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NEWS STORY : Joint statement on executions in Iran

STORY

Joint statement from the United Kingdom, Albania, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the High Representative of the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

We condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing executions of protesters and use of the death penalty by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The use of capital punishment to silence dissent, intimidate communities, and punish individuals exercising their human rights can never be justified. The people of Iran must be free to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear.

We call on Iran to immediately end the use of the death penalty and release all those arbitrarily detained.

We further call on Iran to listen to the voice of its people as they demand change, and to take meaningful steps toward ensuring respect for human rights.

13/08/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Patients to benefit from faster access to medicines as UK moves away from animal testing in science [August 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 12 August 2026.

New projects to move UK science away from animal testing.
- £22 million push to ramp up UK’s move away from animal testing in science brings together cutting-edge tech and research.
- New £20 million centre to grow miniature organs from human tissue – helping to deliver effective treatments for patients with more accurate testing.
- Backing for nine projects worth £2 million, including beating heart cells in a dish, lab-grown human ear models, and AI predicting how drugs move through the body.
New projects to move UK science away from animal testing – vital to the safety and sustainability of our environment – will unlock new tests for products that can help products reach market more quickly and save lives.

A dedicated national research hub and nine new high-tech projects will develop better ways to test medicines on human biology rather than animals. It means treatments for conditions like cancer and inflammatory bowel disease could be developed faster and more precisely – helping patients across the UK, while moving science away from traditional animal testing.

The latest figures show there were 2.54 million animal testing procedures in Great Britain in 2025, down 3.8% on 2024. With a further update due to be released later this year, the UK is now moving to capitalise on that momentum.

Announced by Science Minister Chris McDonald today (Wednesday 12th August), a new Pre-clinical Translational Models Hub, based in Cambridge and backed by £20 million in Government funding, will lead work to build and share models of human tissue – grown from NHS patients – to test new treatments.

The new hub will accelerate the development of testing on ‘organoids’: tiny, simplified versions of a human gut, tumour or brain, using cells donated by patients. Because they retain crucial features of a patient’s own biology, they will help researchers learn how a real person may respond to a drug – providing additional insights that can complement information currently obtained from animals.

Scientists in universities and drug companies will then be able to use these cutting-edge techniques in their own labs to work out which medicines are worth pursuing – slashing the time it takes to get potentially life-changing treatments to market.

Science Minister Chris McDonald said:

Today marks another significant step forward in the UK’s move away from animal testing in science and research.

This is all about backing our world-leading researchers and innovators to improve lives, giving them the tools they need to deliver more effective treatments for horrendous diseases like cancer, while also preventing the need for animal testing wherever possible.

It’s also a boost for our life sciences sector – with British firms using samples donated by real people and harnessing AI to predict how a medicine behaves – fuelling opportunities for new investment and new jobs, and ensuring Britain is better off.

Alongside the funding for the new Hub, Innovate UK is investing up to £2 million on nine cutting-edge projects aimed at identifying new methods of animal-free scientific testing. From beating heart cells in a dish to lab-grown human ear models and AI that predicts how medicines move through the body, many of the projects target the safety studies that still rely on dogs and monkeys.

At CN Bio, the team is building tiny working versions of human organs that are small enough to fit on a microscope slide. These complex models allow researchers to better understand how a new drug moves through and interacts with the body – providing a new approach to pre-clinical research that previously relied solely on animal testing.

Meanwhile, Vivosphere UK is building on their work growing tumour and liver models to develop human heart tissue in the lab, meaning they can spot dangerous side effects from treatments early.

Promising early-stage projects like these are foundational to the UK’s life sciences sector, which generates around £147 billion in turnover and employs some 360,000 people. They have the potential to drive long-term transformative, life innovations for patients, and lead to growth and skilled jobs in every corner of the country.

ENDS

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Professor Matthias Zilbauer, University of Cambridge, said:

Over the past decade, we’ve seen the enormous potential of patient-derived organoids and other New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to transform the way we develop new medicines.

