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NEWS STORY : Louise Cantillon takes up role as British High Commissioner to New Zealand

STORY

Louise Cantillon has taken up her appointment as British High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor of the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands. She succeeds Iona Thomas OBE, who completed her tenure earlier in 2026. The appointment was initially announced on 14 August, with the British High Commission confirming on 26 August that Ms Cantillon had joined the diplomatic mission.

Ms Cantillon previously served as British Consul General in Sydney and Deputy Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, covering Australia and New Zealand. Her earlier career included trade and project management roles in China, work for the British Council across Asia and positions in the private sector. She is also a chartered surveyor.

The High Commissioner said she would work to strengthen trade, investment and cultural links between the two countries, alongside cooperation on security and wider challenges in the Indo Pacific region. The UK New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force in May 2023, will form an important part of that work by providing tariff free access and supporting bilateral trade.

26/08/2026
PRESS RELEASE : 10,000 work experience opportunities for young people as Sainsbury’s joins national drive to tackle youth unemployment [August 2026]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 26 August 2026.

Thousands of young people across the UK will get the chance to gain work experience, build confidence and develop skills to help them get ready for work as Sainsbury’s launches a major new “Modern Work Experience Programme” designed to help more young people into employment.
- Sainsbury’s to offer around 10,000 work experience and skills opportunities to help young people gain experience, build confidence and prepare for work
- New programme launching from October will target schools with higher levels of free school meal uptake and communities where young people face some of the biggest barriers to work
- Latest major employer to deliver a major skills programme following Prime Minister’s education reforms to close the gap between the classroom and workplace
Thousands of young people across the UK will get the chance to gain work experience, build confidence and develop skills to help them get ready for work as Sainsbury’s launches a major new “Modern Work Experience Programme” designed to help more young people into employment.

Starting from October, Sainsbury’s will create around 10,000 work experience and skills opportunities over the next year through a new programme designed to reach young people who may otherwise struggle to access employer networks, work experience and career opportunities.

This follows the Prime Minister announcing a fundamental change to the education system last month, with the launch of new prestigious technical educational routes. The new pathways will provide 14-year-olds with valuable early access to technical skills, work experience and connections with local employers.

The Prime Minister is determined to put technical education on an equal footing with the traditional academic path and to ensure there are ‘no dead ends’ for young people coming out of the education system. Since the launch of his education reforms, the Government has been actively working with major employers to tackle youth unemployment by closing the gap between the classroom and the workplace, so every young person can see a clear route into work and a successful future.

Too often, access to work experience depends on who you know rather than what you can do. This has led to many young people leaving education without access to employers, workplace networks or a clear understanding of the opportunities available to them. At the same time, businesses are in desperate need for people with the skills and confidence to thrive in modern careers.

With over one million young people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment, or training – around one in eight young people – the Prime Minister has made clear that tackling the NEETs crisis is a national priority. As one of the UK’s largest employers, with stores and more than 140,000 colleagues in communities across the country, Sainsbury’s is uniquely placed to open up routes into work for young people in every part of the UK.

The programme will be delivered across the UK, including England, Scotland and Wales. It will focus on areas where Sainsbury’s can deliver the greatest social impact, particularly within communities with a high proportion of schools offering free school meals, and young people not in employment, education or training, helping connect education with real-world opportunities.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:

The youth unemployment crisis has been ignored for too long. This government is making it a top priority and bringing back hope.

Last month we announced a shake-up of the education system, with the launch of new prestigious technical educational routes. Now we’re bringing employers, schools and colleges together to close the gap between the classroom and the workplace.

It’s great to see Sainsbury’s stepping up with 10,000 opportunities to help young people build confidence, gain experience and get a foot in the door. I encourage more businesses across the country to do the same. Access to opportunity and work experience shouldn’t depend on who you know, it should be within reach for every young person wherever they live – and that’s what I’m determined to deliver.

Simon Roberts, Sainsbury’s Chief Executive, said:

Like so many of us, I started my working life at 16 and know first-hand how much getting that first job really matters. Few things matter more to us at Sainsbury’s than helping young people get on that first rung on the career ladder. With a quarter of our colleagues under 25, we see every day how much a first job can change lives.

