Each of the six towns’ bells will chime in unison at 6.30pm as a symbolic reminder of the unity and shared identity that brings Stoke-on-Trent’s towns together.
To mark the city’s 100th birthday, the bells of all six towns will ring out together on Stoke-on-Trent Day, Wednesday 5 June 2025, in a unique and historic celebration of the city’s rich heritage and community spirit.
Each of the six towns’ bells will chime in unison at 6.30pm as a symbolic reminder of the unity and shared identity that brings Stoke-on-Trent’s towns together.
This includes the former Hanley bells, which were fully refurbished and installed into St Mary’s Stafford in early 2023.
Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Steve Watkins, said: “Bells have been used for centuries to communicate messages, announce events, and mark historical moments so what better way to mark our Centenary than ringing all six of the city’s town bells at the same time.
“Each bell represents the unique character and history of our six towns, and when they ring together, they remind us all of the strength and unity that define our city.”
The bell ringing is part of a wider programme of centenary events throughout 2025, designed to bring communities together and honour Stoke-on-Trent’s past, present and future.
This includes the People’s Parade on Saturday 7 June, and a host of activities and exhibitions celebrating Stoke-on-Trent’s Centenary.
For more information and the full events calendar go to: sot100.org.uk.
Taieri MP Ingrid Leary reflected on her years in Fiji as a television journalist and media educator at a Fiji Centre function in Auckland celebrating Fourth Estate values and independence at the weekend.
It was a reunion with former journalism professor David Robie — they had worked together as a team at the University of the South Pacific amid media and political controversy leading up to the George Speight coup in May 2000.
Leary was the guest speaker at a gathering of human rights activists, development advocates, academics and journalists hosted at the Whānau Community Centre and Hub, the umbrella base for the Fiji Centre and Asia Pacific Media Network.
She said she was delighted to meet “special people in David’s life” and to be speaking to a diverse group sharing “similar values of courage, freedom of expression, truth and tino rangatiratanga”.
“I want to start this talanoa on Friday, 19 May 2000 — 13 years almost to the day of the first recognised military coup in Fiji in 1987 — when failed businessman George Speight tore off his balaclava to reveal his identity.
She pointed out that there had actually been another “coup” 100 years earlier by Ratu Cakobau.
“Speight had seized Parliament holding the elected government at gunpoint, including the politician mother, Lavinia Padarath, of one of my best friends — Anna Padarath.
Hostage-taking report “Within minutes, the news of the hostage-taking was flashed on Radio Fiji’s 10 am bulletin by a student journalist on secondment there — Tamani Nair. He was a student of David Robie’s.”
Nair had been dispatched to Parliament to find out what was happening and reported from a cassava patch.
“Fiji TV was trashed . . . and transmission pulled for 48 hours.
“The university shut down — including the student radio facilities, and journalism programme website — to avoid a similar fate, but the journalism school was able to keep broadcasting and publishing via a parallel website set up at the University of Technology Sydney.
“The pictures were harrowing, showing street protests turning violent and the barbaric behaviour of Speight’s henchmen towards dissenters.
“Thus began three months of heroic journalism by David’s student team — including through a period of martial law that began 10 days later and saw some of the most restrictive levels of censorship ever experienced in the South Pacific.”
Leary paid tribute to some some of the “brave satire” produced by senior Fiji Times reporters filling paper with “non-news” (such as haircuts, drinking kava) as act of defiance.
“My friend Anna Padarath returned from doing her masters in law in Australia on a scholarship to be closer to her Mum, whose hostage days within Parliament Grounds stretched into weeks and then months.
Whanau Community Centre and Hub co-founder Nik Naidu speaking at the Asia Pacific Media Network event at the weekend. Image: Khairiah A. Rahman/APMN
Invisible consequences “Anna would never return to her studies — one of the many invisible consequences of this profoundly destructive era in Fiji’s complex history.
“Happily, she did go on to carve an incredible career as a women’s rights advocate.”
“Meanwhile David’s so-called ‘barefoot student journalists’ — who snuck into Parliament the back way by bushtrack — were having their stories read and broadcast globally.
“And those too shaken to even put their hands to keyboards on Day 1 emerged as journalism leaders who would go on to win prizes for their coverage.”
Speight was sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned in 2024.
Taeri MP Ingrid Leary speaking at the Whānau Community Centre and Hub. Image: Nik Naidu/APMN
Leary said that was just one chapter in the remarkable career of David Robie who had been an editor, news director, foreign news editor and freelance writer with a number of different agencies and news organisations — including Agence France-Presse, Rand Daily Mail, The Auckland Star, Insight Magazine, and New Outlook Magazine — “a family member to some, friend to many, mentor to most”.
Reflecting on working with Dr Robie at USP, which she joined as television lecturer from Fiji Television, she said:
“At the time, being a younger person, I thought he was a little but crazy, because he was communicating with people all around the world when digital media was in its infancy in Fiji, always on email, always getting up on online platforms, and I didn’t appreciate the power of online media at the time.
“And it was incredible to watch.”
Ahead of his time She said he was an innovator and ahead of his time.
Dr Robie viewed journalism as a tool for empowerment, aiming to provide communities with the information they needed to make informed decisions.
“We all know that David has been a champion of social justice and for decolonisation, and for the values of an independent Fourth Estate.”
She said she appreciated the freedom to develop independent media as an educator, adding that one of her highlights was producing the groundbreaking documentary Maire about Maire Bopp Du Pont, who was a student journalist at USP and advocate for the Pacific community living with HIV/AIDs community.
She later became a nuclear-free Pacific parliamentarian in Pape’ete.
Leary presented Dr Robie with a “speaking stick” carved from an apricot tree branch by the husband of a Labour stalwart based in Cromwell — the event doubled as his 80th birthday.
In response, Dr Robie said the occasion was a “golden opportunity” to thank many people who had encouraged and supported him over many years.
Massive upheaval “We must have done something right,” he said about USP, “because in 2000, the year of George Speight’s coup, our students covered the massive upheaval which made headlines around the world when Mahendra Chaudhry’s Labour-led coalition government was held at gunpoint for 56 days.
“The students courageously covered the coup with their website Pacific Journalism Online and their newspaper Wansolwara — “One Ocean”. They won six Ossie Awards – unprecedented for a single university — in Australia that year and a standing ovation.”
He said there was a video on YouTube of their exploits called Frontline Reporters and one of the students, Christine Gounder, wrote an article for a Commonwealth Press Union magazine entitled, “From trainees to professionals. And all it took was a coup”.
Dr Robie said this Fiji experience was still one of the most standout experiences he had had as a journalist and educator.
Along with similar coverage of the 1997 Sandline mercenary crisis by his students at the University of Papua New Guinea.
He made some comments about the 1985 Rainbow Warrior voyage to Rongelap in the Marshall islands and the subsequent bombing by French secret agents in Auckland.
But he added “you can read all about this adventure in my new book” being published in a few weeks.
Taieri MP Ingrid Leary (right) with Dr David Robie and his wife Del Abcede at the Fiji Centre function. Image: Camille Nakhid
Biggest 21st century crisis Dr Robie said the profession of journalism, truth telling and holding power to account, was vitally important to a healthy democracy.
Although media did not succeed in telling people what to think, it did play a vital role in what to think about. However, the media world was undergoing massive change and fragmentation.
“And public trust is declining in the face of fake news and disinformation,” he said
“I think we are at a crossroads in society, both locally and globally. Both journalism and democracy are under an unprecedented threat in my lifetime.
“When more than 230 journalists can be killed in 19 months in Gaza and there is barely a bleep from the global community, there is something savagely wrong.
“The Gazan journalists won the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize collectively last year with the judges saying, “As humanity, we have a huge debt to their courage and commitment to freedom of expression.”
“The carnage and genocide in Gaza is deeply disturbing, especially the failure of the world to act decisively to stop it. The fact that Israel can kill with impunity at least 54,000 people, mostly women and children, destroy hospitals and starve people to death and crush a people’s right to live is deeply shocking.
“This is the biggest crisis of the 21st century. We see this relentless slaughter go on livestreamed day after day and yet our media and politicians behave as if this is just ‘normal’. It is shameful, horrendous. Have we lost our humanity?
“Gaza has been our test. And we have failed.”
Other speakers included Whānau Hub co-founder Nik Naidu, one of the anti-coup Coalition for Democracy in Fiji (CDF) stalwarts; the Heritage New Zealand’s Antony Phillips; and Multimedia Investments and Evening Report director Selwyn Manning.
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council
The Summit aims to harness digital capability and technology to deliver public safety and confidence in policing.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Innovation and Digital Summit will be taking place between 20 to 22 October 2025 in Liverpool with applications for the Digital Awards 2025 now open.
The Summit is being organised by the NPCC Digital, Data and Technology Coordination Committee (DDaT) and the NPCC Science and Innovation Coordination Committee in coordination with the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser, industry partners and Police Digital Service (PDS). It will be an opportunity for policing to strengthen collaboration between forces, law enforcement and industry.
National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Digital, Data and Technology Chief Constable Rob Carden and Lead for Science and Innovation Jeremy Vaughan, said: “The NPCC Innovation and Digital Summit is an opportunity to bring senior leaders and practitioners from across policing , together with those who have key roles in innovation, business changes, digital, data and technology in the law enforcement bodies.
“This is a Summit which is being put together by policing, for policing, so that we can ensure that those delegates attending are able to strengthen their digital capabilities and explore opportunities to improve the way they use technology in order to better protect the public and the communities we serve.”
The Digital Awards 2025 will be taking place during the summit on evening of 21 October, where policing will be recognising the outstanding contributions by police staff and teams across UK law enforcement agencies.
Nominations are open until 14 July 2025 and judging will take place following the closing date. Only UK based law enforcement agencies or their team are eligible to be nominated to receive an awards but nominations can be made by policing, partners or suppliers. Those wishing to submit a nomination should visit https://bit.ly/DigAwards25.
Eight distinct categories will celebrate achievements in various areas:
Innovation in Embedding Digital Solutions to Front Line Policing: This category celebrates the exceptional efforts of an individual or team who have successfully embedded innovative digital solutions into front line policing.
Excellence in Cyber Security: This category celebrates the efforts of an individual or team who have gone beyond to ensure the protection of police systems and data from threats and data loss.
Collaboration in the furthering of Digital, Data and Technology: This category recognises effective use of partnerships and collaboration to deliver enhanced digital, data, or technology capabilities for the benefit of UK policing.
Enabling Diversity & Inclusion in Science & Technology: This category recognises the outstanding efforts of an individual or team who have supported, promoted, or inspired diversity and inclusion within their organisation or in the wider policing community, particularly in the fields of science and technology.
Excellence in Training, Talent & Development in Digital, Data & Technology: This category is for an individual or team who have facilitated the development of others in the fields of digital, data and technology.
Excellence in Productivity & Value for Money: This category will recognise the impact an individual or team have had on reducing or avoiding costs whilst improving quality of service or capabilities.
Excellence in Science & Technology Leadership: This category acknowledges great leadership, irrespective of role or rank, in the delivery of excellent solutions surrounding Science and Technology.
Digital Data and Technology Ambassador: This category looks to identify those who have gone beyond reasonable expectations to promote and facilitate more effective and efficacious use of Digital Data and Technology within UK Policing.
The NPCC Digital Awards will be judged by representatives from the NPCC Digital, Data and Technology Coordination Committee, NPCC Science and Innovation Coordination Committee, the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser, trade bodies (representing the supplier community) and Police Digital Service.
Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council said: “These awards are a fantastic opportunity to honour and celebrate the digital pioneers who are shaping the future of policing. It is a great way to recognise the individuals and teams making a real difference on the ground – where dedication meets innovation in law enforcement, ensuring police forces have the tools they need to keep communities safe and secure.
“I am looking forward to seeing the innovation on display from our talented colleagues across the UK.”
The award winners and nominees will be celebrated at the National Police Chiefs’ Council Innovation and Digital Innovation Summit 2025. The event is shaping up to be the biggest and most impactful summit yet, bringing together the UK’s leading figures in law enforcement, technology, and data on October 20-22 in Liverpool. More information on how to attend is available on the Police Digital Service website.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Appointment to Security Vetting Appeals Panel
A new Deputy Chair has been appointed.
Sir James Goss has been appointed as an additional Deputy Chair of the Security Vetting Appeals Panel for a period of four years, concluding in April 2029.
Sir James was a Deputy High Court Judge (Admin Court) from 2013 to 2014, and in October 2014 became a judge of the High Court of Justice. He was assigned to the Queen’s Bench Division and received the customary appointment as a knight bachelor.
He is currently a Director of Criminal Training at the Judicial College and a Judges Lodgings representative on the High Court Judges Association.
The Security Vetting Appeals Panel reviews decisions to refuse or withdraw National Security Vetting and the process involved. You can find out more about what the Panel does here.
The Panel currently has 11 sitting members: a Chair, a Deputy Chair and 9 Lay Members.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Reforms to bolster flood protection for communities across the country
Delivering on the government’s Plan for Change, proposals will introduce a simplified approach benefitting poorer communities and speeding up project delivery
A photo of flood defences on a beach
New proposals to accelerate the construction of flood schemes and protect thousands of homes and businesses in the nation’s cities and rural areas from the risks of flooding have been unveiled today (Tuesday 3 June) by Floods Minister Emma Hardy.
A simpler, transparent approach will replace the current complex and labour-intensive process of applying for funding, which disproportionately affects councils with less resources.
The proposals will make it easier for authorities, including councils, to bid for central government funding. This will benefit poorer councils who have less resource to commit to the application process.
They will also ensure money is distributed more effectively across the country – including for rural and coastal communities.
And faster applications will help speed up delivery of vital schemes – crucial to boosting the country’s preparedness for extreme weather events.
Established more than a decade ago under the previous government, the existing outdated formula for distributing money to proposed flood defences is complicated, slows down applications and neglects more innovative approaches such as natural flood management.
Speaking at the Flood & Coast Conference in Telford, Minister Hardy outlined fresh proposals to replace this system and introduce a simple, flexible and strategic approach to investment in flood resilience projects.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:
Councils have struggled for years with securing money for flood defences due to a complex and archaic application process. Dealing with the impacts of flooding gets in the way of growth for businesses and can be devastating for hard-working families.
That is why, as part of our Plan for Change, this Government is reforming how flood funds are distributed to protect businesses, rural and coastal communities as we invest over £2.65 billion in flood defences across the country.
Minister Hardy set out how the government will fully fund the first £3 million of proposed flood and coastal erosion projects, giving a crucial boost to schemes. For remaining costs above this, schemes would only need to secure 10% of the remaining costs from other sources, such as private investment, as the government would cover the rest. This approach would mean more schemes will see their funding gaps filled and stop local communities needing to secure more funding themselves.
The consultation – which opens today – will also seek views on how projects are prioritised each year for delivery, such as on their value for money or whether certain outcomes should be bolstered, such as for flood resilience in deprived communities or the level of private funding raised.
Delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change, these proposals will help boost economic growth, by empowering businesses to inject money into local areas and thereby creating more jobs.
