Category: News Story

STORY

In a keynote address at the Education World Forum 2025, Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson spotlighted the Department for Education’s Open Innovation Team (OIT) and unveiled fresh investments to trial cutting-edge educational technologies, including artificial intelligence tools, across England’s schools. Phillipson told delegates that harnessing robust evidence must underpin every step of EdTech adoption. “Working with the Open Innovation Team, we’ll be engaging the sector to understand what works. We’ll look at how tools, including AI, can improve things like staff workload, pupil outcomes and inclusivity. Evidence must be at the heart of all we do, on EdTech and right across education” she said.

The Secretary of State announced a new funding package, to be administered by the OIT, which will support schools, colleges and technology partners in piloting AI-driven platforms for lesson planning, marking automation and personalised learning. Early trials are set to focus on easing teacher administrative burdens and tailoring support for pupils with additional needs. Since its launch, the OIT has built collaborative partnerships with universities, start-ups and multi-academy trusts to evaluate a range of digital innovations. This latest commitment aims to scale successful pilots into mainstream practice, ensuring that promising tools proven to boost attainment and engagement can be deployed more widely.

STORY

The Court of Appeal has boosted the prison term of former carer Jamil Talukder to eight years, more than doubling his original sentence, after he was found to have sexually abused a severely disabled child in his care. The increase follows a referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme by Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP. Talukder, 23, of Sheffield, arrived in the UK from Bangladesh in October 2022 to study marketing and began working as a paid carer in October 2023. Evidence presented to the court included covert recordings made by the child’s mother, which showed Talukder committing multiple offences against the vulnerable youngster. Victim statements revealed that the primary victim now distrusts all male carers as a result of Talukder’s actions.

During the appeal hearing, it also emerged that Talukder had abused a second child and had the indecency recorded on his own phone. On 27 February 2025, Sheffield Crown Court had sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment for six counts of sexual abuse. The Court of Appeal, agreeing that the initial term was unduly lenient, imposed an eight-year custodial sentence on 22 May 2025. Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said the revised sentence “reflects the gravity of Talukder’s betrayal of trust and the lasting harm caused to his victims.” She extended her sympathies to the children and their families, emphasising the government’s commitment to ensure that protectors of the vulnerable face appropriate punishment when they offend.

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The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has announced the appointment of Helena Owen as His Majesty’s next Ambassador to the Republic of Chad. Ms Owen will succeed Ross Matthews and is due to take up her post in N’Djamena in August 2025, where she will lead the UK’s diplomatic mission during a pivotal period for regional stability and development.

A career diplomat with over 20 years’ service, Ms Owen most recently served as Deputy Head of Unit for Sudan in the Sahel, Sudan and South Sudan Department at the FCDO. In that role she coordinated complex humanitarian and development programmes across some of Africa’s most challenging environments. Before that, she was Development Counsellor in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where she drove initiatives to strengthen UK–West African trade and investment ties.

STORY

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has launched a formal inquiry following a dangerous near miss involving a South Western Railway passenger train and a team of three track workers inside Bookham Tunnel, Surrey, on 29 April 2025.

At approximately 11:44 am, a southbound service passed through Bookham Tunnel at around 30 mph (48 km/h) as the workers were returning to Bookham station after maintaining tunnel-end telephones. Two of the workers sought safety in purpose-built refuges, while the third worker leant against the tunnel wall as the train swept past. Fortunately, there were no injuries and no damage to infrastructure or rolling stock.

Initial findings indicate that a line blockage had been requested from the signalling centre but, due to an administrative error, the protection applied to nearby Mickleham Tunnel instead of Bookham Tunnel. The RAIB investigation will:

Reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the incorrect line blockage

Examine planning and risk-management procedures for on-track work

Review the roles, responsibilities and working patterns of the staff involved

Identify any underlying management or organisational factors

Stephen Wilkinson, RAIB Chief Inspector, said:

“Although no one was harmed on this occasion, the proximity of moving trains to track-side workers represents a significant safety risk. Our independent investigation will aim to uncover how the procedural breakdown occurred and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.”

