Latest news with #UKgovernment
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
UK economy assessments should be cut to one a year, IMF suggests
The UK government's finances should be assessed only once a year to avoid "overly frequent" changes to policy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested. At the moment, the government's independent forecaster - the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) - has to produce two forecasts a year for the economy and public finances, and to assess if the government is on course to meet its limits on year changes in its forecast for the economy, driven by rises in global and domestic government borrowing rates, led to Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing £5bn in health-related welfare the cuts were then reversed after a Labour backbench revolt last month. The influential IMF, as part of its annual health check of the UK economy, said the best solution would be for the government to allow greater room for manoeuvre around its financial targets, "so that small changes in the outlook do not compromise assessments of rule compliance". The advice, if followed, could mean more tax rises than expected at the Budget in Autumn, as the chancellor rebuilds a bigger financial buffer to deal with a volatile global government is considering a change that would help support its move to there being a single Budget every year, a move which was designed to increase policy stability. The Institute for Fiscal Studies recently recommended downplaying the Spring Statement with a looser borrowing target, to prevent the need for constant fiddling of tax and spend chancellor is following two main rules for government finances, which she has repeatedly said are "non-negotiable". They are: day-to-day government costs to be paid for by tax income, rather than borrowingdebt to be falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament in 2029-30The IMF, in general, praised the UK economy and recent "bold agenda" of pro-growth reforms, saying its medium-term borrowing plans were "credible" and that the UK's trade deals meant it was well placed to ride out current global suggested that should economic shocks materialise, the government should consider replacing the state pension triple lock, widening the applicability of VAT, means-testing more benefits, and co-payments for richer users of the to the IMF's report, Reeves said: "Today's IMF report confirms that the choices we've taken have ensured Britain's economic recovery is underway, and that our plans will tackle the deep-rooted economic challenges that we inherited in the face of global headwinds."Our fiscal rules allow us to confront those challenges by investing in Britain's renewal."
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Popular tourist hotspot makes big change to travel advice
A popular winter sun city break destination has seen travel advice issued by the UK government changed this week. British tourists planning to visit Morocco have been warned by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office about the risks of carrying drugs in and out of the country, including Class B drug cannabis. The North African country has severe penalties for tourists caught carrying illegal substances while transiting through Moroccan airports, with heavy fines and long jail sentences handed out. The new Government travel advice issued yesterday says drug-detecting technology has been ramped up in recent years in the country. Its advice now reads: 'Illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties. You should expect a long jail sentence and heavy fines for possessing, using or smuggling illegal drugs, including when transiting through the airport. 'Airports in Morocco have excellent technology and security for detecting illegal items. This is also used to scan the baggage of transiting passengers.' Tourism in Morocco continues to grow year-on-year, with around a million visitors descending on cities including Marrakech, Casablanca and coastal resorts including Essaouira and Agadir. The update comes just a day after a British mother was charged with trafficking drugs into Germany after being caught allegedly smuggling cannabis from Thailand. Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth in Hertfordshire, was arrested at Munich Airport on April 22nd when she attempted to collect her luggage. Authorities had become suspicious after she allegedly changed her flight at the last minute, having originally been due to fly to London Heathrow via Singapore. Her family had filed a missing person report after raising concerns when she did not return home as expected, but then learned the next day she was in Germany. Miss Bradford was arrested and held in custody - and has now been charged with attempted transit of cannabis and abetting the international trafficking of cannabis. The mother, who has a young son, is set to make an appearance at a hearing in Munich District Court on August 6 as authorities continue to investigate. A Foreign Office spokesman said today: 'We are supporting a British woman who is detained in Germany and are in contact with her family and the local authorities.' Miss Bradford's arrest is one of a series of cases involving suspected young British female drug mules stopped by police at airports in countries around the world. This week, another British woman was arrested in Mauritius accused of trying to smuggle cannabis inside her six-year-old son's suitcase. This week, Natashia Artug, 35, of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was detained alongside seven other people accused of carrying more than 161kg of the drug - worth £1.6million - in their luggage. The boy's luggage alone is said to have had 24 packages of drugs wrapped in clear cellophane inside weighing 14kg. Campaign group Justice Abroad claimed Ms Artug is 'vulnerable' and was coerced into travelling to Mauritius by people involved in the drug trade who threatened her and her family, adding that she did not know the bags contained cannabis. Miss Artug's partner Florian Lisman, a 38-year-old Romanian, was also arrested and said to be carrying 32 drug packages, an iPhone and £260. The other Britons detained were Patrick Lee Wilsdon, 22, Lily Watson, 20, Shannon Ellen Josie Holness 29, Laura Amy Kappen 28, and Shona Campbell, 32, who each had between 30 and 32 packages, according to local newspaper Le Mauricien. They were all on the same British Airways flight from London Gatwick to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport last month. The suspects have all been charged with drug trafficking and remain in custody.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
