According to the latest data from UK Finance, six billion cash payments were made in 2023 (that’s transactions in cash, not £6 billion-worth of payments in cash). So congratulations to the hard working team at Cash Access UK for rushing to set up the hubs. But over at the Post Office, their staff are already exceptionally busy offering cash services. I asked Natalie Ceeney CBE, who wrote the report, for her views on cash access, six years on from publication. It secures access to essential cash services at Post Office branches for at least the next five years, protecting a key part of the UK’s cash infrastructure.”

Manchester United’s disastrous Premier League campaign and absence from European competition next season for the first time in a decade, means those running the club will face the challenge of dealing with an extra £80million-plus financial black hole. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is in charge of operations at United after buying 29 per cent of the club, warned early this season that United were in danger of failing to comply with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). That situation looks even more challenging now. The £70million they would have been guaranteed by qualifying for next season’s Champions League via winning the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur would have eased the financial pressures. Instead, the failure to qualify for Europe for the first

UK PM Keir Starmer (File photo)Poll Do you support the UK transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius? No, it undermines British sovereignty. The UK has agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after a high court ruling cleared the way for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to sign the controversial deal. They argued that the deal was being finalised without consulting the Chagossian community and expressed fears of discrimination and exclusion from resettlement efforts. Critics have voiced concerns about security, citing Mauritius’s close trade ties with China.

TINY BUDGET Chinese hatchback that’s a carbon copy of UK’s Mini is on sale for 10 TIMES less – & it’s perfect for first time driversA CHINESE hatchback that's a carbon copy of the UK's Mini Cooper is up for sale for 10 times less. The Mini Cooper is a British classic, but a Chinese electric car firm is offering the next best thing. The model is over £20,000 cheaper than the classic 1960s Mini Coopers which are usually up for grabs on second-hand car sites for around £25,000. The new model could be ideal for older drivers, according to experts, as it provides a "controlled" driving experience. But the electric model also has a range of modern luxuries not found in those buying a second-hand classic.

Ten days ago, Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, vowed to take “back control of our borders,” warning that uncontrolled immigration could result in the country “becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.”On Thursday, the government estimated that net migration had dropped by almost half in 2024 compared to 2023, to 431,000, suggesting that Britain’s era of soaring immigration, far from worsening, was gradually coming to an end. The gap between Mr. Starmer’s alarming language and the numbers underscored how rising populism, fueled in Britain by the politics of Brexit, has twisted the debate on immigration, sometimes leaving it strangely disconnected from the facts. The sharp drop in net migration, which had been predicted, mainly reflected tighter measures on immigration put in place by the previous Conservative government, which faced acute pressure to reduce a surge that began after Brexit.

Live EventsYou Might Also Like: Historic fall in UK migration can’t come fast enough for StarmerYou Might Also Like: UK gets tough on migration, doubles citizenship wait timesYou Might Also Like: UK may set up migrant 'return hubs' in other countries for rejected asylum seekersLong-term net migration to Britain fell by 50% in 2024, official data showed on Thursday, as fewer people arrived on work and study visas following rule changes to cut the number of arrivals.Net migration - an estimate of the number of people migrating to Britain minus those leaving - dropped to 431,000 from 860,000 in 2023, the Office for National Statistics said.The data will offer some relief to Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who earlier in May promised to reduce migration significantly over the next four years, under pressure from Nigel Farage's right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK party.Starmer became prime minister in July 2024. The Conservative Party, in government prior to Starmer's election, said the decrease reflected changes to visa rules they brought in. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)The government welcomed the drop and said changes announced earlier this month would drive net migration even lower.The ONS said the change was driven by lower immigration from countries outside the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. In recent years this category has included high numbers of people from India, Nigeria and Pakistan. The number of dependents from both categories also dropped sharply.In 2023, the Conservative government raised the minimum salary threshold for foreign skilled workers and made it harder for workers and students to bring their families with them.

Sign of the Times Festival has been called off, according to singer Midge Ure, who was set to perform. Organisers of the three-day event at Church End, Little Hadham, from June 20-22 have not officially cancelled but told fans further information would follow “very soon”. Further updates will follow very soon.”The same message was posted on the Facebook pages of seven other festivals: Stone Valley Midlands Festival in Newark-on-Trent, Notts, June 27-29; Kubix Festival in Sunderland, July 12; Monument Festival in Sunderland, July 19; Northern Kin in Durham, August 1-3; Stone Valley Festival (North) in Durham, August 8-10; Wannasee Festival in Penrith, Cumbria, August 21-24; and Lindisfarne Festival in Northumberland, August 28-30. The Undertones were billed to headline Sunday night at Stone Valley South. Due to reasons way beyond our control, the parent company of Stone Valley Midlands and Northern Kin, Wannasee Ltd, has cancelled all its shows across the summer.

