Source: New South Wales – News
Police and emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash at Mansfield Park.
Just before 6.30pm on Sunday 8 June, police and paramedics were called to Hanson Road after a person was struck by a car.
Hanson Road is closed in both directions between Hamilton Road and Waller Street.
Motorists are asked to avoid the area.
Source: Scottish Government
Call for UK Spending Review to abandon welfare cuts.
The UK and Scottish Governments must work together to support shared economic growth, with more flexibility to encourage investment and an end to spending that bypasses devolution, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said.
Ahead of the UK Spending Review on 11 June, the Finance Secretary is calling on the Chancellor to:
Ms Robison said:
“The UK Spending Review is an opportunity for the UK Government to abandon some of its damaging policies such as cuts to welfare support for disabled people, to scrap the two child benefit cap and to reinstate a universal winter fuel payment. We are also aware of the huge impact of the increase in employer’s National Insurance, not least on public services. I hope UK Ministers will use the spending review to fully fund the costs of this tax hike on jobs to vital public services like the NHS.
“The UK Government should also use the spending review to empower the devolved administrations with more flexible fiscal rules that can enable investment in public services. And we need an end to spending that bypasses devolution so we can direct funds to best meet local needs.
“We called on UK Ministers to involve us at an early stage of this process, but since they’ve refused to provide us with any clarity on their spending priorities it’s clear that its business as usual for Westminster.
“We continue to call on the Treasury to use the Spending Review to change course, providing the funding we need to deliver for the people of Scotland.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Funding package worth more than £22.5 billion a year in 2029 will boost Britain’s world-leading status in research and innovation.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce a transformative £86 billion in the Spending Review to turbo-charge our fastest growing sectors, from tech and life sciences, to advanced manufacturing and defence, as part of the government’s plan to invest in Britain’s renewal through our Modern Industrial Strategy.
Britain will boost its world-leading status in research and innovation with a bumper funding package worth more than £22.5 billion a year in 2029/2030. From exploring new drug treatments and longer lasting batteries, to new AI breakthroughs, the package will drive new jobs and economic growth as well as ensuring the UK leads the way in pioneering the technologies of the future.
It comes ahead of the Spending Review, where the Chancellor will set out how the government will invest in Britain’s renewal by investing in the people’s priorities: health, security and the economy. The Chancellor will outline this government’s laser focus on investing in Britain’s renewal through projects that will bring jobs and prosperity, putting more money in working people’s pockets.
The new R&D package will mean local leaders have government backing to develop ‘innovation clusters’ across the country, to unlock the talent and opportunity in every region and nation.
It is those with skin in the game who know what is best for their region. That’s why, through the new Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, local leaders will be given the powers to decide how to target their research investment in the region and make the most of skill sets of the community, boosting high skilled jobs and igniting growth across the country, the core mission of the government’s Plan for Change.
The package will see every corner of the country benefit. In Liverpool, that means leveraging its expertise in life sciences to accelerate drug discovery, in Northern Ireland that means harnessing its reputation for cutting edge defence equipment to shore up our national security. And in South Wales, it means boosting expertise in designing cutting edge semiconductors that power the devices like mobile phones and electric cars we rely on every day to support growth and new jobs in those regions.
The new funding will build on work already underway to transform local communities through the Innovation Accelerator pilot scheme – a new funding approach and partnership between local authorities and government. It has supported new technology developed by the Greater Manchester advanced diagnostic accelerator, delivering quicker and cheaper detection for liver, heart and lung diseases, whilst Moonbility from the West Midlands is using AI software helping train companies to simulate, in real time, potential disruption to the network so they can alert passengers on delay length, giving advice on replanning journeys.
This government is making investments in Britain’s future that will deliver dividends for decades to come. Every £1 invested in R&D generates up to £7 in benefits to the UK economy and leverages double in private investment in the long run, with businesses that receive their first R&D grant funding seeing jobs and turnover go up by over 20% in the following years – providing a major boost to the UK economy. R&D is also at the heart of around 3 million jobs in the UK, with the power to create many more as discoveries advance.
The announcement comes ahead of London Tech Week, the UK’s flagship technology festival, with more expected in the coming days, as this government doubles down on plans to ensure the UK is once again open for business and setting the conditions for a decade of national renewal and the economic growth that is at the heart of our Plan for Change.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:
Britain is the home of science and technology. Through the Plan for Change, we are investing in Britain’s renewal to create jobs, protect our security against foreign threats and make working families better off.
Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said:
R&D is the very foundation of the breakthroughs that make our lives easier and healthier – from new medicines enabling us to live longer, more fulfilled lives to developments in AI giving us time back, from easing our train journeys through to creating the technology we need to protect our planet from climate change.
Incredible and ambitious research goes on in every corner of our country, from Liverpool to Inverness, Swansea to Belfast, which is why empowering regions to harness local expertise and skills for all of our benefit is at the heart of this new funding – helping to deliver the economic growth at the centre of our Plan for Change.
Alongside this, nearly £5 million is being invested to kickstart a new partnership between the high-growth regions of Manchester and Cambridge, strengthening the link between these hubs of innovation to attract more business investment, and pilot new approaches to collaboration, setting examples for cities, universities and governments worldwide.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:
This is exactly how we turn our potential into progress. This investment backs regions to lead the way in the industries that will define the future.
From life sciences and advanced manufacturing to clean energy and AI, regions across the UK have the skills and the ideas – they just need the investment and the power to match.
This will drive innovation that not only grows the economy but creates jobs, builds opportunity, improves health and changes lives.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said:
Our region is already an advanced manufacturing powerhouse and this announcement boosts my mission to create new growth, new jobs and new opportunities in 2 exciting ways.
We will now be able to support more research and development projects in established sectors, like the car industry and green energy, which are cornerstones of the North East economy, and we can also invest in new technologies from kitchen table innovations to our fast-emerging trailblazers in the space industry and AI.
The fund would give dedicated awards of at least £30 million to each of the 7 Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England – Greater Manchester, West Midlands, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, North East, and Greater London as well as to one equivalent region in each of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to be agreed with devolved governments. The fund will also include a competition, which will be open to all other parts of the UK. This will similarly support high potential innovation clusters to grow, and be based on a principle of co-creation with UKRI. This will allow us build on the strengths that we know exist across the country.
Following a review of the Treasury’s Green Book, the Chancellor to invest billions in the regions to support economic growth, making deliberate choices to stabilise the public finances in invest in Britain’s renewal. This announcement on R&D follows on the back off £15.6 billion of government investment in local transport in city regions in the North, Midlands and South West, which also empowers local leaders to make the best investment decisions for their areas which they know best and ensure value for money.
The ONS has estimated 2.8 million people are employed in occupations essential to R&D activities across all sectors in 2023: R&D skills supply and demand: long-term trends and workforce projections – GOV.UK.
The Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership will be led by Research England on behalf of UKRI. It includes a £4.8 million investment over 3 years which embeds place-based growth, led by the universities of Cambridge and Manchester.
DSIT media enquiries
Email press@dsit.gov.uk
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
New York City, NY, June 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
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Attachment
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
The Shubman Gill-led Indian team arrived in London on Saturday ahead of the much-anticipated five-match Test series against England, which begins on June 20.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video of the team’s arrival in London on its social media handles. “Touchdown UK. Team India have arrived for the five-match Test series against England,” read the caption.
Jasprit Bumrah, Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Rishabh Pant, and Prasidh Krishna were all smiles during the journey. The squad appeared upbeat and ready for the long tour in English conditions.
Before departing from India, newly-appointed Test captain Shubman Gill reflected on the challenge of playing without stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who retired from the format last month.
“There is pressure every time you play a match or start a tour. So yes, there is pressure ahead of this series as well, but not any extra pressure. Rohit and Virat are very experienced players, and it’s difficult to fill their shoes. But as a team, we have plenty of experience and have played a lot of matches,” Gill said at the pre-departure press conference in Mumbai on Thursday.
“The players and the team are used to handling pressure. We are not an inexperienced side. The batting and bowling combinations in our team are quite strong,” the newly appointed Test skipper added.
Gill also spoke about his reaction upon learning he would be India’s new Test captain and said that the team has not yet decided on his batting position. He has previously opened the innings and also played at No. 3. With Rohit no longer in the mix, the team management must now decide who will partner Gill at the top—Yashasvi Jaiswal or Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who is yet to make his debut.
“When I first heard that I would be getting this opportunity, it was quite overwhelming. It’s a big responsibility, and I’m looking forward to it. We still haven’t decided on the batting position yet—we have time. We’ll be playing a warm-up match in London, so that will help us finalize the batting order,” Gill said.
India are aiming to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007. This series also marks India’s first assignment in the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle.
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
Statement by TUV agriculture spokesperson Councillor Allister Kyle:
“The sunshine this year certainly helped make the Balmoral Show a roaring success, with crowds turning out in force to enjoy the biggest event in the farming calendar. Now, our attention rightly turns to the provincial shows that play such an important role in rural life across Northern Ireland.
“Our party leader, Jim Allister KC MP, had the pleasure of attending the Ballymena Show last Saturday. He took the opportunity to meet with many within the farming community and discuss a range of pressing issues — from Minister Muir’s controversial NAP proposals, to Labour’s new inheritance tax plans, and looming concerns such as potential future cuts to TB compensation.
“In the face of these challenges, our local agricultural shows offer something invaluable: a welcome release and an occasion for our farming families to come together in a relaxed and sociable setting.
“This weekend marks the first of two agricultural shows within the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area. The Ballymoney Show has firmly established itself as one of the top provincial shows in the country. Thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of the Young Farmers’ Clubs from Finvoy, Kilraughts and Moycraig, and the generosity of sponsors, the show committee has once again pulled together a fantastic, affordable family event running across Friday evening and Saturday.
“From light-hearted competitions like the Lego building and children’s fancy dress, to the serious business of livestock judging, there is truly something for everyone at Ballymoney.
“Provincial shows like this are much more than just agricultural events. They offer local businesses the chance to showcase their products, and perhaps most importantly, they provide a vital opportunity for rural communities to connect. For many farming families, these shows are the only time in the year to catch up with friends, neighbours, and fellow farmers — a lifeline in a profession that can often feel isolating.
“We perhaps do not give enough recognition to the role these shows play in reducing rural isolation and strengthening community bonds. They deserve our full support.
“Let’s hope the weather holds up once again, and that everyone enjoys a brilliant weekend at Ballymoney Show.”
