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Category: United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to Perspective article on genome editing for conservation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A Perspective article published in Nature Reviews Diversity looks at genome engineering for biodiversity conservation and restoration. 

    Prof Bruce Whitelaw, Professor of Animal Biotechnology and Director of The Roslin Institute, said:

    “Biodiversity across our planet is both facing unprecedented challenges and increasing recognised as critical for planetary health. Genome editing technology offers approaches that overcome aspects that current approaches addressing biodiversity cannot address – it can restore lost genetic diversity and increase the resilience of endangered species. Genome editing technology is advancing fast and for species where we know much about their genetic make-up could be used now to reduce genetic load and enable adaption to environmental change. This could include restoration of lost variation but we are still some way-off from restoring a species – although this is foreseeable for the future. No single technology can solve all biodiversity concerns. Genome editing should be adopted alongside traditional conservation methods and habitat restoration. The driver should be for social benefit, have societal involvement, and be guided by science-based regulation – and should be viewed as another useful method in the race to safeguard the world’s needed biodiversity.”

    Prof Dusko Ilic, Professor of Stem Cell Science at King’s College London, said:

    “The article is a thoughtful and forward-looking synthesis, offering a powerful vision for integrating genome engineering into conservation biology. However, its weaknesses lie in over-optimism, lack of robust comparative cost-effectiveness analysis, and occasional underplaying of ecological, regulatory, and ethical risks—especially in complex field scenarios.

    “The paper persuasively argues that genome engineering can address genomic erosion—an underappreciated long-term threat in conservation biology—by restoring adaptive genetic variation and reducing genetic load. The technology has potential, but the evidence base is currently stronger in theory and in model organisms than in demonstrated success with real-world.

    “The authors assume that the relationship between genome-wide variation and fitness is sufficiently understood to justify editing decisions. In reality, the genotype–phenotype–fitness map remains poorly resolved in most non-model organisms, which weakens confidence in editing targets. What improves fitness in captivity or small restored habitats may not translate under fluctuating wild conditions.

    “The paper clearly articulates how genome engineering can target fixed deleterious alleles, reintroduce lost immunogenetic diversity, and enhance climate adaptation capacity—things traditional conservation (e.g. protected areas, captive breeding) cannot accomplish once variation is lost.

    “The concept is compelling but lacks quantitative modelling or comparative data to support the claim that genome editing is more effective or feasible than scaled-up traditional approaches in most cases.

    “The argument presumes that ancestral or heterospecific alleles can be confidently identified and reintroduced without negative pleiotropic effects, but this is rarely tested rigorously outside lab settings.

    “The paper is also light on cost-benefit comparisons. For example, how does gene editing for climate resilience compare (in cost, efficacy, and ecological risk) to investing in habitat corridors that allow natural gene flow?

    “International approvals for edited wildlife release is a probable limiter of near-term feasibility. Regulatory inertia and public scepticism that have historically limited the rollout of genetically modified (GM) organisms—particularly in agriculture, where decades of commercial GM crop use remain contentious in many countries despite robust safety data. Scientific bodies (e.g., WHO, NAS, EFSA) consistently find no substantiated health risks from approved GM crops, yet public acceptance varies widely. The first GM crop was approved in the US in 1994. Thirty years later, only about 30 countries cultivate GM crops, and about 70 allows imports but not domestic cultivation.

    “The distinction between technical readiness (editing) and ecological readiness (release, integration, adaptation) is important. Timescales needed for breeding, backcrossing, release, and population establishment, are equally complex. In species with long generation times, edited lineages may not reach ecological relevance for decades.

    “While critical of de-extinction, the authors do not fully confront the blurring of boundaries in practice—e.g. Colossal Biosciences’ projects (which some authors are affiliated with) walk a fine line between de-extinction branding and conservation justification.

    “The critique of de-extinction would be more credible if potential conflicts of interest were explicitly addressed, and if more scrutiny were applied to projects that market proxy-species restorations as conservation.

    “The call for responsibility is ethically sound, but implementation guidance is vague. How, for example, will conservation scientists ensure openness when working with private-sector collaborators like biotech firms or proprietary genome platforms? How engineered lineages may tie future conservation efforts to specific technologies or patents, raising issues of access, control, and continuity?”

    Prof Tony Perry, Head of the Laboratory of Mammalian Molecular Embryology at the University of Bath, said:

    “This timely Perspective collates potential contributions from the revolution in ‘genome engineering’ (including genome editing) to biodiversity conservation.  The piece points out that to be effective, these advances need to include advanced assisted reproduction methodologies, such as embryonic and stem cell chimeras and nuclear transfer cloning.  In addition, the behaviour of individual or small numbers of gene variants moved into a foreign genome may be difficult or impossible to predict, making it desirable to replicate entire genomes from the oldest sources available.  

    “The challenges of achieving this are considerable even for well-studied species, but by raising the profiles of these challenges, the Perspective promises to accelerate our efforts to solving them for species conservation and its retroactive cousin, de-extinction.”

    ‘Genome engineering in biodiversity conservation and restoration’ by Cock van Oosterhout et al. was published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity at 00.01 UK time Friday 18 July.

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00065-6

    Declared interests

    Dusko Ilic: “I declare no conflict of interest.”

    Tony Perry: “None”

    Bruce Whitelaw: “I receive funding from BBSRC, Roslin Foundation, and Gates Foundation.  I am a member of FSA’s Advisory Committee for Novel Foods & Processes, and the Engineering Biology Responsible Innovation Advisory Panel.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at scarring and heart arrhythmia in veteran male athlete’s hearts

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging looks at cardiac scarring and arrhythmia in veteran males. 

    Prof Steffen Petersen, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Queen Mary University of London; Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust; BHF Data Science Centre Interim Director; and Immediate Past President, European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, said:

    “This study is an important contribution to improving our current understanding of the long-term heart health impact of endurance exercise in older asymptomatic male athletes.  First, scar formation in the heart is common in about half of those athletes enrolled.  Second, a type of scar which is not due to poor blood supply of the heart muscle predicts the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias, but a very common type (insertion point between the left and right heart) is not concerning, which is reassuring to know.

    “A strength of the study is the confidence we can have in the accuracy of the outcome regarding ventricular arrhythmias, as determined by implantable loop recorders.  A weakness is the limited generalisability of the findings due to the small sample size, exclusive inclusion of male endurance athletes over 50 years of age from a single centre.”

    Prof James Ware, Professor of Cardiovascular and Genomic Medicine, Imperial College London and the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, and NHS consultant cardiologist, said:

    “This is in my opinion a well designed and well executed study.  The authors themselves acknowledge the principal limitations of the study, and the conclusions are balanced and fair.  The press release is a fair reflection of the science described in the article.

    “I would note:

    “This is a highly selected group of competitive athletes who have trained intensively for many years.  I would not expect these findings to have direct relevance to most recreational athletes, and I would not want anyone to be scared of exercise as a result of this study.  Regular physical activity is hugely beneficial for the vast majority of people, and I would encourage participation and enjoyment.  Dr Swoboda emphasises this in his own comments.

    “Nonetheless, fibrosis (scarring) is evidently more common in these high intensity athletes, and associated with heart rhythm abnormalities.  This is something we need to understand better.

    “Most of the arrhythmias observed were non-sustained ventricular arrhythmia (NSVT) – that is short runs of abnormal rhythm lasting

    ‘VENTricular arrhythmia and cardiac fibrOsis in endUrance eXperienced athletes (VENTOUX)’ by Wasim Javed first author et al. was published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging at 00:01 UK time on Friday 18 July 2025. 

    Declared interests

    Prof Steffen Petersen: “Disclosures:

    1. Consultancy, Circle Cardiovascular Imaging, Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada (in my view no conflict related to this work).
    2. Named reviewer of two relevant European guidelines:
    1. Pelliccia A, Sharma S, Gati S, Bäck M, Börjesson M, Caselli S, Collet JP, Corrado D, Drezner JA, Halle M, Hansen D, Heidbuchel H, Myers J, Niebauer J, Papadakis M, Piepoli MF, Prescott E, Roos-Hesselink JW, Graham Stuart A, Taylor RS, Thompson PD, Tiberi M, Vanhees L, Wilhelm M; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2020 ESC Guidelines on sports cardiology and exercise in patients with cardiovascular disease. Eur Heart J. 2021 Jan 1;42(1):17-96. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa605. Erratum in: Eur Heart J. 2021 Feb 1;42(5):548-549. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa835. PMID: 32860412.
    2. Visseren FLJ, Mach F, Smulders YM, Carballo D, Koskinas KC, Bäck M, Benetos A, Biffi A, Boavida JM, Capodanno D, Cosyns B, Crawford C, Davos CH, Desormais I, Di Angelantonio E, Franco OH, Halvorsen S, Hobbs FDR, Hollander M, Jankowska EA, Michal M, Sacco S, Sattar N, Tokgozoglu L, Tonstad S, Tsioufis KP, van Dis I, van Gelder IC, Wanner C, Williams B; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2021 ESC Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2022 Feb 19;29(1):5-115. doi: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwab154. PMID: 34558602.
    1. Author of relevant European consensus paper:

    Galderisi M, Cardim N, D’Andrea A, Bruder O, Cosyns B, Davin L, Donal E, Edvardsen T, Freitas A, Habib G, Kitsiou A, Plein S, Petersen SE, Popescu BA, Schroeder S, Burgstahler C, Lancellotti P. The multi-modality cardiac imaging approach to the Athlete’s heart: an expert consensus of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2015 Apr;16(4):353. doi: 10.1093/ehjci/jeu323. PMID: 25681828.”

    Prof James Ware: “I was not involved in this study, though have collaborated with Dr Swoboda on other research projects.

    Industry relationsships (in the last 2 years):  I have received research support from Bristol Myers Squibb, and have acted as a paid advisor to Health Lumen, Tenaya Therapeutics, and Solid Biosciences.  I am a founder with equity in Saturnus Bio.

    I do not consider that these relationships are directly related to the subject of this paper.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: Europe urged to diversify trade markets over US tariff coercion, supply chains disruption

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    As Washington presses ahead with additional tariffs on products from the European Union (EU) and beyond, European officials and experts are urging the diversification of trade markets to mitigate the damage that such coercive financial statecraft is inflicting on global supply chains.

    TARIFF GAME SETTING OFF CHAIN REACTION

    U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that his administration would impose 30 percent tariffs on EU and Mexican exports, arguing that bilateral trade had long been unbalanced and lacked reciprocity.

    Trucks wait to enter the Container Terminal Tollerort in Hamburg, Germany, May 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

    The Irish Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald described the tariff threat as “volatile” and “not helpful at all.” “That poses a challenge for Ireland, for Europe, for the world,” she told Xinhua at a press conference in London.

    Countries across Europe have been warning about the impact of the seemingly unrelenting tariff assaults on their economies.

    The Bank of Slovenia estimated that U.S. tariffs could indirectly disrupt the broader European value chain and impact about 15,000 jobs in Slovenia, a significant number in a country of just 2.1 million people.

    The Bank of England also said in its latest Financial Stability Report that the global economy faces rising downside risks, citing U.S. tariffs, and despite a new trade agreement between Britain and the United States in May, a further escalation in trade disputes globally could amplify financial stress and drag on economic growth in Britain.

    Companies of all sizes, from those exporting to the U.S. to manufacturers heavily reliant on global supply chains, are feeling the strain that the tariffs are placing on their operations.

    Neb Chupin, founder of Croatia’s Hermes International, a successful fig jam producer in the U.S. market, said, “With 10 percent tariffs, we are losing about 20,000 U.S. dollars a week. What would happen with 30 or even 50 percent tariffs? I cannot even sleep at night as the situation is very unstable.”

    With 40 percent of exports going to the U.S., Finland’s pharmaceutical industry could also be severely affected by potential U.S. tariffs. Johanna Sipola, deputy CEO of Keskuskauppakamari, or the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, called the tariffs “unrealistic” and warned that the greater risk is the uncertainty they create.

    “If the tariffs were implemented, the repercussions for international pharmaceutical production would be significant. The industry’s delivery chains are unusually global, and even minor disruptions can trigger substantial changes in medicine prices and demand,” Sipola said.

    Beyond the immediate effects, the high-stakes tariff game is setting off a chain reaction across global supply chains and geopolitical dynamics.

    Gavran Igor, an economic analyst from Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that the longer-term impact of the tariffs could prove even more damaging for Balkan manufacturers that are integrated into EU-based industries, particularly automotive supply chains.

    Czech Republic’s Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura said that exports to the United States account for less than 3 percent of the country’s total exports. However, the country would also be indirectly affected through its European partners who purchase Czech goods and components.

    STRENGTHENING COOPERATION WITH MULTI-PARTNERS URGED

    Inevitably, even countries with modest trade ties to the world’s largest economy can still feel the ripple effects of Washington’s unpredictability. In response, experts recommend that European nations broaden their trade partnerships, especially with China, Southeast Asia and other regions.

    “Europe must, in the long term, become more independent from the American market. A joint free trade zone with the ASEAN countries and the rapid ratification of the agreement with Mercosur are urgently needed,” Dirk Jandura, president of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services, said in a statement after Trump’s new tariff announcement.

    Mario Boselli, chairman of the Italy China Council Foundation, said that the shifting dynamics might prompt Europe to reconsider its external economic strategy. In his view, strengthening cooperation with China is a “highly strategic choice.”

    “If economies, like the EU, China, the United Kingdom, Brazil and India, keep global trade open, the U.S. tariffs’ impact on global supply chains will be lower. That’s the opportunity,” said Carlo Altomonte, associate professor of the Department of Social and Political Sciences of Bocconi University in Milan.

    Martin Geissler, Partner at the management consultancy Advyce & Company, echoed the suggestions by sharing Germany’s auto industry as an example. “German automakers have often not yet recognized the growth prospects that exist in Africa and many emerging countries,” Geissler said, contrasting this with China’s strategic engagement with multi-partners.

    Bernardo Mendia, Secretary General of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is leading a Portuguese delegation to the ongoing China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing.

    A key factor driving Portugal’s participation this year, in his words, is the rise of protectionism, logistical disruptions and geopolitical shifts. In the face of these challenges, China offers a distinctive platform to develop innovative solutions, business models, and collaborative partnerships, he said.

    Looking ahead, experts believe that Washington’s trade policies could ultimately backfire on the U.S. economy itself.

    “The U.S. needs many of our industrial products, which cannot be easily replaced in the short term. This allows German manufacturers of these goods to largely pass on the tariffs in their prices to the detriment of the U.S. economy,” said Juergen Matthes, head of International Economic Policy, Financial and Real Estate Markets Research Unit at the German Economic Institute. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Huge boost for UK industry as Government powers ahead with cuts to electricity costs

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Huge boost for UK industry as Government powers ahead with cuts to electricity costs

    The Government has announced a huge boost to UK industry as it powers ahead with its plan to cut electricity costs.

    • Plans to slash electricity network costs for energy-intensive businesses by 90% are set in motion as Government launches new consultation.
    • Around 500 of UK’s most energy-intensive firms set to save up to £420m a year when current 60% discount on network charging costs increases to 90% from 2026.
    • Shows UK getting on with delivering announcements in Modern Industrial Strategy that will level the playing field for British businesses, backed by Plan for Change

    Around 500 of the UK’s most energy-intensive businesses such as British Steel and INEOS are set for a huge boost as the Government powers ahead with a 90% discount for businesses’ network charging costs.

    Delivering on its promise in the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy launched last month to slash energy costs for heavy industry, the Government today (18 July) launches a four-week consultation on its plans to increase the discount on businesses’ electricity network charges from 60% to 90%.

    The landmark new support is expected to save around 500 of Britain’s most energy-intensive firms in key sectors like steel, ceramics, glass and chemicals up to £420m per year from 2026 when in force and bring the UK’s industrial energy prices in line with European competitors, helping secure jobs and attract new investment as part of the Plan for Change.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    This government is on the side of British industry. When we make promises we deliver on them. That’s why we’re wasting no time in powering ahead with our plans to tackle energy costs for great British businesses and level the playing field.

    The cornerstone of our modern Industrial Strategy, this landmark new support will meet a longstanding need from industry which other governments shirked – paving the way for new investment and job creation at the heart of our Plan for Change.

    The launch of the consultation on the Network Charging Compensation (NCC) scheme, part of the Government’s British Industry Supercharger package of measures to tackle industrial electricity costs, will seek industry’s views on the 30% uplift and double the window which businesses have to apply for support through the scheme from one month to two.

    Network charges are the costs paid by electricity network users for access to the service and are already discounted by 60% for some of the UK’s biggest industrial businesses through the NCC scheme since April 2024, saving businesses millions of pounds every month.

    The proposals in the consultation launched today would see their costs fall by around a further £7 per megawatt hour (/MWh) bringing electricity prices more into line with European countries such as France and Germany.

    The news follows Deloitte’s latest survey of finance officers which has found the UK is the joint top location for investment in the world, and new data from Make UK and BDO which finds that manufacturing in the UK has recovered to 2019, pre-pandemic, levels in every region, with 12,000 new jobs created in the year to March 2024.

    The uplift follows other new landmark support for British industry announced in last month’s modern Industrial Strategy, with the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme expected to slash energy costs by up to 25 percent for over 7,000 businesses.

    This scheme, which government will consult on shortly and is due to come into force in 2027, will cut costs for thousands of electricity-intensive businesses in key manufacturing sectors like aerospace, automotive and chemicals, supporting hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs by exempting firms from paying levies like the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market.

    A new Connections Accelerator Service will also come into force by the end of 2025, streamlining access to the UK electricity grid for major investment projects to speed up delivery and bring new high-quality jobs and economic growth.

    New powers in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, currently before Parliament, could also allow the Government to reserve grid capacity for strategically important projects, cutting waiting times and unlocking growth in key sectors.

    Gareth Stace, Director General of UK Steel, and Chair of Energy Intensive Users Group, said:

    Increasing network charge compensation under the Government’s Supercharger scheme is a very welcome and much-needed step towards achieving competitive electricity prices for the UK’s steel sector and other foundation industries.

    These reforms reflect solutions that UK Steel has long advocated to address the persistent challenge of uncompetitive industrial electricity costs. While more still needs to be done, this is meaningful progress.

    Truly competitive energy prices are essential to unlocking investment, creating jobs, accelerating decarbonisation, and securing the long-term future of steelmaking in the UK.

    Investment Minister Baroness Gustafsson visited Special Melted Products – an historic British advanced manufacturing firm which currently benefits from the 60% network charging discount – in Sheffield yesterday to welcome the news, as well as a major investment in the company from Taiwanese firm Walsin Lihwa, set to create over 200 skilled jobs by 2028.

