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PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement for Interactive Dialogue with High Commissioner on human rights in Ukraine [January 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 January 2025.

Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on the human rights situation in Ukraine. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.

Thank you, Mr. President,

Let me begin by thanking you, Deputy High Commissioner and your Office, for your continued efforts to shine a light on human rights in Ukraine almost three years on from the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Your update today is a stark reminder of the barbaric character of that invasion. In recent months, as you have recounted, we’ve seen hundreds of civilian deaths including healthcare workers and emergency personnel. Systematic attacks on energy infrastructure. Forced deportations. And further grim evidence of systematic and systemic torture – and more executions – of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Routine abuse that is facilitated by Russian state entities, with the full knowledge of facility supervisors. Severe beatings, electric shocks, prolonged stress positions, and mock executions have become the norm. Sexual violence during internment is pervasive. Rape, castration and sexualized humiliation have all been reported.

The torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war is not just endemic. It is Russian State policy, in complete violation of the Geneva Conventions. All of this from a permanent member of the UN Security Council, which purports to be a great world power.

Deputy High Commissioner,

We are now three years into this invasion. Three years into the horrors. When will Russia accept its obligations to International Law and end this senseless war?

Thank you and Slava Ukraine.

January 9, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Floods Minister and Environment Agency hold further meeting to bolster flood response and recovery [January 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 January 2025.

Minister Hardy and Philip Duffy discussed the response to flooding in the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and across the country.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy convened a further meeting with Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy this afternoon to discuss the nation’s response to the recent flooding events.

During the meeting, the Floods Minister was briefed on the current situation on the ground, and the response being led by the Environment Agency and the emergency services. She also discussed the further action being taken to protect communities over the next few days with minor flooding possible in some parts of the country continuing into Thursday. Together, they discussed how to continue to support the collective efforts of the Environment Agency, emergency services, and local authorities in responding to flooding.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding and coastal erosion is one of the Government’s priorities. It’s why £2.4 billion is being invested over the next two years to bolster the nation’s resilience, which is vital if we are to protect homes and business across the country.

The meeting comes as a mixture of snowmelt and saturated catchments has brought further disruption to parts of England, particularly in the Midlands, following the heavy rainfall over the New Year that saw significant river and surface water flooding across the North West of England and Yorkshire.

Since New Year’s Eve, the Environment Agency estimates that, in total across England, more than 41,000 properties have been protected but at least 300 properties have sadly flooded, with reports of further flooding being investigated.

The Environment Agency continues to monitor the forecast and impacts on river levels. Its message to the public remains to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

This afternoon I held an urgent meeting with the Environment Agency about the ongoing flooding incident.

My sympathies go out to the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe. People must continue to follow their advice and sign up for flood warnings.

This Government is working at pace to accelerate the building of flood defences through our new Floods Resilience Taskforce and investing £2.4 billion, so we can continue to protect people and their homes.

Chief Executive Philip Duffy said:

My thoughts are with the people affected by flooding over the last week. We will continue our work to support flooded communities, and I want to thank teams from the Environment Agency and our partners for their tireless efforts this week.

With the risk from floods increasing due to climate change, I want to reassure people that we are intensifying our efforts to repair and maintain flood defences and work with communities nationwide to prepare for future wet weather.

The Government is working in lockstep with the Environment Agency to enhance preparations as we navigate the winter season and is swiftly integrating the insights from recent floods into the new Floods Resilience Taskforce. The taskforce is speeding up the delivery of flood defences and enhancing our national resilience to protect communities from extreme weather conditions.

Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected.

January 9, 2025
NEWS STORY : Liz Truss Issues Legal Threat to Keir Starmer Over His Claims She Crashed the Economy

STORY

Liz Truss, the former Prime Minister, has sent a legal threat to Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, demanding that he stop repeating that she “crashed the economy” during her period in office. The mini-budget in September 2022 led to the falling of the pound to its weakest level since decimalisation and Truss ordered a reversal of the budget, but her lawyers said in the letter that the economy did not crash as GDP or employment did not immediately fall.

Truss was forced from office after just 49 days and there was cross-party condemnation of her budget, with Rishi Sunak later stating:

“Everyone knows that two years ago I wasn’t afraid to repeatedly warn about what her economic policies would lead to, even if it wasn’t what people wanted to hear at the time.”

Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House, said in response to the unusual demand that “we won’t cease and desist from telling the truth that the Conservatives crashed the economy.”

A spokesperson for Keir Starmer said in a statement:

“I think you can ask people up and down the country what the impact of previous economic management was on their mortgages, on inflation, and I think you’ll get similar answers.”

January 9, 2025
NEWS STORY : Serious Allegations Made Against Inspector Charles Ehikioya

STORY

Inspector Charles Ehikioya, head of the Metropolitan police’s Black Police Association, is facing a misconduct hearing for allegedly participating in a WhatsApp group chat where offensive messages were shared. The messages, sent between 2017 and 2020, included racist jokes about east Asian people, a video mocking Katie Price’s disabled son, and misogynistic and homophobic content. Ehikioya denies the allegations, claiming the messages were either fabricated or falsely attributed to him. If found guilty, he could be dismissed from the police force. The hearing is expected to end on 10 January 2025.

January 7, 2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 7 January 1925

7 JANUARY 1925

The German Government, in a Note to the Allies protesting against the continued occupation of Cologne, maintains that Germany, in the main, has fulfilled her disarmament obligations. The reply rejects the allegations made by the Allies.

Winston Churchill arrived in Paris for the opening of the Allied Finance Ministers’ Conference to-day. It is hoped to reach a settlement of the war claims question, but there is reason to believe that the United States delegation is prepared to reject summarily any attempt to secure better terms than America is prepared to draft.

Zaghlul Pasha in an interview said he considered that a Republic would not only be unsuitable, but would be bad generally for Egypt. He expresses confidence in victory at the elections, the legality of which, nevertheless, he declared his intention to challenge, although it might mean going to the polls again. Sidky Pasha, Minister of the Interior, replying to the Nationalist leader’s declaration, smiled at Zaghlul’s constitutional pose. The elections, he said, were proceeding as they should proceed–free from intimidation and pressure.

Signor Mussolini’s Cabinet has been reconstructed and, with one exception, consists entirely of Fascisti.

In a collision between two trains near Beaubassin, Mauritius, several passengers were killed and some fifty passengers injured.

January 7, 2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 6 January 1925

6 JANUARY 1925

The Allies’ Note to Germany points out that the evacuation of Cologne has been postponed because of definite breaches of the Treaty of Versailles in the matter of army organisation, military stores, conversion of munition factories, and other matters. The more important of these violations are set out in the Note.

The Conference of Allied Finance Ministers opens at Paris tomorrow. The official agenda involves the question of the allocation of the proceeds of the Ruhr occupation and that of the American claim for reparation. On the latter point, a Note has been received by Britain from the United States Government rejecting the compromise offered.

A Rome telegram states that all the organisations hostile to the Government have been dissolved. Liberal members of the Cabinet have resigned.

M. Raditch, the leader of the recently suppressed Croat Peasant party, who is accused of intriguing with the Soviets, has been arrested at Agram.

Attention is drawn by the Federation of British Industries to the suggestion that the South African Government is considering the withdrawal of the tariff preference at present given to many classes of British goods.

New Year trade forecasts for Canada strike an optimistic note, and a marked improvement in conditions in the West is emphasised. Attention is drawn to the great increase of investments of U.S. capital in the Dominion, and to the almost negligible investment of Scottish and English capital in Canadian securities during the past year.

Launching the Young Liberals’ 1925 campaign at the National Liberal Club, London, Mr Lloyd George claimed that Liberalism had saved Germany and France from disaster, and would ultimately save Italy. There never was a period in European history where nations stood more in need of Liberalism.

January 7, 2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 5 January 1925

5 JANUARY 1925

Benito Mussolini made a speech in the Italian Chamber which has been received with great enthusiasm in Fascist quarters. He said that the Government was strong enough to break completely what he called the Aventino sedition. Fascist demonstrations have been held in Italian cities.

The principal topic before the Cabinet to-day will be the Allied Financial Conference in Paris. While the British view is that a separate conference should be called to deal with war debts, it is not doubted that the question will receive considerable attention. The contents of M. Clementel’s memorandum to Mr Myron Herrick, the American Ambassador, have been carefully guarded, but the document, it is presumed, recites French claims to special consideration by her late Allies.

