Downing Street faith summit
A summit on faith in the workplace was held in the PM’s office at No 10. It was chaired by Christian MP John Glen, chief secretary to the Treasury. National and multinational companies shared how they are welcoming employees to bring their whole selves to work, faith and all, by encouraging faith-friendly policies. They see a person’s religious beliefs as an asset with bottom line benefits rather than a problem to be solved or avoided. At the event, OVO Energy received the award for being the most faith-friendly national UK workplace in 2023. The group announced that a national summit on Faith-and-Belief@Work will be held in November at London’s Salesforce Tower. Rishi Sunak, the UK’s first Hindu PM, is invited to keynote the summit.
Junior doctors - five days of strikes
Junior doctors began a five-day strike on 13 July. It is the longest walkout in the NHS’s history. The strikes are being held even though the government has accepted recommendations from pay review bodies for teachers, civil servants and NHS workers, for pay rises of between 5% and 7%. BMA leaders are urging the Government to return to the negotiating table to resolve the situation that has led to thousands of cancelled operations and consultations. BMA leaders Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said, ‘We can call this strike off today if the Government will simply follow the example of the government in Scotland and drop their nonsensical precondition of not talking whilst strikes are announced and produce an offer which is credible to the doctors they are speaking with. Their refusal to talk with junior doctors who have strikes planned is out of keeping with all norms of industrial action.’
France: money-laundering in real estate
New in-depth analysis found unacceptable levels of money laundering risks in French real estate, despite transparency measures. Non-compliance, incomplete data, and loopholes are creating a brick wall for attempts to follow flows of dirty money into real estate. Six years after France began collecting information on the beneficial owners of companies, almost a third of legal entities have failed to comply. Consequently over 7.33 million parcels of land, which could contain one or multiple properties, are anonymously held. There is a dead end for efforts to follow the money of white-collar criminals, kleptocrats and sanctioned elites into French real estate, which is known to be a favoured destination for corrupt cash. Over 1.5 million registered entities have not yet declared who ultimately owns and benefits from them.
Ukraine: humanitarian response
The war in Ukraine has further escalated in 2023, with hostilities ravaging communities in the east and south and taking a heavy toll on civilians living close to the front line. Mine contamination is also creating tremendous challenges for civilians trying to get back to their farms, and for humanitarians striving to deliver assistance. Despite tremendous challenges, humanitarian organisations in Ukraine continue to reach more people every month. By the end of April, 5.4 million had received aid. This was possible thanks to the efforts of hundreds of aid organisations, local groups and volunteers who play a vital role in getting assistance for those who need it the most. Insecurity and access challenges continue, however, to hamper assistance in areas under Russian military control. Funding also remains low, adding to the challenges. Although strikes on energy infrastructure that had driven urgent humanitarian needs during the winter months have decreased, homes, schools, water systems and hospitals continue to be damaged.