    Notes to editors:

    • The Government’s modern Industrial Strategy can be found here.
    • The consultation will be published on Gov.UK later today here.
    • The total estimated value of the network charging compensation component of the Supercharger (at 90%) is £310-420m this year (in 2025 prices).
    • The NCC uplift will provide an estimated additional £7-10/MWh discount to eligible businesses.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leading lights of UK research spearhead search for world’s best talent

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Leading lights of UK research spearhead search for world’s best talent

    12 leading universities and research institutions selected to deliver government’s £54 million fund to recruit world’s top researchers.

    • 12 leading universities and research institutions selected to deliver government’s £54 million fund to recruit world’s top researchers
    • From AI to medicine, cutting-edge research is delivering the new breakthroughs and products that are key to economic growth, the core mission of the Plan for Change   
    • Global Talent Fund is just one part of over £115 million in funding dedicated to attracting top talent to the UK

    12 of the UK’s leading universities and research institutions, across all 4 nations, will deliver the Global Talent Fund: a £54 million investment in Britain’s future prosperity and economic growth.

    The new £54 million Global Talent Fund is designed to attract a total of 60-80 top researchers (both lead researchers and their teams) to the UK, working in the 8 high priority sectors critical to our modern Industrial Strategy like life sciences and digital technologies.  By bringing the very best minds in fields that will be critical to the future of life and work to the UK, we can pave the way for the products, jobs and even industries that define tomorrow’s economy, to be made and grow in Britain.

    From Argentine César Milstein’s work on antibodies, to Hong Kong-born Sir Charles Kao who led the development of fibre optics, through to German Ernst Chain’s efforts to make penicillin usable in medicine, there is a long pedigree of overseas researchers making great breakthroughs whilst working in the UK. We want the UK to continue to be the natural home of the very best science and research, the world over. 

    Driving new tech innovations and scientific breakthroughs will fire up the UK economy and put rocket boosters on the government’s Plan for Change. The IMF estimates that breakthroughs in AI alone could boost productivity by as much as 1.5 percentage points a year, which could be worth up to an average £47 billion to the UK each year over a decade. Other technologies could be gamechangers too: quantum computing could add over £11 billion to the UK’s GDP by 2045, while engineering biology could drive anywhere between £1.6-£3.1 trillion in global impact by 2040. 

    Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    Genius is not bound by geography. But the UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to incubate brilliant ideas, and turn them into new medicines that save lives, new products that make our lives easier, and even entirely new jobs and industries. Bringing these innovations to life, here in Britain, will be critical to delivering this government’s Plan for Change.

    My message to the bold and the brave who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is: our doors are open to you. We want to work with you, support you, and give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    The UK is home to some of the world’s best universities which are vital for attracting international top talent. Supported by our new Global Talent Taskforce, the Global Talent Fund will cement our position as a leading choice for the world’s top researchers to make their home here, supercharging growth and delivering on our Plan for Change.

    The institutions selected to deliver the Global Talent Fund are:

    • University of Bath 
    • Queen’s University Belfast 
    • University of Birmingham 
    • University of Cambridge 
    • Cardiff University 
    • Imperial College London 
    • John Innes Centre 
    • MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology 
    • University of Oxford 
    • University of Southampton 
    • University of Strathclyde
    • University of Warwick 

    These organisations will each get an equal share of the £54 million Fund, to use bringing some of the world’s foremost researchers and their teams to the UK. Each of them has a track record of recruiting and supporting top international R&D talent, as well as securing international competitive research funding to the UK. They are empowered to develop their own approaches and plans to spend their share of the Global Talent Fund to attract research talent from the around the globe in their choice of Industrial Strategy areas, including covering visa and relocation costs for researchers and their family members.

    The Global Talent Fund, administered by UKRI, is just one part of over £115 million funding that is being dedicated to attracting the very best scientific and research talent to the UK. In addition to this fund, 2 fellowships have been launched, aimed at bringing groundbreaking AI research teams to UK organisations and labs: the £25 million Turing AI ‘Global’ Fellowships, as well as a UK-based expansion of the Encode: AI for Science Fellowship.

    Alongside this, 2 new fast-track research grant routes have been announced by the National Academies – including £30 million from the Royal Society for a Faraday Discovery Fellowship accelerated international route, part-funded by their £250 million DSIT endowment. The Royal Academy of Engineering has announced a similar fast track international route, as part of its £150 million Green Future Fellowships endowment from DSIT – this funding will ensure the UK competes for the best global talent in science and research. While researchers looking to relocate to the UK can also benefit from the Choose Europe scheme, thanks to the UK’s association to Horizon Europe.

    All of these efforts will be supported by the Global Talent Taskforce. Launched as part of the Industrial Strategy, the taskforce will report directly to the Prime Minister and Chancellor, and support researchers, scientists and engineers as well as top-tier investors, entrepreneurs and managerial talent to bring their skills to Britain.

    Work to cultivate top AI research talent in the UK is further bolstered through the Spärck AI scholarships, which will provide full funding for master’s degrees at 9 leading UK universities specialising in artificial intelligence and STEM subjects. These scholarships will open for applications in Spring 2026. We also support postgraduate research broadly, with £500 million UKRI funding supporting over 4.700 students at 45 higher education institutions to study projects in biological, engineering and physical, and natural and environmental sciences.

    Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, said: 

    Our university was founded with a mission to work closely with industry, and partnership working has been in our DNA ever since. We are truly delighted to play our part in attracting outstanding global academics to help power research in the UK’s industrial strategy priority areas. 

    This major investment recognises the vital role universities play in driving innovation and growth across the UK. We look forward to working with DSIT and UKRI to attract more bright minds to play their part in our innovation-fuelled and impact-focussed research.

    Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor at Queen’s University Belfast said:

    We are proud that Queen’s has been selected as one of the 12 institutions to deliver the Global Talent Fund. This funding will allow us to bring world-leading researchers to Northern Ireland in priority areas such as advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity, fields that are vital to our economy and to the UK’s global competitiveness.

    By attracting exceptional talent from outside the UK, we are strengthening our research base, and helping to drive innovation within the local economy. This is a clear endorsement of the excellence and impact of research at Queen’s, and of our role in helping to deliver the UK government’s Industrial Strategy.

    Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the University of Birmingham said:

    I am delighted that the University of Birmingham has been selected to support the government’s vision to attract exceptional international researchers to the UK. In celebration of our 125 anniversary this year, our University is committed to investing in the recruitment of 125 leading researchers. The Global Talent Fund investment means that we will now go even further – drawing a diverse community of world-leading researchers to Birmingham. They will join a thriving and ambitious research environment, where the potential for discovery, collaboration, and impact has never been greater. We look forward to welcoming a new generation of global research leaders to our University and city and to seeing the positive impact their work will have on the UK economy and on the health and wellbeing of society.

    Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge, said:

    The University is grateful for this award of funding. The Fund will bolster emerging and accelerating research areas, in line with the goals of the government’s Industrial Strategy. This investment will be pivotal in securing and supporting international academic expertise and strengthening the strategic opportunities the University is seeking to catalyse for both the University and the UK more widely.  We look forward to the opportunities this will unlock.

    Cardiff University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wendy Larner said:

    We are delighted to have secured this funding to help us attract the world’s best minds to Cardiff and Wales.

    It is a clear endorsement of our standing and place in the UK research community and sends a clear message that we are well-positioned to attract global talent. It will enable us to support more of the world’s leading academics in Wales – helping to further boost our research capacity and global reputation in key research areas.

    Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London said:

    Imperial College London is a global university and international researchers are central to our success. They bring fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a spirit of discovery that enriches our community and drives breakthroughs that benefit all of society – from tackling malaria to breakthroughs in quantum computing.

    The Global Talent Fund will support our efforts to attract the brightest minds from around the world. We look forward to welcoming them and continuing to push the boundaries of knowledge together.

    Professor Cristobal Uauy, Director designate, John Innes Centre said:

    This funding is a major boost to our efforts at the John Innes Centre to attract ambitious world-leading researchers to join our Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet vision.

    By bringing outstanding talent to the Norwich Research Park, we are strengthening the UK’s global leadership in bio-based innovation, data-driven biology, and sustainable, high-value agri-tech, key pillars of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.

    As a Chilean researcher who relocated to the UK, I’ve experienced first-hand the friendly, open and collaborative academic environment here. The world-class facilities, technology platforms and institutional support provided at the John Innes Centre are unrivalled. It’s the kind of environment where scientists can take bold ideas forward, build meaningful collaborations, and create lasting global impact.

    Jan Löwe, Laboratory of Molecular Biology Director, said:

    We welcome the government’s drive to attract global talent which addresses key barriers faced by researchers wishing to relocate to the UK.

    The LMB’s scientific breakthroughs and technological advances have been driven by talented scientists of all nationalities since our origins in the 1940s. Science is a creative pursuit, and creativity thrives on diverse input from people of different backgrounds.

    Research has no borders, and this funding will enable the LMB and fellow UK institutions to be competitive in the global scientific talent market and attract gifted scientists from around the world to drive UK innovations for the benefit of all.

    Professor Irene Tracey CBE, FRS, FMedSci, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, said:

    Oxford University has a long history of attracting exceptional global talent, enabling world-leading research, teaching, and innovation with wide-reaching social and economic impact. In 2021–2022, our science parks, knowledge exchange, and the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine contributed to a £6.6 billion boost to the UK economy, with our spinouts supporting over 31,600 UK jobs. Globally, the AZ vaccine is estimated to have saved over 6 million lives in its first year, resulting in a worldwide health economic impact of £2 trillion. The Global Talent Fund will draw internationally recognised experts to Oxford, building capability for future innovation and growth in the Industrial Strategy areas we have prioritised.

    Professor Mark E. Smith, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, said:

    We are proud that the University of Southampton has been chosen as one of the small number of organisations for this exciting and important initiative.

    Attracting world-leading researchers to work in the United Kingdom will help to lead innovation in the technologies of the future, supporting industry and driving economic growth.

    Southampton is a global University with a wealth of research talent and this funding will help us to build further on our existing strengths and partnerships.

    Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, said:

    We welcome this important investment in global talent that UKRI has committed to and the alignment it creates between the new Industrial Strategy and the research and innovation leadership that is critical to its success. 

    Strathclyde is proud of its position as a leading international technological university. We deliver impact collaboratively by bringing together the excellent talented people we have at Strathclyde and through working closely with partners in other universities, industrial partners, innovation centres and National Laboratories through research that addresses market opportunities and national priorities – from climate resilience and sustainable energy to health innovation, and security and resilience.

    This new funding from UKRI and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology reflects confidence in our ability to translate cutting-edge discovery into real-world applications and solutions, working collaboratively with industry, government and global partners. It will enhance our research environment, widen our talent pipeline and further enable our mission as a place of useful learning.

    Professor Stuart Croft, Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick said:

    The University of Warwick is known for our world-leading expertise in Advanced Manufacturing and the Arts and this £4.35 million investment will accelerate the development of innovative insights, solutions, products, and services in an inter-disciplinary way. It will also help drive inclusive regional and national growth in the Creative Industries.

    Through our strong partnerships with SMEs, industry, and local councils, this initiative will play a key role in advancing UK innovation and delivering meaningful benefits to communities across the West Midlands and the wider UK. 

    In our 60th anniversary year we are reaffirming our commitment to making a better world together and this funding will further strengthen our determination to deliver our vision.

    Professor Christopher Smith, International Champion at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), said:

    Global challenges from climate change to energy security, food systems to antimicrobial resistance do not respect borders, and neither should the research and innovation required to address them. Time and again, international collaboration has driven transformative breakthroughs: from the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN, to the global effort to decode the complex wheat genome, enabling the development of high-yield, climate-resilient crops that support food security worldwide. The impact of global partnerships is clear.

    The Global Talent Fund is a vital part of UKRI’s mission to support an open, dynamic, and diverse research and innovation system. By supporting our brilliant research institutes to attract outstanding individuals from across the world and foster collaboration between nations, we are strengthening the UK’s position at the heart of the global knowledge economy. This fund aligns with our enduring commitment to international engagement, and to working together to shape a better future for all.

    Notes to editors

    The £54 million Global Talent Fund comes over 5 years, starting in 2025/2026. The fund, administered by UKRI and delivered by universities and research organisations, will cover 100% of eligible costs, including both relocation and research expenses, with no requirement for match funding from research organisations. The initiative also includes full visa costs for researchers and their dependants, removing significant financial and administrative barriers to relocation.

    Funding will be distributed evenly amongst the 12 research organisations.

    The small number of world-class researchers, and their teams, who go on to be supported by these funds, will come to live and work in the UK via existing routes such as the Skilled Worker, Global Talent, and the Innovator Founder visas.

    There are no plans to change existing visa routes – and the Immigration White Paper sets out the government’s broad approach to restoring order to the immigration system through the Plan for Change.  

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Rosen & Gallego, Representative Garcia Introduce Bill to Declare Extreme Heat as a Major Disaster

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) introduced legislation to declare extreme heat as a major disaster so that communities can access federal aid. Their Extreme Heat Emergency Act would explicitly authorize extreme heat as eligible for a Major Disaster Declaration by the President under the Stafford Act, which recognizes fires, floods, explosions, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes as eligible disasters. This would help communities like those in Nevada, Arizona, and Texas access federal resources and funding to respond to these disasters and prepare for future extreme heat waves. On Monday, Las Vegas had the hottest day recorded so far this year, and the death toll of heat-related deaths has already risen to 29 people in Southern Nevada.
    “Last year, more than 500 people died in one single county in Nevada from heat-related illnesses,” said Senator Rosen. “Current federal policy ignores the physical and health risks that such extremely high temperatures have on our communities, which is why I’m introducing a bill to change that. By classifying extreme heat as a major disaster, our communities will be able to receive the federal funding needed to respond and prepare for future extreme heat events.”
    “Each year, extreme heat kills more Americans than every other form of extreme weather combined. But still the federal government sits on the sideline, leaving state and local governments to drain their funds trying to keep people safe,” said Senator Gallego. “By adding extreme heat to FEMA’s list of major disasters, we can unlock the funds and support our communities desperately need.”
    “If you found out that thousands of Americans were dying every year from a single cause, you’d be shocked to learn that the federal government has no plan. But that’s exactly what’s happening with extreme heat. Without a disaster declaration, federal response teams and experts are forced to sit on the sidelines while people suffer and die. That’s unconscionable and it needs to change,” said Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. “I’m proud to sponsor the Extreme Heat Emergency Act with Senators Rosen and Gallego to ensure local and state governments don’t have to face this challenge alone. Federal law must catch up to the reality we’re living.”
    “It’s only mid-July, and the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic, and New England have already experienced record high temperatures. Each year, extreme heat causes thousands of deaths and hundreds of billions of dollars in damages to critical infrastructure and economic productivity and overwhelms the capabilities of local governments,” said Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at the Federation of American Scientists. “The Extreme Heat Emergency Act recognizes extreme heat for what it is – an emergency – that the federal government needs to be ready to support response to before, during, and after the disaster. Recognizing extreme heat as an emergency is critical to a heat-ready nation, as FAS emphasizes in its 2025 Heat Policy Agenda.”
    Senator Rosen has been leading the fight to ensure that Nevadans have access to federal resources to stay safe during natural disasters. For years, she has been calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide federal assistance to address extreme heat in Nevada. Last summer, Senator Rosen visited a cooling center in Las Vegas to discuss the need for federal resources to protect against extreme heat.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrest leads to conviction for alien who illegally reentered US after deportation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON – An ICE Boston operation led to an unlawfully present Guatemalan alien pleading guilty in federal court to illegally reentering the U.S. after deportation. Manuel Ruiz-Luis, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

    Officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston arrested Ruiz, who was illegally residing in New Bedford, March 31, 2025.

    “Manuel Ruiz-Luis has displayed a blatant disregard for U.S. immigration laws by illegally reentering the U.S. after having been deported on two previous occasions,” said ICE ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Furthermore, Ruiz-Luis chose to endanger our law-abiding residents by driving his vehicle under the influence of alcohol. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”

    Ruiz-Luis was first deported from the U.S. to Guatemala in April 1996 and reentered the U.S. illegally sometime thereafter.

    Ruiz-Luis was removed from the U.S. a second time on March 28, 2012. Sometime after his March 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis illegally reentered the U.S. without permission.

    Prior to his 2012 removal, Ruiz-Luis had multiple criminal convictions in the U.S. including one for operating under the influence and four separate convictions for operating a motor vehicle without a license.

    Ruiz-Luis faces up to two years in prison followed by one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 at his sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 18. Furthermore, Ruiz-Luis is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK is deeply concerned by violence and attacks on civilians in Syria: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    The UK is deeply concerned by violence and attacks on civilians in Syria: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria.

    I would like to make three points.  

    First, the UK is deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Suwayda. 

    We have urged all parties to de-escalate and take immediate action to protect civilians. 

    We are alarmed by reports of attacks on medical personnel and facilities. 

    Civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be targeted, and we call on all parties to ensure humanitarian aid can reach those who need it.

    We take note of President Al Sharaa’s comments on the importance of protection of Syria’s Druze community and accountability for those who have committed attacks. 

    And we urge that investigations and steps towards accountability take place swiftly.

    Second, we are deeply concerned by Israel’s escalatory strikes in Damascus. 

    We repeat our call for Israel to refrain from actions that risk destabilising Syria and the wider region. 

    Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.  

    We welcome the news that a ceasefire has been agreed. 

    And we urge all parties to commit to maintaining it.

    Third, this is a critical moment for Syria and for the stability of the region. 

    My Foreign Secretary travelled to Damascus earlier this month, where he held productive talks and heard from the Syrian Government and ordinary Syrians about their aspirations for the country. 

    A peaceful and secure future for the Syrian people requires all of Syria’s communities to be protected and fully included in the political transition. 

    So we call on the Syrian Government to prioritise genuine inclusivity and representation in the appointment and election of People’s Assembly members and in all further elements of the political transition.  

    An accountability process is also critical to ensuring stability and lasting peace. 

    We urge the Syrian Government to investigate human rights violations and abuses by all parties and ensure those responsible are held to account. 

    We look forward to seeing the Syrian Government’s report on the violence in the coastal areas in March. 

    This is a crucial step towards justice and reconciliation for the Syrian people.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Seizing the XRP bull run, GoldenMining launches XRP contracts, releasing $8,700 per day

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, England, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In July 2025, the price of Ripple (XRP) continued to recover, breaking through $3, and the market generally expects it to reach $10 by the end of the year. The crazy influx of OTC funds has made it one of the strongest performing and most watched assets in the current market.

    Most investors just hold ETH, BTC or XRP, hoping that the price will rise – while dealing with market volatility and uncertain regulation. But the real question is whether to continue holding, reduce positions, or find a better and more balanced strategy? GoldenMining provides another solution.

    At GoldenMining, users can turn assets into a continuous source of income by signing XRP cloud mining contracts. There is no need to configure any hardware, and there is no need to worry about price fluctuations during transactions. As long as you participate in the contract, you can get a stable daily income as the value of XRP rises.

