LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Action to protect the UK from terrorism is being stepped up with anew international counter-extremism hub to be established in the UK, which willstrengthen efforts to stop violent extremism before it threatens British communities. At the Five Country Ministerial in Sydney, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood secured agreement from her Five Eyes counterparts to establish a permanent joint Countering Violent Extremism ...
LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The digital service for possession proceedings is the first service to be governed by the Online Procedure Rules. This draft practice direction is being published in advance of implementation to support awareness and preparations, ahead of the anticipated first release of the digital service for possession proceedings in September 2026. Developed alongside the Online Procedure Rules 2026 (which establish the pro...
LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: David was appointed to lead a major programme of reform across government communications. During his tenure a wide-ranging Government Communications strategy was developed and a Strategy Unit established alongside the Government Media Unit. The foundations have been laid for the next phase of implementation. Following the change of Prime Minister and administration, David and the First Secretary of State have ag...
LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The UK has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Somalia during the first visit to the country by the minister for Development and Africa, Kirsty McNeill MP. During her visit,the minister met President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud anddiscussed Somalia's political and security prioritiesand the need for progress towards a credible and sustainable transition to Somali-led security. Theminister encouraged leaders from a...
LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued text of the following speech: Madame President, last November, this Council adopted Resolution 2803, sending a powerful message of international support for President Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza. As we have heard from High Representative Mladenov, important progress has been made, which we welcome. But success relies on the actions of the parties themselves. First, all sides must fulfil the commitments they have made. The ceas...
LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * A £1 million trade loan, guaranteed by UK Export Finance, enables Dean's of Huntly to meet rising export demand in Australia, China, Japan, the US and Europe * Dean's recent growth includes the acquisition offellow Aberdeenshire shortbread maker Duncan's of Deeside, taking local jobs from 140 to 200 Dean's of Huntly, a premium Scottish shortbread maker, has secured a £1 million trade loan, guara...
LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: In July 2026, the Prime Minister cut taxes on electricity bills. From 1 October 2026, VAT will be removed from household electricity bills, saving households an average of £45 per year. This has limited the rise in Ofgem's energy price cap. It follows the £150 of costs we removed from bills earlier this year. Around 6 million households are also eligible for our Warm Home Discount this winter, which ...
LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) and INSPIRE IDs are to be made available alongside the monthly Price Paid Data dataset from 28 August 2026 * Used alongside other location-based services, these trusted property identifiers will support more accurate matching and analysis * The enhancement responds to customer demand and helps unlock greater value from land and property data From 28 August 2026...
LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Two housing associations received C1 consumer upgrades in regulatory judgements published by the Regulator of Social Housing today. Livin Housing Limited and Community Gateway Association Limited were both upgraded from C2 to C1 RSH found that Livin, which is based in County Durham, had strengthened its understanding of the condition of its homes since its inspection in November 2024. The housing association h...
LONDON, Aug. 26 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Professor David Strain has been appointed as the Department for Work and Pensions' new Chief Medical Advisor. * He joins DWP from the University of Exeter, the NHS and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), where he has served as Thematic Research Lead for Health. * Professor Strain "delighted" to start in role and help in continuing to strengthen the Department's clinical governance. Profe...