The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said it was tied for the record with July 2023. Pre-industrial times are classed as 1850 to 1900, when humans were not burning fossil fuels at scale. Last month was 1.65C higher than the estimated average for that period. August saw extreme heat that led to drought conditions in the UK, France, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania, the Copernicus team said. Rivers such as the Rhine and Danube also had exceptionally low flows. Last week, the UK's Met Office said this summer was the hottest on record, with the average temperature 0.4C higher than the previous record - set last summer. The landmark 2015 Paris climate deal saw countries agree to limit global warming to "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to keep them to 1.5C. Scientists say temperatures above the 1.5C marker are associated with the most severe droughts, floods, and sea level rises. August marked the first time the key threshold has been breached since November last year. Sea surface temperatures also hit record highs in August due to fossil fuel burning and warming seas associated with the El Nino weather phenomenon (expected to be especially extreme this year), according to the Copernicus experts. Away from polar regions, the seas measured 21.07C - which is also the joint highest ever, tied with March 2024. Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus Climate Change Service, said it was a "remarkable month". "Combined with record global sea surface temperatures and the warmest summer on record for Western Europe, these observations show how climate change is driving extremes across both the atmosphere and the oceans," she said. "The impacts of these conditions are increasingly being felt by communities, economies and ecosystems across the world." News of the record-setting month comes not long before the next global climate change conference - COP31 - in Antalya, Turkey, in November. Gareth Redmond-King of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said it was another "warning siren" of the effects of climate change. He said world leaders at COP31 must "cut greenhouse gas emissions rapidly towards net zero while strengthening resilience to the impacts already locked in". Mr Redmond-King added: "The task now is to match the scale of the science with the scale of action, supporting communities already on the front line of climate impacts while accelerating the transition away from coal, oil and gas to bring our climate back into balance."

The 62-year-old, best known for playing Alfie Moon in the long-running soap, faces a trial next year. He appeared by video-link before Colchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday under his real name, Shane Roche. The actor spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address and to enter his plea. The video-link to the court briefly dropped out, but when the connection returned he said: "Sorry, I'm in a hotel up north." Richie, of Tadworth, Surrey, is accused of driving a white Hyundai car in Church Langley Way, Harlow, Essex, while above the legal limit for alcohol on 29 July. He is alleged to have provided a breath sample of 65 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol. Vladimir Silea, prosecuting, said police attended a Tesco petrol station in Church Langley Way at 11.15pm where Richie was arrested and taken to Harlow police station. Read more from Sky News:Oil rises above $100 a barrel as Middle East conflict escalates'Very hot' drinks can increase risk of cancer, study finds He said that officers "commenced the drink and drug-driving procedure" at the police station, and the lower reading provided was of 65 micrograms of alcohol. Deputy District Judge Christopher Maynard bailed Richie until 17 November 2027, when he is due to stand trial at the same court. Richie, who came fourth on I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2020, has also hosted a number of TV game shows and appeared in pantomimes.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said both imports of goods and some services to and from Israeli settlements would come under the ban. The UK - along with major allies such as France and Canada - has followed the path of some European neighbours as settler expansion and violence ramp up in the West Bank. While trade in services between the UK and settlements is not outlawed entirely, advertising illegal settlements for sale will be prohibited. Politics latest: Follow live Also promised was "action" against specific companies and individuals which provide construction, infrastructure financing, or real estate services. However, Mr Miliband didn't name any specific person or entity. "So to those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements, let me say this. You will face the full force of UK sanctions," he said in the Commons. It follows the trade minister saying in July that the government had been working on a prohibition and was keen for it to also cover trade in services. Chris Bryant said he was concerned about companies in the UK providing mortgages for settlement buildings, acting as estate agents for properties there, or giving accountancy or legal services to the areas. The foreign secretary said the UK would also impose new sanctions