The Allied Note to Germany on the subject of the evacuation of Cologne will be handed to the German Government to-day by the British Ambassador. It is intended to publish the text tomorrow.

A Berlin telegram states that President Ebert has ordered Dr Marx to form a non-political Cabinet.

The notorious German Communist, Ruth Fischer, was arrested in Vienna.

January 7, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government crackdown on explicit deepfakes [January 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 7 January 2025.

Predators who create sexually explicit ‘deepfakes’ could face prosecution as the Government bears down on vile online abuse.
- Government to make creating sexually explicit ‘deepfake’ images a criminal offence
- Perpetrators to face up to two years behind bars under new offences for taking an intimate image without consent and installing equipment to enable these offences
- Package delivers on Government’s Plan for Change and manifesto commitment to protect women and girls
Predators who create sexually explicit ‘deepfakes’ could face prosecution as the Government bears down on vile online abuse as part of its mission to make our streets safer.

The proliferation of these hyper-realistic images has grown at an alarming rate, causing devastating harm to victims, particularly women and girls who are often the target.

To tackle this, the government will introduce a new offence meaning perpetrators could be charged for both creating and sharing these images, not only marking a crackdown on this abhorrent behaviour but making it clear there is no excuse for creating a sexually explicit deepfake of someone without their consent.

The Government will also create new offences for the taking of intimate images without consent and the installation of equipment with intent to commit these offences – sending a clear message that abusers will face the full force of the law.

Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones said:

It is unacceptable that one in three women have been victims of online abuse. This demeaning and disgusting form of chauvinism must not become normalised, and as part of our Plan for Change we are bearing down on violence against women – whatever form it takes.

These new offences will help prevent people being victimised online. We are putting offenders on notice – they will face the full force of the law.

While it is already an offence to share – or threaten to share – an intimate image without consent, it is only an offence to take an image without consent in certain circumstances, such as upskirting.

Under the new offences, anyone who takes an intimate image without consent faces up to two years’ custody. Those who install equipment so that they, or someone else, can take intimate images without consent also face up to two years behind bars.

The move delivers on the Government’s manifesto commitment to ban the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes as well as recommendations from the Law Commission relating to intimate images.

Alongside existing offences of sharing intimate images without consent, this will give law enforcement a holistic package of offences to effectively tackle non-consensual intimate image abuse.

Baroness Jones, Technology Minister, said:

The rise of intimate image abuse is a horrifying trend that exploits victims and perpetuates a toxic online culture. These acts are not just cowardly, they are deeply damaging, particularly for women and girls who are disproportionately targeted.

With these new measures, we’re sending an unequivocal message: creating or sharing these vile images is not only unacceptable but criminal. Tech companies need to step up too – platforms hosting this content will face tougher scrutiny and significant penalties.

Campaigner and presenter Jess Davies said:

Intimate-image abuse is a national emergency that is causing significant, long-lasting harm to women and girls who face a total loss of control over their digital footprint, at the hands of online misogyny.

Women should not have to accept sexual harassment and abuse as a normal part of their online lives, we need urgent action and legislation to better protect women and girls from the mammoth scale of misogyny they are experiencing online.

These new offences follow the Government’s action in September 2024 to add sharing intimate image offences as priority offences under the Online Safety Act. This put the onus on platforms to root out and remove this type of content – or face enforcement action from Ofcom.

The new offences will be included in the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which will be introduced when parliamentary time allows. Further details of the new offences will be set out in due course.

Further information
- The sexually explicit deepfakes offences will apply to images of adults. This is because the law already covers this behaviour where the image is of a child (under the age of 18).
- It is already an offence to share or threaten to share intimate images, including deepfakes, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, following amendments that were made by the Online Safety Act 2023.
- The Government will repeal two existing voyeurism offences that relate to the recording of a person doing a private act, and recording an image beneath a person’s clothing.
- They will be replaced with a range of new offences:
  - Taking or recording an intimate photograph or film without consent or reasonable belief in it
- Taking or recording an intimate photograph or film without consent and with intent to cause alarm, distress, or humiliation
- Taking or recording an intimate photograph or film without consent or reasonable belief in it, and for the purpose of the sexual gratification of oneself or another
- We will also introduce new offences that criminalise someone if they install or adapt, prepare or maintain equipment, and do so with the intent of enabling themselves or another to commit one of the three offences of taking an intimate image without consent.
January 7, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Hundreds of thousands of Brits in rural villages and towns to benefit from UK government broadband boost [January 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 7 January 2025.