BloombergLive EventsYou Might Also Like: UK tightens citizenship rules to block migrants entering country illegallyBloombergBloombergBloombergBloombergFigures due on Thursday are likely to show Keir Starmer presiding over the biggest ever drop in net migration to the UK . For the prime minister, however, the hard part will be getting any credit from voters.Net migration soared after the pandemic, reaching a record 906,000 in the year to June 2023. As a result, twice-yearly migration numbers from the UK’s official statistics bureau have become the mostly hotly anticipated data point in Westminster politics. “The research suggests right across Europe that this isn’t a tactic that’s likely to work for this government.”Still, Thursday’s migration numbers could provide a boon for Starmer “even though it’s absolutely nothing to do with anything” Labour has done, Ford added. “They need to accept that they will never be able to outbid the Tories, let alone Reform on this issue,” Ford said.

The body of Terry McSpadden has never been found but police believe the then 24-year-old was killed 18 years ago. Earlier this year, Mr McSpadden's children spoke of how they were still looking for closure. Andy Guy, the force’s cold case manager, said: “Terry’s family including his mother and two children have never had closure. While this is a long time ago I have no doubt there are people out there who do know, or suspect, what happened to Terry. Terry McSpadden, who disappeared in March, 2007 (Image: Submitted) Mr Guy said officers were "keen to understand" what had happened to Mr McSpadden's Giant mountain bike, which had been painted black.

Write to letters@thetimes.co.ukSir, Having rightly suspended trade talks with Israel (news, May 21), the government should now make clear that should there ever be such a deal it would specifically forbid any trade from or to illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The illegality of settlements has been the accepted policy of both Labour and Tory governments for decades. Any trade with them is therefore tantamount to denying that policy, and should itself be deemed illegal. Sir Alan DuncanForeign minister, 2016-19; London SW1Sir, In castigating Israel for the intolerable situation in Gaza, the government is in danger of being seen as rewarding Hamas and its puppet masters in Iran. Hamas may be losing the battle but it is

Reform UK has officially taken control of Kent County Council following the party's sweeping victory in May's local elections. Kent party leader Linden Kemkaran was sworn in as council leader and told her councillors in a private meeting: "Today is about getting on with business." In her first speech to the chamber, Ms Kemkaran announced a host of things, including a cabinet role inspired by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) office - a drive to cut US government spending overseen by Elon Musk. To those critical of the lack of experience in her councillors, Mr Kemkaran said: "We stood because we believe this country of ours is in grave danger and time is running out to save it."

FAQsWhat is the West Nile virus caused by? Are dengue and West Nile virus the same? "Even though the risk is low, health experts recommend the following steps to stay protected:A single-stranded RNA virus from the Flavivirus genus causes West Nile virus. Dengue fever symptoms include high fever, headache, and joint pain, while West Nile virus often presents flu-like or neurological symptoms. West Nile can cause encephalitis or meningitis, which is less common than dengue.Yes, West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitoes in the UK.

This landmark deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually between the two countries.India will gain from tariff elimination on about 99% of the tariff lines covering almost 100% of the trade value offering huge opportunities for increase in the bilateral trade between India and the UK. While it will help raise the UK’s GDP by £4.8 billion.For Indian HNIs and family businesses, the FTA paves the way for enhanced market access, cross-border investments, lifestyle mobility, and strategic partnerships.It also opens opportunities in sectors such as technology, healthcare, financial services, professional services and real estate—all of which have historically been preferred by Indian investors.From a regulatory and structuring perspective, India’s evolving capital control regime further facilitates global wealth participation.With the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) allowing up to USD 250,000 per individual every financial year and updated Overseas Investment Laws, enabling Overseas Direct Investments (ODI) and Overseas Portfolio Investments (OPI) by Indian entities , Indian residents are now well-positioned to establish legitimate and tax-compliant global holdings whether for business or investments goals.The GIFT City , India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) has emerged as a complementary hub—offering zero capital gains tax (for eligible investors), no stamp duty, and access to global markets through IFSC registered structures. It now acts as a regulatory bridge, enabling seamless investment into jurisdictions like the UK.As global wealth flows become more complex and interconnected, the UK continues to offer Indian HNIs a robust, opportunity-rich platform—albeit with new considerations.With the right planning partner, Indian families can unlock these benefits with clarity, compliance, and strategic foresight. (The author is Managing Director – Wealth Planning & Family Solutions, LGT Wealth India): Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

The event, titled “Teachings of Gautama Buddha – A Path to Internal and Global Peace,” was co-hosted by Thailand and Sri Lanka and took place in the UN’s Economic and Social Council chamber. Proceedings began with an invocation by monks and nuns in ochre and white robes asking for the Buddha’s blessing. Because Vesak occurs on the day of the full moon each May, the calendar date on which it is celebrated changes from one year to the next. The UN Vesak celebration highlighted the continuing relevance of the Buddha’s teachings in a time of global uncertainty. Bhikkhu Sanghasena Leads Week-long Vesak Celebration in LadakhSpecial Report: Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche Marks Vesak with First-Phase Consecration of New Monastery in LumbiniWhite House Hosts Buddhist Representatives for Fourth Annual Vesak ObservanceLight Up Peace: Vesak Day Celebration at Washington DCBuddhists Welcomed to White House to Celebrate Vesak

But I think that’s wrong, because it understates the way in which all of us are informed by our moral and religious values. Yeah that’s right. That’s right. And I’m going to ask the same question about what does success look like. That’s right.