Environment Agency Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Caroline Douglass said:
Better protecting communities in England from the devastating impacts of flooding is one of our top priorities as climate change brings more extreme weather.
We support the government’s bold strategic vision to transform the approach to investment in resilience to flood and coastal erosion, helping to streamline the delivery of flood schemes and improve existing assets to protect communities better.
The consultation also outlines plans to mainstream investment in natural flood management, which uses nature to reduce the risk of flooding, while also providing wider benefits such as improved water quality, vital habitats for wildlife and increased access to nature. This will help boost protection for rural communities, with dozens of projects under the Government’s Natural Flood Management programme already achieving this.
It also considers how communities can make better use of property flood resilience measures, such as flood doors or smart air bricks. These items help prevent water from entering a property or reduce the amount of floodwater that enters during significant flooding.
It is a great pleasure to be in Dublin, and I want to start by thanking the Irish Association of Investment Managers for inviting me again to speak. I say again because I also have to begin with an apology, for standing you up last year at short notice when the General Election was called in the UK. And so, my other thanks is to my fellow Governor Gabriel, for stepping in last year when I withdrew at short notice.
Not much has happened in the last year. To keep it topical, I am going to use my time to talk about trade, both in goods and in financial services. This is not only topical but highly relevant, because Ireland and the UK are both open economies, with long-established trade connections, and likewise strong connections in financial services.
Trade matters. It matters at both the economy-wide or macro level, and at the level of individual firms, the micro level. And, almost needless to say, the two are closely linked.
I am going to start by laying out key elements of the big picture, before moving on to talk about financial services. My starting point is two key elements of the macro dimension of trade. In many past times in talking about trade it would have been easy to pass over them, as points that are not contested. I think they need repeating today.
The first point is that trade supports output in the economy – and it is good for economic welfare. As I will come on to, there are important qualifications to this point, but they don’t invalidate it. From Adam Smith onwards, it has broadly been accepted that trade supports specialisation and efficiency of production and it enables knowledge transfer, and these features support productivity and economic growth.
The second point is that we should not expect trade between countries to be in balance all of the time. The whole world should be in balance – because it is a closed system as we have not found and started trading with extra-terrestrial life yet. But as individual countries, we are not closed, as Ireland and the UK demonstrate. Unfortunately, the world’s exports and imports don’t usually equal each other, but that’s down to our counting not ET.
However, since trade balances between countries don’t balance – and they should not be expected to do so, – what determines the balances and patterns of trade? At the whole economy, or macro, level the answer is that trade is determined by the balance between a country’s saving and investment – macroeconomic fundamentals. And, these are shaped by factors such as business conditions and cycles, productivity growth, savings behaviour, interest rates, fiscal policy choices and exchange rates. In other words, trade is an outcome of the big driving forces of economies, and if we want to affect trade patterns on a lasting basis, that’s where we should look.
Well, up to a point, yes. I am conscious that what I have just said is a rather a textbook espousal of the case for free trade. No apologies, I do believe in free trade. But, I’m also aware that things are not that simple – the story doesn’t end there. Trade patterns are also shaped by national policies, particularly industrial policies, and by the rules–based world trading system that seeks to set the guardrails for such policies.
Now, the argument, as I interpret it, of the US Administration is that those rules have been stretched beyond breaking point, and actions have to be taken to put this right.
As I read it, there are two parts to this argument.
The first is that the rules of the world trade system – based around the World Trade Organisation – have broken down, and are in need of reform. IMF staff have pointed to more use of industrial policies around the world in recent years, and argued that these should only be used for very limited domestic objectives such as local market failures, but that has not been the case of late, and that this practice will and has exacerbated trade tensions. More concretely, between 2009 and 2022 China implemented around 5,400 so-called subsidy policies, which were concentrated in priority sectors, i.e., ones that matter. This was equal to about two-thirds of all the subsidy measures adopted by G20 advanced economies combined.
The macro story on trade is influenced by what goes on at the micro level, and we can’t see these two as distinct. There has been an increase in the use of industrial policies – one country has been active on this front, but it’s not alone.
The second point is around how the rules of engagement of the world trade system have come under pressure from new developments which have affected all of us. Let me briefly set out two which are closely linked. First, before the outbreak of Covid world trade had grown rapidly, more rapidly than world output, and in doing so the supply chains for final products had become much more complicated, but also efficient in the sense that they had exploited the benefits of trade.
This meant that a lot more of world trade comprised so-called intermediate goods – inputs to the final product, but not the product itself. This exploited one of the longest standing principles of free trade – so-called comparative advantage. In other words, produce stuff where it is most efficient relatively speaking to do so, accepting that the relative point means that no country should specialise in everything. Over time, the trade system has become more and more refined – we have heard the phrase “just in time delivery”. This was highly efficient, until it wasn’t.
Covid dealt a blow to the efficiency of the trade system. Even though initial pandemic-related supply chain disruption was resolved quite rapidly, as we recovered from Covid these trading patterns and systems did not return to normal as quickly and fully as we expected.
Why was that? There were no doubt a number of reasons, but a large one is the growth of national security concerns as a threat to the efficiency of trade. In reality, sadly, Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine provided real evidence of the disruption that can happen, and is one factor behind a growing threat from national security to our assumptions on frictionless trade. To be clear, national security concerns are not a good reason to retreat indiscriminately from global trade. The best way to ensure resilience to geopolitical risk is not by reshoring production, but by diversifying supply chains among reliable partners who abide by international law.
Viewed from the perspective of a central bank responsible for monetary policy, the inevitable conclusion is that we cannot assume that the supply sides of our economies behave as efficiently as they did before Covid. And this was a substantial cause of the very difficult upsurge in inflation.
I am going to conclude on broader trade with a number of points, and then say something on financial services. Four points strike me as very important on trade.
First, while I am an unshaken believer in free trade, I do accept that the system has come under too much strain, we have to work hard now to rebuild it, and it is incorrect to dismiss those who argue for restrictions on trade as just wrong-headed. We need to understand what lies behind these arguments. That said, I want to get back to an open trading system.
Second, to solve the issues we face, we need to look at the macro level – the big economic drivers that I mentioned earlier, and call out where and why we think there are unsustainable trade imbalances. We need to strengthen the IMF’s surveillance in order to improve the process for calling out unsustainable trade imbalances. But we must also look at the micro-level – the rules based world trade system – and work out what we need to do to solve this problem and make it more effective again.
Third, if it is believed that tariff action is needed to create the shock and awe to get these issues on to the table and dealt with, then something has gone wrong with the multilateral system, and we need to deal with that.
Fourth, creating a sustainable world trading system matters to all of us. It matters to countries like Ireland and the UK, which are highly open economies, and have been throughout their development. And it matters to central bankers and economic policymakers because our jobs are much harder if we face more inflexible and uncertain supply side conditions in our economies, as we appear to do today.
Almost all of the attention in recent months in the area of trade has been on goods trade – tangible stuff. Tariffs are a tool whose use is largely confined to the world of goods trade. But, there are two other important features of the trade world. First, alongside trade in goods sits trade in services-intangibles. For the UK, the latest numbers indicate that the total volume of trade was made up of 54% goods and 46% services. For Ireland the numbers are 28% goods and 72% services.
Financial services are an important part of trade in services and particularly so for Ireland and the UK.
The second important feature of the trade world is that alongside tariffs sit non-tariff barriers. These are all sorts of obstacles to trade, some put in place deliberately, some are features with their origin in other objectives than affecting the flow of trade, and others which are just there who knows why. Non-tariff barriers to trade are by no means limited to trade in services, but they are the dominant form of restriction in that world.
This brings me to Brexit. I have to start with an important disclaimer. As a public servant, I take no position on Brexit per se – it was a decision of the British people, and has been put into effect. That said, our evolving trading and regulatory relationship with the EU requires many judgements on the most effective way to do so – what delivers the most effective outcome.
I want to make two important points in this context. The first relates more to trade in goods, the second to financial services. Let me start with goods. I said earlier that trade enhances and supports economic activity.
It follows that if the level of trade is lowered by some action, it will have an effect to reduce productivity growth and thus overall growth. Just as tariffs, by increasing the cost, can reduce the scale of trade, the same goes for the type of non-tariff barrier that Brexit has created. Now to reiterate, this does not mean that Brexit is wrong, because there can be other reasons for it, but it does suggest, I think powerfully, that we should do all we can to minimise negative effects on trade.
The evidence on Brexit suggests that in the UK the changing trade relationship has weighed on the level of potential supply.
I conclude from this that, just as the Windsor Agreement on trade involving the UK and Ireland was a welcome step forward, so too are the initiatives of the current UK Government to rebuild trade between the UK and EU, and of course there is a very particular important aspect here for the UK and Ireland.
Let me turn to financial services. There is often an impression given that the flow of trade in financial services is predominantly from the UK to the EU. In other words, the UK is an exporter of financial services. This creates the notion of a one-way street, and that leads to the image of a dependency, and from there the notion of the dependency in some sense being unhealthy starts to come in.
My strong view is that – contrary to this one way idea – the relationship goes both ways, and that is a good thing. And, this is very well illustrated by the relationship between Ireland and the UK in the area of financial services.
Let me draw out the two-way street point some more, using the example of the 2022 shock to Liability Driven Investment funds connected to UK pension funds, so-called LDI funds. The LDI episode occurred when UK financial assets saw a significant repricing, with a particular impact on long-dated gilts. The Financial Policy Committee at the Bank of England judged that UK financial stability was at risk due to dysfunction in the gilt market and recommended that the Bank take action. This action took the form of intervening via temporary purchases of long-dated gilts.
Many of the funds involved were domiciled in other jurisdictions, including here in Ireland and Luxembourg. To be very clear, domicile was not a part of the problem. But, it had to help to enable the solution, and it did. A co-ordinated response between the UK, Ireland and Luxembourg was essential, and I am very grateful to the Central Bank of Ireland and the authorities in Luxembourg for helping us to respond effectively.
There have been important lessons from the LDI episode, which are increasingly relevant in the context of the increased market volatility we have seen in recent weeks following the US announcement on trade tariffs last month. Together, working with other UK regulators, the Central Bank of Ireland and the authorities in Luxembourg, we have taken action to build resilience in LDI funds. And I hope this close cooperation can continue as we seek to navigate another two way street by building more resilience into money market funds in the EU and the UK, as we strengthen our domestic rules.
The benefits of open financial markets as well as the dependencies also tend to go both ways.
The UK and EU are both seeking to strengthen our domestic capital markets. The EU’s Savings and Investment Union agenda and the UK government’s reforms to pensions are both seeking to direct savings towards productive investment. These are important measures, not least given the pressing need for financing some of the common structural challenges we face in the UK and EU – for example, defence and security, demographics, and the technological and climate transitions.
But strengthening domestic capital markets is only part of the story. The scale of investment needed requires access to global capital, supported by open financial markets. The alternative is fragmentation, which we have unfortunately seen in the global economy in recent years, which reduces the size of markets, and makes them inherently less stable. Fragmentation also increases the cost of capital, undermining growth and investment. Financial market openness, built on a foundation of robust global standards and trust, is a much better alternative.
To repeat, open financial markets are a good thing. As with goods trade, open financial markets support economic growth as well as increasing investment and reducing the cost of capital. So the benefits of open financial markets, as well as the dependencies, tend to go both ways, so a two-way street; and working together effectively is the best way.
As such, there is merit in seeking to increase the openness of our financial markets by reducing non-tariff barriers.
The Bank of England and the Central Bank of Ireland enjoy a very strong relationship, which is built on trust and respect, fostered by close cooperation and coordination and a steadfast commitment to shared values and working together in international bodies to promote global standards. And, my strong view is that this type of work benefits the industries that we oversee. The message that I get consistently, and rightly, is that firms want robust but fair and consistent regulatory standards which will support both stability and competition, and set the level playing field on which they operate.
Thank you.
I would like to Sarah Breeden, Lee Foulger, Mike Hatchett, Himali Hettihewa, Karen Jude, Jake Levy, Zertasha Malik, Jeremy Martin, Harsh Mehta, James Talbot, Lanze Gardiner Vandvik, Sam Woods for their help in the preparation of these remarks.
The famed Michelin Red Guide is coming to Philadelphia, and inspectors are already scouting local restaurants to award the famed Michelin star.
Michelin says the selected restaurants will be announced in a Northeast cities edition celebration later this year. Boston will also be included for the first time.
As an anthropologist of ethics and religion who has an expertise in food studies, I read the announcement with some curiosity and a lot of questions. I had seen this small red guide revered by chefs and gourmands alike around the globe.
How did the Michelin guide begin reviewing restaurants? And what makes it an authority on cuisine worldwide?
It all began in 1889 in the small town of Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin founded their world-famous Michelin tire company, fueled by a grand vision for France’s automobile industry – though there were fewer than 3,000 cars at the time in the whole of France.
To encourage travel, they distributed a red-bound guide filled with maps and helpful tips on routes and destinations. Initially free to automobile owners, it soon started to sell for seven francs – roughly US$1.50 at the time. The guide later added lists of restaurants and eateries along with other points of travel interest.
Being French, readers had questions about the quality of the food at these establishments, so the brothers started a rating system of a single star to denote high-quality establishments worthy of their elite customers and their fancy automobiles.
But that wasn’t enough for discerning diners. So the guide created a discriminating hierarchy of one-, two- and three-star establishments: one star for “high-quality cooking worth a stop,” two stars for “excellent cooking worth a detour,” and three stars for “exceptional cuisine worth a special journey.”
An army of anonymous inspectors
How do restaurants get a Michelin star – or three? According to the guide, restaurants have to be consistently extraordinary to garner three stars. To ensure a restaurant’s excellence is consistent, Michelin has to surveil them repeatedly, which it does using a stable of mysterious diners called “inspectors.”
You might be thinking of Inspector Clouseau, the klutzy, misguided detective from the Pink Panther movies played by the inimitable Peter Sellers.
Mais non!
Michelin inspectors are dreaded anonymous restaurant reviewers. They dine at restaurants unannounced and undercover, and inevitably write scathing critiques of everything – ingredients, food, chefs and dishes – in their reports.
In the 2015 Bradley Cooper movie “Burnt,” the restaurant is obsessed with the mystery Michelin inspectors, who dine incognito. Restaurateur Tony, played by Daniel Bruhl, instructs the dining room staff on how to spot them:
“No one knows who they are. No one. They come. They eat. They go. But they have habits. One orders the tasting menu, the other orders a la carte. Always. They order a half a bottle of wine. They ask for tap water. They are polite. But attention! They may place a fork on the floor to see if you notice.”
The inherent elitism of the iconic Michelin Guide was central, though left unspoken.
To counteract the guide’s existential classist bias, Michelin introduced the Bib Gourmand award in 1997 to identify affordable “best value for money restaurants.” Bib Gourmand restaurants are easier on the wallet than Michelin-starred establishments and offer casual dining. The award’s logo is the Bibendum, also known as the inflatable Michelin Man, licking his lips.
In 2020, the guide introduced yet another award: the green star for eateries with farm-to-table fresh quality.
