Parents seek out school uniform deals, cutting average spend to £54.53 15. September 2026 (11:01) Overall grocery inflation jumps to 2.3%, as Ocado and Lidl gain market shareBusiness live – latest updatesParents and carers spent 12.5% less on school uniform in the run-up to the start of this academic year, turning to promotions and second-hand items to keep expenses down as families struggled with the cost of living crisis.The average spend on school uniform was £54.53 in the four weeks to 6 September, down an eighth from £62.29 in the same period last year, according to the market research company Worldpanel by Numerator. Overall grocery inflation picked up to 2.3% from 2.1%. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia’s Indigenous population estimated at 2.2m before ‘demographic catastrophe’ of colonisation 15. September 2026 (11:00) Study finds earlier numbers were underestimated, suggesting impact of diseases and massacres were much greater than previously thoughtGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia before colonisation was dramatically underestimated, according to new research that suggests many more of them were killed.Modelling by a national research group puts the population levels before the 1788 first fleet arrived at 2.2 million, compared with early estimates of 250,000 people. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Make NHS and military uniforms in UK, fashion firms urge Burnham 15. September 2026 (10:10) More than 1,200 people, including Ben Fogle, sign letter saying domestic contracts will help preserve UK manufacturingBusiness live – latest updatesLondon fashion week is only days away, but one industry organisation has turned its attention to clothing that is a little less catwalk-worthy – the uniforms worn by British defence forces and NHS staff.On Wednesday afternoon, the thinktank Fashion Roundtable will hand deliver a letter to Downing Street urging Andy Burnham to commit to manufacturing these uniforms in the UK. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jaguar Land Rover in talks to sell Defender to Nato countries 15. September 2026 (09:40) Carmaker builds on relationship with British armed forces by seeking to cash in on Europe’s rearmament drive Business live – latest updatesJaguar Land Rover is in talks with Nato countries about selling them the newly revamped Defender military vehicle, as the UK-based carmaker seeks to tap into Europe’s defence spending boom.It is also among carmakers bidding for a UK defence ministry contract worth £900m to replace an ageing fleet of Land Rovers that have been out of production since 2016, competing with General Motors and the UK’s Ineos. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Leading UK retailers ‘breaking law’ by not refunding customers for returned goods, Which? finds 15. September 2026 (09:00) Consumer group says online shops routinely failed to reimburse delivery costs of unwanted purchases or cost of itemsLeading retailers are breaking the law by failing to properly refund customers for returned goods, a Which? investigation has found.Some of the UK’s biggest online shops routinely failed to reimburse delivery costs when customers returned unwanted purchases, while others failed to refund the cost of the goods themselves. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Conservation ‘gateway drug’: farmers embrace ancient craft of hedge laying 15. September 2026 (09:00) Grant applications in England surge as interest grows in habitat that captures carbon and helps reduce flood riskThe ancient craft of hedge laying is experiencing a strong revival as farmers use techniques that peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries to boost wildlife, capture carbon and help tackle flooding.Hedge laying, which restores and revives mature hedges to keep them fresh, was among the four most popular categories of capital grants selected by farmers out of a total pot of £225m provided by the government this year to support practical environmental improvements on farms and across the countryside. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK pay growth slows to 3.9% before crunch interest rates decision 15. September 2026 (08:31) Figure likely to dictate rise in state pension triple lock, as workers face inflation squeeze fuelled by oil price risesBusiness live – latest updatesWage growth in the UK slowed in July as workers came under pressure from a renewed cost of living squeeze fuelled by the Iran war, highlighting the challenge for the Bank of England as it prepares to set interest rates.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show average growth in total earnings, including bonuses, eased to 3.9% in the three months to July, down from 4.1% in the three months to June, matching the forecasts of City economists. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
What would it take to make India’s cities better – and safer? 15. September 2026 (08:30) After a five-storey building collapsed in Delhi, focus is on how urban areas can adapt to growing populations. Plus, Ahmedabad’s ace newspaper delivery driver goes viralRecently, I may have saved a woman’s life on the road. Somehow, this was something I had expected to happen.On that day, I saw a truck leave a construction site with a tangled wire trailing behind. I frantically looked to see what the wire was attached to and spotted the scaffolding a few meters ahead. I shrieked and grabbed the hand of the woman walking in front of me just as the metal pipes came crashing down. We hugged for a brief second, and then walked our separate ways. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I was being polite’: prominent athlete continued texting Alan Jones after alleged assaults due to his reputation, trial hears 15. September 2026 (08:08) Witness tells court he sent Jones friendly messages after two alleged assaults because he had been generous to himListen to the podcast Alan Jones on TrialGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA prominent athlete who has accused Alan Jones of twice kissing him without consent has told a Sydney court he continued to text the broadcaster after the alleged assaults because Jones was powerful and had been generous to him.The witness, who is appearing for a second day in the seventh week of a lengthy trial, agreed he had sent Jones friendly messages after the two alleged assaults. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jean Nassif swears during Icac evidence and declares ‘no one can make me shut up’ 15. September 2026 (08:02) Fugitive property developer beams in from Beirut bedroom to declare ‘I’m not corrupt’ and waves handwritten notes at counsel assisting Peggy DwyerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFugitive property developer Jean Nassif has declared he cannot be silenced as he ranted about “crook” politicians and proclaimed his innocence during an expletive-laden tirade at the New South Wales anti-corruption watchdog.Nassif, 58, on Tuesday dialled into the Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry via video link from his Beirut bedroom. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