We swapped cocktails in Ibiza for summer holiday in Afghanistan… why it's become unlikely tourist hotspot for Brit women
STROLLING along a pristine street adorned with shrines glittering in the sunshine and cafes offering tasty local delicacies, Carrie Patsalis snaps a photo for her holiday album. But this isn't a city break in the Mediterranean - this is Kabul, the largest city in Afghanistan, ruled with an iron fist by the Taliban. 21 21 Despite its oppressive regime and appalling human rights record - and an advisory against all travel to the country from the UK government - Carrie is one of a growing number of British women who have swapped cocktails in Ibiza for a holiday in one of the world's top terror hotspots. Only 691 tourists are believed to have visited the country in 2021, but this rose to an estimated 5,200 in 2023 as the government is trying to encourage more tourism. Earlier this month the Taliban launched a warped campaign to lure more visitors, complete with a bizarre video showing spoof hostages and gunmen in the back of pick-up trucks and frolicking in lakes amid stunning mountain scenery. Ever since Afghanistan - which doesn't have a British embassy - was seized by Taliban authorities in 2021, its citizens have experienced worsening human rights. In August last year women's voices were banned from being heard outside of the house and they are not allowed to visit public parks, gyms or use transport without a male chaperone. Authorities dictate how they dress, and Afghan women do not have access to education beyond primary school level. Anyone who is critical of the Taliban regime faces being tortured. However, it is slowly becoming an unlikely destination for brave travellers looking for a true culture shock. Home-stays are not allowed and tourists can only stay in hotels verified by the Taliban. Carrie, a media producer from Wanstead, London, travelled by herself to Afghanistan for 10 days, accompanied by a male tour guide. Taliban launches warped Afghan TOURISM campaign with vid of brutes posing beside 'hostage' in ISIS-style mock execution Just six days after she left, a terrorist attack saw three Spanish tourists killed in the Bamiyan province, the largest in the Central region. A tour guide Carrie met during a trip to neighbouring Pakistan encouraged her to visit Afghanistan, insisting it would 'blow her mind'. But it took two years before she even considered it as she didn't want to support the controversial Taliban regime. She eventually decided she wanted to see for herself what local life was like for Afghan people. After extensive research she found a local guide she felt comfortable with who helped her book the trip and answered questions over FaceTime. Carrie told The Sun: "He said, 'You've got to come, it'll blow your mind, it's not what you think.' 'I was like, 'No way, absolutely not.' I felt like if I went I was supporting something I don't agree with. The first thing that struck me was how super clean the streets were. Everything was very quiet and calm. You'd imagine it would be carnage and it wasn't Carrie Patsalis 'It took me a lot of time and consideration, and then I just thought, 'Maybe if I go, I can see how local life is and we can talk about it on social media.' "It was a risk but I felt I'd done enough research." Carrie only told her husband and 16-year-old twin sons about the trip to avoid scaring the rest of her family. It cost her just over £1,100 for a return flight to Afghanistan, and she stopped off for two days in Dubai to collect her visa which cost around £220. Landing at Kabul International Airport on May 2 last year, she was surprised to be greeted by 'massive smiles'. She recalled: "I was nervous flying in as there is no British embassy. Hospitals are not well-equipped at all. I took my own medical supplies in and I went in very, very steady. "The first thing that struck me was how super clean the streets were. Everything was very quiet and calm. You'd imagine it would be carnage and it wasn't. "Afghan people are very kind, sweet and shy. You notice immediately there are no women on the streets." Unpleasant encounter 21 During her stay in Kabul, the capital, she visited stunning shrines, reflected on the impact of War at Babur Garden and tasted local delicacies. One day she visited 'White Flag Hill', home to a large white flag raised by the Taliban that features the Islamic declaration of faith in black writing. Feeling out of place as the only woman up the hill, she was shocked to witness a local man be punished simply for asking to take a photo with her. Carrie said: "I noticed that the men up there were intrigued [by me] but also backing away from me. "One young guy came up to me and was like, 'It's amazing to see you here' and we had a chat. Taliban guards were floating like sharks. 'He said to me, 'Can I take a photo with you?' "The Taliban guard came and pushed him in the back of the head and took him off. I assume he got his photo deleted and we have to hope that nothing more happened. 'It's a real shame because for me in my world, everything he did was normal. White Flag Hill was not pleasant." Days later she took a one-hour flight to Kandahar, a city seized by Taliban control in August 2021. With Taliban checkpoints and patrols, Carrie was 'nervous' about stepping foot in a place with such strict government control. 