Today, the Michelin Guide has become a vaunted yet controversial subjective yardstick by which restaurants are measured.
The 2022 dark comedy “The Menu” stars Ralph Fiennes as one such celebrity Michelin chef, whose exclusive island restaurant has a lavish modern menu that culminates in a mystery performance. His greatest fear is losing his Michelin star – a cause for lament, mental health crises and, sometimes, murder.
Three stars for Eurocentrism
The Michelin Guide evaluates restaurants on the quality of their ingredients, the mastery of their flavors, the chef’s personality in their cooking, the harmony of flavors, and the consistency of the cuisine over the course of numerous visits.
Yet somehow, all these factors, seemingly easily translatable across the world’s cuisines, has led to an intensely parochial guide.
Only in 2007, 118 years after its inception, did the guide recognize Japanese cuisine as worthy of its gaze. Soon after, stars rained down on Tokyo’s many stellar eateries.
On a contemporary map charting where the Michelin Guide is found, huge swathes of the world are missing. There is no Michelin Guide in India, one of the world’s greatest and oldest cuisines, or in Africa with its multiplicity of cultural flavors.
Perhaps a side of racism with the boeuf bourguignon?
Despite a movement to decolonize food by rethinking colonial legacies of power and extractive ways of eating, Michelin has derived its stellar reputation primarily from reviewing metropolitan European cuisine. It has celebrated obscure European gastronomic processes such as “fire cooking” in Stockholm’s famous Ekstedt restaurant, and new chemical processes such as “molecular gastronomy” in Spain’s famed el Bulli eatery.
One could say Michelin is a somewhat conservative enterprise. Rather than leading the way, it has followed consumers’ expanding palates.
In 2024, in a rare break with tradition, Michelin awarded one star to a small family-run taqueria, El Califa De León, in Mexico City. The taqueria is known for its signature tacos de gaonera – thinly sliced rib-eye steak cooked in lard on fresh corn masa tortillas with a squeeze of lime.
Some discerning diners worried that Michelin had gone downhill.
Quelle horreur!
The decision to give a star to a Mexican restaurant that is essentially just a steel counter, fridge and griddle was so unlike Michelin that it resorted to describing El Califa tacos as “elemental and pure”; language previously reserved only to describe elite cuisine.
Soon-to-be-reviewed Philadelphia boasts a portfolio of epicurean excellence, with contributions from a global diaspora of culinary creators. Restaurants such as Zahav, Kalaya and Mawn – which serve Israeli, Thai and Cambodian food, respectively – are surely eyeing their prospects for a starry future.
That Boston and Philadelphia’s tourism boards likely paid for the pleasure of the guide visiting their cities has been a topic of discussion among food cognoscenti. Reportedly, the Atlanta Tourism Board paid nearly $1 million for Michelin to visit their city. Is Michelin merely a well-regarded shakedown? A few stars in exchange for a million dollars?
After indirectly footing that big bill, what can local diners look forward to in the wake of Michelin awards scattering across the Northeast?
Starred restaurants will also likely feel tremendous pressure to maintain high food quality and service, and this too can add to cost – particularly in an era of tariffs on foreign ingredients and alcohols.
Diners won’t escape unscathed. Industry officials suggest that Michelin stars add an average of $100 per diner per star. But, on the upside, diners may be able to gawk at local and international celebrities at dinner, since hanging out at Michelin-starred establishments has long been a celebrity preoccupation.
So if you have a favorite hot restaurant in Philadelphia, better make that reservation immediately, before a Michelin star makes it impossible to get in.
Tulasi Srinivas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
President Donald Trump’s critics often accuse him of harboring authoritarian ambitions. Journalists and scholars have drawn parallels between his leadership style and that of strongmen abroad. Some Democrats warn that the U.S. is sliding toward autocracy – a system in which one leader holds unchecked power.
Others counter that labeling Trump an autocrat is alarmist. After all, he hasn’t suspended the Constitution, forced school children to memorize his sayings or executed his rivals, as dictators such as Augusto Pinochet, Mao Zedong and Saddam Hussein once did.
But modern autocrats don’t always resemble their 20th-century predecessors.
Instead, they project a polished image, avoid overt violence and speak the language of democracy. They wear suits, hold elections and talk about the will of the people. Rather than terrorizing citizens, many use media control and messaging to shape public opinion and promote nationalist narratives. Many gain power not through military coups but at the ballot box.
The softer power of today’s autocrats
In the early 2000s, political scientist Andreas Schedler coined the term “electoral authoritarianism” to describe regimes that hold elections without real competition. Scholars Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way use another phrase, “competitive authoritarianism,” for systems in which opposition parties exist but leaders undermine them through censorship, electoral fraud or legal manipulation.
These leaders don’t rely on violent repression. Instead, they craft the illusion that they are competent, democratic defenders of the nation – protecting it from foreign threats or internal enemies who seek to undermine its culture or steal its wealth.
President Donald Trump appears at an Air Force base in Doha, Qatar, on May 15, 2025. Win McNamee/Getty Images
Hungary’s democratic facade
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán exemplifies this approach. He first served from 1998 to 2002, returned to power in 2010 and has since won three more elections – in 2014, 2018 and 2022 – after campaigns that international observers criticized as “intimidating and xenophobic.”
Orbán has preserved the formal structures of democracy – courts, a parliament and regular elections – but has systematically hollowed them out.
To boost his image, Orbán funneled state advertising funds to friendly news outlets. In 2016, an ally bought Hungary’s largest opposition newspaper – then shut it down.
Orbán has also targeted advocacy groups and universities. The Central European University, which was registered in both Budapest and the U.S., was once a symbol of the new democratic Hungary. But a law penalizing foreign-accredited institutions forced it to relocate to Vienna in 2020.
Yet Orbán has mostly avoided violence. Journalists are harassed rather than jailed or killed. Critics are discredited for their beliefs but not abducted. His appeal rests on a narrative that Hungary is under siege – by immigrants, liberal elites and foreign influences – and that only he can defend its sovereignty and Christian identity. That message resonates with older, rural, conservative voters, even as it alienates younger, urban populations.
A global shift in autocrats
In recent decades, variants of spin dictatorship have appeared in Singapore, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Leaders such as Hugo Chávez and the early Vladimir Putin consolidated power and marginalized opposition with minimal violence.
Data confirm this trend. Drawing from human rights reports, historical records and local media, my colleague Sergei Guriev and I found that the global incidence of political killings and imprisonments by autocrats dropped significantly from the 1980s to the 2010s.
Why? In an interconnected world, overt repression has costs. Attacking journalists and dissidents can prompt foreign governments to impose economic sanctions and discourage international companies from investing. Curbing free expression risks stifling scientific and technological innovation – something even autocrats need in modern, knowledge-based economies.
Still, when crises erupt, even spin dictators often revert to more traditional tactics. Russia’s Putin has cracked down violently on protesters and jailed opposition leaders. Meanwhile, more brutal regimes such as those in North Korea and China continue to rule by spreading fear, combining mass incarceration with advanced surveillance technologies.
But overall, spin is replacing terror.
America too?
Most experts, myself included, agree that the U.S. remains a democracy.
Some experts say democracy depends on politicians’ self restraint. But a system that survives only if leaders choose to respect its limits is not much of a system at all.
What matters more is whether the press, judiciary, nonprofit organizations, professional associations, churches, unions, universities and citizens have the power – and the will – to hold leaders accountable.
Wealthy democracies such as the U.S., Canada and many Western European countries benefit from robust institutions such as newspapers, universities, courts and advocacy groups that act as checks on government.
Such institutions help explain why populists such as Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi or Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, although accused of bending electoral rules and threatening judicial independence, have not dismantled democracy outright in their countries.
In the U.S., the Constitution provides another layer of protection. Amending it requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states – a far steeper hurdle than in Hungary, where Orbán needed only a two-thirds parliamentary majority to rewrite the constitution.
Of course, even the U.S. Constitution can be undermined if a president defies the Supreme Court. But doing so risks igniting a constitutional crisis and alienating key supporters.
That doesn’t mean American democracy is safe from erosion. But its institutional foundations are older, deeper and more decentralized than those of many newer democracies. Its federal structure, with overlapping jurisdictions and multiple veto points, makes it harder for any one leader to dominate.
Still, the global rise of spin dictatorships should sharpen awareness of what is happening in the U.S. Around the world, autocrats have learned to control their citizens by faking democracy. Understanding their techniques may help Americans to preserve the real thing.
Daniel Treisman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
Ahead of the Spending Review and amid sharp aid cuts, how will the UK Government ensure its development spending delivers value for money, and how is it approaching the long-term needs of people displaced from their homes?
MPs will ask Development Minister Baroness Chapman to set out the Government’s position on these issues as she gives evidence to the International Development Committee on Tuesday 3 June. Defending the Government’s decision to cut aid to 0.3% of gross national income (GNI) the Minister previously told the Committee that the days of “viewing the UK Government as a global charity are over”, and said the UK would focus on “partnering, not paternalism,” helping other countries to build their own capacity for development.
MPs will likely ask the Minister how she and her department would define value for money in aid, what role philanthropic organisations and the private sector will play in development, and whether these partnerships can deliver the same value for money as direct UK aid spending.
Key witness: The Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and the Caribbean at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Speech
Lisa Nandy speech at Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s keynote speech at the Deloitte and Enders Analysis’ Media & Telecoms 2025 & Beyond Conference in London.
I said when I addressed the Royal Television Society at the end of last year that there is a choice ahead of us, whether we choose to be the last guardians of this chapter or the first pioneers of the next. And those of you in this room are those pioneers, public service broadcasters, providing an engine room of talent development and creativity, a strong independent sector producing and distributing British content seen at home and around the world on screens big and small, a rich and varied press holding the powerful to account, not always comfortably for us in government, but essential to the functioning of a healthy democracy, and an advertising ecosystem that underpins all of this and makes it possible.
You and your sectors are central to the cultural, democratic and economic life of this country and many other countries around the world. This government values what your sectors bring to the economy, to skills and good jobs, and as a symbol of that, we have chosen to back the creative industries as one of the eight highest growth industries in the UK in our forthcoming industrial strategy. Over the last decade, the creative industries have increased their output at more than one and a half times the rate of the rest of the economy. They, you, are a major UK employer. You drive growth at home and you project the UK overseas. Collectively, you underpin a hugely important industry for this country. And whilst we will have more to say on the sector plan shortly, that will put rocket boosters under the creative industries, I want to say now that this government recognises your value and we have your back.
But the media is, and always has been, about much more than that. And there’s one issue above many others that I want to talk with you about today. Trust. Last summer, when many of our towns and cities went up in flames, nobody could ignore the fractured nature of society. We have found multiple ways to divide ourselves from one another over recent decades, and it feels at times that we’ve lost the ability to understand one another. When people are working harder than ever before, but can’t make ends meet, when their contribution is not seen or valued, when politicians display a violent indifference to the things that matter, a decent high street, transport, a viable football club, it is no wonder that people lose trust, trust in our leaders, trust in our democratic institutions and trust in each other.
That’s when news and information becomes critical. Not the sort of news and information that helps to polarise and divide, but trust in news that builds a shared understanding of the world.
And we’re all of us in this room custodians, custodians of our institutions, but more than that, custodians of a cohesive, self confident country. And who of us can look at this country and the world right now and say that we’re succeeding?
We know that people rate traditional news sources high on trust, accuracy and impartiality. We also know that news sourced via social media is rated significantly lower, and I think we’re all aware of the darker side of social media, where facts are disputed and division is sown. Against that backdrop, your work is not just important, it is central to the future of this nation.
I’ve always believed in the power of media, because it is in my blood. My mum was one of the only female editors at Granada TV in 1989, running a busy newsroom on the day that Hillsborough happened. I remember vividly as a 10 year old sitting in the newsroom with my sister until late into the night as the horrific scenes unfolded, watching her make the agonising call for the cameramen on the ground to keep filming rather than aid the rescue effort. That footage would later become critical in achieving justice for the 97, revealing evidence of a cover up and improving safety in stands at football grounds.
I watched my stepdad make the call to commission ‘Who Bombed Birmingham?’ and persist with the program over several months despite intense opposition. That documentary didn’t just go on to ensure the release of the Birmingham Six. It exposed a miscarriage of justice that would send shockwaves through the country and lead to major reforms to the criminal justice system that persist to this day. It’s in these moments that great journalism shines a light into the darkest parts of our country, holds up a mirror to those in power, and reasserts the power of the people.
I can think of no better recent example of this than last summer, as our towns and cities were set ablaze by violent thugs. It was local media on the ground who countered mis- and disinformation in real time. And they told the real story, the story of our communities, who came together to defend all of us in all of our diversity and led the community fightback.
Our national and local media is, in short, too important to fail. But we appreciate as a government that you are businesses with a bottom line, and you have been operating in the toughest of environments for some time. You don’t need me to tell you that consumer habits are changing. Seventy one percent of UK adults consume online news in some capacity, twice as many as a decade ago, and that includes some eighty eight percent of 16 to 24 year olds. Just one in 10 pick up a print newspaper, compared to over half of over 75s. And for Gen Z, internet influencers are considered almost as trustworthy as traditional media. So I’m glad that the next session in this conference is focused on news and media in the AI age.
But these aren’t the only changes that we are collectively grappling with. When it comes to the media sector, there is enormous upheaval. Print advertising is down by a third, but online advertising has more than doubled. Broadcast viewing is down by a quarter, but on demand viewing is soaring, and the advent of AI, with its enormous potential to support creativity, comes with fresh challenges around copyright, authorship and fair compensation. The consequences of this can be stark and they can be uneven. Take, for example, the dramatic shift in TV commissioning patterns that have seen the UK become a world leader in high end, at the same time that smaller producers have seen the value of their commissions fall by a third and too many talented creatives left out of work.
We’re living through a revolution, but just as with the invention of the printing press and every revolution since, we don’t run from it, we adapt again, and we learn how to become stronger for it, in a new age. And at a crucial point in our history, governments have always proactively partnered with industry to forge a new path forward, like the Annan Committee in 1974, a landmark review into the future of broadcasting that my dad was a member of. It led to the creation of Channel Four, a recognition that the country had changed, with working classes, women and minority communities crying out to be heard in this new society and a nation that needed to define itself once again.
We’re in a similar period of transition now, and transitions need to be managed. Our job as a government is to create the framework so you can keep providing rigorous journalism in an evolving news landscape, among which the creative output that is only produced by people coming together across every part of the United Kingdom, that resonates with them and their lives. That’s why we’ve already acted in the last year to fix the foundations, implementing the Online Safety Act to keep users safe while protecting press and media freedom, recognising the value and importance of recognised news publisher content. Implementing the new digital markets regimes to allow you to challenge market dominance that negatively impacts your business, and convening the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, to bring industry and government together to protect journalists and allow you to speak truth to power.
