SURGING debt interest costs triggered by the leap in inflation forced the British government to borrow more than expected in May at £14 billion ($17.14 bn), according to official data published on Thursday (23).
Economists polled by Reuters had a median forecast of £12bn for borrowing excluding public sector banks.
Finance minister Rishi Sunak remains under pressure to borrow more after he added £15bn last month to his support for households hit by the cost-of-living crisis, even as a slowing economy threatens to reduce tax revenues.
He repeated his warning of the hit to the public finances from rising inflation after the data from the Office for National Statistics.
“Rising inflation and increasing debt interest costs pose a challenge for the public finances, as they do for family budgets." Sunak said. “That is why we are taking a balanced approach - using our fiscal firepower to provide targeted help with the cost of living, while remaining on track to get debt down.
“Being responsible with the public finances now will mean future generations aren’t burdened with even higher debt repayments, and we can secure our economy for the long term.”
The government's interest bill rose by 70 per cent from May last year to £7.6bn, the biggest ever interest cost for the month of May and the third highest for any month.
Britain's official budget watchdog has said it expects interest costs in June to reach almost 20 billion pounds due to the accelerating inflation rate.
British inflation-linked government bonds are pegged to the Retail Price Index which hit almost 12 per cent in May.
Borrowing in the April-May period - the first two months of the financial year - was 15 per cent lower than a year earlier at £35.9bn but was almost £20bn more than in the April-May period of 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Michal Stelmach, an economist at KPMG UK, said Sunak's attempts to fix the public finances were slowing after he bumped up his support for households last month.
"Debt reduction this year remains a long shot," Stelmach said, adding he expected borrowing to overshoot the government's target by about £20bn this year on the back of higher spending and weaker economic growth.
Public sector debt would only peak in 2023-24, missing the latest official forecast by two years, Stelmach said.
Thursday's data showed total public debt, excluding public-sector banks, stood at £2.363 trillion or 95.8 per cent of GDP, up from 95.6 per cent in April.
The Office for National Statistics cut its estimate for borrowing in the 2021/22 financial year, which ended in March, by almost £1bn to £143.7bn. It also lowered its borrowing estimate for the previous year by almost £8bn to £309.6bn.
TWO documentaries on the July 2024 pro-democracy protests in Bangladesh were screened at the House of Commons on 20 May. The event was hosted by Apsana Begum MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Bangladesh, at Portcullis House.
The screening featured the international premiere of Deepak Kumar Goswami Speaking, a 21-minute film narrated by a member of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority. It covers the student-led protests and subsequent state crackdown, also examining global financial systems linked to authoritarian regimes.
“This story is not just about one country. It’s about the global systems that allow authoritarian regimes to suppress dissent, launder wealth, and manipulate international opinion — and what happens when those systems begin to unravel,” said director Deepak Kumar Goswami.
An excerpt from July Women was also shown, presenting first-hand testimonies from two women involved in the protests.
The panel discussion, chaired by Apsana Begum MP, included photographer Shahidul Alam, writer Farrukh Dhondy, protest participant Nowshin Noor, and anthropologist Professor Nayanika Mookherjee.
The event follows a UN OHCHR report that found credible evidence of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and torture during the 2024 protests under the former Awami League government.
“These films are more than documentation. By giving these voices a platform, we reaffirm the need for a worldwide commitment to human rights, democracy, and justice globally. The world must stand with the people of Bangladesh as they navigate the path to accountability and true democratic reform,” said Apsana Begum MP.
CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves arrived in Banff, Canada, on Monday for a two-day G7 summit with finance ministers from leading democracies. Reeves is expected to focus on the UK’s recent trade deals and economic performance.
She said, “This Government is laser-focused on delivering for the British people. That’s why in the past two weeks we have struck three major deals with the US, EU and India that will kickstart economic growth and put more money in people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change.”
The UK recently signed agreements with the US, EU and India. The deal with the EU is expected to add nearly £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040.
The India trade agreement is projected to increase GDP by £4.8 billion and wages by £2.2 bn annually in the long run. A separate agreement with the US includes tariff cuts and protections for British businesses.
Reeves is expected to meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent and Canadian finance minister François-Philippe Champagne during the summit. She will also hold discussions on Ukraine with Ukrainian finance minister Sergii Marchenko.
The chancellor will reiterate UK support for Ukraine and highlight the latest UK sanctions on Russia’s oil exports.
She will also outline steps taken by the UK government to reduce interest rates and provide economic stability.