'It just felt a lot more serious there,' she said. Sniffer dogs and armed Taliban guards lined the airport and Carrie was struck by the heightened security checks for tourists, which saw her bag checked five times. She feared one of her camera sticks could be mistaken for a weapon, but it wasn't that which generated panic. Carrie said: "I remembered the very last thing I'd shoved in my bag was a purple Victoria's Secret bra. "One of the guys managed to pull the bra out by its strap so it dangled lengthways in the air for quite some time. "The remaining four men looked horrified and clearly didn't know what to do with themselves. "The main guy had seemingly frozen and suddenly he dropped the bra as if it was a grenade." The incident ended up cutting short what could have been a gruelling search process - as guards accepted Carrie's offer to help repack the offending garment and the rest of her bag. Trailed by Taliban guard s 21 21 In Kandahar, Carrie's tour guide drove her through the lively city for a day of visiting the beautiful mosques and historic landmarks such as the Friday Mosque, known for housing the cloak of the Prophet Muhammad. During the six-hour trip, the tour guide parked up the car to allow Carrie to admire the historical shrines. Carrie was trailed the whole time by a guy on a motorbike, who she figured was a Taliban member linked to the tourism office, ordered to keep an eye on her. Carrie said: "He was always at a bit of a distance but he was always there. Every time we went to a shrine he was there about 10 or 20 feet away. "If I turned my head he'd turn and pretend to be looking at the mosque. He obviously assumed I was oblivious. The guard was always at a bit of a distance but he was always there. Every time we went to a shrine he was there about 10 or 20 feet away Carrie Patsalis 'When we went for lunch he parked down the side of the restaurant and sure enough drove out when we drove off. "He followed us for the rest of the day and then went off." Carrie realised she was an 'unusual' site in Afghanistan given the lack of tourists and freedom for women. "Obviously they're wary of me,' she said. 'They've been bombed for years so they're not going to just let anyone in. "If you go in knowing and understanding why they might be frightened of you then you will understand why they are following you. "I'd rather the Taliban know where I am because they can see I'm not doing anything dodgy. "It's really easy to wrap up an entire nation with a regime but actually most of the people, even if they work for the Taliban, they work for the Taliban to put food on the table. "It doesn't necessarily mean they support the oppression of women." Foreign privilege 21 21 21 Throughout her travels Carrie couldn't forget her 'foreign privilege' as unlike local women, she could visit public places, which she admitted 'didn't sit right'. While she encourages others to experience the country's 'beautiful culture', she urges people to be 'completely aware of the risks' before travelling there. Carrie said: "My trip to Afghanistan was incredibly rewarding and I do want to go back. 'What I wouldn't do is say, 'Sure, go and book your flight now.' 'It is a regime that is not recognised politically by many governments around the world. If you go you must be completely aware of the risks and it must be a risk you are willing to take. "But when we only talk about the Taliban and women we lose the opportunity to celebrate what is a beautiful culture." 'No more dangerous than UK night out' 21 21 21 Zoe Stephens, 31, who works for Koryo Tours and lives in Crosby, Liverpool, has visited Afghanistan three times between August 2024 and June 2025. She travels with a group of up to eight women and with local female tour guides to get a glimpse into the daily lives of women and girls living there. It took a year of researching and planning, which included a research trip in August 2024, before she was able to safely take her first tour group there. Zoe said: "Everything is a risk in life. For me, the risk of going to Afghanistan is no more dangerous than walking the streets of a bustling city centre on a dark night. "People always think they know better. They always warn you against going to these places. "I'm confident in myself to go to these places because of my ability to handle any tricky situation, and if I didn't then I wouldn't go. Everything is a risk in life. For me, the risk of going to Afghanistan is no more dangerous than walking the streets of a bustling city centre on a dark night Zoe Stephens 'I had chatted to other travellers who'd been there and done my research. I wanted to see what it's really like." Zoe doesn't let any of her group walk around alone and sticks to cultural norms to avoid unwanted attention. Recounting her first-hand experiences with the 'morality police' - a law enforcement body which implements strict interpretation of Islamic morality - she said: 'They're the ones you have to watch out for. "It's not allowed for women to go into public parks. There are a couple of instances where they very politely enforce these laws. 'If you're a woman and you're there then they may come up to you and politely ask you to leave. "It's a very brief insight into the daily life of what the women there have to deal with. "The biggest rule is how you're dressed. I always go on respecting and trying to blend in rather than sticking out and challenging any cultural norms. 'That would be to wear clothing down to your wrists and ankles and having your hair covered at all times. "The main thing is modesty, not just in clothing but in behaviour as well. I wouldn't recommend going around singing and dancing." Pro-tourism 21 21 21 Zoe and her group took part in traditional embroidery and cooking classes with local women and visited a women's retreat centre. She said it allowed her to see a different side to the lives of Afghan women. "When all we see in the media is Afghan women as shapes behind cloth, that's all we see them as,' she said. 