Latest news with #UnitedKingdom
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Healey sees defence spend rise to 3% of GDP by 2034
There is "no doubt" that UK defence spending will rise to 3% of GDP by 2034 at the latest, Defence Secretary John Healey has said. A source told the BBC this was Healey's opinion, not a new commitment. His comment comes as the government prepares to unveil its strategic defence review which will outline priorities for the military and security spending in the coming years. Earlier this year the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, laid out plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% by April 2027, with a "clear ambition" to reach 3% by 2034, economic conditions allowing. But it is understood that the strategic defence review, to be published on Monday, is based on the assumption that the 3% target is the trajectory spending will follow, with the possibility projects could be delivered faster if the target were brought forward. The review will state that the world and the threats the country faces are changing fast. It will recommend the deployment of new "digital" experts alongside troops to protect them from enemy drones and to control the army's own, future, unmanned weapons. Speaking to the Times newspaper, Healey said the UK defence spending target allowed the UK to "plan for the long term... [and] deal with the pressures". As a result of the review, the Ministry of Defence will spend more than £1bn to develop technology to speed up decisions on the battlefield. Nato heads of government are set to meet in The Hague, in the Netherlands, next month, where it is expected that its secretary-general will call on allies to increase defence spending. Earlier this month, while addressing the alliance's parliamentary assembly, Mark Rutte suggested that the 32 member countries agree on a "high defence spend target of, in total, 5%". New money for defence will be found in part by reducing UK overseas aid from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3%. The cut in aid prompted International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds to resign in February, telling the prime minister in a letter that the move would "remove food and healthcare from desperate people - deeply harming the UK's reputation". The terrifying new weapon changing the war in Ukraine 'It's going to be ugly': Westminster braces for Spending Review
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Healey sees defence spend rise to 3% of GDP by 2034
There is "no doubt" that UK defence spending will rise to 3% of GDP by 2034 at the latest, Defence Secretary John Healey has said.A source told the BBC this was Healey's opinion, not a new commitment. His comment comes as the government prepares to unveil its strategic defence review which will outline priorities for the military and security spending in the coming this year the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, laid out plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% by April 2027, with a "clear ambition" to reach 3% by 2034, economic conditions allowing. But it is understood that the strategic defence review, to be published on Monday, is based on the assumption that the 3% target is the trajectory spending will follow, with the possibility projects could be delivered faster if the target were brought review will state that the world and the threats the country faces are changing fast. It will recommend the deployment of new "digital" experts alongside troops to protect them from enemy drones and to control the army's own, future, unmanned to the Times newspaper, Healey said the UK defence spending target allowed the UK to "plan for the long term... [and] deal with the pressures".As a result of the review, the Ministry of Defence will spend more than £1bn to develop technology to speed up decisions on the heads of government are set to meet in The Hague, in the Netherlands, next month, where it is expected that its secretary-general will call on allies to increase defence this month, while addressing the alliance's parliamentary assembly, Mark Rutte suggested that the 32 member countries agree on a "high defence spend target of, in total, 5%".New money for defence will be found in part by reducing UK overseas aid from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3%.The cut in aid prompted International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds to resign in February, telling the prime minister in a letter that the move would "remove food and healthcare from desperate people - deeply harming the UK's reputation".
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Case For Manchester United Selling Bruno Fernandes To The Saudis
Recently on tour with the team in Asia, Fernandes' numbers for Manchester United have been good ... More despite the travails. At the best of times, releasing your captain and most creative player is less than ideal. At the worst of times, it's unthinkable. Yet that is a real possibility for Manchester United and Bruno Fernandes this offseason. Saudi Pro League goliath Al-Hilal is reportedly after Fernandes. In talks with his agent, Miguel Pinho, it's offering United around €119 million ($135 million) and a multiplied salary for the midfielder. Fernandes, who's been at Old Trafford since 2020, chalked up 19 goals and 20 assists in all competitions during a wretched 2024/25 campaign for the Red Devils. After he and his teammates lost the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur on May 21, Fernandes, seemingly reluctant but open to leaving, said, 'I have always been honest, if the club thinks it's time to part ways because they want to do some cashing in or whatever, it's what it is. Football (soccer) is sometimes like this.' Currently, the noise is Fernandes seriously considering an exit. At first glance, it doesn't look good for United. We naturally think a wizard departing a misfiring team makes everything worse. The reality is the club, in a disorderly financial predicament, needs to make wholesale squad changes to compete next term. Letting go of a 30-year-old asset for double the money spent on him five years ago while reducing the wage bill at least paves the way for reinvestment across the