I’ve heard from you the need for fair competition and a government that supports you. That’s why we’ve already acted to protect the sustainability of the sector, implementing the Media Act, delivering a new, more sustainable settlement for our public service broadcasters, so they can continue to invest in high quality original UK content, as well as a level playing field for our radio stations. Hearing your concerns about less healthy food advertising restrictions and acting quickly to support clarity and common sense. Increasing funding for community radio stations this year to £1 million to help support hyper local stations that represent and unite their communities. Providing clarity on foreign state ownership of newspaper enterprises, a tough and crucially workable regime to protect our newspapers from foreign interference, while ensuring sustainable investment so that our papers can thrive, and making changes to the media ownership regime to protect news in all its forms from influences that could risk our plural and trusted media.
But I do want to pause for a moment on AI, which has been the subject rightly of so much debate, not just here, but across the world. We are determined to find a way forward that works for the creative industry and creators, as well as the tech industries. Creators are the innovators, fundamental to our economic success in the future. And with my colleague Peter Kyle, we’re working together to find a better solution. The issue of AI and copyright needs to be properly considered and enforceable legislation drafted with the inclusion, involvement and experience of both creatives and technologists. And so as soon as the Data Bill is passed by Parliament, Peter and I will begin a series of roundtables with representatives from across the creative industries to develop legislation, with both houses of Parliament given time to consider it before we proceed. We approach you with no preferred option in mind. During the consultation we have heard you loud and clear that what works for one part of the creative industries doesn’t work for another. Now you know as well as I do that in this international landscape, there are no easy solutions, but this government is determined to work with you to find a solution with transparency and trust as its foundation. We have heard you loud and clear.
I will never stop working for creatives to deliver solutions, transparency and the empowerment that you need in the digital age. We are a Labour government, and the principle of people must be paid for their work is foundational, and you have our word that if it doesn’t work for the creative industries, it will not work for us.
People are at the heart of this industry, and so we’ve also acted to support the people at the heart of this sector, supporting the launch of CIISA to tackle head on the issues of workplace culture that have plagued our creative industries for too long and denied us a chance to harness the full range of talent that exists in our country. I’ve been particularly pleased to see the BBC’s recent announcement that it will no longer commission companies who are not signed up to the CIISA standards. That is what leadership looks like. I’m publishing updated online safety guidance to support journalists to report in the public interest without fear. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together in just one year.
But as the sector evolves, so must we, and we want a vibrant and sustainable media ecosystem with PSBs, streamers, indies, radio, TV, press, thriving across the UK, and not just individually, but collaborating together to invest in the skills, infrastructure and co-productions that we need, and when you do well, we won’t penalise you through new taxes and levies, but ensure that we have a regulatory framework that incentivises inward investment that creates opportunities for businesses, both big and small, and the UK talent to be showcased across the world.
Take Bad Wolf as an example. First, a successful indie partnering with the BBC, then getting long term investment from Sky, HBO and most recently Sony, and now with the help of the Welsh Government, one of the anchor tenants of the Cardiff creative cluster. Or the growing cluster of audio producers in Manchester, such as Made in Manchester and Audio Always supported by the shift of BBC commissioning to the region.
I told you this government would have your back, and we will. Over the coming months, we will build on Ofcom’s Public Service Media Review during the summer by taking action to ensure our public service broadcasters can continue to do what they do best long into the future. We will publish a Local Media Strategy to ensure that people in every town, city and village can access trust in news that reflects their lives as reserves better, helping them to hold local public services to account. As a government, we are committed to the biggest devolution of power out of Westminster and Whitehall in a generation, which will make local news and local media the most important that it has ever been.
We will launch the BBC Charter Review later this year to support a BBC that is empowered to continue to deliver a vital public service funded in a sustainable way. A BBC that can maintain the trust and support of the public in difficult times, support the wider ecosystem, and that is set up to drive growth in every part of the United Kingdom.
Later this month, we’ll publish a Creative Industries Sector Plan to turbocharge the growth of creative industries right across the UK. To support film and TV clusters from Birmingham to Belfast. To tap into the huge potential for growth that exists across our country.
My commitment to you is an open and collaborative partnership with the government so that we can walk through this transition together. We will play our part, but we need you to play yours. We need more collaboration within your sector and especially between our public service broadcasters, to tackle these great social and economic challenges, working together in a number of areas, particularly tackling mis- and disinformation and promoting high quality news by investing in your journalism arms, partnering more rather than competing with or undercutting local news publishers, improving media literacy by helping consumers find and recognise accurate and impartial news reporting, supporting initiatives like BBC Verify and the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
We need you to work together to promote high quality children’s content. We all want our young people to grow up to see the high quality content that will educate and inform and equip them for the world. But also to inspire young people who see themselves and their opportunities in your content, bringing untold benefit to the industry in inspiring future generations of content makers. We make great children’s content in the United Kingdom, but we don’t collectively promote it enough.
And also to understand how you can lead on this great transformation, thinking creatively about alternative ways to monetise your content and assets, and crucially, working together to move to where people are building on and developing more shared platforms and operations, like freely at radio player to help manage costs that make it easier for audiences to access your content.
We need you to take seriously the need to shift resources, opportunities and commissioning power to every nation and region. There is a principle that will run through our industrial strategy like a thread: economic growth, good jobs, skills and opportunities. Not just in one part of the country, but in every single nation and region, across our towns, villages and cities. So we need you to step up and do more, not just paying lip service to the need for regional and national content, but really embedding yourselves in those communities to make sure that those voices are heard, those stories are told. Because talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.
In a world where trust is at a premium, it’s easy to draw divisions: broadcasters versus streamers, online versus print, local versus national, big versus small. But we have to reject that way of thinking. Because despite all the talk of challenges, and there are many, the fundamentals of our media sectors are strong. They have great talent and infrastructure, and I hope that we can work together to create a great policy framework too, so that you can continue to be the custodians of our national life and usher this country into the coming decade.
It’s my firm belief that this country has been through difficult times, buffeted by global forces and decision-making at home, and we need to take this moment to recover our sense of self confidence. When it comes to the creative industries, whether it’s film, TV, fashion, music, arts, culture, we are really good at this stuff. We light up the world with the content that we’re able to make and produce and we change lives here, at home and overseas.
Recently, I was in India and then Japan, and I couldn’t fail to be impressed by the esteem in which British media and creatives are held. Millions of people around the world watch big budget dramas like ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Bridgerton’, but they also watch a slew of other fantastic shows and formats from ‘Planet Earth’ to ‘Come Dine With Me’ and everything in between. They read our news, they watch our adverts, they listen to our podcasts.
What that does is not just project the UK to the rest of the world, but it connects people in an increasingly fragmented, divided and polarised world. So many of the people I spoke to wanted to come and make things in the UK with the UK, we are a cultural powerhouse. No one will be a more passionate advocate for our sectors than me or our ministerial colleagues at DCMS.
So know that you have our full support as we enter this new era. Know that I am confident that if we work together, we can face head-on these challenges and make the most of change as a country. We’ve been drifting too long, but now is the time to chart a new course, a media that is fiercely independent, that creates and produces some of the best content in the world. That draws on the talent that exists in every corner of our country to shape, define and give voice to our national story, and provide those moments that bring us together in shared experience at a time when so much of our consumption is fractured and polarising. As we look to this new era and a new country, let nobody say that it falls to anybody else. It falls to us.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) — More foreign-made delicacies appeared on the tables of residents in the major Chinese city of Wuhan during the traditional Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival holiday, which ran from May 31 to June 2 this year, the Keji Ribao (science and technology daily) reported.
Eight trains recently arrived in the city, which is the capital of Hubei Province (Central China), as part of the international China-Europe (Central Asia) railway freight transport.
The trains reportedly carried various types of food products to Wuhan, including Kazakh flour, Russian sunflower oil, chocolate, honey, bread products, Danish cookies, French wines and Spanish olive oil.
Thanks to the development of the China-Europe/Central Asia international rail freight sector, more locally produced goods are being supplied to the international market, and more sought-after foreign goods are being supplied to Hubei Province, the newspaper writes.
Train X8183, loaded with photovoltaic products, equipment, auto parts and clothing, departed from Wuhan’s Wujiashan Station on Sunday for Germany, making it the 183rd China-Europe/China-Central Asia train departing from the station this year, up 9 percent year-on-year. -0-
MIAMI, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — International Money Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMXI) (“Intermex” or the “Company”, a leading money remittance provider to Latin America and the Caribbean, today announced a new official partnership with Houston Dynamo FC, one of Major League Soccer’s most community-driven teams. This collaboration unites two organizations deeply committed to uplifting and celebrating Latino culture through the unifying passion of soccer.
Soccer is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, with more than 85 million fans nationwide. In Houston, a city where over 45% of the population identifies as Latino, the connection runs even deeper. Latino fans make up nearly 70% of the MLS audience, making the city a natural home for this partnership. Together, Intermex and Houston Dynamo FC aim to champion cultural pride, family connection, and community empowerment.
“Intermex is the only remittance company built by Latinos for Latinos. Partnering with Houston Dynamo FC allows us to celebrate that shared heritage and connect with our customers beyond financial services, through a sport that speaks to identity, passion, and tradition,” said Marcelo Theodoro, Chief Product, Marketing & Digital Officer at Intermex.
“We are thrilled to welcome Intermex to the club, they are a cutting-edge organization that shares our commitment to elevating our community and fostering civic pride,” Dynamo Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Ben Carruthers said. “Intermex’s dedication to serving diverse communities aligns perfectly with our mission both on and off the pitch. Together, we look forward to delivering exciting experiences to our fans and supporting the vibrant, diverse culture synonymous with our city.” Through this partnership, Intermex and Houston Dynamo FC will collaborate on in-stadium experiences, community events, and cultural celebrations that highlight and honor the vibrancy of the Latino community.
About Intermex Founded in 1994, Intermex applies proprietary technology to enable consumers to send money from the United States, Canada, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany to more than 60 countries. The company facilitates digital money movement through its website and mobile app, as well as through a vast network of retail agents and company-operated stores. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Intermex also operates international offices in Puebla, Mexico; Guatemala City, Guatemala; London, England; and Madrid, Spain. Learn more at www.intermexonline.com.
About Houston Dynamo FC Houston Dynamo FC is a Major League Soccer team and part of the Houston Dynamo Football Club, a multi-faceted organization that includes the Dynamo, the Houston Dash and the Houston Dynamo Academy, and Dynamo and Dash Charities. Ted Segal acquired a majority ownership interest in HDFC in June 2021 and serves as the chairman of the Club. Under his leadership the organization completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of Shell Energy Stadium in March 2023 and the Club moved into a 27,000 square foot headquarters in East Downtown in July 2023. Houston Dynamo FC has won two MLS Cup championships, two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and four conference championships in its first 19 seasons and has qualified to represent the United States in international competition eight times. The team trains at the Champions Field at Houston Sports Park (HSP), the premier training facility in Southeast Texas, and plays its home matches at Shell Energy Stadium in downtown Houston. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamoFC.com or call (713) 276-7500.
Investor Relations Contact: Alex Sadowski Investor Relations Coordinator ir@intermexusa.com 305-671-8000
Tesonet is investing €2 million in the Lithuanian SportsTech startup FPRO. This is FPRO’s first round of outside investment, marking a new phase in its development. The funds will help the startup to leverage smart tech solutions to expand professional training opportunities in youth football worldwide.
A made-in-Lithuania solution for the global football market
FPRO is a SportsTech startup that is developing innovative football training solutions for children. Working in collaboration with UEFA-certified coaches and experts in sports science, FPRO has devised a unique interactive app for children ages 6 through 12. The app is designed to improve their technique, coordination and ball control skills.
Having founded the Football Pro Academy back in 2018, founders Ernestas Pilypas, Darius Jankauskas, and Vilius Petkevičius were forced to move operations online during the pandemic. This was the impetus behind the development of their digital product, which was released in 2022. The platform’s user base currently consists of 140,000+ children from the UK, Germany, the US, and other countries. Most of the company’s revenue comes from sales outside of their home market.
“Football is the most popular sport in the world, but the market is currently short on qualified coaches. We wanted to create a solution that would be accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial means or location. FPRO fills this gap by offering young athletes an accessible, tech-driven method geared towards raising their physical fitness and developing their personalities in a comprehensive way. It helps to build their self-confidence, discipline, and passion for football through a focused and personalised coaching process. We see Tesonet’s investment as confirmation that we’re on the right track,” said Vilius Petkevičius, co-founder of FPRO.
Ambitious partnership for innovation in children’s sports
“The sports technology market has enormous potential, and football unites billions of people worldwide. Given our substantial experience with SportsTech, the latest investment reflects our strategy to expand the sports innovation ecosystem while strengthening the community both in Lithuania and globally. This is a profitable and growing startup with a broad user base, an unstoppable team, and founders who are experts in their field. It’s a perfect combination, and one that mirrors our own values,” commented Tomas Okmanas, co-founder of Tesonet.
Tesonet co-founder Eimantas Sabaliauskas added: “When making a decision to invest, we consider not only market potential, but also a given team’s vision and ability to solve real problems on a global scale. FPRO has created a strong product, and our goal as investors is to help them not just financially but also in terms of strategy. We see clear synergies where our contribution could help them optimise business processes, develop new revenue streams, expand their user base, and further accelerate growth internationally.”
Another SportsTech investment in Tesonet’s portfolio
This is not our first venture in the sports vertical. In 2022, we acquired shares in BC Žalgiris Kaunas, helping the basketball club with its digital transformation and commercial expansion. Then in 2024, we invested in basketball club BC London Lions, aiming to promote the development of young talent and bolster the club’s competitiveness internationally.
ABOUT TESONET:
Tesonet is one of the largest venture builders and investors in the Baltic States. It houses globally recognized companies such as joint cybersecurity powerhouse Nord Security and Surfshark, a market-leading web intelligence collection platform Oxylabs, the fastest-growing brand among hosting providers Hostinger, nexos.ai – an AI orchestration platform, and others.
With over 3,500 in-house talents and a fully developed infrastructure, Tesonet supports, funds, and scales businesses globally. Since 2018, Tesonet has extended its reach by investing in successful ventures like Hostinger, Cast AI, Eneba, BC Žalgiris, London Lions, Artea, Zapp, Turing College, and others.
Tesonet is known for its innovative ecosystem and strong infrastructure, which support product development, testing, and global growth. The company is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and helping grow the broader ecosystem.
ABOUT FPRO:
FPRO is a sports technology startup dedicated to developing innovative training solutions for children’s football. Collaborating with UEFA-certified coaches and sports university experts, FPRO has created a unique interactive mobile app designed to help children aged 6–12 improve their technique, coordination, and ball control skills.Currently, the platform is being used by over 140,000 children across the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and other countries.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Pilot restocking project boosts rare glass eels in the Kennet
Innovative project sees nearly 23,000 protected glass eels transferred to the River Kennet.
Environment Agency officers releasing the eels.
A new Environment Agency research project has seen 22,914 rare and protected glass eels swap the River Severn for a new home in the Berkshire this month.
The eels were transferred in late April to nine locations on the Kennet chalk stream by Environment Agency fisheries specialists, initiating a research project that will monitor their development.