STORY

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has formally accepted the Zoos Expert Committee’s (ZEC) recommendations following its review of the Elephant Welfare Group’s (EWG) ten-year report, signalling fresh action to bolster the care of elephants in British zoos. In a letter dated 23 May 2025, Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Animal Welfare and Biosecurity, thanked the committee for its thorough assessment and confirmed that, while welcome strides have been made, further measures are needed to ensure the highest standards of elephant well-being.

Baroness Hayman noted that, after consulting a broad spectrum of views—including calls both for phasing out elephant exhibits and for maintaining them under improved conditions—the committee concluded there was not yet sufficient evidence to end the practice of keeping elephants in the UK. “We are content to follow ZEC’s advice and consider other options available to continue the progress towards further improving the welfare of elephants in our zoos” she wrote, acknowledging that key issues remain outstanding.

To that end, Defra has outlined a four-point plan of action:

Revise elephant-specific standards: The Standards of Modern Zoo Practice will be updated to reflect the latest expert advice and responses to the 2022 consultation, ensuring clearer requirements for enclosure size, social groupings and enrichment activities.

Mandatory improvement plans: Each zoo housing elephants must develop and submit an “elephant improvement action plan,” detailing how it will comply with the revised standards well before they take effect.

Rigorous inspection: Zoo licensing inspectors will assess both the plans and their on-the-ground implementation at the frequency set out in the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, providing ongoing oversight.

Continued expert oversight: The Elephant Welfare Group will be asked to carry on its work and report back to ZEC every two years, placing a new emphasis on data collection and the refinement of welfare assessment tools.

In her letter to Professor Simon Girling, Chair of the Zoos Expert Committee, Baroness Hayman also invited the committee to develop a detailed action plan to guide the EWG’s next phase of work. She pledged to write separately to the chairs of the EWG to express ministers’ gratitude and to set out expectations for continued collaboration.

The announcement marks a significant moment for animal welfare in Britain, balancing the recognition of past progress with a clear mandate for further improvements. With formal standards under review and a strengthened framework for monitoring, elephants in UK zoos are set to benefit from a more structured and transparent approach to their care.

STORY

At a United Nations preparatory meeting in New York, the UK reaffirmed its commitment to the Arab Plan for Early Recovery, Reconstruction and Development, describing it as “a realistic path for the reconstruction of Gaza” that could swiftly alleviate the catastrophic living conditions faced by civilians there. Delivered by Stephen Hickey, Director for Middle East and North Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the statement urged all UN member states to consider tangible financial, technical and capacity-building contributions ahead of June’s high-level conference.

Co-chairing the Working Group on Humanitarian Action and Reconstruction alongside Egypt, the UK has outlined three core goals. First, it called on delegations to empower the Palestinian Authority to lead the implementation of the Arab Plan, stressing the need for robust enabling elements—such as governance and security arrangements—to ensure that recovery efforts are both sustainable and inclusive.

Second, the UK highlighted the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid access has been almost entirely blocked since 2 March and famine looms, according to the latest IPC report of 12 May. Noting that hostages remain in “appalling conditions” the statement reiterated UN appeals for the immediate restoration of humanitarian corridors and praised the UK’s own £135 million funding package for the Occupied Palestinian Territories this year.

Third, attention turned to UNRWA, the UN agency providing vital services to Palestinian refugees. Despite UK funding of $55 million in the past financial year, UNRWA faces a staggering $450 million shortfall against its $880 million budget amid what officials describe as the organisation’s greatest crisis ever. The UK urged member states to help secure sustainable contributions to ensure UNRWA can continue life-saving operations.

In closing, the statement underlined that lasting peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians hinges on a viable two-state solution. “We look forward to working with our Egyptian colleagues, the entire UN membership, and colleagues across the UN system to help deliver a conference which moves us towards this goal” Mr Hickey affirmed, setting the stage for what officials hope will be a decisive June gathering.

