Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves says recent events show Labour is now party of economic competence

In past 12 weeks 1.5m extra customers visited discount supermarket’s stores in BritainAldi has revealed a steep drop in UK profits but said that customers are switching to the discount supermarket chain “in their droves” from higher-cost rivals as the cost of living crisis bites and shoppers look for lower prices.The German-owned retailer said that 1.5 million extra customers had visited its UK stores over the past 12 weeks, even as it revealed annual pre-tax profits for 2021 slumped to £36m, compared with £265m in 2020 – an 86% decline. Continue reading...

Two centres in England could detain 1,000 male asylum seekers in move linked to Rwanda schemeThe Home Office plans to open two immigration detention centres to detain 1,000 male asylum seekers in a scheme which is projected to cost £399m.The home secretary, Suella Braverman, has indicated she will take an even harder line on immigration than her predecessor, Priti Patel, and plans to increase the use of detention. Continue reading...

Catholic cleric and fellow activists were arrested for ‘colluding with foreign forces’ under Beijing-imposed national security lawA 90-year-old Catholic cardinal and five prominent pro-democracy campaigners have pleaded not guilty in court in Hong Kong for failing to properly register a humanitarian fund they set up to help people arrested in anti-government protests in 2019.Cardinal Joseph Zen, one of Asia’s highest-ranking Catholic clerics, and his fellow campaigners were arrested in May for “colluding with foreign forces” under a national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong to crack down on dissent. All were trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which provided legal and financial assistance to more than 2,000 people prosecuted for their part in the 2019 pro-democracy protests. The fund is charged with not properly registering under the societies ordinance, a colonial-era law from 1911.

Operation on farm near Madrid resembled clandestine outdoor labs found in jungles of South America, police saidSpanish police have arrested 12 people after raiding a cocaine laboratory near Madrid that operated like the clandestine outdoor labs found in the jungles of South America and which had the capacity to produce 120kg of the drug each week.The lab, the first of its kind discovered in Spain, was stormed by officers from the Policía Nacional’s special operation group, who found five “cooks” at work when they burst in. Continue reading...

Presenter wrongly suggested people marching over police shooting were heading to palace to mourn the QueenSky News is being investigated by the media regulator after it wrongly suggested that a protest march over the police shooting of Chris Kaba was a crowd of people mourning Queen Elizabeth II.Thousands of people protested in central London on 10 September, five days after a Met firearms officer shot Kaba, 24, who was unarmed, after a chase in south London. Those demonstrating included the Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy and the musician Stormzy. Continue reading...

Russian businessman confirms deployment to countries in Latin America and Africa in first public confirmation of link

Lawyers’ claims of unfair procedures show misunderstanding of parliamentary process, says committee

Marine Le Pen and members of Hungarian and Spanish parties among those welcoming poll results

Authorities say gunman killed himself after attack in Izhevsk in Udmurtia regionA gunman has killed 13 people including seven children and wounded another 21 at a school in Russia, before killing himself.The motive for the shooting in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia region about 600 miles east of Moscow, was unclear. Continue reading...

Bazzi will not face prospect of high court overturning earlier win and Dutton will not pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs

With many catchments soaked and more rain on the way, authorities say waterways are ‘sensitive to any future rainfall’

Tropical systems often strengthen in warmer areas of Atlantic, but can also intensify elsewhere in certain conditionsLate last week, Canada’s Atlantic coast was impacted by Hurricane Fiona, with maximum sustained winds in the region of 90mph (145km/h). Hurricanes rarely maintain such an intensity that far north. Why? Hurricanes are fuelled by high sea surface temperatures (SSTs), and ideally high sea temperatures over a large depth. As you move away from the tropics, SSTs typically reduce.But hurricanes are not confined to the warmer areas of the Atlantic, such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Tropical systems often strengthen in these regions, but can sometimes sustain or even strengthen elsewhere given favourable conditions. Ocean currents can transport warmer water poleward which can produce regions at higher latitudes that have higher SSTs than their surroundings. Tropical systems that track northwards over warmer seas can maintain intensity or even strengthen, such as happened with Hurricane Fiona. Continue reading...