Peter Gray, Environment Agency fisheries team leader, said:
We are working hard to address the many struggles that eels face and are taking action to safeguard this critically endangered species.
Over the coming months and years, we will closely monitor the released eels to see how they are surviving and growing. Eventually we want to discover whether this type of management produces more eels going out to sea to breed.
Eels are born in the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean. From there, they float in their larval form on ocean currents towards Europe – journeying more than 3,000 miles for up to 2 years. Once they reach the coast, they turn into transparent glass eels up to 8cm long and then elvers, up to 12cm in length, swimming upstream into rivers. Here they live for around 6-10 years as juveniles/sub-adult yellow eels, before swimming downstream and eventually returning to the Sargasso Sea as mature adults to breed -silver eels.
In the 1980s, populations of the once-common eel started to decline all around Europe; the reasons for this are unclear but may be due to over-fishing, habitat loss and fragmentation, parasites or climate change. The numbers of new, young eels arriving at our shores are now a tiny percentage of those that arrived in the 1960s and 1970s.
Through the Environment Agency’s fisheries management programs, fish stocks are increasing to provide even more opportunities for South East anglers. Without the income from rod licences this vital work would not be possible.
Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence to fish. A one-day licence costs from just £7.10, and an annual licence currently costs from just £35.80. Concessions available. Junior licences are free for 13 – 16-year-olds.
Licences are available from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all-year-round and is supported by partners, including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.
The close season for coarse fishing came into effect on 15 March and runs until 15 June inclusive to prevent fishing for coarse fish in rivers and streams across England, helping to protect fish when they are spawning and supporting vulnerable stocks.
Throughout the close season, Environment Agency officers conduct patrols to ensure anglers respect the no fishing period. Notices have been displayed in key fishing areas across the South East reminding anglers of the law.
Anyone with information about suspected illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A transformation project to improve a major route which connects Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station and the city centre is nearing completion.
Work to improve the highway across a mile-long corridor spanning College Road Cleveland Road, Shirley Road and Regent Road, in Shelton, has been ongoing since August 2023.
As part of the scheme, a full carriageway reconstruction has been carried out – ensuring it’s fit-for-purpose for the next 20 years.
The improvements also include new pedestrian crossings, upgraded bus stops and shelters, enhanced lighting and planting, as well as a dedicated cycle lane north of Avenue Road.
The final section of the scheme – between Avenue Road Roundabout and Station Road – is scheduled for completion on Friday, 6 June, marking the final phase of this major redevelopment project.
Minor outstanding works—including snagging, signage installation, bus shelter works, and final commissioning of the bus lane—are expected to be completed during summer 2025.
Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “I am pleased that the work on College Road is nearing completion and I’m hopeful that motorists and pedestrians will feel the benefit of these improvements when travelling around the city.
“Once complete, this transformative scheme will be a space that works for people – it will make it easier, safer and better for everyone to get around and will improve the city’s public transport links.
“We wanted to get the road opened up as quickly as possible and our teams will be getting on with the snagging works this week to minimise disruption.
“The Station Road scheme outside Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station continues under construction and I look forward to its completion later this summer.”
The redevelopment of College Road is part of the city council’s Transforming Cities Fund project which aims to help connect the railway station with the city centre and new developments such as Goods Yard, improve access for buses, pedestrians and cyclists, reduce congestion and improve safety at junctions.
The scheme will also promote a better experience for residents, commuters, visitors and students as they travel around the city – and encourage more sustainable travel by rail, bus cycling and walking.
It has been supported by £29 million from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) and the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Active Travel Fund.
Overnight work to complete the final section of College Road is being carried out over the next week. This work – aside from any snagging works – will see the final road surface laid and new road markings installed. It will take place on:
Monday 2 June to Friday 6 June – the Avenue Road roundabout will be closed between 8pm and 6am. There will be no access to the university car park during these hours.
Thursday 5 June and Friday 6 June – All of the side street junctions leading to College Road, including Cauldon Road, Beresford Street, Seaford Street, Ashford Street and Queen Anne Street between 8pm and 6am.
Developer Morro Partnerships Limited started construction on the City of Wolverhampton Council development of 7, 2 bedroom houses, 2, 3 bedroom houses and 2, 4 bedroom houses on Ettingshall Road, in September.
The homes – built using sustainable building methods and modern timber frame construction – have this week been handed over to Wolverhampton Homes ready for the first tenants to move in.
Each of the ‘A’ Rated, gas free homes come with solar panels and bring back into use land that had been blighted by fly-tipping in recent years.
The houses are part of the latest phase of new council homes coming forward across the city, with development works underway or set to start in the coming months on 81 properties across 6 sites.
The development has been supported by a £715,000 grant from Homes England.
Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, said: “This is a great example of how we are delivering good quality homes at pace and bringing small disused sites back into use for the benefit of our residents and communities.
“There is an increasing demand for housing and this forms part of our pipeline of new council properties we are developing sustainably to deliver more good homes in well connected neighbourhoods across the city.
“This development also builds substantially on the investment already made in Bilston in recent years that is seeing the town flourish and the homes will be allocated to local people in line with the council’s official housing allocations policy.”
The carbon footprint of a timber frame is less than traditional structures, and this modern method of construction also helps to reduce energy consumption, helping to keep residents’ bills to a minimum.
This is consistent with Morro’s pipeline of affordable homes across the Midlands, as part of their commitment to being better environment and better community makers.
The Ettingshall Road development also included a dedicated segregation zone, with all materials being recycled on site. This reduces the amount being sent to landfill, whilst enabling materials to be recycled back into the environment quickly and efficiently.
Tom Broadway, Managing Director at Morro Partnerships, said: “Having worked with Wolverhampton Council for some time now, it’s great to continue this relationship and help establish more sustainable communities. Transforming land such as this site in Bilston is so important to boost local pride, as well as providing places where people want to live.
“These 11 homes have been designed with energy efficiency in mind, reducing bills and making life more comfortable for residents now and into the future. We look forward to continuing our pipeline of work in Wolverhampton, making a positive impact on neighbourhoods across the city.”
Following extensive negotiations and a thorough review of proposed working models, Derby City Council has withdrawn from the process of appointing Sporting Communities, a not-for-profit organisation, to run Derby’s ten non-statutory community libraries.
Councillor Sarah Chambers, Cabinet Member for Cost of Living, Equalities and Communities said:
The formal evaluation process was devised with the express aim of identifying a partner who would support our long-term ambition to deliver a sustainable future for our library services and the people of Derby.
While negotiations with the preferred bidder began with considerable optimism and a shared desire to find an optimal solution, it has become clear during this detailed phase that outsourcing is not the best approach to protect our libraries.
The decision to withdraw from negotiations means the Council’s library service will continue to run the libraries. I want to reassure public, staff and volunteers that we remain committed to the future success of our libraries and our manifesto commitment to protect them.
We will continue to deliver an efficient, high-quality public service and aspire to improve that service to a standard that is truly fit for the people of Derby.
I’d like to thank our dedicated staff and invaluable volunteers who have continued to provide an excellent standard of service throughout this period of review. Their commitment and hard work are deeply appreciated.
We will continue dialogue with Sporting Communities on how we can work together to deliver quality services for our citizens.
We will now take time to assess next steps which will be discussed in detail at a future Cabinet meeting.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Speech
Minister Smyth address to Medicine 2025 conference
Minister Smyth addressed the annual conference of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).
Since 1948, this organisation has been one of the greatest allies advocating for universal access to healthcare, high standards in clinical practice and evidence-based medicine.
And today, I really want to thank our members for everything that you have done over the past 14 years to hold our NHS together.
Through no fault of your own, you’ve been through the worst crisis in the history of the NHS, with waiting lists at historic highs, patient satisfaction at record lows, people struggling to see a GP, ambulances not turning up on time. Any department is full to bursting. That founding promise, that the NHS will always be there for us when we need it, broken.
But as someone who had my own career 30 years ago in the health service, I completely understand how demoralising this has been for so many staff, how powerless people have felt desperately trying to stop standards slipping or holding a broken system together.
That’s how I felt as an NHS leader locally, watching the disastrous 2012 reorganisation imposed from the top down, despite all the warnings from frontline leaders and staff. And since then we’ve also had to deal with underinvestment and the global pandemic.
But while those blows may have left the NHS broken, it’s not beaten. Every day there are amazing people delivering outstanding and compassionate care. Despite all of those challenges, day in, day out, you show up for work and you fight to deliver the very best care possible for your patients.
Since coming into office, this government has done everything we can to support you. To restore that basic founding principle that the NHS should always be there for us when we need it. With our Plan for Change, we have hit the ground running.
As our first step, we promised 2 million more appointments in our first year. Promise made, promise kept: we delivered our promise 7 months early and we’ve reached our target, delivering not 2 but 3 million more appointments since July, and counting.
We’ve got waiting lists down by over 200,000 people.
We ended the strike within 3 weeks and have now delivered 2 above-inflation pay rises for NHS staff.
We’ve invested an extra £26 billion in health and care.
We’ve recruited 1,500 more GPs, and agreed a GP contract for the first time since the pandemic.
We’ve delivered the biggest investment to hospitals in a generation.
The biggest expansion of carer’s allowance since the 1970s.
A boost for older and disabled people through the Disabled Facilities Grant.
The biggest real-terms increase to the Public Health Grant in nearly a decade.
We’ve given pharmacies the biggest funding uplift in a generation.
For patients, we’ve frozen prescription charges.
We’ve struck a new deal that will mean women will be able to get the morning-after pill from pharmacies across the country, absolutely free of charge.
A lot done but, we know, a hell of a lot more left to do.
But from day one we have been clear that investment must come with reform.
Our job is twofold.
First, to get the NHS back on its feet, treating patients on time again; and second, to reform the service for the long term, so it is fit for the future.
This summer we will publish our 10 Year Plan for health. Shifting the focus of healthcare out of hospital and into the community with more investment in primary and community care.
Bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, arming staff with modern equipment and cutting-edge technology.
And thirdly, turning our sickness service into a preventative health service to help people live well for longer and tackle the biggest killers.
We’re supporting the effort of prevention through our smoking and vapes bill, to protect children and the most vulnerable to make this generation of kids the first smoke-free generation, and to save untold billions spent on their future care.
The ban on junk food advertising targeted at children will be a first step in addressing the growing problem of childhood obesity, and those same kids are benefiting from breakfast clubs, so they start school with hungry minds and not hungry bellies.
Our Mental Health Bill will stop the disgraceful incarceration of learning-disabled adults.
We’re working with health unions, councils and employers to deliver the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for social care staff.
And Louise Casey is leading the commission on social care, which will finally get a grip on a system that is broken for too many families.
Because, as you all know so well, the pressures facing hospitals don’t start in hospitals, just as the problems facing the NHS don’t necessarily start in the NHS. They are a reflection of wider society.
Fixing broken Britain will require more than fixing a broken NHS.
After this speech, I’m going to add my own Post-it note to your interactive map.
When my team asked me to think about the most pressing issue in my constituency of Bristol South, I was very quick to answer. Poverty.
The health service can fix people when they’re broken, but we don’t want people broken.
The factors that make my constituents unwell are wide-ranging, socioeconomic and environmental.
In other words, the conditions in which we are born, grow, live and work. Secure jobs. Fair pay. Decent housing. Safe streets. Clean air. Accessible transport. The time and affordable facilities to exercise, and nutritious food.
These are the essential building blocks of a healthy life.
And that’s why this government is focused on economic growth and improving healthy life expectancy for all, while halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between different regions of England.
And it’s why reform of the health service is so important, because every pound we spend on the health service is a pound that can’t be spent on what you and I call the social determinants of ill health, but what everyone else calls feeding hungry children, building warm homes and cleaning up our water and the air that we breathe.
The NHS has often been compared to an oil tanker that has immense capacity but is slow to change direction. Shifting the focus of our health service will be an immense task and one that we can only accomplish with your help.
We’ve already been clear that we’re embarking on a decade of national renewal and that’s why we’re launching a 10 Year Plan.
Since coming into office, we’ve sought to reset the relationship with medics to improve working lives and restore value.
This government was never going to be able to completely reverse a decade and a half of decline in only 10 months, but this year’s pay awards, the second above inflation pay rise in a row, demonstrates our commitment to rebuilding the NHS and rebuilding the pay conditions and morale of all NHS staff.
When I joined the NHS 30 years ago, I saw the NHS at what I thought was the worst.
I remember later on working with the team at the Bristol Royal Infirmary on urgent care, discussing those awful trolley waits, coming into work every day, people trying to find a space or somewhere to discharge people from A&E, conversations that, sadly, are all too familiar again today.
But I also saw, especially in the years leading up to 2010, the pride people have when they’re working in an improving, well-run system.
When you’re able to go home at the end of the day, knowing that your patients received the best possible care, and the pride, you know that you’re working at the top of your license as part of a team rebuilding a healthier Britain.
The NHS cannot be saved by one person sitting behind a desk in Whitehall.
We will only succeed if this is a team effort. From the Prime Minister to the 1.5 million people who work in the service, and the millions of us who use it to take decisions needed to lead healthier, more active lives.
Turning the NHS around will take time.
It really won’t be easy, but the prize, the prize available to us is huge and if we get this right, we will be able to say that we were the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history, got it back on its feet and made it fit for future generations.
Enlight expands its successfulGecamaWind Project, transforming it into the largest hybrid power complex of its kind in Spain
The project combines wind, solar, andutility-scalebattery storage to deliver clean electricity around the clock
The hybrid project, with a total capacity of 554 MW and 220 MWh, is expected to generate approximately $100 million in annual revenue
The project, among the first in Spain to incorporate a utility-scale battery energy storage system, is expected to enhance grid stability following extended blackouts recently experienced in the country
TEL AVIV, Israel, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enlight Renewable Energy (“Enlight”, “the Company”, NASDAQ: ENLT, TASE: ENLT.TA), a leading renewable energy platform, today announced the signing of financing agreements totaling approximately $310 million for the Hybridisation of the Gecama Project in Spain. As part of the project, Enlight will integrate a solar array and utility-scale energy storage system at its operational Gecama facility. Gecama is currently the country’s largest wind farm, with a capacity of 329 MW.
The integrated facility, with a total capacity of 554 MW and 220 MWh, will deliver clean electricity around the clock at a competitive cost of generation, yielding high returns. This performance is made possible by combining technologies with complementary generation profiles throughout most of the day, alongside a battery system that enables optimized use of energy resources.
Once completed, the Gecama Hybrid Project is expected to become the largest renewable energy complex of its kind in Spain and to play a key role in advancing storage infrastructure in line with the Spanish national plan to combat climate change and enhance energy supply stability. The need for such energy storage systems is particularly pressing considering the widespread blackouts Spain experienced in April 2025.
Enlight is among the first to deploy utility-scale battery storage at this scale in Spain. The battery system will also support peak shifting – storing electricity when prices are low and discharging during high-demand periods – thereby increasing the project’s profitability. Additionally, it will provide essential grid services such as frequency response, helping stabilize the power system through rapid charge and discharge capabilities.
