Tag: News Story

STORY

The European Union is keeping firefighting aircraft and personnel in reserve as France and Spain continue to tackle major wildfires. Tens of thousands of hectares have been affected during a period of extreme heat and dry weather.

Aircraft and helicopters from the EU civil protection mechanism have already been deployed to support national services. Additional planes, helicopters and firefighters remain available if further requests are made.

The EU is planning to establish a permanent firefighting fleet by 2028. Member states are also discussing additional climate resilience funding in the next long term EU budget.

STORY

Fourteen year olds in England are to receive earlier access to technical education, work experience and links with employers under changes announced by the Government. Ministers said the reforms would give vocational and academic routes equal status.

Schools, colleges, mayors and employers will be expected to work together to create clearer routes into skilled employment in their areas. The Government said courses would be connected more closely to local labour market needs.

Ofsted will also change how it assesses technical education and preparation for work. Further details of the curriculum and implementation timetable are expected from the Department for Education.

STORY

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the first international leader to visit the UK since Burnham entered Downing Street. The Government said the meeting reaffirmed Britain’s continuing support for Ukraine.

The leaders reviewed military cooperation, including the Stone Cloak electronic jammer developed through UK Ukrainian collaboration. The equipment is designed to make it harder for Russian air defence systems to track drones.

They also met Ukrainian military personnel taking part in Exercise Sea Breeze in the UK. The Government said Britain would continue providing £3 billion a year in military support to Ukraine.

STORY

The European Commission has published new guidance to help manufacturers, software developers and other businesses comply with the EU Cyber Resilience Act. The legislation introduces mandatory cybersecurity requirements for products containing digital elements.

The guidance explains which products are covered, what counts as a substantial modification and how businesses should approach risk assessments, security support periods and incident reporting.

The Commission said the document includes practical examples and specific information for small and medium sized businesses. Companies are being encouraged to prepare before the Act’s main obligations become mandatory.

STORY

The Government has confirmed plans to replace the existing council structure in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay with four unitary authorities, subject to Parliamentary approval. The decision follows a consultation on competing proposals for local government reorganisation.

The selected proposal was submitted by Exeter City Council and Plymouth City Council. Ministers said the new structure would better align local government with the area’s economy and public services.

The change forms part of a wider programme to remove two tier local government in a number of English counties. Detailed transition arrangements and the boundaries of the new authorities will now be developed.

STORY

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ruled out changes to stamp duty at the Government’s next Budget, despite calls from some economists for the tax to be reformed or abolished. He said the Government would instead concentrate on making the wider tax system fairer.

Stamp duty raised £16.6 billion in the most recent financial year. Critics of the tax argue that it can discourage people from moving home and reduce mobility in the labour market.

Burnham said there could be modest tax increases to meet spending pressures, including costs linked to an ageing population and higher defence expenditure. Labour’s 2024 manifesto ruled out increases to income tax, National Insurance and VAT.

STORY

The Environment Agency has begun criminal proceedings against Southern Water Services Limited and seven former employees following a long-running investigation. Four former employees, including former chief executive Matthew Wright, face a charge of conspiracy to defraud the Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat.

It is alleged that between January 2012 and December 2017 the defendants implemented artificial “no-flow” events at wastewater treatment works operated by Southern Water. The Environment Agency claims this was intended to manipulate the Operator Self-Monitoring compliance regime, under which water companies take samples and report the results to the regulator. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.

Southern Water will separately face charges relating to alleged breaches of environmental permits connected with the same conduct, while three additional former employees face charges linked to failures to comply with permits. The proceedings will continue at Medway Magistrates’ Court after the Administrative Court confirmed the Environment Agency’s power to bring the prosecution. All charges remain allegations and the proceedings are ongoing.

STORY

The National Armaments Director (NAD) Group has awarded a contract to develop a hypersonic target, strengthening UK and allied missile defence capabilities.

