools?

3. Water giants ‘broke the law’

Three major water firms illegally discharged sewage hundreds of times last year on days when it was not raining, a BBC investigation has suggested. The practice, known as “dry spilling”, is banned because it can lead to higher concentrations of sewage in waterways, said the broadcaster. However, Thames Water, Wessex Water and Southern Water appear to have collectively released sewage in dry spills for 3,500 hours in 2022. Industry body Water UK said the spills “should be investigated”.

Why is Thames Water struggling to stay afloat?

4. Lenders cut mortgage rates

HSBC and NatWest have announced new mortgage rate cuts in a move that will “ease some of the pressure on hard-pressed Britons”, said The Guardian, and the UK’s remaining large lenders are “expected to follow suit”. Although mortgage costs had been rising for months, banks have been reducing their rates since the second half of July after it emerged that UK inflation fell further than expected in June.

When is the ideal time to buy a house?

5. ‘War room’ to protect Biden

The White House has opened a war room as it launches an “aggressive counteroffensive” against House Republicans calling for an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, said The Times. The administration is gearing up for a “high-stakes showdown” and has appointed two dozen lawyers, legislative experts and communications staff. Kevin McCarthy, a Republican and the House Speaker, has indicated that he could begin an impeachment inquiry targeting Biden over his alleged foreign business dealings.

How the political world might change in 2024

6. Arrests after holiday rape claim

Five Israeli men, aged between 19 and 20, have been arrested after a British tourist was allegedly raped in Cyprus. The 20-year-old told authorities that she was sexually assaulted by the men in the resort region of Ayia Napa. She said she was “taken by force” from the pool area of her hotel to her room. The allegations have “evoked memories” of a similar case when a British student accused 12 Israeli teenagers of gang-rape in Ayia Napa, said The Guardian. She was later subsequently found guilty of “causing public mischief” and fabricating the claim.

7. Protests at Allen film premiere in Venice

Scuffles broke out at the Venice Film Festival premiere of Woody Allen’s new film “Coup De Chance” as anger grew that the festival had given a slot to new films by Allen, Luc Besson and Roman Polanski, three directors hit by MeToo scandals. Protesters chanted “no rape culture” outside Allen’s premiere as they attempted to get on to the red carpet. However, Allen received a “lengthy ovation as he arrived at a press conference”, said The Times, with one reporter describing it as the most rapturous welcome received by any director at the festival.

8. Historic ‘tropical nights’ forecast

Britain is set to sweat through two consecutive “tropical nights” this week for the first time in September. Met Office forecasters expect that the nighttime temperatures in England will not drop below 68F (20C) tomorrow night and Thursday night, fulfilling the brief for a “tropical night”, which has only happened on three September evenings in recorded British history. Temperatures are expected to return to normal next week.

9. France to ban vegan terms

The French government is planning to ban meaty terms like “steak”, “grill” and “spare ribs” being used to describe plant-based products. Agriculture minister Marc Fesneau said the decree is “an issue of transparency and honesty responding to the legitimate expectations of consumers and producers”. Farmers and meat companies object to terms like “plant-based burger” or “vegan sausage”, claiming that they confuse consumers. Guillaume Hannotin, a lawyer for an organisation representing makers of vegan alternatives, said the term “plant-based steak” had been in use for more than 40 years.

Veganism: is the plant-based food trend in decline?

10. Japan a ‘UFO hotspot’

Western and southern Japan have become major hotspots for UFO sightings, said the Pentagon. Using 27 years of data that has been made public for the first time, a map released on the website of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office shows where the most sightings have been recorded between 1996 and 2023. Other popular UFO sighting locations include a swathe of the Middle East that includes Iraq and Syria, and the southeastern United States, over South Carolina.

UFO hearing: why is Washington suddenly embracing aliens?