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The claim by Ukraine’s general staff of the armed forces comes after widely reported explosions at Russia’s Saki air base. This live blog is now closed

Be it a loft insulation drive or a lower price cap, there are many ways to help – but action must be swift and extensiveThe UK government has been urged to take further action to alleviate the impact of soaring energy prices, and there are a number of measures it could take.Any rescue package would need to be swift and extensive to prevent households being plunged into poverty this winter as home energy prices surge. Ministers will also need to dig deep to prevent more businesses hit by rising energy costs from defaulting on loans and declaring themselves bankrupt. Continue reading...

Nearly a quarter of doctors surveyed said they recently changed billing model, as peak body calls for higher rebates

Zelenskiy vows to ‘liberate’ Crimea as Kyiv denies responsibility for deadly attack on Russian airbase in the annexed peninsula

Kate Greville says former Manchester United footballer was regularly aggressive and exerted control over her social lifeThe ex-girlfriend of former Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs has told a court she became “a slave to his every need” and that he was “regularly aggressive”.Giving evidence on the third day of Giggs’s assault trial, Kate Greville said he exerted control over her social life and the end of their six-year relationship was “pretty much relentlessly awful”. Continue reading...

Campaigners say Italian city’s remaining residents feel ‘suffocated’ by effects of tourismThe remaining inhabitants of Venice’s historic centre said they fear becoming like “relics in an open museum” now that the population is expected to drop below 50,000 for the first time.Once the heart of a powerful maritime republic, Venice’s main island has lost more than 120,000 residents since the early 1950s, driven away by myriad issues but mainly a focus on mass tourism that has caused the population to be dwarfed by the thousands of visitors who crowd its squares, bridges and narrow walkways each day. Continue reading...

Food delivery company also announces that Next boss Simon Wolfson has quit its boardLosses at Deliveroo soared by more than half to £147m in the first six months of the year, with the embattled company facing a dramatic slowdown in revenue growth as the cost of living crisis affects the demand for takeaways.The London-listed company also announced that Simon Wolfson, the chief executive of the clothing retailer Next, is to step down from the board with immediate effect. Continue reading...

Company has to sell power at prices below market rates as ministers try to tackle cost of living crisis and support householdsThe French nuclear company EDF is suing its own government for €8.3bn (£7bn) after it was forced to sell energy to consumers at a loss.The company, which is being nationalised by the French state, has filed a compensation claim over the extension of the country’s price cap in January. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak campaign attacks rival’s approach to cost of living as ‘laughable were it not so serious’

Travel company takes €75m hit after ‘significant challenges and interruptions’Flight disruption in the UK was the worst in Europe in recent months, according to Tui, while Manchester was the most-affected airport, as the travel operator reported a €75m (£63m) hit from air traffic chaos.“We had significant challenges and interruptions, especially on the UK side,” said Sebastian Ebel, Tui’s incoming chief executive, who will take over the top job at the start of October. Continue reading...

Church of England court ruling grants permission for removal of artwork at St Peter’s in MordenA London church is to remove a large mural depicting a city ablaze over its entrance that has “acquired unfortunate connotations” since the Grenfell Tower fire.The once-garish mural of the Last Judgment, commissioned in 1977 for St Peter’s, St Helier, in Morden, south London, was “never universally popular”, according to a Church of England court ruling that granted permission for its removal. Continue reading...

Launceston council urges person who entered enclosure to seek medical attention urgently as monkeys can carry herpes B virus

German firm’s revaluation represents 58% decline following ‘increased uncertainties’ after Ukraine invasionThe energy network operator E.ON has slashed the value of its investment in the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline by about €700m (£592m), as a result of “increased uncertainties” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The German utility firm had said in March that its 15.5% stake – which E.ON holds indirectly via its pension fund – had a book value of €1.2bn, so its revaluation represents a 58% decline in value. Continue reading...

Explainer: A parliamentary committee has been accused of leaking confidential correspondence and compromising investigations

Newly released messages between border force and home affairs public servants shed light on ‘unprecedented’ haste to make asylum boat interception public

Tasmanian patient in her 70s died while ramped in an ambulance waiting to be admitted to emergency department

Independent calls for $100m debt to be wiped as part of negotiations over Labor’s $10bn housing policy, which also faces Greens resistance

Governing body’s letter says complainants and families must sign non-disclosure agreement for restorative justice process

Users offered an update of app that ‘removes functionality … so no information is stored or collected’

Show of force by China has eased off, but observers say it will strike ‘fear and a sense of inevitability in Taiwanese hearts and minds’China’s military drills targeting Taiwan have set a new normal, and are likely to “regularise” similar armed exercises off the coast or even more aggressive action much closer to the island, analysts have said.China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been conducting live-fire exercises and other drills in the seas around Taiwan’s main island for almost a week, in a purported response to the controversial visit to Taipei by the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Continue reading...

One person killed in Novofedorivka, 110 miles from frontline, after ‘aviation munitions detonated’ in storage areaA Russian airbase deep behind the frontline in Crimea has been damaged by several large explosions, killing at least one person, although it was not immediately clear whether it had been targeted by a long-range Ukrainian missile strike.Multiple social media videos showed explosions and clouds emerging from the Saky military base in Novofedorivka on the western coast of Crimea on Tuesday afternoon, prompting questions about how a location more than 100 miles (160km) from the frontline could have been attacked. Later a senior Ukrainian official appeared to claim responsibility, without giving details. Continue reading...

DfE says maximum rate will be fixed at 6.3% from September having previously reduced it to 7.3%Ministers have intervened to cut student loan interest rates for the second time this summer as inflation and the cost of living continue to soar.The Department for Education announced on Wednesday that the maximum rate will now be fixed at 6.3% from September. It was already due to be capped at 7.3%, after an intervention by ministers in June to bring it down from the 12% it would have reached by September, based on earlier inflation figures plus 3%. Continue reading...

Event chair Tom Newton Dunn criticised her accusations that journalists ‘framed’ questionsLiz Truss was rebuked for being “cheap” during the latest Tory leadership hustings after she had criticised the media several times.The foreign secretary had accused “some of the media” of trying to “talk our country down” during the event in Darlington and also accused journalists of framing questions in a “leftwing way”. Continue reading...

Fire destroyed 40% of island’s main fuel storage facility over five days and caused blackoutsFirefighters have finally overcame what officials described as the worst blaze in Cuba’s history that over five days destroyed 40% of the Caribbean island’s main fuel storage facility and caused blackouts.Raging flames that ravaged a four-tank segment of the Matanzas super tanker port had died down on Tuesday and the towering plumes of thick black smoke streaming from the area were diminished and now mostly gray. Continue reading...

High blood pressure contributes to around half of all heart attacks and strokes in the UKReplacing regular salt with a salt substitute lowers blood pressure and protects against life-threatening heart conditions, stroke and death from all causes, research suggests.High consumption of salt composed of sodium chloride is known to drive blood pressure up, leading to poor cardiovascular health and posing a major risk of early death. Continue reading...

Sascha, 29, and her six-month-old son, Clay, were noticed to have disappeared from Blackley on SaturdayPolice in Manchester have launched an urgent appeal for help to find a mother and her six-month-old son.Sascha and her child, Clay, were first noticed to be missing from their home in Blackley, a suburban area of the city, at about 4pm last Saturday, Greater Manchester police said. Continue reading...

Cost of living crisis dominates latest Tory hustings as foreign secretary rules out tax rise to fund government helpLiz Truss has said she rejects the “Gordon Brown economics” of helping people directly with bills as her rival, Rishi Sunak, warned the British people “will not forgive us” if vulnerable households do not get extra help this winter.At the latest Conservative hustings, the former chancellor said he would not be prepared to spend sums similar to the help offered earlier this year, and that support should be more targeted. He said: “I don’t think that will be necessary because what we are talking about now … is the extra increase on top of what we thought. Continue reading...

PM makes unexpected intervention as Rishi Sunak criticises Liz Truss for refusal to commit to more handoutsBoris Johnson has waded into the Tory leadership row over energy costs by declaring he is “absolutely certain” his successor will offer further help to households, as annual bills were forecast to top £4,200 by January.Johnson made an unexpected intervention on energy bills at a No 10 reception, as Liz Truss, the frontrunner to be the next prime minister, was accused by Rishi Sunak’s campaign of being “divorced from reality” over her refusal to commit to more handouts. Continue reading...

Singer had been sued by writers of 3LW’s 2000 song Playas Gon’ Play for alleged plagiarism, and the case is due to return to courtTaylor Swift has defended herself as the sole writer of her 2014 hit Shake It Off in response to a lawsuit claiming that she plagiarised lyrics from the 2000 song Playas Gon’ Play by girl group 3LW.“The lyrics to Shake It Off were written entirely by me,” Swift stated in a sworn declaration filed on Monday. “Until learning about Plaintiffs’ claim in 2017, I had never heard the song Playas Gon’ Play and had never heard of that song or the group 3LW.” Continue reading...

Analysis: as Boris Johnson’s immigration proposals face another setback, the home secretary’s position is also in doubtThe decision to halt plans to set up a processing centre for asylum seekers in a small Yorkshire village has raised key questions for the next prime minister.Should they stick with Boris Johnson’s struggling new plan for immigration? And should Priti Patel remain as the home secretary? Continue reading...

Band frontman Shane MacGowan pays tribute to ‘nice guy and great friend’ who died in London on MondayThe Pogues’ bass player Darryl Hunt has died aged 72.The punk group said on Twitter they were “saddened beyond words” to share that Hunt had died on Monday afternoon in London. Continue reading...

Head of region announces death after attack on base deep inside the occupied Crimean peninsula in what is being seen as a significant strike

CWU says action will take place in August and September unless Royal Mail ‘gets real’ with ‘dignified’ riseMore than 115,000 UK postal workers are to stage a series of strikes in the coming weeks in a dispute over pay.The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said it would be the biggest strike of the summer so far to demand a “dignified, proper pay rise”. Continue reading...

Inquiry recommends more civilians be hired to reduce corruption watchdog’s reliance on police

Desertion of RAF Linton-on-Ouse scheme is latest immigration policy climbdown after Truss and Sunak opposed plans

End of restrictions has put paid to some pandemic lifestyle changes but other shifts remain in place, poll showsBritain’s love for green fingers and blackened thumbs during the first Covid lockdown has since evaporated as people again find a “new normal” after the ending of restrictions, a survey suggests.The amount of time people spent gardening and doing DIY soared in March and April 2020, with people spending 40 minutes a day improving their homes and gardens compared with just 15 minutes in 2014-15. But it plummeted back to 20 minutes a day in March 2022, Office for National Statistics data shows. Continue reading...

Takings in Orbetello, Tuscany, down 60% as thousands of midges torment locals and touristsAuthorities in a Tuscan town have urged residents to close their windows and refrain from hanging out washing as they tackle a plague of midges that has been tormenting locals and tourists for weeks.Restaurants and bar owners in Orbetello, well known for its lagoon and long stretches of sandy beach overlooked by Monte Argentario, say business has been badly hit as customers avoid venturing out for dinner. Continue reading...

Mario Fiorentini commanded a group of partisans who fought against Benito Mussolini and Italy’s Nazi occupiersMario Fiorentini, Italy’s most decorated resistance fighter against fascist and Nazi forces during the second world war, has died in a Rome hospital. He was 103.The Rome chapter of the National Association of Italian Partisans announced his death on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Dock workers at vital Suffolk container port offered 7% pay rise and £500 lump sumTalks between the Unite union and the company that runs Felixstowe port, which were aimed at stopping an eight-day strike by dock workers at Britain’s busiest container port, have ended without a deal.Negotiations came to an end despite the company’s new offer of a £500 bonus for each of the 1,900 dock workers, who have already voted in favour of strike action between 21 and 29 August amid a pay dispute with the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary previously said she did not want to give ‘handouts’ to people struggling with cost of livingLiz Truss has doubled down on her refusal to offer significant help to people with soaring energy bills this winter, despite a forecast that these could exceed £4,200 annually from January, and rise further during 2023.Truss, the runaway favourite to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister next month, has already said she does not want to give “handouts” to people struggling with bills, preferring to prioritise tax cuts. Continue reading...

Investment group goes into red amid ‘market turbulence’ and withdrawal of £24bn linked to cancelled Lloyds dealThe investment group Abrdn plunged into the red in the first half of the year, after being hit by market turmoil and the withdrawal of more than £24bn of assets linked to a cancelled deal with Lloyds Banking Group.Stephen Bird, the chief executive who scrapped the Standard Life Aberdeen brand for a new name last year, said the pre-tax loss of £320m in the six months to June “largely reflected the challenging global economic environment and market turbulence”. The group had reported profits of £113m a year earlier. Continue reading...

Actor says he was diagnosed with vasculitis two years ago but has recovered and the ordeal made him strongAshton Kutcher has said he is “lucky to be alive” after a he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that he says robbed him of sight, hearing and equilibrium.The actor revealed his diagnosis with vasculitis – an autoimmune disease that inflames the blood vessels – during an episode of Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge. Continue reading...

Tehran denies Khayyam satellite will be under Russian control, despite reported admission by Moscow

Bernard Jenkin insists investigation will continue despite complaints from prime minister’s allies

Analysis: Conservative contest has featured number of changes and clarifications by Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak

Largest increase is among women aged between 35 and 39, ONS data revealsThe total fertility rate in England and Wales has increased for the first time in a decade, with the largest rise among women aged between 35 and 39, data shows.Women with children have an average of 1.61 each, according to ONS data from 2021, up from 1.58 the previous year. Continue reading...

Extreme heat warning issued for Thursday to Sunday for parts of England and WalesThe UK Met Office has issued an amber warning for extreme heat covering four days from Thursday to Sunday for parts of England and Wales as another heatwave looms.The warning comes as the forecaster predicted 35C in places – below last month’s record temperatures, which peaked above 40C in some spots. Continue reading...

Record high temperatures in the Alps this summer have led to the discovery of two bodies and an aircraft that crashed in 1968Soaring temperatures are prompting Switzerland’s melting glaciers to reveal their secrets, with hikers this summer chancing upon two sets of unidentified human remains and a plane wreckage lost for more than half a century.Two French alpinists found human bones last Wednesday while scaling the Chessjen glacier in the southern canton of Valais, a police spokesperson confirmed on Monday. The skeleton was airlifted from the glacier by helicopter on the same day. Continue reading...

Six people remain missing amid fears of further damage with torrential rain forecast in some parts of the country on WednesdayAt least eight people have died in South Korea after record overnight rainfall hammered the capital Seoul, turning streets into rivers, submerging vehicles and inundating metro stations.Rainfall of more than 100mm an hour was recorded in Seoul, surrounding areas of Gyeonggi province and the port city of Incheon on Monday night, according to the Yonhap news agency. Per-hour precipitation in the Dongjak district surpassed 141.5mm at one point, the heaviest hourly downpour in Seoul for 80 years. Continue reading...