Andy Burnham’s difficult first cabinet – a visual guide to the options and dilemmas 17. July 2026 (08:54) The Makerfield MP enters No 10 as prime minister on Monday. But who will he choose to join him at the table?Keir Starmer is expected formally to resign as prime minister on Monday morning at Buckingham Palace, with Andy Burnham being invited to take on the role shortly afterwards. Once back in Downing Street mid-morning, Burnham will begin assembling his cabinet. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘How’s this joker got my details?’: BrewDog founder faces complaints over emails to ‘equity punks’ 17. July 2026 (08:00) Exclusive: Watchdog asked to look into how James Watt got data of ex-crowdfunders he invited to join buy-back bidJames Watt, the BrewDog founder who sold the debt-laden “punk” brewer earlier this year, is the subject of complaints to the UK’s data privacy watchdog linked to his surprise bid to buy the company back, the Guardian has learned.BrewDog’s brand, intellectual property, UK breweries and 11 bars were sold to the US cannabis and drinks firm Tilray in March for £33m, in a deal that rendered the shares of more than 200,000 crowdfunding investors worthless. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
No deposit, no problem: the new 100% mortgages for first-time buyers 17. July 2026 (08:00) Banks and building societies have started relaxing affordability rules and becoming more creative with productsFor many first-time buyers, getting their foot on the property ladder can feel like an impossible dream. However, the good news is that there are a growing number of mortgage deals that require only a small deposit, or no deposit at all.Metro Bank is the latest high street lender to launch a deal that allows eligible first-timers to borrow up to 100% of the value of a property. Home loans that let people borrow 100% have been making a bit of a comeback – they were once fairly commonplace but were axed after the 2008 financial crisis. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
EU border chaos feared at Dover crossing as busiest summer weekend looms 17. July 2026 (07:00) British domestic holidays are being pushed to their highest levels since CovidThe start of the peak summer season is set to bring millions of drivers on to British roads, with concerns of traffic chaos as the port of Dover faces its biggest test yet of new EU border controls.The semi-functioning entry-exit system (EES) is credited, along with the heatwaves and fears about flights after the war in Iran, with helping push British domestic holidays to its highest levels since Covid halted international travel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Weatherwatch: How English summer clouds can warn of trouble ahead 17. July 2026 (07:00) Mackerel skies and mare’s tails signal arrival of warm fronts that push moisture to high altitudes and creates distinctive clouds“Mare’s tails and mackerel scales make lofty ships to carry low sails,” runs an old English saying about summer skies.Mackerel skies are cirrocumulus or altocumulus clouds in regular but patchy rows, resembling the light and dark-scale pattern on a mackerel. The cirrocumulus version is white and wispy, altocumulus is grey and thicker. One easy rule is that cirrocumulus is narrower than a finger at arm’s length, altocumulus more like three fingers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Taking salsa classes can improve mental health, Oxford study suggests 17. July 2026 (07:00) Researchers find dance reduced depressive symptoms and social anxiety in young people in eight-week trialSalsa is one of the most popular dance forms, with hundreds of millions of followers worldwide. A mix of Caribbean, Spanish and African musical styles and rhythms, it is believed to offer many cognitive and physical benefits, such as improving cardiovascular health, muscle tone and posture.Now a randomised controlled trial suggests it could also reduce depression and anxiety. Researchers at the University of Oxford and the Oxford Health NHS trust studied 121 young adults with mild to moderate depression and anxiety who were randomly assigned to a salsa dance programme or a control group. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cyclist Rohan Dennis pleads guilty to driving with suspended licence after crash that killed wife 17. July 2026 (05:59) Adelaide-based Olympian was banned from driving for five years over Melissa Hoskins’ 2023 deathFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer professional cyclist Rohan Dennis faces a jail sentence after admitting he drove while disqualified over the events leading up to the death of his Olympian wife, Melissa Hoskins.A judge had previously warned the former Olympian he would be jailed if he drove while banned. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Marines board tanker amid blockade of Iranian ports as US expands strikes with attacks on bridges 17. July 2026 (05:50) Boarding of M/T Wen Yao in Gulf of Oman comes as expanded airstrike campaign hits five bridges in southern IranAmerican forces boarded a ship in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday as part of the renewed blockade of Iran’s ports that began earlier this week, the US military said.US Marines boarded the M/T Wen Yao “to ensure full compliance with the ongoing US naval blockade,” US Central Command (Centcom) said in a post on X. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
How Trump’s address bluntly aimed at destabilizing the US electoral system 17. July 2026 (05:18) US president using office and intelligence agencies to try to undermine confidence in elections before midtermsDonald Trump used the imprimatur of the presidency and United States intelligence agencies to try to undermine confidence in American elections in a presidential address on Thursday that seemed bluntly aimed at laying the groundwork for further destabilizing the electoral system before November’s midterm elections.In his address from the East Room at the White House, Trump attempted to give the impression that his administration had uncovered new bombshell findings about vulnerabilities in the US’s election system. China, he claimed, had illicitly acquired voter information on 220 million Americans (many states allow anyone to buy voter roll information; Trump did not say the means by which the nation acquired the data). He claimed that China interfered in other ways to undermine his 2020 campaign and that the information had been suppressed by intelligence officials. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump makes unverified claims of ‘sinister election meddling’ in primetime address 17. July 2026 (04:45) Opponents warn president’s speech is smokescreen for him to meddle in upcoming congressional midtermsDonald Trump accused China of interfering with the 2020 election in a primetime televised address that laid bare his continuing obsession with his defeat to Joe Biden, but which opponents warned was a smokescreen for him to meddle in the forthcoming congressional midterms.In a 25-minute speech on Thursday that had been hyped by Trump himself, the US president cast extraordinary doubts on the integrity of the US electoral process, saying it was “catastrophically” short of standards of fairness and trust, while vulnerable to trespassing by foreign powers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