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
TUV Equality Spokeswoman Ann McClure said:
“While public bodies across the UK have rushed for the exit door when it comes to Stonewall, Stormont remains stubbornly behind the curve. Both the Executive Office—jointly headed by Emma Little Pengelly—and the Northern Ireland Civil Service continue to maintain links with Stonewall, at a cost to the public purse.
“The 2024 Stonewall feedback report into the Civil Service makes it abundantly clear that participation in Pride is regarded as a key indicator of an organisation’s commitment to what they term ‘LGBTQ+ inclusion and rights.’ That alone raises serious questions.
“There is, therefore, an onus on the Northern Ireland Civil Service to be honest with the public. Was fear of falling down the rankings in Stonewall’s equality index a deciding factor in their continued participation in Belfast Pride? Was this political consideration weighed against the views of ordinary people—many of whom object not only to the overtly political nature of Pride but also to its hostility to the Executive’s stance on puberty blockers?
“TUV will be tabling an Assembly question on this issue, and I will personally be submitting a Freedom of Information request today demanding the release of all internal communications and documents relating to the Civil Service’s decision to take part in Belfast Pride 2025.
“While Stonewall and the Civil Service speak the language of inclusion, the reality is very different. Their involvement in Pride alienates a large section of the Northern Ireland public who do not support the LGBT+ movement’s agenda—particularly its radical push for life-altering drugs for children, against sound medical advice and public opinion.”
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Death following Bridgewater crash on 20 May
Saturday, 7 June 2025 – 10:21 am.
Sadly, police can confirm a 12-year-old girl has died following a crash on the East Derwent Highway at Bridgewater on 20 May.
At the time of the crash, the girl was crossing the road when she was struck by a vehicle.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the crash.
Source: Scottish Government
Action to ensure Council Tax support retained.
Legislation has been amended to ensure veterans who receive a payment from the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme do not lose out on council tax support.
More than 1,200 people in Scotland who served under and suffered from the ban on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) personnel serving in HM Armed Forces between 1967 and 2000 have applied to the UK Government for compensation so far.
Changes approved by the Scottish Parliament to ensure such payments do not affect any entitlement to Council Tax Reduction have come into effect this week.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison said:
“As we mark 25 years since the lifting of the ban on LGBT people serving in the Armed Forces, it is important to recognise the hardship that so many faced with widespread homophobic bullying and harassment.
“Nothing will make up for the difficulties that LGBT veterans faced, however our action will ensure those in Scotland receive every penny that they are entitled to.
“I would also like to recognise the individuals and organisations – including Fighting with Pride – who campaigned for the rights of those who were dismissed or discharged, or faced other discrimination.”
Peter Gibson, CEO of Fighting with Pride, said:
“Fighting with Pride has campaigned for justice for LGBTQ+ veterans for many years, helping to secure reparations and financial recognition of their horrendous treatment prior to 2000.
“As we slowly see the UK Government deal with those financial payments, protected from benefit and taxation impact, it is wonderful to see the Scottish Government taking action to ensure other benefits such as Council Tax Benefit is also protected too. We continue to seek out veterans who were discharged or dismissed from the military to support them, and this news is one more step towards helping those in Scotland.”
Background
The Council Tax Reduction (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2025
Veterans of the LGBT Ban: Financial Recognition Scheme – GOV.UK
The UK-wide financial recognition scheme opened in December 2024, with payments due to commence in June 2025.
Around 460,000 households across Scotland will receive some level of Council Tax Reduction this year, helping them with the cost of living. This will save people, on average, more than £850 a year.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Millions more patients will receive appointments, screening invitations and other important information via the NHS App, as part of £50million upgrade.
Millions more patients will receive appointment reminders, screening invitations, and test results directly to their smartphones as the NHS turbocharges its digital revolution to make it easier for patients to access care.
The NHS App is set to become the go-to method of communication between the health system and patients, avoiding the need for at least 50 million costly letters to go through the postal system.
Driven by over £50 million investment, 270 million messages are expected to be sent through the NHS App this year – an increase of 70 million on last financial year, saving an estimated £200m across the system over the next three years.
This latest development forms part of the government’s shift from analogue to digital, to give patients better access to manage their healthcare journey and make informed decisions about their care.
In 2023/24, there were around 8 million missed appointments in elective care, and around 30% of people missed a screening appointment. Push notifications will remind patients about upcoming appointments and relay important messages, allowing for faster communication and reducing the risk of these missed appointments and boosting productivity across the system.
Currently, almost 20 million are opted in to receive healthcare messages via the NHS App and could soon benefit from this latest expansion. The NHS is appealing to patients to download the NHS App and turn on notifications to make sure they receive important updates
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:
People are living increasingly busy lives and want to access information about their health at the touch of a button, rather than having to wait weeks for letters that often arrive too late. This government is bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, so that being a patient in the NHS is as convenient as online banking or ordering a takeaway.
The NHS still spends hundreds of millions of pounds on stamps, printing, and envelopes. By modernising the health service, we can free up huge amounts of funding to reinvest in the frontline.
Through the investment and reform in our Plan for Change, we will make the NHS App the front door to the health service and put power in the hands of patients.
As part of this digital-first transformation, over the next three years, patients in England will receive all appropriate NHS messages through the App first. Where app messaging is not available, communications will be sent via SMS and then by letter as a last resort. This means that people without access to smartphones and elderly patients can still receive messages through traditional routes, ensuring that no vital information is missed. Those without smartphone access will also benefit from phone lines being freed up, with many patients able to get the information they need digitally.
Accessible communications will continue to be supported for those with specific requirements.
The implementation of digital services across the health service is already well underway. Last year, the national vaccination programmes delivered 85 million messages via digital channels, and later this year, national screening programmes for breast, bowel and cervical cancer will also be making the switch.
Dr Vin Diwakar, Clinical Transformation Director at NHS England, said:
More than 11 million of us now log into the NHS App every month to manage our healthcare, whether ordering a repeat prescription or seeking advice on a medical condition.
We’re supporting the switch from analogue to digital by harnessing the power of digital communication channels so that millions more patients can receive important messages about their health direct to their smartphones – all you need to do is enable notifications in the NHS App to see and open messages.
The NHS App is already empowering patients by giving them more information and now by increasingly becoming a world-class way of communicating – which will save millions of pounds and free up resources for patient care. I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t got the app on their smartphone to download it now.
This latest development comes in addition to work currently underway to improve user experience in the App. Through various expansions, users will soon be able to add appointments to the calendar on their phone and request help from their GP surgery. It will also seek to drive increased usage through faster log in methods, such as Face ID.
With NHS App services now live in 87% of hospitals across England, delivered in line with commitments made as part of the Elective Care Reform Plan, patients will have greater control of their elective care, improving access and modernising NHS as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Bodies located near crashed car following search for tourists missing in Tasmania
Saturday, 7 June 2025 – 1:07 am.
Sadly, police can confirm two bodies, believed to be that of missing tourists Leannedra Kang and Takahiro Toya, have been located near a crashed vehicle in northeast Tasmania this evening.
Inspector Luke Manhood said police located a car in water off Tebrakunna Road about 5.30pm on Friday, with the deceased pair found nearby a short time later.
“At this early stage it appears they were travelling over a bridge when the vehicle has left the roadway and ended up in the water,” he said.
“This is a tragic outcome, and our thoughts are with their families and loved ones.”
“Our initial investigations suggest there are no suspicious circumstances, but further forensic examinations will now take place as is the usual process, and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.”
“We would like to thank community members for their efforts in providing information to assist in the search.”
Source: Scotland – Highland Council
All eligible young people are being encouraged to apply for a weekly, term time allowance of £30 per week from August 2025.
The Highland Council administers Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in respect of eligible young people from across its 29 secondary schools. Colleges administer this scheme for their students.
During the last academic year, over 400 young people across Highland secondary schools benefited from approximately £350,000 from this Allowance. The Allowance provides an incentive for young people aged 16-19 from lower income families to continue with their post-16 education, either in school or college.
Eligibility for the scheme is based upon the total taxable household income for 2024/25:
This weekly term time allowance is paid directly into the young person’s bank account and does not affect the child benefit or other benefits being paid to their parents or carers.
Further information about Education Maintenance Allowance, including full eligibility criteria, is available on the Highland Council’s website at www.highland.gov.uk/ema.
The Council’s Welfare Support Team can complete the online application form with the young person and in the wider context, can support all eligible households to apply for benefits and other entitlements.
The Welfare Support Team can be contacted by telephoning 0800 090 1004 or emailing welfare.support@highland.gov.uk.
6 Jun 2025
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPC AC 061214
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0714 AM CDT Fri Jun 06 2025
Valid 061300Z – 071200Z
…THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS…
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF
THE MID MS AND TN VALLEYS…AND OVER SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND….
…SUMMARY…
Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected across portions of the
central and southern High Plains. Very large hail, damaging winds,
and a tornado threat is anticipated. Isolated severe thunderstorms
are also possible extending into the Tennessee/Ohio Valleys, and
over parts of southern New England. Damaging winds are the primary
concern in these areas.
…Mid MS and TN Valleys…
Morning radar loop shows a mature quasi-linear MCS over eastern OK
tracking into western AR. This system has produced sporadic severe
wind reports overnight, and may continue to pose that risk for a few
more hours. Some weakening is expected through late morning, with
eventual rejuvenation of storms as they spread across parts of KY/TN
and vicinity. Model guidance varies on extent of severe storm
coverage. However, favorable westerly flow aloft, dewpoints in the
70s, and pockets of strong daytime heating will encourage intense
thunderstorm re-development.
…High Plains…
The forecast scenario for today is similar to yesterday, with two
areas of focus for severe thunderstorm activity. One is along the
CO foothills, where moist/southeasterly low-level winds and
moderately steep mid-level lapse rates will yield afternoon MLCAPE
of 1000-2000 J/kg. Storms are expected to intensify by mid-late
afternoon along the foothills and spread southeastward into the
adjacent plains. Forecast soundings show generally straight-line
hodographs, which will promote splitting supercells capable of very
large hail and a few tornadoes. Activity may organize upscale
during the evening over southwest KS and spread across OK overnight.
Farther south, yesterday’s and last night’s convection has
reinforced a surface outflow boundary which will extend across west
TX. Similar to yesterday, intense supercells are expected to form
in vicinity of this boundary during the late afternoon, posing
another risk of very large hail and a few tornadoes.