on "extremist settlers" and refuse applications for arms sales and other exports that "materially contribute to the occupation" - though it's unclear what that phrase encompasses. What's not included? Notable for its absence was a blanket ban on trade in services as had been endorsed by Mr Bryant in July. Similarly, there was no mention of a universal ban on exports to settlements, just on imports. How will it work? Rather than using the existing sanctions rules, Mr Miliband said the government would create a "new comprehensive sanctions regime" to give effect to the embargo. He said the regime would be in place within six to nine months but didn't mention how the measures would be enforced. The state currently enacts such measures via the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act (SAMLA). Why is this happening? Pressure has been mounting on the government to take action as Israeli settlements grow and Palestinians face increased violence and intimidation. There have been escalating attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank and, in the past weeks, some have had homes besieged. Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory have rapidly expanded in recent years, with more planned by the Israeli government. Latest plans by the Israelis to build about 1,200 homes, as part of the E1 programme of expansion in the West Bank, were described by Mr Miliband as an "unacceptable and destructive act". Such outposts have long been opposed by the UK government, which believes them to be a breach of international law and a threat to a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. Also adding pressure is its July 2024 advisory opinion from the UN's top court, which said Israel's presence in the occupied territories was "unlawful". The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said all UN member states were under an obligation "not to recognise as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of the state of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation". What are settlements? A settlement is an Israeli-built village, town or city in occupied Palestinian territory - either in the West Bank or East Jerusalem. Creating settlements can involve confiscating land and displacing Palestinians, which is illegal under the Geneva Convention, as is the moving of Israeli civilians into territory Israel occupies. Mr Miliband told the Commons there was "ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists" - with "houses bulldozed, roads and public infrastructure destroyed, families displaced from their homes". Israel disputes this, saying it cannot be classed as an occupying power, as no country owned the land before it took the territory in 1967, and it has not transferred its population to the territories; people move freely. Contrary to the UN, Israel officially recognises and administers some settlements. Has this been done before? Spain, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands have announced similar trade prohibitions previously. But by implementing an embargo that spans both imports and exports of goods and some services, the UK has one of the most comprehensive bans in Europe. Ireland and Belgium, for example, have only prevented trade in goods. The foreign secretary said France and Canada would also ban trade from illegal settlements - and that Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal and Sweden had pledged to "support further action". What do opponents say? Speaking ahead of the UK government announcement, Israeli president Isaac Herzog said it would be a "grave miscalculation, a decision that will fall on the wrong side of history". He said sanctions would "directly harm" Palestinians, "robbing them of business and employment". Shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat told the Commons that illegal settlements were "wrong" and that "outrageous" crimes were being committed. However, he said the sanctions would "harm innocents" because the Israeli and Palestinian economies are "too interconnected". The US government hasn't yet officially responded. However, America's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said before the announcement that sanctions were "irrational" and he did not "understand what it's supposed to achieve". Other opponents are Labour Friends of Israel (LFI), which said the ban is "practically impossible and will become a de facto boycott of all of Israel, which would be deeply damaging to the UK national interest, the British Jewish community, and Palestinian workers". Meanwhile, polling by YouGov suggested one in two Britons backed a ban.