Because these miniature human tissues retain many of the unique biological characteristics of the individual patient, they allow us to understand disease more accurately and test potential treatments before they ever reach the clinic. This has the potential to bring more effective, personalised treatments to patients while reducing the time and cost of developing new medicines and our reliance on animal models.”

Cynthia Bullock, Life Sciences Programme Director at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) said:

Through the combined expertise of Innovate UK and MRC, UKRI is accelerating the development and adoption of next generation human biology-based approaches that can improve drug discovery and development, helping bring more effective treatments to patients faster while reducing reliance on animal models.”

Building on the UK’s world-class strengths in research and innovation, these investments are advancing scientific excellence, creating opportunity for global leadership, supporting innovative businesses, and strengthening collaboration across academia, industry and the NHS to deliver health and economic impact.”

Catherine Vickers, Head of Innovation at NC3Rs, said:

We are delighted to be partnering with Innovate UK to deliver key commitments within the UK Alternatives Strategy, supporting the next generation of cardiovascular and pharmacokinetic assays and approaches. By accelerating the development, commercialisation and uptake of innovative human biology-based technologies, these projects will strengthen safety assessment in medicines development and replace the use of animals.
13/08/2026
PRESS RELEASE : UK and Australia boost radar technology and industry cooperation as Defence Minister visits Indo-Pacific partners [August 2026]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 12 August 2026.

The UK and Australia are boosting cooperation on radar technology, as Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP kicks off a visit to Indo-Pacific partners this week.
- New signing will see UK and Australian firms work together on cutting-edge radar systems, boosting growth across both countries’ defence industries.
- Work to build on UK-Australia defence partnership, already supporting tens of thousands of jobs in both countries through AUKUS.
- Comes as Minister Luke Pollard kicks off a visit to Australia and New Zealand to strengthen defence and industrial partnerships.
The statement of intent involving QinetiQ and CEA Technologies, signed today in Canberra, will see both UK and Australian governments and industry work together on advanced radar systems, known as Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology.

The work builds on the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) agreement reached in June and will strengthen supply chains and open export opportunities for both nations’ defence industries. This advanced technology is supplied to the Australian Armed Forces and allows the UK Armed Forces to keep pace with the evolving operational environment.

At CEA Technologies, Minister Pollard and Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy welcomed the agreement and met with staff advancing radar technology.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said:

This radar agreement shows what our partnership with Australia delivers in practice: industry stepping up, technology for our Armed Forces, and trust between our nations deepening.

Working in lockstep with Australia we can drive jobs and growth while reinforcing our collective security.

Steve Wadey, Group Chief Executive Officer, QinetiQ, said:

QinetiQ’s unique expertise positions us as a strategic and trusted partner to the UK MOD and its allies. Current conflicts remind us of the importance of air defences which are increasingly under pressure and QinetiQ is proud to play a key role in bringing this vital technology to the UK.

The signing forms part of a week-long visit by Minister Pollard to Australia and New Zealand, reinforcing the UK’s commitment to two of its closest defence partners in the Indo-Pacific.

In Canberra, the Minister also met the Minister for Resources, Madeleine King, to strengthen UK-Australia cooperation on critical minerals, and the interim National Armaments Director, Nadine Williams, to advance shared defence capability and industrial collaboration.

In Western Australia, Minister Pollard will visit Henderson Shipyard, where investment linked to AUKUS – the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States – is already supporting skills development and industrial uplift. AUKUS is expected to create more than 10,000 jobs in Western Australia, with a further 10,000 in South Australia.

Recent supply-chain initiatives are also generating work for 39 Australian companies, while Australian personnel are embedded across UK defence and industry organisations, supporting the delivery of the AUKUS partnership.

AUKUS is also delivering for the UK, with more than 3,000 new jobs already created across key UK nuclear sites since July 2024. SSN-AUKUS submarine construction, expected to create more than 7,000 new jobs across the UK supply chain, helping to drive growth in every postcode in the UK.

