Revealed: Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfires

• Large-scale fighting has returned to northern Ethiopia as a rebel alliance targets Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. • The renewed conflict occurs four years after the Pretoria Peace Agreement ended one of the deadliest wars in Africa.

• Ethiopia severed its diplomatic ties with Egypt and Eritrea following a collapse of relations across the Horn of Africa. • This breakdown follows the 2022 Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, which had previously halted a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people.

• Regional instability is growing as conflicts in Ethiopia, Yemen, and Sudan converge with tensions in the Red Sea. • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently stated that Saudi Arabia prefers diplomacy but will respond to threats against the kingdom's security.

Shadow justice secretary says despite U-turn Labour are still ‘restricting juries by the back door’, as Conservative conference begins in BirminghamCarla Denyer, the former Green party co-leader, has urged activists to reject the ‘Zionism is racism’ motion due to be debated by the party this morning. She issued a long statement last night. She says:If this motion passes as written, I am concerned that elected Greens will be forced to spend our time and energy debating and defending definitions, at the expense of focussing on the essential actions that only we can take to make things materially better for people in Palestine.I also worry that the current wording risks alienating a significant proportion of Jewish people, including those who vehemently disagree with the Israeli government; support boycott, divestment and sanctions; and are strong advocates for Palestinian rights. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Clare Matterson, the head of the Royal Horticultural Society, talks about the charity’s £2.3m roadworks compensation, community gardening and her high hopes for Andy BurnhamThe government has awarded £2.3m in compensation to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) after roadworks affecting its premier garden in Wisley caused a “three-year traffic jam”.The horticulture charity estimated it lost £13m due to disruption caused by the upgrade to the A3 and M25, with visits to the garden each year cut by 350,000. A campaign to reimburse the charity was led by the gardener and TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh. Continue reading...

Those who have stepped in to keep young family members from going into care in England and Wales say the decision has brought them joy and hardshipClive vividly remembers the day when, without warning or time to work out what he was really letting himself in for, he became a kinship carer.“The social worker left, the door closed and Savannah was lying there in a carry cot, wrapped up in a pink blanket. She looked so calm and so comfy, absolutely oblivious about what’s just happened. Continue reading...

The mood is better but ‘overhyped’, says one Conservative MP as party remains a distant third in pollsThe forthcoming Conservative conference will be, almost everyone in the party agrees, notably more upbeat and unified than last year. There is a similar consensus that Kemi Badenoch is doing well as party leader. That is, however, not the whole story.“The mood is better but the facts are still very poor,” one Conservative MP said. “We are still a distant third in the polls, and if there was an election tomorrow we would lose, and badly. That means the mood is overhyped.” Continue reading...

‘AbortOmat’ in Warsaw offers novel way to challenge country’s restrictions and allow women swift, anonymous access They call it the “world’s first parcel locker for abortion pills”. Polish campaigners have launched a new means of distribution as part of their ongoing effort to skirt the country’s near-total ban on abortion.Painted pink and framed by zebra-striped curtains, the 22-compartment “AbortOmat” in Warsaw allows women to access the pills swiftly and anonymously using a six-digit code. The service was envisaged for those who cannot or do not want to wait days for mail delivery due to a missed miscarriage or health complications, or who worry about receiving the pills at home. Continue reading...

Britain under pressure to put tariffs on cheap Chinese vehicle imports ahead of protectionist trade measuresBritain’s car industry is grappling with a “difficult trade-off” between China and Europe, as manufacturers struggle to balance the benefits of both markets ahead of looming trade measures that could restrict UK exports to the EU.The UK is an outlier in choosing not to put import taxes on Chinese vehicles, even as the US has shut them out almost entirely, and the EU imposes duties of up to 45%. Continue reading...

Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, 18, appears in court on dangerous driving offences after car struck Knights supporters lining streets to farewell their teamGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA driver whose car careered into a crowd of Newcastle Knights supporters – leaving children as young as five injured – will be kept in custody as the community rallies to support those hospitalised after the crash.Ten people were left injured after a car allegedly driven by 18-year-old P-plater Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe careered into the crowd near a major roundabout on Saturday morning. Continue reading...

Treasurer says ‘very substantial and intensifying pressure’ on federal budget as he points finger at private sector for driving up inflation amid Middle East conflictGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastJim Chalmers has warned of “very substantial and intensifying” economic pressures on the horizon but insists he’s not planning for a recession, as he prepares to find new ways to cut the budget ahead of its mid-year update.The treasurer on Sunday called on critics of government spending to name the services that should be cut, as he points the finger at the private sector for driving up inflation in Australia amid the protracted conflict in the Middle East. Continue reading...