squad. From a financial standpoint, United's forte is generating money. Indeed, its operating income is enviable despite losing regularly on the field and missing out on results bonuses; the brand remains strong, leading to sponsorship interest and making a killing from vending masses of match tickets and merchandise, for instance. That travels some distance to explain its second position on Forbes' most valuable soccer teams list for 2025. Will scrutinized Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim have a new deck of players in the coming ... More weeks? On the other hand, you can only live off the brand for so long. United hasn't dined at the top table for over a decade, and it won't soak up the revenues of any European soccer, let alone Champions League soccer, next season following a 16th-place signoff in the Premier League and failure to win a trophy. Huge gross debt looms, estimated at comfortably over €1 billion ($1.13 billion)—factoring money due from previous signings on top of long-standing majority owner the Glazer family's outstanding repayments. Here, instead of measures like the widely condemned mass layoffs at the club (United has/had the most staff but paid the third-lowest wages to revenue ratio, as soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire pointed out) to save a few dollars, the INEOS operation can prioritize giving the lineup a makeover with some of the earnings from Fernandes and any other figures worth offloading. Whilst grappling with structural issues, United requires a youthful, hungry, preferably cheaper profile of star ready for the next step. Saying goodbye to a chess piece like Fernandes represents a blow yet may prove a sensible diversion from the side's reckless transfer policy over recent years. Although nothing will immediately lift the Manchester United mist, things can't stay the same for head coach Ruben Amorim and his crew. As the Premier League side tries to get its house in order, the Portugal international would be a statement coup for Club World Cup participant Al-Hilal, plus Saudi Arabia's bankrolled Pro League project.
Associated Press
7 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Associated Press
Mother Nature's Letter Launches, Giving Children a Voice in the Climate Conversation
LEEDS, WEST YORKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, May 30, 2025 / / -- A new children's book is challenging the traditional narrative around climate education, not with fear, but with hope, beauty, and empowerment. Mother Nature's Letter by environmental educator and author Debbie Bartlett officially launches this week through Woodbridge Publishers, offering an inspiring call to action for children aged 6 to 8. As debate around the UK's countryside loss, climate instability, and environmental education intensifies, this timely release brings nature's voice directly to the young. Through lyrical prose and painterly illustrations, Mother Nature's Letter gently guides readers into some of today's most urgent ecological conversations, from vanishing green spaces to pollution and the importance of community action. 'Environmental awareness shouldn't wait until secondary school,' says author Debbie Bartlett. 'We need to begin early, and we need to begin gently. Children understand more than we give them credit for—they just need to be invited into the conversation.' In the story, Mother Nature awakens to find the Earth struggling; trees cut down, wildlife displaced, and rivers clogged with waste. Beside her, Papa Planet watches in sorrow. Together, they reach out to the one group often overlooked in climate solutions: children. The result is a poetic, metaphor-rich journey that celebrates the power of small voices and shared responsibility. What sets this book apart is its grounding in real-world action. Before publishing her first children's title, Debbie Bartlett founded Litter-Free Felixstowe, a grassroots organisation uniting schools, families, and local businesses in a shared mission to protect public spaces. Her efforts earned her Suffolk's Green Hero Award and the admiration of Sir David Attenborough, who personally called her to thank her for taking action. Now, through Mother Nature's Letter, Bartlett brings her experience into classrooms and homes, blending storytelling with social purpose. The book is already being praised by teachers for its curriculum relevance, encouraging letter-writing, environmental literacy, and active citizenship. It is also aligned with the values behind many school-wide eco initiatives and assemblies. 'Children are not just the inheritors of our environmental decisions,' Bartlett says. 'They are participants, right now, with the creativity and empathy to help change course.' 'Mother Nature's Letter' is now available for purchase via Amazon and major retailers. To arrange author interviews, school visits, or review copies, please contact Woodbridge Publishers at [email protected] About the Author 'Debbie Bartlett' is an environmental educator, author, and founder of Litter-Free Felixstowe. Her community-driven work has impacted schools, councils, and national campaigns in the logistics industry. Mother Nature's Letter is her third children's book, following Just One Child and Just One World, both of which have been sold internationally. Ronan Veyne Woodbridge Press email us here Visit us on social media: Instagram Facebook X Other Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Times
UK house sales fall after April's stamp duty changes
Fewer house sales completed in April than in any month since the first lockdown after the increase in stamp duty costs. There were 55,970 residential transactions in the UK, according to the latest data from HM Revenue & Customs. That was 66 per cent fewer than in March, which was an especially busy month for estate agents, solicitors and removals companies. HMRC said it was the biggest month-on-month fall it had recorded. April was the slowest month for completions since May 2020 during the first lockdown, when the housing market was still effectively shut. By contrast, 165,340 sales went through in March, which was an 81 per cent month-on-month increase and the most since June 2021, just before the last stamp duty holiday was due to end.
