Average private rent in Great Britain falls for first time in five years

Lower mortgage rates have helped cool rental sector after years of above-inflation increases in rent, data shows

Average private rents in Great Britain have fallen for the first time in five years as lower mortgage rates helped take some of the heat out of the rental sector, data shows.

Years of above-inflation increases in rents have put the squeeze on many households but the estate agent Hamptons said the average rent on a newly let property fell by 0.2% year on year in July. It was the first annual decline since August 2020, during the height of the Covid pandemic – although this national figure masks wide regional variations.

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Colorado prison evacuated as wildfire becomes one of largest in state history

Lee fire chars more than 167 sq miles with 6% containment as California crews reach 62% containment on Canyon fire

A Colorado prison was evacuated as one of the largest wildfires in state history continued to grow, and officials warned residents of remote areas to be ready to leave on Sunday as gusty winds and low humidity fed the flames.

Evacuation orders were already in place for mountain communities as the Lee fire charred more than 167 sq miles (433 sq km) across Garfield and Rio Blanco counties, with just 6% containment. No injuries or structural damage has been reported.

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UK road safety push could see mandatory eye tests for older drivers

Ministers also considering lowering drink-drive limit among measures to reduce road deaths and injuries

Older drivers could face mandatory eye tests and the drink-drive limit could be cut as the government tries to reduce the number of road deaths.

In a major overhaul of the UK’s road safety laws, ministers are also reportedly considering tougher penalties for uninsured drivers and failing to wear a seatbelt.

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Anas al-Sharif, prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, among five journalists killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza

Israel admits deliberate attack on the journalist, known for frontline coverage, in a strike on a tent outside al-Shifa hospital

A prominent Al Jazeera journalist who had previously been threatened by Israel has been killed along with four colleagues in an Israeli airstrike.

Anas al-Sharif, who was one of Al Jazeera’s most recognisable faces in Gaza, was killed while inside a tent for journalists outside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Sunday night. His funeral was held on Monday morning.

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Security footage from Syria hospital shows men in military garb killing medical worker – AP News

  1. Security footage from Syria hospital shows men in military garb killing medical worker  AP News
  2. Video: Syria Hospital Staff Forced To Kneel. One Who Rose Up Shot Dead  NDTV
  3. Chilling Syria hospital video shows staff kneel before gunmen, 1 killed at point-blank for resisting  Hindustan Times
  4. How a Hospital Became a Battleground in Syria  New Lines Magazine
  5. Al-Suwaidaa | Video clip shows members of the Ministries of Defence and Interior execute civilian inside Al-Suwaidaa National hospital  المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان
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Man charged with murder of father and son after London business site stabbing

Hassan Cevik, 31, charged with murders of Terry McMillan, 58, and Brendan McMillan, 27, in Southwark

A man has been charged with the murder of a father and son after a stabbing at a business premises in central London.

Terry McMillan, 58, and Brendan McMillan, 27, from Chislehurst, Bromley, died after reports of stabbings inside a commercial property in Long Lane, Southwark, at about 1pm on 28 July.

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More countries added to UK’s ‘deport first’ scheme for foreign criminals

Former justice secretaries criticise expansion of policy that they say allows perpetrators to go unpunished

Foreign criminals from 15 more countries face deportation before they have a chance to appeal in an expansion of the UK government’s “deport first, appeal later” scheme.

Ministers are extending the scheme, which applies in England and Wales and was restarted in 2023, to cover 23 countries including India, Bulgaria, Australia and Canada.

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European leaders rally behind Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin meeting – AP News

  1. European leaders rally behind Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin meeting  AP News
  2. Ukraine and Europe Counter Putin’s Cease-Fire Proposal  The Wall Street Journal
  3. Europeans fear being a footnote in history as Putin looks to strike deal with Trump  CNN
  4. Zelenskiy wins EU, NATO backing as he seeks place at Trump-Putin talks  Reuters
  5. European Leaders Want to Speak to Trump Before He Meets Putin  Bloomberg.com
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JD Vance’s attempt to blame Democrats

Vice-president tries to deflect criticism and blames Biden for doing ‘absolutely nothing’ about convicted sex offender

Four days after JD Vance reportedly asked top Trump administration officials to come up with a new communications strategy for dealing with the scandal around the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he appears to have put his foot in it, sparking a new round of online outrage even as he tried to defuse the furor.

In an interview with Fox News broadcast on Sunday, the vice-president tried to deflect criticism of the administration’s refusal to release the Epstein files by blaming Democrats. He accused Joe Biden of doing “absolutely nothing” about the scandal when he was in the White House.

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6.1 earthquake hits Turkey’s Balikesir province, killing 1 and collapsing buildings – AP News

  1. 6.1 earthquake hits Turkey’s Balikesir province, killing 1 and collapsing buildings  AP News
  2. Turkey earthquake flattens buildings in Balikesir province  BBC
  3. Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes Turkey, causing about a dozen buildings to collapse  NBC News
  4. Earthquake of magnitude 6.1 strikes western Turkey, disaster authority says  Reuters
  5. Turkey detains constructor after building collapses in earthquake  AP News
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China’s watching closely, Lindsey Graham says ahead of Trump’s peace talks with Putin – Politico

  1. China's watching closely, Lindsey Graham says ahead of Trump's peace talks with Putin  Politico
  2. Lindsey Graham says Russia and Ukraine would likely need to swap land in a ceasefire deal  NBC News
  3. Graham ‘confident’ Trump will walk away from summit if Putin ‘insists on bad deal’  The Hill
  4. 'Like Reagan...': Senator Lindsey Graham says he's confident Trump will walk away if Putin insists on bad  Times of India
  5. Lindsey Graham says Trump's goal is to prevent third invasion of Ukraine, wants Zelensky 'to be part of the process'  New York Post
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Italy’s Mount Vesuvius, a popular tourist destination, closes over wildfire – CBS News

  1. Italy's Mount Vesuvius, a popular tourist destination, closes over wildfire  CBS News
  2. Wildfires close Mount Vesuvius trails while fierce blazes continue in France  The Guardian
  3. Visible from space: Vesuvius fire has three fronts still active, firefighters continue battle  Euronews.com
  4. Italy Shuts Down Mount Vesuvius To Tourists As Wildfire Rages  NDTV
  5. Mount Vesuvius, classified as an active volcano, is fertile ground for wine, tomatoes and other crops damaged by the fires.  WV News
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