Good evening. Rishi Sunak has this afternoon arrived in Bali ahead of the G20 summit of world leaders. Thousands of miles away in Turkey, the CIA are holding secret talks with Russia on Ukraine. But, first, the headlines...
Evening briefing: Today's essential headlines
Migrant deal | Ministers faced a backlash over their new £63m Channel deal with France after it emerged it will not enable migrants to be deported back to France. The agreement will see the UK pay for a 40pc rise in French officers deployed on its beaches and British officers in control rooms. Rishi Sunak hailed it as a critical agreement, but declined to guarantee numbers would fall next year. In a dispatch from Dunkirk, Will Bolton witnesses migrants dashing from dunes to UK-bound boats.
- 'Aggressive' behaviour | PM defends Raab against claims
- Trial | Iain Duncan Smith had traffic cone 'slammed' on his head
- Twitter | No more free staff meals, new boss Elon Musk rules
- Bitter divorce | Austrian count shot wife's 'beloved' dog dead
- Royals | New portrait of King to mark first birthday as monarch
The big story: CIA director meets Russia's top spy chief
One by one, world leaders are arriving in Bali ahead of the G20 summit starting tomorrow. More than 6,000 miles away in Turkey, significant discussions of a different kind are taking place.
America and Russia's top spy chiefs are meeting in Ankara for secret talks about the war in Ukraine.
In the first face-to-face high-level diplomatic contact between Washington and Moscow since Russia's invasion, CIA director Bill Burns and Sergey Naryshkin, the head of Russia's SVR spy agency, are discussing detained US citizens and nuclear risk.
Ukraine was briefed in advance of the trip and the White House stressed that Mr Burns is "not conducting negotiations of any kind". Senior foreign correspondent Roland Oliphant has the full story.
One man will be conspicuous by his absence in Bali: Vladimir Putin is not attending and will be represented by Sergei Lavrov, Russia's veteran foreign minister – who today dodged claims he was hospitalised in Indonesia.
Russia correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva reports on the mystery of his reported health problems.
Earlier, US president Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart, met as leaders for the first time on the sidelines of the summit.
As the pair sought to repair their relationship, a Chinese official shoved an American journalist who tried to ask about human rights. The woman, a television producer, was among a small group allowed to cover the start of the meeting.
China correspondent Sophia Yan reports that an unidentified Chinese official pulled her backwards by her backpack, causing her to lose balance, before pushing her toward the door.
'Beginning of the end'
On a surprise visit to Kherson today, President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Ukraine's recapture of the city as "the beginning of the end of the war".
But he acknowledged the heavy price Ukrainian soldiers are paying in their grinding effort to push back Russian forces.
The retaking of Kherson was one of Ukraine's biggest successes in nearly nine months since the invasion. It served another stinging blow to the Kremlin and could become a springboard for further advances into occupied territory.
"We are step by step coming to all the temporarily occupied territories," he said as he walked the streets – just hours after warning of booby traps and mines left behind by the Russians before their retreat.
'Tickets to victory' sold
Ukraine is reviving its domestic tourism industry with a "tickets to victory" rail service promoting train journeys to liberated territories such as Kherson.
Tickets are also being advertised to occupied Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Simferopol in anticipation of their liberation. Customers will be notified 12 hours before the first scheduled trains depart from Kyiv.
As James Kilner reports, Ukrainian railway staff have been dubbed the "iron people" for keeping services running across the country despite Russian missile strikes on stations and trains.
Comment and analysis
- Douglas Murray | Britain has woken up to immigration lies
- Andrew Orlowski | Identity cards are a civil servant's dream
- Tim Stanley | I still wouldn't want to be a Democrat right now
- Jane Shilling | One day, your mementos may be up for auction
- Bryony Gordon | It is time to ditch pushy parenting for good
World news: Taliban's return to public executions
Afghanistan's Taliban leader has ordered judges to fully enforce aspects of Islamic law – including public executions, stonings, floggings and the amputation of limbs for thieves. The "obligatory" command by Hibatullah Akhundzada came after the secretive leader met a group of judges. The Taliban promised to rule more moderately than during their first stint in charge of the country from 1996-2001, but the group has gradually clamped down freedoms since returning to power last year.
Monday interview: 'People have a huge blind spot when it comes to Jews'
David Baddiel tells Judith Woods about his thought-provoking, scabrously funny new documentary. Read the interview
Sport briefing: Deconstructing each Ronaldo claim
Manchester United will await the full details of Cristiano Ronaldo's unsanctioned interview with Piers Morgan before deciding any punishment. Erik ten Hag held talks with the club's hierarchy today after Ronaldo launched an extraordinary attack on the manager, while accusing the club of betraying him and trying to force him out. Jason Burt deconstructs each accusation – what he said, what he meant and is he right? And chief football writer Sam Wallace argues that the "narcissistic" interview plays into Ten Hag's hands.
Editor's choice
- Microdrones | The AI assassins set to become weapons of mass destruction
- Sara Cox | Radio presenter on the best thing about being middle-aged
- Money Makeover | 'I have £150k from a house sale – what should I do?'
Business briefing: How would you plug £60bn hole?
Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt have inherited a giant problem. After the chaos of the mini-Budget, and with a grim economic outlook, the pair must find a way to fill a huge budget black hole in the Autumn Statement this week. They are planning to announce a painful round of spending cuts and tax hikes on Thursday. Could you do better? Try our interactive tool to try to fix the finances yourself. Meanwhile, doctors have warned the NHS will be "irreparably damaged" by a tax raid on pensions.
Tonight starts now
Struggling to sleep? This surprising tip may help tonight | For those who have trouble sleeping, it is enough to keep you awake at night. The number of people experiencing insomnia has risen to one in four since the pandemic. We are, it seems, suffering from "sleep guilt", writes seasoned insomniac Miranda Levy. Read on for her advice on how to manage your anxiety and finally get a decent night's shut-eye.
Three things for you
- TV | The Latest Secrets of the Hieroglyphs, BBC Four, 9pm – and more
- Listen | How Reform UK is targeting disaffected Tories for their votes
- Book | Travel: The 40 best mountain restaurants in Europe – our guide
And finally... for this evening's downtime
Best time to brush | Most people do not need to be told how to brush their teeth – but what about when? Should you polish your pearly whites before or after breakfast? Scheduling your morning maintenance might be more controversial than you thought. Hattie Garlick looks at the evidence for what you should be doing.
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