Virgin Australia says proposed sale would increase competition with Qantas but consumer watchdog will need to scrutinise deal

Resolution Foundation research shows 7.7m households likely to struggle to heat homes this winterKeir Starmer has been urged to intervene to help households tackle rising gas and electricity bills this winter, as average energy bills rise by 149 a year from Tuesday.The Resolution Foundation thinktank said the prime minister must do more to support vulnerable households" no longer eligible for winter fuel payments - as well as those who were never eligible - after its research found 7.7 million households were likely to struggle to heat their homes this winter. Continue reading...

Overall shop price deflation was 0.6% in September compared with 0.3% in August, says trade bodyPrices in UK shops are falling at the fastest rate since 2021 despite an increase in fresh food inflation as wet weather hit UK production while the cost of olive oil and sugary snacks continues to be affected by the climate crisis.Overall shop price deflation was 0.6% in September compared with 0.3% in August, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) trade body. Continue reading...

Travellers finally board Villa Vie Odyssey for three-and-a-half-year global circumnavigationMore than 100 passengers are due to finally leave Belfast on Monday on a three-year round-the-world perpetual" cruise after being marooned unexpectedly in the city for four months.They were supposed to have set sail from the legendary Harland and Wolff dockyards in Belfast, best known as the home of the Titanic, on 30 May. Continue reading...

Defence and security will amount to 40% of government spending as Vladimir Putin continues war against UkraineRussia is set to increase its spending on defence by 25% in 2025, the highest since the cold war, as Vladimir Putin vows to continue his war efforts in Ukraine and further escalate his standoff with the west.The latest planned increase in spending will take Russia's defence budget to a record 13.5tn rubles (109bn) in 2025, according to draft budget documents published on Monday on the parliament's website. That is about 3tn rubles more than was set aside for defence this year, which was the previous record. Continue reading...

On Cast Away, the former presenter says he was let go due to the bad press generated by his sibling's child sex offencesPhillip Schofield has blamed his brother for his departure from ITV, saying he was fired for someone else's crime".In the final episode of Channel 5's Phillip Schofield: Cast Away, the 62-year-old former This Morning presenter said he had always been open and honest with everyone at work about what was happening" with his 54-year-old brother, Timothy, who was convicted in April 2023 of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child. Continue reading...

The Tory leadership candidate made the claim in a campaign video calling for the UK to leave the European convention on human rightsRobert Jenrick is facing condemnation for claiming that UK special forces are killing rather than capturing" terrorists because of fears that European laws would free any detained assailants.In a campaign video launched on X, the Conservative leadership candidate made the statement while listing reasons for leaving the European convention on human rights. Continue reading...

Exclusive: London mayor boosts counter-hate funding as British Jewish group warns of danger of reprisal' attacksSadiq Khan has warned of a potential increase in hate crime in Britain triggered by the rise in Middle East violence, as a leading British Jewish group warned of the danger of reprisal" attacks here.The London mayor's warning comes after a series of Israeli airstrikes against targets in Lebanon, which have killed Hezbollah's top leaders as well as its followers, with scores of civilians feared killed also. Khan is pumping extra emergency funding into groups in London countering hate. Continue reading...

NEU snap poll shows 95% of members voting for 5.5% pay rise, ending months of industrial actionTeachers in England have voted overwhelmingly to accept a 5.5% pay rise, but warned the government without that further corrections" pay would remain uncompetitive and teacher shortages would persist.Of those members who responded to the National Education Union's snap poll, 95% voted to accept the 2024-25 offer, which will see schools receive an additional 1.2bn to cover the pay rise. Continue reading...

Ex-Ofcom boss Sharon White and Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins could be among names in frame for key roleSimon Case has resigned as cabinet secretary and is due to leave at the end of the year. His departure kicks off a race to be his successor, with a job advert already circulated to attract a wide pool of applicants. To date the job of cabinet secretary has only ever been held by white men. Continue reading...

