Energy firms are battling for their futures as high global demand for gas has caused wholesale prices to surge - and the government is considering stepping in to help with emergency loans. Supply problems stem from economies around the world waking up after coronavirus lockdowns, according to Prime Minster Boris Johnson, who says it’s "like everybody going back to put the kettle on at the end of the TV programme". Customers need energy and energy firms need customers but the situation is making price promises unachievable for smaller suppliers, leaving them facing ruin. Several of them are already trying to stay afloat, with the UK's sixth largest energy company Bulb seeking a bailout.
So now the government is looking at offering emergency state-backed loans to encourage companies to take on customers, which is currently unattractive because of the high prices. Some of the largest energy firms say the energy price cap - backed by Labour and Conservative politicians - played a part in bringing about this crisis. "You can legislate to protect the consumer - but that can bankrupt the supplier," one source says. Mr Johnson, who is "very confident" in the UK's supply chains, says: "We've got to try and fix it as fast as we can, make sure that we have the supplies that we want, make sure that we don't allow the companies we rely on to go under." There's a meeting about the crisis later, which Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng’s chairing, but as customers, you don’t need to worry about whether your energy will stop if the company you’re with goes bust. Regulator Ofgem will move your account to another supplier and they’ll get in touch to explain everything, according to Citizens Advice.

The fallout continues after the UK, US and Australia joined forces to create a new security pact, amid worries about China's growing presence in the South China Sea. The deal, which sees the three countries share advanced defence technologies, and gives Australia the means to build nuclear-powered submarines for the first time, has now led to talks between the UK and France being cancelled. France lost a $37bn (£27bn) defence contract with Australia after the Aukus pact was agreed, leaving the country furious. France says it is a "stab in the back" and now the country's defence minister Florence Parly has called off this week’s meeting with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in London. That's despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying there was nothing to worry about from the deal.

It's advised to take folic acid if you’re planning to have a baby and during the first three months of pregnancy, but that doesn’t always happen. About half of pregnancies are unplanned and women are not always aware they should take the supplement - or forget to. It's important because it helps to prevent spinal birth defects in unborn babies, of which there are about 200 a year. Now after being first mooted in 2019, folic acid - a B vitamin - is going to be added to flour in the UK. Adding folic acid to flour used in common foods, such as bread, will mean dosing the masses, says our health editor Michelle Roberts. But she says the government's independent advisory body is satisfied that fortification is the right thing to do for society as a whole.

A multibillion-pound emergency support package is being sought by the UK's largest energy suppliers "to weather (the) gas crisis", says the Financial Times. According to the paper energy groups are requesting government support which includes a "bad bank" to absorb potentially unprofitable customers from failing rivals. The Times, which is also among the papers reporting this story, says taxpayers face the bill for "propping up energy firms" to help energy companies cope. Meanwhile, the Metro asks: "Crisis? Watt crisis?" It comes after a cabinet minister insisted there's no need to panic about the situation. The paper, like many of the others this morning, carries a picture of former England footballer Jimmy Greaves, who died aged 81. The Daily Mirror says "goodbye Greavsie", describing him as "a true legend". Read the newspaper paper review in full here.

They’re homeless, hungry but hopeful they will make their names as dancers. Meet the Street Family Dance Crew from Nairobi who have spent years finding ways to survive. They’ve struggled with street life and the pandemic but the crew has been invited to create a dance video for famous Kenyan rapper Collo. Find out more about their quest.
Now to an island off the coast of Africa which farms something that’s found in your toothpaste, ice-cream and cosmetics. Do you know what it is? It’s seaweed and these farmers in Zanzibar are learning new ways to grow it - in deeper waters. But 70% of seaweed farmers can’t swim. Take a look at what they're doing to help keep their farms afloat.
And finally, it’s not just seaweed farmers making waves. Four amateur astronauts who spent three days in space have landed back on Earth with a splash. If you missed it, you can see their capsule creating a splash in the Atlantic Ocean.

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