Sky News can reveal that the London & Valley Water (L&VW) consortium has engaged Pallas Partners - which describes itself as an "elite litigation and disputes firm" - to draw up plans for a legal fight with the government if its offer for the company is rejected. Pallas Partners has been drafted in to work alongside Akin Gump, the law firm which is advising the consortium on the terms of their restructuring proposals, according to people close to the situation. L&VW has been formed by a syndicate of fund managers including Apollo Global Management, Elliott Management, Farallon Capital Management and Silver Point Capital, which collectively hold £17bn of Thames Water's £21bn debt pile. They have been involved in negotiations about a £10bn deal to take control of Thames Water and avert the prospect of it being placed into a special administration regime (SAR), a form of temporary public ownership. However, Sir Keir Starmer's departure from Downing Street and his replacement next week by Mr Burnham has exacerbated concern within the consortium that the new administration will reject the deal. Mr Burnham has spoken about his desire to see "public control" of water companies, although he is yet to spell out whether this means nationalising the sector. In relation to the industry's largest operator specifically, he said last month: "I would say for Thames Water, that [greater public ownership] is what should be done." Money latest: Follow Sky News money blog That rhetoric has prompted the L&VW consortium to accelerate their own contingency plans for legal action against the UK government, according to City sources. One said that Pallas Partners had been brought in to assist with a litigation "strategy", which could include challenging a SAR or outright nationalisation on a variety of different legal grounds. "They are prepared to litigate for years if necessary," said one banker who has worked with some of the funds involved. A person close to the consortium said the prospect of litigation was "a last resort" and that it was keen to work with the government on a solvent rescue deal which addressed Whitehall's concerns about the restructuring proposals. "There is no legal action being taken right now," the person said. "This is purely precautionary." Under the latest terms submitted to Ofwat, the industry regulator, the funds would inject £3.35bn of new equity alongside a total of £6.25bn of new debt. It would also entail writing off £9.6bn of Thames Water's existing debt. The company's annual results, published this week, stoked fresh controversy by revealing that chief executive Chris Weston had seen his total pay increase to £1.16m despite the parlous nature of its finances. Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, sparked further doubt about whether the government would accept the proposed rescue deal last month when she wrote to Ofwat to express concern about its terms. "I am not yet convinced that the Proposal demonstrates sufficient protection for consumers' interests," she wrote. "I understand that there will be some bill impacts in this price review period and further rises in the next period as a direct result of these regulatory adjustments. "I am concerned that consumers will ultimately bear an undue cost for these adjustments." It remains unclear whether Ms Reynolds will retain her cabinet post under Mr Burnham, although members of the L&VW consortium expect the new prime minister to show even greater scepticism towards a deal. This week, the Ofwat chair, Iain Coucher, wrote to Ms Reynolds to inform her that a fresh proposal was in development: "As you are aware, through Defra-led engagement with the company, consortium and Ofwat, L&VW is working on a revised proposal. "We will consider any such revised proposal, if requested to do so by the company's board, in accordance with our statutory duties, including to ensure that the interests of customers are adequately protected." Sources close to the consortium said it was preparing a robust set of further proposals, with reports suggesting that an offering of Thames Water shares to customers was among the ideas being considered. Under their plans, the creditors would not pay any dividends to shareholders until the 2030s, with a plan to return the company to the public markets in about five years' time. Ofwat is required to hold a three-month public consultation on a private sector deal, meaning that time is running out for such a process to be launched. Thames Water repeated a warning this week that it would run out of money by the end of the year, although creditors have stated their intention to continue financing the company into 2027. A spokesperson for L&VW declined to comment this weekend.

