The war economy has created a new ‘middle class’ in Russia, giving it a sharp increase in income, higher social status and greater benefits. This new middle class fears the end of the war, according to the British daily “The Telegraph”.more

A “significant” jump in the cost of grocery staples such as eggs and butter is stoking food inflation, according to data pointing to a renewed cost of living squeeze. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said prices had risen at their fastest pace for 18 months, with food inflation hitting 4.2% this month. This was up from 4% in July and the highest reading since February 2024.more

Although the number of people dying of starvation fell to zero between 2008 and 2010, conflicts in Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen and the Gaza Strip in recent years have led to a sharp increase in the number of people suffering from hunger, with access to food being used as a weapon, according to the 'Financial Times'.more

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) announced yesterday that the number of children born in Scotland fell to a record low in 2024. According to statistics, there were 45,763 live births, 172 fewer than in 2023. This is the lowest level since records began in 1855.more

Iga Swiatek advanced to the second round of the US Open Grand Slam tournament in New York. The second-seeded Polish tennis player defeated Colombia's Emiliana Arango 6-1, 6-2 yesterday. The match lasted exactly one hour.more

Peatlands could become a key element in Europe's defence against two major threats: Russian expansionism and man-made climate change, the British daily “Financial Times” wrote yesterday.more

Topshop is officially back (kind of) – and this time it’s making its comeback in style. While the brand isn’t reclaiming its famous Oxford Circus flagship just yet (now home to IKEA), the British fashion favourite is opening a new concession inside Liberty, one of London’s most historic and best-loved department stores.more

Spain’s National Police on the Costa del Sol have detained a Polish crime boss listed by Europol as one of Europe’s most wanted, for alleged murder, drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organisation. The suspect – who police believe to be the leader of a violent Krakow-based gang that moved narcotics from Spain to Poland – was tracked down and arrested in Benahavís (Malaga).more

The number of plastic bags Brits are using is on the rise for the first time in a decade – and experts say online shopping is to blame. New data shows that people in England bought 437 million plastic bags in the past year, up 7 per cent from 407 million in 2023/24. more

The growing number of tourists and the expansion of scientific bases are harming ecosystems in Antarctica, according to a report published on the Nature Sustainability website.more

Titleist Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round of the US Open. However, the 45-year-old American tennis player put up a fierce battle against 11th-seeded Czech Karolina Muchova. Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz is now in the second round after defeating Reilly Opelka of the USA.more

They are the scourge of the modern commute: passengers who play music or videos out loud. But amid widespread disapproval from fellow travellers, Transport for London (TfL) is trying to appeal to the better nature of “headphone dodgers” by asking them to “be considerate” and plug in.more

Leaders in the hospitality industry have said that more than half of the UK's job losses since the last budget have come from their sector. Job losses in restaurants, bars, pubs and hotels total around 89,000 since last October, according to UKHospitality analysis of Office for National Statistics data.more

Defending champions Liverpool beat Newcastle United 3-2 away in the second round of the English Premier League. Just before halftime, 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, making his Premier League debut, scored the winning goal.more

A couple who died in a helicopter crash during the bank holiday on the Isle of Wight have been named by relatives. Justyna Czoska, 52, a horse riding instructor, and her partner, Wojtek Kowalkowski, 49, from Bloxham, Oxfordshire, died after the aircraft crash-landed at about 9.24am on Monday between Shanklin and Whiteley Bank. The helicopter had taken off from Sandown airport 20 minutes earlier.more

Reform UK says it would offer payments to countries like Afghanistan as part of a plan to enable hundreds of thousands of migrant deportations if it won power. The party's leader Nigel Farage set out a five-year plan to detain and deport all migrants who arrive in the UK without permission at a news conference.more

King Charles and Queen Camilla have advertised a fresh opportunity at the palace which comes with some enticing perks. The Royal family are hunting for candidates capable of managing "complex" situations for the role of Royal Engagements Officer within the Private Secretary's Office.more

Disposable vapes are being repurposed into powerbanks and sent to the Ukrainian front lines. Volunteers at Leeds Ukrainian Community Association (LUCA) recycle components, such as batteries and wires, from the discarded vapes to send to Ukraine to be turned into energy sources for soldiers in remote locations.more

An official in the Swedish Prime Minister's office left a briefcase containing secret documents about Sweden's accession to NATO in a toilet at Stockholm Arlanda Airport in 2022 after a state visit to Turkey, the newspaper Dagens Nyheter revealed today. However, the official's identity was not disclosed.more

The Scottish Government is being told it must recognise the “significant issue” of Iranian bots posting pro-independence content online. New research suggests more than 1,300 X accounts posting pro-Scottish independence content in recent months were actually part of an Iranian state-backeddisinformation campaign.more

Magdalena Fręch advanced to the second round of the US Open in New York. The 28th-seeded Polish tennis player defeated Australian Talia Gibson 6-2, 6-2. Kamil Majchrzak defeated Bolivian tennis player Hugo Dellien 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4.more

Satellite missions have led to a threefold increase in soot and CO2 emissions, which is impacting Earth's climate, reports The Guardian. British scientists have called for action to address air pollution from the space industry.more

Thousands have taken to the streets of west London for this year's Notting Hill Carnival. Sunny skies and temperatures up to 26C were out for the third and final day of Carnival, Europe's biggest street party, which celebrated its 57th year.more

US President Donald Trump warned that if the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, do not meet, there could be "very serious consequences".more

Three people have died and one person has been seriously injured after a helicopter being used for a flying lesson "spiralled" to the ground and crashed in a field on the Isle of Wight. Four people were on board the helicopter when it came down beside the A3020 near Shanklin at about 09:20 BST, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.more