Subject to the completion of final development milestones, the solar and storage components of the Hybrid Project are expected to reach commercial operation (COD) in the second half of 2026. Their addition is expected to increase the Gecama Project’s annual revenues by $38–40 million and EBITDA by $31–33 million in the first full year of operation. With all three components in full operation, the integrated project is expected to generate annual revenues of $95–105 million and EBITDA of $75–80 million.
The financing transaction of approximately $310 million includes two tranches: covering the refinancing of the Gecama Wind Project and financing for the construction of the Hybrid Project. Both tranches bear a fixed interest rate of ~5.1% and will be fully amortizing by 2045 and 2046, respectively.
After repaying the existing debt and funding necessary reserves and transaction costs, over $150 million of the secured debt will be allocated to the construction of the Hybrid Project, with a total estimated cost of $195–205 million, while the remaining balance will be funded through equity.
The financing is led by the MEAG Infrastructure Debt Transactions team, acting as sole arranger in its capacity as portfolio manager of certain funds and accounts, along with additional institutional co-investors. MEAG is the asset management arm of Munich Re, one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, primary insurance and insurance-related risk solutions.
The financing is structured on a merchant basis – which grants the Company full discretion to sell the project’s entire electricity output on the open market, without a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) – This approach reflects the high level of confidence in Enlight’s management capabilities and the economic potential of the Gecama site.
This model, combined with elevated electricity prices in Europe, has enabled Enlight to generate high returns and recover more than 50% of its equity investment in the wind project within a relatively short period since the facility’s commercial operation in 2022.
Benjamin Hemming, Head of MEAG Illiquid Assets Debt: “We are thrilled to have supported Enlight in this groundbreaking project, which showcases the potential for hybrid renewable energy solutions to transform the way we generate and consume energy. The Gecama Hybridisation Project is a testament to the innovative spirit of our partners and the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions. We are proud to have worked alongside Enlight and other stakeholders to bring this project to life, and we look forward to seeing its impact on Spain’s energy landscape.”
Isil TanriverdiVersmissen,Head of MEAG Infrastructure Debt: “The Gecama Hybridisation Project is a perfect example of the power of collaboration and innovative financing solutions in driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. We would like to extend our appreciation to Enlight for their vision and leadership in developing this project, and to our deal team for their tireless efforts in bringing this complex transaction to a successful close. As a debt provider, we are committed to supporting projects that make a positive impact on the environment and the communities they serve, and we believe that the Gecama Hybridisation Project will be a landmark example of this commitment in action.”
Gilad Yavetz, CEO of Enlight: “With the financial close at Gecama, Enlight marks another significant milestone in its European activity, by expanding one of its core assets into Spain’s first hybrid complex of its kind. This move is groundbreaking on two levels – establishing the country’s largest renewable energy complex and demonstrating technological leadership through the integration of utility-scale battery storage. The project reflects our Connect & Expand strategy – maximizing the potential of existing interconnection infrastructure to scale projects – reducing investment costs, minimizing risk, lowering the levelized cost of electricity and optimizing financial returns. Gecama Hybrid joins a lineup of mega-projects we are currently advancing as part of a broad growth plan set to unfold during 2025 across Europe, Israel, and the U.S. We are proud to have MEAG as the lead arranger in this transaction, and greatly value their trust, professionalism, and partnership in advancing such an ambitious and impactful project.”
Enlight was supported by reputable advisors in the transaction. BNP Paribas acted as the sole financial advisor and DLA Piper as the Legal advisor in the transaction.
MEAG was supported by Linklaters acting as the lenders’ legal advisor and by G-Advisory and Hartford Steam Boiler acting as technical advisors to the lenders
*Enlight indirectly holds approximately 72% of the Gecama Project through its subsidiary, with the remaining interest held by several Israeli institutional investors.
About Enlight
Founded in 2008, Enlight develops, finances, constructs, owns, and operates utility-scale renewable energy projects. Enlight operates across the three largest renewable segments today: solar, wind and energy storage. A global platform, Enlight operates in the United States, Israel and 10 European countries. Enlight has been traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since 2010 (TASE: ENLT) and completed its U.S. IPO (Nasdaq: ENLT) in 2023. Learn more at www.enlightenergy.co.il.
Investor Contact Yonah Weisz Director IR investors@enlightenergy.co.il
Erica Mannion or Mike Funari Sapphire Investor Relations, LLC +1 617 542 6180 investors@enlightenergy.co.il
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s expectations relating to the Project, the PPA and the related interconnection agreement and lease option, and the completion timeline for the Project, are forward-looking statements. The words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “contemplate,” “possible,” “forecasts,” “aims” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our ability to site suitable land for, and otherwise source, renewable energy projects and to successfully develop and convert them into Operational Projects; availability of, and access to, interconnection facilities and transmission systems; our ability to obtain and maintain governmental and other regulatory approvals and permits, including environmental approvals and permits; construction delays, operational delays and supply chain disruptions leading to increased cost of materials required for the construction of our projects, as well as cost overruns and delays related to disputes with contractors; our suppliers’ ability and willingness to perform both existing and future obligations; competition from traditional and renewable energy companies in developing renewable energy projects; potential slowed demand for renewable energy projects and our ability to enter into new offtake contracts on acceptable terms and prices as current offtake contracts expire; offtakers’ ability to terminate contracts or seek other remedies resulting from failure of our projects to meet development, operational or performance benchmarks; various technical and operational challenges leading to unplanned outages, reduced output, interconnection or termination issues; the dependence of our production and revenue on suitable meteorological and environmental conditions, and our ability to accurately predict such conditions; our ability to enforce warranties provided by our counterparties in the event that our projects do not perform as expected; government curtailment, energy price caps and other government actions that restrict or reduce the profitability of renewable energy production; electricity price volatility, unusual weather conditions (including the effects of climate change, could adversely affect wind and solar conditions), catastrophic weather-related or other damage to facilities, unscheduled generation outages, maintenance or repairs, unanticipated changes to availability due to higher demand, shortages, transportation problems or other developments, environmental incidents, or electric transmission system constraints and the possibility that we may not have adequate insurance to cover losses as a result of such hazards; our dependence on certain operational projects for a substantial portion of our cash flows; our ability to continue to grow our portfolio of projects through successful acquisitions; changes and advances in technology that impair or eliminate the competitive advantage of our projects or upsets the expectations underlying investments in our technologies; our ability to effectively anticipate and manage cost inflation, interest rate risk, currency exchange fluctuations and other macroeconomic conditions that impact our business; our ability to retain and attract key personnel; our ability to manage legal and regulatory compliance and litigation risk across our global corporate structure; our ability to protect our business from, and manage the impact of, cyber-attacks, disruptions and security incidents, as well as acts of terrorism or war; changes to existing renewable energy industry policies and regulations that present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to renewable energy projects; the reduction, elimination or expiration of government incentives for, or regulations mandating the use of, renewable energy; our ability to effectively manage our supply chain and comply with applicable regulations with respect to international trade relations, the impact of tariffs on the cost of construction and our ability to mitigate such impact, sanctions, export controls and anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws; our ability to effectively comply with Environmental Health and Safety and other laws and regulations and receive and maintain all necessary licenses, permits and authorizations; our performance of various obligations under the terms of our indebtedness (and the indebtedness of our subsidiaries that we guarantee) and our ability to continue to secure project financing on attractive terms for our projects; limitations on our management rights and operational flexibility due to our use of tax equity arrangements; potential claims and disagreements with partners, investors and other counterparties that could reduce our right to cash flows generated by our projects; our ability to comply with tax laws of various jurisdictions in which we currently operate as well as the tax laws in jurisdictions in which we intend to operate in the future; the unknown effect of the dual listing of our ordinary shares on the price of our ordinary shares; various risks related to our incorporation and location in Israel; the costs and requirements of being a public company, including the diversion of management’s attention with respect to such requirements; certain provisions in our Articles of Association and certain applicable regulations that may delay or prevent a change of control; and other risk factors set forth in the section titled “Risk factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and our other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC.
These statements reflect management’s current expectations regarding future events and speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as may be required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Winfrith nuclear site: Have your say on decommissioning permits
Feedback wanted on environmental permits which propose leaving some low-level radioactive waste at the Dorset nuclear site as part of decommissioning.
Winfrith will be knocked down and if permits are changed some low level radioactive waste will be buried.
This is the first time in England a company has proposed to do decommissioning work under the EA’s 2018 guidance.
Share your views on the proposals now that the consultation is open until 5 September.
If granted permission, the company will leave some low-level radioactive waste at the site.
Feedback and views are being sought with the launch of a consultation on environmental permits to continue work to decommission the Winfrith nuclear site in Dorset.
The site is operated by Nuclear Restoration Services Ltd (NRS). It operated between 1959 and 1992 and is now in the final stages of decommissioning. All the buildings will be knocked down and the site will be returned to heathland with public access.
Decommissioning to follow fresh guidance for first time
In a first for England, NRS will be using our “Guidance on Requirements for Release from Radioactive Substances Regulation,” (GRR) to progress site decommissioning to the next stage. The company has applied to the Environment Agency to vary its Radioactive Substances Regulations permit and for a new permit for non-radioactive waste:
NRS is proposing to bury some of the demolition waste on site and some of this will be low level radioactive waste. The company is applying to change its Radioactive Substances Regulations environmental permit to allow this.
NRS is also asking for a new Deposit for Recovery Environmental Permit to allow it to deposit non-radioactive waste at the site.
The GRR guidance allows operators to leave radioactive and non-radioactive waste on site if it represents the best option after balancing social, economic and environmental factors.
There can be benefits to leaving waste on site such as reduced lorry movements, earlier decommissioning of sites, and it saves space in national disposal facilities for waste that cannot be safely disposed of on-site. NRS must demonstrate these benefits to the Environment Agency.
Winfrith operated between 1959 and 1992 and is now in the final stages of decommissioning.
Sally Coble, the Environment Agency’s Nuclear Regulation Group south manager, said:
We want to hear as many views as possible about the NRS proposals, and all comments will be carefully considered along with all existing information.
We will only vary the radioactive substances permit if we believe that harm to the environment, people and wildlife will be minimised.
If the applicant can demonstrate that the varied permit will meet all of the legal requirements, including those for the use of Best Available Techniques (BAT), public radiation dose and wildlife radiation dose, then we are legally obliged to grant the application.
We intend to consult again in spring 2026 on our likely decision, before publishing a final decision in autumn 2026.
Proposal to bury below ground structures with demolition waste
Both the Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR) and the Dragon reactor, the first experimental high temperature gas-cooled reactor, have large sub-surface structures or basements constructed from reinforced concrete.
NRS plans to demolish all remaining site buildings including the reactor buildings to ground level and to use the demolition wastes produced to backfill the sub-surface structures. An engineered cap will be placed on top of the disposals to prevent rain getting in and this will likely be made from an artificial liner, a thick clay layer and a soil layer.
Some of the floors and walls of the sub-surface structures have low level radioactive contamination and some of the waste that will be used to backfill the structure will be low level radioactive waste.
NRS will not be importing any waste to site from other locations. Only waste from the on-site demolition work will be used to fill the sub-surface structures.
How to have your say
You can have your say by submitting comments on our Citizen Space consultation pages:
Please use the permit reference numbers if you contact us. All comments must be received by 11.59pm on 5 September 2025.
Background
The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England. We make sure that nuclear power stations and radioactive waste disposal sites meet our high standards of environmental protection throughout the stages of design, construction, operation and decommissioning.
Operators of nuclear sites in England must have a permit for radioactive substances activities from the Environment Agency under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 (EPR16). The environmental permits we issue to nuclear site operators contain strict conditions (rules) that they must follow at all times. See our decommissioning of nuclear sites and release from regulation guidance.
Why we ask for the public’s views:
We aim to build and maintain confidence in our decision-making processes through our public engagement and consultation.
It is our responsibility to make decisions about environmental permit applications for radioactive waste disposal, but we consider that our decisions can be improved through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.
We can all help to protect and improve the environment by being actively involved. Our public participation statement shows how our process is open, transparent and consultative.
Our approach to consultation is in line with the government’s published consultation principles. We would like people to understand our role in relation to radioactive waste disposal, what we are doing and why it’s important.
Hinkley Point B power station: Have your say on permit changes
EDF Energy wants to change its existing radioactive substances environmental permit for the Hinkley Point B power station in Bridgwater, Somerset.
EDF Energy wants to change its permit now that certain radioisotopes are no longer produced.
EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd has applied to the Environment Agency to make changes to parts of its radioactive substances environmental permit.
Proposed permit changes would more accurately reflect the reducing radiological hazard and risks from Hinkley Point B.
The consultation will close on 1 July 2025.
The Environment Agency is consulting on these specific permit application changes to give people the opportunity to understand the proposed changes and have their say on future decision making.
The permit controls the receipt and disposal of radioactive waste and imposes conditions and limits on radioactive discharges to the environment.
Hinkley Point B’s advanced gas cooled reactors stopped generating power after 46 years in August 2022. It is currently in the defueling stage and working towards ‘Fuel Free Status’ before entering decommissioning.
Sally Coble, the Environment Agency’s Nuclear Regulation Group south manager, said:
We have been working with EDF Energy on its application to vary parts of the environmental permit.
The company is proposing to remove some radionuclide limits in its permit because certain radioisotopes are no longer produced. The proposed changes would more accurately reflect the reducing radiological hazard and risks from Hinkley Point B
Our consultation is now open. We are encouraging people to learn more about the proposed changes and provide us with any information that they think is relevant to decision making.
How to have your say
The Environment Agency will carefully consider all the relevant feedback received during the consultation, together with existing information. Our decision will be available on the public register by September 2025.
Our engagement with the community around the Hinkley site will continue through our own ‘Meet the Regulator’ meeting, the site stakeholder group and Hinkley C’s community forum.
The application and other supporting documents are available for you to view on Citizen Space.
The consultation starts on Tuesday 3 June 2025 and closes on Tuesday 1 July 2025.
Hinkley Point B power station began generating power in 1976 using two Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors (AGR). During its lifetime it provided enough electricity to meet the need of every home in the UK for almost 3 years.
One of the reactors (Reactor 4) was declared Fuel Free in September 2024 and it is anticipated that the remaining reactor (Reactor 3) will be declared fuel free by the end of 2025.
Now the reactors are no longer operational and following defueling, certain radioisotopes are no longer produced. To reflect the current activities, EDF has applied to remove some radionuclide limits in its environmental permit.
The proposed changes to the environmental permit would more accurately reflect the reducing radiological hazard and risks from Hinkley Point B and align with the current lifecycle stage.
Former Victim’s Commissioner and Defence KC appointed to provide strong leadership to miscarriage of justice investigator
Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has been appointed as interim chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to provide hands on governance and strong leadership.
Dame Vera Baird DBE KC appointed as interim chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)
Urgent review ordered to restore public confidence in the organisation
Justice for the wrongfully convicted vital to Government’s Plan for Change
Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has today (3 June) been appointed as the interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
Her appointment marks the Lord Chancellors determination to ensure the CCRC is effectively delivering its vital function investigating potential miscarriages of justice and bringing justice to those who have been wrongly convicted.