She won best supporting actress in 1990 for playing the mother of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown in My Left Foot. Daniel Day Lewis also won best actor for the leading role. Ms Fricker followed that with a memorable role in Home Alone 2 as the Central Park "pigeon lady" who becomes friends with Macaulay Culkin's character. Phil Belfield, her agent, said she had died after a period of ill health. "We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her," he said in a statement. "I was honoured to know, love and work with her and she will always have a place in my heart and in the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over." The Dublin-born star also appeared with Mike Myers in So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), and in A Time to Kill (1996), a legal drama fronted by Samuel L Jackson, Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey. She was well known to British TV audiences through her long-running role as nurse Megan Roach on Casualty in the 1980s and 90s. Later appearances included the film Veronica Guerin, which starred Cate Blanchett as the real-life Irish journalist murdered for investigating organised crime, and the adaption of Graham Norton's first novel Holding. Ms Fricker also appeared on stage at venues including the National Theatre and Royal Court Theatre. Paying tribute, Irish deputy prime minister Simon Harris said she was a "national treasure" and "among the greatest exports this country has ever produced". "The [Oscar] win and her emotional acceptance speech, in which she dedicated the award to 'all the people of Ireland', was a defining moment for Irish cinema," the Tanaiste said. "As the first Irish woman to win an acting Oscar, she opened doors and set a standard of excellence that continues to inspire generations of Irish artists." My Left Foot director Jim Sheridan told Irish broadcaster RTE that Ms Fricker was an "amazing actress, amazing ⁠character, a forceful personality". "She was vibrant and full of life and had her own opinions. She took no prisoners, let's put it that ‌way," Sheridan added. Ms Fricker was married to director Barry Davies until 1988 and became pregnant multiple times but suffered repeated miscarriages - something she said left her with long periods of depression. 'Having a dreadful death' In a bed-bound interview with The Guardian last year, she said she was "every day in pain" and "having a dreadful death". Ms Fricker described binge-watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills because she couldn't sleep at night. "It's better than getting drunk. I just love it," she told the paper. Ms Fricker - who published her memoir last year - recounted a childhood involving grooming and abuse. But in a lighter moment, looked back on her much-loved role in Home Alone 2. Read more from Sky News:Man convicted of killing British tourist to be extradited Parents of boy hurt in crocodile enclosure reveal extent of injuries She said childhood star Macaulay Culkin was charming, but admitted ending every day "covered in pigeon shit". On one occasion after filming, she bumped into Donald Trump in a hotel lift, telling The Guardian: "It was like I'd jumped into a pigsty but he was very polite about it." The actress also once wrote in the Irish Independent that she was probably prouder of her name becoming Dublin rhyming slang for "knickers" than for her Oscar. She said she had kept the famous statuette in a plastic bag under the stairs - before eventually promoting it to the shelf.

That he chose to spend his last full day as his party's leader in Kyiv – he will be back in London shortly before Andy Burnham succeeds him later – is befitting of a prime minister who saw resetting Britain's place on the world stage as one of his crowning achievements. Burnham to become Labour leader - follow live For Starmer, Ukraine has been of particular importance. He, together with Emmanuel Macron, set up the Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine as the US stepped back and the EU struggled to step up and lead the charge due to divisions in the bloc. For a prime minister wanting to secure his legacy before being booted out of office after just two years, there was a point in making a trip to Kyiv his final public act. Do allies fear change of leadership? When Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the gardens of the presidential palace in the centre of Kyiv, awarded Starmer Ukraine's Order of Freedom, the PM looked close to tears. It was his second international honour of the week after he was given the Legion d'honneur following a final summit of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris on Monday. Starmer might not have been much liked at home, but among these leaders, he has been an ally and friend, and there is trepidation as he leaves. Zelenskyy, when I asked him about these concerns about a new prime minister at the news conference in the gardens of the presidential palace, admitted