    What is XRP Cloud Mining Contract

    XRP Cloud Mining Contract allows users to directly purchase cloud mining services with XRP, without having to purchase mining machines or deal with maintenance issues. After signing the contract, the GoldenMining platform will run the mining business on behalf of users, and users will automatically receive income on a daily basis. This means that you can easily participate and enjoy the benefits of mining without complicated operations or knowledge thresholds.

      XRP Investor Contract Recommendation

    contract Investment Amount Contract Rewards Total income
    New User Experience $15 $0.60 $15.60
    Elphapex DG1+ $100 $3 $106
    Bitmain S23 Hyd $650 $42.25 $692.25
    AntminerL917GH $1800   $287.28 $2087.28
    L916GH $4500  $1890 $6390
    ElphaPex DG Hydro1 $7800 $3276 $11076
    Elphapex DG2 $12,000 $8,100.00 $20,100.00

    XRP Cloud Mining Contract How to Participate

    1. Register an account and get a $15 reward immediately without paying any fees. This reward can be used to test run the XRP cloud mining contract to help users quickly understand the platform operation and profit model

    2. Choose a contract that suits you
    Users can recharge XRP to the platform account through the wallet. The system supports a variety of mainstream cryptocurrencies: Dogecoin (DOGE), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), SOL, Ripple (XRP), US Dollar (USDC), etc. Afterwards, users can choose the XRP contract that suits their needs (such as 2 days, 5 days, 12 days or longer periods), and the amount and term can be flexibly selected.

    3. After the contract is activated, the system will automatically settle the mining income into the account every day, without manual operation by the user, and income can be generated within 24 hours，Can be withdrawn or reinvested at any time,

    4. All contracts are fully managed by GoldenMining’s professional operation team. No hardware setup, electricity bill management or technical maintenance is required. SSL encryption, AIG-backed investment insurance and fund custody through top financial institutions ensure safety.
    The data center deployed by the platform in the early stage can provide stable mining services even when the currency price fluctuates violently, is not affected by local electricity and network, and guarantees the contract income.

    About GoldenMining

    GoldenMining was founded in London, UK. After years of steady development, it has established a strong technical foundation and professional team. The platform always adheres to the concept of “user first”, serves global users, and is committed to providing investors with stable, safe and efficient crypto asset value-added solutions. Amid market fluctuations and changing policies, more and more investors realize that it is difficult to cope with the current market rhythm by just holding coins and waiting. The XRP cloud mining contract provided by GoldenMining provides users with a more stable way to participate-so that the assets in their hands not only have the potential for long-term growth, but also have the ability to bring substantial benefits every day.

    This is not only a change in investment methods, but also an advance response to the future market pattern. As the XRP market continues to heat up, it is better to choose to actively participate instead of waiting. For visionary investors, now is the critical moment to enter this contract mechanism and steadily accumulate profits.

    For more information, please visit the official website: www.Goldenmining.com

    For business cooperation, please contact the official email: For more information, please visit the official website: info@Goldenmining.com

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Jul 17, 2025 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

     For best viewing experience, please enable browser JavaScript support.

    Jul 17, 2025 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Updated: Thu Jul 17 16:25:54 UTC 2025 (Print Version |   |  )

    Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table

     Forecast Discussion

    SPC AC 171625

    Day 1 Convective Outlook
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1125 AM CDT Thu Jul 17 2025

    Valid 171630Z – 181200Z

    …THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN
    NEW ENGLAND AND THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS…

    …SUMMARY…
    Scattered damaging winds and a tornado are possible across northern
    New England this afternoon. A confined corridor of large hail and
    severe gusts appears possible from north-central Montana to
    southwest North Dakota this evening.

    …Northeast…
    Midday visible-satellite imagery shows cloud breaks and surface
    observations show warming temperatures which imply a destabilizing
    airmass. A lead, convectively enhanced disturbance evident in
    radar/satellite imagery, is moving east across southern Quebec,
    while an upstream larger-scale mid-level trough continues eastward
    across Ontario and into Quebec later today. A cyclone will develop
    northeast from eastern Ontario into eastern Quebec while a cold
    front pushes through the Lower Great Lakes and through much of the
    Northeast through mid evening. The deep moisture through much of
    the troposphere and weak lapse rate profiles, which were sampled by
    the 12 UTC Buffalo and Albany, NY raobs, will undergo moderate
    destabilization by early to mid afternoon. Although forcing for
    ascent will favor Quebec into northern New England, scattered
    thunderstorms will likely develop from Maine southward into southern
    New England. The greatest potential for some organized storms will
    favor northern New England where stronger effective shear (30-40 kt)
    and adequate buoyancy will promote a wind-damage threat with the
    stronger storms. Forecast sounding over northern Maine show
    enlarged hodographs for a few hours, which may aid in low-level
    mesocyclone development and perhaps a risk for a tornado. Lower
    coverage of severe is forecast farther south where weaker shear will
    tend to limit storm intensity. The severe activity will likely
    diminish by the early to mid evening.

    …Northern High Plains…
    Model guidance continues to show a focused corridor of supercell
    thunderstorm potential from north-central MT to southwest ND, mainly
    this evening. Water-vapor imagery shows a mid-level shortwave
    trough rotating southeastward across the southern part of the
    Canadian Rockies moving towards the northern High Plains. Forecast
    soundings this afternoon show elongated hodographs amidst modest
    buoyancy, which would support the development of a supercell or two
    during the evening. Large hail is the primary hazard with this
    activity but severe gusts may occur on a localized basis. An
    isolated hail/wind risk may persist along the ND/SD border vicinity
    overnight.

    …Mid-Atlantic to the Southern High Plains…
    A surface front draped over the south-central Plains
    east-northeastward into the mid MS/OH Valleys will focus scattered
    thunderstorm activity this afternoon. The eastern part of this
    broader region over the Mid-Atlantic into the OH Valley will be
    displaced from the mid-level trough over influencing storm activity
    over the Northeast. A remnant MCV and outflow from overnight storms
    in the MO/KS/OK vicinity will aid in developing storms and perhaps
    localized threats for sporadic hail/wind mainly this afternoon.
    Isolated damaging winds may also occur with thunderstorms that
    develop east of the central Appalachians this afternoon, even though
    coverage should be somewhat less.

    ..Smith/Lyons.. 07/17/2025

    CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT

    .html”>Latest Day 2 Outlook/Today’s Outlooks/Forecast Products/Home

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC MD 1698

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Mesoscale Discussion 1698

    Mesoscale Discussion 1698
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1209 PM CDT Thu Jul 17 2025

    Areas affected…VT…NH…ME

    Concerning…Severe potential…Watch likely

    Valid 171709Z – 171945Z

    Probability of Watch Issuance…80 percent

    SUMMARY…Increasing thunderstorm coverage and intensity is
    anticipated across New England this afternoon and evening.
    Environmental conditions will support potential severe thunderstorms
    capable of damaging wind gusts and perhaps a tornado or two.

    DISCUSSION…Visible satellite imagery continues to show deepening
    cumulus within the broad warm sector in place across much of New
    England this afternoon. This deepening is fostered by a combination
    of strengthening ascent and diurnal destabilization. The airmass
    across the region is very moist, with dewpoints in the low 70s and
    PW values around 2 inches. Expectation is for both continued
    destabilization and persistent forcing for ascent to result in the
    development of scattered to numerous thunderstorms. Mid-level flow
    is forecast to strengthen throughout the day as a low-amplitude
    shortwave trough moves through southern ON and QC.

    The resulting combination of buoyancy and shear should support
    transient supercell structures across much of the region,
    particularly across ME where the mid-level flow will be the
    strongest. Damaging gusts will be the primary risk with most of
    these storms. More southerly surface winds are anticipated across ME
    as well, strengthening the low-level shear and enhancing the tornado
    potential with any more persistent updrafts. Overall severe coverage
    will likely be high enough to merit watch issuance.

    ..Mosier/Smith.. 07/17/2025

    …Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product…

    ATTN…WFO…CAR…GYX…BTV…ALY…

    LAT…LON 47296949 47456858 47186781 46506780 45526843 42847105
    43047321 43997363 45007321 45137173 45337099 45977038
    47296949

    MOST PROBABLE PEAK TORNADO INTENSITY…85-115 MPH
    MOST PROBABLE PEAK WIND GUST…55-70 MPH

    Top/All Mesoscale Discussions/Forecast Products/Home

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Sex education in England to include warnings about choking – what parents need to know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alexandra Fanghanel, Associate Professor in Criminology, University of Greenwich

    UC1Plus/Shutterstock

    New government guidance for England will see pupils at secondary schools taught about the risks of choking and suffocation in sex and relationships education. If you’re a parent, the idea of this topic being introduced to your child might sound alarming.

    But as an academic expert researching risky sexual practices, I believe this inclusion – and the way it’s presented – is absolutely a good thing. We can’t ignore that choking is becoming a more normalised part of sex for young people. To keep them safe, they need to know about it – and how dangerous it is.

    The Department for Education guidance states that by the end of secondary education, schools should cover: “That strangulation and suffocation are criminal offences, and that strangulation (applying pressure to the neck) is an offence, regardless of whether it causes injury. That any activity that involves applying force or pressure to someone’s neck or covering someone’s mouth and nose is dangerous and can lead to serious injury or death.”

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Though this stipulation does not explicitly link strangulation to sex, it marks a step in the right direction. Add to this acknowledgement that any sexual practice that explores these themes should only occur if participants are informed about the dangers, and we start some of the work of raising awareness of the risks associated with strangulation during sex.

    Research from the US which surveyed nearly 5,000 undergraduate students – with an average age of 20 – found that 58% of the women had experienced choking during sex. In the UK, a 2024 survey of 2,344 people found that 16% had taken part in choking during sex. But this rose to over a third of younger people aged 16 to 35.

    Teenagers need to know the risks of rough sex.
    WorldStockStudio/Shutterstock

    In 2020, I was teaching a postgraduate module on sexuality, gender and crime. In one of the classes about unconventional sexual expression and sexual subcultures, we were talking about bondage and sadomasochism (BDSM) and rough sex, including practices such as choking and strangulation. I remember one of the students was incredulous – not that people enjoy choking for sexual gratification, but that some people weren’t doing it. “Surely everyone does choking during sex,” she declared.

    I was really taken aback by her certainty that this practice was normal. I said to her, and the class, that choking is one of the most dangerous things you can do in a sexual encounter – but it struck me that the message of this risk is getting lost in representations of “kinky” sex in the mainstream.

    It has become so ordinary, it is even treated as a joke: in episode four of the new season of the BBC comedy Such Brave Girls, Josie, a lesbian, pretends to be hypersexually attracted to her husband, Seb, and goads him into having sex with her. As she recoils under his touch, she cries “choke me” while thrusting his hand on to her neck.

    This, according to social psychologist and sexuality expert Nicola Gavey, is the “mythology of everyday kink”: that everyone is doing it, that this is how we have sex now.

    Knowing the risk

    Choking really is dangerous. According to campaign group We Can’t Consent To This, instances where women have been killed during a sexual encounter in the UK, often as a result of choking, have increased significantly over the past 50 years.

    Since 2020, I have been researching rough sex gone wrong, and what happens when these cases go to court: my book on this topic is coming out later this year. My research demonstrates that more education about unconventional sexual expression is needed, so that people who are curious about it can explore it from a risk-aware, empowered vantage point. This includes knowing which aspects of rough sex can not ever be done safely.

    The issue is that people, including young people, are curious about being choked during sex. Some people want to do it. Some people find it arousing. Some find it exciting, even if it is also scary. Simply denying that these desires or curiosities exist makes it much more difficult for people to explore rough sex in an informed or risk-aware way.

    It’s only by talking about it candidly that young people can learn there is absolutely no safe way to strangle or choke their partner, and that there are other ways to explore these more unconventional desires.

    BDSM educator Jay Wiseman has noted that in his experience, the more people know about how unpredictable and risky suffocation and strangulation is, the fewer choose to do it.

    This is how we can deal with dangerous, reckless sexual practice and better protect women, who are disproportionately harmed or killed in these cases.

    Alexandra Fanghanel 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. Sex education in England to include warnings about choking – what parents need to know – https://theconversation.com/sex-education-in-england-to-include-warnings-about-choking-what-parents-need-to-know-261224

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Incels, misogyny, role models: what England’s new relationships and sex education lessons will cover – and how young people will benefit

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham

    Daniel Hoz/Shutterstock

    Sex and relationships education for children at primary and secondary state-funded schools in England will see significant changes following the release of new statutory guidance from the government. There are some stark differences between this and the draft guidance issued by the previous Conservative government in May 2024.

    The new guidance also looks different in many ways to the last statutory guidance, released in 2019. It includes many new and valuable topics such as the law around strangulation, sextortion, upskirting, deepfakes, suicide prevention and bereavement. Schools are also required to challenge misogynistic ideas, cover misogynistic influencers and online content, and explore prejudice and pornography.

    As a researcher working on sex education and masculinity, I see many positives in how these issues are approached in the government’s new guidance. The new topics are a move in the right direction, meeting the needs of the pupils being taught.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Another key change is the removal of the proposal to put age restrictions on the teaching of certain topics. This is welcome news: it aligns with evidence and allows teachers to design sex education that takes context into account. It means they can teach their pupils what they need to know in a proactive and responsive way.

    The guidance also explicitly mentions giving pupils the opportunity to discuss incels. Incel, an abbreviation of “involuntary celibate”, refers to those who identify as wanting romantic and sexual partners but find it difficult to achieve this.

    Online incel communities are underpinned by hostility towards women, resentment, misogyny and the support of extreme violence against women. They may espouse an ideological position that claims societal structures are set up to unfairly disadvantage them.

    Keeping boys in the conversation

    One aspect included in the guidance is that it is important for pupils to understand that “most boys and young men are respectful to girls and young women and each other”. It also states that “teachers should avoid language which stigmatises boys, or suggests that boys or men are always perpetrators or that girls or women are always victims”.

    These are really important points that need to underpin the teaching of misogyny and online incel culture. A risk is that such teaching may otherwise portray boys, as a group, as perpetrators. This can create a culture of blame that may alienate boys and young men. Instead, seeing boys as valuable contributors to these conversations around misogyny can foster educational progress.

    Boys and girls need opportunities to discuss these issues.
    Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

    Another important reference in the guidance is that children and young people should have opportunities to develop “positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity”, and how to “identify and learn from positive male role models”.

    This focus on positive examples of masculinity is a welcome way to support boys and young men in developing healthy identities – not only considering gender but other intersecting aspects of their identity, such as class, ethnicity, culture and values.

    Good relationships and sex education needs dialogue and understanding between pupils, teachers and parents. For adults, this means knowing the landscape first. Familiarisation with why young people may be attracted to problematic online spaces will be useful.

    These online spaces often offer a skewed sense of belonging, and offer simplistic answers to complex emotions and questions. Young people’s thoughts and opinions of misogynist online influencers may be contradictory, rather than simple approval or disapproval. This requires thoughtful unpicking of concepts and ideals, and open conversation rather than blame. It is also important to recognise that teaching these topics is not easy, and that teachers may need support too.

    New content

    While much of the new guidance is welcome, it’s important that teacher training and professional development keeps pace with these changes. Teachers may not feel confident addressing such a broad range of often-sensitive topics without support.

    The guidance also falls short of making relationships and sex education statutory for those aged 16-18 in sixth-form colleges, 16-19 academies or further education colleges, despite evidence that it is very much needed for this age group.

    The rights of transgender people and the issues affecting them are dealt with in a limited way, which could affect teachers’ ability to have supportive conversations with trans and non-binary pupils. There is also limited detail for those working in special education for pupils with complex needs.

    One of the most important aspects of teaching on sex and relationships is to create a safe space for open discussion.

    Young people should be encouraged to provide their own input into how relationships and sex education is taught, and to give their ideas on what they feel they need to learn about – and what they already know. While this approach is often overlooked, meaningful engagement with pupils is highlighted as a key guiding principle in the new guidance.

    Young people are the experts on the world they inhabit. It is essential they are listened to to ensure that lessons are relevant and effective.

    Sophie King-Hill receives funding from the ESRC.

    – ref. Incels, misogyny, role models: what England’s new relationships and sex education lessons will cover – and how young people will benefit – https://theconversation.com/incels-misogyny-role-models-what-englands-new-relationships-and-sex-education-lessons-will-cover-and-how-young-people-will-benefit-261217

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Big Roman shoes discovered near Hadrian’s Wall – but they don’t necessarily mean big Roman feet

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tim Penn, Lecturer in Roman and Late Antique Material Culture, University of Reading

    Excavations at the Roman fort of Magna near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland in north east England have uncovered some very large leather footwear. Their discovery, according to some news coverage, has “baffled” archaeologists.

    The survival of the shoes is not by itself miraculous or unusual. Excellent preservation conditions caused by waterlogged environments with low-oxygen means that leather, and other organic materials, survive in the wet soil of this part of northern England.

    Many years of excavations by the Vindolanda Trust at Vindolanda just south of Hadrian’s Wall, and now at Magna, have recovered an enormous collection of Roman shoes. These finds have provided us with an excellent record of the footwear of soldiers and the civilians who lived around them.

    The shoes from Magna stand out because many of them are big. Big shoes have also been found at Vindolanda. However, of those whose size can be determined, only 0.4% are big. The average shoe size at Vindolanda is 9.5 to 10.2 inches in length, which is between a modern UK shoe size 7 to 8.

    Big shoes make up a much larger share of the shoes at Magna. The biggest shoe is a whopping 12.8 inches long, roughly equivalent to a modern UK size 12 to 14.

    This shoe collection raises an immediate and obvious question: why did people at Magna have such large shoes?

    The possible answers to this question raise more questions and bring to the fore a central component of archaeological research: a good debate.

    Emma Frame, senior archaeologist for the Magna excavations, suggests: “We have to assume it’s something to do with the people living here, having bigger feet, being potentially taller but we don’t know.”

    This idea of bigger feet, bigger people makes a good deal of sense, though it would suggest that some of the military community at Magna were very tall indeed. And, as the Roman cemeteries of Hadrian’s Wall have been little excavated or studied, we have little information about how tall people were in this part of the Roman world.

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    Other ideas might be worth entertaining too, however. For example, could these be some kind of snowshoes or winter boots meant to allow extra layers of padding or multiple pairs of socks to be worn?

    A letter, preserved by similar conditions to the shoes at Vindolanda, refers to a gift of socks and underpants that was sent to someone stationed there, presumably to keep them warm during the cold winter nights. We also know from other evidence that Syrian archers made up one of the units stationed at Magna. These men would not have been used to the frosty climate of northern England.

    Could these large shoes be an attempt to cope with the bitter shock of a British winter? Or instead, could these shoes have a medical purpose, perhaps to allow people with swollen feet or people utilising medical dressings to wear shoes?

    It’s important to note, I am not claiming to have the answers. I’m simply putting out some hypotheses which could explain the extra-large shoes based on other evidence we have and potential logical explanations for such large footwear.

