Another election for NI? | NHS staff to vote on strike action | Hygiene poverty

Plus, the race to save the fastest-warming place on Earth

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By Nafeesa Shan

Election looms unless NI power-sharing executive restored by deadline     When voters went to the polls around the UK earlier this year and the results were announced, the winning candidates took up or continued in their positions, or stood down, as expected. But election results caused a political deadlock in Northern Ireland when the landscape changed. Sinn Féin won the most seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) came second. Sinn Féin was entitled to choose a first minister, and the DUP could nominate a deputy first minister. But the DUP has refused due to its position over the Northern Ireland Protocol. This means there is no joint office so the power-sharing executive - the governing body - can't function, and it has been like that for almost 24 weeks. But some of Northern Ireland's politicians want to talk about the cost-of-living crisis, thereby recalling Stormont Assembly in the process. The assembly will meet later as the 00:01 BST Friday deadline approaches to restore the power-sharing executive. It looks unlikely the DUP will support the election of a speaker, meaning the executive will not be restored. If the deadline is missed, under the law, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris must call an assembly election within 12 weeks. A political vacuum is looming in Northern Ireland and a pre-Christmas election, if called, will partly fill the void, but there is a risk it could make things worse, says our correspondent Mark Simpson. A decision on a poll could come quickly, perhaps even tomorrow. Read the full story here. Here's a Q&A on whether Northern Ireland is going back to the polls Find out where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stands on the Northern Ireland Protocol Read this if you want to know more about the trade agreement

NHS union ballots staff over strike action     NHS staff, including porters, nurses, paramedics and cleaners in the biggest health union are being asked to vote on whether they want to strike.  It's over a pay dispute, which has resulted in Unison asking 350,000 members to vote in favour of walking out. General secretary Christina McAnea claims health workers are leaving for jobs that pay better and don't take such a toll on them and their families. "Striking is the last thing dedicated health workers want to do," she said, as the government - which has given a pay rise in line with recommendations - urged staff to consider the impact of a walkout on patients. A ballot of Unison members in Scotland, which was already under way, has been suspended after a new offer. This latest ballot comes as rail and postal workers across the UK have been taking action in disputes including over pay.

Study investigates hygiene poverty      The struggles many of us are facing due to the cost-of-living crisis have been well documented. People have been sharing their stories and others have been offering ways to try to help. There have been various warnings, and a new report has revealed more about what is known as hygiene poverty. "By the time you're not switching on your heating or you're going to a food bank for food essentials, you've stopped buying essential hygiene products weeks before," says Ruth Brock, Hygiene Bank chief executive. The study found being unable to afford essential products like toothpaste, shampoo, soap and deodorant has left some people too ashamed to go to work. Read more here.

'I fell pregnant on a banned contraceptive pill'   When Susan Wamaitha started feeling sick a year ago, she thought it was the side effects of a contraceptive pill she had started taking a few months earlier - but it turned out that she was eight weeks pregnant. The 32 year old is now a mother of three children. Unbeknown to her, the pill that she began using in June 2021 was banned in Kenya. Its street name in Kenya is "Sofia" but it is manufactured in China and all the details about the product on the packaging are written in Chinese. A translation of the first line says it contains "Levonorgestrel Fast Tablets". The sale of the pill was prohibited by Kenya's authorities 10 years ago because of high levels of levonorgestrel - more than 40 times the recommended levels.           Read full article >         Evelyne Musambi BBC News, Nairobi

What the papers say     Rishi Sunak is back on this morning’s front pages, with the papers covering issues such as fracking, pensions and taxes. The new prime minister is ripping up his predecessor's growth plan, the i newspaper writes. This is echoed by the Guardian, which reports that Mr Sunak is banning fracking once again. Pensions are in the spotlight, it says, as he appeared to backtrack on the triple lock promise made days ago, the Daily Express reports. Mr Sunak is reconsidering tax rises, according to the Daily Telegraph, while the Times reveals he is preparing a radical set of reforms to education. Meanwhile, a thank you from Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Qatar World Cup, singer Harry Styles and so-called zombie pigeons also make the headlines.  Read the newspaper review in full here.

Daily digest         Ukraine Russian tactics on eastern front crazy, says Zelensky       Cabinet Sunak demotes Truss allies as reshuffle continues       Cancer 'Dark matter' find could change treatment       Science Nose-picking primates spark quest

If you watch one thing today The impact of Iran's uprising beyond its borders

If you listen to one thing today Farewell to the Ford Fiesta

If you read one thing today Racing to save the fastest-warming place on Earth

Need something different?     On 10 May 2000, a baby girl was born. There was a lot of excitement around Aastha Arora's arrival, with her birth making global headlines. She was India's "one billionth citizen" - joining China as the only other country with more than a billion people. So, what happened to Aastha after the fanfare went away? We've visited her to find out. Next, to a fanfare of a different kind - bagpipes. What wakes you up in the morning? Your alarm clock? How would you feel about a lone piper playing songs below your window for 15 minutes? It's a ritual which began with Queen Victoria 179 years ago, and now it's part of King Charles's routine. Take a look. And finally, on the subject of routines, pictures from the daily life of an elderly woman during lockdown have been hailed as prize winners. They show her hanging out her washing. Here they are, along with an explanation about why they were chosen as winning images.

On this day     1950 The British intelligence service is searching for missing atomic scientist Bruno Pontecorvo who disappeared weeks ago.

From elsewhere       Delaying the fiscal statement is a wise move (The Spectator)         Energy bills are soaring in Europe. This is what countries are doing to help you pay them (Euronews)             Check your 'privilege': Unpacking the real meaning of the most overused word in politics (The Guardian)       'We've got zombie finger beef kebabs': How British supermarkets became Halloween-mad (independent)

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