The Minister will travel to New Zealand later this week, where he will visit Devonport Naval Base in Auckland and meet defence industry leaders to discuss opportunities for closer cooperation on maritime capability. A prospective UK-New Zealand maritime partnership, including Babcock’s Type 31 Frigate offer, could deliver up to 1,000 jobs and NZ£300 million of investment into the New Zealand economy, as well as opportunities for UK industry.

The visit will also include further engagements with Australian and New Zealand government ministers and stops at defence industry sites, including Rocket Lab and SYOS Aerospace.
13/08/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Disabled people invited to shape recommendations of review into PIP [August 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 12 August 2026.

The Timms Review launched last October with the aim of making sure PIP is fair and fit for the future. Its Interim Report, published in July 2026, found that PIP is no longer fit for purpose.
- Fifteen workshops being held online and in person will help shape the recommendations of the Timms Review into Personal Independence Payment.
- Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions invited to apply for workshops, with registration open from Wednesday 12 August 2026.
- Comes following the Review’s Interim Report which found PIP to be no longer fit for purpose.
Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions are being invited to take part in a series of workshops that will help shape recommendations for the future of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Many people described assessment and decision-making processes as “stressful” and “dehumanising” and reported that PIP, while widely valued as a benefit, can itself create additional barriers to participation and independence.

Ahead of its final Report, due in Autumn 2026, the Review’s steering group is now developing emerging recommendations and will be seeking views on them from people across the UK.

The 15 workshops will be held online and in person across the UK during September and October 2026, ensuring people from all parts of the country can take part in discussing, testing and refining the recommendations.

The workshops are aimed primarily at disabled people and people with long-term health conditions and no previous experience of engaging with government reviews is required.

Alongside these workshops, the Review will also be contacting stakeholders including Disabled People’s Organisations, charities and MPs to test and refine its emerging recommendations over the same period.

Co-Chair of the Review and member of the shaping recommendations workshops working group Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE said:

Disabled people and people with long term health conditions know better than anyone how PIP works in real life where it helps, where it creates barriers, and where it needs to change. That experience has to be part of shaping what comes next.

I would encourage anyone with experience of applying for or receiving PIP to register their interest in taking part. The purpose of these workshops is not simply to hear people’s experiences, but to test the Review’s emerging recommendations against real lives and understand what could make them fairer, clearer and work better in practice.

Most importantly, I am committed to showing how what people tell us influences the recommendations we ultimately make.

Feedback from participants in these workshops will be considered by the Review as it finalises it recommendations. These workshops, alongside intensive engagement throughout the process, will ensure the Review is grounded in the experiences of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions before the report is submitted to the government.

Prior to this, more than 38,000 responses to the Review’s Call for Evidence were received, alongside workshops and engagement with disabled people, their organisations and experts, to feed into the Review.

Registration for the workshops opens on Wednesday 12 August 2026 at 10am and closes on Friday 21 August 2026 at 5pm. Selected participants will be informed by 4 September 2026.

Selection will be done randomly but the steering group will review and ensure the people chosen represent a balanced range of characteristics. Where a particular characteristic is under-represented, applicants with that characteristic will be identified from the wider applicant pool and selected at random to fill any gaps.
13/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Polls Open in Clacton By-Election With Record 34 Candidates

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Voters in Clacton are choosing their next MP in a by-election featuring a record 34 candidates, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and satirical candidate Count Binface. Polling stations opened at 7am and will close at 10pm, with the result expected after counting overnight.

The contest was triggered when Farage resigned from the House of Commons in July while facing scrutiny over a £5 million personal gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. Farage has said the money was a personal gift which did not require declaration as a political donation. The parliamentary standards investigation was paused when he ceased to be an MP and could resume if he returns to the Commons.

Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have not fielded candidates in the contest. Tendring District Council confirmed that the 34-candidate field exceeds the previous record of 26 candidates at the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election. Farage won Clacton at the 2024 general election with 46.2% of the vote.

13/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Yvette Cooper Says Labour ‘Did Not Do Government Very Well’ Under Starmer

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Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has said Labour ‘did not do government very well’ during the final period of Keir Starmer’s premiership and criticised the way Downing Street operated while she was Home Secretary. Cooper made the comments during an interview on the Political Currency podcast with former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne.