Jay, from Frizington, west Cumbria, died after suffering serious head injuries on land near village of WarcopAn eight-year-old boy who died in a shooting in Cumbria has been named as Jay Cartmell.The boy sustained serious head injuries in the incident, which happened on land near the A66, north of Warcop, at about 2.50pm on Saturday. Continue reading...

Victoria Villarruel breaks ranks to claim confidence-building deal signed with UK offers only crumbs'Argentina's vice-president has lambasted a new UK-Argentina Falkland Islands agreement, saying her nation had been offered crumbs".The pact, announced last week, includes resuming flights to the islands, restarting negotiations on a humanitarian project plan, and organising a trip for relatives of fallen soldiers of the Falklands war to visit their graves. Continue reading...

UK ranked eighth among countries with highest prevalence, with Germany, Portugal and Luxembourg topping studyThe number of children and young people experiencing acne is increasing worldwide, according to a study that shows rates in the UK are among the highest globally.Acne rates among adolescents and young adults have risen in nearly all countries since the 1990s, researchers found. The increase could be linked to lifestyle factors including diet, stress and obesity, wider exposure to air pollution, or more people coming forward for help, the team concluded. Continue reading...

Caretaker PM trying to fill the gaps' amid mass displacement of people from their homes

June Mills lost control of her Vauxhall Corsa, killing 76-year-old Brenda Joyce and injuring Jennifer Ensor, 80A 96-year-old woman who was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving after killing a pedestrian when her car mounted the pavement has been given a suspended sentence.June Mills, who used a wheelchair to appear at Liverpool crown court, was also disqualified from driving for five years. Continue reading...

Troubled firm has until 7 October to agree to extension, according to holding company accounts

Attack, the first by Israel on centre of Lebanese capital since 2006, targeted senior figures in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

French far-right leader and 24 others from National Rally party allegedly embezzled European parliament fundsThe French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has gone on trial on charges of embezzling money from the European parliament, in a high-profile case that could endanger her presidential ambitions.We have not broken any rules," the three-time presidential candidate of the far-right National Rally (RN) said before the start of the hearings in Paris, adding that she was in a very calm" mood. Continue reading...

Whispers at party conference suggest a surprise candidate could join Robert Jenrick in leadership race's final two

Truss blames Tory MPs, Bank of England and OBR for dire reaction to her mini-budget - and refuses to back any leadership contender

Phillips, who the court of final appeal said was stepping down for personal reasons', is the fifth overseas judge to leave Hong Kong this yearThe British judge Nicholas Phillips has stepped down from Hong Kong's top appeals court, the fourth overseas judge to leave the city's judiciary this year.Phillips, 86, is leaving Hong Kong's court of final appeal (CFA) after 22 years for personal reasons" after his fourth term ended on Monday and he said he did not wish to extend it, the court said. Continue reading...

Leading figures Luca Lucci and Renato Bosetti among those detained, with most accused of having mafia linksPolice in Milan arrested 19 people on Monday as part of an operation against hardcore ultra" football fans, most of whom were accused of having links to the mafia.Among those arrested were Luca Lucci and Renato Bosetti, leaders of the AC Milan and Inter Milan ultras respectively. Continue reading...

Corporation upholds some, but not all' of Abbington's complaints about her dance partner, Giovanni PerniceThe BBC has apologised to former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amanda Abbington, saying it had assessed and upheld some, but not all, of the complaints made".In a statement, the broadcaster said: The BBC has now concluded its review into the complaints made by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni Pernice. We take any allegations of bullying and harassment very seriously and this review has taken time due to its complex nature and our desire to ensure a rigorous and robust process was undertaken. Continue reading...

Decision comes after UK real estate portal turned down fourth offer from Australian property company

Sports Direct owner looks to up 37% stake to 100% amid concerns for future of cash-strapped fashion firmMike Ashley's Frasers Group has filed a possible 83m offer to buy the luxury brand Mulberry as it expressed concerns about the future of the British handbag maker.Frasers - the owner of Sports Direct, Evans Cycles, the House of Fraser department store, luxury streetwear chain Flannels and multiple brands from Slazenger to Jack Wills - already owns a 37% stake. Continue reading...