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The rise in lion numbers is being viewed as a major success for India’s conservation programme
The population of Asiatic lions in Gujarat has increased significantly, rising from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025, according to the latest census results announced by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday.
The figures were gathered during the 16th Asiatic lion census, which was carried out over four days from 10 to 13 May across 11 districts in the state. This marks a notable rise of over 32 per cent in the number of lions over the past five years.
The large-scale survey covered an estimated 35,000 square kilometres and involved around 3,000 personnel, including regional, zonal, and sub-zonal officers, enumerators, assistant enumerators and inspectors. The team conducted a preliminary count on 10 and 11 May, followed by the final phase on 12 and 13 May.
The census was conducted across 58 talukas, including the districts of Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar and Botad.
Asiatic lions, a distinct sub-species of lions, are exclusively found in Gujarat, primarily in and around the Gir National Park. The region is globally recognised as the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion, and conservation efforts in the state have been instrumental in helping the species recover from the brink of extinction.
The rise in lion numbers is being viewed as a major success for India’s conservation programme, with authorities crediting effective wildlife management and local community involvement for the growing population.
The 2020 census had also shown an increase, with the population then having risen from 523 in 2015 to 674. With the current count at 891, Gujarat continues to be the stronghold for the world’s only wild population of Asiatic lions.
(PTI)
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Keir Starmer gestures during a reception in Downing Street, central London. (Photo by HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer on Wednesday (21) signalled he was open to reversing a widely criticised cut in winter fuel payments to the elderly, weeks after a bruising set of local election results for his Labour party.
Starmer told parliament he recognised that older people were still feeling the pressure of a cost-of-living crisis and he wanted to ensure that more pensioners become eligible for winter fuel payments.
"As the economy improves, we want to take measures that will impact on people's lives, and therefore we will look at the (winter payment) threshold, but that will have to be part of a fiscal event," he said, referring to a budget expected in October.
Starmer's Labour government announced the cut soon after taking office last July as part of wider spending reductions which it said were necessary to fix a hole in the public finances left by the previous Tory administration.
The cuts were cited as one factor in Labour losing ground to Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party in local elections earlier this month. Reform also leads in opinion polls.
The payments, worth £200-£300, subsidise winter heating bills for millions of older people.
Offering them to more pensioners by adjusting the threshold at which people receive them will be viewed as an embarrassing U-turn for Starmer, who had refused to back down on the issue despite opposition from dozens of Labour lawmakers as well as trade unions close to the party.
Government ministers had argued that many of the fuel payments were received by wealthy people who did not need the help.
Media reports in recent weeks have said the government was considering reversing the cuts following the poor local election results.
An urgent warning has been issued across parts of the UK following a rise in sightings of adders, the country’s only native venomous snake. The public is being advised to remain alert, particularly in areas where the snakes are known to reside, including London.
The increase in sightings in 2025 has been noted in regions such as southern England, Cornwall and Wales. In response, local police forces and wildlife organisations have issued statements urging caution, especially when walking in areas with tall grass or natural habitats.
The adder, also known as the common European viper, has long been part of Britain’s wildlife and is not a new arrival. These snakes are typically elusive and tend to avoid human contact, but they are venomous and may bite if provoked or startled.
According to The Wildlife Trust, “The adder is the UK’s only venomous snake but its venom is generally of little danger to humans. An adder bite can be painful and cause inflammation, but is really only dangerous to the very young, ill or old.”
Although fatalities are extremely rare, medical attention is advised in the event of a bite. Adders are most commonly active during warmer months and are often seen basking in sunlight in open areas such as grassy fields or heathland.
Dog owners are also being urged to take precautions, as adders may pose a risk to pets. While the snakes do not typically approach animals, they may bite if surprised. It is recommended to keep dogs on a lead in areas where adders may be present and to avoid letting them roam into undergrowth or long grass.
London is not exempt from this warning. A study conducted by English Nature for the London Biodiversity Partnership’s Reptiles Species Action Plan confirmed the presence of adders within Greater London. Although the population in the capital is relatively small, sightings have been reported in woodland edges, grasslands, heathlands, and some brownfield sites—habitats where the snakes hunt their preferred rodent prey.
While it is unlikely that adders will be found in urban gardens, they may be spotted in larger parks or natural reserves. Londoners are advised to remain cautious while enjoying outdoor spaces and to avoid disturbing wildlife.
Adders can live up to 15 years and grow up to 80 centimetres in length. They are protected under UK law, making it illegal to kill, harm or sell them.