that, of course, he was "afraid" of a change of leadership. Starmer, for his part, insisted that while he was standing down, the UK's support for Ukraine would endure. "I would not have said what I said to President Zelenskyy, which is really important, if I wasn't confident about what I was saying," he told me when I asked him if he had assurances from Andy Burnham about support for Ukraine. "I believe Ukraine will win this war." This was his final act as PM, and our conversation on the stands of a football ground where war veterans had been playing a match was his final interview as prime minister. Starmer did not want to leave office and had insisted, even days before he announced he was standing down, that he would fight on. Instead, having taken the party to victory in 2024, he is being turfed out of office after two years, with a party convinced that he is a winner no more. He could be forgiven for feeling bitter, aggrieved, angry. But the Starmer I encountered in our interview was none of those. He seems to have come to terms, for now, with his fate, clear that while it was not what he wanted, his party had decided that he was not the right leader to take them into the next general election, and he had accepted that with "good grace". Rejected by the party, he took the decision to end his own political career rather than fight a bloody leadership battle (which he would almost certainly have lost) and step down. He told me he took that decision with just his wife Vic and their children, and he did it because it was in the best interests of the country. 'I go with pride' But where he is impervious is around his own record. If his downfall was brought about through a toxic mix of bad decision-making – sending Peter Mandelson to Washington; cuts to winter fuel; poor party management (see welfare reform); the boys' club briefings; and an inability to set out a clear vision, how many resets were there? - and a beating at the ballot box in the local elections; he was not here to admit that. "I go with pride," he said as he told me he had "saved the Labour Party" and made it electable again. I did do enough to prepare for office (his former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, said the opposite last week) and set the groundwork for Burnham to go on and win the next general election, he insisted. Read more from Sky News:Under-16s to be banned from buying energy drinksEleven children killed in orphanage fire On the other side of the coin, his political career ends in failure. He had a landslide and a five-year term that he lost because he lost the backing of his party. For a politician who admits he "hates losing to anyone", this must be very painful. It is perhaps too soon after the drama of his downfall for Starmer to talk more openly about what he regrets and where he went wrong. But where he did open up more was when it came to his family, as he gave a very open and honest account of the toll the job has taken on his wife and his kids. "Through every step she (Vic) has been with me, the good, the bad... the really low moments, when somebody tried to burn our family house down, when my brother died, and the last few months, which haven't been easy." He told me that his two teenage children, who have grown up with their father at the top of British politics, want him back, and he clearly means it when he says he takes comfort in swapping the biggest job in Britain for the most important one – being a husband to his wife Vic and a dad to his two teenage kids. It is the side of Starmer – be it joking at PMQs on Wednesday or talking so openly about the choices he made and his motivations – that we haven't seen so much during his years as PM, and it is perhaps a side of him that might have garnered a more sympathetic hearing from a public and a party that have rejected him. He was, after all, a hugely successful election winner who struggled in office. But as he leaves Ukraine and returns home, Starmer will hope that history will judge him more kindly than his party did.

​Fifth-fastest Hamilton was on a quick lap in the closing moments of the final session before Qualifying at 3pm this afternoon when he went wide across the gravel at Turn 13 and his car's right rear wheel had a glancing blow against the barrier. It was a near mirror image of Pierre Gasly's crash at the same corner on Friday for Alpine. Belgian GP: UK schedule and how to watch on Sky SportsF1 2026 standings | F1 2026 calendar | F1 Gossip ColumnDownload the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 "I've destroyed the car mate," said Hamilton to his race engineer over team radio. "I'm sorry." With sufficient damage to the SF-26's right rear preventing the Briton from driving it back to the pit lane, Hamilton soon stopped on track and was then seen inspecting the damage himself once climbing out of the cockpit. Antonelli will go into Qualifying as the clear favourite for pole position after he topped the timesheet for the