NT assistant commissioner says it was ‘wholly inappropriate’ for specialist police to carry assault weapons in remote Yuendumu community

Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil says company to blame and flags new laws with large fines for such breaches

The three-time Paralympic gold medallist says ‘trust with the organisation itself is a visceral thing’

Man charged after 45 year-old former champion found unconscious on ground on NSW mid-north coast

Brigid Heywood lodges not guilty plea to charges of common assault and offensive behaviour

Commission of inquiry hears changes to thresholds were proposed in 2017 to increase testing speed and free up money

The leader of the Brothers of Italy party appears set to become country’s first female PMGiorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Italy’s elections and promised to govern for all Italians, after exit polls gave her rightwing coalition a clear majority, putting her on course to create the most rightwing government since the end of the second world war.With full results due on Monday, the Brothers of Italy leader is set to become Italy’s first female prime minister – and a model for nationalist parties across Europe as she heads one of the EU’s six original member states. Continue reading...

Despite Dominic Perrottet’s strong criticism of Queensland’s land tax changes, the state says it has all the information it needs

Vincent Van Quickenborne says rule of law ‘will never fold to violence’ after Dutch nationals detained in the NetherlandsPolice in the Netherlands have arrested four suspects over what Belgium’s justice minister described as a plan to kidnap him.Vincent Van Quickenborne, who is also the mayor of the city of Kortrijk in western Flanders, appeared to blame a “drug mafia” in a video message run by state broadcaster RTBF. Continue reading...

Peak welfare body and Greens recommend raise in income support payments but Albanese government rules out benefits increase in next month’s budget

Party says commonwealth regulation of cultivation, licensing and sale of cannabis would override state and territory laws

Soaring energy prices after invasion of Ukraine have added almost £10 to cost of charging family-sized car, says RACThe price of charging an electric car using a public rapid charger has jumped by almost £10 since May because of soaring energy costs after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.The increased price of wholesale gas and electricity has pushed up the price to charge an average family-size car by 42% to above £32, according to analysis by the RAC. That was £9.60 more than in May, and £13.59 more than a year earlier. Continue reading...

The woman in her 20s received critical head injuries and was taken to hospital

Two men are still in a critical condition after the incident, in connection with which a second man has been detainedA man has been arrested at Heathrow while attempting to flee the country after four men were hit by a car in west London, leaving two critically injured.The pedestrians were hit by a car in Kingsley Road in Hounslow just before 2.43am on Sunday. The men, all in their early 20s, were taken to hospital, where two remain in a critical condition. Two others have been treated for non-life-changing injuries. Continue reading...

Police say two males, aged 15 and 16, also charged with possession of bladed article after death of Khayri McLeanTwo teenagers have been charged with murder after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death outside a school in Huddersfield.The boys, aged 15 and 16, have been charged with murder and possession of a bladed article after Khayri McLean was killed on Wednesday afternoon. Khayri died in hospital after an attack near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust school (NHTS) in Woodhouse Hill, to the north east of the town. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Labour to argue investing in NHS, schools and childcare is only way to build foundations of a strong economyKeir Starmer is seeking to draw new battle lines with Liz Truss by vowing to reinstate the top rate of income tax and ploughing the ensuing billions into the NHS and other public services.The Guardian understands that Labour will set out in more detail on Monday how it would use the money raised from reversing the abolition of the 45p rate outlined by the chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, in Friday’s mini-budget. Continue reading...

Public services and spectre of austerity will feature in speech as Rachel Reeves sets out dividing lines with ToriesOne of the curiosities of the sudden re-emergence of stark ideological dividing lines in the Liz Truss era has been the fact that her central policy aim – trying to grow the economy – is not something that Labour would disagree with.Similarly, for all the reactions of outrage and, at times, genuine surprise at Kwasi Kwarteng’s unofficial budget on Friday, the government’s focus on cutting taxes does not, in the most basic terms, differ that much from Labour’s previous criticism of tax increases under Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. Continue reading...

