Thames Water creditors seek talks with Burnham as nationalisation looms
Posted on Sunday July 19, 2026

Consortium preparing for potential legal battle amid reports new PM could put the company into temporary public ownership

The group of investors pursuing a rescue bid for Thames Water have said they are willing to discuss greater public control but are also preparing for a potential multi-billion pound legal battle amid reports that Andy Burnham could temporarily nationalise the company.

London & Valley Water (L&VW), a consortium of 100 institutional investors that hold £17bn of the company’s £21bn debt, has said it is open to government involvement with Thames Water, but indicated that this does not include public ownership in the struggling company.

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After fixing its engine problems, Rolls-Royce is turning to its next big challenge
Posted on Sunday July 19, 2026

The aerospace giant is seeking UK government support for its re-entry into the huge narrowbody jet market

In a 100-year-old hangar at Rolls-Royce’s factory in Derby, aircraft engines lie on their noses as technicians strip them down after a couple of years circling the world.

Cranes lift and flip the engines, before engineers separate different modules to be cleaned, treated in acid baths if necessary, repaired or replaced. The acrid smell of kerosene signals the part of the factory where engineers handle the metre-diameter core of the engine, in which fuel and air combine at high pressure to drive the turbines and propel 200-tonne planes through the air.

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Bank of England to stop accepting bonds linked to coal for key loans
Posted on Sunday July 19, 2026

Campaigners hope move will force commercial banks to rethink holding assets linked to the fossil fuel

Climate campaigners have declared a victory after the Bank of England said it would no longer accept bonds linked to one of the most polluting industries on the planet for key loan arrangements.

The ban, which comes into force in October, marks a fresh crackdown on thermal coal, which is burned in power plants to create electricity, and has long been a target of green policy activists.

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‘Good growth in every postcode’: Burnham’s economic to-do list in seven charts
Posted on Sunday July 19, 2026

From industrial strategy and defence to housing and living costs, we lay out the challenges facing the new PM

Andy Burnham becomes prime minister as Britain contends with a series of global economic shocks and years of weak growth in living standards, fuelled by underinvestment and deep regional divisions.

Before his arrival in Downing Street, the Labour leader pledged to deliver “good growth in every postcode” by transferring power from Westminster to local communities. But with the public finances under pressure, and time running out before the next general election, the task is not straightforward.

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UK tech advocates alarmed by Burnham plan to scrap technology department
Posted on Saturday July 18, 2026

MPs and industry experts say potential reorganisation will waste time at critical moment for AI and economic growth

Andy Burnham’s plan to scrap the government’s technology department has triggered an angry backlash from MPs, Whitehall officials and tech experts.

The incoming prime minister has asked officials to draw up plans to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of a wider Whitehall shake-up.

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‘We noticed a login from a new device’: the message from fraudsters targeting your X account
Posted on Sunday July 19, 2026

They are out to steal your password to commit further fraud such as crypto scams or phishing attacks

You have had an X account for years, since it was known as Twitter. When an email arrives about a new login from a location nowhere near where you live, alarm bells begin to ring.

“We noticed a login to your account from a new device. Was this you?” the email asks.

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Spain v Argentina: World Cup 2026 final – live
Posted on Sunday July 19, 2026

⚽ World Cup final kick-off: 3pm EST/8pm BST/5am AEST
⚽ Trump, half-time show and everything but football – live
⚽ Match gallery | Golden Boot | Follow on TikTok | Mail us

You can also follow the build up on our news blog, which contains photographtic proof that things are livening up in NYC

“One of the big questions for those of us in the UK is how to watch the final,” writes David Wall. “For all that has been made about ITV’s coverage with their New York studio and one of two excellent pundits, I think their coverage has been less than the sum of its parts, as usual. They’ve not had people other than the commentators in the stadiums so all that studio showed was that it was quite windy in New York sometimes.

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Ryan Fox crowned Open champion as heavyweights wilt under pressure
Posted on Sunday July 19, 2026

• USA’s Cameron Young falls short by a single shot

• Rory McIlroy hints at DeChambeau joining Irish Open

What a way to enhance a family dynasty. Ryan Fox, son of a New Zealand rugby legend and grandson of one of the country’s cricket captains, is the Open champion. Three generations, three sports, one Claret Jug. Fox displayed the fortitude of Grant, his old man, to snatch victory from Cameron Young on such a dramatic Open Championship Sunday.

Fox took to the 18th tee level with Young at nine under par. The American had finished more than two hours earlier, his total looking ever more promising as others took it in turn to wilt under the heat of Royal Birkdale. Fox laughed in the face of adversity. He crashed a drive 330 yards down the fairway, flicked an iron to 11ft and holed out for a birdie three. This will trigger quite the party, including in his homeland. This Open needed something to switch the conversation from Bryson DeChambeau and a rules breach. In Fox, the tournament found a bold and deserving champion.

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