Good evening. Sadiq Khan has said he is “determined” to press ahead with the Ulez expansion after Sir Keir Starmer warned it was the reason Labour failed to win the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election.
And Tony Bennett, the American Jazz icon, has died at the age of 96.
Sadiq Khan insists Ulez expansion will go ahead after Labour defeat
The Mayor of London has said the Ulez expansion will proceed despite Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner voicing concerns after Labour’s loss in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election.
Sadiq Khan said he was “determined” to press ahead with the tax, which will see around 10 per cent of drivers in outer London pay ￡12.50 per day to take their cars on the roads from Aug 29.
Sir Keir said that there was “no denying that Ulez was the reason we didn’t win in Uxbridge”, and that both he and Mr Khan “need to reflect on that” after the Conservatives held the seat by a margin of fewer than 500 votes.
Sir Keir’s comments put him on a collision course with Mr Khan, one of Labour’s most high-profile elected officials.
Supporters of the scheme argue it is the only way to reduce air pollution in London. But detractors say Mr Khan is using it as a cash cow to support the ailing Transport for London network.
Follow the latest developments in our live blog.
Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages recovered from old phone
The former prime minister will hand over messages from his old mobile phone to the Covid Inquiry after technical experts managed to recover them, his spokesman has said.
The apparent breakthrough came after Mr Johnson was told while in No 10 to stop using the device over security concerns, after it emerged his number had been available online for years. He then reportedly forgot the passcode.
But his spokesman said he was pleased that technical experts had now “successfully recovered all relevant messages from the device”.
He added: “As repeatedly stated, he will now deliver this material in unredacted form to the inquiry.”
The device Mr Johnson used during crucial periods of the pandemic should contain messages relating to the ordering of three lockdowns in 2020.
Tony Bennett, American jazz icon, dies aged 96
The legendary American musician, who sold millions of records around the world throughout his career spanning decades, has died at the age of 96.
Bennett released more than 70 albums, won 20 Grammy Awards and performed with singers as diverse as Frank Sinatra and Lady Gaga.
He became known as the torchbearer for the Great American Songbook, with hits including The Way You Look Tonight, Body and Soul, and I Left My Heart In San Francisco.
He retired from performing in 2021 after revealing he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.
Evening Briefing: Today’s essential headlines
Berlin | An escaped lioness believed to be roaming the outskirts of Berlin may in fact be a big cat that belongs to the son of a crime boss.
Firas Remmo, the son of notorious gangster Issa Remmo, appealed on Instagram for information as to the whereabouts of the animal, which was reportedly sighted earlier this week in Kleinmachnow.
“If anyone knows something please tell me then we’ll lead the lioness back into her enclosure before some idiot guns her down,” Firas said.
Crime | Man cleared of murdering seriously ill wife in Cyprus War | UK missiles help to chase Russian fleet from Black Sea coast Rockfall | Cliff collapses onto beach in Dorset Migrants | Free festival and cricket excursions for barge residents Property | Indian billionaire buys Regent’s Park mansion for ￡113m Comment and analysis Janet Daley | This must be the end of Rishi Sunak’s green obsession Tom Harris | Tactical voting is now Sunak’s biggest enemy Nile Gardiner | Fears about Biden’s health are genuinely terrifying Alan Sked | The EU has declared war on British sovereignty Clive Aslet | Seagulls are out of control. It’s time to cull them Pictured: Dozens injured by giant spiked hailstones
Northern Italy has been hit by tennis ball-sized hailstones, damaging property and injuring 110 people. It came as the south of the country continues to swelter in a heatwave.
World news: Zelensky sacks UK ambassador after row over ‘gratitude’
Volodymyr Zelensky’s ambassador to London has been sacked after publicly rebuking his boss for comments he made about Ben Wallace.
Vadym Prystaiko had accused his boss of an “unhealthy sarcasm” in response to the British Defence Secretary, suggesting Kyiv should show more gratitude for Western support.
Last week, the veteran diplomat told Sky News there was a “little bit of sarcasm” when Mr Zelensky said “that each and every morning he will wake up and call Ben Wallace to thank him”.
You can follow the latest developments from the day on our live blog.
Feature of the day
Why Foundation is the best sci-fi series you’re not watching
More Star Wars meets Monty Python than a dusty homage to the books, Apple TV’s series is screamingly unhinged – and all the better for it
Read the piece here.
Business news: Tube strike cancelled as unions reach last-minute deal
Tube strikes that were planned for next week have been called off after union chiefs reached a last-minute deal with Sadiq Khan’s officials.
Staff including drivers and station workers had been due to walk out, but it emerged today that Aslef and the RMT had reached an agreement with Transport for London (TfL).
The main disagreement was on pensions, and Aslef said TfL had now committed to no changes before the next general election.
Finn Brennan, Aslef’s organiser, hailed the deal as a “major step forward”.
Meanwhile, John Lewis is halving the size of its central London headquarters after thousands of staff chose to continue working from home.
Follow the latest developments in our live blog.
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