LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * The work has been valued at £8.4 million * The export bar will allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the oil sketch for the nation An export bar has been placed on an oil sketch by Flemish artist, Peter Paul Rubens, which is at risk of leaving the UK. Rubens was an exceptionally successful painter and is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens was b...
LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: We are delighted to share that 2 GLD colleagues have been recognised in this year's King's Birthday Honours list. Alasdair Wallace, until the end of 2024, was Head of the Civil, Family, Court and Tribunals team for GLD's Ministry of Justice Legal Advisers. He played a key role in making sure the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) are accessible and understandable for the millions of people who use them to navigate the...
LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The UK-funded Nabadaynta Soomaaliya Programme is advancing community-led peacebuilding and justice through the expansion of its innovative "Townhall" meetings across Somalia. These forums enable direct dialogue between local authorities and communities to collaboratively address pressing security and justice concerns. Following early successes in Kismayo and Baidoa, the programme has now extended its support to ...
LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Peter Briggs, Senior Principal Engineer in Positioning, Navigation and Timing at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours list 2025. He has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). The prestigious honour acknowledges Peter's significant contributions to the UK's defence and security capabilities through his expert work in Positi...
LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Civil Service Live is under way - with a chance for civil servants to find out more about the cross-government learning they can access - much of which is free. Government Skills is the Cabinet Office team responsible for all cross-government learning and top civil servants have been helping us to champion the Curriculum of recommended learning - which gives civil servants easy access to the quality-assured lear...
LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The UKHO has appointed Vanessa Blake as its Chief Executive. Vanessa, who has been Interim Chief Executive since May 2024, will continue to lead the world-leading centre for hydrography on a permanent basis, guiding its mission to provide quality, innovative navigation solutions to support safe, secure and thriving oceans. Over the last year, Vanessa has steered the organisation through a pivotal period of trans...
LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Package also includes further £590 million totake forwardthe long-awaited Lower Thames Crossing, and follows record £15.6 billion investment in city region transport announced ahead of the Spending Review. * Funding will ensure vital upgrades are made to tired bridges, flyovers and tunnels across Britain, supporting highly skilled job opportunities, delivering on the Plan for Change. Drivers across t...
LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Jobs and cash boost for Scotland as two investment zones have reached a key milestone. At the Spending Review the Chancellor confirmed the focus of both Glasgow City Region and the North East Scotland Investment Zones (IZs). The Glasgow site will be focussed on advanced manufacturing, targeting innovation in the space and maritime fields and in semi-conductor production. It is expected to generate around £...
LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The largest flooding programme in history will be announced by government this week, with a record £7.9 billion committed over ten years to protect hundreds of thousands of homes, small businesses, and vital infrastructure from the growing threat of flooding. From high-performance flood barriers to nature-based solutions like wetland restoration, the programme will deliver long-term protection for communiti...
LONDON, June 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: From today (16 June 2025), a landmark reform of how medical devices are regulated in Great Britain takes effect, as part of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) broader transformation of the UK's medical device regulatory framework. The new Post-Market Surveillance (PMS) regulations require device manufacturers to actively track the safety and performance of products already in use. T...