Far too many young people are growing up in the UK today without access to meaningful work experience, often because they cannot find the right connections or network. With nearly one million young people not in education, employment or training, the scale of the challenge facing us has never been clearer.

Our new work experience programme will create around 10,000 opportunities over the next year, reaching the young people who need them most in communities right across the UK and helping them build the confidence, skills and experience to take their first step into work.

Young people will take part in workplace visits, careers sessions, practical work experience and sessions on CVs, interviews and applications – all designed to build confidence, improve communication skills and provide insight into careers across retail, logistics, food, technology and business.

The programme brings together a range of opportunities for different age groups. Younger students will receive a mix of school-based learning and workplace experience designed to introduce them to the world of work, while older young people will receive targeted support with CV writing, interview skills, job applications and career planning. Schools across the country are being encouraged to get involved from September by contacting The School Outreach Company, ahead of the programme starting in October.

Alongside this, Sainsbury’s will work with The Careers & Enterprise Company as well as other industry partners to test new approaches to modern work experience, helping develop a model that can be expanded across more stores and communities in the years ahead.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

I know from personal experience, that work experience is often the first taste of the world of work for a young person, and everyone should be able to access placements, regardless of their background or circumstances. With around one in eight young people not in education, employment or training, I’ve made tackling youth unemployment a top priority, by investing in skills training and mentoring. As one of the country’s largest employers, with hundreds of branches across London, it’s great to see Sainsbury’s stepping up and launching 10,000 work experience opportunities for young people. My first experience of work was in retail. Programmes like this are vital for breaking down the barriers to work and building skills and confidence to thrive, as we continue to build a better, more prosperous capital for everyone.

Alan Milburn said:

For too long work experience has been treated as an afterthought. Yet 6 in 10 young people who are NEET have never had a job.

Employers say lack of experience is the single biggest barrier to hiring young people – and young people say exactly the same. It’s a vicious cycle and it’s holding Britain back.

Sainsbury’s is helping break that cycle, reaching the communities where young people face the biggest barriers. It’s exactly the kind of practical action employers can take now, while we build the fuller response this problem demands.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said:

As the largest private sector employer, retail is a first step on the career ladder for thousands of people every year, building confidence, skills and experience that shapes their futures. Helping more young people be work ready and those who need help breaking out of the no-experience, no-job doom loop is critical to addressing the NEETs crisis. This great initiative is just the start as more retailers scale up the opportunities the industry can provide.

Today’s announcement from Sainsbury’s is one of the first major employer commitments since the Prime Minister unveiled reforms to expand technical education, work experience and routes into skilled work, following National Grid’s £5 million programme announced earlier this month to help 5000 young people into work.

Rather than designing new technical pathways from Westminster, the government will shape them around the industries driving growth in local communities supporting its mission to reindustrialise Britain and create opportunity in every part of the country.

The government will continue working with employers, schools, mayors, and local leaders to expand work experience, skills support and routes into work for young people.

Additional information
- Sainsbury’s will create around 10,000 work experience and employability opportunities, with activity beginning in October 2026.
- The programme combines Sainsbury’s own workplace scheme, KickStarter with a pilot delivered in partnership with The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) and Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD). Together, they will help more young people access meaningful work experience and better understand the opportunities available to them:
KickStarter Explore (14–18 years) – A blend of in-school learning and practical work experience, co-designed with The School Outreach Company. The programme will help young people build confidence, develop workplace skills and discover the wide range of careers available at Sainsbury’s and the wider retail sector.

KickStarter Insights (16–24 years) – Regional employability workshops delivered by Sainsbury’s Early Careers team and specialist partner Aim a Little Higher. These sessions will help young people strengthen communication skills, prepare for interviews and applications and take their next step into work.

New work experience pilot – Alongside its own programme, Sainsbury’s is working with The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) and other employers to test new approaches to work experience for young people aged 14 to 18. The pilot will help develop a model that could be expanded across more Sainsbury’s stores from 2027, making it easier for young people to access meaningful work experience opportunities in their local communities.
26/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Police seek group after Cornish Bakehouse burglary in Norwich

STORY

Police are investigating after a group of burglars broke into the Cornish Bakehouse in Norwich city centre. The burglary took place at the bakery’s premises on Haymarket on Tuesday 25 August, with food and drink reported stolen from the business.

