John Lewis losses widen to £124m as shopper confidence dips 10. September 2026 (08:39) Retailer says higher costs also hit first-half figures as group pursues its turnaround plan, though Waitrose grew sales Losses at the owner of John Lewis and Waitrose widened by more than 40% in the first half of the year as it struggled with higher costs and with shoppers feeling less confident about their money.The John Lewis Partnership, which operates 36 department stores and more than 300 Waitrose supermarkets, said its pre-tax loss for the six months to 1 August climbed to £124m, compared with £88m in the same period in 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sydney man jailed for 3.5 years over fake defence reports prepared for Chinese spies 10. September 2026 (08:22) Alexander Csergo sentenced over reckless foreign interference after preparing documents for duo who approached him on LinkedInGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA seemingly innocuous message on a social media platform has snowballed into a Sydney man being jailed for foreign interference.Alexander Csergo, 58, was jailed for three years and six months on Thursday, after being found guilty by a jury in March of helping Chinese spies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labor friends of Palestine criticise Australia’s decision not to join sanctions on Israeli settlements in West Bank 10. September 2026 (08:14) Australia declined to join move by UK, Canada and France in banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements Labor party members have criticised the federal government for not following the UK, Canada and France in banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, urging Penny Wong to mount a stronger response to violence against Palestinians.The Labor Friends of Palestine group wrote to the foreign minister on Wednesday, calling for Australia to join a coordinated approach with allied countries, in line with changes to the party’s national platform agreed in July. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Wall Street Journal publisher convicted in Hong Kong of deterring reporter from union role 10. September 2026 (07:57) Dow Jones convicted of one count of deterring Selina Cheng from role at Hong Kong Journalist Association but cleared of second chargeA Hong Kong court has convicted the publisher of the Wall Street Journal of deterring a reporter from taking up a trade union role, in a case that raised concerns about press freedom in the city.The newspaper dismissed Selina Cheng just weeks after she was appointed chair of the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) in 2024. She was told at the time her termination was officially due to restructuring. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
ABC and the Guardian call on One Nation to reverse media ban amid censorship concerns 10. September 2026 (07:37) News outlets raise alarm after being barred from media events and condemn offensive comments made by party director James AshbyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastThe ABC and the Guardian have called on One Nation to reverse its ban on select media outlets from press conferences amid warnings the party is practising censorship and actively avoiding public scrutiny.On Tuesday both outlets were asked to leave a One Nation press conference in Victoria. During the event, the state’s party leader, Warren Pickering, admitted to illegal drug use and drink driving.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...(The Guardian)
North Korea has built new uranium facility to expand nuclear arsenal, UN agency says 10. September 2026 (07:08) The International Atomic Energy Agency voices ‘serious concerns’ over expansion of Yongbyon facility to enrich uraniumThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has voiced “serious concern” over evidence that North Korea has built a facility capable of enriching weapons-grade uranium to bolster its nuclear arsenal.The new building, located at the the country’s main Yongbyon nuclear facility, can house up to 28 centrifuge cascades – machinery commonly used to enrich uranium – according to a report by the nuclear watchdog released this week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK disabled people could swap Pip cash for ‘in kind’ support in benefit overhaul 10. September 2026 (07:00) Exclusive: Claimants could trade part of payment for specialist equipment, services or training under proposalSome disabled people could receive “in kind” support rather than just cash payments under a radical overhaul of the personal independence payment (Pip) proposed by official government advisers, the Guardian can reveal.The proposal, from an expert committee largely made up of disabled people, is one of a number of striking “emerging recommendations” likely to form the basis of the government’s Timms review of Pip, expected to be published in the next two months. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Fundamentally unfair’: Burnham must overhaul migration reforms, says TUC general secretary 10. September 2026 (07:00) Paul Nowak says changes to immigration rules risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentimentAndy Burnham must overhaul Shabana Mahmood’s migration reforms or risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentiment, the TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, has warned.Speaking ahead of the TUC’s annual congress in Brighton next week, Nowak welcomed the “sense of optimism” around Burnham’s fledgling government, but he urged the PM to act in a series of areas, including migration and the cost of living. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Institutional neglect’: 25 years on from 9/11, experts sound alarm over US counter-terror efforts 10. September 2026 (07:00) Budget cuts, loss of knowledgeable officials and diverted resources raise risk of another attack, experts warnThe US faces growing challenges in countering international terrorism as resources are diverted to other threats, experienced security officials leave and “complacency” spreads, experts have warned.It is 25 years this week since the 9/11 attacks launched by Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida on New York and Washington, which killed about 3,000 people and led to decades of conflict, radicalisation and instability across the Middle East and beyond. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
John Major’s rise from obscure whip to PM part of new National Theatre season 10. September 2026 (06:00) Play is one of eight world premieres in programme with global conflict and political upheaval at its heartA new play about John Major’s rise to power, written by James Graham, will premiere at the National Theatre in London next year, as part of a season that puts political upheaval and global conflict at the heart of its programme.Major reunites Graham with Jeremy Herrin, the director behind the acclaimed parliamentary drama This House. It will chart Major’s emergence from relatively obscure whip to prime minister, taking over from Margaret Thatcher at a pivotal moment in Britain’s relationship with Europe. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