..Southern New England…
A plume of seasonally high PW values extends across the OH Valley
into southern New England. Modest air mass destabilization is
expected by mid day with an axis of 1000-2000 J/kg SBCAPE expected
to extend across southern New England by 18z. While deep layer shear
is not forecast to be that strong, adequate flow should exist for at
least some organization. Locally damaging winds are the primary
concern with storms that form along this instability axis.
..Hart/Bentley.. 06/06/2025
CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT
NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 1 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 1630Z
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, joined by his sleeping baby daughter, and Scottish Chambers of Commerce Chief Executive Liz Cameron sign the deal in Edinburgh
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, joined by his sleeping baby daughter, at today’s partnership agreement signing with Scottish Chambers of Commerce Chief Executive Liz Cameron in Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh.
A partnership agreement to launch a Brand Scotland overseas trade missions initiative was signed today (Friday) by the Scotland Office and Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC).
This collaboration will be supported by a UK Government grant of up to £100,000 for 2025/26 aimed at promoting Scottish trade and attracting foreign direct investment into Scotland.
As part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change, Brand Scotland is boosting economic growth by promoting Scottish products and services while attracting international inward investment.
The initiative will include a series of trade missions focused on showcasing Scottish businesses globally.
Ian Murray and Liz Cameron signed the agreement at the UK Government’s Queen Elizabeth HQ in Edinburgh.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:
This agreement will help give Scotland a global platform to sell everything our brilliant country has to offer – from whisky and seafood to our world class services.
The trio of trade deals secured by the Prime Minister in recent weeks is a huge opportunity for Scotland’s economy – with the most populous country in the world, the richest country in the world and our most important market. This partnership with the Scottish Chambers of Commerce will create valuable opportunities for Scottish firms and help kickstart economic growth as part of our Plan for Change.
I have already been to Norway, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States to bang the drum for Scotland and with this partnership we will take businesses to even more markets. The Scotland Office will be Scotland’s window to the world.
Scottish Chambers of Commerce Chief Executive and Director Dr Liz Cameron CBE said:
Delivering impactful trade missions that will sell Brand Scotland and our innovative and dynamic businesses will strengthen our global presence. This partnership with the Scotland Office is vital for economic growth and will help more businesses trade internationally and encourage more inward investment.
The world wants our quality products and services and this significant investment in Brand Scotland will create even more opportunities to sell our nation internationally. Our businesses continue to successfully engage with SCC overseas missions and now by combining forces between SCC and the Scotland Office, we can drive our economy further by providing valuable platforms and alliances for more exporters to sell their fantastic products and services to new global markets.
Scotland is open for business and we welcome Brand Scotland’s support to allow us to trade with confidence on a world stage.
Leading entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors have also welcomed the agreement.
Founder & CEO of Greenock-based PG Paper Dr Poonam Gupta OBE said:
At PG Paper, international trade is the backbone of our business. We have built a multi-million pound business by connecting with over 60 countries. This partnership between the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the Scotland Office sends a clear message: Scotland is ambitious, outward-looking, and ready to lead. The Scotland Office initiative will help businesses like ours expand our international reach, forge high-value connections, and drive economic impact both at home and abroad. This is exactly the kind of bold, collaborative action Scotland needs to accelerate exports and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.
CEO of Aberdeen-based PCL Group Dr Jeanette Forbes OBE said:
As a global IT and energy tech company operating in over 27 countries, we know first-hand how critical international trade is to business growth and innovation. Trade missions are strategic enablers that unlock new markets, foster long-term relationships, and elevate Scotland’s global standing. The collaboration between Scottish Chambers of Commerce and the Scotland Office is exactly the type of public-private partnership needed to amplify Scotland’s voice on the world stage and grow our economies.
Details of trade missions will be confirmed in due course.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Parveen Akhtar, Senior Lecturer: Politics, History and International Relations, Aston University
Zia Yusuf, a self-made billionaire and Muslim, has resigned as chairman of Reform, breaking with Nigel Farage just weeks after delivering unprecedented success for the party in local elections.
Yusuf announced his sudden departure on social media platform X, saying he no longer believed “working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time”.
Having been one of the party’s largest donors, Yusuf was appointed to the role less than a year ago and has widely been credited as the power behind Reform’s professionalisation. He is said to be the driving force behind growing its national infrastructure and membership, which now stands at around 235,000.
Yusuf’s resignation post came a few hours after another, in which he referred to a question posed in the House of Commons by new Reform MP Sarah Pochin as “dumb”.
Pochin had used her first chance to speak in the Commons to call on prime minister Keir Starmer to ban burqas in the UK. It is reported that there had been tensions between Yusuf and other figures in Reform, but this appears to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Yusuf has faced Islamophobic abuse from some within the party’s ranks. On social media, some Reform supporters have questioned whether a Muslim can ever truly belong in the party, while others have threatened to leave it because of him.
Asked on GB News whether Yusuf viewed Pochin’s question as a slight against himself, party leader Nigel Farage suggested instead that Yusuf more likely didn’t see banning the burqa as a high priority issue for Reform. Both Farage and former party chairman Richard Tice have stood by Pochin, saying a debate is needed on banning the burqa.
Yusuf, once heralded as a rising star in Reform and in British politics, didn’t go into further detail but referred to his successes in the party instead: “I’ve worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30%, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results.”
Yusuf was referring to the fact that Reform is currently polling at 30%, has five MPs and has recently taken control of ten councils in England – the first time it has ever held governing roles.
Shortly after Yusuf’s departure, Nathaniel Fried, who had been brought into Reform to spearhead the party’s Doge-style efficiency drive in local councils, also resigned, stating he had doubts about the future of the project.
Reform will now be asking itself if it can continue its successful trajectory without theses figures. We’ll soon find out if it was Yusuf alone who was responsible for the professionalisation that has recently delivered so much electoral success.
When he was first appointed, Yusuf promised to “bring all my expertise, energy and passion to the role to ensure we achieve our mission of returning Great Britain to greatness”. Mirroring the Maga project is the US, Yusuf’s focus was on making the UK great again by controlling the country’s borders and restoring sovereignty.
Yusuf’s attachment to Reform, a party which has made anti-immigration its political focus, was significant given that his own parents were first-generation immigrants from Sri Lanka. Yet Yusuf was the face of established ethnic minority communities in the UK who have immigration backgrounds but take a tough line on newcomers.
He describes himself as a British Muslim patriot, who loves his country. My forthcoming research with colleagues details how the justifications used by minorities who voted for Brexit were very similar to those in the public at large – with an uncontrolled immigration being a key issue.
Party leader Nigel Farage said he was sorry to see Yusuf go and recognised that he was a loss for the party. Farage claimed that the two of them “barely had a disagreement” in working together but that others had not got on well with Yusuf.
Farage claimed that Yusuf’s business background left him struggling in politics and that he brought a “bit of a Goldman Sachs mentality” to his job, which put him at odds with others. He said interpersonal skills were “at the top of his list of attributes”.
However, in a significant new development, Farage did acknowledge that Yusuf had faced abuse on social media from the “alt-right”. This was the first time he has ever publicly acknowledged the abundance of racist and Islamophobic abuse Yusuf has received on social media by Reform supporters.
He did somewhat contradict himself later by blaming “Indian bots” for spreading content that misled Reform voters. Tim Montgomerie, another high-profile former Conservative Reform supporter also cited personal abuse as a factor: “He faced a lot of prejudice, not necessarily from inside the party but on social media, I think that affected him.”
Given that for years the racism and Islamaphobia faced by Yusuf was never publicly acknowledged, it’s interesting that the party elite clearly see the need to recognise the racism as part of the damage limitation exercise they’ve now had to undertake.
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No doubt Farage saw Yusuf as an asset to the party. Only days before the falling out, he had heralded him as an example of why Reform could not be accused of being racist: “I would remind everybody that the chairman of the party is Scottish-born, but comes from parents who come from the Indian subcontinent. But we don’t talk about race at all. We think everybody should be treated equally. We object very strongly to the segmentation of people into different types.” Farage acknowledged that Yusuf’s race was a benefit to him when responding to his resignation, too.
It matters that Reform’s highest profile minority member is no more. It also shows the disunity in a political party which is growing very quickly. This is a pattern from yesteryear. Party infighting used to happen in the old days of Reform’s predecessors, UKIP and the Brexit Party.
It was a big part of why they did not reach the heights currently being enjoyed by Reform. This is, ironically, the first big test of the professionalisation drive that Yusuf led.
Parveen Akhtar has previously received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy.
– ref. Zia Yusuf turned Reform into an election winner – his angry resignation leaves Nigel Farage weakened – https://theconversation.com/zia-yusuf-turned-reform-into-an-election-winner-his-angry-resignation-leaves-nigel-farage-weakened-258382
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kate McNicholas Smith, Lecturer in Television Theory, University of Westminster
The past two decades have seen a notable rise in LGBTQ+ representation on TV. Recent shifts, however, seem to threaten that progress. LGBTQ+ characters continue to meet tragic ends on screen – while off-screen, queer shows are being cancelled, media companies in the US have joined others in rolling back DEI initiatives and anti-LGBTQ+ violence is on the rise.
At this critical moment, it feels apt to take a look back at some of the moments that made British LGBTQ+ TV history, exploring why they mattered and what we can learn from them.
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In June 1967, the BBC documentary and current affairs series Man Alive focused two episodes on homosexuality. These episodes featured interviews with gay men and lesbian women about their lives and experiences, and how society treats them.
The episode on “the women” featured an interview set in The Gateways club, a long-running lesbian nightclub on the Kings Road in west London (it closed in 1985). The Gateways also appeared in 1968 film, The Killing of Sister George, one of the first mainstream film representations of lesbian characters.
The month after the Man Alive documentaries aired, the Sexual Offences Act legalised homosexual acts between men over the age of 21 in England and Wales, so long as they took place consensually and in private.
Documentaries such as these took an outside-looking-in approach to the subject matter, but nonetheless addressed the significant (albeit limited) shifts seen in this period.
In 1974, an episode of BBC Birmingham’s anthology series Second City Firsts featured the first kiss between two women on British television. The post-watershed television play portrayed a past relationship between Myra Francis’ army corporal, Chrissie, and Alison Steadman’s recruit Jackie. While this is no happily-ever-after romance, happier flashbacks do show the two women in bed together – a brief, but radical for its time, representation of queer intimacy.
The broadcast was, unsurprisingly, controversial and was preceded by a special announcement from the controller of BBC. The rights of LGBTQ+ people in the military later became a major campaign, with the ban on openly gay and lesbian people serving lifted in the UK in 2000.