    These kinds of hypotheses lie right at the heart of the archaeological method. Fresh archaeological discoveries are made everyday, and they often make headlines with phrases about “baffled archaeologists.” While this language can spark public interest, it also risks giving a misleading impression of the discipline. In reality, the work archaeologists like me and thousands of my colleagues around the world do is grounded in careful, evidence-based analysis.

    The challenge lies not in our lack of expertise, but in the nature of the evidence itself. Much of the distant past has been lost to time, and what we do recover represents only a small fragment of the original picture.

    We’re not so much “baffled” as we are rigorously testing multiple hypotheses to arrive at the most plausible interpretations. Interpreting these fragments is a complex process, like piecing together a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle with many of the most crucial pieces (like the edges) missing.

    Sometimes we have exactly the right pieces to understand the big picture, but other times we have gaps, and we have to put forward a series of different suggestions until more evidence comes to light.

    Tim Penn 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. Big Roman shoes discovered near Hadrian’s Wall – but they don’t necessarily mean big Roman feet – https://theconversation.com/big-roman-shoes-discovered-near-hadrians-wall-but-they-dont-necessarily-mean-big-roman-feet-256369

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Reform spent just £5.5m on the 2024 election, while Labour’s majority cost £30m – new data

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sam Power, Lecturer in Politics, University of Bristol

    The 2024 election was the most expensive in British political history, new figures confirm. Across parties, candidates and third parties, a whopping £94.5 million was spent. This compares with £72.6 million in 2019, which was a record high.

    Some parties got a fantastic return on their investment. Others, to put it mildly, didn’t. I wouldn’t let those in charge of Conservative party coffers run your household, for example. They spent £23.9 million in 2024 to record their worst electoral showing in recent history.

    Given that they won, Labour will consider the £30.1 million they spent on a huge – but shallow – majority money well spent. It is also easily the most they’ve ever spent on an election (although spending limits have recently been increased).

    The real winners in 2024 though, certainly in terms of bang for their respective bucks, are Reform and the Lib Dems, both of which only spent around £5.5 million. To put that in direct context, the Lib Dems spent £14.4 million in 2019 for a far poorer result.

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    This also means that Reform entered parliament for the first time, won five seats and came second in 98 others on a relatively shoestring budget. They laid the groundwork for completely upending the British political system while only spending a fraction of what the established parties did.

    A striking thing about the Reform spending is quite how much they used traditional media. Although they have a reputation for social media success, they spent £900,000 advertising with the Mail Online, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and the Telegraph – and £300,000 advertising with The Sun. In fact, at a time when we talk of the power of data-driven microtargeting on social networks, it seems they spent £2.2 million (40% of their total expenditure) on what we would understand as “traditional” media advertising.

    Money does not reflect reality

    These elections were fought under different rules and significantly higher spending limits than in previous contests. In 2023, the Conservatives raised how much parties could spend by 80%, to bring it in line with inflation (the prior spending limit was set in the year 2000). This meant parties could spend just over £34m in 2024 – but only Labour came close to this limit.

    It’s clear, looking at these figures, that the money spent does not reflect political reality. The two traditional parties continue to spend far more than others, but the results from 2024 make a mockery of the spending limits currently in place.

    Spending limits are implemented by those regulating money in politics to prevent money playing an outsize role. It is supposed to level the playing field in the same way that wage caps in certain sports intend to.

    But if only two parties can even get close to the spending limit, with others fighting for scraps – albeit much more effectively – what is the need for the limit to be so high? And, as Reform and the Liberal Democrats have shown, a party can get its message out very well without coming anywhere near the spending limit.

    Perhaps, given concerns about the rising power of mega-donors in UK politics – especially after Elon Musk’s threat of a £70 million donation to Reform – we should be thinking more carefully about limiting donations in UK politics. The financial story of the 2024 election, at least from a first glance, is one of complete profligacy from Labour and the Conservatives.

    The wrong reforms ahead

    On the same day as these figures were released, the government announced major reforms for the next election. These include votes at 16 and new rules on donations. My view, however, is that these reforms represent about the least ambitious approach one could take if the stated aim (which it apparently is) is the restoration of public trust. They wouldn’t, for example, prevent Musk from donating £70 million through X if he so pleased.

    Spending limits are no longer fit for purpose. Instead, limits on donations are the only game in town. At the very least, corporate donations should be tied to profits in the UK – but above and beyond this, a cap of £1 million to £2 million should be on the table.

    Recent experience from the US has shown how quickly an unregulated system can turn into an oligarchy. In 2024, the top 0.01% of donors accounted for over 50% of all money candidates raised. Many donors bankrolled parties to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, crowding out everything else. At least one of those donors went on to run a (quasi) government department.

    Finally, it should also be noted that it is over a year after the election, and only now is the lid being lifted on what was spent during it. This is a significant (and unnecessary) failure in a system that holds transparency as its foundational ideal.

    The Electoral Commission should be empowered to implement semi-automated AI tools of analysis, to move us closer to the ideal of real-time analysis of election spending (and any potential violations therein).

    The 2024 figures show how much the landscape has changed. In the forthcoming elections bill, Labour need to meet the challenges where they actually are, not where they want them to be, if they are serious about restoring trust in politics.

    Sam Power receives funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. Reform spent just £5.5m on the 2024 election, while Labour’s majority cost £30m – new data – https://theconversation.com/reform-spent-just-5-5m-on-the-2024-election-while-labours-majority-cost-30m-new-data-261341

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Hundreds of new jobs created by Sheffield manufacturing investment

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Hundreds of new jobs created by Sheffield manufacturing investment

    Hundreds of high skilled jobs are to be created in Sheffield after Walsin Lihwa (WL) announced a major investment that boosts the UK’s steel industry and advanced manufacturing sector.

    • Vote of confidence in UK steel and manufacturing as Taiwanese investor Walsin Lihwa brings new capabilities to the UK and expands its aerospace and energy materials portfolio.
    • Hundreds of well-paid and skilled jobs to be created, delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change for economic growth and higher living standards.
    • Investment Minister, Baroness Gustafsson, visited Sheffield site today to celebrate investment.

    Hundreds of high skilled jobs are to be created in Sheffield after Taiwanese advanced manufacturing company Walsin Lihwa (WL) announced a major investment that boosts the UK’s steel industry and advanced manufacturing sector.

    The positive news will create over 200 jobs by 2028 in a first phase, and marks the first step towards the company’s plans for a major presence in the UK, with further job creation and investment expected from WL in South Yorkshire and the UK in the coming years.

    The investment from WL will establish a new superalloy forging facility and plans for a research and development centre and come through an upgrade of its existing Special Melted Products (SMP) factory in Sheffield, which will be focused on producing speciality steel and nickel parts for aerospace jet engines and energy industry products.

    Delivering on the government’s economic growth mission at the heart of the Plan for Change, the investment will create good, well-paid jobs for local workers, with average salaries expected to be over £40,000 a year.

    The news follows Deloitte’s latest survey of finance officers which has found the UK is the joint top location for investment in the world and data out this week from Make UK and BDO which finds that manufacturing in the UK has recovered to 2019, pre-pandemic, levels in every region.

    The investment is a major boost to the government’s modern Industrial Strategy which launched last month and had identified opportunities in growth-driving sectors like this as priorities for government support. A vote of confidence in South Yorkshire’s world-class strengths in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and defence, it will back the growth corridor across the northern city regions.

    Notably the investment will introduce new melting and superalloy forging capabilities – a new strategic manufacturing capability to the UK – which will reduce domestic producers’, such as Rolls Royce, reliance on imports.

    These capabilities will aid the UK’s aspirations in aerospace, steel, nuclear and defence as set out in the modern Industrial Strategy, contribute resilience towards supply shocks and will help grow Sheffield’s manufacturing sector, which was valued at £1.4bn in 2023.

    Minister for Investment Baroness Gustafsson CBE said:

    Our modern Industrial Strategy is all about having more high paid jobs in the industries of the future, in communities right around the UK. This investment is a major vote of confidence in Sheffield’s world-class manufacturing sector and couldn’t match our ambitions better.

    Our Steel Strategy later this year will set out further support we will take to boost the steel sector and encourage investments like this, and we look forward to hearing from Walsin Lihwa about their ambitious UK growth plans, delivering on our Plan for Change.

    Once the forging facility is established, WL have also set out plans to set up a research and development centre in the UK in a next phase later in the decade, focused on strengthening the company’s capabilities in materials and digital technology innovation and contributing to a growing aerospace and defence cluster in South Yorkshire.

    The centre will generate hundreds of new well-paid jobs and apprenticeships, with a range of future-proof skills and expertise in manufacturing operations, welding, melting, metallurgy, engineering, machining, material science, data analytics, and other high value career opportunities.

    The Investment Minister, Baroness Gustafsson, attended the site today with WL’s Chairman, Yu-Lon Chiao, to celebrate the investment and to hear more about the company’s plans for UK growth.

    Walsin Lihwa Chairman, Yu-Lon Chiao, said:

    The United Kingdom possesses a vast market in aerospace, energy, and nuclear power sectors that is unparalleled by Taiwan. This investment marks a significant milestone in SMP’s development and underscores Walsin Lihwa’s firm determination for global expansion strategy. 

    Looking ahead, we plan to establish an R&D centre in the UK to further strengthen our capabilities in materials and digital technology innovation, while deepening our collaborative ties with the European market to jointly promote industrial upgrading and sustainable development.

    Gareth Stace, Director-General, UK Steel, said:

    The substantial investment that Special Melted Products is making in expanding its capability and capacity is tremendous news for local people, and UK plc.  This is sign of trust in British steelmaking and manufacturing, pushing forward valuable investment plans and establishing skilled careers.  Special Melted Products plans mean we are onshoring supply chains for industry giants like Rolls Royce, meaning investment goes directly back into UK jobs and the economy.

    South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard said:

    Walsin Lihwa choosing to invest in SMP and build their new research and development centre in South Yorkshire is a huge vote of confidence in our region’s talent, innovation and expertise, and the advanced manufacturing ecosystem we’re creating here. 

    I promised to build a bigger and better economy in South Yorkshire, creating good jobs in the industries of the future. So I’m proud my office has been able to provide support that has helped to unlock this major investment, offering new jobs and opportunities, and bolstering our world leading steel industry. 

    We have always been known for our strengths in cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and industrial excellence. Walsin Lihwa’s investment builds on our legacy, reaffirming South Yorkshire’s place at the heart of UK high-value manufacturing and innovation.

    Cllr Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said:

    This significant investment in Sheffield’s advanced manufacturing sector is a major milestone for our city and strengthens our global reputation for innovation and excellence.

    The investment is a strong sign of recognition in our city’s capabilities, talent, and ambition. It will create new high-quality local jobs and training opportunities as next generation technologies are developed in Sheffield. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Walsin and Special Melted Products long into the future.

    Notes to editors:

    • Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy and Defence are three of eight growth-driving sectors in the UK Government’s modern Industrial Strategy: a 10-year plan to make it quicker and easier for businesses to invest in the UK, provide them with certainty and stability to make long term decisions and ensure they benefit from the UK’s openness to the world.
    • Information on recent government actions to support the steel sector can be found here.
    • You can find all our recent and upcoming announcements relating to the Steel Strategy on our GOV.UK Collection page
    • Deloitte’s latest survey of UK Chief Financial Officers can be found here.
    • Make UK and BDO’s annual Regional Manufacturing Outlook report can be found here.
    • Walsin Lihwa will confirm the total investment figure in the coming weeks.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Engines of AI primed to accelerate new breakthroughs, economic growth, and transform the UK into an AI maker

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Engines of AI primed to accelerate new breakthroughs, economic growth, and transform the UK into an AI maker

    The government’s new Compute Roadmap will harness AI to deliver on the UK’s national priorities under the Plan for Change.

    New Compute Roadmap to boost AI breakthroughs.

    • UK to develop new medical cures and tools to cut emissions by delivering the processing power needed to fuel AI on British shores.  
    • Projects supporting the government’s Plan for Change – particularly on economic growth and building a better NHS will be prioritised access, with the UK’s most powerful supercomputer coming online from today. 
    • Edinburgh also set to become the first National Supercomputing Centre, while Scotland and Wales are poised for billions in private investment and thousands of new jobs as future sites of AI Growth Zones. 

    Artificial Intelligence will be used to deliver the UK’s national priorities under  the government’s Plan for Change and position the country as an AI maker rather than an AI taker – accelerating economic growth and transforming public services, as a new strategy looks to bolster the country’s compute capacity to power new breakthroughs in AI.  

    Businesses and researchers use compute – essentially the computer chips that process huge amounts of data – to train and build AI models or process prompts and questions through AI to discover everything from new drugs which treat and beat diseases to new tools to tackle climate change. Demand for cutting-edge compute power is already expected to surge by 5.7x between now and 2035, with the government taking vital steps to ensure the UK can stay ahead of the curve as the technology develops.  

    Published today (Thursday 17 July), the Compute Roadmap will deliver on the £1 billion set aside in the Spending Review to increase the UK’s compute infrastructure – allowing us to drive forward AI development on our own terms to ensure the technology can deliver for the British people. This will mean reducing our reliance on foreign computing power to deliver the transformations which will improve public services and help to fix the foundations of the economy. The Roadmap also builds on the ambition of the 10-year infrastructure strategy and the Modern Industrial Strategy to put the government’s vision into action – increasing investment and growing the industries of the future.

    Compute is the raw processing power that drives AI’s development. Without enough power, we cannot deliver the breakthroughs to treat and beat diseases, make industries cleaner and greener, or find new ways to fight climate change. To help deliver on these shared national priorities, we will expand the UK’s AI Research Resource (AIRR) twenty-fold over the next 5 years. The system, delivered in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Nvidia, HPE,  Dell Technologies and Intel, brings together the country’s most powerful supercomputers – Isambard-AI based in Bristol and Dawn in Cambridge.  

    The Technology Secretary flicked the switch on the Isambard supercomputer at its formal launch in Bristol today, meaning the AI Research Resource (AIRR) is now fully up and running - transforming the UK’s public compute capacity by being able to process in one second what it would take then entire global population 80 years to achieve. When the AIRR’s planned expansion is complete in the coming years, it will be vastly more powerful than the world’s current leading supercomputers. 

    University College London researchers are already using Isambard to line up pioneering AI tools which could revolutionise NHS cancer screening. Using prostate cancer as its initial test case, they are harnessing the system to develop one of the first scalable AI models dedicated to medical imaging – using AI to analyse MRI scans and identify patients in need of treatment sooner.  

    Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology Peter Kyle said:  

    Britain has top of the class talent in AI and our plan will put a rocket under our brilliant researchers, scientists, and engineers – giving them the tools they need to make Britain the best place to do their work.

    This will mean we can harness the technology in Britain to transform our public services, drive growth, and unlock new opportunities for every community in the country.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

    We are harnessing the power of AI to transform our public services, drive innovation and fuel economic growth that puts money in people’s pockets.

    As technology advances, our Plan for Change is ensuring we are ahead of the curve, expanding our sovereign AI capabilities so we can make scientific breakthroughs, equip businesses with new tools for growth, and create new jobs across the country.

    The AIRR will see the UK’s compute capacity increase to 420 AI exaFLOP by 2030 – the equivalent of one billion people spending 13,316 years doing what the full AIRR will do in one second. That means all one billion people would have needed to start calculating more than 8,000 years before Stonehenge was built, without taking a break. Projects that matter most to the UK and align with national priorities will be prioritised access to the AIRR to help deliver the Plan for Change - as well as those which will have a real-world impact and deliver breakthroughs that change lives and grow the economy. 

    Researchers at the University of Liverpool meanwhile have been using Isambard to develop their EIMCRYSTAL system. Their model harnesses AI to speed up the discovery of new chemical reactions for use in industry, sifting through 68 million chemical combinations to find new solutions which will decarbonise British industry to make it greener, cleaner, and more sustainable. Isambard is already supporting other areas of highly ambitious AI research. The Sovereign AI Unit has launched an early pilot supporting academic researchers in AI for biosciences, foundational AI research, and advanced materials. These will be some of the most compute-intensive training runs that academics have carried out on UK infrastructure. 

    Working alongside the AI Research Resource, a network of National Supercomputing Centres will also be set up across the country – with the first based in Edinburgh, the future home of the UK’s most powerful research supercomputer. These will work as dedicated centres of expertise, connecting users not only with access to cutting-edge processing power, but catalysing greater collaboration between industry, academia, and researchers. They will help to build stronger links with existing talent in their regions – giving all areas of the country a supporting role in the UK’s ability to be an AI maker.  

    To further support the UK’s AI sovereignty ambitions, the Sovereign AI Unit has been established in the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, backed with £500 million of funding. Strengthening the UK’s domestic AI capabilities, including by developing the UK’s compute ecosystem, will be a key focus for the unit. 

    The strategy set out today and the work of the Sovereign AI Unit will ensure the UK can roll out the next generation of champions in compute technology – sparking the creating of leaders in a range of fields to put British innovation and expertise on the map. 

    Today’s Compute Roadmap also puts Scotland and Wales in the frame to benefit from billions in private investment and thousands of new jobs as future homes to AI Growth Zones. These dedicated AI hotbeds offer accelerated planning permissions to speed up the roll-out of data centres, which will be powered by responsible and cutting-edge energy sources like small modular reactors (SMRs). 

    AI Growth Zones will not only deliver the infrastructure we need but also support the technology’s evolution in a range of other areas. These will include R&D and Innovation Platforms, Adoption Testbeds and taking on a role as skills and talent hubs which will give people the tools they need to develop, use, and work with the technology. Further details of where these Growth Zones will be based in Wales and Scotland will be confirmed in due course.   

    Capitalising on the ambition of today’s announcements, the Technology Secretary is also launching a dedicated AI for Science strategy. This will set out the clear steps the government will take forward to cement the UK’s position as a global leader in AI-enabled science breakthroughs, explore ways to boost adoption of the technology across the science sector and spark new commercial opportunities created by AI for science. 

    An expert group of senior academics, industry leaders and representatives of science institutions will advise on the strategy:

    • Alison Noble CBE FRS, Vice-President of the Royal Society and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford.
    • Antony Rowstron, Chief Technical Officer at the Advanced Research and Invention Agency.
    • Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Professor of Structural Bioinformatics at the University of Oxford.
    • Chris Bishop, FRS FREng FRSE and Technical Fellow, Microsoft Research AI for Science.
    • Pushmeet Kohli, VP, Science and Strategic Initiatives, Google DeepMind.

    Published in the Autumn, the strategy will help to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery through AI, maximising its potential to drive innovation and growth.  

    The roadmap set out today lays the groundwork for a golden age for British AI – supporting innovation, growth, and new opportunities in all sectors of the economy. It is a plan which delivers certainty to researchers, industry, and investors alike, cementing the UK’s position as a world leader in artificial intelligence.  

    Reaction to today’s announcements

    On the Compute Roadmap

    Josh Payne, CEO, Nscale said:

    Nscale strongly welcomes the UK Government’s compute roadmap.