Cooper said Starmer’s leadership approach was characterised by the instruction to ‘bring me solutions, not problems’ and argued that this did not always work in politics. She cited the launch of the Government’s immigration white paper in May 2025, saying the Home Office had carried out much of the policy work but that Number 10 wanted Starmer to announce it without her fronting the launch.

She contrasted that approach with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, describing his style as more collegiate and saying he wanted ministers to discuss problems as well as possible solutions. Cooper also said she wanted the Government to build broader political agreement on reforming social care and on support for young children and families based on the principles of Sure Start.

13/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Newborn Intensive Care Admissions for RSV Fall by Half After Vaccine Programme

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Intensive care admissions among babies under six months with respiratory syncytial virus fell by around 50% during the first full winter of the NHS maternal RSV vaccination programme, according to the UK Health Security Agency. Twenty NHS trusts participating in surveillance recorded 63 admissions to intensive care or high dependency units in 2025 to 2026, compared with 131 the previous winter.

The maternal vaccination programme began in September 2024 and is offered from 28 weeks of pregnancy to provide protection to newborn babies. UKHSA said 61.7% of women giving birth between March 2025 and February 2026 had received an RSV vaccine. Peak weekly attendances at accident and emergency departments for infant bronchiolitis were also lower and the peak season was shorter than in previous years.

UKHSA said an earlier study found the maternal vaccine provided more than 80% protection against hospital admission for newborn babies. The annual report also found that 65% of eligible older adults had received an RSV vaccination by the end of May, with hospitalisation rates among eligible adults aged 75 to 80 reduced by more than 40%.

13/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Record 262,820 UK 18-Year-Olds Secure University or College Places

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A record 262,820 UK 18-year-olds have secured a university or college place on Level 3 results day, according to figures published by UCAS. The total is 3% higher than the 255,130 recorded last year, although the proportion of the 18-year-old population entering higher education remained broadly unchanged at 31.6%.

UCAS said 228,990 UK 18-year-olds had been accepted by their first-choice university or college, an increase of 1% from last year. A further 31,770 were placed with their insurance choice, up 21% from 26,330 in 2025. Overall, 79% of applicants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who were holding an offer and received a decision were placed with their first choice.

Across applicants of all ages and nationalities, 446,690 people had been accepted, also a record. UCAS said more young people from the most disadvantaged areas had gained places, while engineering and technology recorded the largest year-on-year increase among subject groups. More than 26,000 courses remained available through Clearing.

13/08/2026
NEWS STORY : UK Economy Grows by 0.4% in Second Quarter of 2026

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The UK economy grew by 0.4% between April and June 2026, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. The increase followed growth of 0.6% in the first three months of the year, while gross domestic product was 1.2% higher than in the same quarter of 2025.

Services provided the largest contribution to growth, increasing by 0.5% during the quarter. Construction output rose by 0.3%, while production showed no overall growth. The ONS said output increased in 15 of the 20 industrial subsectors measured in the latest estimate.

GDP per head is estimated to have increased by 0.4% during the quarter and was 1.0% higher than a year earlier. Separate ONS figures showed business investment rose by 1.7% between April and June and was 0.8% above its level in the same period last year.

13/08/2026
NEWS STORY : Government Announces £22 Million Push to Reduce Animal Testing in Science

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The Government has announced £22 million of funding for projects intended to reduce the use of animals in scientific testing and speed up the development of new medicines. The package includes a new national research hub and support for nine projects using human tissue models and artificial intelligence.

A £20 million Pre-clinical Translational Models Hub will be based in Cambridge and will develop miniature versions of human tissue, known as organoids, using cells donated by NHS patients. Researchers will use the models to study how people may respond to medicines, including treatments for cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, while providing an alternative to some tests currently carried out on animals.

A further £2 million will support nine projects through Innovate UK, including beating heart cells grown in a laboratory, human ear models and AI systems designed to predict how medicines move through the body. Government figures show that 2.54 million animal testing procedures were carried out in Great Britain during 2025, a fall of 3.8 per cent from the previous year.

12/08/2026