Notably, fights for LGBTQ+ rights in the military demand equality, but also raise questions around the kinds of inclusions LGBTQ+ people are fighting for. As many activists and writers have argued, LGBTQ+ rights can be co-opted in ways that include some but exclude others, or justify other oppressive forces (for example in what is often referred to as pinkwashing).
In May 1988, Margeret Thatcher’s Conservative government brought in Section 28: legislation that prohibited local authorities and schools from “promoting” homosexuality, reflecting the powerful anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice of the period.
The evening before the legislation was passed in parliament, a group of lesbian activists interrupted the live broadcast of the six o’clock news. As one of the protesters, Booan Temple, reflected: “By getting on the news, we would be the news.”
The bill still passed, and Section 28 remained in place until 2000 in Scotland, and 2003 in England and Wales, but the power of LGBTQ+ resistance was palpable. Looking back today, there are worrying echoes of the moral panics of the 1980s to be found in the current climate.
In 1985, Gordan Collins (Mark Burgess) came out on Channel 4’s popular soap opera, Brookside – making him the first openly gay character on a British television series. Five years later the soap featured the first pre-watershed kiss between two women, when Beth Jordache (Anna Friel) kissed Margaret Clemence (Nicola Stephenson).
The kiss was so culturally significant that it later featured in Danny Boyle’s 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. Just one year after the episode, however, Beth died off screen in prison, an example of the “bury your gays” trope (where LGBTQ+ characters are frequently killed off in TV and film).
Meanwhile, 1994 also saw Eastenders introduce Della Alexander (Michelle Joseph), the soap’s first lesbian and one of the first Black LGBTQ+ characters on British television. Della and girlfriend Binnie departed the soap a year later.
Bisexual actor Pam St Clement, who played Eastenders matriarch Pat Butcher reflected: “Having given themselves that brief, they didn’t know what the fuck to do with it.”
In 1998 it was Coronation Street’s turn to make LGBTQ+ TV history, when the ITV soap introduced Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh), a transgender woman initially intended for a comic “bad date” storyline.
Following criticism from trans activists, ITV recruited trans actress Annie Wallace as a research assistant to work with Hesmondhalgh on the role. In 2015, Wallace joined Hollyoaks, becoming the first transgender person to play a regular transgender character on a British soap opera.
Hayley went on to exceed her problematic origins and win the hearts of audiences, educating them, as she did so, on the prejudices and legal barriers trans people faced. Hesmondhalgh, a trans ally and supporter of the charity Trans Media Watch, has, however, reflected that, as a cis actor, she “definitely wouldn’t take it” if the role was offered to her today.
Back on Channel 4, 1999 saw the broadcast of another groundbreaking show: Queer as Folk, written by Russell T Davies. Based around Manchester’s gay village, Queer as Folk broke boundaries with an unapologetic portrayal of the lives, loves and lusts of a group of queer characters.
From explicit sex scenes to queer family making, the series’ represented LGBTQ+ lives in previously unseen ways. This radical visibility was, however, largely limited to white gay male characters – reflecting longstanding inequalities in media representation.
In later work, Davies has represented a more diverse spectrum of LGBTQ+ experience. Returning to Manchester’s queer scene again in 2015, anthology series Banana (2015) began with the story of Dean, a young Black gay man portrayed by British Nigerian actor Fisayo Akinade, and featured Bethany Black as the first trans actor to play a trans role in a British series (a few months before Annie Wallace joined Hollyoaks).
The following years have seen more, and more diverse, examples of LGBTQ+ representation on TV. But tired tropes and exclusions continue, and the power of representation to shape possibilities, protections and prejudices is more pressing than ever.
Kate McNicholas Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Six TV moments that changed British LGBTQ+ history – and what we can learn from them – https://theconversation.com/six-tv-moments-that-changed-british-lgbtq-history-and-what-we-can-learn-from-them-258126
Source: Scottish Greens
UEFA must use their platform to condemn human rights violators.
Belarus should not be allowed to compete in UEFA competitions while enabling war and violating human rights, say the Scottish Greens.
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP has written to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin urging the football body to ban Belarus from all competitions. His call comes ahead of upcoming World Cup qualifiers, including two fixtures between Scotland’s Men’s National Team and Belarus.
In his letter, Mr Harvie highlights serious concerns over Belarus’ support for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. He describes Belarus as a key enabler of the war, pointing to its role in allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory to launch attacks on Ukraine.
The Green MSP also draws attention to the human rights crisis within Belarus itself. Since leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed to win 80% of the vote in the widely disputed 2020 presidential elections, the country has seen a steep decline in civil liberties, with reports of political prisoners, torture, and violent crackdowns on peaceful protests.
Mr Harvie said:
“Belarus is not just failing to uphold basic human rights at home – it is actively participating in a senseless war abroad. Lukashenko is a brutal authoritarian leader, he must be held to account, not given the platform to sports-wash his horrific humanitarian crimes.
“UEFA rightly banned Russia for their criminal domestic and international record. As a close ally helping to wage the same wars at home and abroad, why should Belarus be treated any differently?
“The continued participation of Belarusian sports teams in UEFA competitions flies in the face of the organisation’s own supposed values, particularly its RESPECT campaign, which promotes fairness, dignity and human rights in football.
“Football doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It sends a message to the world. Now is the time for UEFA to show leadership and ensure that the message is one of peace, an end to complicity and an adherence to human rights.
“Now is the time to take a stand, Belarus must follow Russia, as well as other nations committing unspeakable crimes, and be made a sporting pariah state until international law is restored.”
Dear Mr. Čeferin,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I write today as a concerned citizen and Member of the Scottish Parliament with significant concerns relating to continued Belarusian involvement in UEFA football competitions and the subsequent threat that their inclusion poses to UEFA’s values of unity, fair play and respect within football.
In light of Scotland’s Men’s team drawing Belarus in the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers, I believe it is imperative for Scotland’s political representatives to speak out about the hugely problematic inclusion of Belarus given its complicity in Russian aggression and its troubling human rights record.
I urge UEFA to reconsider Belarus’s participation in its competitions, in light of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and Belarus’s complicity in Russia’s unlawful war of aggression.
As I am sure you are aware, Belarus has become a key enabler of Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. The Belarusian regime, under President Alexander Lukashenko, has allowed its territory to be used as a launchpad for Russian forces, contributing directly to the suffering and destruction in Ukraine. This ongoing support for Russia’s aggression is a clear and unacceptable violation of international law and the fundamental principles of peace and human rights.
Furthermore, Belarus’s domestic human rights record continues to be appalling. Since the contested presidential elections of 2020, the Belarusian government has consistently violated the rights of its citizens, including the suppression of peaceful protest, arbitrary detention, and the torture of political opponents and dissidents. Numerous international organisations, including the United Nations and the European Union, have condemned the actions of the Belarusian government in the strongest terms.
The ongoing abuse of human rights in Belarus must force a re-evaluation of the country’s eligibility to participate in international sporting events, where respect for human dignity should be paramount.
Indeed, a month after Russia resumed its invasion of Ukraine, in March 2022, UEFA announced it was imposing specific restrictions on Belarus with immediate effect. UEFA banned the nation from hosting any international matches, either at club or national team level, as well as barring any spectators from attending games. It does not seem logical that UEFA are willing to take decisive action to remove Russia entirely from its competitions yet invite a key Russian ally which is complicit in the ongoing murder of innocent Ukrainians to continue as a UEFA member nation. It is morally incomprehensible that UEFA continues to promote its very laudable RESPECT campaign whilst allowing a nation that is stationing Putin’s ballistic missiles to compete.
In this context, I urge UEFA to take a strong and decisive stance by excluding Belarus from its competitions until such time as the country ceases its support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and takes substantial steps to address its widespread human rights violations. Belarus’s continued participation not only tarnishes the credibility of UEFA but also undermines the organisation’s commitment to promoting peace and respect in the footballing community.
We have already seen the importance of sports sending a message about human rights and justice. UEFA’s previous decision to suspend Russian teams and clubs from its competitions in response to the war in Ukraine was a positive and necessary step in aligning sports with ethical values. It is crucial that Belarus, which shares complicity in these actions, is held to the same standards.
UEFA must, as an organisation committed to the values of peace, respect and fairness, take this opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the face of global crises and ensure that its competitions strive to be a platform for moral integrity.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter. I look forward to your response and hope that UEFA will take meaningful action in this regard.
Yours sincerely,
Patrick Harvie
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Co-Leader of the Scottish Green Party
Source: Scottish Greens
There is still time for a Government U-turn to save Loch Lomond.
Scottish Green MSP and Save Loch Lomond campaigner Ross Greer has called on the Scottish Government’s Planning Minister to “listen to the Scottish public, not a millionaire theme park operator”. This comes as over 50,000 people write to Ivan McKee in just two weeks, demanding that the Scottish Government withdraw its approval for Flamingo Land’s Loch Lomond mega-resort application.
Using a portal on the Scottish Greens website, over 50,000 people have now called on the Planning Minister to stop the controversial Flamingo Land proposals to build a mega-resort on the banks of Loch Lomond, including a waterpark, two hotels, over 100 woodland lodges, 370 parking spaces, a monorail and more.
The planning application is the most opposed in Scottish planning history, with over 155,000 individuals lodging objections ahead of a public hearing last September, alongside organisations such as the National Trust for Scotland, the Woodland Trust, the Ramblers, and Scottish Government environment watchdog, SEPA.
Despite the National Park’s board rejecting the application unanimously, a Scottish Government official overturned that decision on appeal.
Both the Planning Minister and First Minister have refused to use their powers to recall and reject the application, effectively giving Flamingo Land a clear path to proceed with their destructive plans. However, SNP Ministers have just used their powers to block the development of a horse racing track on the site of the battle of Bannockburn due to its historical significance.
Mr Greer said:
“The Scottish Government has got this badly wrong. They are about to allow a greedy developer to trash the gateway to our National Park. It is not too late for a u-turn though. They can still save Loch Lomond.
“In just two weeks the Planning Minister has heard directly from over 50,000 people calling on him to block these proposals. Public opinion couldn’t be clearer and it is backed up by experts including the Government’s own environment watchdog.
“I have campaigned side by side with local residents in Balloch for nearly ten years now to stop Flamingo Land. At every stage we have won on the basis of the overwhelming evidence against their plans, but that has all now been overturned by the Scottish Government.