    As the only full stack sovereign AI infrastructure provider in the UK, we are delighted that the Government recognises the importance of sovereign capability in this area.

    We look forward to working with the Government and our partners to deliver this ambitious agenda.

    Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh said:

    To be named the UK’s first national supercomputing centre is a significant recognition of the University of Edinburgh’s longstanding leadership in advanced computing. For more than thirty years, we have hosted the UK’s national supercomputer and further developed our globally respected expertise in computer science and artificial intelligence.         The new designation as the first national supercomputing centre will provide new opportunities for research and innovation across the UK, attracting further investment and talent. We look forward to working alongside the UK government and partners to bring this ambitious plan to life.

    Carolyn Dawson OBE, CEO of Founders Forum Group and Tech Nation:  

    We know the UK’s AI ecosystem is brimming with talent and ambition, but to lead globally, we must anchor this ambition in cutting-edge, sovereign compute infrastructure.

    Bold investment in compute power is exactly what’s required to accelerate innovation and secure a leading role for Britain in the global AI race. By bringing together world-class supercomputers in partnership with industry leaders like Nvidia and Intel, and expanding access through National Supercomputing Centres and AI Growth Zones in Scotland and Wales, this roadmap demonstrates the UK’s ambition to shape the future of AI.

    Julian David OBE, CEO of techUK, said: 

    This ambitious roadmap, underpinned by actions with dates for delivery, shows that the UK Government is serious in its ambition to deliver innovative and real-world impact through transformative AI, compute and cloud technologies.

    We are particularly encouraged to see alignment between compute recommendations and AI Growth Zones – a vital move to better connect expertise, support UK innovators, and maximise the value of UK research and innovation. 

    While there are still certain aspects to be explored, such as how these Growth Zones will develop the testbeds and platforms to help the most innovative emerging tech businesses grow and scale, techUK remains committed to working with government and our members to build on this ambition to power the next generation of AI.

    Walter Goodwin, founder and CEO of Fractile, said: 

     >I wholeheartedly welcome the Compute Roadmap. The Roadmap is a joined up strategy that will both drive an immediate expansion of AI compute capacity in the UK, but further will ultimately see pull-through of breakthrough AI compute platforms being built by UK semiconductor companies, like Fractile’s AI accelerators, into widespread commercial deployment. > > This will close the loop on sustainable sovereign compute capacity and ensure the UK will be an AI compute maker, not just a taker.

    On the AI for Science Strategy

    Dr Antony Rowstron, CTO of ARIA, said:

    I’ve built my career at the intersection of computing and science, and seen firsthand how the right technological leap can redefine what’s possible. AI represents just such a leap – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the speed of research and invention.

    I’m looking forward to bringing that experience, and my perspective from ARIA, to help put the UK at the forefront of this revolution.

    Chris Bishop, FRS FREng FRSE and Technical Fellow, Microsoft Research AI for Science said: 

    I personally believe that scientific discovery represents the most important and promising opportunity for AI in our generation. The consequences are far-reaching, from the discovery of life-saving drugs to the efficient design of sustainable materials.

    I am therefore delighted to participate, alongside other leading experts, in the new government strategic advisory panel on AI for Science. Together, I know that we will ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of AI development, in an area that is key to the future success of our society.

    Pushmeet Kohli, VP, Science and Strategic Initiatives, Google DeepMind said:  

    Science can help us address some of humanity’s greatest challenges, from climate change to disease.

    I’m excited to collaborate with the UK government and other industry leaders, experts and academics to help the nation leverage AI to accelerate scientific progress, and build upon the UK’s strong history of scientific leadership.

    Professor Alison Noble, Vice-President of the Royal Society, said:  

    The Royal Society welcomes the government’s commitments to growing the UK’s computing power and AI research resources. Today’s launch of the government’s AI for Science Strategy is an important step to advance the responsible use of AI across scientific disciplines. 

    From drug discovery to robot-assisted laboratories, AI is already reshaping how science is done and enabling new discoveries that were previously out of reach. To fully realise its benefits, we must ensure that advances in speed and scale do not come at the expense of rigour, transparency, or trust.

    By embedding principles of openness, reproducibility, and collaboration, this strategy could help ensure AI-based science has a strong foundation.

    Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Professor of Structural Bioinformatics at the University of Oxford said: 

    AI will completely change the way research is done, from the way we ask questions to the questions we can ask. It has the power to transform so many areas across science and innovation, and we need to ensure that the UK is at the forefront of this change.

    It is an exciting time to be involved in driving the potential of AI in science and for me an honour to be part of trying to make this change happen.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Devolution plans move forward 17 July 2025 Devolution plans move forward

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    Plans to create a new Mayoral County Combined Authority (MCCA) for the region have reached a new stage, following confirmation from the government that it will proceed with the necessary legislation.

    Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Hampshire County Council, and the Isle of Wight Council are working closely with government on the legislative framework that will underpin the new powers to formally establish the new MCCA.

    The aim is to transfer certain powers and funding to the local level, focusing on areas such as transport, housing, infrastructure, and economic development.

    If agreed by the authorities and then approved by Parliament, elections for the new Mayor will take place in May 2026.

    Today’s (Thursday) announcement follows the introduction of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to Parliament last week.

    The government’s Devolution Priority Programme aims to create Mayoral Strategic Authorities across the country.

    These bodies would take on responsibilities currently managed by national departments, while existing local councils would continue to deliver day-to-day services.

    The Isle of Wight was included in the fast-track phase of the programme earlier this year.

    It is important to note that the creation of a Mayoral County Combined Authority is not the same as Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), which is a separate process currently running in parallel.

    The proposed MCCA would not replace or merge existing councils. Instead, it would operate as a strategic regional body, led by a directly elected Mayor, with new powers and funding devolved from central government.

    Local councils, including the Isle of Wight Council, would continue to deliver local services as they do now.

    Council leader, Councillor Phil Jordan, said: “I welcome the announcement from government on devolution. They have set out their approach to what they see as opportunities of additional funding and transfer of powers from Westminster heralding a new approach to localised services and decision making.

    “Working with our area partners, and this includes on crucial cross-Solent travel issues, we are committed to improving the community that is the Isle of Wight.

    “The councils involved continue to work together, as well as with government, in moving forward to understand the legal and procedural steps.”

    Isle of Wight councillors will have the opportunity to review and consider any proposed devolution arrangement later in the year.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Deputy Secretary General discusses a stronger and fairer NATO, and deterring aggression, at LANDEURO symposium

    Source: NATO

    On Thursday (17 July 2025), NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska addressed the LANDEURO symposium of The Association of the United States’ Army, discussing the role of the Allies’ armed forces and industry in deterring aggression.

    Thank you, General Brown.

    And good afternoon, everyone.

    It’s great to be here in Wiesbaden, home to the US Army’s Europe and Africa Headquarters.

    And a critical hub for America’s efforts to ensure stability across the region, but also beyond.

    Wiesbaden also houses our NATO command, the Security Assistance and Training command for Ukraine.

    With hundreds of personnel from NATO and partner countries who work hard, every day.

    To support Ukraine and to coordinate thousands of movements of military supplies, so that Ukraine can fight for it’s freedom, for peace, and for security.

    So what a better place to discuss the role of our armed forces and industry in deterring aggression.

    Let me start by thanking the organisers, the Association of the United States’ Army, for bringing us together to discuss this and many other important topics.

    Less than a month ago, leaders of all Allied nations gathered for the NATO Summit in The Hague.

    And they all had one clear objective.

    How to keep one billion people living in NATO countries safe today.

    And how to deter any possibility of aggression in the future.

    How to make sure that our Alliance can fulfil and I would say continue, in the next 75 and more years, to fulfil our sacred mission.

    What we saw in The Hague at the NATO Summit was bold decisions from our political leaders.

    A strong demonstration of our transatlantic unity and resolve.

    Allies have managed to agree on a very ambitious Defence Investment Plan, a new one, The Hague one,

    to invest 5 percent of GDP for our security by 2035.

    And this really is a game-changer.

    And I shouldn’t be saying this in this room, because you can understand how much of an impact will this have for our deterrence and our defence.

    It will massively increase NATO’s strength and war-fighting capabilities.

    And it will definitely ensure that we continue what we do best, and this is deliver peace, but through strength.

    At least 3.5% of GDP out of the 5% target will be spent on so called core miliary requirements.

    They will be spend on what one can say is the heavy metal of our armed forces — many of you here today.

    And this is the heavy metal that you all need to deter and defend.

    Among all these capability requirements that all Allies have agreed to even a month before the Hague Summit,

    What we have included in this number is a five-fold increase of our air and missile defence systems,

    thousands more armoured vehicles and tanks,

    and millions more artillery shells,

    and drones, and air jets.

    All these things contribute to the capability targets that we need, and the capability targets that require 3.5% of GDP so that they can be financed in due time.

    At the same time, Allies agreed to spend 1.5% of GDP on defence and security related expenses.

    This means more money to support our militaries and societies to become more secure.

    In a world where microchips matter as much as the latest missiles every part of our society and our economy must step up for security.

    From strong cyber defences to secure supply chains.

    From greater resilience to more investment in roads, railways and ports for the sake of our defence plans.

    This is all about making sure that we can get our forces to the right place at the right time, but equipped with the right capabilities.

    It’s also about responding to the world as it is now, not as we wish it to be.

    Preparing for war costs money, 5% is a lot of money.

    But not preparing for it will cost us far more, both in terms of money and in terms of lives. We are no longer fighting wars of choice, where everything is plannable and we set the timetable.

    It is our adversaries that are setting the pace of production and defining the moment.

    Russia is rearming faster than many people have imagined.

    It is enabled by Chinese technology, Iranian drones, and North Korean missiles but also boots on the ground.

    What’s more, Putin has shown that he will not hesitate to use military force to achieve his goals.

    China is also carrying out its own massive military modernisation.

    It is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, completely unconstrained by any arms control agreements.

    It is flexing its muscles in the South China Sea and sharpening its tools of economic coercion in the Euro-Atlantic.

    And while all this is happening, we also cannot underestimate the persistent instability in the Middle East,

    divisive rhetoric in the Western Balkans,

    and the ongoing threats of terrorism.

    So as the world becomes more dangerous, more turbulent,

    NATO must become stronger, fairer and, and this is the right place to use the word, more lethal.

    To leave no adversary in any doubt that we will do what it takes to protect and defend each other.

    A couple of weeks ago, we bid a fond farewell to General Cavoli, who as you know wore two hats.

    He was both NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, our SACEUR, but also Commander of the US’s European forces.

    And let me use this opportunity to say that he has played really a fundamental role in transforming the Alliance, even prior to the NATO Summit.

    He has really supported us in fostering a stronger bond between NATO’s Supreme Allied Headquarters in Mons, SHAPE, and the United States’ European Command in Stuttgart.

    General Cavoli made sure that we have robust regional plans to defend every inch of Allied territory.

    And that we continue to modernise NATO’s multi-domain warfighting capabilities.

    From the seabed to outer space, we cannot afford to have any weak links.

    The conflicts in Ukraine, but also the instability and the conflicts in the Middle East have transformed modern warfare.

    In Ukraine, we have seen tactics and trench-warfare from the last world wars, combined with the completely new technology from the next.

    Ukraine has pioneered the use of drones, I was able to see remarkable examples for this, but not only in the air domain.

    But also to neutralise the threat of the Russian army in the Black Sea.

    And to strike Russian military targets far beyond the frontlines.

    Both Russia and Ukraine have carried out kinetic and non-kinetic attacks — across land, sea, air, cyber and information space — and all of this simultaneously.

    This was done to certain extent in devastating ways.

    And we need to therefore think differently about how we operate.

    Not in silos — but really seamlessly across all domains — and at the same time.

    So when we develop our capabilities, this is the thinking, this is the logic.

    This is the philosophy that we have to take into account.

    We also need to think about how we integrate the latest technologies with conventional capabilities to gain the maximum effect.

    And this was very much what SACEUR and SACT worked on in the last years.

    But this is why we were also delighted to welcome General Alexus Grynkewich as our new Supreme Allied Commander.

    He has championed innovation and developed cutting-edge capabilities for our armed forces.

    His appointment demonstrates the United States’ ironclad commitment to our shared security.

    As America continues to put forward its brightest and best in service of the United States of America, but also in the service of the Alliance.

    At the Summit, we heard really strong statements from the US leadership, from President Trump, but also from the two Secretaries and all the representatives.

    How dedicated and how committed they are to NATO and to our collective defence.

    The US continues to stand foursquare with its NATO Allies.

    Because it is good for America’s security and it is vital for the transatlantic security.

    The US has played and continues to play an indispensable role in our Alliance.

    Providing critical enablers, reinforcements, and of course its nuclear deterrence – the ultimate guarantor of our security.

    At the same time, America’s Allies, European and Canada, are stepping up.

    All Allies, all 32 of them, will spend 2 percent of GDP on defence this year, as we have agreed time ago in Wales.

    And many are already going much further and much faster.

    Some of them have stepped up and approached 5% even before the Summit. And this is remarkable leadership.

    They are making sure that we have collectively what we need to deter and defend.

    That’s why the other major focus of the Summit in The Hague was defence production.

    Because cash alone does not deter our adversaries. It does not by itself provide security.

    But concrete capabilities do.

    Our adversaries won’t be deterred just because of our statements, because of our pledges, because of our words.

    But by strong defences, well-equipped troops, and the latest weapons systems.

    This is why the Secretary General has been tireless in his efforts to engage not only with Allied leaders or with the militaries, but also with defence industries on both sides of the Atlantic.

    He has been urging them to open new production lines, put in the extra shifts, really ramp up production.

    But also to boost innovation and come up with capabilities that are actually meaningful today and tomorrow.

    And they are.

    They are really prepared for this game-changing environment around us.

    Across the Alliance, industry has opened hundreds of new production lines and expanded existing ones.

    We are now on course to produce more ships, more planes and ammunition than we have done in decades.

    But we still need to do more.

    NATO Allies today are home to world-class defence companies – some of them present today here with us – the best researchers, and the most innovative entrepreneurs.

    But we need to do these things more, better and faster to drive even more production both on the American but also on the European side of the Atlantic.

    And, again, we need to think differently about how and who we partner with.

    This means working with everyone from the defence primes to civilian start-ups to integrate the latest technologies into our defence.

    But it also means working together not among us in the Alliance, but also with our partners, from Ukraine, European Union, to the Indo-Pacific. All of them joined us for the Hague Summit and we agreed to do more, together, including or especially focusing on defence production.

    There is so much we can learn from Ukraine, and we already are learning.

    We have opened a new joint centre in Poland, the so-called JATEC [the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre] to do that exactly. To help Ukraine, but also, in the same way use the experience so that we can create stronger deterrence and defence.

    We are also determined to work even more closely with our partners — Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea — including on defence production.

    They are the source of so many of today’s cutting-edge capabilities.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    NATO is the strongest and most successful defensive Alliance in history of mankind.

    We have done that. We have secured. We have protected one billion citizens.

    Because we combine the finest armed forces, with the most innovative economies.

    And because of our solemn promise to protect and defend each other.

    So this sense of unity, solidarity, joint work is very strong and continues to be very important for us.

    So let me end by thanking all of you here for the vital role you have played in our security.

    I know I can count and we can count on you to keep our Alliance strong and our one billion people safe.

    Thank you very much for your attention and I look forward to our discussions.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State attends the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Secretary of State attends the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush

    Tournament returns to Northern Ireland for second time in six years

    Caption: Secretary of State Hilary Benn with The Claret Jug trophy and (L-R) United States Ambassador to the UK Warren A. Stephens and Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Ian Pattinson.

    Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn has congratulated the organisers of the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, and welcomed the significant benefits it will bring to Northern Ireland, following a visit to the event today (Thursday 17 July).

    He said: “This week’s Open championship at Royal Portrush will shine a spotlight on Northern Ireland, showcasing its world-class sports facilities, tourism, and high quality local food and drink.

    “It will give Northern Ireland a real economic boost and will set the stage for future investment and opportunities for Northern Ireland.

    “To be chosen to host the Open twice in six years is a fantastic compliment, and I congratulate the organisers of the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush on having achieved this.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chief of the Air Staff speech at Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Chief of the Air Staff speech at Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 2025

    Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton’s speech at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 17 July 2025

    Susannah thank you very much and Dave thank you A – for being here and B – for giving such a great presentation, I am now starting to doubt the fact that I took out the animal videos from last year out of my presentation.

    As you heard yesterday this is the last appearance for me as the CAS at the Global Air Space Chiefs Conference and I am going to miss it. This conference provides a fantastic opportunity for us to get to know each other, build relationships, and most importantly to share ideas.

    Combined with RIAT and the invitation to our crews, to our industries, and to our spouses, this always feels like a very special event. 

    You might remember that two years ago I showed this picture of Caitlin and me on holiday in Greece as a mechanism to try and build a rapport or relationship. I got in trouble because I hadn’t cleared it with her before I showed it but I’m doing it again, it’ll be fine.

    I wanted to start today by saying a huge thank you to the global air and space chief community for your friendship and support over the two years while I’ve been chief and particularly over the last year.

    Some of you know that Caitlin was not at RIAT last year as she underwent a pretty aggressive form of chemotherapy, and that camaraderie and support that I felt from this international community was incredible. It’s those bonds of friendship and understanding that will sustain us both in peacetime and in war.

    I am pleased to say that Caitlin is doing well and she’ll be back at RIAT.

    And for those of you who are wondering she is still a divorce lawyer. So, if she hands you her business card you should be afraid, if she hands your spouse her business card – be very very afraid!

    Two years ago in 2023 when I stood on this stage, the war in Ukraine was just over a year old and my key conclusion was that after 3 decades of peace dividend and fighting impressive counter-terrorism campaigns globally, we – the Royal Air Force and other air forces needed to change if we were going to avoid the kind of war that we saw playing out in Ukraine. 

    Our response to this demand for change intellectually was to update our air operating concept. At the heart of it is this idea of decision superiority supported by agility, integration, and resilience.

    Roll forward a year, last year we focused on deterrence. In whatever way you describe it, warfare is costly, and I argued that our job as military leaders was to stop these wars from starting.

    I also explained last year where our priorities lay in terms of developing the capabilities to ensure we could deter the kind of fight we’ve seen in Ukraine.

    It started with command and control. Capabilities to counter the A2 AD threat. Integrated area missile and defence and agile combat employment. And taking a leaf out of Dave’s book I also showed you this picture of my good friend Patrick Sanders, shortly after he finished being the head of the British Army at Glastonbury. I’m pleased to say that Patrick has gone past his Glasto phase and is now a successful podcaster and it’s really good, I can really recommend it. But Patrick was in the news again last weekend with a warning that we should head as we think about the pace of change.

