Ellie Crabbe

South East Water warned Kent customers that storage tanks remained critically low and urged them to restrict use to essential purposes. Supplies were restored to 7,400 properties in Herne Bay, Rough Common and Blean, but about 400 homes in Benenden, Cranbrook and Rolvenden still faced low pressure or no water. Residents staged a protest in Benenden, while businesses and households criticized the company’s distribution of bottled water and handling of repeated outages. Defra called the disruption unacceptable and demanded faster leak reduction and compliance with drought plans. The incident follows earlier failures, including a £30.5 million Ofwat redress package and investigations involving hundreds of thousands of affected customers.

Counter Terrorism Policing has reopened its investigation into an alleged firebomb attack at Nigel Farage’s south London home, originally reported as an attempted burglary in April 2025. The move follows the murder investigation into former MP Ann Widdecombe’s death and the identification of a previously overlooked line of inquiry. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is independently examining whether a Counter Terrorism Policing London staff member failed to pursue that lead. No arrests were made in the original case, while Joshua Kerry has been charged with Widdecombe’s murder. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said authorities had been slow to take threats against the party’s MPs seriously.

England supporters arriving in Atlanta for the World Cup semi‑final against Argentina expressed a mix of optimism and anxiety, particularly over Lionel Messi’s influence. Fans highlighted confidence in Jude Bellingham and the team’s overall strength but acknowledged the historic rivalry and memories of past defeats. Security in Atlanta and England has been strengthened ahead of the match, with large crowds gathering in fan zones and pubs. England manager Thomas Tuchel noted the challenge of containing Messi as the team aims for its first World Cup final since 1966.