Officers are seeking information about the group responsible for the break in. No arrests have yet been reported and the value of the stolen goods has not been disclosed. The investigation remains ongoing, meaning the identity of those involved and the full circumstances of the burglary have not been established.

26/08/2026
NEWS STORY : RAC worker dismissed after roadside encounter with Raise the Colours founder

STORY

An RAC patrol worker has been dismissed for gross misconduct after he was filmed stopping beside a road in Solihull to speak to a friend involved with the Raise the Colours campaign. Abdul Bashir, from Birmingham, had worked for the breakdown company for six years before his dismissal, which followed an internal investigation into the incident on 26 July. The footage showed Mr Bashir, who was wearing RAC uniform, greeting Raise the Colours co-founder Ryan Bridge while flags were being attached to lampposts.

The RAC said the dismissal followed multiple breaches of road traffic law, health and safety requirements and company policy. According to the company, these included stopping a patrol vehicle illegally in a live lane, delaying attendance to a stranded member, standing unsafely between two vehicles and directing a colleague to make an unlawful manoeuvre. The RAC said the safety of its members, employees and other road users was its priority and that the grounds for dismissal had been explained to Mr Bashir following a thorough investigation.

Mr Bashir disputed the company’s account, arguing that the road was quiet, the vehicle’s hazard lights and beacons were operating and he had merely stopped to greet a longstanding friend. He claimed his association with Mr Bridge and Raise the Colours was the real reason for his dismissal, although the RAC maintains that its decision concerned safety, traffic law and company policy. Raise the Colours describes the display of Union and St George’s flags as patriotic, while critics have associated the campaign with anti-immigration and far-right political messaging.

26/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Reform UK Pledges to Scrap GDPR and Electric Vehicle Mandate

STORY

Reform UK has announced that it would replace the United Kingdom’s GDPR data protection framework and abandon the requirement for all new cars and vans to be zero emission by 2035. The party presented the proposals as part of a wider plan to reduce regulation and lower costs for businesses.

The party also said it would reverse the increase in employers’ National Insurance introduced by the Labour Government in 2024 and remove income tax from qualifying overtime payments. Reform has argued that its measures would encourage businesses to employ more people and reward those working additional hours, although questions remain about the cost of the proposed tax reductions and the system that would be required to distinguish overtime from ordinary earnings.

Labour said removing GDPR would weaken protections for people’s private information, while the Conservatives described Reform’s announcements as insufficiently developed. Any replacement for the existing data protection system would also need to address whether the European Union would continue recognising British standards as adequate for the transfer of personal data. Reform said current regulations placed unnecessary burdens on employers and that it would introduce a less restrictive domestic framework.

26/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Sainsbury’s to Offer 10,000 Work Experience Opportunities

STORY

Sainsbury’s is to provide around 10,000 work experience and employability opportunities for young people during the next year as part of a Government backed effort to reduce youth unemployment. The Modern Work Experience Programme will begin in October and operate across England, Scotland and Wales.

The programme will give participants access to workplace visits, careers sessions, practical experience and help with CVs, interviews and job applications. It will cover careers in areas including retail, logistics, food, technology and business, with different forms of support available to young people aged between 14 and 24. Schools will be able to register their interest from September.

The scheme will concentrate on communities with high levels of free school meal eligibility and areas where young people face significant barriers to employment. The Government said more than one million people aged between 16 and 24 were not in education, employment or training. Prime Minister Andy Burnham called on other businesses to provide similar opportunities, arguing that access to work experience should not depend on personal contacts.

26/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Man dies and woman critically injured following police pursuit near Stratford

STORY

A 19-year-old man has died and a woman has been critically injured following a police pursuit near Stratford upon Avon. Warwickshire Police said officers attempted to stop a black Audi on Birmingham Road at around 5.23pm on Monday 24 August, but its driver failed to stop and travelled towards the A46 before returning towards Stratford on the A439 Warwick Road.

At approximately 5.44pm, the Audi is understood to have collided with a white Ford Puma. The 19-year-old driver of the Audi was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, while the driver of the Ford was taken to hospital and remained in a critical condition when police issued their statement. Several other vehicles were also damaged during the pursuit.

The families of those involved have been informed and are receiving specialist support. Warwickshire Police has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because the death followed police contact. The IOPC has declared an independent investigation and the force said it would cooperate fully.