second second running at a sun-kissed Spa. Despite seeing his once comfortable title lead cut to 25 points over recent events, Antonelli has continued to show supreme pace relative to his rivals and that has hitherto continued around one of F1's most legendary and challenging circuits. He was immediately a full 0.7s faster than anyone else on his first lap of the session mid-way through the hour, although his final gap over second-placed Lando Norris and third-placed Max Verstappen finished at just 0.1s after Antonelli did not improve on the final soft-tyre runs. George Russell finished 0.3s back on his Mercedes team-mate in fourth ahead of the Ferrari pair of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Hamilton has had a clear pace edge on British GP victor Leclerc so far this weekend and was nearly 0.4s faster than his team-mate in final practice. Norris was the lead McLaren driver in second place but he will carry a 10-place grid penalty into Qualifying owing to engine changes. His team-mate Oscar Piastri will therefore effectively carry the Woking team's challenge, but the Australian finished final practice almost 0.8s off the pace in seventh place. Audi enjoyed a promising session as Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto finished eighth and ninth respectively ahead of Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull. Hadjar already knows he will start Sunday's race from the back of the grid owing to penalties for multiple changes of power-unit parts, with the Frenchman's P3 session briefly interrupted by an issue which stopped his RB22 in the pit lane after leaving the garage. Sky Sports F1's Belgian GP schedule Saturday July 181.15pm: F2 Sprint2.15pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up*3pm: BELGIAN GP QUALIFYING* Sunday July 197.30am: F3 Feature Race9am: F2 Feature Race10.45am: Porsche Supercup12.30pm: Belgian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday2pm: THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX4pm: Belgian GP reaction: Chequered Flag *Also on Sky Sports Main Event Formula 1 is at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix with Sunday's race at 2pm (build-up from 12.30pm), live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime

Kyle Bylin discovered his birth family by taking a DNA test he chose randomly during a Christmas gift exchange. The results led him to his biological aunt on a genealogy platform. Her nephew, Jeremy Morrison, then had his DNA tested, and the birth switch was revealed almost four decades on. "That's when my mind was just completely blown," Mr Bylin said. "We could have never imagined that it was an actual birth switch that occurred." Mr Bylin and Mr Morrison were the only babies born on 26 January 1988 at Unity Medical Center in Grafton, North Dakota, according to a lawsuit filed in state court last week. However, they left hospital with the wrong parents. The hospital does not dispute that the babies were switched, but it says that it has not uncovered any evidence that its staff were responsible for the life-changing error. "We recognize the profound impact this discovery has had on them and their families," Unity Medical said in a statement. "Unfortunately, because of the passage of nearly four decades, the medical and staffing records that might have provided additional clarity no longer exist, and no members of the delivery team from that time are still employed by the hospital." Two years have passed since the DNA test revealed the swap. "Kyle is still my son - that is never going to change," said Evelyn Newton. "But I feel robbed of the life I should have had with my biological son. You can't go back and replace 35 years. First steps, driving a car, getting married - how do you make up for that?" Mr Morrison's new knowledge of his birth has not changed the way he feels about the family which brought him up. "I was loved," he said. "I played sports, I did well in school. A DNA test is not going to take away 38 years of memories." But Mr Morrison, who lives in Colorado and works as a welding inspector for a wind energy firm, believes that he would be working with his biological father and brother on their grain farm had it not been for the swap. Read more from Sky News:Trump blames Canada as US 'invaded by filthy air'Teleprompter operator's alleged bets on Trump speeches Ms Newton never had any reason to believe that Mr Bylin was not her biological son Mr Bylin, however, pursued an academic career far from North Dakota, and felt "different" from the family who raised him. "There have certainly been different times throughout my life when I felt like a black sheep in my family, or that like maybe I was looking for someplace that I belonged," he said. "And only to find out years later that there really was a difference... that there is a reason why I didn't 100% fit in all the time." The men have now met their biological parents, but not each other. However, they have spoken on the phone.