Dutch and Hungarian politicians among those hailing result for pro-Kremlin, anti-Islam FPOGerman Green MEP Daniel Freund reacted to the Austrian election's outcome with an emoji.Here's an interesting graph of where the far-right's votes came from. Continue reading...

Albanese government names envoy three months after appointing special envoy to combat rising levels of hatred against Jewish community

Men who attended planned concert alone tell how they were searched and asked condescending questions' by securityA venue in Lincoln has apologised for the treatment of some male attendees at a planned concert by the Last Dinner Party - which the band ultimately cancelled shortly before show time due to illness.On X, one man wrote that on arriving at the Engine Shed, he was funnelled into a dark corner with other men, told I might be a pervert cus I'm alone and then taken into a room alone with a security guard where I was interrogated and searched. Feel sick." In subsequent comments, he said he had been asked what his favourite song by the British group was. Continue reading...

Federal government warns against importing radical ideologies of conflict' and threatens to cancel visa of anyone inciting discord'

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Former chancellor's solicitor accused of breaching code of conduct by threatening legal action against tax campaignerNadhim Zahawi instructed his lawyer to threaten legal action against a tax campaigner who helped reveal that the then chancellor was under investigation by HM Revenue and Customs, according to a tribunal document.Zahawi's solicitor, Ashley Hurst, is accused of breaching his regulator's code of conduct by attempting to prevent Dan Neidle from publishing correspondence threatening legal action over the tax expert's revelations about the then Tory leadership candidate. Continue reading...

Thousands, many born after the 1989 murders, have sprung to defence of Lyle and Erik Menendez since broadcast of MonstersIt was a crime that shocked and captivated a nation.On the night of 20 August 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez, then 21 and 18, stormed into their Beverly Hills mansion, shot their father, Jose, five times at point-blank range in the back of his head, and their mother, Kitty, nine times, including in the face as she tried to crawl away. In a frantic 911 emergency call, they then claimed that somebody had killed their parents. Continue reading...

New figures show nearly 80% of businesses in some parts of England have been denied supportMinisters are being urged to overhaul the nightmare" compensation scheme for flood victims after it emerged that nearly 80% of businesses in some parts of England had been denied support.After heavy downpours caused chaos across much of England and Wales this week, new figures laid bare the opaque" and inconsistent level of help available to those whose properties lay in ruin. Continue reading...

Evidence of Sky News regular's intervention comes after defamation trial against John Pesutto told of Peta Credlin's advice to MP

Rural fire service has already responded to more than 1,600 bush and grass fires across the state since the start of July

Closure to make way for greener electric arc furnace deals heavy blow to local people and ends ability to make virgin steel'The steel town of Port Talbot is braced for the shutdown of the final furnace at its plant on Monday which will result in heavy job losses and deal a devastating blow to communities in south Wales.Tata Steel has begun the process of winding down operations at blast furnace 4 at Port Talbot and engineers have already started altering the raw materials poured into the top of the furnace to prepare for decommissioning. Blast furnace 5 was closed in July. Continue reading...

One woman says an invented claim for 5,000 that was sent to HMRC without her knowledge bore someone else's signatureHMRC has been accused of facilitating fraud by paying fictitious tax rebate claims submitted in the name of unwitting taxpayers by third-party agents.Taxpayers can apply for a rebate if they have paid too much tax. They can choose to appoint an agent to do this on their behalf, but some firms are harvesting details of individuals to make bogus claims. Continue reading...

Party wins 28.8% of votes ahead of centre-right People's party's 26.3%, according to near-complete countThe far right won the most votes in an Austrian election for the first time since the Nazi era on Sunday, as the Freedom party (FPO) rode a tide of public anger over migration and the cost of living to beat the centre-right People's party (OVP).The pro-Kremlin, anti-Islam FPO won 29.2% of votes, beating the ruling OVP of the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, into second place on 26.5%, according to near-complete results. Continue reading...

