Andy Burnham vows to set up No 10 North as ‘nerve centre of rewired Britain’
Posted on Monday June 29, 2026

UK’s likely next PM says Westminster system is ‘broken’ and he will oversee a devolution of power and resources

• UK politics live – latest updates

Andy Burnham will set up No 10 North as the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain” to oversee a devolution of power and resources across the UK that he said would deliver the change the country desperately needed.

The prime minister-in-waiting said the Westminster system was “broken” and that a “more of the same” approach would neither improve living standards or restore people’s faith in how politics worked for them.

Read more...

Nationwide to cut 600 jobs in first redundancies after takeover of Virgin Money
Posted on Monday June 29, 2026

Exclusive: Move affects staff of both companies whose roles will be duplicated once operations are merged

Nationwide building society is axing 600 jobs in the first major round of cuts linked to its controversial takeover of the high street bank Virgin Money.

The move affects both Nationwide and Virgin Money staff, whose roles are due to be duplicated once the lenders’ operations are fully merged.

Read more...

US supreme court rules Trump’s firing of Lisa Cook from Fed was unconstitutional
Posted on Monday June 29, 2026

Justices find president does not have constitutional authority to fire Federal Reserve governor without cause

• US supreme court decisions – live updates

• Sign up for the Breaking News US email

The US supreme court has refused Donald Trump’s attempts to immediately fire a Federal Reserve governor, in a landmark ruling that limits a president’s authority over the central bank.

In a 5-4 opinion, the court said that Lisa Cook can stay on as a governor while she fights unproved allegations of mortgage fraud made by the Trump officials.

Read more...

Good for business – or profit at any cost? The controversial side of private equity – a visual explainer
Posted on Monday June 29, 2026

While it can transform firms for better or worse, the use of private equity in essential services is attracting scrutiny. Here we examine some of its more contentious elements in the UK veterinary sector

Private equity could be the two most controversial words in business. For its supporters, it can bring investment, expertise and efficiency to a company. For critics, it is a one way ticket to profiteering, cutting costs and losing staff.

The arguments over private equity are particularly fierce when it is used in the public sector, particularly the NHS.

Read more...

Ministers likely to support law change to allow delivery robots on England’s paths
Posted on Monday June 29, 2026

Exclusive: Safety campaigners concerned about plan for widespread deployment on already crowded pavements

Large numbers of autonomous delivery robots could be coming to towns and cities across England after ministers signalled they were likely to support a change in the law allowing their use, prompting concern from safety campaigners.

Low-speed robots, which mainly deliver groceries or takeaway food, are already in use in a handful of places but they operate in a regulatory grey area. The 1835 Highways Act bans “carriages” from pavements.

Read more...

Shares in chipmakers underpinning AI boom rocket in first half of 2026
Posted on Monday June 29, 2026

Value of some chip manufacturers have tripled, or more, driving Asia Pacific stock markets sharply higher

Shares in chipmakers have surged in the first half of this year as investors piled into companies that make the hardware underpinning the AI boom, according to analysis.

Investors have driven up the value of semiconductor and memory chip manufacturers, whose profits have soared during 2026, at the expense of some large software companies, which have fallen out of favour this year.

Read more...

Brazil v Japan: World Cup 2026 last 32 – live
Posted on Monday June 29, 2026

⚽ Kick-off time: 12pm local/1pm EDT/6pm BST/3am AET
⚽ Bracketology | Player guide | Golden Boot | Email Tim

“Consensus,” exclaims Richard Hirst, “get thee behind me! If they weren’t called Brazil would we be so readily predicting victory for a team whose playmaker spent most of last season failing to prevent West Ham being relegated, whose defensive midfielder has all the mobility of a traffic cone, whose…… well, you get my drift.

“Yes, they’ll probably win, but if Japan get in amongst them there could be a surprise.” For sure.

Read more...

Wimbledon 2026: Sabalenka in action, Sinner taken to five sets, Osaka advances, Draper withdraws on day one - live
Posted on Monday June 29, 2026

Cam Norrie and Harriet Dart make early SW19 exits
Jack Draper withdraws with injury | Email Daniel

Jodar* 2-1 Gill (* denotes server): The Spaniard is playing his first pro-level game on grass but it does not really look like it. A few more good serves and then a final smash down the centre seals his hold.

Jodar 1-1 Gill* (* denotes server): Gill speeds to a 40-0 lead with some big serves and a powerful forehand down the line. Jodar gets back into it to make it 40-15 but the Spaniard’s wild return at game point is well out and Gill gets on the board.

Read more...