The test will be offered as part of the routine heel prick test already carried out on babies shortly after birth. It's part of an evaluation programme which will inform future recommendations on testing newborns by the UK National Screening Committee. The condition has been brought to national attention in part by singer and former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson, who announced her twins, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, had been diagnosed with the condition at the start of this year. She has said their diagnosis means they are unlikely ever to be able to walk or regain their neck strength. Nelson welcomed the rollout, calling it "a day of hope". She said: "After years of campaigning, it means so much to see the heel prick test for SMA begin rolling out from October, with implementation continuing throughout 2027 until every newborn screening laboratory across the UK is offering the test. "Knowing that future families will have access to early diagnosis and the opportunity for the best possible outcomes is something I'm incredibly proud to have supported. "This is a victory for every family affected by SMA. Whilst it can't change the future of our children, I know it marks the beginning of a brighter future for future SMA families. Every baby's life matters." 'A hugely important step forward' Nelson has previously called the screening study "a postcode lottery," flagging that it would "only cover 72% of England". In an Instagram post last month, she said: "That means some babies won't be screened simply because of where they live. A postcode lottery like that just isn't fair." Speaking to Sky News' The UK Tonight With Sarah-Jane Mee earlier this year, Nelson said she had taken the twins to the GP three times because they weren't feeding properly but was told: "They are absolutely fine". She said it was her mum who finally recognised the signs, eventually leading them to a diagnosis and treatment. Health Secretary James Murray said: "No parent should have to watch their child lose the ability to move or breathe, knowing that earlier treatment could have made all the difference." Giles Lomax, chief executive officer of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) UK, said: "We are delighted to see the confirmation that the remaining six screening laboratories will begin screening from October 2027. This demonstrates a clear commitment to making newborn screening available across England. "No family should face a postcode lottery when it comes to a condition where every day without treatment can lead to irreversible loss of motor neurons." Aoife Regan, director of impact and charitable programmes at Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, said: "Early diagnosis can be life-changing. With effective treatments now available, identifying SMA before symptoms appear gives babies the best chance of timely treatment and can help prevent irreversible disease progression. "At Great Ormond Street Hospital, teams provide specialist and wraparound care for children with SMA and their families following what is often a devastating diagnosis. Screening has the potential to transform that journey for future families." Babies in Scotland have been offered the test since March. What is SMA? SMA is a rare genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and loss of movement and can affect a child's ability to breathe and swallow. It can leave babies unable to sit up, crawl or walk. It's estimated that around 70 babies are born with the condition each year in the UK, with SMA often grouped into types based on the age at which symptoms begin and how it affects sitting, standing and walking. According to the NHS, around 1,150 people in England are living with SMA types one, two, or three. There is currently no cure for SMA, but early treatment can delay the progressive nature of the illness and help children live longer.

It will be illegal to sell energy drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to anyone under 16 across all retailers, including online, in shops, restaurants, and cafes. Politics latest: Zelenskyy 'afraid of changes' as Starmer bows out Energy drinks will also be banned from all vending machines, to prevent under-16s from buying them there. One energy drink can contain the same amount of caffeine as two coffees or four cans of coke, with up to a third of children in the UK consuming at least one energy drink every week, particularly boys. Tea, coffee, and lower-caffeine soft drinks - such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi - are not affected. But drinks that currently breach the limit and would be part of the ban include Red Bull, Monster, Relentless, and Prime. They already carry warnings stating they are not recommended for children. Major supermarkets have already voluntarily stopped sales of the drinks to youngsters, but the Department of Health said research suggests some smaller convenience stores are still selling them to children. The ban will be enforced by trading standards. Public health minister Sharon Hodgson said: "We know about the damage to young people: affecting their sleep, their concentration in class, their behaviour." The government confirmed their intent to implement a ban last autumn and launched a 12-week consultation. Hodgson said ministers had heard "from so many parents and teachers across the country, they see the difference when the kids are 'wired' when they're on these high caffeine energy drinks, but it was perfectly legal. "Well now we're empowering parents and teachers and shopkeepers to say 'no, you don't have to sell these to children under 16 anymore, they're banned'." Labour committed in their 2024 manifesto to banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s, as well as banning the advertising of junk food to children. Theresa May's Conservative government also ran a consultation on banning the sale of energy drinks for children in 2018, although a ban was never implemented. An estimated 100,000 children in England drink high-caffeine energy drinks. Some energy drinks have gained popularity among young people in recent years, with sales of the viral drink Prime skyrocketing after being promoted by YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul.

