Wednesday evening news briefing: PM vows to beat 'enemies of enterprise'

Good evening. In her Tory conference speech today, Liz Truss vowed to defeat the "enemies of enterprise". Our writers – and readers – deliver their verdicts. But first, some dramatic developments in Ukraine.

Evening briefing: Today's essential headlines

Russian retreat | Ukrainian troops have started liberating eastern Luhansk, as Vladimir Putin for the first time publicly acknowledged military setbacks in the annexed territories. Footage shared online appeared to show Kyiv's forces raising a Ukrainian flag in the village of Hrekivka. Follow the latest in our live blog, as Kyiv's forces also gain ground in the Donetsk region and on the southern front. In his report from Kherson, senior foreign correspondent Roland Oliphant says that Volodymyr Zelensky's forces are now within striking distance of a key Russian supply road. And The Telegraph has been told that a Russian soldier was shot in the back by his comrades after trying to surrender.

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• Pictured | Harvey Weinstein appears dishevelled before rape case

• Tribunal | Royal Navy engineer denies assault as 'he is demisexual'

• Fatal stabbing | Victim, 14, was footballer with 'whole life ahead'

• World Cup | Prince William and Southgate talk 'mental preparations'

The big story: PM vows to beat 'enemies of enterprise'

After a disastrous three days, Liz Truss did at least ensure the Tory party conference ended on a high.

The Prime Minister named and shamed "enemies of enterprise" as she doubled down on her gung-ho drive for economic growth, declaring: "We have no alternative".

Delivering her first speech to the Tory conference as leader, she waved away critics of her tax-cutting agenda, instead directly connecting the push to people's lives. Political editor Ben Riley-Smith has our full report.

By unleashing her anger at what she called the "anti-growth coalition", Ms Truss fired up her audience with the sort of deep-rooted passion that has been lacking in her public appearances so far.

After she calmly dealt with a Greenpeace protest designed to wreck her speech, the conference hall was geed up with cheers and shouts of: "Go on Liz!" Associate editor Gordon Rayner describes the speech as being by a leader who showed she has plenty of fire in her belly.

And sketchwriter Madeline Grant says it brought some much needed goodwill to the Tory conference.

Many Tory MPs who were preparing to bury Ms Truss rather than to praise her will surely have cause to think again now.

That is according to Patrick O'Flynn, who explains why he thinks she overshot expectations for her speech markedly – sounding authoritative, setting out a sensible argument and even dropping a decent ad-lib into her rhetorical repertoire.

But Ross Clark is not so sure, arguing that she is accumulating too many enemies. Your fellow Telegraph readers deliver their verdicts here. You can have your say in the comments.

Rees-Mogg in benefits revolt

After days of party disquiet over the planned – and subsequently reversed – cut to the 45p rate of tax, welfare costs look to be the next Tory battleground.

As Cabinet disquiet grows over the PM's plan to rein in spending, Jacob Rees-Mogg backs increasing benefits in line with inflation.

Downing St is exploring whether to increase Universal Credit by the same amount as average wage growth, rather than by inflation as is usual.

Political correspondent Nick Gutteridge understands the Business Secretary has argued that uprating handouts to reflect rising prices is the only political reality amid a cost-of-living crisis.

He joins a growing list of Ms Truss's top team who are publicly and privately lobbying for a change of direction given the anger over the mini-Budget.

In her analysis, associate editor Camilla Tominey says Ms Truss's refusal to keep friends close and enemies closer appears to have backfired.

M People 'livid' over song

The Prime Minister beamed from ear to ear as she walked onto the conference stage to the chorus of Moving On Up, by M People.

But the song's writer has objected to it being used as a "soundtrack to lies". Mike Pickering, the group's founder, said he was angry that the party had not asked for permission to use the track, which was a chart hit in 1993, and that the band are "livid".

As Anita Singh reports, some observers pointed out that the lyrics were not a brilliant advert for Ms Truss's leadership…

Comment and analysis

• Nigel Farage | Truss's speech was great – but it's come too late

• Andrew Lilico | Give Truss time to take on Anti-Growth Coalition

• Jeremy Warner | Gilt crisis the first tremor of financial earthquake

• Ed West | It is the job of politicians to champion unpopular ideas

• Eleanor Mills | Sorry folks, 'banter' is just a veil for verbal bullying

Around the world: Climber is 'luckiest man on planet'

A British climber has recounted how he was convinced he was going to freeze to death after falling down a crevasse and spending a night on a glacier while trying to reach the summit of Mont Blanc. Feda Hussein had resigned himself to a lonely death on the side of the mountain after spending more than 12 hours stranded amid driving snow and strong winds at an altitude of more than 3,100m (10,000ft). "I was very close to being dead,” he told Italy correspondent Nick Squires from his hospital bed in the town of Aosta in northern Italy, adding: "One of the mountain rescue guys told me today: 'you are the luckiest man on the planet'."

Wednesday interview: 'Reading aloud to children will turn them into more successful adults'

On the eve of National Poetry Day, new Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho talks to Claire Allfree about the importance of verse. Read the interview

Sport briefing: LIV golfers can earn ranking points

In a sensational move, LIV Golf is expecting its event in Bangkok this week to deliver world rankings points for the first time and so allow its players a pathway to qualify for the majors. Greg Norman's enterprise believes that a "strategic alliance" it has formed will give the Saudi-funded circuit access to the ranking points which it has craved since its inaugural event. Meanwhile, Conor Benn has failed a drugs test but intends to proceed with this Saturday's fight with Chris Eubank Jnr.

Editor's choice

1. Harassment | 'I was a victim of sexual violence – here's what I did next'

2. Food | 'Savoury panettone? It's time to stop the culinary reinventions'

3. Fashion | From Beckham to Chanel, why the magic still happens in Paris

Business briefing: Kwarteng summons bank bosses

Bosses at some of Britain's biggest high street banks have been hauled in for a summit with Kwasi Kwarteng amid concerns over a crisis in the mortgage market. The Treasury has convened a meeting tomorrow at which the Chancellor is set to grill lenders over their plans. It comes as mortgage rates have surpassed 6pc for the first time in 14 years as soaring interest rate expectations cripple the housing market. See a chart showing the average (growing) rate on a two-year fixed mortgage.

Tonight starts now

Bond's birthday | Today is a landmark for James Bond – the 60th anniversary of the premiere of the character's cinematic debut, Dr No, starring Sir Sean Connery. With Daniel Craig's version of 007 out of the picture, thoughts have turned to the next actor. Producer Barbara Broccoli has ruled out Idris Elba and Emily Blunt on account of age and gender, but a few rising stars could tick all her boxes. Chief film critic Robbie Collin looks at four likely candidates. If tonight feels like a good time to settle down to an old Bond film, which is best? In this ultimate ranking, our experts rate the best for villains, gadgets, cars and more.

Three things for you

• Watch | Ralph & Katie, BBC One, 9pm – spin-off from The A-Word

• 4-star review | Anita Singh on Paxman: Putting Up with Parkinson's

• Listen | Ukraine: The Latest – analysis as Russia retreats in Kherson

And finally... for this evening's downtime

Trip down memory lane | Sarah Rodrigues was a self-confessed hedonistic party girl in New York, inspired by the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. After a 25-year absence, she revisited the city in midlife to see how it – and she – has changed.