Around 131,000 homes and businesses across the country will no longer be stuck with slow internet speeds as the UK government’s rollout of gigabit connectivity races ahead.
- Around 131,000 hard-to-reach homes and businesses to get lightning-fast broadband speeds, helping to break down barriers to opportunity and kickstart economic growth under the government’s Plan for Change
- Over £289 million in contracts signed to connect some of Britain’s most remote locations including in the Dee Valley, Isle of Anglesey and Shropshire Hills, giving millions of people better access to vital online services such as healthcare and education
- Funding forms part of the UK government’s Project Gigabit to end the plight of poor broadband across Great Britain, with work already underway to bring upgrades to over one million premises
Some of Britain’s most isolated communities will benefit from faster broadband speeds, giving them better access to a range of services including healthcare at home through virtual consultations and remote monitoring, and helping to combat loneliness by ensuring pensioners can access high-quality video calls.

It will also support businesses to better grow and serve their customers online and help young people have a better start in life through access to online education and the resources to apply and interview for jobs.

Project Gigabit plays a key role in plans to kickstart economic growth and break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change. With faster internet speeds across the country, communities that would otherwise be left behind with outdated broadband networks will be able to make the most of what the digital world has to offer.

Areas set to benefit include the Dee Valley, Isle of Anglesey, and Shropshire Hills as 4 new contracts – worth over £289 million – have been signed by the UK government and Openreach. This will deliver the fastest, most reliable broadband networks on the market to hundreds of towns and villages in rural Britain and plug the digital divide outside urban areas.

Areas to benefit from the new contracts include North and Southwest Wales, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Devon, Somerset, Essex, North East England and Worcestershire.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

We are determined to deliver the infrastructure this country needs to thrive, and I am thrilled to see so many homes and businesses in all areas of the country getting access to the fastest broadband speeds on the market through Project Gigabit.

With today’s £289 million investment, we are not only boosting connectivity, but making it easier to access remote healthcare, online education, shopping online. work, learn, shop and stay in touch with loved ones online.

As part of this government’s Plan for Change, we will plug digital divides, helping to make the UK a more equal society where everyone is given a fair shot in life.

The latest contracts add to the 96,600 premises already set to benefit under a UK government agreement with Openreach. The agreement signed earlier this year will make up to £800 million of funding available to modernise broadband infrastructure in rural areas of England, Scotland and Wales, ending the plight of buffering.

Across the UK, Project Gigabit is now delivering gigabit connectivity to over 1.1 million hard-to-reach premises – a figure that will continue to rise in the months ahead, meeting the demand for reliable connectivity, stimulating rural economies and reducing regional disparities.

For households, gigabit-capable broadband delivers faster speeds and fewer dropouts, providing a gateway to remote working and online education. Unlike traditional copper-based networks, gigabit connections won’t slow down at peak times, meaning no more battling for bandwidth with neighbours. Gigabit networks can easily handle over a hundred devices all at once with no buffering, meaning the whole family can seamlessly surf, stream and download at the same time.

Across the UK, over 1 million hard-to-reach premises already have access to upgrades thanks to UK government investment. Over 85 per cent of the country can now access gigabit connections, putting the UK in a strong position to meet the government’s target of full gigabit coverage by 2030.

Dozens of Project Gigabit contracts representing more than £2.2 billion investment have now been signed with over 10 different suppliers to deliver the upgrades, including many smaller, independent broadband providers.

Openreach CEO Clive Selley, said:

Our new Full Fibre broadband network now reaches more than half of all properties in the UK, and we’re confident we can reach as many as 30 million premises by the end of the decade, assuming the right regulatory and investment conditions exist. This is a British infrastructure success story which experts say will boost productivity by £73 billion and bring a raft of social and environmental benefits for the country. We believe that everyone deserves access to fast and reliable broadband, and we’re proud that this partnership will help extend our ultrafast, ultra-reliable network to areas that would otherwise be left behind by the private sector.
January 7, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government sets out plan to secure the long-term future of steelmaking and safeguard steel communities [January 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 7 January 2025.