“I do not understand why the Scottish Government are determined to cosy up to greedy theme park operators rather than protect Scotland’s world famous natural heritage.
“It’s time for Government Ministers to actually listen to the people of Scotland and save Loch Lomond.”
Mr Greer added:
“Thank you to everyone who has yet again taken the time to object to this destructive mega-resort. Together we can stop Flamingo Land. Please continue to share greens.scot/LochLomond with friends and family to ensure the Scottish Government hears how much the public expect them to u-turn and reject these destructive plans.”
Source: US State of Connecticut
As global temperatures rise, ecosystems face new pressures and often multiple challenges simultaneously. This was the case in 2016 in areas of the northeast that experienced a one-two punch of extreme drought and an onslaught of spongy moth caterpillars that feasted on a massive portion of the region’s oak leaves.
Eastern Connecticut, much of Rhode Island, and large swaths of Central Massachusetts were hit hard, says UConn Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Associate Professor Robert Fahey. This stacking of disturbances is expected to increase with climate change, and it is important to understand how forests are responding.
Fahey and his collaborators Danielle Tanzer ’21 MS, now at the University of Wisconsin; UConn Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Associate Professor Robert Bagchi; Audrey Barker Plotkin at the Harvad Forest; James Mickley ’17 Ph.D., now at Oregon State University; Keenan Rivers ’20 (CAHNR), now at Michigan Technological University; researcher Maya Sagarin, now at the University of California; and UConn Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Assistant Professor Chandi Witharana saw the opportunity to study these interactions and their impacts on defoliation and tree mortality and their findings are published in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, and Forest Ecology and Management.
“When disturbances overlap in their effects on an ecosystem, we often call that compounding disturbance, where sometimes there is more influence on the ecosystem than you would get from either of those disturbances independently. It’s this additive or multiplicative effect,” says Fahey.
The team developed a proposal to study these multiplicative effects with a National Science Foundation RAPID grant, which streamlined the funding process and helped them jumpstart the project.
Fahey explains they applied experimental and observational methods to assess the interactions of the disturbances by collecting increment cores from tree trunks to estimate biomass accumulation before and after the disturbances and by surveying the mortality of trees across the study sites.
Then the researchers compared their field data with satellite imagery in hope of developing a method to remotely assess mortality that was not only accurate but also faster and less labor-intensive than taking field samples.
The Landsat satellite collects images on an almost bi-weekly basis, and finding a method to analyze these vast quantities of data can be tricky. Besides being labor-intensive and time-consuming, current methods also rely on costly aerial overflights.
“One of the things we were trying to do is compare what we can see in the remote sensing imagery and use machine learning models to take the known mortality and map mortality across the landscape, and then compare that to the aerial documentation,” says Fahey.
The method they developed was able to predict between 60% and 80% of the mortality within Landsat’s resolution of a 30-by-30-meter pixel. Fahey says the method could be a useful tool, enabling land managers to quickly and easily assess the landscape.
To better understand the frequency and timing of the defoliation relative to the drought conditions, Fahey teamed up with Bagchi, whose research group had been studying caterpillars and their interactions within the food web in the region. They hoped to study the characteristics that led to different outcomes and levels of severity across the region.
Fahey’s group sampled and surveyed sites around Eastern Connecticut where Bagchi’s lab had already sampled for spongy moth caterpillars.
One curious observation was the timing of the defoliation differed across the landscape and the researchers wondered if these timing differences led to variations in mortality, says Fahey.
“The question is if that’s because there were fewer caterpillars in some places,” he says. “Is it because the drought differed in its severity across the landscape? Is it because there were fewer oaks available as host species across different forests, across the landscape, or is it something to do with the environment?”
They found the factor that mattered the most was whether a site experienced multiple years of defoliation, which Fahey says is not a novel or surprising result, but it is interesting because it showed the severity of the drought, and the timing of the defoliation also did not seem to matter as much as frequency.
“The drought definitely impacted the defoliation, but it didn’t seem to impact the mortality outcomes relating to the defoliation. The drought is probably associated with the severity of the defoliation in multiple ways,” says Fahey.
For example, one of the main controls of the spongy moth caterpillars is a fungus that doesn’t get established when there’s a drought; therefore, in an extremely dry year like 2016, the spongy moth population was able to explode across the landscape.
That extremely dry weather also stressed the trees, rendering them less capable of fighting defoliation. The 2016-17 drought was possibly the most severe New England has experienced since the 1960s, says Fahey, and we have had multiple such “100-year” droughts in the last decade.
“Obviously, things are changing, but that 2016 drought was severe enough across the landscape that there wasn’t enough variation for us to pick up a signal, and it probably affected the outcomes of defoliation and led to higher mortality across the landscape. We can’t say for sure because we don’t have anything to control it against, because there wasn’t a place that didn’t have drought,” he says.
Moving forward, Fahey says they are evaluating the response of the overall forest to the disturbance by looking at productivity, carbon sequestration, and any changes that occurred. The researchers are also trying to understand how growth prior to the disturbances impacted mortality outcomes. Did fast or slow-growing oaks fare better, and why? These questions are the focus of ongoing research that will help us understand how the region’s forests will fare as the climate continues to change. With thousands of increment cores from trees across Eastern Connecticut and from the Harvard Forest in Massachusetts yet to analyze, Fahey says it will take some time before they have answers.
“The frequency, severity, and nature of the disturbances that affect our forests is changing as a result of the impacts of climate change and other stressors, such as invasive pests and pathogens,” says Fahey. “These changes are leading to more frequent interactions between disturbances and understanding how compounding disturbance affects our forests will be an essential part of predicting the future of our region and its ecosystems.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Decision letter and Inspector’s Report for a recovered appeal.
Decision letter and Inspector’s Report for a recovered appeal for outline permission for a film and television studio, ancillary development including car parking and a nature park.
Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh
Residents from the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough are being encouraged to come along to a series of events being organised by Libraries NI to mark Loneliness Awareness Week (June 9 – June 15).
Throughout the year, Libraries NI support people in the community; helping them to stay connected, feel welcomed, and building a sense of belonging.
Libraries are trusted community spaces where people of all ages can spend meaningful time without spending money; whether that’s chatting over a cup of tea at a Knit and Natter session, enjoying a library activity, or simply spending time in the company of others.
Here are just a few of the events and activities happening in your area during the week:
You can drop in briefly or, stay for a session and chat with staff and library users. It’s a great chance to see how libraries are making a real difference locally.
Source: Scottish Government
Proposals for minimum standards of energy efficiency
Private rented homes could be subject to a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) from 2028 to support efforts to tackle fuel poverty and reduce emissions that contribute to climate change.
Under proposals published today, regulations would be brought forward under existing powers requiring privately rented properties, as far as possible, to reach the reformed EPC Heat Retention Rating (HRR) band C from 2028 for new tenancies and by 2033 for all privately rented homes.
In 2022 there were 300,000 privately rented properties in Scotland. The regulations would prohibit the letting of properties which fall below the minimum standard of energy efficiency, until the landlord has made any relevant energy efficiency improvements.
The current system of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) is due to be revised and updated from 2026 with a new set of ratings to give clearer information on the fabric energy efficiency of a property; the emissions, efficiency and running costs of its heating system; and the cost of energy to run the home.
Alasdair Allan, Acting Minister for Climate Action said:
“It is vital that we find the right balance to both reach net zero by 2045 and reduce fuel poverty. Improving energy efficiency is one of the levers available to the Scottish Government that enables this dual progress.
“The lowest rates of fuel poverty are associated with higher energy efficiency standards. A majority of privately rented properties are already at a good standard of energy efficiency, based on the current EPC regime, but others still need improvement to bring them closer to reaching a good level.
“These proposals will improve those homes, reduce energy costs for tenants and support the transition to clean heating – which we will be further strengthening through the Heat in Buildings Bill that we have committed to bring forward later this year. Installing better insulation and other energy efficiency measures will also benefit people’s health, by reducing the risk of cold and dampness-related conditions.
“The Scottish Government continues to offer a wide range of support to people and organisations looking to move to clean heating or improve energy efficiency, including to private landlords.”
Exemptions are proposed to provide protection to landlords in situations where they are prevented from obtaining third party consent or permissions to carry out work; and where undertaking work could have a negative impact on the fabric or structure of the property.
Previous proposals to regulate energy efficiency for the private rented sector were put forward in 2020 but withdrawn as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Background
Also published today are proposals for a Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment, which could support consumers by providing further evidence, beyond the EPC system, of which energy efficiency or clean heating system measures are technically suitable for their home or building, and which may not be. This optional assessment would support in particular those in buildings which are more complex to decarbonise such as tenements, traditional and protected buildings.
Consultation on Draft Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations
Heat & Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA) – Scoping Consultation
Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme
Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh
Visitors to St Giles’ Cathedral will come face-to-face with those of the first ‘Edinburghers’ in a new exhibition as part of Edinburgh 900 celebrations.
Opening to the public on Friday 6 June, Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the Lives and Hidden Faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval Citizens, delves into the fascinating work carried out by experts from the Francis Crick Institute (London), University of Aberdeen, University of Dundee and the City of Edinburgh Council.
Marking the joint 900th anniversaries of both Edinburgh and St Giles’ Cathedral, this extraordinary exhibition presents the results of new scientific research into the medieval citizens buried within the grounds of the Cathedral. Originally excavated in 1981, these remains have undergone new detailed analysis using advanced methods including ancient DNA sequencing, isotopic analysis, radiocarbon dating, and forensic facial reconstruction.
This collaborative project offers a compelling look at the lives, diets, health, origins, and identities of Edinburgh’s earliest residents.
The exhibition will feature:
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, said:
This exhibition invites visitors to travel back through nine centuries of Edinburgh’s history, to meet the earliest people who called this city home. Thanks to scientific research and creative collaboration, we are able to share new insights into their lives, origins, health, and identities and, to actually see their faces once again.
Edinburgh 900 is a year-long celebration of our city’s rich history, culture, and bright future. This exhibition brings the faces of our very first residents to life for our audiences of today. My thanks to our partners, scientists, artists, and all those whose contributions have brought this exhibition to life.
City of Edinburgh Council Archaeologist John Lawson added:
This has been a fascinating project that brings together new archaeological science and the creative arts to tell the story of Edinburgh’s first residents in an imaginative and exciting way.