The 67-year-old will seek an early public mandate after seeing off a rightwing challenge to become the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic partyJapan's incoming prime minister Shigeru Ishiba is poised to call a snap election for the end of the month, according to media reports, days after he promised to lift his party's dwindling fortunes and put a smile" back on the faces of the public.Ishiba, a moderate who saw off a rightwing challenge on Friday to become the new leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP), will be approved as prime minister in parliament on Tuesday and appoint his cabinet later the same day. Continue reading...

Terence Darrell Kelly, who pleaded guilty to 2021 kidnapping, will be eligible for parole after serving 11 years and six months

The NSW government has promised free buses as far as Sydenham, but the shutdown of the T3 Bankstown line still means major change for local residents

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Higher interest rates puts further pressure on property market, with overall transactions at lowest level in a decadeThe number of UK estate agents declaring insolvency has jumped by almost a third with nearly 300 businesses going bust in the last year.The figures underline the gloom around Britain's property market, with the fewest home sales recorded for more than a decade hitting estate agent income. Continue reading...

Assault on Iran-backed proxies expands with attacks on fuel facilities and power plants in Hodeidah and Ras IssaIsrael launched a wave of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday while continuing to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon, where the Lebanese health ministry said 105 people had been killed and another 359 injured. The fresh assaults on Iran-backed proxies across the Middle East risk accelerating a slide towards a devastating regional conflict on multiple fronts.The attack on the port of Hodeidah in Yemen involved dozens of Israeli planes and appears to have targeted fuel facilities, power plants and docks at the Ras Issa and Hodeidah ports. It one of the biggest such operations yet seen in the near year-long crisis in the region. Houthi media reports said the strikes had killed four people and wounded 33. Residents said the strikes caused power cuts in most parts of Hodeidah. Israeli military officials said the raid targeted the Houthis, an armed Iranian-backed group that controls most of Yemen. They have fired at Israeli targets for months in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. They have also targeted international shipping in the Red Sea. On Saturday, they launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel's main international airport when Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, was arriving. Continue reading...

Police continuing inquiries after man in his 60s was held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughterA man arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after an eight-year-old boy was shot dead at a farm has been bailed.Police said they were called to the remote farm in the village of Warcop shortly before 3pm on Saturday. A firearm was secured at the scene by police and the child was taken to hospital by air ambulance, having suffered a gunshot wound to his head and face. Continue reading...

Veteran character actor's career spanned over 50 years in TV and films, including Little Big League and Midnight RunJohn Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop films, has died. He was 76.Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his family announced in a statement released by Ashton's manager, Alan Somers, on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately available. Continue reading...

Warwickshire police appeal for help to find Akashdeep Singh, who they believe left scene near BanburyPolice are searching for a man in connection with a fatal six-vehicle motorway collision.Warwickshire police believe Akashdeep Singh, 23, may have information about the incident on the M40 which involved five cars and a Peugeot boxer van. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Former Australian PM witnessed shocking act of perjury' and says MI5 are still trying to hide somethingThe former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused the UK government of hypocrisy and concealment over the way it continues to block the release of secret files about the Spycatcher affair.Before entering politics, Turnbull was a barrister for Peter Wright, a retired senior MI5 intelligence officer who revealed a series of illegal activities by the British security services in his memoir Spycatcher. Continue reading...

Far-right FPO could become strongest force in the country for first time in postwar periodHere's the projected seat distribution, from ORF:Far-right MEP Harald Vilimsky has thanked voters. Continue reading...

With the leadership contenders vying to out-crazy each other, it was Boris - well it would be, wouldn't it - who outdid them allSee it from the point of view of the Fearless Four. You've already seen off the mighty challenge of Priti Patel and Mel Stride, latter-day Tory titans both, so now you're through to the Birmingham eliminator.You've disappeared through the wormhole into the mephitic swamp where any intelligent life comes to die. Where only the clinically deranged and terminally deluded are to be found. Where the sanest voice is Michael Fabricant's rug pleading with its owner to be allowed to go home. Welcome to the Tory party conference. Continue reading...