LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The Government Actuary has been commissioned to prepare a report on the State Pension age as part of the third State Pension age review. State Pension age The current State Pension age is 66 years old for both men and women and is currently set to rise to age 67 between 2026 and 2028, and to age 68 between 2044 and 2046. The Pensions Act 2014 requires the government to regularly review the State Pension age. P...
LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Tough Texas-style courts to be rolled out across the country * Less serious offenders to be strictly monitored by judges or risk returning to prison * New sites to target communities tormented by prolific offending and make streets safer, as part of Plan for Change The expansion of the Intensive Supervision Courts - which are based on tough Texas-style punishment - builds on Plans for Change aims to tackle the...
LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces millions for West of Scotland transport links and extra funding to explore upgrades to the A75. * Investment follows the Industrial Strategy which boosted Advanced Manufacturing clusters and the Spending Review which delivered a record settlement for Scottish public services. * Funding is part of Government's plan to invest in the economy right across the UK. The investment w...
LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Cyber-attacks know no borders, and with the transnational nature of digital threats evolving we must work with allies to keep Britain safe. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Cybersecurity and Information Centre of Excellence (ACICE) hosted the third Digital Defence Symposium (DDS) in Singapore, bringing together more than 300 senior defence officials, academics,...
LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: A series of appointments and reappointments have been made to the Board of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Dame Dervilla Mitchell, Dr Fiona Pathiraja and Sarah Greasley have been appointed as Trustees. Dervilla and Fiona's four-year terms commenced on 1 July 2025. Sarah's four-year term will commence on 1 October 2025. Steve Almond and Kate Priestman have been reappointed as Trustees for a second term of four years...
LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: 1 . On 25 July 2025, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon Penny Wong and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence the Hon Richard Marles MP hosted the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs the Rt Hon David Lammy MP and the Secretary of State for Defence the Rt Hon John Healey MP for the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) in Sydney. 2 . Ministers n...
LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * The IMF's Article IV surveillance report has stated that economic recovery in the UK is underway, with growth projected at 1.2% in 2025 before gaining momentum next year.   * The IMF also endorsed the government's fiscal plans which it says strike a balance between supporting growth and safeguarding fiscal sustainability, and the Growth Mission covers the right areas to lift productivity. Since the...
LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Since re-opening in June, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS) has once again attracted a high volume of interest from across the seafood and marine sectors in England. Due to the number and total value of applications received, the scheme is now closed to new applications. This year's £6 million funding allocation builds on the more than £35 million already committed through FaSS to over 1,700 proj...
LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: During the event, he offered closing remarks highlighting the United Kingdom's commitment to the Global Plastics Action Partnership (GPAP), of which Guatemala has been a member since January 2025, and underscored the importance of international collaborations in addressing global environmental challenges. DHM Huggins praised Guatemala's leadership in creating inclusive, evidence-based policies and welcomed its r...
LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Speaking as he published his department's annual report, Ian Murray set out how the department has been reshaped and given more powers to help make life better for people in Scotland as part of the UK Government's Plan for Change. In Ian Murray's first year at the Scotland Office he has: * Restructured the department to deliver his four key priorities - green energy, economic growth, tackling poverty and deli...