Delegates were split at last year’s conference, but leader’s supporters now hold almost all the levers of powerBefore Keir Starmer’s tribute to the Queen and the singing of the national anthem, most senior MPs and staffers had anticipated some disruption. But there was not one heckle. “If you want proof the Labour party has changed, that tribute to the Queen was it,” one senior aide said.But confirmation truly came four hours later at the result of the priorities ballot, which Labour members use to select which topics to debate. Continue reading...

Francis said migrants and refugees should be able to ‘live in peace and with dignity’ at open-air mass in MateraPope Francis has urged Italians to help migrants as voting proceeded in a general election widely expected to bring an anti-immigration rightwing coalition into power.Speaking at the end of an open-air mass in the southern Italian city of Matera, the pope recalled that Sunday coincided with the Catholic church’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees. “Migrants are to be welcomed, accompanied, promoted and integrated,” he told the assembled faithful. Continue reading...

Exclusive: state government was aware of problems at forensic lab, which included bullying complaints and ‘vendettas’ against managers

‘History is calling’, according to ad from Uluru Dialogue group, which says it’s the start of a ‘journey of nation-building’

Matteo Salvini has described Giorgia Meloni as a ‘pain in the ass’, while Silvio Berlusconi is rumoured to be unsupportiveGiorgia Meloni has spent three decades fighting her way to the top of Italian politics. But despite her political prowess, the 45-year-old from Rome, whose strong will and determination has drawn comparisons to Margaret Thatcher, has limited government experience.If Meloni is confirmed as prime minister over the next few weeks, she will be in charge of steering Italy through one of its most delicate periods, dealing with mammoth challenges from the energy crisis and high inflation to a possible recession and a winter wave of Covid-19. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Senior Conservatives warn ‘quid pro quo’ arrangement with Mark Fullbrook spells ‘electoral doom’Mark Fullbrook is understood to have been promised by Liz Truss that his company would run the Tories’ next general election campaign if he joined her No 10 operation as chief of staff.Sources claimed the “quid pro quo” arrangement, which could be highly lucrative for his lobbying company, Fullbrook Associates, was a precondition of the strategist taking the job. Continue reading...

Palace has said TV channels can only retain an hour of footage from events during the mourning periodBritish television channels are in a battle with the monarchy over who controls the historic record of Queen Elizabeth II’s commemorations, after Buckingham Palace insisted broadcasters could only retain an hour of footage for future use.The BBC, ITV and Sky News have been given until Monday to produce a 60-minute compilation of clips they would like to keep from ceremonial events held across the 10 days of mourning for the Queen. The royal household will then consider whether to veto any proposed inclusions. Continue reading...

Sadiq Khan taking ‘unprecedented’ action to ease financial pressure for lowest-paid transport workersWorkers who clean the underground and other public transport in London are to be given free travel, Sadiq Khan has announced.The mayor of London has asked Transport for London to extend free travel on the capital’s public transport for the lowest-paid contract workers, as well as for catering and security staff. The move will benefit about 5,000 workers who were not previously eligible for free travel. Continue reading...

Sustained wind speeds of 125mph recorded in what is expected to be strongest storm to hit country this yearSuper Typhoon Noru has slammed into the Philippines, battering the heavily populated main island of Luzon with strong winds and heavy rain that have forced thousands of people to flee their homes.The storm was packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 125mph (195km/h) after an unprecedented “explosive intensification”, the state weather forecaster said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: a provision of the new Charities Act could have a significant impact on restitution cases for years to comeMuseums and galleries in England and Wales will be given unprecedented powers to dispose of objects in their collections if there is a compelling moral obligation to do so, under a new law.Alexander Herman, an expert in art law, said the museum sector did not appear to have realised that a provision of the Charities Act 2022, expected to come into force this autumn, could have “a significant impact for years to come” on restitution cases. Continue reading...