The Chair of the CCRC is responsible for leading the board, setting the vision and core purpose of the organisation, maintaining public trust and confidence by being a visible, effective advocate and ambassador, and supporting their leadership. Dame Vera will provide hands on governance and strong leadership in the role.
The Lord Chancellor has also tasked Dame Vera with undertaking an urgent review into the running of the CCRC, ensuring lessons have been learned from the handling of previous cases and that the public can have confidence in the organisation again.
Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, said:
Miscarriages of justice have a devastating and life-long impact.
The organisation tasked with uncovering them must earn back the public’s trust in the justice system, vital to our Plan for Change.
Dame Vera will bring strong leadership to the Criminal Cases Review Commission – I want her review to restore its role uncovering and rectifying historical injustices.
Dame Vera has been tasked with reviewing the governance and leadership within the CCRC, and its capability in investigating potential miscarriages of justice. The impact of the organisation’s internal culture will be evaluated, as well as the value for money it delivers for the taxpayer.
Dame Vera, as a former defender and Victims Commissioner, understands the criminal justice system from all sides and is a long-standing advocate for fairness and justice.
Dame Vera Baird said:
When the justice system makes mistakes, as all human institutions do, from time to time, the role of the CCRC is crucial in uncovering them – providing the only lifeline available for the wrongfully convicted.
It is vital the public can have confidence in an organisation whose constitutional importance is so central to a fair and just system.
I look forward to working alongside the many hardworking and dedicated members of staff to restore that confidence, ensuring recommendations stemming from multiple reviews over the last decade are being effectively implemented, as well as identifying further areas for improvement.
Dame Vera’s term will run from June 2025 to December 2026 ahead of a permanent appointment being made. In addition to delivering the review, the interim Chair is responsible for setting the direction of the CCRC and communicating progress with the Government – particularly in light of Chris Henley KC’s 2024 report which made major recommendations following the handling of Andrew Malkinson’s case.
The review will include but not be limited to:
Effectiveness: The extent to which the organisation is operating effectively to deliver the CCRC’s statutory responsibilities, including the understanding and application of the ‘real possibility’ test, and the CCRC’s processes for oversight and quality control of casework.
Performance: To evaluate the CCRC’s performance, assess whether the appropriate Key Performance Indicators and targets are in place, and ensure effective strategies and action plans are in place and implemented to improve performance. Additionally, an assessment of the robustness of the management information provided by the CCRC to its departmental sponsor, ensuring it enables effective oversight and assurance on behalf of the Principal Accounting Officer and Ministers.
Governance: To evaluate the effectiveness of the organisation’s governance, including its structure and operational efficiency, and the effectiveness of the structural relationship between the Commissioners, the Body Corporate, the Board, and the Executive.
Culture: To review the culture of the organisation, in particular in its approach to and interactions with applicants, potential applicants and their representatives.
Capability: An evaluation of the senior leadership team should also be conducted to identify areas where further support or strengthening is needed, in order restore public confidence.
Funding: To assess whether the CCRC provides value for money within its current funding levels and ensure that the funds are used effectively to achieve high-quality outcomes. To rigorously evaluate whether the CCRC delivers value for money within its existing funding envelope, ensuring that it is utilised efficiently to achieve high-quality outcomes. This assessment will focus on maximising current resources.
The criminal group targeted individuals from disadvantaged communities in Romania. The perpetrators approached their victims on social media, luring them with false romantic promises or offers for them to perform sex work abroad under favourable conditions. Once the victims accepted these offers, they were taken abroad to provide sexual services on escort websites and in rented flats. They were kept under constant surveillance by the criminal group and subjected to appalling conditions, working long hours in degrading and unsafe circumstances. The victims were expected to work continuously, regardless of their mental or physical state. Even visibly pregnant women were forced to work without rest.
Investigations into the group uncovered a large-scale network that had been operating across Europe for over seven years. In 2022, its members moved to Switzerland to continue their activities in several Swiss German-speaking cities, particularly Zurich. The suspected leader of the group started to recruit new members, setting up his own criminal school, where he taught techniques enslaving and exploiting victims. In some cases, victims were traded between members in exchange for money or used as stakes in gambling.
A joint action day to dismantle the criminal group took place on 3 June. Authorities arrested 13 suspects in Romania and four in Switzerland. The alleged victims were brought to safety and given support from a counselling service specialising in human trafficking. In addition to targeting the members in Switzerland, the investigations also focused on individuals in Romania who provided logistical support and laundered the proceeds from the criminal activities.
The successful operation was made possible through close cooperation between Romanian and Swiss authorities under the coordination of Eurojust and Europol. A joint investigation team, set up and funded by Eurojust, ensured the authorities could work together quickly and efficiently. Europol supported the national authorities throughout the investigation by facilitating the exchange of critical intelligence and providing expert analytical support, including the preparation of link charts on the organised crime group. On the action day, Europol provided remote assistance to investigators by cross-checking operational data in real time.
The following authorities carried out the operation:
Romania: Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice – Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, Bacau Territorial Service; Police Brigade for Combating Organised Crime Iași, Police Service for Combating Organised Crime Neamț; Neamț and Bacău County Gendarmerie Inspectorates; Mobile Gendarmerie Unit Bacău.
Switzerland: Public Prosecutor’s Office of the canton of Zurich; Zurich City Police
Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council
Abnormal loads guidance developed in collaboration with industry
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), in collaboration with the Abnormal Loads Group (ALG), has today released new national guidance to support police forces in the management of abnormal load movements across the UK. The new guidance marks a significant step forward in improving coordination, transparency, and efficiency for both law enforcement and the transport industry.
This landmark document reflects extensive consultation with the transport and logistics sectors and is designed to ensure a safer and more predictable operating environment for the movement of abnormal loads, while also supporting the operational requirements of police forces.
Key highlights of the new NPCC guidance include:
30-Day Window Acceptance
Clarification on Embargoes
Targeted Embargo Approach
Police Escorts and Legal Authority
Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier is part of the NPCC portfolio for Roads Policing. He said:
“This new guidance is a testament to what can be achieved through close collaboration between law enforcement and industry. I’d like to thank all of our partners for their support and engagement which has enabled us to develop a practical document benefitting everyone.
“It brings greater clarity to both police forces and operators, reducing unnecessary administrative burdens and focusing resources where they are truly needed.”
Richard Smith, RHA Managing Director, said:
“We’re delighted that the NPCC has listened and understand that this guidance is an economic enabler and we look forward to continuing to work with them collaboratively going forward.
“We recognise that police have an incredibly challenging job to do and abnormal loads movements are a specialism. It’s only right that officers across all forces have the most up-to-date guidance that will help them support operators moving abnormal loads.
“This will also give infrastructure project leaders and hauliers the certainty that they will have a consistent service from officers when they require their support.”
The NPCC has agreed that the guidance will be subject of ongoing review and amendment, so it remains fit for purpose.
A formal review will take place twelve months after publication.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Dame Vera Baird DBE KC appointed as Interim Chair of the CCRC
Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has been appointed as the Interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
His Majesty the King, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, has approved the appointment of Dame Vera Baird DBE KC as the Interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). The appointment will commence on 9 June 2025 and will end on 8 December 2026. The CCRC Chair role has been vacant since Helen Pitcher’s resignation on 14 January 2025.
The Lord Chancellor has requested that Dame Vera carry out a thorough review of the operation of the CCRC, to increase public confidence in the organisation and the important work it undertakes investigating potential miscarriages of justice.
In order to bring stability to the organisation at this crucial time it was important to ensure that the post holder was an exceptional individual with sound knowledge and experience of examining the criminal justice system and a strong track record of leadership.
The CCRC
The CCRC was established by the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 and commenced operation in 1997. The CCRC considers – on application – cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland where a miscarriage of justice is alleged or suspected. The CCRC decides if there is any new evidence or new argument which raises a real possibility that an appeal court would quash a conviction or reduce a sentence.
The appointment of the CCRC Chair is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and this appointment complies with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.
Appointments of CCRC Commissioners are made by His Majesty the King on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, who receives advice from the Lord Chancellor.
Biography
Dame Vera Baird DBE KC’s biography is as follows:
Member of the Women’s Justice Board
Visiting Professor in Practice at the Mannheim Centre, London School of Economics
Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College Oxford
Hon Professor of Law at Exeter and Newcastle Universities
Hon Doctorates at Northumbria and Loughborough Universities
Former Victims Commissioner for England and Wales (2019-22)
DBE for Services to Women and Equalities 2017
Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria (2012-19)
Chair of Association of Police and Crime Commissioners 2016
Association of PCCs’ National lead for Supporting Victims (2012-19)
Solicitor General for England and Wales (2007-2010)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice (2006-7)
Member of Parliament for Redcar 2001-2010
Former Practising Criminal Barrister and QC
Author of many articles, chapters & reports, most recently The Baird Review into Greater Manchester Police.
Patron of Respect, Operation Encompass and Board Member of Revolving Doors
Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has declared the following political activity on behalf of the Labour Party: public speaking, Chair of the Women’s Branch Horney and Friern Barnet Constituency (HFBC), member of the HFBC Fabian Society, member of the Labour Women’s Network and campaigning in elections.
Julian Cote-Dorado ’24 (CLAS) has been accepted into the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals for the 2025-26 academic year. The fellowship annually provides 65 American and 65 German young professionals the opportunity to spend one year in each other’s countries, studying, interning, and living with hosts as part of a cultural immersion program.
Cote-Dorado graduated from UConn with a degree in political science and minors in economics and German. The Mansfield native grew up in the UConn community and graduated from E.O. Smith High School.
He is interested in pursuing a career in international relations and diplomacy.
“I love to travel meeting people, and I am very interested in different languages,” says Cote-Dorado. “My dream is to work in foreign affairs or diplomacy.”
For Americans, the CBYX program consists of three phases: two months of intensive German language training, one semester of classes, and a three-to-five-month-long internship. CBYX is sponsored in the United States by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
“I met Julian last fall at a German language club coffee hour,” says Tim Beaucage, an Honors Program advisor and STEM Scholar coordinator, who advised Cote-Dorado on his application for the CBYX program. “It is a great opportunity for the UConn community to gather and have the opportunity to practice their German language skills. Julian really impressed me with his German speaking and understanding ability. For someone who has only been learning the language in college, his level is outstanding. I could tell he was really passionate about languages, and he speaks several very well himself.
“I am so excited and happy for Julian to participate in the CBYX program,” Beaucage continues. “I am sure that he will walk away with not only superior German language skills, but many life-changing experiences and future opportunities as well.”
Cote-Dorado studied at Heidelberg University in Germany during his junior year as part of UConn’s bilateral exchange program. During his time there, he spent six weeks teaching English to Chinese high school graduates.
“That was my first foray into Germany, and I ended up really liking it,” says Cote-Dorado. “I am really looking forward to improving my German when I go back there and would like to get as close to fluent as possible.”
He adds, “The fellowship will give me a foothold in Europe for a possible career there. It’s a very interesting time to be in Germany as the country has taken on a stronger leadership role in international security in Europe.”
Cote-Dorado was also recently named a finalist for the Fulbright US Student Program as well, but has opted for the CBYX fellowship.
He was an intern at the U.S. Department of State in the fall of 2023, which included a trip with a delegation to Moldova for a multilateral nuclear security exercise. Cote-Dorado was also an intern in the Connecticut State Senate in the spring of 2024.
“Being in Hartford was interesting because I didn’t know much about state politics beforehand,” says Cote-Dorado. “I got to see not only how the legislative process works, but also how senators and representatives engage with each other. Connecticut is a small state, and they all know each other at the Capitol. It was interesting to see how committed they are to representing their citizens. They do it because they really care.”
The Met is appealing for witnesses to come forward after a 45-year-old man died following a collision in Wennington.
At 20:30hrs on Sunday, 1June, police were called to reports of a collision between a car and trailer on the A13 in Wennington.
Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service. A 45-year-old man, who was the driver of the car, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.
Detective Sergeant Jon Bounds who is leading the investigation, said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the man who sadly died following this incident.
“We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area of A13 heading eastbound, approaching the Wennington Interchange, between 20:25hrs and 20:35hrs on Sunday, 1 June.
“Did you witness the collision or see something that might be helpful to us?
“If you were driving past, please check any dashcam footage you have to see if you may have captured what happened.
“We believe there may be witnesses who have yet to come forward. No matter how small, anyone with any information is urged to contact us immediately.”
Detectives from the Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are asking anyone who saw the incident or who may have captured it on dashcam or similar to contact 101 or the witness appeal line on 020 8246 9820, quoting the reference 7254/01Jun.
Paramilitary groups are responsible for most threats – yet no prosecutions
Official state failure to provide protection
‘Journalists in Northern Ireland are facing a sustained campaign of threats and violence’ – Patrick Corrigan
Journalists in Northern Ireland face regular deaths threats and attacks while living and working in the most dangerous place in the UK to do their job.
A new 106-page report by Amnesty International features interviews with reporters who have been told they will be shot or stabbed, threatened with bombs under their car and given 48-hour ultimatums to leave the country – all because of their journalism.
Some journalists have been physically attacked. Equipment has been damaged. Their cars have been battered with poles laced with nails. Two journalists have been killed.
For those most at risk, their homes are protected by bulletproof windows and doors with alarms linked up to police stations.
Amnesty’s research for the report – Occupational Hazard? Threats and violence against journalists in Northern Ireland – uncovered more than 70 incidents of threats or attacks on journalists in Northern Ireland since the start of 2019.
Most threats come from a range of proscribed paramilitary groups, loyalist and republican, as well as from armed organised crime groups, some with links to paramilitaries.
Most threats against journalists go unpunished. There have been no prosecutions for any threats from paramilitary groups.
For decades, some have felt that dealing with threats was just part of their job; an ‘occupational hazard’ they have been forced to accept.
But now, by coming together and sharing their stories, journalists in Northern Ireland are saying ‘enough is enough’.
Lack of police protection
Journalists report having little expectation of people being held account for making threats. Many reporters interviewed by Amnesty said that they feel the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has failed to effectively investigate attacks and threats against them. Since June 2022, there have been only two successful prosecutions for threats against journalists. There have been no prosecutions for threats from paramilitary groups, the single most significant source of such threats.
With journalists excluded from the government’s home protection scheme, which funds the installation of security measures, many have been left feeling at risk.
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International UK’s Northern Ireland Director, said:
“Journalists in Northern Ireland are facing a sustained campaign of threats, intimidation and violence from armed groups, which makes it the most dangerous place in the UK to be a reporter.
“They are being threatened, attacked and even killed for shining a light on paramilitary groups and others who seek to exert control through violence. This creates a climate of fear that many assumed was consigned to history when the Good Friday Agreement was signed.
“Yet there has not been a single prosecution for threats against journalists from paramilitary groups. This sense of impunity only emboldens those behind the threats.
“When journalists are under attack, press freedom is under attack. The state must create a safe environment where journalists can work freely and report without fear of reprisals. It is currently failing to do so.”
