Thames Water creditors seek talks with Burnham as nationalisation looms 19. July 2026 (18:17) Consortium preparing for potential legal battle amid reports new PM could put the company into temporary public ownershipThe 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. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘What has the BBC ever done for me?’ Romesh Ranganathan reboots corporation’s 1985 licence fee plea 19. July 2026 (18:02) As with the John Cleese original, comedian is supported by famous faces from Claudia Winkleman to David JasonJohn Cleese’s 1985 advert for the BBC in which he asks a pub full of stars “What has the BBC ever given us?” is one of the most famous examples of the corporation making the case to the public for the value of paying the licence fee.In the advert, Cleese is complaining to the bartender that he has just bought his TV licence. “Fifty-eight quid for the privilege of sitting in your own home, watching your own television set. It’s diabolical. I mean, what’s the BBC ever given us for 58 quid?” he says, before being put right by a string of punters, ranging from David Attenborough and John Humphrys to Terry Wogan and David Jason. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘He’s a war criminal’: Mamdani exploring whether he can arrest Netanyahu if he visits New York 19. July 2026 (17:38) NYC mayor says in Times interview that’s he’s in ‘active conversation’ with city’s law department about the matterNew York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he was reviewing whether his administration could arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if as expected the Israeli prime minister visits the city for the UN general assembly in September.Mamdani’s comments on Saturday’s episode of the New York Times’s the Interview podcast echoed ones he had made to the publication as he successfully ran for mayor last fall. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia’s life dissatisfaction levels double as ‘wellbeing poverty’ reaches new highs 19. July 2026 (17:00) ABS data show one in 10 people are not satisfied with life – but community cohesion and trust lift happiness scoresGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNearly 2.2 million Australians 15 years and older are living below the wellbeing poverty line, with the share of people reporting very low life satisfaction doubling over the past decade.In 2025, 9.7%, or about one in 10 Australians, rated their general satisfaction with life at four or below out of 10, according to Guardian Australia’s analysis of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’s (ABS) general social survey. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian and NZ safety assurances about asbestos in play sand were based on supplier’s own assessment 19. July 2026 (17:00) ACCC updates some recall notices to say products ‘may cause risk to health’, contrary to previous claimsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSchools, retailers and government agencies assured parents that asbestos-contaminated play sand posed a low risk to their children’s health based on a supplier’s own assessment which was not independently verified, the Guardian can reveal.The now-contested public messaging spread quickly after a range of Educational Colours children’s sand products were pulled from shelves in November 2025 after samples were found to contain asbestos, which was followed by more than 20 similar recalls across different brands and retailers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rise in overseas surrogates ‘increases risk of stateless babies’ 19. July 2026 (17:00) Calls grow for global regulation as rising numbers of westerners use surrogates in countries with different lawsWhy Mexico is at the heart of ethical debate over global surrogacyThe rise in the use of surrogates abroad is leaving more babies at risk of becoming stateless, experts have said, amid growing calls for urgent global regulation of the practice.The warning follows the suspension of a 15-year effort by The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) to establish a global surrogacy convention, which was paused due to divisions among member states. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US boxer Hannah Rapp killed after being struck by car while cycling in Texas 19. July 2026 (16:15) Investigators arrest 31-year-old man identified as Charles Medina in connection with death of Rapp who was 26US boxer Hannah Rapp, who in June fought for the World Boxing Council women’s featherweight championship, was killed on Saturday while she bicycled in Texas after a motorist struck her with his car, according to authorities.Rapp was 26, and investigators arrested a 31-year-old man identified as Charles Medina in connection with her death, the sheriff’s office of Brazos county, Texas, said in a statement. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
As Andy Burnham enters No 10, what of his ‘bezzie mate’ Steve Rotheram? 19. July 2026 (16:00) A longstanding bromance means the Liverpool regional mayor very much has the ear of the soon-to-be PMWhen a new prime minister enters Downing Street, observers usually look to those around the cabinet table to see where influence lies. With Andy Burnham, they should look 200 miles north – not to Manchester, but Liverpool.Steve Rotheram, the mayor of Liverpool city region, may not have a formal role in government but he has a strong claim to having the closest personal bond to the incoming prime minister, a man he calls his “bezzie mate”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
What happened to Nolan Wells? Family seeks answers two weeks after 18-year-old’s death 19. July 2026 (15:00) Investigation continues after college freshman was found dead on Mississippi island after 4 July boat trip with friendsTwo weeks after Nolan Xavier Wells was found dead, his family is still searching for answers.On 4 July, Wells, an 18-year-old Mississippi college freshman, and a group of friends took a boat out to Horn Island, a barrier island a few miles off the Mississippi Gulf coast. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
From leftwing voters to unions: can Burnham win back Labour bases lost by Starmer? – visualised 19. July 2026 (15:00) As Andy Burnham enters No 10, Guardian data analysis reveals the fissures with Labour’s traditional supporters, and the traps the new PM will want to avoidKeir Starmer entered 10 Downing St on a wave of optimism after a landslide victory in the 2024 general election. His Labour party had overturned a defeat in 2019 in which the party crashed to its worst result since 1935. Labour won 412 seats, just a few shy of the 418 won by Tony Blair in 1997, a result that gave Labour a leader in office for a decade.But a little more than two years after he came to power, Starmer’s tenure is over. Over the past 24 months the popularity of the human-rights lawyer turned prime minister has plummeted, from a net approval rating of -3 when he took office, to -66 by September 2025 – the lowest net approval rating recorded by Ipsos for any prime minister since 1977. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