Thousands sign petition for This Morning hosts to be fired after claims they jumped queue at Westminster HallITV has denied accusations that a woman in a wheelchair was moved aside to make way for presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield as they entered Westminster Hall to see the Queen lying in state.In an article by the Mail on Sunday, Mia Froggatt posted on Twitter that her disabled mother had been moved out of the way for Schofield and Willoughby to “make it in time for the 10am slot”. Continue reading...

Government watchdog said it could not investigate allegations made outside of parliament

Members of ethnic group, which has largely opposed Russian rule since 2014, say they are being disproportionately targeted

Revelation about Mark Fullbrook follows last week’s repeal of rules to stop people paying themselves through companies to minimise taxMark Fullbrook, Liz Truss’s new chief of staff, is being paid for through his lobbying company in a move that may help him minimise tax.In a highly unusual move, the prime minister’s most senior adviser is receiving his salary through Fullbrook Strategies. Continue reading...

MotherRED gives grants and support to 50 women, who commit to family-friendly policies, to stand for public officeWhen Miatta Fahnbulleh told her children her bid to become the Labour candidate for Camberwell and Peckham might mean she would sometimes miss their bedtime, her eldest said it would be really tough – for her.She acknowledges it will be hard, but no harder than getting mothers’ voices heard in parliament. “The barriers to entry for mothers are massive,” she says. “So yes, it will be tough, but if we don’t get more mothers in parliament that will never change.” Continue reading...

Experts say scheme’s rules urgently need significant changes to prioritise worker protection

Aiden Aslin recounts how he was beaten, stabbed and asked whether he wanted quick or ‘beautiful’ deathA British man captured by Russian-backed forces in Ukraine has revealed how he was beaten up, stabbed and asked whether he wanted a “quick” or “beautiful” death.Aiden Aslin, who has now returned to the UK, told the Sun on Sunday that he was kept in solitary confinement for five months and “treated worse than a dog”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Andy George ‘baffled’ by Mark Rowley’s refusal to meet when confidence among BAME officers at rock-bottomThe new Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, is at loggerheads with the National Black Police Association after refusing to meet its president and suggesting he will ban officers from “taking the knee”.A request by the group’s head, Andy George, for an urgent meeting with Rowley, who returned to lead Scotland Yard a fortnight ago, was said to have been rejected in an email on Wednesday morning.The Met was “gaslighting”black and ethnic minority communities and the police officers who served them on the issue of stop and search. “Report after report we have: ‘We are going to get things right and move on but our officers do a great job.’ But that does not lead to improvement,” said George. “It kind of almost gaslights the communities that are coming out with the problems. It gaslights the frontline officers as well, if I am to be honest. They are saying: ‘You are telling me I need to do more stop and search and I am going to do that to prevent serious violence and knife crime issues and then I am the one facing an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation for doing exactly what you have told me.’”In recent years, there had been four-fold surge – from 15 to more than 60 – in the number of officers being supported by the Met Black Police Association over grievances or during disciplinary processes. George said: “We are supporting officers with grievances that just aren’t being dealt with. Even when there are two or three people complaining about the same person, that discrimination is still being justified. They are still protecting the reputation of the Met over learning and improving.”The career structures within the Met appeared to “operate like an organised crime gang”. George said: “You will not get promoted unless you take the party line. We have bosses and leaders that end up developing and sponsoring people that they like and [are] loyal to them, and they will pull them through.” Continue reading...

Coalition led by Giorgia Meloni would be country’s most radical government since MussoliniItalians are voting in an election that is forecast to deliver the country’s most radical rightwing government since the end of the second world war, and a prime minister ready to become a model for nationalist parties across Europe.A coalition led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist origins, is expected by polls ahead of the vote to secure a comfortable victory in both houses of parliament while taking between 44 and 47% of the vote. Continue reading...