The Government has launched a new Steel Council, made up of steel sector leaders, industry experts, trade unions, trade associations and devolved governments.
- Government launches new Steel Council to advise on rebuilding the industry and developing its upcoming Steel Strategy.
- Council led by the Business Secretary and Chair of the Materials Processing Institute Jon Bolton, will bring together industry figures, experts, trade unions and devolved governments to secure the long-term future of steelmaking in the UK.
- New council demonstrates the Government’s partnership with industry and trade unions to revitalise UK steelmaking and secure economic growth, delivering on the Plan for Change.
The Government is ramping up its plans to rebuild the UK’s steel sector with the launch of a new Steel Council which will bring together leaders from across the industry to advise on the upcoming Steel Strategy.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will chair the first meeting of the Council today (7 January) together with co-chair Jon Bolton, Chairman of the Materials Processing Institute – a globally-recognised non-profit research and innovation centre based in the iconic steel community of Teesside.

A secure future for the steel industry is vital to both the UK’s national security and delivering growth, the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change, and with the launch of the Council the Government is taking another important step towards safeguarding the sector for the long term.

The Council will bring together steel sector leaders such as CEOs from Tata Steel and British Steel with trade union leaders, industry experts, devolved government representatives and trade associations to address the challenges facing the steel industry and make the changes needed to secure steelmaking in the UK.

It will meet regularly as the Government prepares to launch its Steel Strategy, providing a vital link between industry, workers, experts and government in every part of the UK and ensuring that both the workforce and economic growth are at the heart of its plans to rebuild the steel sector.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

The industry and steel communities have had enough of lurching from crisis to crisis – this government will take the action needed to place steel on a secure footing for the long term. With the launch of the Steel Council we’re placing workers and local communities at the heart of our plans as we bring forward up to £2.5 billion of investment to secure growth right across the country.

Steel was a neglected industry in this country under the previous government, but with the launch of this Council and our upcoming Strategy, we’re proving once again that we are the Government that’s committed to driving growth and innovation in the sector.

A vibrant steel sector is crucial for economic growth and our national security, and by reflecting views from industry across the UK as we bring forward our Steel Strategy we’re delivering on the Plan for Change and boosting economic stability.

Gareth Stace, Director-General, UK Steel said:

The establishment of the Steel Council marks a defining moment for the future of steelmaking in Britain. The Council represents a crucial step towards creating a comprehensive Government Steel Strategy – one that lays the foundations for a sustainable and resilient industry.

This strategy is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to foster a competitive business environment that encourages long-term investment and ensures steelmaking remains at the heart of the UK economy.

We are committed to collaborating with the Government, trade unions, and industry partners to turn this vision into a shared success, securing the sustained growth that our sector, its workforce, and our communities rightfully deserve.

Jon Bolton, Chairman of the Materials Processing Institute said:

I am honoured to be asked to co-chair the Steel Council. I have worked in the steel industry globally for over 40 years, and it’s clear this sector has faced many challenges.

However, I believe the UK has all the essential elements to attract investment into the steel industry: demand, skills, technology, unrivalled research and development and, critically, a supportive government having announced up to £2.5 billion of support.

I see the Council’s task being to develop a strategy that details the core elements of that investment plan and to establish a roadmap towards a rejuvenated, competitive and environmentally progressive industry.

The Government will work closely with the Steel Council towards the launch of the Steel Strategy in Spring, and the Council will continue to meet regularly following its publication to help drive investment into steelmaking communities across the country.

Full list of the Steel Council’s membership:
- Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Chair)
- Jon Bolton, Chairman of the Materials Processing Institute (Co-chair)
- Sarah Jones, Minister of State for Industry and Decarbonisation
- British Steel
- Tata Steel
- Liberty Steel
- Marcegaglia UK
- Sheffield Forgemasters
- Celsa Steel
- UK Steel
- British Metals Recycling Association
- Materials Processing Institute
- Warwick Manufacturing Group
- Community Trade Union
- GMB Trade Union
- Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Scottish Government
- Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Welsh Government
- Conor Murphy, Minister for the Economy, Northern Ireland Executive
January 7, 2025