'The Afghan women that I know and have seen and danced with, gossiped with and laughed with, are women who have great ambition and are so similar to us. "But the reality for some people is they're not allowed to leave their house. It's about seeing these different dimensions." The traveller says she saw first-hand how the Taliban are trying to encourage more tourism. The Afghan women that I know and have seen and danced with, gossiped with and laughed with, are women who have great ambition and are so similar to us. But the reality for some people is they're not allowed to leave their house Zoe Stephens During her stay in Kandahar, a government minister decided to film her group as part of a 'propaganda video' by the Taliban for its X account. But she wasn't allowed to be part of it because she is a woman. Zoe said: "At the moment, for a traveller, the authorities are on your side. It's in your favour to cooperate with them. It was a surprise during my first visit. "When you speak to them you realise there are varying levels and not everyone subscribes to certain ideologies. "The minister wanted to get us on camera and make films, literal propaganda videos. They're very pro-tourism.' Zoe would recommend Afghanistan as a travel destination to Brits to better understand the culture and people - but she advises caution. 'Afghanistan has quickly become one of my favourite countries. You need to experience it to believe it,' she said. "The amount of things the Afghans have been through compared to their warmth, resilience and friendliness, they're just incredible people. "Do your research beforehand, and if you're not willing to follow the cultural norms and be respectful, then don't go.' 21 21 21
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
The areas most affected by cuts to UK foreign aid spending
& Kate Devlin The UK government's own impact assessment warns that cuts to foreign aid spending will likely lead to an increase in global deaths and disease. These reductions are set to disproportionately affect women, girls' education, and projects across Africa, with spending on girls' education and women's health halved. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed cuts of £575 million for 2025-2026, contributing to a total 40 per cent reduction in aid spending by 2027. While Africa faces significant cuts, regions including the Americas, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific have seen increases in their aid budgets. The government has committed to protecting funding for Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, certain humanitarian crises, vaccines, and contributions to the World Bank 's International Development Association.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Jaw-dropping £9BILLION plan for UK's longest motorway tunnel that will cut journey times in half is unveiled in pics
NEW images have been released by National Highways highlighting how the upcoming Lower Thames Crossing could look in a few years. The UK government is planning to build the huge, motorway-style tunnel in a project that would cost some £9 billion. 5 The Lower Thames Crossing 5 The Lower Thames Crossing includes 14.3 miles of new road and Britain's longest road tunnel, a 2.6-mile twin-bore tunnel beneath the River Thames. It would link the town of Tilbury in Essex to Medway in Kent, would also be connected to the A2 and M2 in Kent, as well as the A13 and M25 in Essex. It would also provide transp o rt links between London and crossings to Dover - which, of course, account for half of the goods traded between Britain and mainland Europe. First planned back in 2009, the Lower Thames Crossing would reportedly see 13 million vehicles redirected away from the heavily congested Dartford Crossing. It's been estimated that the costs of lost productivity from congestion on the Dartford Crossing have exceeded £200million each year, with the route disproportionately used by freight vehicles transporting goods. More Green Space 5 The project will create six times more green space than road, including one million new trees, a new community woodland, two new public parks, and seven green bridges. These will blend the road into the landscape and connect local communities to the countryside. The building of the Lower Thames Crossing would also have a positive impact on motorists; journey times at the Dartford Crossing would likely improve by around 30% and increase to 46% between Kent and Essex. It's also estimated that it would inject around £40bn into the UK economy. Natalie Chapman, Head of Public Affairs for Logistics UK, said: 'As soon as this road opens, people will start to feel the benefits. Moment OAP zooms the wrong way on the M55 'In the short term, it will create jobs in construction and supply and it has the potential to unlock growth and inward investment on both sides of the crossing.' Road Haulage Association managing director Richard Smith also said Reeves' endorsement of the project was 'a major victory for our sector' that has the potential to 'turbocharge the economy'. New Images 5 A new set of images has been released by National Highways showing how this innovative approach is transforming how the road will look and feel. The project will use 'low carbon footbridges' to eliminate 'the need for concrete and minimises the use of steel'. It will feature seven new green bridges – more than doubling the number currently in Britain – including Europe's widest. A National Highways spokesperson said: "These crossings will make it easier and safer for both people and wildlife to move through green spaces." There will also be pre-fabricated bridges built in an offsite facility using low-carbon methods. These bridges are set to be quicker and easier to install on site. This approach aims to reduce disruption to local communities, traffic and the environment reports Kent Live. Most of the route will be in a tunnel or hidden behind landscaped embankments and mounds, helping it blend into the countryside and green spaces. The use of gantries will reduce steel and concrete to help cut carbon, while maintaining strength and durability, helping build a more sustainable Lower Thames Crossing. The project was given planning permission by the government in March following years of consultation and design development. The images will be showcased at a series of community events across Kent, Essex and Havering starting on Wednesday (June 11). 5
