5 Things posted Aug 15, 2022 @ 08:00am by Iain Burns

5 things you need to know this morning: Aug. 15, 2022

Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.

Five things you need to know

1. Iran denies involvement in Rushdie attack

Iran has denied it had anything to do with the violent assault of the novelist Salman Rushdie last week. In 1989 Iran, an Islamic theocracy, offered a $6 million bounty to anyone who murdered Rushdie and his publishers following the release of his novel, The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims said was offensive.

BREAKING: Iran's Foreign Ministry denies Tehran was involved in the assault on Salman Rushdie in western New York, in first public statement on attack. https://t.co/SKK5VJuhev
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 15, 2022

2. IKEA shoppers flee lockdown in Shanghai

IKEA shoppers in Shanghai have been caught on video attempting to evade authorities after a COVID-19 lockdown was ordered at the store. Guards closed the doors of the building, but a crowd forced them back open and fled.

Authorities said a close contact of a COVID-19 patient had visited the store. https://t.co/sW0yOHbQFs
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) August 15, 2022

3. UK approves dual COVID-19 vaccine

The UK has become the first country in the world to approve a dual-purpose vaccine said to provide protection against both the original Wuhan version of COVID-19 and the newer Omicron variant. Health officials said the shot should be available as a fall booster.

UK becomes the first country to approve a dual Covid vaccine targeting omicron https://t.co/8M3uQYCaIr
— CNBC (@CNBC) August 15, 2022

4. Ukraine shells Wagner HQ

Ukraine has shelled a base belonging to the Wagner mercenary group in Luhansk, according to reports. The group, which is said to be under the direct control of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been linked to war crimes in various parts of the world.

Ukraine 'blows up Wagner HQ in Donbas' after Russian propagandist gave away its location https://t.co/06FGJRhxsq
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 15, 2022

5. Delay in attempt to rescue Mexican miners

Plans to rescue ten men trapped in a mine in Mexico have been delayed by suddenly rising water levels, officials have revealed. The miners, who were trapped underground on Aug. 3, have not been heard from since the mine collapsed.

Setback to rescue trapped Mexico miners as water levels rise https://t.co/RKtJAXpux2
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 15, 2022

And lastly...

In somewhat happier news, world leaders are set to meet in New York today as part of a plan to save the world's oceans. If agreed, the UN High Seas Treaty would bring 30 per cent of the globe's oceans into conservation areas by 2030.