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| | Disruption will be worth it, says Liz Truss | |  | | | | | | | | | "Whenever there is change, there is disruption," Prime Minister Liz Truss will tell the Conservative party conference in Birmingham later. She's going to use her speech to explain why that disruption, caused by her recent economic policies, will be worth it. This has been a bruising first conference for her, with internal division in the party and the U-turn on the 45p tax rate. So Ms Truss has to reassure party members that she's on the right path. The four-day conference has been overshadowed by wrangling within the party over the future direction of the economy.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who was in favour of abolishing the 45p tax rate for higher earners and disappointed by the U-turn, said the policy had been overturned by a "coup" within the party. And Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has faced pressure following financial turmoil in the wake of his mini-budget. There's more too - with our chief political correspondent Nick Eardley saying "there's another mutiny brewing over benefits - and how much they should go up by ". The PM's cabinet colleagues have come out publicly against the suggestion that benefits could be linked to the rise in earnings rather than inflation. While there are no big policy announcements expected in her speech, BBC political editor Chris Mason said Ms Truss would use her platform to "attempt to pull this party together" following days of "open dysfunction". Read more here on what's expected from the PM. | | | | | |
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| | King 'should attend climate summit' | | | | | | | | | King Charles should attend the upcoming climate change conference COP27 - and people from around the world agree - the president of last year's summit says. Alok Sharma, a member of Liz Truss's cabinet, was speaking in response to a report claiming the PM "ordered" the new King not to attend. Buckingham Palace later confirmed the King would not be at next month's summit in Egypt, saying the decision was made with "friendship and respect" after the monarch sought Ms Truss's advice. The King has championed the environment for decades, Mr Sharma said, adding that other countries wanted him to be at the summit. The former business secretary, who led COP26 in Glasgow last November, said: "He is head of state in the United Kingdom but he is also head of state in other countries, some of which are very much on the front line of climate change." | | | | | |
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| | Worm saliva can break down tough plastic | | | | | | | | | Researchers say they've discovered chemicals in the saliva of the wax worm that break down polyethylene, a tough and durable plastic. The Spanish researchers say that one hour's exposure to the worm's drool degrades the plastic as much as years of weathering would. They hope the breakthrough will lead to new natural approaches to deal with plastic pollution - and believe it's the first time that such an effective agent has been found in nature. While efforts to reduce, recycle and reuse plastic are slowly making progress, there are currently few options when it comes to the very sturdy polyethylene material. Read more here. | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | Karen and Steve don't want to take up arms. But if Republicans lose in the Midterm elections in November this elderly Arizona couple say a civil war is coming and, yes, they will fight. They have discussed it between them, and feel that taking up arms is their best option. It was at this point that our conversation grew a little dark and my faith in the strength of American democracy grew a little shaky. I met the Slatons at their Trump paraphernalia store in Show Low, Arizona. It was one of the first stops on a month-long road trip that I took around America this summer, a journey to understand why the upcoming elections feel so consequential, perhaps even a little ominous.
The couple were delightful hosts. They were funny and generous. They took me on a tour of their extensive stock of whacky Trump merchandise and explained that, yes, there really are people who want a $100 life-size cut-out of the former president dressed as Rambo to put in their living rooms. We talked about history, the economy and even abortion. But it was only when I questioned their belief that the 2020 election was stolen that things got tense. Wasn't it possible, I asked, that millions of Americans just didn't like President Trump and so Joe Biden won the election? It was Karen who responded, with a distinctly steely glint: "If you're a crazy liberal, we're just not interested. The central news, let me call them, I'm not going to call them fake news, but it is fake news to say that America doesn't like Trump. America loves Trump." | | | | | | | | | | | | Katty Kay | | US Special Correspondent | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | Most of Wednesday's papers focus on allegations of infighting in the Conservative party, as their conference in Birmingham draws to an end. The i describes it as Tory open warfare, while the Metro says the party is in meltdown. Several newspapers report on what the PM is due to say in her speech, due later in the day, with the Times labelling her "Truss the disruptor" and warning of more change to come. The Daily Mail front page story is on police chiefs agreeing to send an officer to every burgled home in England and Wales. And the Daily Mirror reports on the fallout of the so-called Wagatha Christie trial, the case brought by Rebekah Vardy against Colleen Rooney. Read more here. | | | | | |
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| | | | | Crime: Police chiefs in England and Wales pledge to send an officer to every burgled home | | | | | | | Space: An asteroid deliberately hit by Nasa leaves a trail of debris stretching thousands of kilometres | | | | | | | Ukraine: Families try to cross their new Iron Curtain | | | | | | | Food: Eating within set times could be good for shift workers | | | | | | |
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| | If you watch one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you listen to one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you read one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | Need something different? | | | | | | | | | Driverless taxis are no longer the stuff of sci-fi films thanks to a new pilot that's been launched in the US. The robo-taxis are hitting the streets of San Francisco at night, for paying members of the public to take a ride. The company behind the move say it'll revolutionise transport, but some fear they're dangerous. So how does it feel to get in a cab with no cabbie? Our correspondent James Clayton said it was bizarre and unnerving - find out how it went.
One thing robots don't have to worry about is what to wear, unlike those of us now going into the workplace instead of working from home. Many dress more casually in the office now - but what's the boss meant to do, and would they be taken less seriously running a meeting wearing a hoodie? Our CEO Secrets series gets into the issue. | | | | | |
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