Tag: News Story

STORY

In a statement to the UN Security Council today, Ambassador James Kariuki, the UK Deputy Permanent Representative, underlined Britain’s determination to restore freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea, describing it as “essential in upholding stability in the region.” He welcomed recent de-escalation efforts around Yemen and urged that they serve as a pathway to sustainable peace, while warning that “the risk of escalation remains” given continued threats and worrying military posturing on the frontlines.

Highlighting practical support, Ambassador Kariuki announced that the UK continues to back the Yemen Coast Guard in safeguarding maritime borders and confirmed plans to launch the Yemen Maritime Security Partnership in June, alongside the Yemeni government and international partners. Turning to the humanitarian dimension, he drew attention to the disproportionate impact of the conflict on women, noting that 4.8 million internally displaced people are women, and 6.2 million women and girls remain at risk of gender-based violence—statistics drawn from the UN’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.

He also highlighted that UK funding in 2024 provided lifesaving services to nearly 1.5 million women and children and enabled 15,000 to access protection and gender-based violence response services, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to championing women’s roles in peacebuilding. Ambassador Kariuki condemned the ongoing detention of aid workers by the Houthis, calling for their “immediate and unconditional release” and warned that such actions further constrict humanitarian access at a time when nearly 20 million Yemenis are in dire need of assistance. Finally, he expressed gratitude to Dr Ahmad bin Mubarak, the outgoing Yemeni Prime Minister, and welcomed the new Prime Minister, Salem Bin Breik, pledging continued UK support for Yemen’s ambitious reform programme under the new administration.

STORY

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today urged government reform of the water sector’s regulatory accountability mechanisms, advocating a consistent appeal process in place of the current “redetermination” system and proposing that appeals be heard by a specialist judicial body such as the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). In its response to the Independent Water Sector Regulatory System Commission’s call for evidence, the CMA highlighted two key recommendations: first, that all regulatory decisions—including Ofwat’s price controls—be subject to an appeal on defined legal grounds rather than a full redetermination; and second, that the function of hearing these appeals be transferred from the CMA to an appropriately resourced judicial body.

Under the existing regime, Ofwat price control decisions can be “redetermined” by the CMA—a process that effectively requires the authority to retake decisions within a six- to twelve-month window, despite Ofwat’s multi-year review cycle. The CMA pointed to the growing scale and complexity of these reviews: its redetermination of PR19 spanned a 12-month process, culminating in a 1,239-page report and costing approximately £31.8 million in combined expenses for the CMA, Ofwat and disputing companies.

By contrast, an appeal framework would focus strictly on identifying legal errors in Ofwat’s original determinations, with the appellate body empowered to quash or remit decisions rather than substitute its own findings. The CMA argued this would deliver greater efficiency, reduce duplicative costs ultimately borne by consumers, and align water regulation with other sectors—such as energy and communications—where appeals are already judicially managed.

The CMA further noted that its core mission is competition enforcement rather than adjudication, and that the unpredictable timing and resource demands of regulatory redeterminations have become a diversion from its primary duties. Vesting appellate functions in the CAT, which possesses dedicated judicial expertise, would better serve both technical scrutiny and legal interpretation. Concluding its submission, the CMA welcomed the opportunity to assist the Commission and stands ready to engage with government on implementing these reforms to reduce regulatory complexity and bolster investor confidence in the water sector.

STORY

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) today issued a C3 grading to Swindon Borough Council after an inspection found “serious failings” in its delivery of consumer standards relating to tenant safety, repairs and resident engagement. RSH’s accelerated inspection, triggered by the council’s own self-referral over health and safety and repairs concerns, identified multiple breaches of statutory requirements. Inspectors found that Swindon Borough Council:

– Could not accurately report on the presence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

– Failed to track or monitor faults uncovered by electrical safety checks.

– Held more than 800 overdue fire-safety actions—most outstanding for over a year.

– Did not actively monitor or report open damp and mould cases, despite effective follow-up once reported.

– Lacked evidence of involving tenants’ views in decision-making or encouraging participation from under-represented groups.

While the council has demonstrated awareness of these shortcomings and is taking steps to address them, RSH confirmed it will continue close engagement to ensure swift remedial action is taken. Separately, RSH published C2/G1-V1 gradings for three housing associations—Housing 21, Torus62 and Sovereign Network Group—indicating they meet governance and viability standards but require improvements in delivering consumer outcomes. An interim G1/V1 grading was also issued for Bromford Flagship following its merger with Bromford Housing Group in February.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said:

“We take health and safety very seriously and expect all landlords to make sure tenants are not at risk in their homes. We also want to see better data management to demonstrate landlords understand their homes and tenants. Self-referrals show accountability and a willingness to improve.”