STORY

South Western Railway has today been nationalised as Heidi Alexander, the Secretary of State for Transport, conceded that the Government couldn’t reduce fares. Alexander said that under her department’s control the operator would now meet “rigorous, bespoke performance standards on things like punctuality, cancellation and passenger experience”, piling pressure on the new Great British Railways to significantly improve performance. Alexander committed to tangible improvements, noting:

“We have a generational opportunity to restore national pride in our railways and I will not waste it.”

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In a move described as the largest public-sector award of the year, resident doctors in England are to receive an average pay uplift of 5.4% for 2025–26, comprising a 4% salary increase alongside a £750 consolidated payment. This latest award follows last year’s deal, which doctors overwhelmingly backed, and brings the total pay rise for the cohort to 28.9% over the past three years. Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that full-time basic pay for resident doctors will average around £54,300 in the coming financial year. To ensure clinicians see the benefit sooner, the increase will be backdated to 1 April 2025 and reflected in August pay packets, two months earlier than the previous cycle. Officials also plan to kick-start next year’s pay negotiations in July, aiming for an even more prompt implementation in 2026–27.

Funding for these awards will be secured entirely through efficiency savings and the elimination of low-value spending within the health service, including a reduction in NHS England headcount, with none of the extra cost coming at the expense of frontline care. Mr Streeting emphasised that “every penny saved is being redirected to invest in the frontline, including staff pay” underlining the government’s commitment to protecting patient services.

Alongside the pay settlement, the Department of Health & Social Care is rolling out a suite of measures aimed at improving working conditions for trainee doctors. These include reforming exception reporting to streamline the logging of extra hours and safety concerns, reducing payroll errors, ensuring timely publication of rotas, and cutting down on repetitive mandatory training when rotating placements. A postgraduate training review, to be overseen by Sir Chris Whitty, will also launch this year, focusing on career progression and flexibility

STORY

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has pledged to fully reinstate winter fuel payments for pensioners and to scrap the two-child benefit cap if it enters government, in a direct challenge to Labour’s current proposals. Announced ahead of a press conference next week, these commitments aim to seize the political initiative on two of the most sensitive welfare issues facing the next Government.

Reform UK says the restoration of winter fuel payments would reverse cuts made last year, when eligibility was restricted to those receiving pension credit, leaving more than 10 million pensioners out of pocket on sums worth up to £300. Under the proposed policy, households with a pensioner under 80 would again receive a £200 lump sum, and those with a pensioner over 80 would receive £300 annually. Meanwhile, the party has vowed to abolish the two-child cap on means-tested benefits, a measure introduced by the Conservative government in April 2017 that currently affects around 1.5 million families by denying support for any third or subsequent child. Reform UK plans to fund both pledges by cutting net-zero environmental projects and cutting the foreign aid budget further.

STORY

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today launched a blistering response to a joint warning from the United Kingdom, France and Canada, accusing their leaders of “offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel” and “inviting more such atrocities.” On Monday, the three Western governments threatened “concrete actions” unless Israel halted its renewed military offensive in Gaza and lifted restrictions on humanitarian aid, decrying what they called “egregious actions” that risked breaching international humanitarian law.

Luke Pollard (in photo), the Foreign Office Minister, rejected the attack, stating on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme:

“We are absolutely clear that the best way to bring peace to the Middle East is with an immediate ceasefire being restored in Gaza, with Hamas releasing the hostages without any further delay and with massive amounts of aid getting to the Palestinian people in Gaza. Food, water and medical supplies should be delivered without delay. That’s the best way to secure a safe future for Israelis and Palestinians alike, with a ceasefire, with hostage release and with aid getting through.”

The exchange comes amid mounting international pressure over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, where the military campaign has displaced nearly all residents and caused extensive civilian casualties. Western allies, including the United States, Qatar and Egypt, continue to push for an immediate ceasefire, while Hamas has hailed the joint statement as a step towards restoring humanitarian norms.