Emilio Gay (60) and Harry Brook (52no) each struck fifties in the final session to rescue England from 39-3 after their own top-order wobble, in which Joe Root (8) was pinned lbw for a 10th time in 13 innings by Pakistan's hugely-impressive debutant pacer Razaullah (2-42). Root had earlier opted to insert the visitors at the toss in overcast conditions, but it wasn't long before his side were preparing to bat anyway, as Pakistan lasted just 33.5 overs - their shortest innings in a series full of disappointing batting displays. Scorecard: England vs Pakistan, third Test at EdgbastonEngland vs Pakistan - as it happened on day one in BirmingamListen to episodes of the Sky Sports Cricket PodcastNot got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream cricket with no contract Seven wickets fell in a chaotic morning session which saw Ollie Robinson (3-15) claim his 100th in Test cricket, before the innings was wrapped up soon after lunch. Josh Tongue finished with 4-42, dismantling the stumps of Pakistan captain Babar Azam (7), Mohammad Imran (5) and lone bright spark Saud Shakeel (43), while Jofra Archer proved potent once more, taking 3-25. The tourists failed to bat out a full 90 overs - the equivalent of a day's play - across their two innings in either of the first two Tests, and they will struggle to buck that trend barring a stunning turnaround this week. Pakistan's squad overhaul feeds into chaotic first innings Pakistan's 194-run defeat at Lord's, which saw them lose the series with a match to spare, prompted an unprecedented overhaul of their squad and coaching staff prior to the series finale in Birmingham. Seven players were dropped from the squad altogether, with four changes made to their starting XI and three of the newcomers making their Test debut. The only one with prior experience was opener Saim Ayub who, while no doubt grateful for the call-up, must have been wondering what he'd got himself into when trapped for a 10-ball duck by Robinson in only the third over. Robinson also removed Abdullah Shafique (3) caught in the gully, the wicket sandwiched between a couple of freebies for Archer handed out by scrambled Pakistan batters - Azan Awais (9) and Shan Masood (5) both spooning simple catches to midwicket, the latter's particularly galling, as the visitors slipped to 26-4. Tongue then produced the prototypical fast bowler's delivery, angling in, nipping away and knocking back the top of off stump to see off Babar, while he added debutants Ghazi Ghori (4), lbw, and Imran, to a devastating yorker, prior to lunch. Razaullah (11), much like he would do later with his bowling, caught the eye with a couple of hefty swings of the willow either side of lunch before nicking Robinson to Ben Duckett, who made amends for a couple of earlier drops in the slips - Azan, three deliveries prior to his dismissal, and Saud when on seven. Saud was next to be castled by Tongue, before Mohammad Abbas (21) and Mohammad Ali (5no) hung around and showed a great deal more fight than some of their top-order team-mates to add 26 for the final wicket - the highest partnership of a miserable innings. Ali had taken a painful blow on the ankle when batting, but was fit enough to open the bowling and claimed the early wicket of Duckett (11), flashing an edge to second slip in the fourth over. Jordan Cox (4) wasted a review on a plumb lbw decision against Abbas, before Root departed to Razaullah's fourth delivery in Test cricket, a devastating nip-backer from the 21-year-old talent. Gay and Brook rebuilt impressively, sharing a 104-run partnership for the fourth wicket that pushed England into the lead before Razaullah returned to bowl the former off an inside edge. Tongue chuffed with wobble-seam success on first day England fast bowler Josh Tongue, speaking to Sky Sports Cricket: "Really pleased with the day. Coming here this morning, winning the toss, putting Pakistan in to bat, then bowling them out for 130-odd, we're in a really strong position. "Even a couple of days out it looked a good pitch, so to bowl them out cheaply on a decent-looking pitch, I thought we bowled really well. "There's probably a tiny bit of pressure on us to make sure we put the balls in the right areas, but how we started today, with Archer and Robinson getting them four down... it meant that when I came on, I thought I could be aggressive with that line and length. "I've been working on a wobble in the nets this week, and that came out nice. I spoke to Robbo quite a bit about it; it's just trial and error. "I tried it, and it got me a wicket! "I thought as a collective we've been very good the whole series, and we showed that again today." 'X-factor Razaullah the bright spark Pakistan needed' Sky Sports Cricket's Nasser Hussain: "Pakistan have been calling out for something different from their bowlers for a long while. "It is nice to watch that spell from Razaullah that had something, that had a point of difference, had some pace. "It hurried one of the greatest batters there has ever been in Joe Root, and got him out." Sky Sports Cricket's Urooj Mumtaz: "Twenty-one-years-old, first time on a plane out of Pakistan, onto a cricketing tour and he gets one of the greatest of all time with his fourth delivery! "89mph and then just ramped it up to 91mph. And the best part was that the pace throughout his spells did not drop. "An inspired selection. They just needed that X-factor. "The conveyor belt is not broken, it is the system." Watch day two of the third Test between England and Pakistan at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Thursday. Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW England vs Pakistan - results and schedule All games live on Sky Sports First Test (Headingley) - England won by innings and 103 runsSecond Test (Lord's) - England won by 194 runsThird Test (Edgbaston) - September 9-13