Under RSH’s framework, a C3 grading denotes “serious failings” in delivering consumer standards, obliging landlords to implement significant improvements or face further regulatory action.

STORY

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) today announced the appointment of Mr Qudsi Rasheed OBE as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, succeeding Ms Belinda Lewis, who will be transferring to another diplomatic post later this year. Mr Rasheed, a career diplomat and barrister, will assume his duties in September 2025. He brings a wealth of experience from senior roles across the Middle East and within the FCDO’s London headquarters. Most recently, he served as Deputy Head of Mission in Cairo from 2021 to 2024 and completed a period of full-time Arabic language training in 2020–21 alongside a stint as Deputy Director of the COVID Task Force.

Prior to his Cairo posting, Mr Rasheed was Deputy Director for Multilateral Policy and Head of the Sanctions Unit at the FCDO between 2018 and 2020. His overseas assignments include leading the UK Syria Office in Beirut (2017–18) and serving as External Relations Counsellor at UKREP Brussels (2014–17). Earlier in his career he was a Legal Adviser in the FCO’s Legal Directorate (2011–14) and, before joining the service in 2011, practised as a barrister after being called to the Bar of England and Wales. Mr Rasheed’s appointment underlines the UK’s commitment to deepening ties with Kuwait on energy, trade and regional security. During his tenure, he will work to strengthen bilateral cooperation on climate resilience, investment and cultural exchange, aimed at building on decades of UK–Kuwait partnership.

STORY

In a forceful address to the UN Security Council today, the UK’s Permanent Representative, Dame Barbara Woodward, urged Israel to immediately lift its blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza, warning that “the whole of Gaza is at risk of famine” and condemning the “cruel and inexcusable” rotting of vital supplies at the border. Highlighting World Food Programme alerts that “they have no food left” and IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) data showing famine risk, Dame Barbara called on Israel to “allow the rapid and unimpeded provision of humanitarian aid to all civilians”, stressing that continued obstruction “risks further deaths that should be avoidable”.

She outlined three urgent demands: first, that Israel remove its aid blockade; second, that any aid mechanism must remain free of political or military objectives and adhere to humanitarian principles; and third, that Israel release findings and take concrete measures following the killing of Palestinian Red Crescent workers and the strike on a UNOPS compound in March.

Dame Barbara welcomed the recent release of Edan Alexander after 17 months in Hamas captivity as “a rare moment of hope”, but warned that attention must not wane for the remaining hostages. “It is ceasefire deals that have delivered the release of over 180 hostages and allowed a massive scale-up of aid for desperate Palestinians”, she said, urging political will to secure a comprehensive ceasefire that could also “achieve a pathway to a two-state solution”. Co-sponsored by Denmark, France, Greece and Slovenia, the UK-led meeting underscored growing international alarm at Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The UK reiterated its firm opposition to any expansion of the conflict, aligning with many hostages’ families in calling for an immediate and durable ceasefire to end civilian suffering.

STORY

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has announced the appointment of Mr Kanbar Hossein-Bor as the new British High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji. In addition to his primary posting in Suva, Mr Hossein-Bor will serve as non-resident High Commissioner to Kiribati and non-resident Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, succeeding Dr Brian Jones, who moves to another diplomatic assignment later this year.

Mr Hossein-Bor, who will assume his duties in July 2025, brings to the role over two decades of legal and diplomatic experience. Since 2021 he has been Deputy Director for Democratic Governance and Media Freedom at the FCDO, where he coordinated efforts to promote press freedoms and good governance. His earlier overseas postings include Deputy High Commissioner in Dhaka (2018–2020), Chargé d’Affaires in Monrovia in 2015, and Head of the Libya Team at the FCO (2012–2015).

His extensive legal background includes serving as Head of International Tribunals and UK Agent to the International Court of Justice in The Hague (2009–2012) and as Legal Adviser in Baghdad (2006–2007). Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mr Hossein-Bor practised as a barrister in private practice between 2002 and 2005.

The FCDO emphasised that Mr Hossein-Bor’s appointment underlines the UK’s commitment to strengthening its relationships across the Pacific region. His responsibilities will encompass fostering bilateral relations, supporting British nationals, and advancing cooperation on climate resilience, trade, and regional security in partnership with Pacific island nations.

STORY

The Court of Appeal has boosted the sentence of Keith Edun, a 48-year-old from Croydon, after Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP referred his case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. Edun was convicted of encouraging another man to rape and sexually assault a baby, and of sharing videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants, via the messaging app Kik. He was identified following a separate investigation into the March 2020 rape of a baby, which led police to search his devices and uncover numerous indecent images of children. Officers also discovered that Edun had deleted the Kik app in an attempt to conceal his online activities.

Originally sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on 14 February 2025, Edun received an extended sentence totalling 21 years and six months—13 years and six months in custody, followed by an eight-year extended licence. On 13 May 2025, the Court of Appeal quashed that sentence and imposed a new extended term of 24 years and two months, comprising 16 years and two months behind bars and the same eight-year licence.

Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

“Keith Edun is a dangerous sexual predator who poses a serious risk to children. His crimes were deeply disturbing, and I would like to thank the police for their thorough investigation of this matter. The court has rightly decided to increase Edun’s sentence which I hope sends a strong message that this government will take robust action to keep dangerous sex offenders off our streets.”

The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme allows the Solicitor General to challenge sentences considered too low. Since its inception, it has been used to ensure serious offenders receive terms that reflect the gravity of their crimes.

STORY

The UK’s Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has recommended the implementation of country-specific quota caps on certain steel imports to safeguard the domestic steel industry from global overcapacity and oversupply. Effective from 1 October 2025, the proposed measures would limit tariff-free imports from countries such as Vietnam, South Korea, and Algeria to 40% of the residual quota in specific steel categories, including metallic coated sheets, non-alloy and other alloy quarto plates, and rebar. Imports exceeding these caps would incur a 25% tariff.

Additionally, the TRA has suggested eliminating the “carry-over” provision, which currently allows unused quarterly import quotas to roll over into the next quarter. This change is set to take effect from 1 July 2025.

TRA Chair Nick Baird stated, “The TRA has listened to the concerns of the UK’s steel industry and worked at pace to recommend changes to steel import quota allocations to help protect the UK steel industry from the destabilising impact of global overcapacity.” However, industry group UK Steel has criticised the proposals as insufficient. Director-General Gareth Stace commented, “It is now time for government to step up and swiftly replace ineffective steel safeguards with a robust trade defence mechanism of quotas designed to suit the reality of the market and the world today.”

STORY

Three men convicted of raping a vulnerable teenager in the 1990s have had their prison sentences significantly increased after the Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP, referred their cases to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The victim, who moved to Keighley, Yorkshire, as a teenager in the early 1990s, was subjected to repeated sexual abuse by Ibrar Hussain (47), Imtiaz Ahmed (64) and Fayaz Ahmed (45). The court heard that the men exploited her vulnerability, supplying her with money, drugs, and alcohol in exchange for sex. Many of the assaults occurred in flats above the Ahmed family’s grocery shop. Initially, on 17 January 2025, Hussain was sentenced to six years and six months for two counts of rape; Imtiaz Ahmed received nine years for one count of rape; and Fayaz Ahmed was given seven years and six months for two counts of rape.

Following the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased their sentences on 13 May 2025: Hussain’s to 10 years, Imtiaz Ahmed’s to 11 years, and Fayaz Ahmed’s to 10 years. In a victim impact statement, the survivor described enduring flashbacks and ongoing trauma nearly 30 years after the abuse, stating it left her unable to trust people, including those meant to protect her. The Solicitor General commented, “This case involved the shocking and hideous abuse of a vulnerable teenager by these three sexual predators. I referred these sentences to the Court of Appeal because, in my view, they were unduly lenient. I very much welcome the Court of Appeal’s significant increases to these sentences.”

STORY

Patrick Spencer, the Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault relating to alleged incidents involving two women at the Groucho Club in Soho, central London, in August 2023. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that Spencer, 37, voluntarily attended a police interview on 13 March 2025. Following a review of the evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised the charges. Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, emphasised the importance of avoiding any reporting or commentary that could prejudice the legal proceedings.

In response to the charges, the Conservative Party has suspended Spencer and withdrawn the party whip with immediate effect. A party spokesperson stated “We have taken immediate action. Patrick Spencer MP has been suspended from the Conservative Party, and the whip withdrawn, with immediate effect.”

Spencer, who was elected to Parliament in July 2024, is the son of billionaire businessman and former Tory party treasurer Lord Michael Spencer. He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 June 2025. The Groucho Club, founded in 1985 as a progressive alternative to traditional gentlemen’s clubs, is known for its cultural significance and notable membership.