26/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Chancellor backs further economic pressure on Iran

STORY

Chancellor John Healey has said the Government will continue working with the United States and other international partners to apply economic pressure on Iran. He said more than 240 sanctions had been imposed by the Government since it took office, targeting Iranian individuals and organisations whose activities were considered a threat to British people and national security.

Healey said the measures were intended to prevent the Iranian regime from using the global economy and British financial system to support its nuclear programme and other activities the Government regards as destabilising. He also welcomed US efforts to increase pressure through Operation Economic Outcast, although his statement did not identify any additional UK sanctions being imposed as part of the announcement.

The Chancellor said Britain supported American efforts to secure a diplomatic settlement and would continue working with international partners to protect UK interests and restore access through the Strait of Hormuz. He called on Iran to end what he described as destabilising activity across the region and to participate in diplomatic discussions in good faith.

25/08/2026
John Healey – 2026 Statement on Iran Sanctions

The statement made by John Healey, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 25 August 2026.

Since taking office, the Government has imposed over 240 sanctions on Iran whose actions threaten our people and security, and we will continue working alongside the US and other partners to apply economic pressure on Iran. We are determined to prevent the Iranian regime from exploiting the global economy and abusing the UK financial system to advance its nuclear programme and wider destabilising activities. We support US work to secure a diplomatic solution and welcome efforts to increase pressure, including through Operation Economic Outcast. We will continue to work with partners to protect our interests, take the necessary steps to re-open the Strait and counter Iran’s dangerous activity. We call on Iran to cease its destabilising activity across the region, including in the Strait of Hormuz, and engage in diplomatic discussions in good faith.

25/08/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Hunger is not inevitable, but often results from choices that deny civilians food, aid, and essential services – UK statement at the UN Security Council [August 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 August 2026.

Statement by Ambassador Kate Foster, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Food Security.

Eight years after the adoption of Resolution 2417, conflict remains a leading driver of acute food insecurity.

As we have heard, last year, for the first time this century, famine was declared simultaneously in two conflicts: Sudan and Gaza.

Extreme food insecurity persists in both.

These famines were man-made.

A reminder that hunger is not inevitable, but often results from choices that deny civilians food, aid, and essential services.

Children pay the highest price.

What is needed is clear: rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access; an end to attacks on food infrastructure; and, ultimately, an end to the conflicts that drive hunger.

President, the impact of conflict on food security is no longer confined to the battlefield in the traditional sense.

Conflict is also disrupting the global networks that move food, fuel, and fertiliser, with consequences felt far beyond.

Russia’s attacks on shipping, civilian vessels, and Black Sea ports have undermined one of the world’s most important grain export routes.

Ukraine was once the breadbasket of the world.

Today, Russia’s aggression continues to damage infrastructure that feeds millions beyond its borders.

Infrastructure essential to food production, transport, and distribution must be protected.

And we call on Russia to cease these attacks and comply with international humanitarian law.

Iran’s attacks and closure of the Strait of Hormuz have also disrupted supply chains and fertiliser markets.

As the Secretary-General warned yesterday, this means deeper hunger, weaker harvests, and greater suffering, especially for the most vulnerable.

We welcome progress under the Secretary-General’s Taskforce to address the implications for food security stemming from this crisis.

But we call on Iran to reopen the Strait, uphold freedom of navigation, and respect the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Both Iran and Russia have reduced grain exports, driving up global food prices.

Vulnerable and import-dependent countries will be hit hardest.

Conflict and disregard for international humanitarian law compound climate stress, debt, and other structural vulnerabilities.

And the strengthening El Niño makes coordinated action to build resilience and protect the most vulnerable even more urgent.

We call for full implementation of Resolution 2417.

It requires the Council to address both local crises and conflicts that threaten global food security.

We already have the tools to identify emerging famine risks, although we must protect and continue to use technology to strengthen them.

Early warnings must lead to early action.

Warnings must be acted on and violations must lead to accountability.

The UK remains committed to working with partners to strengthen early warning and accelerate emergency support, including pre-arranged disaster risk finance.

President, resolution 2417 provides the framework.

The Council has the tools.

We must turn early warning into early action, uphold international humanitarian law, and ensure accountability before hunger becomes famine.

25/08/2026