Category: News Story

STORY

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today approved guselkumab (Tremfya) to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC) who have failed other therapies or cannot tolerate them.

Previously authorised for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, guselkumab is the first IL-23 inhibitor in the UK licensed for inflammatory bowel disease. It can be given by intravenous infusion or subcutaneous injection for Crohn’s disease, and by infusion for the initial treatment of UC.

Clinical trials underpinning the approval included:

Crohn’s disease: Up to 56% of patients on guselkumab achieved clinical remission at 12 weeks, versus 15–22% on placebo. Endoscopic response—indicating reduced intestinal inflammation—was observed in up to 41% of treated patients compared to 11–21% with placebo.

Ulcerative colitis: After 12 weeks of induction therapy, 23% of guselkumab-treated patients reached clinical remission, compared to 8% on placebo. Maintenance dosing saw remission rates climb to 50% at 44 weeks versus 19% for placebo.

Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

“Patient safety is our top priority, which is why I am pleased to confirm the approval of guselkumab to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and efficacy for the approval of this new formulation have been met. As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review.”

STORY

Britain’s potato industry has been put on notice after fresh sightings of the Colorado beetle – a voracious pest capable of devastating potato, tomato and pepper crops – prompted the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to urge immediate vigilance among home gardeners, allotmenteers and commercial growers.

The warning follows laboratory confirmation of Colorado beetle larvae in a Kent potato field in 2023. Left unchecked, both adult beetles and their larvae can strip foliage completely, threatening yields and inflicting significant economic damage. Previous outbreaks in the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s were eradicated through coordinated inspection and public reporting, APHA notes.

Professor Nicola Spence, Defra’s Chief Plant Health Officer, stressed the public’s critical role:

“The Colorado beetle poses a significant threat to plants and the wider potato industry. We need everyone—gardeners, allotmenteers and farmers—to report suspected sightings with a photograph and location details so we can act swiftly to protect UK biosecurity.”

APHA Interim Chief Executive Dr Jenny Stewart added that the agency’s surveillance network “protects UK borders from a wide range of pests” but success hinges on public assistance. Gardeners handling imported leafy vegetables, salad leaves, fresh herbs or frozen produce should inspect for hitchhiking beetles and report any finds immediately.

STORY

The Court of Appeal today dismissed an application by Lucy Connolly, upholding her 31-month prison sentence for inciting racial hatred over a social media post in the wake of the Southport knife attacks. It was also revealed that she had planned to feign mental health issues. The court decision [in .pdf format] stated:

“There is no arguable basis on which it could be said that the sentence imposed by the judge was manifestly excessive.”

Connolly, a former childminder and wife of ex-Conservative councillor Ray Connolly, posted on X last July:

“Mass deportation now, set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards for all I care … if that makes me racist so be it.”

Her posts inciting arson were viewed more than 310,000 times before deletion, the tweet called for hotels housing asylum seekers to be torched after three girls were fatally stabbed at a holiday club in Southport on 29 July 2024.

At her October sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court, Connolly pleaded guilty to one count of stirring up racial hatred. Prosecutors told the court she compounded her offence by feigning a mental health crisis to avoid responsibility, explicitly admitting in WhatsApp messages that she would “play the mental health card” if arrested and deny authorship of the post if questioned. The appeal judges rejected arguments that her sentence was excessive, confirming the seriousness of using incendiary rhetoric to target a vulnerable group. In refusing Connolly’s challenge, the court noted the high-profile reach of her online tirade and the risk it posed to community cohesion. Despite a local MP’s demand that Ray Connolly step down from West Northamptonshire Council, he retained his position until this year’s local elections, where he was voted out. Connolly was told that she would serve 40% of his sentence in prison before being allowed to be released on licence.

STORY

International manufacturer Knauf Insulation today confirmed a £170 million investment in a cutting-edge rock mineral wool factory at its Deeside site in Shotton, pledging to create around 140 direct jobs and bolster the local supply chain. The new facility, due to begin production in 2026, will use UK-First Submerged Arc Furnace technology to churn out over 100,000 tonnes of non-combustible, low-carbon, recyclable insulation each year. Knauf’s expansion is backed by the UK and Welsh Governments through the North Wales Growth Deal and the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone, reflecting ministers’ drive to attract inward investment and support advanced manufacturing hubs across Wales.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said:

“This £170 million investment by Knauf Insulation is fantastic news for North Wales and our UK Government mission to drive economic growth. It’s a vote of confidence in the Welsh economy and our plan to make Britain the destination of choice for industrial investment.”

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates added that the project “is a testament to the skills and facilities we have here” and pledged continued support as construction gets underway.