Visitors to the exhibition will come face-to-face with the first inhabitants of the city, ordinary individuals who lived through extraordinary chapters of history. While we are accustomed to the tales of the famous and powerful, this project shifts the spotlight to the everyday citizens, telling their stories in the very place they once walked, worshipped, and were laid to rest.
To honour their lives in such a meaningful location has been a rare and powerful opportunity. It’s been an immensely rewarding partnership to be part of, and I’m grateful to the church, talented specialists and the artists whose hard work and dedication have have helped to tell these stories.
Sarah Phemister, Head of Heritage and Culture, St Giles’ Cathedral, said:
This exhibition is a celebration of the remarkable talent, collaboration, and creativity of the scientists and artists who have breathed life into the faces of the past. Their work connects us across centuries, reminding us that St Giles’ has always been a place where history, innovation, and human stories have met at the very heart of Edinburgh.
Free and open to the public from 6 June to 30 November 2025, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the Cathedral’s medieval past in a new way—bringing faces and stories from Edinburgh’s early history to life.
Maria Maclennan, Senior Lecturer School of Design, Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) The University of Edinburgh, said:
It has been an enormous privilege to contribute to such a fascinating and interdisciplinary project, which adopted a truly interdisciplinary approach requiring collaboration on the part of many. Each craniofacial approximation involved the marriage of archaeological evidence together with myriad scientific analyses undertaken by the research team, to help inform final facial appearance: forensic anthropology, radiocarbon dating, isotopic signature, DNA profiling, and forensic-artistic techniques.
Craniofacial Approximation is a hybrid sci-art practice dedicated to restoring the face of an unknown individual from their skeletal remains. In archaeological contexts, as is seen here in St. Giles’ Cathedral, the practice is often an important means of restoring visibility, identity, and humanity to those long lost or forgotten, and/or in promoting education and encouraging public engagement with historical figures of interest from the past.
For each reconstruction, I produced both a more ‘neutral’ face (depicting how the individual may present in contemporary day Edinburgh), in addition to a ‘historical’ face, depicting the individual dressed in clothing/artefacts typical of the time in which they lived.
Dr Tobias Houlton, Lecturer in Craniofacial Identification and Forensic Imaging at University of Dundee, said:
This exhibition marks a significant milestone in the longstanding partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council Archaeology Service (CECAS) and the University of Dundee.
While this particular project has been a year in the making, it builds on many years of collaboration and graduate involvement from the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID). It provides a unique opportunity for CAHID graduates to further develop their expertise in facial identification while contributing to meaningful research in partnership with CECAS. The exhibition showcases the powerful synergy between science and art in restoring the faces of Edinburgh’s earliest citizens and enriching our understanding of the city’s medieval past.
This project has been made possible with support from Historic Environment Scotland, and all partner organisations.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
New homeowners stand to benefit from rooftop solar and cheaper bills, with the Future Homes Standard being published this Autumn.
Working people stand to save hundreds of pounds off their energy bills as the government confirms new build homes will have solar panels by default, unleashing a rooftop revolution.
Ministers are publishing the Future Homes Standard this autumn and have confirmed today (Friday 6 June) that solar panels will be included, leading to installation on the vast majority of new build homes.
Illustrating the benefits of solar panels, a typical existing UK home could save around £530 a year from installing rooftop solar, based on the current energy price cap.
This means today’s new proposals could significantly cut energy bills for the recipients of new build homes, tackling the cost of living for aspirational young families and new house buyers.
Under proposed changes, new homes will also have low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps and high levels of energy efficiency, cutting people’s energy bills and boosting the nation’s energy security with clean, homegrown power, in line with the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.
To deliver these aims, the proposed Future Homes Standard would see building regulations amended to explicitly promote solar for the first time, subject to practical limits with flexibility in place for new homes surrounded by trees or with lots of shade overhead.
From switching on the kettle to cooking dinner and doing the weekly wash, families will now be able to seize the benefits of powering their lives with clean, renewable energy from the very first day in their new home, with cheaper energy bills that put more money back in their pockets.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
Solar panels can save people hundreds of pounds off their energy bills, so it is just common sense for new homes to have them fitted as standard.
So many people just don’t understand why this doesn’t already happen. With our plans, it will.
Today marks a monumental step in unleashing this rooftop revolution as part of our Plan for Change, and means new homeowners will get lower bills with clean home-grown power.
Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook said:
As part of the government’s Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes, we are maximising the use of renewable energy to cut people’s bills and power their homes.
The Future Homes Standard will ensure new homes are modern and efficient with low-carbon heating, while our common-sense planning changes will now make it easier and cheaper for people to use heat pumps and switch to EVs so they can play their part in bolstering our nation’s energy security.
After legislation came into force last week, more homeowners will now be able to install a heat pump within one metre of their property’s boundary without having to submit a planning application, unlocking even more savings and cutting unnecessary paperwork for working people.
With figures from Octopus showing that 34% of those who order a heat pump are discouraged or drop out for reasons attributed to the need to submit a planning application, this change will help families who may have less space outside their home make the upgrade to clean power.
The first quarter of 2025 saw a record number of applications to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, up 73% from the same quarter in 2024.
The scheme provides households with up to £7,500 off the cost of a heat pump, which can save families around £100 a year by using a smart tariff effectively.
Chris Hewett, Chief Executive, Solar Energy UK, said:
The solar industry is very glad to hear that almost all new homes will be fitted with solar power from under the Future Homes Standard. Making solar panels a functional requirement of the Building Regulations will cut energy bills, lower carbon emissions, help drive polluting natural gas off the grid and improve our nation’s energy security, too.
Aadil Qureshi, Co-Founder and CEO, Heat Geek, said:
Installing a heat pump, particularly alongside solar panels is an amazing way for homeowners to save hundreds of pounds on their energy bills and create a more comfortable home. The simplification of planning rules will help millions of homeowners, particularly in normal family homes in towns and cities, take advantage of this technology.
Charles Wood, Deputy Director of Policy (Systems) at Energy UK, said:
The addition of rooftop solar to the Future Homes Standard is welcome and necessary in ensuring that homes built today are fit for the future. Building homes to the right standards now will deliver immediate benefits of warmer, more comfortable, and more cost-efficient homes, preventing the need to retrofit these properties later at higher costs to the customer.
This change, alongside wider reforms to planning processes and network connections, will reduce bills for people in new build properties while also giving the industry confidence to invest in increased manufacturing and installer training as demand increases, creating jobs and bringing down technology costs for everyone.
Ensuring our future energy security relies on producing more British power, the electrification of our economy and cutting waste. The energy sector continues to deliver energy efficiency improvements and install low-carbon heating, generation, and transport technologies for households and businesses across the country.
Chris O’Shea CEO of Centrica, said:
The age of solar is well and truly upon us, with millions of households up and down the country already benefiting from generating their own free electricity from the sun. Our research shows that customers can shrink their energy bills by 90% when they combine solar and battery with the right energy tariff, and this announcement means even more households can soak up the savings—and the sunshine—by generating their own clean, free electricity. And with the Future Home Standard expected in the Autumn, momentum is building behind Great Britain’s rooftop revolution.
Ed Lockhart, Chief Executive, Future Homes Hub, said:
The Future Homes Standard represents a major opportunity to build a generation of higher performing new homes. Moving to all electric homes, with photovoltaics, a better fabric system, better ventilation and smart technologies to optimise the way new homes use energy means that new homes will not only be better for the planet but also more comfortable, healthier to live in and cheaper to run for customers.
The Future Homes Hub is ready to support this mission, bringing homebuilders, social housing providers, suppliers, financial institutions and other experts together to work with government departments to find the best solutions to secure the benefits of the Future Homes Standard whilst accelerating housing delivery, crucially helping smaller developers to get the right support at the right time.
Nigel Banks, Zero Bills Director at Octopus Energy, said:
People deserve lower energy bills, and adding solar panels to a house as it’s built is an incredibly effective way to slash costs from day one.
With the right smart tech and storage added to the mix, some households won’t have to pay a penny for energy.
We’re delighted to see the Future Homes Standard enable house builders to now build the homes of the future.
Matthew Hart, Director of Residential New Build at E.ON Next, said:
Ensuring that every new home comes equipped with solar panels is a vital step forward for the UK. Our vision at E.ON has always been to make clean, affordable energy the standard, not the exception, and this move will empower homeowners to take control of their energy use and keep bills low from day one. It’s exactly the kind of bold, practical action we need to build a more secure, low-carbon future for everyone.
Mark Wakeford, National Chairman, National Federation of Builders, said:
Solar panels on new homes make sense because they lower bills and progress the clean energy revolution we so desperately need. Credit must also be given for recent announcements on grid investment and connection reforms, as these were important challenges to recognise and solve for a rooftop revolution to happen in practice.
Charlotte Lee, CEO, Heat Pump Association, said:
The HPA welcomes clarity on the publication timeline for the Future Homes Standard and confirmation that all new homes will be required to have low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps. Coupled with solar PV, highly efficient heat pump installations will result in low consumer energy bills and increase the UK’s energy security. This announcement provides a clear signal to the heat pump sector to scale up delivery in terms of workforce and manufacturing to meet the anticipated growth in the market and demonstrates the government’s commitment to decarbonise buildings.
Garry Felgate, Chief Executive of The MCS Foundation, said:
These plans by the government are a huge boost to the UK renewables sector, to our efforts to meet net zero, and in reducing energy costs for households.
This announcement clearly shows that clean energy in the UK is the future. Maximising renewable energy technologies can benefit households by reducing bills as well as enhancing our national energy security.
Trevor Hutchings, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association (REA) said:
The growth of solar power has been one of the UK’s biggest renewable energy success stories, demonstrating without a doubt that we don’t have to choose between lowering our emissions and lowering household energy bills.
Today’s announcement – which the REA has long campaigned for – takes this one step further – not only enabling thousands of future homeowners to experience the benefits of affordable and clean power, but supercharging growth in the British renewable energy industry and driving forward our energy transition.
The changes outlined today will maximise the use of solar energy through the Future Homes Standard.
In 2023, the previous government proposed that new build homes would either need solar panel coverage equivalent to 40% of the building’s floor area or none at all.
This approach would have allowed for too many exemptions and no solar being installed on these developments.
The government is intending to bring forward rigorous proposals, that if developers cannot meet 40% coverage, they would still be required to install a reasonable amount of solar coverage.
Under this proposal, it would be a functional requirement of the Building Regulations that new homes, with rare exceptions, are built with renewable electricity generation. In the vast majority of cases, we expect this would be solar panels.