It comes as the firm revealed it had identified a fourth "cybersecurity" incident - from January 2026 - involving its Claude product. Anthropic researcher Evan Hubinger said earlier on X that while "the risk from present models is low," he was worried about "superintelligence" arising from AI using its own capabilities to build a smarter version of itself. He said it was happening "faster than we thought". The Financial Times also reports that Anthropic declined to submit its latest model of Claude to Britain's AI Security Institute for testing before release. Darren Jones, the former chief secretary to Sir Keir Starmer, wrote to Andy Burnham on Wednesday calling for a new multinational treaty on AI, citing Mr Hubinger's comments. The letter - also addressed to the secretary generals of the United Nations and the OECD - called on the prime minister to add the topic to the agenda for upcoming G7 and G20 meetings. Mr Hubinger made the comments while replying to a post by Jacob Coxon, who said he had resigned from Anthropic over concerns after previously working for ChatGPT creator OpenAI. "Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives," Mr Coxon said. He said these systems will soon be able to "hack anything, revolutionise any field overnight, and acquire real power and resources". He added: "The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." Anthropic said on Wednesday evening the fourth "cybersecurity" incident it had identified involved an early version of Claude Opus 4.6 and that affected parties had been identified. It didn't give further details. It follows a disclosure in July that some Claude models had ‌hacked into the systems of three companies during testing. OpenAI revealed its own breach the same month, saying its agents had escaped a testing environment and breached the systems of AI platform Hugging Face. The breaches, alongside other hacks, prompted calls from politicians and researchers for stricter oversight of autonomous AI systems. At the end of last week, Jakub Pachocki, the chief scientist at OpenAI, said in a company blog post that: "This is a time that calls for extreme caution. I am concerned no one is prepared for the consequences of a continued rapid rise in machine intelligence." He added that while OpenAI will continue to seek technical solutions to alignment alongside other security measures, "I believe broader interventions are required". Read more from Sky News:Man charged over deaths of cyclistsLIV Golf files for bankruptcy protection However, the development of AI systems has continued at pace. On Tuesday, Meta rolled out a long-touted AI assistant that can autonomously send emails, sell a car and book travel on a person's behalf, despite internal concerns that the technology mismanages its access to sensitive personal data. The company's Muse agent, known internally as Hatch, is the centrepiece of Mark Zuckerberg's plan to offer "personal superintelligence" to the billions of people who use Meta's services daily. The product will initially only be available in the US, via a dedicated Muse app or Meta's WhatsApp messaging service, Meta said in its announcement. OpenAI said after the Hugging Face hack that it was: "placing stricter requirements on alignment throughout a model's lifecycle and creating more isolated sandboxes, restricting internet access, and further controlling access to model weights." The company said that over the past several weeks, it had delayed parts of its latest model's development and release while it "strengthened and tested protections" and that, "based on that work, we believe Astra's safeguards sufficiently minimise the risk of severe harm".

The broadcaster said it had done a "comprehensive review" earlier in the year and found a need for a "change in how the organisation operates". It said its new structure would "greatly reduce non-programming spend" and reduce management layers, simplify decision-making and remove duplication. The changes come nearly two years after it axed 200 roles under Alex Mahon's leadership. Current Channel 4 chief executive Priya Dogra - who joined from Sky in March - said the broadcaster was a "precious asset which plays a unique role in the UK". "We need to secure and own our future so we can continue to make shows others won't, reach audiences others can't, and thrive as a distinctive and disruptive British voice for future generations," she said. Ms Dogra said Channel 4 needed a "fundamental transformation in how we work" to deliver programmes audiences want to watch and "deliver its future strategy". She added: "I know the proposals we are announcing today will be very difficult for many colleagues and will have a significant impact across the organisation. Many talented people who have made an enormous contribution to Channel 4 will be leaving as a result." The cuts equate to 28% of the company's workforce. Read more:Hundreds more UK flights cancelledBody found in search for missing teen Ms Dogra said the job losses had not been taken lightly but were needed "to create a simpler, more focused and more sustainable Channel 4". Channel 4's chair, Geoff Cooper, said it would mean a "more sustainable and resilient organisation" that could maximise investment in content. A formal consultation with staff over the cuts will take place and the broadcaster said more details on its future strategy would be shared in the coming months.

