Thames Water has funds to survive until end of year but warns of uncertainty over future 15. July 2026 (11:50) Annual results show struggling firm’s net debt has risen to £18.5bn, up from £16.8bn a year earlierBusiness live – latest updatesThames Water has said it has sufficient funding to survive until the end of the year but warned of “material uncertainty” over its future as it scrambles to recapitalise to avoid nationalisation.The UK’s largest water company, which serves 16 million customers in London and the south of England, said it continued to work with creditors, regulators and the government on a recapitalisation plan. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Spain and Gibraltar celebrate as border fence falls after signing of ‘historic deal’ 15. July 2026 (11:38) Treaty came into effect at midnight, eliminating border controls on land frontier with British overseas territoryEurope live – latest updatesSpain and Gibraltar are celebrating the fall of the last frontier fence in western Europe after the signing of a post-Brexit deal that brings an end to border checks for residents, tourists and the thousands of Spanish workers who cross into the British overseas territory every day.The agreement, which was signed in Brussels on Tuesday and came into effect at midnight, marks the conclusion of more than four years of negotiations between the UK, Spain, Gibraltar and the EU after Britain’s departure from the bloc. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
School in remote SA Indigenous community on list of places where accused paedophile worked 15. July 2026 (11:19) Police investigating Hamish Tait – who faces 329 child abuse charges – have released list of 55 locations where he worked or attendedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA federal police investigation into an accused paedophile facing more than 300 child abuse charges has expanded to a remote community in South Australia.Hamish Tait, 35, faces 329 charges of child abuse between 2009 and 2025 while working across 62 centres. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former Sydney church turned LGBTQ+ arts venue weighs legal action after landlord orders it to stop ‘offensive trade’ 15. July 2026 (11:15) Divine Playhouse promoter and founder says venue faces significant operational, legal and financial challengesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA former church turned arts venue at the centre of a culture war is exploring legal action after receiving a notice from its landlord that forced its organisers to close the space and cancel planned events.Divine Playhouse is facing possible eviction, with its landlord ordering the venue’s organisers, Heaps Gay Events, to stop “engaging in offensive trade”, days after religious groups protested its opening night. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour should ditch triple-lock pensions promise, says OECD 15. July 2026 (11:00) Organisation’s experts say pledge puts pressure on UK public finances and ‘adds significant fiscal risks’Labour should ditch the triple-lock pensions promise to help tackle the UK’s straitened public finances, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has urged.In its latest survey of the UK economy, the Paris-based club of industrialised nations added its voice to those calling for an end to the pledge, which uprates the state pension each year by whichever is the highest of wage growth, inflation or 2.5%. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Shipwrecks of Shackleton and Scott recreated in 3D digital form after deep sea expedition 15. July 2026 (10:00) Canadian scientists visit remains of polar exploration vessels in ‘golden era for shipwreck investigating’Moments after devouring the final glimmers of light, the seafloor offered nothing but darkness and silt. Then the bow appeared.More than 1,000ft (305 metres) below the surface of the Labrador Sea, off the coast of Canada, the skeleton of the final ship used by the famed polar explorer Ernest Shackleton appeared in its silty grave. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’ 15. July 2026 (10:00) Police say suspect stole three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten Magnolia before attempting to rob a PNC bankLaw enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andy Burnham urged to overhaul ‘timid and limited’ elections bill 15. July 2026 (09:00) Ex-minister who helped write draft calls for bolder action on voting reform, crypto donations and social mediaThe government was “timid” and “incremental” when deciding what to include in its elections bill, a former minister who helped write it has said, as she urged the incoming prime minister, Andy Burnham, to go further.Rushanara Ali, who resigned as democracy minister last August, said the draft legislation still contained big gaps when it came to voting reform, cryptocurrency donations and social media regulation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Brisbane child accused of school stabbing allegedly faced ‘racist’ abuse, court hears 15. July 2026 (08:07) Alleged attack may have been motivated by a social media post, police prosecutor tells courtFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Brisbane child accused of stabbing a fellow student was allegedly subjected to months of “racist” abuse and threats, a court has heard.The 16-year-old child was arrested after allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old schoolmate on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
England risks building new ‘death traps’ as experts warn of overheating crisis 15. July 2026 (08:00) Vulnerable people more at risk as research finds only half of local authority plans require cooling strategiesEngland risks constructing a new generation of “death trap” buildings that can fatally overheat unless the government tightens standards and prioritises climate safeguards, planning experts have said.Fears are growing about the plight of vulnerable people in heatwaves, with research this week suggesting that 2,700 people had died in the May and June heatwaves in England and Wales. Yet only about half of local plans being drawn up by councils and local authorities require new buildings to have a cooling or ventilation strategy to prevent overheating, according to findings from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
