Thursday briefing: The Kherson dam disaster has left thousands of Ukrainians adrift – and that’s just the start

In today’s newsletter: After months of shelling, now thousands have been flooded – a Guardian reporter tells the story on the ground

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Good morning. Two days after the destruction of Ukraine’s Nova Kakhovka dam led to widespread flooding, it’s clear that we are only beginning to appreciate the impact of what happened – and what it could mean for the environment, local agriculture and the course of the war.

At the heart of this story, however, are the people who live downstream on the Dnipro river, who have already endured months on the frontline and now find themselves living through a personal and environmental calamity.

UK news | Boris and Carrie Johnson hosted a close friend overnight at Chequers when a number of Covid restrictions were in place, the Guardian has been told. Johnson’s spokesperson said the stay was “entirely lawful” and sources close to him said Maloney was allowed to be there for childcare reasons at a time when Carrie Johnson was pregnant.

Immigration | A Guardian investigation has found that the Home Office has provided more than £3m in funding to Turkish border forces in the last year to prevent migrants reaching the UK. The Home Office has also supplied Turkish border forces, including the national police and the coastguard, with equipment and training.

Environment | The United Arab Emirates’s state oil company has been able to read emails to and from the Cop28 climate summit office, the Guardian revealed. The UAE is hosting the climate summit in November and its president, Sultan Al Jaber, is also chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. The revelations have been called “explosive” and a “scandal” by lawmakers.

Politics | Woking council, the most heavily indebted local authority in England, has declared it is effectively bankrupt after a risky investment spree involving hotels and skyscrapers by its former Conservative administration left it facing a £1.2bn deficit.

Media | The Daily and Sunday Telegraph are to be put up for sale after the Barclay family lost control of their crown jewel media assets in a bitter row with the newspaper group’s lender. Potential buyers include DMGT – the owner of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, MailOnline, Metro and the i.