Sky News has learnt that the prime minister will host a "business and enterprise reception" at 10 Downing Street next Monday. Sources said it would be the most significant gathering of business leaders hosted by Mr Burnham since he replaced Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister in July. Sectors of the economy, notably banking, have expressed concern that John Healey, the new chancellor, will use his inaugural budget next month to hit them with windfall taxes - with executives and trade associations lining up to warn that such moves will ultimately damage the economy by driving business activity elsewhere. Mr Healey did little to dampen speculation about those tax-raising fears in a keynote speech about the economy on Monday. Some bosses have complained that there has been little proactive engagement to date from Mr Burnham and other cabinet ministers with their companies, although Whitehall sources insist that parliament's summer recess has played a part in this. An invitation to next Monday's reception - seen by Sky News - said: "Bringing together leading entrepreneurs, investors, CEOs and business leaders from across the UK, this event will provide an opportunity to discuss the government's growth agenda and the role of business in driving prosperity across the country". To date, Mr Burnham's principal private sector interventions have revolved around the fate of Thames Water and broader questions about public ownership of Britain's utilities. After his predecessor took the decision to take British Steel into full state ownership, at least temporarily, the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, insisted on Monday that he was not interested in running private companies after Jaguar Land Rover confirmed a report in The Sunday Times that it would axe 4,000 jobs over the next two years. Read more:Joey Barton to stay in custody ahead of assault trialSussexes will not be working royals after UK return A government spokesperson said: "The prime minister has pledged to give people and businesses the breathing space they need to thrive. "He has set out a vision for a more agile state, where decisions are taken closer to communities, employers and investors."We continue to engage regularly with businesses, employers and investors across the country as part of our commitment to work in partnership to deliver growth, create work opportunities for young people and ensure policy is shaped by those creating jobs and driving investment."

The landmark event will take place at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10. Dame Kelly Holmes, Gabby Logan, Campbell Hatton, Jill Scott and Dame Laura Kenny are among those joining the Prince of Wales at the launch of 'On Your Side'. The toolkit, developed by The Royal Foundation in partnership with the British Standards Institution and mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, aims to turn suicide prevention into everyday practice across the sporting sector. It will be available on Chasing the Stigma's Hub of Hope, the UK's largest mental health directory. To mark the launch, The Royal Foundation has also produced a short film encouraging people to have the confidence to start a conversation about suicide. The film features England captain Harry Kane, Formula 1 driver George Russell, two-weight world champion boxer Carl Frampton, GB international basketball player Kofi Josephs, Women's Rugby World Cup winner Rocky Clark, double world champion boxer, kickboxer and Muay Thai champion Ruqsana Begum and former elite jockey-turned-jockey coach George Baker. The Football Association, Premier League, British Cycling and Team GB are among the major sporting organisations committing to implement the toolkit. The FA, of which The Prince is patron, will commit to embedding the toolkit across its entire organisation, as well as its community and grassroots football network. The Premier League and British Cycling will announce their commitment to prioritising suicide prevention across their organisations, while Team GB will use the resource with all athletes and staff. More than a dozen other sports organisations have also signed up to become champions of the toolkit, committing to embedding practical, evidence-based suicide prevention techniques across their organisations. The guidance includes advice on creating safe and supportive environments where people feel able to speak up and support others in distress, including appropriate language and conversation starters. It also explains how to make suicide prevention part of everyday practice, educate people to spot warning signs and respond to someone in crisis, and put clear procedures in place for crisis situations and supporting people following a suicide. At the centre of the resource is a five-step framework called GOALS, designed to help individuals start a conversation about suicide. It stands for: Get readyOpen the conversationAsk the questionListen and respondSupport and signpost The toolkit is designed for use across all sporting environments, from local clubs and academies to elite organisations, regardless of size, structure or level. It is relevant to everyone involved in sport, including players, coaches, staff, volunteers, families and spectators. Research commissioned by The Royal Foundation found that the sports sector has the potential to be a powerful platform for suicide prevention, but is hampered by stigma - particularly among men and elite athletes - as well as gaps in skills, knowledge and resources. The findings also showed strong goodwill and pockets of effective practice across sport, but that the sector's scale and diversity mean activity is often siloed, inconsistent and unevenly resourced. At grassroots level, many clubs lack clear guidance on how to recognise risk and respond appropriately. During the event, representatives from across the sports ecosystem will also have the opportunity to share insights and reflections from their own organisations in a session hosted by Sue Gregory, CEO of Everton in the Community. The initiative builds on the National Suicide Prevention Network, launched in autumn 2025 with more than £1m of funding from The Royal Foundation over an initial three-year period. The network aims to deliver lasting change in how suicide is understood and prevented across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Prince and Princess of Wales and The Royal Foundation have made changing the conversation around mental health and suicide prevention a longstanding priority, with the aim of tackling stigma and helping people find the right support at the right time and in the right place.