National Drought Group – EA Chief Executive statement

The NDG met on Tuesday 21 October, chaired by Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency.




Advice for Manchester United fans travelling to Serbia

Date: Thursday 24 October 2019

Venue: Stadium Partizan – Belgrade

Kick off time: 18.55 (local time)

As well as this advice, check out our travel advice for Serbia

Passports, visas and insurance

  • You do not need a visa to travel to Serbia; however you should ensure that your passport is valid for the duration of your stay

  • Remember to take out travel insurance, even if you are only going for one night – it could save you a lot of money if you get into difficulties. Please note that your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not valid in Serbia

  • You do not have to carry your passport on your person while in Serbia but you should carry a copy if the authorities ask to see ID

  • If you lose your passport, you will need to make an appointment with the Consular Section in Belgrade to apply for an Emergency Travel Document. You will need to fill out the application online, have one passport size photo and pay online (£100). If you are not able to apply online, you need to go to the Embassy Consular Section during working hours and the consular staff will be able to assist you

Read more information on how to get an emergency travel document

Getting to the stadium

The address for the stadium is

For further information about the stadium, please visit the Partizan FC website

Please refer to the Manchester United website for detailed information about ticket booking, travel package meeting point and the transfer to and from the stadium.

Advice for when you are at the match

  • Access to the stadium might be slow; there will be ticket checks; body searches may take place at the entrance to the turnstiles

  • Glass or plastic bottles, cans, coins, poles, flares and pyrotechnics, video cameras are not permitted inside the stadium

  • Alcohol is banned within the stadium and the surrounding area

Tips

As in any other city beware of pickpockets and bag snatchers at airports, railway stations, around the town centre and when using public transport. Only carry what you need and leave spare cash and valuables in hotel safety deposits.

British Embassy address

Consular Section

British Embassy

Resavska 46

11000 Belgrade

Serbia

Telephone +381 11 306 0900 (also for out of hours emergencies)

Office hours: 0800-1630 Monday to Thursday and 0800-1300 Fridays

Emergency services numbers

The police can be contacted on 192, ambulance 194 and the fire brigade on 193.




Canadian FinTech firms set sights on the UK

At the London Stock Exchange today (October 21), 12 Canadian FinTech companies begin an exciting 5-day trade mission across the UK as they look to set-up operations in the UK market. The trade mission marks another successful year so far for the UK FinTech industry, which recorded a record level of investment into the sector in the first half of the year.

The delegation of companies visiting the UK led by the Department for International Trade (DIT), have collectively raised over half a billion dollars in venture capital and are actively looking to expand their operations overseas.

The trade mission will take place from October 21 -25 where businesses will meet industry and government to find support and explore opportunities to invest or set up in the UK.

Ranging from cutting-edge personal finance apps and wealth management solutions powered by AI, to venture financing and digital currency, these companies represent the best of Canada’s FinTech industry. The trade mission will give companies the opportunity to find financing, meet partners and potential investors, as well as find out what is required to set up operations in the UK in hubs such as London and Edinburgh.

In London, companies will meet representatives from major banks including Barclays, HSBC and Santander, as well Founders Factory – a startup incubator. In Edinburgh they will have the opportunity to meet with FinTech Scotland, Scottish Investment Bank and the University of Edinburgh’s Data Lab, among others.

Graham Stuart, Minister for Investment at the Department for International Trade said:

The UK and Canada are natural partners in FinTech, and we are determined to make the UK the easiest and most attractive place for Canadian innovators to open and build their businesses.

Trade missions like this allow us to show the strength and depth of the UK offer and encourage investment, market entry and partnership between UK and Canadian firms.

The UK is a global leader in FinTech, welcomes foreign entrants to its market and, through its dedicated trade department, DIT, will continue to reach out to the world’s most exciting entrepreneurs and show them all that the UK has to offer.

Marking the start of the trade mission, FinTech Connect—the UK’s largest FinTech trade show—announce today that they will be launching the first international spin off of their flagship London event in 2020, selecting Toronto as the first international host location.

The UK FinTech sector contributes GBP £6.6 billion annually to the UK economy, with overall investment in the first 6 months of 2019 reaching new heights with £2.3 billion in funding.