Baroness Gustafsson, Minister for Investment, emphasised Knauf’s role in the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy, which identifies advanced manufacturing as one of eight priority sectors:

“The UK is open for business, and this is yet another vote of confidence in North Wales and its thriving advanced manufacturing sector, which will boost jobs and prosperity across the region.”

Neil Hargreaves, Managing Director of Knauf Insulation Northern Europe, noted the company’s long heritage in Wales and its commitment to sustainability:

“Using cutting-edge furnace technology, the factory will support safer, more energy-efficient and sustainable buildings—aligning with both Welsh and UK government visions for industry.”

STORY

In a decisive regulatory action, the Deputy Traffic Commissioner for the East of England has revoked the operator’s licence of Transglobal Solutions Ltd (licence OF2038634) and indefinitely disqualified its sole director and transport manager, Maricel Taranu, following a public inquiry into widespread safety and compliance breaches.

Key Findings & Timeline

DVSA probes began in May 2024 when an HGV was stopped with its tachograph undownloaded for 155 days and driven 580 km without a driver’s card. Subsequent checks revealed unlicensed, untaxed vehicles operating without MOTs and serious maintenance defects—including loose wheel nuts and a disintegrated tyre—posing “a serious danger to road safety”.

Repeated non-engagement: Taranu failed to supply drivers’ hours and maintenance records, missed arranged inspections, and falsely claimed his vehicles were off the road while ANPR data proved otherwise. In a public inquiry held on 29 April 2025 in Cambridge, the inquiry proceeded in Taranu’s absence after the operator neglected to attend or submit evidence. A Romanian police website later revealed a warrant for Taranu’s arrest on drink-driving and licence-offence convictions in Romania.

Regulatory Action

Deputy Traffic Commissioner Nicolas Denton concluded that Transglobal Solutions lacked both a stable UK establishment and the requisite financial standing, and that Taranu had demonstrably lost the repute required of a transport manager. Denton revoked the operator’s licence with immediate effect and imposed indefinite disqualifications on both the company and Taranu from holding any operator licence, as well as barring Taranu from acting as a transport manager or director of any transport-licensing company.

“This is one of the worst operators I have ever come across”, Denton said. “Mr Taranu has shown an utter indifference to the law and to road safety. There should be no room in the industry for such reckless behaviour.”

DVSA inspectors have been instructed to impound any Transglobal-operated HGVs found on the road post-revocation. This landmark decision underscores the regulator’s zero-tolerance stance on operator non-compliance and dangerous vehicle maintenance standards.

STORY

A Court of Appeal panel has today extended the sentence of Jordan Crewe (27), from Caerphilly, after Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP referred his case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. Crewe was originally sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on 18 February 2025 to two years’ custody for a series of offences against his former partner, including harassment, strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling or coercive behaviour. He was also made subject to a 12-year restraining order.

In March 2022, while on licence from that first sentence, Crewe forced his way into his ex-partner’s home, attacked her and slashed her tyres. Even after being recalled to prison, he continued to send abusive letters, texts and phone calls, and unwarranted location-tracking messages. He later escalated his campaign by sharing videos simulating suicide, groping and biting his victim in public, and threatening her family on New Year’s Eve, culminating in a physical assault in her car.

Delivering judgment, the Court of Appeal agreed with the Solicitor General’s intervention, noting the “systematic campaign of violence and coercive control” and the profound psychological harm inflicted. Crewe’s custodial term was raised by ten months, to two years and ten months’ imprisonment. Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

“Jordan Crewe’s tirade of abuse against his ex-partner was appalling. He carried out a systematic campaign of violence and coercive control. Thankfully the Court has recognised the severity of Crewe’s actions and increased his sentence.”

STORY

The UK and the European Union are today expected to sign what leaders described as the most significant overhaul of their relationship since Brexit, securing agreements on defence, trade and fisheries at a summit in London. Under the deal, the UK will grant EU fishing vessels access to British waters for 12 years, up from a previously proposed five-year term, in a concession aimed at removing cumbersome border checks that have hampered UK food exporters since 2020. In return, the EU agreed to an open-ended veterinary accord that will ease sanitary inspections on UK-bound agricultural products, helping safeguard food and drink trade.

A cornerstone of the reset is a new defence and security pact that opens the door for British firms to participate in a €150 billion European rearmament fund, reflecting London’s bid to bolster collective European security amid rising geopolitical tensions. The agreement also lays the groundwork for a limited youth mobility scheme and faster e-gate access for UK travellers at EU airports, though details of each programme will be negotiated in the coming months. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the package as a “common-sense, practical solution” that will cut red tape and deliver economic and security benefits for British citizens, even as some critics warn the concessions amount to an erosion of sovereignty. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the reset demonstrated Brussels’ willingness to pragmatically cooperate with a close neighbour “while respecting each other’s autonomy.”

