LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Business leaders Co-op Group CEOShirineKhoury-Haq said: "Treating people fairly and with respect is a fundamental part of being a responsible employer.  "The Employment Rights Act will ensure that people can expect fair treatment at work, whoever their employer may be. "When people feel valued, businesses are better placed to attract and retain the skills they need, benefiting workers, employers and the...
LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * New Nature Restoration Fundwill helprestore protected habitats and species * First Environmental Delivery Plansto launch in2026 to tackle pollutionblocking homes Communitiesand natureacross England willbenefitfromimprovedenvironmental outcomesand faster delivery of homes through the Nature Restoration Fund,as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill becomes law. The Nature Restoration Fund offers an alternative t...
LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Scott Dylan and David Antrobus allowed £13.9 million to pass through two companies using unauthorised bank overdrafts, with Dylan himself receiving £1.675 million * The pair's actions resulted in Barclays Bank freezing the company accounts and demanding repayment * Dylan and Antrobus subsequently defied freezing injunctions obtained by Barclays, leading to contempt of court proceedings and jail terms ...
LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Preparations to ensure the nation is flood ready over the remaining winter months were at the top of the agenda for the government's Floods Resilience Taskforce, which convened today (Thursday 18 December) in Hull. The Floods Resilience Taskforce's fifth meeting heard from the Met Office for the festive period and the rest of winter. They spoke on high pressure moving in next week, bringing settled and dry condi...
LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: When theRevitalisedAgreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) was signed just over seven years ago, it was hoped that it would bring peace after the country'sinitialyears of independence were scarred by conflict, including brutal violence against civilians. Despite the support of the international community, the optimism and relief that followed the R-ARCSSwasundeserved. Under the ter...
LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has today (18 December 2025) accepted the Trade Remedies Authority's final recommendation to maintain an anti-dumping measure on aluminium foil in rolls from China. The TRA opened a transition review into the anti-dumping measure on 20 May 2024 to assess whether the measure was still needed to ensure UK producers were able to compete fairly. Aluminium foil in rolls ...
LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Of the 16,990relevant buildings reported,1,867were identified as having a life-critical fire safety (LCFS) defect relating to the external wall system (EWS). Over 99.9% of all relevant reported buildings have had a fire risk assessment carried out. 1,338relevant buildings (71.7%) are expected to be remediated within the next five years. Of the2,641buildings identified as having LCFS defects since June 2017, 932...
LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Backlog of people waiting to have Work Capability Assessment to be tackled as part of a package of measures to deliver £1.9 billion of savings in the UK by the end of 2030/31. * Face-to-face assessments set to increase as Government frees up capacity of health assessors to tackle inherited backlog. * Changes come alongside rebalancing of Universal Credit in April next year and employment support for sick o...
LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group has delivered a UK-first nuclear safety milestone, by safely processing a can of plutonium residue into a stable waste form for the very first time. This breakthrough marks a significant step toward permanently disposing of the nation's plutonium legacy and demonstrates the UK's leadership in tackling this complex nuclear challenge. The achievement marks th...
LONDON, Dec. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Mujeebullah Khan fraudulently obtained a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for a Nottingham city centre chicken shop he had sold in 2019 * Khan only repaid the loan in full shortly before he was sentenced * The 38-year-old, who is currently under bankruptcy restrictions, was jailed when he appeared in court this week The former manager of a Nottingham city centre chicken shop has been jailed after securing £5...