DeChambeau appeared to have moved within a shot of the halfway lead following an opening-round 67 with a birdie-birdie finish to his four-under 66 at Royal Birkdale, only to be called to speak to rules officials after the conclusion of his round. The two-time major champion was adjudged to have inadvertently improved his lie when stood in thick grass at the par-four fifth, having hit a wayward tee shot, with DeChambeau returning to the area with rules officials to review the incident. The Open: Latest leaderboard and scoresRecap: The Open - second round as it happenedWhen is The Open on Sky? Key TV timesGet Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract Extraordinary footage saw DeChambeau passionately plead his innocence in a heated exchange, only to be penalised under rule 8.1 of the rules of golf and see his bogey on that hole become a triple-bogey seven. "Obviously disappointed with the ruling," DeChambeau said on X. "I don't agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let's get it." DeChambeau will tee off his third round alongside playing partner Sam Burns at 3.30pm. In a statement, R&A Referee Grant Moir said: "Bryson has been penalised two strokes for inadvertently improving the area of his intended backswing on the fifth hole when he was playing his second shot. "Rule 8.1 restricts what a player may do to improve any of the protected conditions affecting the stroke, and this includes the area of the player's intended swing. "So an improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke. I'll stress that this applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson's case." It drops DeChambeau to a two-under 68 and from seven under to five under and three strokes behind Lucas Herbert, who now holds a two-shot lead and was one of two players to equal the lowest round in men's major history with second-round 62s. It took over 70 minutes from DeChambeau walking off the 18th to the decision being confirmed, with the American then spending time on the range before declining media interviews for the sixth consecutive major round. Reports suggested DeChambeau was undecided about whether he is going to continue in the championship, although he later appeared to confirm his intention to play by posting on multiple platforms over Friday evening. "Onto the weekend..." he posted on Instragram, which included superimposed images of him floating above the grass. Players and pundits divided over rules drama Paul McGinley, speaking on Golf Channel: "I think it's a breach. The first five seconds when he got to the ball, that's when the breach happened. He walked up, saw his lie, and his first thing to do was to stand behind the ball. "In standing behind the ball, he bedded down the grass behind it, which in turn was going to improve his back swing. For me, it's a clear breach. Bryson was obviously not agreeing with it, in a very stubborn way. That's stamping down grass behind the ball. "Your line of play is not just towards your target. It's also your backswing. He's standing right there where his club should be going back." Dame Laura Davies: "Bryson obviously fought his corner, but on the evidence of what they've seen on the camera and what they saw out there, they've decided it's a two-shot penalty. "He's three back instead of one back - that's it. You can't go any more than that - that's why the camera is so important with the rules. Hopefully the right decision has been made." Wayne 'Radar' Riley: "DeChambeau will certainly be wound up tomorrow and I think the people on this property will be rooting for him. We all looked at it and thought it could go one way or the other. "It's been unfortunate, but it's been very well explained by the R&A." Drama, confusion and history - a Friday to remember at Birkdale Sky Sports' Ali Stafford at Royal Birkdale: "Friday's action should have been remembered as the first time in Open history that two players carded rounds of 62 in the same day, but has been overshadowed by a remarkable end to the second round. "Lucas Herbert's par-bogey finish saw him miss out on the first 61 ever in a men's major, while Sam Burns three-birdie finish - including a hole-out from the bunker at the last - saw both join the major '62 club' within half hour of each other. "While Herbert now has a two-shot lead rather than the one he initially appeared, those two record-equalling rounds were quickly usurped by Bryson DeChambeau's two-shot penalty late in the day. "Opinions were divided and continued to change during 70-odd minutes of chaos from the moment DeChambeau walked off, with brief suggestions that he may not even want to continue in the tournament. "DeChambeau didn't answer questions so we don't know yet truly how he is feeling, but the way he defended himself to the rules officials was pure cinema. He answered Sir Nick Faldo's critics about strategy, but now he will want to make another statement by responding to this in the right way." When is The Open live on Sky Sports? Sky Sports is once again the exclusive home of The Open in the UK and Ireland, with wall-to-wall action from the final men's major of the year throughout the weekend on Sky Sports Golf. 'Saturday at The Open' will kick off the third-round coverage from 9am on Sky Sports Golf, with early play on Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports App ahead of full coverage on Sky Sports Golf from 11am. Featured Groups will also be available on Sky Sports+ or the Sky Sports App, with coverage then starting for Sunday's final round from 8am on Sunday on Sky Sports Golf.