    As you heard from the Minister, last month the UK published its Strategic Defence Review, a vision about making Britain safer, secure at home, and strong abroad. It played back to us much of the logic and analysis we’ve talked about in conferences like this for several years. As you’ve heard today, it focuses on warfighting readiness, it’s clear about putting NATO first, and using defence as and engine for growth, with UK innovation driven by lessons from Ukraine, and a whole of society response.

    This is a radical shift for the UK.

    And all of that is before The Hague Summit where many of our allies signed up to spend significantly more on Defence.

    This is a watershed moment for the UK and the West.

    Throughout my whole career Defence budgets have shrunk, armed forces have got smaller. I was at RAF Cranwell recently talking to our officer cadets about to graduate and coming out into their next phase of training and into the Air Force. I told them that they are entering an air force that none of us have known. An Air Force where budgets are growing, and numbers are increasing.

    Last year, I also talked about the high low mix and its importance and autonomous collaborative platforms, and you’ve heard about that from the minister this morning.

    I got Jim Beck our Director of Capability, who we saw yesterday, to promise in front of all of you he would deliver this year the first of a family of ACPs that would improve the lethality and survivability of our crewed platforms.

    I want to pay tribute to Jim today and the wider team for delivering in April this year StormShroud.

    It is an impressive capability that was delivered with a different attitude towards risk both in terms of its acquisition and in the terms of the way it’s operated.  It also delivered through collaboration with warfighters, traditional defence industry, and new entrants to it.

    I am enormously proud of what Jim, the team and the wider team have done to deliver it, and I am enormously pleased that what SDR sets out is a direction of travel that we have been on as air forces for several years.

    But the SDR is clear, and I’m clear that we have to do this quickly, and we can’t do it on our own.

    To borrow a phrase from my great friend Jabba Steur the Dutch chief, we need to be ready to fight tonight, tomorrow, and together.

    These alliances, that these conferences help build are incredibly important to us, and frankly the alliance with the United States of America is the most important of all.

    Arthur Tedder and Tooey Spatz, the first Chief of Staff for the US Air Force, forged a relationship during the second world war that sustained them through peace. Today the relationships we form in peacetime need to sustain us through war.

    This year has seen many of us in this room flying alongside our US friends and fighting alongside them globally.

    But is not just about working together as allies, this evolving battlespace demands that we work together across all 5 domains, and that’s why that is the theme of this conference how do we integrate air and space power into this evolving battlespace.

    I want to use 3 stories from the past, present and future to illustrate why this is important and what lessons we might draw about how we do it.

    Now looking round the room, I think quite a lot of us in the room remember the early days in our career the end of the Cold War.

    Every self-respecting junior officer would have read Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising.

    In it, NATO face the task of repelling Russian aggression from Eastern Europe through or by, as Tom said,

    ‘…penetrating the most concentrated SAM belt the world had ever known.’

    In Tom Clancy’s day that was a job for Air Forces it required large packages of aircraft, it was what our flag exercises, Red Flag, Green Flag, Maple Flag, were all about. Honing our Large Force Employment skills – we relished the opportunity; we loved flying and fighting alongside the very best from other nations.

    I’m sure just the mention of it evokes warm memories at the time when it was the air force that we knew and loved, when we had more hair, slimmer waists, and we didn’t groan when we got out of chairs.

    This was air power’s World Cup. I was also going to say this was, for our American audience, it’s like the World Series, but I found out that Donald Trump seems to recognise Soccer is the more important game, and if you’re going to have a world event you do have to invite people from other countries to it, just saying. Sorry Dave!

    This was a complex mission and attrition was expected. In Tom Clancy’s novel, more than a dozen of the most technologically advanced aircraft the West had were lost on that first mission. In the 1980s we had the mass to cope with that kind of level of attrition. Today, we know that this is going to require more than just brilliant air forces. Even the most ardent advocate of air power, Dave Deptula agrees.

    In Tom Clancy’s time, other terrestrial domains lacked the tools to be able to really influence this fight. Space and cyber weren’t even nascent capabilities.

    Today, not only is it feasible to integrate effects across multi domains, it is essential. And this is hard, it’s hard to do it on a national level, trying to do it multi-nationally, across a continent is exponentially more difficult but it is the challenge of our generation, and our adversaries know that and they’re trying to emulate us. Fortunately, however they are showing us how not to do it.

    When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, it looked like integrated multi-domain operations. With two combined armies, supported by strategic fires, tactical and strategic air power provided by VKS, land launched, sea launched, air launched cruise missile, electronic warfare, and critical space and cyber effects, surely that was integrated?

    But the reality is Russia’s sees air power differently to the west, in the western way of warfare, air power is at the heart of the way we fight. In Russia it’s about supporting the land campaign, and we know as Justin Bronkin and Dag Henrikson have pointed out that Russia has always struggled to integrate air power emissions to deliver strategic effect. So in those first few hours and days after the war started, what we saw was Russia’s actions were stove pipped, they were deconflicted in time and space and fratricide both electronically and kinetically was commonplace. But three years and a million causalities later, Russia is learning. And we have to learn too, as General Patton said,

    Our job as air chiefs is to educate our aviators and our commander so that we are ready for the next Storm Rising. There’s no way I could write it.

    I’ve stood on this stage and said, that we should not image that Ukraine is the way in which we would fight in the future. Ukraine is a 19th Century war, fought with 20th Century tactics and 21st Century weapons.

    What we need to do is fight 21st Century war, with 21st Century capabilities, and 21st Century thinking.

    2025 has given for us some examples of how this air led innovation and integration can make a difference. We’ve heard about Ukraine’s audacious attack against Russia’s strategic assets and operations in Iran have really shown us what exquisite air power integrated with other multi-domain effects can do at both the strategic and campaign level.

    But when the war starts, we know that it’s going to be a dynamic environment, and so whilst the tactics and the targets might be the same as they were in Tom Clancy’s day, the threat has changed, and the tactics need to change too.

    There’s breadth, scale, depth coupled with three years of operational experience mean the threat is much greater than it was in Tom Clancy’s time. And so the tactics need to change, and we need an integrated approach.

    We need space, cyber, land, sea, and air to work together.

    We know space will deliver PNT, we know it will deliver ISR, we know it will deliver battle damage assessment, but it can also be used to disrupt our adversaries’ communications. We can shield our own forces from their satellites.

    Cyber can disrupt and degrade C2 systems.

    The maritime environment might deliver fires or air defence.

    The land domain might launch Stromshroud, project special forces or launch attacks against key targets.

    We get this right; we create control of the air. We might be limited in time and geography, but it opens up the opportunity for our forces to target and exploit other opportunities.

    But no plan survives contact with the enemy and we need a mechanism to adapt and react, to ensure that we’re able to exploit opportunities and make the right decisions at the right time in this complex environment.

    In the UK we’ve developed NEXUS, it’s our combat cloud and it will form part of the digital targeting web the minister talked about this morning and it’s through that that we’ll deliver the tempo and deliver that all domain C2. But C2 is about more than the network, it’s about our commanders, our decision making and our training. We’ve got challenge in NATO in particular, how do we command and control in a dynamic environment, multi-domain operations when we’re structured by component and organised by components or geography.

    NATO’s land component commander argues that it’s the Army’s task, the Army should, alone deal with the counter A2 AD threat in Kaliningrad. He might be right in that specific environment, but it’s not proven or tested. It would be like me saying that actually it’s air power that should be the soul force that blunts Russian attacks into NATO territory. We need to lift ourselves out of these historic rivalries and reductive arguments and think about how we deliver truly integrated multi-domain effects.

    How do we set the board at risk in the way Dave said yesterday to make sure we are ready for the next Storm Rising.

    We can learn lessons from other campaigns and operations and the next panel will talk about some of those. But I think we need to test, to train, and to educate our people.

    In the real world, exercises like Bamboo Eagle provide high-end, multi-domain, multinational and long-range exercises where we can test ourselves against these kinds of scenarios. Red Flag has always been the pinnacle air exercise, in this case Red Flag was just the starter to the main course which was exercise Bamboo Eagle.

    175 aircraft from Canada, the UK, Australia, and the US. In an operation that ranged right across the indo-pacific. But we don’t just need to rely on the real world anymore, the synthetic environment provides us with opportunities to test and train in ways we’ve not been able to before.

    In the UK, we’ve developed Gladiator, a synthetic, multi-domain environment that connects national and international components so they can mission rehearse the most complex of multi-domain operations that we are unable to imagine.

    Earlier last year, in Exercise Cobra Warrior, the weather meant that we were unable to conduct some of the flying that we intended, quite a common thing in the UK.

    What we did was, we flew the mission in Gladiator. The full COMAO flew real-time, and then the combined synthetic and real picture that came from that was fed into the was fed into the ops centre which allowed our C2 and ISR teams to test themselves as though it had been for real.

    We can no longer wait to find out what we know and adapt when the war starts.

    For those, like Dave and Shawn Harris who have walked the corridors of the USAF’s School of Advanced Air and Space Power Studies, they’ll see this quote.

    We need to provide those opportunities for our people, so that they are ready for the next Storm Rising.

    The Americans have shown the way with Bamboo Eagle and the phenomenal capability off the coast of California, but I think we need something like this in Europe too.

    Somewhere where we can bring our Armies, Navies, and Air Forces together. Where we can test the land component commander’s assertion that he can alone address the counter A2 AD task in Kaliningrad. Where we can find out how do we command and control multi-domain effects in NATO when we’re organised by components.

    We have talked and sat around the NATO Air Chiefs table about creating some airspace we can turn on and off over the North Sea. But for our agencies and our airlines it’s all a bit too difficult.

    Now to be fair, North Sea might not be the right place. Our friends in Sweden and Finland have got a lot of space and are keen to help. What I would like to do is to see our European and NATO forces pool our resources and create that capacity and capability here in Europe.

    So let me sum up.

    We have to be ready for this next Storm Rising.

    We know it is going to be harder than it was in Tom Clancy’s day.

    Fighting a bespoke, exquisite air campaign that’s not integrated into this evolving battlespace will lead to campaign failure.

    What we need is genuinely integrated multi-domain effects, at this operational and strategic level not just at the tactical level where we know that we excel. How we do that is through thinking and practice. We can do some of that in synthetic environment and that also allows us an opportunity to exploit some of those tools that Keith and others talked about yesterday. But we need to do it in the real world too, so we can identify the frictions and fix them.

    I’ll be honest, I don’t know the answer to this NATO conundrum about command and control and how we do that command and control integrated action and deliver multi-domain effects when we’re organised by component. But the answer to it starts with thinking and practice, and it’s through that we will be able to deter, to fight and to win – tonight, tomorrow and together.

    Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: A Transport Manager in common

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    A Transport Manager in common

    Following a pair of public inquiries, transport manager Michael James has found himself without repute and with a disqualification of considerable length.

    The Traffic Commissioner for the North West, David Mullan heard the cases of De-Luxe Coach Services Ltd and South Derbyshire Coaches Ltd in quick succession. These companies and public inquiries had one notable thing in common, a transport manager who had previously lost and regained his repute.

    Both companies also had a similar range of failings; maintenance deficiencies, unsuitable inspection records and an absence of brake testing.

    Mr. James readily accepted that he had failed in his Transport Manager responsibilities. His passion for buses led to a focus on that as a hobby, alongside a focus on the buying and selling of buses. The commissioner was told that his personality is such that he struggles to delegate. This resulted in him taking on too much responsibility and failing to focus on the important issues.

    Mr Mullan said “Mr. James has failed in his lawful duty to ensure effective and continuous management of the Operator’s transport service. The failures are wide ranging and whilst I recognise that he has obtained certificates showing continuous professional development they actually give me some cause for concern. To be so absent of one’s duties, despite recent training, leaves me questioning how could Mr. James actually be rehabilitated.”

    The transport manager lost his repute and was disqualified for seven years from both holding or obtaining an Operator’s licence and from acting in the capacity of transport manager for any road transport undertaking.

    De-Luxe Coach Services Ltd had its licence revoked but South Derbyshire Coaches Ltd was suspended for 21 days to ensure minimal disruption to school services, and for alternative arrangements to be made for registered services, both of which are reliant upon this operator.

    The full written decisions can be found here and here.

    For any further details or enquiries, please contact: pressoffice@otc.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Record £14.5 billion of export financing supports 70,000 jobs

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Record £14.5 billion of export financing supports 70,000 jobs

    UK economy and workers have benefited from the export credit agency’s highest level of business ever

    • UK Export Finance provided a record £14.5 billion in new financing last year, helping over 667 UK companies to export and grow 

    • Up to 70,000 jobs and £5.4 billion to national GDP supported by UKEF financing, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change 

    • Detailed in UKEF’s annual report for 2024-25, support for UK businesses helps turbocharge the economy and deliver growth opportunities across the country 

    UK Export Finance (UKEF) provided £14.5 billion in loans, guarantees and insurance over the last year and supported tens of thousands of jobs in key industrial sectors around the country, according to its latest accounts published today. 

    UKEF is the UK’s export credit agency and a government department, working alongside the Department for Business and Trade. Established in 1919, it exists to ensure that no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance from the private market, while operating at no net cost to the taxpayer. 

    UKEF provided the highest level of support in its 106-year history in 2024-25 to help 667 UK firms break into international markets and grow as exporters. 

    Businesses benefitting include Yorkshire-based Angloco and Ayrshire-headquartered Emergency One which won contracts to supply 62 fire engines to Iraq after UKEF provided a loan to its Ministry of Finance, and Northern Ireland pressure washer manufacturer Maxflow is entering new markets overseas after it gained access to capital with help of a guarantee provided through UKEF’s General Export Facility. 

    UKEF’s efforts to champion UK exporters supported up to 70,000 jobs including in key industrial sectors like clean energy industries, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and automotive which are central to the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.  

    Overall, UKEF’s financing in the year backed the contribution of up to £5.4 billion (GDP) to the economy – helping to drive productivity and raise living standards as part of the government’s Plan for Change. 

    Sustainability and helping sectors transition to the low-carbon economy are key priorities for UKEF as part of its 2024-2029 Business Plan, strengthening the government’s efforts to make the UK a clean energy superpower.  

    The department provided £2.3 billion of strategic clean growth financing supporting ventures like the expansion of AESC’s new gigafactory in Teesside – announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves – producing batteries that will power up to 100,000 electric vehicles a year, and to recycled paper manufacturer Shotton Mill in North Wales that is to become the largest of its kind in the UK and reducing net carbon emissions.  

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: 

    Our number one mission is delivering growth to put more money in people’s pockets.  

    That’s why we increased UKEF’s lending capacity by billions and have given more flexibility to invest in priority sectors like defence, building on its record levels of support for businesses to export and grow, and the tens of thousands of jobs it has secured.

    Smaller firms remain central to UKEF’s mission to boost exports. The department supported 496 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 2024/25, of which 83% are based outside of London.  

    Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said:

    Our Plan for Change is backing British business to take advantage of export opportunities abroad to create jobs and growth at home. 

    Through record support, UKEF is playing a key role in achieving this, providing financial backing to exporters across the UK looking to grow and compete overseas. 

    UK Export Finance CEO, Tim Reid, added:

    I’m proud of our record-breaking year in which we’ve achieved real impact by forging new strategic global partnerships, boosting hundreds of exporters and supporting tens of thousands of jobs. 

    With customers at the heart of everything we do, we’re committed through our ambitious business plan to helping more British exporters firms succeed globally.  

    We’ve strengthened our products and supported more small businesses too – spreading the benefits of trade across the entire UK. 

    As we continue in our mission, we’re eager to play a key role in supporting the Industrial and Trade Strategies to drive sustainable economic growth.

    Marco Forgione, Director General at Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, said:

    The record year for UK Export Finance is hugely welcome, and has helped small businesses up and down the country take that first step on their export journey.  

    Finance is often the missing piece in the jigsaw when looking to new markets. Access to the right tools at the right time can turn local ambition into international growth.  

    We now need to keep the momentum going, and help even more small businesses feel confident about exporting their fantastic goods and services around the world.

    Contact

    Media enquiries:

    Notes to editors: 

    1. Under the Direct Lending Facility, UK Export Finance (UKEF) provides loans within an overall limit of £13 billion to overseas buyers, allowing them to finance the purchase of capital goods and/or services from UK exporters. Of that limit, £3 billion has been allocated to support the defence sector. 

    The loans we provide for each transaction can be made in up to 8 currencies, with a value limit of £200 million (although more flexibility may be offered in limited circumstances). 

    1. UKEF’s General Export Facility (GEF) provides partial guarantees to banks to support UK exporters’ overall business growth, rather than being tied to specific export contracts. Eligible firms can use GEF to secure working capital, scale up their operations and position their business for international opportunities.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Flexible workplace experience options highlighted in call to businesses

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    City of Wolverhampton Council, West Midlands Combined Authority’s Careers Hub and The Careers & Enterprise Company yesterday (Wednesday) hosted an event at Molineux Stadium to highlight how businesses can get involved.

    Flexible workplace experiences make it easier than ever for businesses, especially small to medium enterprises, to get involved and make a real difference.

    Options include offering project experience for a day, hosting a young person one day a week, or inviting a class in just for a few hours so they can see what goes on in a business.

    The council’s Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, Councillor Chris Burden, said: “Too many young people in the West Midlands are missing out on workplace experiences because there aren’t enough being offered.

    “This week’s event was about highlighting to city businesses – no matter how big or small – the flexible ways they can support young people in this space.

    “Whatever works for businesses, works for us – and the young people of Wolverhampton.”

    Erica Chamberlain, Head of Strategic Business Partnerships at The Careers & Enterprise Company, said: “Workplace experiences are one of the most powerful ways young people can explore career options, develop employability skills and build confidence.

    “Small businesses are the backbone of the West Midlands economy, and they play a vital role in shaping the future talent pipeline, but we know that time and capacity can be a challenge. That’s why we’re championing flexible approaches that make it easier than ever for SMEs to get involved, whether it’s a few hours, a day, or something more regular.

    “The benefits for business are real too, from fresh perspectives and energy to early access to emerging local talent. This is about creating simple, meaningful opportunities that work for employers and inspire the next generation.”

    Any businesses interested in offering workplace experiences or want more information should contact the council’s Gemma Lisseman, Open Door Work Experience Co-ordinator, on 01902 552690 or 07773 190497, or email gemma.lisseman@wolverhampton.gov.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Deadline set for unsafe cladding removal

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Deadline set for unsafe cladding removal

    Strict deadlines for landlords to fix unsafe cladding and over £1 billion allocated to make social tenants safe.

    • New legislation will set strict deadlines for landlords to fix unsafe cladding or face the consequences
    • Next phase of Remediation Acceleration Plan proposes new powers for government to remediate buildings if landlords fail to do so 
    • New joint plan for accelerating social housing remediation backed by over £1 billion in new investment

    Thousands of buildings with unsafe cladding are set to be fixed faster thanks to new legislation and over £1 billion of investment in social housing remediation.

    The government is today (17 July) publishing a joint plan with the social housing sector to accelerate remediation across England, as well as setting out plans for a new law as part of the second phase of the Remediation Acceleration Plan. 