• The programme supports UK and allied missile defence, with a live flight demonstration planned for 2027 at the MOD Hebrides Range
• Bowline strengthens UK sovereign hypersonics expertise and supports international collaboration through AUKUS Pillar 2

The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £20 million contract to Lockheed Martin UK to deliver Project Bowline, a hypersonic target programme designed to support the development and testing of missile defence systems against advanced threats. The project is a key part of the UK’s contribution to allied air and missile defence, with a live flight demonstration planned for 2027 at the MOD Hebrides Range.

The contract awarded by NAD Group will support around 63 jobs in Bedfordshire and inject £2 million into the supply chain, with over a third going directly to UK SMEs. It also marks the MOD’s return to hypersonic target development after more than a decade, rebuilding the sovereign capability in advanced targets.

National Armaments Director Rupert Pearce said:

Delivering Project Bowline will help ensure the UK stays ahead of rapidly evolving hypersonic threats. By working with our AUKUS partners and investing in advanced missile technology in the UK, we strengthen our national arsenal, boost a key sector in our economy, and support our ability to deliver effective missile defence.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin UK – at its advanced manufacturing facility – will design, manufacture, qualify and test a hypersonic target, a vehicle designed to represent high-speed threats capable of travelling at speeds reaching above Mach 5.

The programme will culminate in a first flight demonstration, enabling the future assessment and qualification of next‑generation missile defence systems, including sensors and interceptors. Bowline has been awarded through the MOD’s Science and Technology Oriented Research and Development in Missile Defence (STORM) contract managed by the UK Missile Defence Centre and supports innovation in defence capability.

Project Bowline builds on international collaboration under the AUKUS Pillar 2 Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation (HyFliTE) Project Arrangement, where the UK, United States and Australia are working together to accelerate hypersonic and counter‑hypersonic technologies. The US and Australia will provide critical contributions including flight test and research expertise and technical peer review.

The programme is a prime example of the NAD Group’s core role in developing, delivering and sustaining the UK’s national arsenal.

Bowline will enhance sovereign expertise in hypersonic systems, including modelling, manufacturing and testing, while strengthening partnerships across industry, small and medium enterprises and academia. This reflects a continued focus on accelerating capability delivery, deepening international collaboration and supporting UK economic growth through defence investment.

Paul Livingston, Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin UK, said:

For more than 85 years Lockheed Martin has partnered with the UK to help address complex defence and security challenges. The Project Bowline contract and programme highlight the strength of collaboration between government, UK industry, and international partners through the UK Missile Defence Centre, and will support sovereign innovation across the UK, capitalise on existing UK industry capability, and contribute to a more resilient and effective sovereign missile defence capability.

STORY

The families of the three girls murdered in the Southport attack have accused Axel Rudakubana of attempting to manipulate the system after he was transferred from HMP Belmarsh to Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital. Their representatives said the development had caused further distress as the second anniversary of the attack approached and requested an urgent meeting with the relevant authorities.

Rudakubana was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years for murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe, and attempting to murder eight other children and two adults at a dance workshop in Southport. He was moved to Broadmoor after clinical assessments concluded that he could not be managed safely in a prison environment because of his mental health.

The Ministry of Justice said the transfer did not alter Rudakubana’s sentence and that he would remain securely detained. Prisoners transferred under the Mental Health Act receive treatment in a secure hospital and may be returned to prison if treatment is no longer required or their condition allows them to be managed safely in custody.

STORY

Angela Rayner has refused to return the £16,876 ministerial severance payment she received after resigning as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary over the controversy surrounding unpaid stamp duty on her Hove property. The Labour MP has now returned to the Cabinet as Housing Secretary under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, prompting accusations that she is benefiting from arrangements she previously criticised when Conservative ministers received similar payments.

Asked on BBC Radio 5 Live whether she would repay the money, Rayner said she would not, arguing that she had worked in Government for a substantial period and then remained outside it for almost a year. She contrasted her position with Conservative ministers who returned to office within weeks of receiving severance payments. Rayner previously said it showed a “staggering lack of shame” for former Conservative ministers to accept large payouts after leaving office, while Labour later backed proposals requiring some returning ministers to repay the corresponding portion of their severance