Evening briefing: Today's essential headlines
Price cap blow for Putin | The G7 has agreed to roll out a price cap for purchases of Russian oil in a bid to slash Vladimir Putin's revenues and ease the global energy crunch. In a joint statement released today, G7 finance ministers pledged to ban the transportation of all Russian oil sold above a certain price. It has sparked an angry response in the Kremlin. It came as Russian forces have suffered heavy losses during a Ukrainian offensive. Meanwhile, Western anti-war hackers caused havoc on the roads of Moscow on Thursday when they targeted a taxi company.
- 'Oppressive' | Cressida Dick hits back at Sadiq Khan over dismissal
- Met Police | Anti-drugs strategy officer 'smoked cannabis every day'
- Myanmar | Former UK ambassador jailed for immigration offences
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Princess Diana | BBC donates £1.42m from interview to her charities
- Mobility problems | Queen to miss Braemar Gathering in Scotland
The big story: Partygate probe 'fundamentally flawed'
In the final days of Boris Johnson's premiership, perhaps it is apt that partygate has made its way into the headlines again.
The inquiry into the claims the Prime Minister misled the Commons over the scandal has taken a "fundamentally flawed" approach which is "wrong in principle", according to legal advice to Mr Johnson.
The advice, commissioned by the Cabinet Office, says that MPs on the privileges committee are "proposing to adopt an unfair procedure".
They are examining whether Mr Johnson misled the House of Commons when he insisted that "all guidance was followed in Number 10" and that there was "no party" in Downing Street during lockdown.
Written by Lord Pannick QC, one of the country's most eminent lawyers, the advice states the proceedings would be declared "unlawful" if they were subject to a judicial review.
However, since the proceedings are protected by parliamentary privilege, they are immune from legal challenges.
Read Lord Pannick's reasoning for criticising the probe and Daniel Capurro profiles the QC who became Mr Johnson's unlikely ally in his partygate fightback.
It is unusual for the Government to commission legal advice into the workings of the Commons, and raises questions about the supremacy of Parliament.
Chris Bryant, chairman of the committee on standards and privileges, questioned why the Cabinet Office commissioned the legal advice from a top QC on behalf of Mr Johnson, a private individual.
Mr Bryant, a Labour MP, recused himself from the investigation by his committee into whether Mr Johnson misled the Commons.
If Mr Johnson is found guilty of contempt he could be suspended from Parliament – and even face losing his seat as an MP in a by-election.
How Johnson could return
However, Mr Johnson is likely to pitch for Prime Minister again after making some money, provided that he escapes Parliamentary censure over partygate, a close ally has claimed.
Lord Marland, a Tory peer who led Mr Johnson's London mayoral campaign and is a longstanding friend, said there was a "distinct possibility" that he would again aim for Number 10.
He described the scenario in which he could return, which would not be great news for his successor.
Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will take over the top job on Monday after voting in the Tory leadership race closed at 5pm.
Here is an hour-by-hour guide to how the new prime minister will be revealed and how their first few days are likely to pan out.
Ten rules to live by
With Mr Sunak or, as is widely expected, Ms Truss due to move into Number 10 within days, what might be some helpful advice for the next prime minister?
Matt Ridley joined Christopher Hope to give his ten rules for the next Tory leader to live by in the latest episode of our Chopper's Politics podcast.
Whoever the leader is, they will hope they do not face many incidents like the one today in the Commons, where Extinction Rebellion protesters glued themselves to the Speaker's Chair after masquerading as tourists to get inside the building.
Comment and analysis
- Nigel Farage | After betraying UK, Tories deserve 1997-style wipeout
- Kate Andrews | Truss is playing a game of Russian roulette on energy
- Tanya Gold | Meghan can never be a genuine feminist
- Ross Clark | We are all living in Greta's world now
- Jamie Carragher | Gerrard was a gamble but Villa must hold on
Around the world: 'Assassination attempt' in Argentina
The suspected gunman who failed to assassinate the vice-president of Argentina has a Nazi tattoo, it was reported after his arrest for the botched attempt on Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's life. Fernando Montiel is accused of pointing a handgun at Ms Fernandez de Kirchner's face as she greeted supporters outside her Buenos Aires home on Thursday night. The 69-year-old, a former president from the Peronist Left, only survived because the semi-automatic .32-calibre Bersa, which was loaded with five bullets, jammed. Mr Montiel, 35, was quickly overpowered by security officers after the attempted shooting at point blank range and is now in custody. Watch the shocking incident.
Friday big-read
Revealed: How private schools dominate English sport
Men's football has seen 'explosion' in independent school influence, sparking calls for more support for sport in state sector
Sport briefing: Bairstow out after freak golf accident
England have been dealt a huge blow with Jonny Bairstow ruled out of the final Test against South Africa and the T20 World Cup after suffering a suspected broken leg while slipping on his way to a tee box playing golf in Leeds on Friday. Read how the Yorkshire batsman was caught in the freak accident. In football, Premier League clubs have broken their transfer spending record for a season in the summer window alone with an outlay of £1.9billion. Chelsea were the league's biggest spenders under new ownership led by Todd Boehly, with an outlay of more than £250 million securing the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella. In all, seven players were signed for over £50 million. Read a club-by-club analysis of this summer's business.
Editor's choice
- Little tricks | How to turn your leaky old home into an energy efficient new one
- 'If Spock dies, you die' | How The Wrath Of Khan blew up the Star Trek universe
- Katie Morley Investigates | 'Disabled mother with cancer faced £100-a-day energy bills'
Business briefing: House prices to fall back by a decade
House price growth will fall to zero in 2023 as interest rate rises hammer affordability and cause the market boom to end. Property prices in the North and Midlands will fall by as much as 1pc during a year-long downturn, according to forecasts by Hamptons estate agents. There will be 150,000 fewer purchases made next year as transactions fall from 1.25 million to 1.1 million, a decline of 12pc, and fall back to levels seen in 2013, Hamptons warned. Read how the situation could actually prove worse if analysts' forecasts on the Bank of England base rate come true.
Tonight starts now
Film night | If you are not planning to stay in to watch the long-awaited arrival of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, then there are a variety of new offerings at the cinema. Idris Elba plays a genie in Three Thousand Years of Longing, although our film critic Robbie Collin thinks the Luther star and Tilda Swinton could do with more chemistry in this astonishingly odd drama based on a novel by AS Byatt. If you would prefer rich tourists, cocaine nights and a murderously bad safari, then Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain star in The Forgiven, a film about death and decadence in Africa. If you are one of those people who enjoys a film so bad that it becomes hilarious then Michael Flatley's vanity project Blackbird features every spy cliché going – and then some.
Three things for you
- Watch | Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Amazon Prime Video
- Music | Yungblud is Sid Vicious for Gen Z – the week's best albums
- Puzzles | Try all-new interactive versions of our world-famous games
And finally... for this evening's downtime
Are you in need of a disco nanny? | What do you do when you want to let your hair down on holiday away from your little ones – and sleep off the resulting hangover? Charlotte Lytton reveals how raving parents are now booking all-night childcare.
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