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Water companies circumventing bonus rules? What did ministers expect? | Nils Pratley
Nils Pratley argues that the UK government should not be surprised that water companies are finding ways around the ban on bonuses for polluting bosses, since it was entirely predictable. The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 let Ofwat block performance-related bonuses at the worst-offending firms but left salaries, allowances and retention payments untouched, so companies…
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Ariana Grande Shares More Magical ‘Harry Potter’ Impressions, This Time of Even Trickier Characters
Ariana Grande has released a second round of Harry Potter voice impressions, this time tackling trickier supporting characters including Draco Malfoy, Professor McGonagall, Argus Filch, Luna Lovegood, Kreacher and Dolores Umbridge. The clip, shared via her R.E.M. Beauty TikTok while promoting a plumping lip gloss, builds on a first instalment posted in July that featured…
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What to expect from Google’s 2026 Pixel hardware launch event
Google is set to hold its annual Made by Google hardware launch event on Wednesday, where it is expected to unveil the Pixel 11 range along with updated smartwatches, refreshed earbuds and possibly a new item tracker. The event is notable for its unusual evening timing and for being hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, while…
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Marvel Officially Brings Back One of Spider-Man’s Most Powerful Villains
Marvel has revealed that Carnage and Norman Osborn have reunited to form the Red Goblin, one of Spider-Man’s most powerful villains, in a preview of *The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity* #5. The development follows the previous issue, in which Spider-Girl arrived at Osborn’s school fully possessed by Carnage, prompting Osborn to welcome the symbiote back and…
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Made In L.A., The Paramount Strategy: ‘Clueless’ Series & Viola Davis’ ‘Ascent’ Among Recipients In Latest TV Tax Credit Allocations
The California Film Commission has awarded nearly $145.5 million in state tax credits to nine television projects, including two Paramount productions: a “Clueless” revival led by Alicia Silverstone and Viola Davis’ “Ascent”. The announcement comes as Paramount pursues its contested $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, with California’s Attorney General leading an antitrust lawsuit…
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V of BTS Is a ‘True Champion’ as the New Ambassador for This Iconic Fashion Brand
V of BTS has been named the new lead ambassador for Champion’s “True Champion” campaign, announced on 10 August. He joins a global roster of celebrity faces for the sportswear brand, including Romeo Beckham, Danna Paola, Kyle Kuzma and others, with imagery showing him modelling a dark blue hoodie from the range. Champion, which was…
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Zuckerberg argues most common AI concerns overblown
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg published a Monday blog post on the company’s website touting artificial superintelligence for its accessibility, personalized features and ability to serve as an economic power tool amid concerns about humans’ dwindling control over large language models. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the current technology that mimics human tasks like writing or driving,…
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Terraria’s biggest mod, Calamity, is shutting down after 10 years over what the makers call a “troubled past” and “irrecoverably tainted reputation”
The team behind Calamity, one of Terraria’s largest and most prominent mods, has announced that development will end after 10 years. The creators said the decision was driven by the project’s “troubled past” and what they described as an “irrecoverably tainted reputation”, bringing a long-running fan-made expansion to a close. Calamity has substantially expanded Terraria…
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Martin Rowson on the drought and Britain’s water companies – cartoon
This item is a Martin Rowson editorial cartoon published by the Guardian, offering satirical commentary on Britain’s ongoing drought and the conduct of the country’s privatised water companies. As an illustration rather than a written report, it conveys the newspaper’s opinion through visual satire instead of reported facts or quotes, reflecting continued public and media…
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After eBay’s Resounding Rejection, GameStop Reconsiders Its $56 Billion Acquisition Bid
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen might be ready to pull the plug on his ambitious plan to purchase eBay for $56 billion, a new report claims. Cohen–who came up with the plan while seated on his porcelain throne–had been pursuing the deal ever since it was announced, but eBay rejected the offer, saying it was “neither credible nor attractive.” According…