Living in fear
The police visited Belfast Telegraph crime correspondent Allison Morris’ house nine times between December 2023 and October 2024 to deliver threats from paramilitary or criminal groups. On one occasion, she received a threat and 24 hours later a pipe bomb was found near her home.
She said: “I’m convinced someone’s going to kill me at some point. I always think I’ll never die of natural causes. Most of the time, I pretend that the threats don’t annoy me, but clearly, they do. This is not a normal way to live.”
Sunday World northern editor Richard Sullivan said: “I’ve had threats to kill me, to use a bomb on my car and on my house. I’ve been given 24 hours to leave the country.”
Sunday Life journalist Ciaran Barnes said: “I’ve got bulletproof windows front and back. I’ve got a bulletproof door. I’ve got cameras all around the house. I’ve got sensor activated lights and panic alarms.”
The home security measures are paid for by his employer, as journalists are ineligible for access to the government’s Home Protection Scheme.
National Union of Journalists assistant general secretary Séamus Dooley said: “In what is supposed to be normalised society, post the peace process, journalists are living in fear and behind high security measures. That really is not the sign of a normal functioning democracy.”
Amnesty has made a series of recommendations for the police and various government departments, including:
Justice Minister Naomi Long MLA should establish and chair a new Media Safety Group, with representatives from the PSNI, Public Prosecution Service (PPS), media organisations and the NUJ, to deliver a new journalist safety strategy
Note: The report is based on research carried out by Amnesty between November 2024 and May 2025, including 26 interviews conducted by Patrick Corrigan and Kathryn Torney with 22 journalists about their experiences living with the threat of armed violence, NUJ representatives, the PSNI and a relative and lawyer of Martin O’Hagan.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Global GDP growth is projected to slow from 3.3 percent in 2024 to 2.9 percent this year and the next year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said on Tuesday.
In its latest Economic Outlook, the OECD revised down its global growth forecast, citing a technical assumption that existing tariff rates as of mid-May will remain in place, despite ongoing legal disputes.
The organization warned that if current trends persist — such as rising trade barriers, tighter financial conditions, weakening business and consumer confidence and increased policy uncertainty — they could significantly undermine global growth prospects.
The OECD projected that the U.S. economic growth will slow significantly to 1.6 percent in 2025 and 1.5 percent in 2026.
For the euro area, growth is forecast to reach 1 percent in 2025 and 1.2 percent in 2026, unchanged from previous estimates, as foreign demand gradually recovers. The OECD noted that the region’s outlook is supported by easing financial conditions and lower energy prices.
Within the bloc, Germany’s economy is expected to expand by 0.4 percent in 2025 and 1.2 percent in 2026.
“The recovery will be driven by domestic demand,” the organization noted, adding that private consumption will increase due to low inflation, rising nominal wages and declining domestic policy uncertainty.
As for France, the OECD forecasts GDP growth to slow to 0.6 percent in 2025 amid elevated economic policy uncertainty, before gradually recovering to 0.9 percent in 2026.
Private consumption will become the main growth engine in 2025, as exports will suffer from increased trade tensions and investment will be held back by increased uncertainty, the OECD noted.
However, it predicted that stronger investment and steady consumer spending will help the French economy recover in 2026.
The 8th Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 (GPDRR2025) began with preparatory events on Monday, 2 June, ahead of the upcoming official programme with highlevel meetings from 4-6 June in Geneva, Switzerland. GPDRR 2025 is organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and hosted by the Government of Switzerland. Two parallel events took place on Monday: the Third Stakeholder Forum and the Global Early Warning for All (EW4All) MultiStakeholder Forum.
Third Stakeholder Forum
Opening
The Third Stakeholder Forum opened with statements by the Governments of Switzerland and Indonesia and senior UN leaders under the theme “United for Resilience.” Speakers highlighted progress on the Bali Agenda for Resilience, an outcome of the 7th Global Platform in 2022, and the opportunities for inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Mirjam Macchi, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, appreciated stakeholders’ solidarity around the evacuation and assistance to the historic village of Blatten, destroyed last week by a glacial landslide 200 km from Geneva. She noted that even livestock were cared for-a powerful reminder that “resilience begins with local people” and inclusive solutions are more effective when those directly affected by disasters bring vital knowledge to action.
Achsanul Habib, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN, reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to risk-informed policies and inclusive approaches. He encouraged all participants to use the Stakeholder Forum as “not only a platform to listen and share, but a platform to act together.”
The event also showcased the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments online platform (SFVC), where stakeholders can register their commitments, and users can identify areas of activity as well as gaps. Yuki Matsuoka, Head, UNDRR Office in Japan, noted that 729 individual organizations so far have registered their commitments.
Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organisation
Whole-of-society approach for the Sendai Framework on DRR: A collective responsibility
Sarah Wade-Apicella, UNDRR, moderated the session. On effective methods to implement inclusive DRR, Marcie Roth, World Institute on Disability, underscored the need for people with disabilities to be involved early in co-development of disaster risk strategies, and for foresight processes to incorporate diverse voices. Major Hamad Sabah Al-Sawar, Director of Crisis and Disaster Management, Bahrain, described Bahrain’s communication platform providing diverse modes of information sharing in multiple languages, the use of a phone application, and a common hashtag used to mobilize public action.
On intersectional and intergenerational knowledge sharing, Tom Colley, HelpAge International, drew attention to the wide network of older people associations worldwide as opportunities to engage this age group in DRR. He noted these associations can also harness and serve as channels for bringing Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge into DRR strategies. Barrise Griffin, Disaster Risk Management Authority, The Bahamas, emphasized moving away from one-off, extractive approaches to information gathering, and instead facilitating ongoing dialogue. Josefina Miculax Sincal, Huairou Commission, called for frameworks and trainings to strengthen good practices at the community level.
A slide showing the numbers of internal displacement by hazard for 2015- 2024.
Participants then heard comments and questions from the floor on the role of national DRR platforms in community-level participation, engagement, and school programs for children; managing conflicts of interest; looking beyond immediate impacts of DRR; measuring the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement; shifting risk ownership to local communities to handle disasters; and securing resources.
Data and financing for disaster displacement as loss and damage
Steven Goldfinch, Asian Development Bank (ADB), moderated this session.
Christelle Cazabat, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, explained that research into Hurricane Milton’s impacts in the US shows how people’s aspirations change when displacement stretches into the long term. She noted 2024 saw the highest number of people displaced in a single year globally (45.8 million), as well as the highest number of people continuing to live in displacement (9.8 million).
Noralene Uy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines, noted that her country ensures children have access to child-friendly spaces during displacement, and that national protocols guide national and local assessments and reporting. Isoa Talemaibua, Ministry for Maritime and Rural Development, Fiji, highlighted Fiji’s risk assessment activities and stressed the value of financial tools such as green and blue bonds, and parametric insurance that enables rapid payouts based on environmental triggers.
Hoang Phuong Thao, ActionAid Vietnam, highlighted the organization’s work with marginalized and remote communities to use smartphones for receiving early warnings, as well as for reporting on local conditions, thereby informing the government’s trend analysis. Catalina Díaz Escobar, Corporación Antioquia Presente, emphasized that data collection itself is a political process and should be conducted in an ethical and respectful manner.
From Paris to Sendai: the fundamental connection of climate and DRR
Jamie Cummings, Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism, moderated the session. Animesh Kumar, UNDRR, underlined that risk is a common denominator across the Sendai Framework, Paris Agreement, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stating that all these global frameworks share the goal of resilience. He encouraged the institutionalization of the agreements at the national level and highlighted the need to localize them. On technical assistance, he stressed that funding applications under the Santiago Network -a mechanism to support countries recovering from loss and damage due to climate change -should be designed to catalyze downstream impacts. Hisan Hassan, National Disaster Management Authority, Maldives, described his country’s focus on EW4All and slow-onset losses. Manon Robin, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, discussed integration of national adaptation plans and DRR strategies and emphasized, supported by Le-Anne Roper, UNDRR, the need to focus on coordinating actors on different aspects of climate resilience. Amber Fletcher, University of Regina, emphasized that slow-onset disaster management and funding are crucial for food producers, and stressed the significance of non-economic loss and damage.
View of the panel during the “From Paris to Sendai: the Fundamental Connection of Climate and DRR” event.
Innovative financing and private sector leadership in DRR
Camila Tapias, UNDRR ARISE Global Board Member, moderated the session. Manisha Gulati, ODI Global, noted that most funding goes toward emergency response after disasters occur. She highlighted that when the private sector invests in critical services, DRR becomes an outcome, not only a target.
Yezid Niño, Private Sector Liaison, UNDRR Americas, emphasized the relevance of understanding that DRR is part of the development of the countries and pointed toward the role of regulatory frameworks in involving the private sector in financing DRR. Terry Kinyua, Co-Chair of the ARISE Global Board, stressed that the resilience of communities amounts to the resilience of a country.
Through digital interaction, attendees identified cost-benefit analysis, data gaps, and trust as the major barriers to private sector investment in DRR. Among the actions leaders can take to accelerate investment in resilience, attendees mentioned political incentives, regulatory alignment, resilience as a national priority, and the involvement of local leaders.
View of the panel during the “Innovative Financing and Private Sector Leadership in DRR” event.
Implementation of climate and DRR gender action plans at the national level-Synergies and strategies
Mwanahamisi Singano, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), moderated this panel discussion unpacking synergies between the different Gender Action Plans (GAPs) under multiple conventions and frameworks, including the Sendai GAP. She noted the need to avoid duplication and ensure cost effectiveness.
Mary Picard, Humanitarian and Development Consulting, gave a keynote address describing the actions leading to the launch of the Sendai GAP in 2024. Panelists mentioned key lessons from their experiences with governments in implementing the GAPs, including the challenge of competing priorities and political preferences among different ministries when attempting to coordinate the different GAPs. Other interventions focused on holding governments and agencies accountable for implementing GAPs and enhancing communication among women’s networks, particularly those involved in DRR. Following interventions on regional mapping tools and GAP observatories that monitor implementation progress, Singano invited participants to provide inputs towards developing a universal DRR gender equality observatory.
Community-led action for resilience, building partnerships for inclusive action
Maité Rodríguez, Fundación Guatemala, moderated this session. The panel featured grassroot women leaders and related international organizations. Godavari Dange, Swayam Shikshan Prayog, a women-led organization of farmer-producers, highlighted women farmers’ work in drought preparedness to cultivate and stockpile animal fodder. She also highlighted technology training conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic for women to use online platforms. Norma Choc Botzoc, Community Practitioners’ Platform for Resilience in Guatemala, described grassroot women’s own development of risk and vulnerability assessments, which, she noted, are being used as tools for advocacy to local authorities to direct resources appropriately. Speakers from ADB and the Centre for Coordination of Disasters in Central America and the Dominican Republic (CEPREDENAC) affirmed the central importance of cooperation and co-design of programs for climate resilience and recovery after disasters.
Disaster preparedness and risk reduction in urban areas—Building back better
Ladeene Freimuth, The Freimuth Group, moderated the session. Guilherme Simões, National Secretary for Peripheries, Ministry of Cities, Brazil, outlined the Live Peripheries program, which provides access to better urban infrastructure, social services, and opportunities; and the Peripheries Without Risk strategy, a community-based risk reduction and climate adaptation plan.
Marcie Roth, World Institute on Disability, highlighted EWS as one of the best-proven and cost-effective methods for reducing disaster deaths and losses. She drew attention to “Infinite Access,” a communication platform designed to deliver emergency alerts in multiple accessible formats.
Mario Flores, Habitat for Humanity International, discussed the challenges and opportunities of urban environments, stressing the need to build better in the first place; to have risk-informed development; and to consider housing as a platform for a peoplecentered resilience approach.
Debbra Johnson, ARISE-US Network, addressed the report “Navigating the sustainability-resilience nexus,” which brings together the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and the DRR Sendai Framework.
Breaking the DRR financing silos: A systematic shift in DRR financing for localization of inclusive resilience
Camila Tapias, UNDRR ARISE Global Board Member, moderated the session. Noting that financial capital existed but is not reaching local levels, Tanjir Hossain, Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism, called for breaking down silos so funding is not sitting around while millions of people suffer. Steve Goldfinch, ADB, described the National Disaster Management Fund of Pakistan that finances projects with high economic benefits using a 70% – 30% funding model from provincial governments. He also highlighted the National Disaster Risk Management Fund of the Philippines that encourage local governments to invest in disaster response, relief, preparedness and risk reduction measures. Emma Haight, UNDRR Investor Advisory Board, described the adoption of a green sewer design, first developed in Washington DC, which proved so successful that the design was replicated in London, UK, Cape Town, South Africa, and Quito, Ecuador, highlighting its environmental and financial risk reduction, and over USD 200 million in cost savings. Michelle Chivunga, Global Policy House, discussed using artificial intelligence to shift DRR responses, optimize data utilization in local governments, track and mobilize funding, and to use digital capital during humanitarian crisis to make up for funding shortfalls. Sara Hoeflich, United Cities and Local Government, recommended investment in basic services such as water supply, street cleaning, and sewer solutions to ensure clean cities as an investment and risk mitigation measure. Marcos Concepción Raba, Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction, discussed effective localization.
Global Early Warning for All (EW4All) Multistakeholder Forum
Opening
Julien Thöni, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Switzerland, said timely early warning action should provide critical time to act and respond, and noted that innovation better predicts and reaches people faster. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), suggested key criteria for improving early warning systems (EWS), including that science must connect people; and systems and partnerships must include actors “outside the DRR tent,” especially those most at risk. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head of UNDRR, said EWS should not be regarded as a once-off intervention. He said national ownership must be strengthened, and the concept of leaving no one behind should be embedded into all efforts. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, via video, suggested EWS is the most basic tool for saving and protecting lives, and called for high-level political support, a boost in technology access, and public and private finance at scale.
Fireside chat: The state of EWS
Johan Stander, WMO, drew attention to national ownership, stakeholder engagement, and the involvement of funding partners when investing in EW4All. Sujit Kumar Mohanty, Chief of Branch, UNDRR, emphasized co-design and co-ownership approaches to meaningfully engage stakeholders for successful EW4All.
Good practices: Stakeholder perspectives on EWS
Interventions during this panel session included: calls to integrate women and youth in all decisions focused on EWS; investing in women’s leadership, particularly those with disabilities; ensuring young people are equitably involved; reaching those living in remote rural areas and conflict zones; and leveraging the communication power of mobile networks through private-public partnerships.
UNDRR Disability Leaders gather at the end of the day.
Perspectives from across regions on EWS
Panelists in this session focused on: successful collaboration and EWS progress in Zimbabwe after the 2019 Cyclone Idai; institutionalization of the community-based approach to EWS in Barbados; main challenges to integrate scientific tools and remote sensing into EWS in Lebanon; integration of the private sector in EWS decision-making process in Makati, the Philippines; and the role of cross-border cooperation, knowledge sharing, and educating people for effective EWS in Poland.
Thematic Sessions
Four thematic sessions took place during the day. These were:
