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Corbyn outlines plan to be caretaker PM and stop no-deal Brexit

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he would lead a government as caretaker prime minister if a no confidence vote in Boris Johnson to stop a no-deal Brexit was successful. He has called on opposition leaders to back his plan to be the PM of a "time-limited" administration in which he would delay Brexit, call a snap election and campaign for a further referendum on EU membership.

But Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson rejected the idea, saying Mr Corbyn was not the person to "build an even temporary majority in the House of Commons for this task". No 10 criticised the Labour leader's plan, saying the government would respect the result of the 2016 referendum.

You can find out more about how a vote of no confidence works by clicking here, as well as our latest analysis on whether MPs have the power to stop a no-deal Brexit.

'No foul play' in Nora Quoirin death

Malaysian police say there is no suspicion of foul play over the death of the 15-year-old London girl Nora Quoirin. Her body was found in the Malaysian jungle after disappearing during a family holiday on 4 August. She had starved, a post-mortem revealed. Her body was discovered beside a stream about 1.6 miles (2.5km) from the jungle resort of Dusun on Tuesday.

A-level results awaited after grade boundary leak

An anxious morning is expected for many teenagers (and their parents) as this year's A-level exam results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are published. More than 300,000 18-year-olds are set to find out how they did in exams held earlier this summer, and how that may affect any offers of a university place. We should know how this year's candidates fared at 09:30 this morning. Students have also been told not to worry after the marks for each grade boundary were leaked online. These revealed an A-grade in maths required a pass rate of just over half marks.

You might have lots of questions about the A-level results: we try to answer them here. And BBC apprentice Paige Neal-Holder - who got her grades last year - has tips for getting through the day.

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UK 'must accept US food standards'

The head of the US farming lobby has said that British concerns over food safety standards are not "science-based". Speaking to the BBC, Zippy Duvall - a poultry farmer who heads the American Farm Bureau - said fears over genetically modified food and chlorine-washed chicken would have to be put aside if the UK wanted a trade deal with the US. Mr Duvall's comments come after the US National Security Adviser, John Bolton, said Washington would consider sector-by-sector agreements with the UK, but agriculture would not be one of the first.

Germany steels itself to face recession threat

By Rob Young, business reporter

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, could be heading for a recession. Data from the German statistics office on Wednesday showed the economy shrank by 0.1% between April and June.

That takes the annual growth rate down to 0.4%. Germany narrowly avoided a recession last year. But this time, there are predictions the economy will continue to contract for another three-month period. The main driver of the economic weakness appears to be rising global trade tensions.

Read the full story from Rob here.

What the papers say

Jeremy Corbyn's appeal to opposition party leaders and Conservative rebels to back his plan to be a caretaker prime minister and block a no-deal Brexit leads several of Thursday's papers. Elsewhere, the Times leads with claims police call-handlers are misleading victims of fraud into thinking their cases will be investigated, when most never are. The Sun says "eco-warrior" the Duke of Sussex has been criticised for using a private jet to go on holiday. Get more from the front and inside pages of the papers in our full review.

Daily Digest

Barbados Briton dies after being set on fire

Lib Dems Ex-Tory Sarah Wollaston defects to party

Teeth Dentists urge sugar-free schools

Takeaway Chicken boxes warn of knife crime

If you see one thing today

Meet the YouTube astrophysicist

If you listen to one thing today

The two sides of Silver Street

If you read one thing today

The search for a secret dinosaur hoard

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Lookahead

09:30 The Office for National Statistics releases retail sales figures for July.

09:30 Jo Swinson will give her first keynote speech since becoming Liberal Democrat leader.

On this day

1945 Allied nations across the globe celebrate Victory in Japan day which marks the end of World War 2.

From elsewhere

Gay Penguins, and Their Hope for a Baby, Have Enchanted Berlin (New York Times)

‘Stupid’ videos make a laughing stock out of air safety (The Times)

The 12,000-calorie burger: why one pub is offering a meat feast – and cash towards your gravestone (The Guardian)

Eating more gluten early in life is tied to children's higher risk of celiac disease, a study says (CNN)