Air conditioning will soon be "unavoidable" to protect many Britons from unbearable summer heat, a top climate adviser to the government has said.

The UK government has watered-down sanctions on Russia, allowing diesel and jet fuel from Russian crude oil to enter the UK if it is refined in other countries.

A top diplomat who stood in as interim ambassador after Peter Mandelson was sacked has abruptly left his post with no explanation.

Supermarkets in the UK are being encouraged by the government to introduce price caps on key products, such as eggs, bread and milk, in return for the easing of some regulations, it has been reported.