We are working with industry to set the technical detail ahead of publishing the final Future Homes Standard this Autumn.
The Future Homes Standard will also see homes built with low carbon heating such as heat pumps and heat networks.
The £530 a year saving is based on government’s published Home Energy Assessment tool, which allows the user to produce an estimate of the bill savings they could expect from solar given the characteristics of their home.
The figure is the potential savings for a home and is included to illustrate the benefits of solar panels. An estimate of the bill savings for a Future Homes Standard home will be included in the final impact assessment published in Autumn.
The figures are based on a typical 3.5 kW south-facing installation using the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) methodology.
The costs and savings individuals experience will be affected by factors such as how often they heat their home, the precise technical details of their installations, and future energy prices.
The savings displayed are based on the April 2025 price cap. As energy prices change, so will the estimates of savings.
The changes to permitted development rights, which came into force on Thursday 29 May in England, cover:
Modern heat pumps are generally perceived as quiet and typically no louder than a fridge. When installed under a permitted development right, they must also comply with a noise assessment methodology which includes an upper noise limit assessed at the nearest neighbouring habitable room window or door, as part of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Planning Standard.
There were a total of 11,256 applications to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme between January and March 2025, which was up 73% from the first quarter of 2024.
Source: Scottish Government
Building Safety Levy Bill published.
Additional funding could be unlocked to fix building safety issues through new legislation published in the Scottish Parliament.
If passed, the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill will see a tax charged on the construction of certain new residential properties, in line with equivalent legislation in England.
The Bill seeks to raise around £30 million per year to help fund work to fix residential buildings with unsafe cladding which have no linked developer.
Latest estimates indicate that the Scottish Government’s Cladding Remediation Programme could cost £1.7 billion over a 15-year period.
Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said:
“The Scottish Government is committed to doing what is right and necessary to address the challenge of fixing buildings affected by unsafe cladding.
“That includes putting the appropriate funding arrangements in place to ensure that the associated costs of cladding remediation do not fall directly onto affected homeowners.
“I know that developers share our determination to keep people safe and this levy will ensure they make a fair contribution to these costs, just as they will be doing in England.
“I also welcome the continued cooperation of developers who have accepted responsibility for the assessments and any required mitigation and remediation of their buildings.”
Background
The UK Government agreed in principle to devolve the powers needed for a Scottish Building Safety Levy last year. Powers secured to introduce building safety levy – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
The legislation – which is proposed to come into effect in April 2027 – includes provisions to exempt certain types of development, including social and affordable housing. Details of tax rates will be set out in regulations if MSPs approve the Bill, consistent with the arrangements for other devolved taxes.
The Bill sets out a provision for a regular review period for the levy, which will be an opportunity to consider the revenue target in light of the prevailing housing market and wider economic conditions, as well as the emerging position on the scale and profile of spending on our cladding remediation work.
Estimated costs for the Scottish Government’s cladding remediation programme have also been published: Cladding remediation: capital spend forecasting – gov.scot
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SYDNEY, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading online FX and CFD broker Axi attended the Finance Magnates Africa Summit (FMAS:25), held on May 29-30, 2025, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.
Event attendees were introduced to Axi Select, Axi’s capital allocation program launched in 2023. The program, designed to empower ambitious traders on their trading journey, has been a game-changer in the trading field. Tens of thousands of traders worldwide have signed up to Axi Select, with many now reaching significant milestones and accessing funding amounts of $100,000, $200,000, and $500,000, and the top funding milestone, $1,000,000.
Attendees of the expo also had the opportunity to explore Axi’s Introducing Broker (IB) and Affiliate programs, learn more about the broker’s partnership with Premier League Champions, Man City, as well as snap exclusive photos with Man City’s Premier League memorabilia and the club’s mascot, brought in especially for the event.
Further to the broker’s collaboration with Premier League club, Manchester City FC, Axi also partners with Brazilian club, Esporte Clube Bahia, LaLiga club, Girona FC, and named England international John Stones as their Brand Ambassador in 2023. Over the past several months, Axi has garnered significant recognition for its innovation in the trading industry. The broker was recently named ‘Best Funded Trader Programme’ by the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2025, acknowledging the excellence of its capital allocation program, Axi Select. In 2024, Axi was also celebrated at the 2024 Dubai Forex Expo with the ‘Innovator of the Year’ award, and was named ‘Most Innovative Proprietary Trading Firm’ by Finance Feeds, highlighting the broker’s continued focus to providing their traders with the competitive edge they need to succeed.
View highlights here: https://youtu.be/Ec2VYV8vOi4
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Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Summary of a joint statement following the second meeting of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement Joint Committee on 3 June 2025
Alongside the OECD 2025 Ministerial Council Meeting held in Paris, Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Honourable Don Farrell and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, the Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds MP, met on 3 June 2025, for the second meeting of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement Joint Committee.
The Ministers celebrated the strong trade and investment relationship between the UK and Australia. Two-way trade between our economies reached AUD36bn or GBP23bn in 2024.
As of 2024, the stock of UK Foreign Direct Investment in Australia reached AUD156bn or GBP77bn, and Australian Foreign Direct Investment in the UK rose to AUD210bn or GBP104bn – an increase of 6.5% and 11.5% respectively on the previous year.
The strong uptake of the Agreement’s benefits is resulting in real savings for businesses, workers and consumers.
Since entry into force on 31 May 2023, AUD4.7 bn or GBP2.4bn worth of traded goods benefited from preferential tariff access, i.e. around 70% of goods traded between the UK and Australia made use of available preferences.
Between June 2023 and December 2024:
Had this trade occurred at standard Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff rates, up to an additional GBP89m or AUD172m in duties would have been collected.
Had these occurred at standard Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff rates, up to an additional GBP139m or AUD269m in duties would have been paid.
The Ministers noted that free and inclusive trade is a cornerstone of prosperity in both countries.
Recognising that open markets, and reliable legal and regulatory frameworks are essential for trade, the Ministers committed to strengthening the rules-based trading system.
Ministers also noted progress on recognition of professional qualifications in key sectors through the FTA’s Professional Services Working Group, and the ongoing work under the FTA’s Innovation Chapter to explore the potential for a ‘biobridge’ between our countries to expedite new and innovative medicines, diagnostics, and therapeutics to market.
The Ministers agreed to continue working together to strengthen the role that free trade plays in increasing prosperity and reinforcing resilience against economic turbulence and share the benefits of trade to all including through the World Trade Organization, OECD and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Note to editors:
Figures reported are from UK Official Statistics and Australian official sources.
Australian trade data is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/international-trade/international-trade-supplementary-information-calendar-year/2024
UK trade data sourced from the ONS publication of UK total trade: all countries seasonally adjusted October to December 2024 data.
Trade asymmetries exist between the UK and Australia official trade statistics, but this does not mean that either country is inaccurate in their estimation. Differences can be caused by a range of conceptual and measurement variations between the estimation practices of different countries.
Investment data is sourced from the Australia Bureau of Statistics https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/international-trade/international-investment-position-australia-supplementary-statistics/2024
The underlying data for the imports into the UK preference utilisation figures were sourced from HM Revenue and Custom’s (HMRC) UK goods imports by tariff regime, April 2025 data. This data is provided on a country of origin basis.
The methodology used to calculate UK preference utilisation rates can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/preference-utilisation-of-uk-trade-in-goods-technical-annex/preference-utilisation-of-uk-trade-in-goods-official-statistics-technical-annex#methodology-note-for-preference-utilisation-of-uk-trade-in-goods
Estimated duty savings are based on exchanged country tariff schedules and preference utilisation data. For UK imports, these are all calculated using the Ad Valorem, Specific, or Compound tariffs applied at the CN8 level. Where appropriate, Ad Valorem Equivalent tariffs were used (source: MacMap). The Bank of England spot exchange rates (June 2023-December 2024) was used to convert from GBP to AUD.
Estimates of Australia’s preference utilisation and duty savings for the June 2023 to December 2024 period are drawn from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade calculations using ABS trade data and DFAT tariff schedule data.
Investment data is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
UK-AUS total goods trade values may not equal the sum of UK goods imports and AUS goods imports due to rounding and methodological differences in calculating preference eligible imports.
Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen
Summer in Aberdeen is set to begin with the return of the Aberdeen Highland Games to Hazlehead Park next Sunday.
The Aberdeen Highland Games, taking place on 15 June from 10am to 5:30pm, promises to be a day of fun that all ages can enjoy.
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, and The Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair George Gordon, who will be the Chieftain of the games, will officially open the Games.
The Lord Provost said: “Aberdeen’s Highland Games are a celebration of our heritage and showcases the strength and spirit of the North East.
“I am looking forward to welcoming back visitors and locals to our city for a day that the whole family can enjoy.”
This year’s Games will feature traditional Scottish Highland Games competitions including caber tossing and weight over the bar, as well as a selection of fine food and drink from local producers and high quality trade and charity stalls.
A range of fun and free activities, including an assault course, climbing wall, segways and TechFest will also be available for all ages to show off their skills and try something new.
Stage entertainment will also be on throughout the day from popular children’s act Mr Bloom from CBeebies and music by Aberdeen Music Service, The Rock Choir and Vienna.
Dogs are welcome to attend alongside their owners, so long as they remain on a lead at all times and can visit the dog activity zone.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased in advance via our website or on the day. For more information visit our website.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have today published the outcome of a review of the way local area services for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are inspected.
The aim of the review was to identify enhancements that could be made to the current inspection framework to help drive improvements in the SEND system, without diluting accountability.
To carry out the review, Ofsted and CQC consulted stakeholders across the sector, including young people with SEND and their families, as well as inspectors themselves and colleagues at the Department for Education (DfE) and NHS England.
Alongside the review, Ofsted has also published a report summarising findings from the first 2 years of inspections under the current framework. This includes common challenges such as the timeliness and/or quality of education, health and care (EHC) plans.
Ofsted heard some positive feedback about the current inspection framework, with many across the sector finding it a more supportive process than the previous framework. The focus on the experiences and views of young people and their families was highlighted as a particularly positive change. However, the review also found there was a strong desire from children, young people, families and representative groups to have more opportunities to share their experiences with inspectors. Some local areas also highlighted that inspections can be resource-intensive, which can have an impact on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.
There was positive feedback from children, young people and their families about the way inspectors engage with them during inspections, with many saying they felt comfortable openly sharing their thoughts. Meanwhile, feedback both internally and from the sector highlighted the importance of continuing to develop inspectors’ expertise, with inspectors saying that they would value more frequent opportunities to refresh their knowledge.