    At the heart of the joint plan on social housing remediation is a commitment by government to invest over £1 billion to give social landlords equal access to government funding schemes as private building owners.  There is no time to waste, and today the Cladding Safety Scheme guidance has been changed so that the equal access policy can be implemented with immediate effect.  

    As part of this work, housing associations, local authorities and regulators are committing to accelerate work to assess and fix social housing buildings, and to improve support to social tenants before, during and after remedial works. 

    A new Remediation Bill is also being brought forward to make sure that landlords are held to account for fixing unsafe cladding and to tackle the slow pace of action across the sector. 

    The legislation – which will be brought forward as soon as parliamentary timetable allows – will require landlords of buildings 18m or more in height with unsafe cladding to complete remediation by the end of 2029, and landlords of buildings 11-18m in height to complete remediation by the end of 2031.  

    Those who fail to comply without reasonable excuse could face unlimited fines or imprisonment. New legislation will also give named bodies, such as Homes England and local authorities, powers to remediate buildings with unsafe cladding if the landlord fails to do so. 

    These reforms will help to make homes safer, reinforcing the government’s mission to restore confidence in building safety, and make sure that tragedies like the Grenfell Tower fire can never happen again. They will also help the sector to build the affordable homes that the country needs.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

    “Today we have given social landlords access to over £1 billion to remediate unsafe cladding and make residents safe. The social sector is ready to rise to the challenge and make sure that residents are safe in their homes.

    “We are also today sending a clear message to those responsible for a building still wrapped in unsafe cladding: act now or face the consequences. Our Remediation Bill will include a new duty on you to make your building safe by a specified date, and new powers to impose serious penalties on those who fail to comply with the duty, and ultimately to bypass them if necessary to make the building safe.”

    Building Safety and Fire Minister, Alex Norris said:

    “We are determined to make buildings safe and protect residents. Since publishing our Remediation Acceleration Plan, we’ve made strong progress, and this update goes further to drive accountability and remove barriers to speed up remediation. 

    “There is now a clear pathway to remediate every building with unsafe cladding. We expect everyone to play their part in giving residents and leaseholders the peace of mind that they deserve.”

    Additional support has also been announced for leaseholders, including long-term support to help replace Waking Watch measures and shield leaseholders from costly interim safety measures.  

    For the first time, government funding will also be made available to support fire-safety cladding remediation works on buildings under 11 metres, in exceptional cases where no alternative viable funding route exists.  

    The government has also recently laid regulations for the Building Safety Levy, delivering on a key commitment from the initial Remediation Acceleration Plan.  The levy is expected to raise £3.4 billion over the next decade to help fund remediation and will come into force from October 2026.  

    To maintain the viability of housing delivery, the levy has exemptions for affordable housing, supported housing and for development of fewer than ten dwellings as well as a discount for previously developed land. 

    Through Local Remediation Acceleration Plans, Mayoral Strategic Authorities will work closely with regulators and draw on local expertise to drive progress in their areas.  These locally tailored plans will address unsafe buildings more effectively and ensure residents feel safe in their homes. The government has provided over £5 million to Metro Mayors to support them in this effort. 

    A new National Remediation system, now being rolled out by Homes England, will also support regulators with up-to date building safety data and help hold failing landlords to account.

    Since publication of the Remediation Action Plan in December 2024, 24,000 more residents are living in homes that have been remediated.  Progress is being made, and must continue until every unsafe building is fixed.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM remarks at press conference with Chancellor Merz: 17 July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Speech

    PM remarks at press conference with Chancellor Merz: 17 July 2025

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s remarks at a press conference with Chancellor Merz.

    Good afternoon.

    It’s a real pleasure to welcome Chancellor Merz. 

    And it’s great to be here at Airbus today. I’m always amazed at this place when I come to visit, it’s not my first visit. 

    Thank you for showing us the amazing work you do here. 

    This is one the most cutting-edge facilities in Europe.

    Home to the Exo-Mars Rover, designed with German expertise and built right here in Stevenage.

    You are driving innovation in defence and space technology, making us all safer – leading us into the future.

    And this is at the heart of what brings Friedrich and I together.

    We see the scale of the challenges our continent faces today and we intend meet them head on. But we also see the scale of the opportunities. So, we have a shared resolve to shape this new era with new leadership.

    The UK and Germany side by side, delivering growth and security and delivering for working people.

    And that’s why, earlier today we did something genuinely unprecedented. Building on our new agreement with the EU, together, we signed the Kensington Treaty, the first ever major bilateral treaty between the United Kingdom and Germany. 

    Two great, modern European nations. It is an expression of our shared aims and values.

    But more than that – it is a practical workplan, setting out 17 major projects where we will come together to deliver real results which will improve people’s lives.

    So a historic treaty and statement of intent and ambition. And we intend to do, amongst other things, as leading NATO powers in Europe, committing not only to our mutual defence but also to maximise the benefits of our defence spending, in the shape of more jobs, more growth and more security.

    Under this treaty we will bring our industries together to boost defence exports by billions of pounds and we’ll speed up our collaboration on high tech weapons and equipment, strengthening NATO – and keeping our people safe. 

    Our economic links already support half a million British jobs.

    So under this treaty we’ll go further, with eGate access for frequent business travellers. I know that’s something very popular here. 

    A direct rail link, and a new UK-Germany Business Forum to boost investment, starting today with new investments into the UK worth over £200 million. 

    We’re also deepening collaboration on science and innovation, supporting great jobs, like those here at Airbus. 

    And we’re delivering new infrastructure projects, including in the North Sea Energy to produce power that is cheaper, greener and more secure.

    Crucially – we’re also working together on illegal migration. I want to thank Friedrich for his leadership on this.

    Pledging decisive action to strengthen German law this year so that small boats being stored or transported in Germany can be seized, disrupting the route to the UK and it’s a clear sign that we mean business. We are coming after the criminal gangs in every way we can. 

    We also discussed the appalling situation in Gaza. We are both working to support efforts towards a ceasefire and also to demand the immediate, unconditional release of the remaining hostages and the immediate, unconditional humanitarian access that is so desperately needed to deliver aid at volume and at speed.

    Finally, we discussed the situation Ukraine. Just a few days after Friedrich took office in May earlier this year we were both in Kyiv shoulder-to-shoulder with President Zelenskyy during one of the toughest moments in this horrendous war.

    Now we’re leading the work to get the best kit to Ukraine as fast as possible. We’ll keep pushing this forward – together with the US and other allies because ultimately our security starts in Ukraine. 

    So this is a partnership with a purpose. And I think it illustrates what our work on the international stage is all about. It’s about building the foundations of stability across our continent that make us safer, boost our economy and deliver change across for our people. It’s about delivering results and that’s what we’re working towards.  

    And, in a dangerous world, we do this together. 

    So thank you Friedrich –  for your partnership and your friendship.

    Now, over to you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: HS2 6-monthly report to Parliament: July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Written statement to Parliament

    HS2 6-monthly report to Parliament: July 2025

    Review of High Speed Two (HS2) including programme governance, delivery update, benefits, community impacts, land and property.

    Overview

    Today (17 July 2025) I am publishing this government’s second update to Parliament on the progress of High Speed Two (HS2).

    In my previous report, I set out the difficult position that we inherited. HS2 has suffered from repeated cost increases and delays for too long. Although there have been external factors outside of the programme’s control, it has also been mismanaged. It is now clear that cost estimates were overly optimistic and the programme moved to construction too quickly when designs were still immature. Delivery of the programme has not been sufficiently controlled, with a poorly performing supply chain that was insufficiently incentivised. There have been repeated changes in policy, scope and funding and excessive costs incurred in achieving environmental and planning compliance. This means delayed benefits and cost increases incurred on HS2 have diverted billions of pounds from other vital transport priorities.

    This is unacceptable, the cycle of cost increases and delays must be broken and I am determined to achieve this. The project is now under new leadership, and I have tasked HS2 Ltd’s new CEO, Mark Wild, with leading a comprehensive reset of the programme. He is making progress, but this is a huge task, and we need to ensure he has a robust plan for delivering the programme to completion in a controlled way and at the lowest reasonable cost. To this end, the department will work with him and HS2 Ltd over the coming months to advise me on the decisions needed to reset HS2, with the aim of providing an updated delivery baseline and funding envelope in 2026. Until this work is completed, this government is not in a position to say with confidence how much HS2 will cost or when it will be delivered. That is a deeply unsatisfactory position, but it is necessary to complete the hard work we have embarked upon.

    Effective ministerial oversight will be at the heart of this reset. The Rail Minister and I meet regularly with Mark Wild to assess progress and in March, I chaired a meeting of the Ministerial Task Force with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, focusing on completing the programme in a controlled way. In June, I appointed Mike Brown as the new Chair of the HS2 Ltd Board to help us drive effective oversight and accountability on the programme. Both Mark Wild and Mike Brown have experience in major project recovery from Crossrail, which will be invaluable to this task. Mike’s immediate priorities will include supporting Mark and strengthening the challenge that the Board provides to HS2 Ltd, to complement ministerial oversight.

    The reset needs to be guided by the lessons learned from HS2’s delivery to date. In June, I published the major transport projects governance and assurance review, led by James Stewart. This report set out recommendations and actions that we are taking to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, helping to bring HS2 under control and to improve the delivery of future infrastructure projects.

    The government’s determination to now see this programme delivered as efficiently as possible is underpinned by the allocation of £25.3 billion (nominal prices) of funding over 4 years in the Spending Review, as set out in the financial annex.

    Despite the evident challenges, HS2 Ltd, its suppliers and over 33,000 workers have maintained steady progress on construction, achieving major delivery milestones since my last report.

    HS2 will foster economic growth in support of this government’s mission. Research commissioned by HS2 Ltd has found that the prospective arrival of HS2 is already leading to redevelopment around new HS2 stations, demonstrating the early potential of this scheme to act as a catalyst for investment in businesses, new jobs and homes. The research estimates that the programme will deliver economic uplifts of £10 billion in the West Midlands and £10 billion around Old Oak Common station in west London over the next 10 years. 

    Delivering an HS2 station at Euston remains a priority to realise the programme’s benefits. Following our commitment to funding the tunnelling required to bring HS2 to central London, we continue to work with key partners to develop affordable, integrated plans for the Euston station campus alongside significant levels of local development, including housing and life sciences institutions. In parallel, we recently announced that a Euston Delivery Company will be established to oversee the development of the whole Euston campus, which will comprise the new HS2 station, an upgraded Network Rail station and enhancements to the London Underground station and local transport facilities, along with a significant level of development. We welcome the joint venture that The Crown Estate has announced with Lendlease, our development partner at Euston. As set out in the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, we are exploring the use of private capital to design, build, finance and maintain the HS2 station.

    Finally, beyond individual rail schemes, the rail network must be viewed as a whole. HS2 will play a key part in our ambition to improve rail for passengers, with its services and benefits extending far beyond London and Birmingham, including the capacity it releases for other regional and London services.

    Delivery update

    Schedule and cost

    As I set out in the House of Commons on 18 June, based on Mark Wild’s initial advice, I see no route by which trains can be running by 2033 as previously planned. Mark has committed to establishing and delivering to a new baseline in 2026. Once this work is complete, we will have an agreed estimate of how much the project will cost and when it will be delivered.

    Whilst the reset is ongoing, the department is managing HS2 Ltd through strengthened in-year controls, including challenging targets and metrics to deliver within annual budgets. To drive in-year delivery performance, an enhanced level of governance and assurance has also been implemented, reflecting the recommendations of James Stewart’s review.

    This year, HS2 Ltd has rescheduled some work to ensure it operates within its annual financial settlement.

    Expenditure

    To the end of April 2025, £40.5 billion (nominal prices) had been spent on the HS2 programme. This is provided in more detail in the financial annex, based on data provided by HS2 Ltd.

    Spend to date information covers the period up to the end of April 2025. Unless stated otherwise, all figures are presented in nominal prices.

    Following the recent conclusion of the Spending Review, the department has reached a settlement with HM Treasury to fund the delivery of HS2, with £25.3 billion (nominal prices) covering financial years 2026 to 2027 to 2029 to 2030.

    This funding will enable the reset of the HS2 programme under the leadership of Mark Wild, addressing longstanding delivery challenges. It will enable HS2 to move forward with a more secure delivery plan and will support progress at the lowest reasonable cost.

    This settlement will support the continued delivery of Phase 1, providing funding for works from Old Oak Common to Birmingham Curzon Street and Handsacre Junction, Euston Tunnels and Approaches and Euston Station enabling works.

    The HS2 programme is currently in a period of high spend, with much of it in active construction. The department expects HS2 Ltd’s expenditure to become noticeably lower over the next Spending Review period as delivery of the programme progresses.

    The department has updated its reporting of historic programme expenditure from 2019 prices to nominal prices. Once the programme reset is complete and a new baseline agreed, HS2 Ltd will also uplift the price base for programme reporting and for the revised cost estimate. The department will consider how often the price base should be uplifted until the end of the programme.

    Construction progress

    Over 70% of HS2’s 32 miles of bored and mined tunnels between London and Birmingham have now been completed.

    Construction is progressing across the route, with active works underway on 44 viaducts, 126 bridges, 75 embankments and 60 cuttings.

    The Northolt Tunnels, which will link Old Oak Common Station to West Ruislip, were recently completed. Constructed in 2 phases – East and West – the tunnels were excavated using 4 tunnel boring machines (TBMs). TBMs Sushila and Caroline completed mining the western section in April 2025, while mining on the eastern section, led by TBMs Emily and Anne, was completed at the end of June 2025.

    In May, the first Bromford Tunnel broke through, connecting Warwickshire to Birmingham, marking the completion of the first section of the 3.5-mile tunnel.

    In April, a 14,500-tonne box structure that will carry the high-speed line was successfully installed under the A46. The installation utilised innovative civil and structural engineering techniques, which involved constructing the box on land before pushing it across a guiding raft over 64 metres into place.

    Over 8.5 million cubic metres of soil have been excavated, representing 73% of the total planned earthworks.

    In February, the first viaduct in the Delta Junction in North Warwickshire was completed, marking both a significant milestone in the construction of HS2 in the region and the first use of an innovative giant cantilever system in the UK.

    At Interchange Station in Solihull, enabling works have commenced on site, including surveys and ground investigations to inform the detailed design.

    The ‘systems and service’ tender was launched in February 2025 for the Automated People Mover (APM), which will provide connectivity between Interchange Station, the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham International Station and Birmingham Airport.

    At Curzon Street Station in central Birmingham, piling works continue to progress with only the western section remaining. For this financial year, the focus will be on completing the design before construction starts next year. The updated Schedule 17 planning consents for the revised station designs were approved by Birmingham City Council on 8 May 2025. Schedule 17 of the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017 establishes a process for the approval of matters related to the design and construction of the railway. It requires HS2 Ltd to seek approval from the appropriate planning authority, in this case, Birmingham City Council. This approval shall allow HS2 Ltd to construct the station with improvements to the visuals of the station and refinements to the long-term maintenance requirements. 

    At Old Oak Common Station in west London, the tunnel boring machines are being assembled with preparations currently underway to enable their launch towards Euston in spring 2026.

    In November 2024, we reached a key milestone with the award of the rail systems contracts worth around £3 billion in current prices. The contracts commenced in February 2025, but work on site will not start until main works civils are largely complete. Procurement of the Washwood Heath Depot and the National Integrated Control Centre continues.

    Lessons from the contracting failures of HS2’s main works programme have been firmly embedded in the systems contracts. The design of rail systems is more advanced at this stage than it was for main works civils, giving better cost certainty. HS2 Ltd has established an alliance with stronger incentives to ensure suppliers share risk, allowing us to manage costs better and drive performance. The contracts require fewer consents to be granted as well.

    Mobilisation on the rail systems contract has started and timelines are being developed in line with the wider programme challenges noted elsewhere in this report. There will be a formal review at the end of the design stage to make sure all parties are ready to start work on site, again learning from main works civils.

    Euston

    The department continues to work with key partners to develop affordable, integrated plans for the Euston station campus. In parallel, enabling works are continuing to ready the HS2 station site for the main construction programme.

    In terms of the delivery model, the government announced in its 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy that a Euston Delivery Company will be established to oversee the development of the whole Euston campus. The new delivery model will involve a changed role for HS2 Ltd but will go much broader than that to address historical challenges at the site. HS2 Ltd will remain a key partner, continuing to carry out important work at Euston.

    The department also continues to work with partners to examine available delivery and private finance options that will realise the great regeneration potential of the Euston area alongside the improvement of transport links.

    Specifically, the department is exploring options for various elements of the programme to be funded through a combination of private finance, development receipts, and potential local contributions such as tax increment financing, with a degree of residual public funding. The department has been engaging closely with HM Treasury and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority as it continues to develop its plans, and has appointed specialist advisors to ensure it has access to expert support.

    As we progress our plans to reinitiate delivery, we are embedding the recommendations of James Stewart’s review through the new delivery model and working closely with partners to manage risks sensibly and collectively. We will continue to work with key partners with the aim of restarting design later this year. No final decisions have been made regarding the preferred mechanisms to securing funding and finance, including private finance options; further details will be shared in due course.

    The delivery of HS2 has continued during this period to be the subject of both legal and planning challenges, which have added significant cost, uncertainty and potential for delay. It is right that there are checks and balances embedded in our legal and planning systems to ensure local interests are considered when national projects are implemented. There is, however, the risk that these rights are used to frustrate the delivery of consented projects, with legal challenges and planning powers used in a way that drives up costs to both local and national taxpayers, rather than protecting local interests. 

    The HS2 planning and environmental regime set out in the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017 has been subject to multiple attempts at legal challenge from other public bodies, most recently in relation to the extension of the Bromford tunnel in North Warwickshire – with a judgment delivered in the project’s favour.  Since Royal Assent for the act, there have been 9 legal challenges brought by other public bodies. In almost all of these cases, the courts have ultimately found in the project’s favour, but not in time to avoid significant uncertainty, costly delays, or additional legal costs for both parties – the majority of which has unfortunately had to be borne by local taxpayers.

    In the same time period, there have also been 25 costly and time-consuming appeals relating to the HS2 planning regime. Almost all of these appeals have ultimately been determined in HS2’s favour. The government continues to monitor this issue closely and will consider further interventions where appropriate, alongside its wider work on planning reform.

    Fraud investigation

    We are aware of the claims made in relation to a labour supplier on part of the route. The allegations concern inflated invoices and improper PAYE charges, potentially defrauding taxpayers. HS2 Ltd treats all whistleblower allegations seriously and an investigation was launched earlier this year into these allegations. Furthermore, HS2 Ltd has formally reported the allegations to HMRC and HS2 Ltd’s contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI has implemented additional monitoring and controls.

    Benefits

    Housing

    Despite all the challenges, HS2 represents a significant plank of the government’s Plan for Change, our growth and housing missions, and our ambition to deliver infrastructure that works for the whole country. 

