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Good evening. Homeowners are being hit with Ulez charges without leaving the house as tradesmen include fees in bills.
Elsewhere, we give the ultimate guide to Britain’s surprise heatwave on the hottest day of the year (so far).
Homeowners hit with Ulez charges without leaving the house
Tradesmen are passing on Sadiq Khan’s daily £12.50 Ulez charge to their customers in invoices in order to off-set the cost of the levy to their businesses. The additional costs are likely to frustrate customers as self-employed tradesmen can claim back the Ulez charges as a business expense on their tax bills.
Terror suspect’s escape was ‘possibly inside job’
An ex-governor of Belmarsh prison has suggested Daniel Khalife’s escape from Wandsworth was an inside job. John Podmore, who was also a governor at Brixton prison, said the former soldier “possibly” received assistance before he escaped on Wednesday. He added the decision to allow him to work in the kitchen at the category B jail was “quite astonishing”.
Captain Sir Tom Moore’s daughter received more than £150,000 from charity
It has emerged that despite the foundation stopping donations, it has continued paying Hannah Ingram-Moore thousands. Since the Captain Tom Foundation started in May 2020 it has paid just over £152,000 to Mrs Ingram-Moore and companies she controls along with her husband Colin, who is also a trustee of the charity.
Evening Briefing: Today’s essential headlines
Diversity targets | The First Sea Lord has admitted he felt “nervous” about the military’s diversity targets, suggesting that they “can lead to some strange behaviours”.
- Markets | Pound falls to lowest level since June
- UK weather | England records hottest day of the year so far
- Royals | Prince William given surprise kiss from ‘Gazza’
- Watch | Restaurant chairs and tables swept away as flash floods hit Athens
- A greater escape? | Convicted murderer ‘crab walks’ up prison wall in daring escape
Comment and analysis
- Michael Deacon | The shoplifting epidemic is a sign that Britain is on the verge of anarchy
- Con Coughlin | Britain is pretending Iran isn’t an enemy state
- Martina Larkin | Britain is leading the battle to save our broken internet
- Ben Marlow | Welcome to Britain, where everyone is out for themselves
- Tom Harris | The SNP won’t stop until they’ve driven Scotland to the wall
World news: Russia redeploys more troops to hold back Ukrainian breakthrough
The threat of a Ukrainian breakthrough in the south has prompted Russia to begin redeploying more reserve forces. Ukrainian officials have said in the past week that their forces have managed to push past Russia’s first line of defences and are battling to break through further lines of fortifications and minefields.
Britain’s surprise heatwave - the ultimate guide
Plan the perfect escape with our guide to the nation’s top beaches, walks, days out, campsites and seaside hotels
Where to go | The most beautiful seaside villages in the UK
What to eat | 30 amazing places to eat by the sea in Britain – from oysters to fish and chips
How to keep safe | The 10 best sun creams and sunscreens with SPF and UV protection
Business news: Germany facing double-dip recession
The country is set to fall back into recession after data showed industrial production slumped again in July. Tim Wallace reports output of everything from machinery, tools and vehicles to consumer goods all tumbled, read more about the factors behind the downturn.
Live markets news: Apple loses more than $200bn of its value in market rout
Editor’s choice
Jaw-dropping documentary | Sex cults, nuclear silos and self-castration
Boxpark | ‘I realised I was unemployable – so I made £1m from my own market stall’
Past Lives | This wondrous debut is the finest love story of the year
Sport briefing: Today’s essential headlines
- Willie Anderson | ‘France must take a stand against the haka’
- Rugby | Alex Mitchell and Jonny May start against Argentina
- Ben Coles | Give Maro Itoje responsibility to unleash his best
- Oliver Brown | Rugby desperately needs an injection of joy
- Football | One year on from ‘project Potter’ – what next for the former Chelsea manager?
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Three things for you
- Proms | The folk songs that could replace Rule Britannia
- No more rags to riches | Family money will be the key to getting wealthy
- Exclusive | A look at Ken Dodd’s notebooks – which should have been burned
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