As a result of the review, Ofsted and CQC have committed to a series of improvements to the way area SEND inspections are carried out, including:
In the longer term, Ofsted and CQC will also consider options for further developing the area SEND framework, including exploring the introduction of an inspection report card after the first cycle of inspections ends in December 2027.
Lee Owston, Ofsted’s National Director for Education, said:
We recognise that the SEND system is under significant pressure, and many of the factors contributing to this pressure are outside the control of any local area. But it’s also a fact that services for children with SEND have fallen short for too long, and it is vital that we hold providers to account where improvements need to be made. If we can make sure that we are getting support right for children with SEND, then we know that we’re getting it right for everyone.
It has been great to hear some positive feedback about our area SEND inspections, and in particular the shift in focus to the experiences and outcomes of children and young people. But we know that we can continue to improve the way that we inspect local areas, by working closely with the sector and government to make sure the framework evolves and develops in response to feedback from the sector and any future government reforms.
Lucy Harte, CQC’s Deputy Director for Multiagency Operations, said:
A system of regulation that delivers on the needs of the families and practitioners who use and work in services, is one that is built around their voices and experiences. Hearing that children, young people and their families value the increased focus on their views and experience is wonderful feedback and gives us the opportunity to further develop how we engage with them and make the most of their insight.
While people told us that examples of good practice in our reports help them to identify strategies to improve the care they offer – there is a clear desire for reports to better highlight where collaboration is making a difference, and where the local area partnerships are facing challenges. Working with Ofsted, we will continue to develop our approach and take advantage of the feedback and opportunities to drive better outcomes for children, young people and their families.
Area SEND monitoring inspections were temporarily paused while this review was completed. Monitoring inspections will start again this term.
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Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Government bans unfair bonuses for water companies that don’t meet high standards
Unfair bonuses now banned for water companies that don’t meet high standards.
Water bosses awarded themselves over £112 million in bonuses and incentive payments in the last decade.
Strengthened enforcement is just one part of the Government’s strategy to reform the water sector and attract investment as part of its Plan for Change.
Unfair bonuses have been banned for senior executives at six water companies, as new measures in the Water (Special Measures) Act come into force today (Friday, 6th June).
The government is clear that transformative change across the water sector is needed to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas, and modernise the sector for decades to come.
Under new rules, companies are not permitted to pay bonuses to water bosses that oversee poor environmental and customer outcomes. This delivers on a key manifesto commitment and has been backdated to apply to any bonuses relating to the financial year from April last year.
This applies to Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water, Wessex Water, United Utilities, and Southern Water, where bosses are not permitted to receive bonuses with immediate effect.
Water companies have awarded over £112 million in bonuses and incentives over the last decade. Last year alone, £7.6 million in bonuses were paid to water bosses in England.
It’s crucial that companies attract the best talent to deliver essential upgrades to the water system. Companies that do meet Ofwat’s standards will still be eligible to pay executives bonuses – a powerful incentive for them to deliver immediate environmental improvements, better customer outcomes, and improve financial resilience.
Water company bosses, like anyone else, should only get bonuses if they’ve performed well, certainly not if they’ve failed to tackle water pollution.
Undeserved bonuses will now be banned as part of the Government’s plan to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
Promise made, promise delivered.
Today’s ban holds water bosses to account and ensures they can no longer cash in while their companies pollute rivers, neglect customers, or mismanage finances.
Strengthened enforcement is just one part of the government’s strategy to reform the water sector, which also includes working with the companies and their investors to make the water industry one of growth and opportunity, attracting investment and ensuring its stable financial footing for years to come.
The government is determined to reform the sector in a way that continues to attract high quality, long-term investors to rebuild our water infrastructure. Following the publication of the Independent Water Commission’s interim report, Ministers will look at proposals carefully, and outline further action in due course.
While it is for water companies to set their own remuneration, new standards published by Ofwat that come into force today mean bonuses will not be permitted be handed out in specific cases when a water company:
Fails to meet core environmental standards and presides over serious pollution offences
Fails to meet basic financial resilience standards (e.g. meet minimum credit rating requirements)
Fails to meet core consumer standards (e.g. failure to operate and maintain sewage networks)
Is convicted of a criminal offence (e.g. criminal convictions for serious environmental failings including illegal spills)
Under new rules published by Ofwat today, any company failing to meet key standards will automatically lose the right to award bonuses. If a company pays a bonus while banned, Ofwat has the powers under the Water (Special Measures) Act to direct the company to claw back the money. Any company that does not comply with Ofwat’s directions will face enforcement action.
To further protect customers and clean up our waterways, the government has secured a record £104 billion of private investment – the largest ever since privatisation to cut sewage discharges by nearly half over the next five years. This money will now be ringfenced for new pipes and treatment works, not shareholder payouts.
The table below outlines companies’ compliance on current information.
It is up to individual water companies to determine appropriate financial rewards. Ofwat will consider action required once water companies publish their remuneration decisions in their annual reports for the 2024-25 financial year.
| Water company | Consumer standards | Environment standards | Financial resilience | Criminal offence | Subject to ban? | Details of criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian Water | Fail – 1 incident | CEO bonus banned* | Cat.1 data in Annex C | |||
| Northumbrian Water | Company can pay bonuses | |||||
| Severn Trent | Company can pay bonuses | |||||
| Southern Water | Fail – 1 incident | CEO and CFO bonus banned | Cat.1 data in Annex C | |||
| South West Water | Company can pay bonuses | |||||
| Thames Water | Fail – 7 incidents | Fail – April 2024 | CEO and CFO bonus banned | Thames Water Utilities Limited (‘Thames Water’) – undertakings under Section 19 – Ofwat | ||
| United Utilities | Fail – 1 incident | CEO & CFO bonus banned | Cat.1 data in Annex C | |||
| Wessex Water | Fail – 1 Conviction | CFO bonus banned** | Wessex Water fined £500,000 for sewage killing thousands of fish – GOV.UK | |||
| Yorkshire Water | Fail – S94 Breach | Fail – 1 incident | CEO & CFO bonus banned | Yorkshire Water to pay £40m enforcement package following Ofwat wastewater investigation – Ofwat |
*Anglian Water’s CFO is not subject to the ban because they were not in post for the Cat.1 incident. Their CEO was in post during the Cat.1 incident and therefore faces a ban.
**Wessex Water’s CEO is not subject to the ban because they were not in post for the criminal offence that triggers the ban.
| Water company | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian Water | 1,482 | 1,798 | 1,569 | 3,429 | 3,234 | 713 | 2,222 | 1,152 | 1,291 | 95 | 16,984 |
| United Utilities | 3,227 | 2,942 | 2,284 | 2,247 | 2,733 | 2,733 | 3,138 | 2,763 | 2,377 | 1,366 | 25,810 |
| Northumbrian Water | 597 | 484 | 595 | 479 | 384 | 269 | 259 | 214 | 311 | 315 | 3,907 |
| Southern Water | 757* | 427 | 187 | 756 | 645 | 815 | 842 | 669 | – | 312 | 5,410 |
| Severn Trent Water | 3,367 | 2,294 | 2,978 | 1,788 | 2,201 | 2,674 | 2,777 | 4,471 | 3,413 | 3,309 | 29,271 |
| South West Water | 556 | 832 | 640 | 259 | 521 | 984 | 1,230 | 755 | 362 | 470 | 6,609 |
| Thames Water | 2,432 | 609 | 203 | 807 | 448 | 937 | 538 | 794 | – | 770 | 7,538 |
| Wessex Water | 236 | 353 | 482 | 552 | 485 | – | 640 | 651 | 459 | 387 | 4,246 |
| Yorkshire Water | 2,305 | 1,288 | 1,588 | 631 | 1,547 | 1,666 | 1,568 | 1,122 | 571 | 616 | 12,902 |
| Total | 14,959 | 11,027 | 10,526 | 10,948 | 12,197 | 10,791 | 13,213 | 12,591 | 8,784 | 7,639 | 112,676 |
*Long Term Incentive Plan value for Southern Water is a four-year figure, from 2011-15. Since there was no annual breakdown for 2014/15, the LTIP value has been divided by 4.
| Water company | Number of Category 1 incidents | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian Water | 1 | September 2024 | Peterborough |
| Southern Water | 1 | August 2024 | New Forest District |
| Thames Water | 7 | January 2024 | Three Rivers District |
| January 2024 | Chiltern District | ||
| February 2024 | Slough | ||
| April 2024 | Enfield London Borough | ||
| April 2024 | Sevenoaks District | ||
| November 2024 | Reigate and Banstead District | ||
| December 2024 | Runnymede District | ||
| Yorkshire Water | 1 | December 2024 | Kirklees District |
| United Utilities | 1 | December 2024 | Bolton |
Bonuses should reflect excellence, not routine negligence and widespread environmental degradation. Our rivers and wildlife continue to suffer because companies have repeatedly prioritised profit over public health and nature protection. Removing bonuses if high standards aren’t met, is a welcome first step from Ofwat.
This must be backed up with strong resources for environmental regulators to ensure this is enforced.
When something so precious as our nations water is on the line, public outrage at water executives pocketing big bonuses for failing to prevent pollution, is entirely justified.
It is positive to see the steps taken through the new Water Special Measures Act beginning to take effect. Let’s hope that blocking the payment of these bonuses is just another means of helping focus minds on driving up environmental performance, rather than prioritising profit.
The fact that water company bosses will no longer be rewarded for poor environmental performance is a significant moment in rebuilding public trust. It’s great to see the environment being valued as it should be, and that the personal responsibility of water industry leaders in looking after the environment is being recognised.
The measures announced today tackle the most serious pollution incidents, but we still need to be aware that the vast majority of pollution comes from smaller, more insidious events which, in combination, can cause far greater harm to our rivers.
This is a change that’s important to billpayers. Customers don’t think it’s right that senior staff are rewarded whilst our rivers and seas bear the brunt of poor water sector performance. No one is under any illusions that this alone will significantly ease pressure on household bills, or make good the harms caused to the environment already; it’s more a point of principle – that even a single incident can result in a bonus ban – and, along with other recent changes, sends a strong signal to the industry that it must do more to prioritise the health of the environment upon which its business relies.
This is a very welcome step as part of the battle to better protect our waters and waterways. Bonuses should rightly be focused on constantly improving water quality in our seas and rivers, not just to stop the damage but actually repair and restore.