The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging the United Kingdom to stabilize its national debt levels through either tax increases or budget cuts.

The IMF has cautioned London against introducing new tax reduction initiatives ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for the second half of 2024. Specifically, the institution criticized the previous decision by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government to reduce the national insurance contribution rate for employees from 12% to 10% starting in 2024.

According to the IMF's forecasts, given the slow economic growth, the ratio of national debt to GDP is projected to approach 100% by 2029. This figure excludes the Bank of England's quantitative easing (QE) program, which amounts to nearly £895 billion. Since 2022, the UK Treasury has spent almost $64 billion to cover losses caused by the reduction of assets on the central bank's balance sheet.

According to IMF calculations, to overcome the budget crisis by the end of the decade, London will need to reduce annual government spending by approximately $38 billion, or 1% of GDP, or significantly increase taxes, including VAT, carbon emission levies, utility tariffs, as well as property and inheritance taxes. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva stated that the fund is "genuinely concerned" about the budgetary situation not only in the UK but in all countries that implemented stimulus policies to recover their economies.

The IMF's recommendations were published shortly before the release of negative inflation data for the UK. In April, the annual consumer price growth rate was 2.3%, exceeding the Bank of England's forecast of 2.1%. Additionally, economists point to ongoing price pressures in the services sector and high wage growth rates, highlighting the structural nature of the inflation crisis and reducing the likelihood of an imminent easing of monetary policy.

This is another blow to the Conservative Party led by Sunak: in March, the party's rating reached 20% — the lowest since 1978, and the results in the early May local elections were among the worst in 40 years.

But, they always find money for weapons for Israel and Ukraine.

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Hayom Newspaper: Three young settlers in their 30s were killed in a two-vehicle accident on Route 6 northbound, near the Kiryat Gat intersection.

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❝It is absolutely clear that the people of Gaza are at risk of genocide, and the way to stop the genocidal violence is a halt to hostilities,❞ says criminology professor Mark Kersten

❝The order is less in terms of what South Africa asked for, but it is still extraordinary and crucial,❞ says criminal law professor Gerhard Kemp

❝Legally binding and very specific ruling leaves Israel and its supporters with very little wiggle room,❞ war crimes prosecutor Reed Brody tells Anadolu

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Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor:

We welcome the decision of the International Court of Justice to oblige “Israel” to immediately stop its military operations in Rafah.

We affirm the necessity of concerted international efforts to oblige “Israel” to stop the genocide it has been carrying out against Palestinian civilians since the seventh of last October.

We stress the importance of the Court of Justice’s decision, which is an indication that “Israel” continues to commit the crime of genocide and that the dangerous turn taken by the military operations in Rafah in particular constitutes an additional threat to the lives and safety of hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced to the city.

We stress the importance of the other precautionary measures ruled by the court, through which “Israel” was ordered to keep the Rafah crossing open to enable the entry of humanitarian aid and basic services into the Strip.

We call on all countries to assume their international responsibilities and stop all forms of political, financial and military support for “Israel” in its military attack on the Gaza Strip, especially immediately stop arms transfers to it.

We urge the International Criminal Court to add more Israeli officials to the list of arrest warrants issued against them, and to recognize and consider the crimes committed by “Israel” in the Gaza Strip as a crime of genocide.

We renew the call on the United Nations to send fact-finding and investigation committees to the Gaza Strip and not to absolutely comply with the Israeli decision rejecting the entry of such committees into the Gaza Strip.

We warn that if the Security Council is approached to issue a resolution obligating “Israel” to stop all its operations in Rafah, in the event that it does not adhere to the decision of the International Court of Justice, any use of the veto to enforce and pass this resolution means that the objecting state will be... An accomplice to the crime of genocide taking place in Gaza.

[A.k]

Hebrew source:

After the major ambush on the army in Beit Lahia, 6 helicopters are transporting the dead and wounded.

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Biden Admin Working With Social Media Companies to Limit Pro-Palestinian Content

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Kan Hebrew Channel:

The Chief of Staff, the head of the Mossad, the head of the Shin Bet, the Defense Minister, Minister Gantz, and Minister Eisenkot support heading for a deal with Hamas, and they claim that it is necessary at this time.

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We are a people who, if we love, we embrace the earth out of love. 🖤 👆

And if we are angry, we set the earth on fire...🔥 🖤

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Day 231... Al-Qassam targeted 13 vehicles and sniped 3 soldiers
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A senior security official told Channel 13:

We are approaching a stage in which we will run out of options to pressure Hamas

Israel missed many scenarios in which it would pressure Hamas to improve the terms of the deal

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Statement issued by the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement:

We consider that the decision of the International Court of Justice to stop the Zionist aggression against Rafah is a step that contributes to the isolation of the Zionist entity, but it is still incomplete, as the Zionist enemy continues its genocidal massacres, its stifling siege, and its policy of starvation against our people in Gaza.

We affirm that international institutions are still unable to stop the continuing brutal Zionist aggression and are subject to Western Zionist hegemony and global evil forces.

The Zionist response to international resolutions reflects the arrogance and arrogance tendency of this rogue entity due to the cover provided by the American administration to protect it from accountability for its prolonged and ongoing crimes.

[A.k]