STORY

Walkers can today set foot on a brand-new 47-mile (75 km) stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path, linking the traditional seaside resort of Mablethorpe all the way to the iconic Humber Bridge for the first time. This latest section takes ramblers through a rich tapestry of landscapes: from the golden sands and donkey-ride attractions of Mablethorpe, across expansive dune systems and nationally protected nature reserves, before threading past the industrial heritage of the Humber estuary. With this opening, almost 160 miles of continuous coastal walking are now available between Sutton Bridge and Easington, leaving only two short inland diversions at Gibraltar Point bridge and Immingham.

Victoria Manton, Deputy Director for Natural England in the East Midlands, said:

“This new stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path will give people from all over the country access to our beautiful local coastline, connecting them with nature and providing health and wellbeing benefits. The trail will also support the local economy—bringing walkers and visitors to the towns and villages for day trips, refreshments and places to stay.”

Chris Miller, Head of Environment at Lincolnshire County Council, added:

“With these latest additions to the King Charles III England Coast Path coming to fruition we can now provide one of the most spectacular walks anywhere in the country. This is the outcome of several agencies working together to give legal access to a unique part of the country for people to enjoy.”

Along the route, visitors can spot around 2,000 grey seal pups each autumn at Donna Nook bombing range, then continue north to the resort of Cleethorpes and the fishing port of Grimsby, before eventually arriving at the engineering marvel of the Humber Bridge. When the final 41-mile link between Easington and Bridlington North Sands opens later this year, more than 450 miles of continuous cliff-top and sea-edge paths will span from Sutton Bridge all the way to the Scottish border—making the King Charles III England Coast Path the longest continuous coastal walking route in the UK.

STORY

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has formally accepted the Trade Remedies Authority’s (TRA) recommendation to impose definitive anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of Chinese excavators, in a bid to shield UK manufacturers from unfairly low-priced competition. Under the measures, anti-dumping duties will range between 18.81% for a sampled exporter and 40.08% for the residual rate, while countervailing duties to offset state subsidies will span from 0% up to 2.98%. The TRA estimates these tariffs could bolster domestic excavator producers by as much as £26 million annually.

The duties target imports of excavators weighing between 11 and 80 tonnes—machines for which the TRA found there is an established UK industry—while exempting larger models, as no home-grown production exists for excavators over 80 tonnes. The investigation, launched in November 2023 following an application by Staffordshire-based manufacturer JCB, concluded that Chinese exporters were leveraging artificially low production costs to undercut UK rivals on price.

In February, Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd. sought judicial review of the TRA’s provisional measures, challenging both the authority’s and the Department of Business and Trade’s decisions. On 9 May, the High Court dismissed the claims as “unarguable,” confirming the TRA acted lawfully, rationally and with procedural fairness—paving the way for the duties to come into effect without further delay. The TRA’s intervention sets a precedent for robust defence of UK heavy-machinery sectors against injurious dumping and unfair subsidy practices, and signals the government’s readiness to deploy trade remedies where domestic industries face significant risk.

STORY

On the first ever official visit by a British Prime Minister to Albania, Keir Starmer today announced a major expansion of the Joint Migration Task Force aimed at dismantling organised people-smuggling networks across the Western Balkans. The task force which is now to include Kosovo, North Macedonia and progressing talks with Montenegro will pool UK intelligence with local law enforcement and deploy UK-funded drones to intercept migrants upstream before they attempt the perilous Channel crossing.

Starmer toured the Port of Durrës to witness “upstream” operations credited with a 95 percent drop in small-boat arrivals from Albania over the past three years, and a doubling of returns—from 2,035 Albanian nationals in 2022 to 5,294 in 2024. He stressed that the government’s new Immigration White Paper underpins this “intercept and deter” strategy, and pledged to reinforce border checks with additional forgery-detection machines donated to the Albanian State Police.

The Prime Minister also revealed a fresh £1 million UK investment to upgrade Albania’s forensics, biometrics and digital capabilities, including a joint DNA-swabbing programme. Since its rollout, the initiative has generated 1,000 hits on UK databases and led to the arrest of 55 serious offenders—ranging from murderers to rapists—thanks to enhanced cross-border cooperation. Beyond migration, Starmer and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will build on a broader strategic partnership encompassing defence, security and economic growth. Tomorrow, Starmer convenes a roundtable at the European Political Community summit, aiming to harness regional collaboration against shared challenges such as foreign interference and organised crime.