This is the second inward Canadian mission DIT has led for FinTech firms. The previous mission saw six Canadian FinTech companies—Sensibill, Kooltra, Zafin, OutsideIQ, RentMoola and Q4—each set up a UK base, creating 200 new jobs.

Steven Clarke, Founder and Managing Director at FinTech Connect said:

As a fast growth hotbed for financial innovation, Canada is increasingly the target market of choice for banks and fintechs looking to build a presence in North America.

Traditionally centred around its banking oligopoly, this previously insular market has lacked the global collaborations that would see Canada fulfil its potential on the World fintech stage.

To address this, we’re launching FinTech Connect Toronto in 2020 which will bring the global community of financial institutions, VC firms and fintechs we’ve built through our flagship London event to Canada, promoting international trade, commerce and partnerships.

Mark Hallan, Director of Global Investment at Scottish Enterprise, said:

We are delighted to welcome these 12 Canadian companies and showcase Scotland as an innovative, collaborative fintech centre.

Scotland has ambitions to become a top five global fintech centre by 2020. We have an incredibly exciting fintech ecosystem, with more than 100 companies now operating in financial services across our cities and towns.

Attracting overseas fintech firms to Scotland is a priority for Scottish Enterprise and our partners, with ten overseas companies setting up a base here over the past 18 months. These companies have advised us that access to talent, a thriving fintech scene and governmental support have been the reasons for locating in Scotland.

Scotland already has a strong economic partnership with Canada, with around 40 Canadian-owned businesses in Scotland employing more than 3,700 people. We look forward to enhancing that relationship further as part of this fintech delegation.

Damir Hot, Co-founder and CEO at Canalyst said:

Since founding, we’ve been singularly focused on building a solid, long-standing business centered around the needs of our clients.

As we’ve grown to serve many of the world’s most sophisticated money managers, the UK plays an important role in our overall business development strategy. This trade mission provides us with direct, valuable insights on the local business and capital markets landscape that will shape how we build our UK presence.

Companies attending the mission include:

Toronto

Ottawa

Montreal

Calgary

Vancouver




Detailed guide: Get an export health certificate

How to get an export health certificate to export animals and animal products from the UK.




Landmark bridge moves step closer to completion

The bridge which weighs 150 tonnes and is 60 metres long will span the A63 and enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross over the busy dual carriageway.

The Highways England project, which is the first phase of the A63 Castle Street scheme road improvement scheme, will shape the future of Hull and connect key sites in the city.

The bridge, which will have a new name when it’s complete, will help link the city’s marina with the southern end of Princes Dock.

Highways England project manager Tom Peckitt said:

It is fantastic that we’ve reached this critical milestone for the project as we prepare to position the bridge into place. Once the bridge is installed at its final location the construction team will still have lots of work to do including installing the ramps and steps, and completing the marina platform and landscaping.

To get the fully assembled bridge to site it will be driven on four mobile platforms out of Myton Street car park, along the A63 then manoeuvred in a sequence of turns into its final position.

I am really pleased we are taking this next important step and it has taken a lot of complex work to reach this stage. I want to thank drivers for their patience whilst we move the bridge.

The bridge – which is covered by a curving steel canopy – will also have sheltered viewing balconies at each end which will give members of the public a space to enjoy the views of the city and waterfront.

As part of the bridge construction there will be new landscaped public areas at both the Princes Quay and marina sides.

Time lapse footage of the bridge being constructed on a nearby site:

Time lapse footage of the bridge being constructed

Laying the foundations for the bridge within the marina:

Laying the foundations for the bridge within the marina

During the installation, the area will be cordoned off to the public with no access until the work has been completed.

A full overnight closure of the A63 will be in place from Myton Gate Roundabout (eastbound and westbound through to Roger Millward Way (westbound) from the evening of Friday 1 November until the morning of Monday 4 November.

The bridge is due to open to the public next spring. It is being part funded with a £4m contribution from the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership’s local growth fund programme, secured through its growth deals with Government and part of the Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse.

More details are available on our website and updates will be provided via Twitter using #a63hullpqbridge.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.