Privatisation not the problem for England’s water, says author of review

Architect of government’s water plan says nationalisation might not fix everything and the current system can work

‘I’m picking winners’: UK business secretary takes activist approach to economic growth

AI evangelist Peter Kyle wants to scale up businesses, attract overseas investors and look out for UK’s poorer regions

Gordon Ramsay says tax changes will make restaurants ‘lambs to the slaughter’

Celebrity chef warns UK government’s plans for higher business rates from April ‘simply will not work’

UK government borrowing falls to £11.6bn in December

Official figures better than expected after record-breaking receipts for the month of December

‘Manchesterism’ is building a better politics and a strong economy. The whole country should be inspired

We are the fastest-growing city-region economy in the UK, proof that it is possible to use public funds effectively while reducing crisis spending, says Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester

What happens when the taps run dry? England is about to find out

It’s not just Tunbridge Wells – a country famous around the world for its rain is in danger of self-imposed drought, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

Why is the UK investing in £6.45bn Kraken when it doesn’t need public money?

Given the software company’s size and funding options, British Business Bank’s investment looks like mission creep

World would be a ‘better place’ if US took over Greenland, says Nigel Farage

Reform leader says he agrees ‘strategically’ with Trump but adds that views of Greenlanders must be respected

Keir Starmer to visit China with British business leaders next week, say reports

Prime minister’s reported trip follows approval by UK government for Beijing to build new embassy in London

The Guardian view on food security: Britain can no longer trust markets alone

Editorial: As climate and geopolitics shocks bite, countries are rebuilding food buffers. The UK clings to neoliberal ideas while households pay the price

Nandy intends to refer Daily Mail’s Telegraph takeover to regulators

Culture secretary ‘minded to’ intervene and ask Ofcom and CMA whether the £500m deal harms media plurality

Number of employed people in UK falls again as wage growth slows

Shops, restaurants and hotels particularly hit by slowdown in hiring, as unemployment remains at 5.1%

Reeves plans to refund some visa fees in effort to attract ‘trailblazer’ investment to UK

Chancellor, who flies to Davos on Tuesday, will announce changes aimed at encouraging global firms to bring highly skilled staff to Britain

Water firms could be let off pollution fines as part of government overhaul

Exclusive: Campaigners claim changes will let companies ‘off the hook’, as government prepares to unveil new white paper for water industry

Out of sight: spectacular HS2 tunnels offer glimmer of hope for stalling project

Despite much soul-searching over UK’s inability to build infrastructure, two sections of HS2 under Chilterns are being hailed for their engineering