    HS2 provides an unparalleled opportunity to build new homes, create jobs and attract investment. The redevelopment of land around the new HS2 stations will enable the ideal conditions for business, new jobs and homes and will act as a catalyst for further investment and wider growth.

    In the West Midlands, HS2 is estimated to support directly 4,000 new homes around Curzon Street Station and 3,000 new homes around Interchange Station as part of the Arden Cross development in Solihull. Additionally, research from a February 2024 report suggests that HS2 will add £10 billion to the West Midlands economy over the next 10 years and help generate over 41,000 additional homes.

    In west London, local partners estimate that HS2 will, in the long term, support the delivery of up to 25,500 new homes around Old Oak Common station, including 9,000 new homes as part of the first phase of development at Old Oak West. Separate research from March 2025 estimates that HS2 will add £10 billion to the west London economy over the next 10 years and support 22,000 additional homes. Around Euston in central London, HS2 will support the delivery of thousands of new homes and the development of a new ‘knowledge quarter’.

    There could also be new housing opportunities along the West Coast Mainline between London and the West Midlands, at places that gain improved local services as a result of network capacity released by HS2. Decisions have not yet been made by the government on where these additional services will run.

    Jobs and skills

    In addition to long-term ambitions, HS2 is contributing to economic growth now. The programme is currently supporting over 33,000 jobs and over 3,400 UK businesses in the supply chain across the country, including over 2,500 small and medium-sized enterprises.

    HS2 is also helping to break down barriers to opportunity and training a skilled workforce for the UK’s wider rail and construction industries. The programme is attracting new and diverse people to the industry. Having created over 1,800 apprenticeships and supported over 5,000 previously unemployed people back into work on the project since 2017, the programme is helping to bridge the skills gap and tackle unemployment along the HS2 construction corridor. By drawing on and developing world-class skills, HS2 will leave a positive skills legacy that will develop and strengthen the country’s construction workforce for the years to come.

    Environment

    Updated designs for ecological mitigation over the past six months have seen further progress made on the target to achieve ‘no net loss’ to biodiversity by the end of the construction programme. At the end of 2024 to 2025, the position for area-based habitats has improved while designs for hedgerows and watercourse habitats remained on track to deliver a net gain in biodiversity.

    HS2 Ltd is also seeking to reduce the whole-life carbon emissions associated with construction of HS2 by 50%, aiming to maximise productivity and cost-saving measures to achieve this goal. At the end of 2024 to 2025, the programme had so far achieved a 33.8% reduction in carbon against that 50% target.

    Community impacts, land and property

    Appointment of a new independent commissioner

    I am pleased to announce the appointment of Robert Herga as the independent High Speed Rail Residents’ and Construction Commissioner, following an open competition.

    The commissioner is responsible for holding HS2 Ltd and the government accountable to their commitments to treat those people directly affected by the HS2 scheme with sensitivity and respect. The commissioner also makes themselves available to intervene in unresolved land and property disputes, as an objective and independent voice, focussing on timely settlement to save costs on both sides. This new role combines the previous roles of HS2 Construction Commissioner and HS2 Residents’ Commissioner.

    Community engagement performance

    HS2 Ltd received 1209 complaints during 2024 to 2025, an increase of 102 when compared to the previous year. At this stage of the programme, the vast majority of complaints are construction-related, with over half about traffic and transport impacts and about one-third related to noise and vibration impacts. Where communities have complaints, HS2 Ltd seeks to resolve issues quickly. Over the last financial year, HS2 Ltd resolved 100% of urgent complaints within 2 working days and resolved 96% of all other complaints within 20 working days or less.

    Local funds

    The HS2 project is mitigating some of the impacts of construction on local places through the Community and Environment Fund and the Business and Local Economy Fund.

    As at June 2025, over £19 million has been channelled through these funds towards 353 local community projects.

    Land and property on the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg

    I am today formally lifting the safeguarding directions for the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg (between the West Midlands and Leeds), removing the uncertainty that has affected many people along the former route. Safeguarding along the former Phase 2b Western Leg (between Crewe and Manchester) is not being changed as part of this, and an update on future plans for safeguarding on this section will be provided in due course alongside broader plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

    One small area to the south of the existing station in central Leeds, previously required for the new HS2 station, will remain safeguarded to allow for potential enhancements to the existing station, including for onward travel.

    I have also today closed the Rural Support Zone, Express Purchase, Rent Back, and the Need to Sell property schemes along the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg. Existing applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

    Removing safeguarding along the majority of the former HS2 Phase 2b Eastern Leg means we are now able to initiate a programme to dispose of over 550 properties on the former Eastern Leg that are no longer required. We expect disposals on the open market to begin in 2026. Before then, former owners whose property was acquired under statutory blight will have the opportunity to reacquire their former property at the current market value.

    We will dispose of land and property in a sensible and sensitive way, ensuring value for money for the taxpayer and avoiding disruption to local property markets.

    I have deposited the safeguarding directions and relevant documents in the House libraries.

    Programme governance

    Programme reset

    Following Mark Wild’s arrival as the new HS2 Ltd CEO in December 2024, I commissioned him to set out a plan to deliver the remaining HS2 infrastructure in a safe, controlled and efficient manner and bring the new railway into operational use, for the lowest reasonable cost to the taxpayer. Mark gave me his initial diagnosis at the end of March and I expect him to advise me further over the coming months.

    His initial assessment summarises the currently uncontrolled state of the programme and the significant challenge of achieving a programme reset that minimises delays and stops further cost increases. He also confirmed his view that, based on the current scope and delivery strategy, it is not possible to deliver HS2’s opening stage between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street within the stated range of 2029 to 2033, and that the funding envelope set by the previous government will not be sufficient. If interventions are not enacted, costs will rise and delivery will be further delayed.

    As such, it is now the work of Mark and his team to put in place measures to bring the railway into service as quickly and cost effectively as possible, with government support and constructive challenge. As part of his work, Mark will advise me on updated estimates to give the government and taxpayers certainty over HS2’s costs and schedule – breaking the cycle of cost increases and overruns.

    The HS2 reset will involve:

    • setting a new realistic cost and schedule baseline within which we can complete the programme
    • resetting the commercial relationship with HS2’s principal civil works suppliers to drive increased productivity and control cost
    • making sure HS2 Ltd has the right skills and capabilities to deliver the remaining work, including improvements to setup, operating model, leadership, culture, effectiveness and capabilities
    • improving how the department and wider government sponsors the delivery of HS2, drawing on the findings and recommendations from James Stewart’s independent review and the department’s own work on lessons

    The scale and complexity of resetting the programme is a major challenge. Mark Wild carried out a similar process as the CEO of Crossrail, putting the project back on track and delivering a successful opening of the Elizabeth line in 2022. It is important we take this opportunity to get it right, which is why the reset will take time and involve close working between HS2 Ltd, DfT and the rest of the government. The ambition is for an updated and assured full baseline to measure performance in 2026.

    In parallel, the department plans to publish an updated programme business case in 2026, once agreed cost and schedule estimates are available.

    Oversight

    On 18 March 2025, I chaired a meeting of the reconvened Ministerial Task Force for HS2. I was joined by the Rail Minister, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Mark Wild and other senior leaders from HS2 Ltd and across the government to scrutinise initial plans on resetting the programme and delivering HS2 at the lowest reasonable cost.

    On 31 March 2025, Sir Jon Thompson stepped down as HS2 Ltd Chair. On 18 June, I was pleased to announce Mike Brown as the new Chair of HS2 Ltd. Mike Brown brings decades of experience in delivering major transport projects as former TfL Commissioner, and member of the team that turned Crossrail into the Elizabeth Line. He will lead the Board and work with Mark Wild on the urgent priority to reset the project.

    It is clear from Mark Wild’s assessment that HS2 Ltd currently falls far short of having the capability and culture needed to deliver the programme effectively. Mike Brown has been tasked with strengthening the HS2 Ltd Board to more effectively support and challenge Mark Wild in conducting the reset of HS2 and the safe delivery of Phase 1 at the lowest reasonable cost. To support strengthened board oversight, a recruitment exercise has been launched to appoint new non-executive directors to bolster board capability and capacity.

    I would like to thank Elaine Holt for leading the Board in her capacity as Deputy Chair over the period from 1 April to 13 July.

    We have also enacted temporary arrangements which establish additional control measures and monitoring to ensure the programme is managed properly. This will bridge the period leading to the formal reset of the programme.

    Capturing, applying and sharing lessons

    Following my last report, the major transport projects governance and assurance review, led by James Stewart, has concluded. It has provided important lessons that can be applied to HS2, the department’s other capital projects and infrastructure schemes across the government.

    Most major programmes experience difficulties in their delivery. However, the failures seen on HS2 are extreme, with costs increasing continuously over many years and very rapidly since the start of construction. There is no single explanation for these failings – they span across its lifecycle from conception through to delivery and from governmental sponsorship, through planning and consenting, to how the government has orchestrated its delivery between HS2 Ltd and the construction supply chain.  

    We have worked closely with HM Treasury and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to identify lessons from the HS2 programme.

    The department is applying the lessons from James Stewart’s and other reviews, including embedding the lessons into the HS2 programme reset plan and in developing and delivering other transport and wider infrastructure projects.

    High ambition at inception

    Early decisions resulted in an exceptionally high-specification and high-speed railway, which drove higher costs and meant that tried and tested approaches could not be relied upon. In future programmes, opportunities for reducing cost based on the minimum acceptable design should be explored and use of bespoke or cutting-edge specifications should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

    Scope changes

    Since HS2’s inception, the scope of the programme has been progressively reduced. Scope reductions have been in part a result of cost increases, but have added to delivery challenges and left the residual scheme over-specified in relation to the benefits it will deliver. 

    To address both of these lessons, the department has contributed to the Office for Value for Money’s study into the governance and budgeting arrangements for ‘mega projects’ to make sure that lessons from HS2 are applied to the wider government’s approach to infrastructure delivery.

    Governance

    Governance has evolved through the lifetime of the project and in the light of pressures; however, it has not been sufficiently effective in identifying and managing the scale of challenges, including in relation to cost management and capability. We have implemented a series of changes in the governance of the programme to respond to James Stewart’s recommendations. We held the first shareholder board on 28 May, which provided strategic-level oversight of the programme from the Permanent Secretary, Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd special directors, the senior responsible officer, interim HS2 Ltd chair and senior DfT and HMT Officials. A renewed programme and performance board now meets monthly to focus on the effective delivery of Phase 1 (including Euston) against agreed schedule, cost and scope.

    Cost estimation

    Since the inception of the project, internal and external experts have comprehensively scrutinised cost estimates. However, despite this, estimates have consistently proven to be wrong.

    Last year, HS2 Ltd and departmental officials jointly concluded a comprehensive external review of the current approach to cost estimation and programme control. HS2 Ltd has been implementing an action plan to strengthen these vital areas of project control. A priority of the HS2 reset is setting a new, realistic and assured baseline of cost and schedule within which we can complete the programme. In addition, our progress to date means that evidence based on past experience, rather than forecast estimates, can be utilised to inform current and future delivery of the programme, including ongoing progress on civils delivery and the recent letting of the systems contracts.

    To validate this new estimate, there is also work underway to verify the civil work delivered to date and its cost. This will allow the programme to validate true delivery costs against the original estimates. This information, combined with continued investment in collating benchmarking data from international comparators, will give us a more reliable ‘should cost’ model for the remainder of the programme. This ‘should cost’ model will enable a more accurate assessment of the reasonableness of assumptions in the cost estimate.

    We have learnt that realistic ranges, rather than single target costs, should be set at the early stage of projects. Ranges should only narrow when there is sufficient certainty from external data, such as contract prices. We will adopt an approach that uses robustly verified or benchmarked cost data, with ranges and sensitivity analysis, when taking future programme investment decisions. HS2 will lead the way in ensuring that cost analysis is rigorously incorporated into the design of later procurements and decisions. In parallel, the government has made significant improvements in the analysis of investment benefits in recent years.

    Challenges of building large-scale infrastructure

    Meeting environmental standards and planning requirements has presented a significant challenge to the delivery of the project and has added to cost. It is now clear that the early stages of HS2 scheme development underestimated the planning and regulatory challenges of designing and building a new high-speed railway whilst meeting the expectations of local planning and highway authorities, and complying with the latest safety, security and environmental standards. The granting of consents has been subject to routine challenge, and the need for expensive mitigations to meet legal obligations (such as the bat mitigation structure at Sheephouse Wood in Buckinghamshire) has increased the cost of delivering the railway. 

    The government is already implementing far-reaching reforms to ensure economic infrastructure can be delivered more efficiently. To strike a better balance between avoiding costs and delays on agreed schemes whilst allowing local scrutiny, Ministers will be able to intervene more actively in the process within the existing planning framework, utilising the reforms in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill once enacted, as well as considering whether further alterations to the HS2 planning framework could bring benefits for efficient infrastructure delivery and to taxpayers more generally.

    Capability challenges

    Costs have increased in part due to insufficient capability in HS2 Ltd and the supply chain in delivering a project of this scale. There has been insufficient focus on the client relationship, too many of HS2’s resources were allocated to the wrong place and contract management and project control were not effective. This led to uncontrolled costs and extremely poor productivity and performance from the supply chain. We will be working with Mark Wild and the Board of HS2 Ltd to address the areas where challenges have been identified, such as the need for Mark Wild to put in place a high-calibre and enduring leadership team and to reshape the organisation to deliver efficiently. This will be a priority in the programme reset.

    Ineffective incentives

    HS2 Ltd’s current commercial contracting strategy has not proved effective at controlling costs and fairly attributing responsibility for risks. The contract incentives have focused on providing positive incentives against target costs; however, as costs escalated and changes arose, the incentivised cost targets were exceeded, leading to no positive incentive to deliver at lower cost. Some risks which should have been borne by suppliers have also been transferred to taxpayers. In the future we need incentives and risk allocation that deliver for taxpayers as well as supplier shareholders. This work is being embedded through our engagement across the government, to ensure major infrastructure projects are based on effective commercial contracts and incentives going forward.

    Financial annex

    The information on HS2’s overall spend to date and budget is now being provided in nominal (cash) terms following a commitment made by the department to the Public Accounts Committee to express the costs of the programme in a more up-to-date price base and better capture the inflation incurred since 2019. The government will provide further details on the 2025 to 2026 position in cash terms as part of the standard main estimates report to Parliament.

    Historic and forecast expenditure

    Nominal prices, including land and property.

    Phase Overall spend to date (£ billion) 2025 to 2026 budget (£ billion) 2025 to 2026 forecast (£ billion) 2025 to 2026 variance (£ billion)
    Phase 1 total 37.9 7.1 7.1 0.0
    Civils 26.4 5.4 5.4 0.0
    Stations 2.3 0.6 0.6 0.0
    Systems 2.0 0.3 0.3 0.0
    Phase 1 indirects 3.5 0.4 0.4 0.0
    Land and property Phase 1 3.6 0.3 0.3 0.0
    Former Phase 2 2.6 0.1 0.1 0.0
    Overall total 40.5 7.2 7.2 0.0

    Notes for the table:

    [1] The figures set out in the table have been rounded to aid legibility. Due to this, they do not always tally.

    [2] Spend to date for Phase 1 includes a £0.6 billion liability (provision) representing the department’s obligation to purchase land and property.

    [3] To enable comparison with the figures presented in the December 2024 Parliamentary Report which were in 2019 prices, the equivalent total overall spends to date on Phase 1 and on Former Phase 2 in 2019 prices are £33.11 billion and £2.5 billion respectively and the 2025 to 2026 budgets for Phase 1 and for Former Phase 2 in 2019 prices are £5.4 billion and £0.1 billion respectively.

    HS2 spending review settlement

    Settlement for total spending review period (2026 to 2030): £25.3 billion (nominal prices).

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Anesketin 100 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Dogs, Cats and Horses – Recall alert

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Anesketin 100 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Dogs, Cats and Horses – Recall alert

    Product defect recall alert for Anesketin 100 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Dogs, Cats and Horses.

    We wish to inform veterinarians, wholesalers and retailers that Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC has initiated a Class II recall to veterinarian level for UK GB Vm 16849/5002 and UK NI Vm 16849/3002.

    The reason for the recall relates to the identification of visible particles present in the vials.

    This recall is for the below mentioned batches (50 ml vials) only:

    Batch Number Date of manufacture Date of expiry
    148221 May 2023 23 May 2026
    149367 June 2023 09 June 2026
    154100 Jan 2024 22 January 2027
    156456 March 2024 25 March 2027

    Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC is contacting veterinarians, wholesalers and retailers to examine inventory immediately and quarantine products subject to this recall.

    For further information regarding the recall, please contact Tracey Smith; tracey.smith@dechra.com, alternatively call 01939 211200.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Immediate Support for Returning British Families Fleeing Crisis

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Immediate Support for Returning British Families Fleeing Crisis

    New emergency rules will exempt British nationals and their family members from a residence test when fleeing major international crises

    • New emergency rules will exempt British nationals and their family members from a residence test when fleeing major international crises
    • Changes will ensure returning families can access benefits, homelessness support and apply for social housing upon arrival in the UK

    British nationals fleeing major international crises will now be able to access homelessness support and apply for social housing and benefits faster, thanks to new emergency legislation laid today (Thursday 17th July).  

    In response to recent crises, including in the Middle East, the Foreign Office assisted British nationals and their family members to return to the UK, with those who needed it receiving emergency short-term support, such as short-stay accommodation, food bags and medical care. 

    To ensure no returning family is left without help once this emergency support ends, the government has now fast-tracked new emergency rules to exempt all British nationals and eligible family members escaping international crisis from the Habitual Residence Test (HRT), and the Past Presence Test (PPT). This also will apply for all future crises where the government has advised British nationals to leave or arranged evacuation of British nationals from the country or territory.  

    Currently, British nationals returning home to the UK from a crisis have to wait up to 3 months before becoming eligible for housing or homelessness assistance, or up to two years for some government benefits. This gap in support can leave local councils with very limited tools to offer support to vulnerable people.  

    The new rules will mean fleeing British families can acquire homelessness support, apply for social housing, and access benefits that they’re otherwise entitled to straight away. This will help them rebuild their lives more quickly, alongside easing pressure on councils by enabling early, preventative support, and avoiding more complex emergency responses.  

    This exemption applies following the government advising British nationals to leave a country or territory or beginning evacuations. It will also cover people who are not subject to immigration control, if they already have the right to public funds, and don’t have a sponsor responsible for their accommodation. The new measures are expected to come into force shortly.  

    Further information:

    The emergency exemptions from the Habitual Residence Test (HRT) and the Past Presence Test (PPT) apply in situations where the government has either:

    • Provided public information to advise British nationals to leave a specific country or territory and/or
    • Arranged the evacuation of British nationals from that country or territory.  
    • The exemption will apply for 6 months, from the date the government first advised departure or the first day of an evacuation operation.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –