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George Osborne was last night told he was 'playing with fire' by persevering with strict austerity policies as the economic outlook in Britain was downgraded. The International Monetary Fund slashed its UK growth forecasts to a mere 0.7 per cent in 2013 and 1.5 per cent in 2014 – a 0.3 percentage point cut for each year. The highly respected global watchdog also said the Chancellor should consider watering down his plans to cut the deficit as its doubts hardened over his tax hikes and spending cuts. Olivier Blanchard, chief economist at the IMF, said Mr Osborne is 'playing with fire' by pressing ahead with austerity before the recovery gathers pace. He added: 'In the face of weak demand it is really time to reconsider an adjustment to the fiscal consolidation plans.' Despite the criticism, the IMF still expects the UK to be the fastest-growing major economy in Europe in 2013 and 2014 – outstripping Germany, France, Italy and Spain. In its latest World Economic

US spy chiefs have been accused of building an £800million cyber base to keep tabs on American citizens. The state-of-the-art data centre in the Utah desert – codenamed Bumblehive – is intended to bolster online security efforts. But former employees say it could be used to monitor people’s private emails. The US National Security Agency, the secretive body that serves the military and intelligence communities, denied the claims. It said: ‘Many unfounded allegations have been made about the planned activities of the Utah Data Centre. Surveillance: The site plan for the NSA's Utah data center, code-named Bumblehive, which has been accused of being built to spy on American citizens One of the biggest misconceptions about NSA is that we are unlawfully listening in on, or reading emails of, US citizens. This is simply not the case.’ Fox News aired a television report about the 1million-sq/ft facility on Friday in which former NSA employees raised concerns that the facility would be

Two British teachers are travelling around the world powered only by a tiny tuk-tuk’s lawnmower-sized engine in a bid to promote education. Nick Gough and Rich Sears, from Guildford, Surrey, have already become the first to conquer Africa in their open-sided 395cc rickshaw after setting off from London last August. They travelled around the UK in the three-wheeler - which can reach a top speed of 34mph downhill - before crossing Europe and passing down through the continent. They are shipping the vehicle to Mumbai in India after reaching the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, from where they will continue across Asia and around the Americas. Richard Sears and Nick Gough drive their tuk-tuk rickshaw past an elephant in Botswana The two British teachers meet the locals in Muyinga, North Eastern Burundi Richard Sears and Nick Gough on the 'road' in their tiny vehicle in Ethiopia The pair are aiming to raise awareness of grassroots projects in parts of the world where ther

One Briton was killed and up to 18 others injured when a coach exploded in a fireball after crashing in the French Alps yesterday. More than 50 UK nationals were on their way home from resorts around Alpe d’Huez when the coach veered off the road after suspected brake failure. It smashed into rocks shortly after 2pm before bursting into flames seconds later as passengers leapt to escape. The British driver was killed in the crash. Firefighters stand by the burning bus, which according to UK travel organisation Abta, was transporting home 51 UK workers who had been working for a Brighton-based ski company at Alpe d'Huez and other resorts The identity of the driver has not been released but all travelling on the coach are believed to have been British The coach careered off a steep mountain road which has 21 hairpin bends - leading to fears that the vehicle's brakes may have failed The accident happened in the Alpe d'Huez ski resort - three passengers are under

Britain needs to stump up an extra £2billion to stop the European Union running out of cash, MEPs have warned. Brussels has already angered ministers by demanding an extra 11.2 billion euro (£9.3 billion) this year to plug a black hole in its budget - landing Britain with an extra £1.4 billion bill. But MEPs have now warned that the true hole in the EU budget will hit 16.2 billion euro (£13.5 billion) this year - potentially landing the UK with a demand for another £2billion. Pay up: Brussels has already angered ministers by demanding an extra 11.2 billion euro this year to plug a black hole in its budget Members of the European Parliament’s powerful budget committee urged the European Commission to come clean about the true scale of the problem, rather than table further demands for cash later this year. The comments came during a meeting with the Commission’s budget chief Janusz Lewandowski, who said Brussels would run out of money within months unless it received a cash injectio

A staffer in New York Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s office has resigned after it was reported that he had been making sexually aggressive and anti-Semitic comments on Twitter. Anthony 'Tony' Baker attacked Jews, women and police using the Twitter handle @HymanDoodlesack, the New York Post reported. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at the United Nations last year, he wrote, '[he American Israel Public Affairs Committee] makes me want to be a Nazi.' Two months later he tweeted, 'I need the best goddamn-Jew-lawyer money can buy!' Then in June he wrote, 'In BKB Park today taking in the Sun (GOD) + signing copies of my new book, Was Columbus a Homo or Was He Just a Jew? NOW in KINDLE #pride.' Baker's Twitter page has been removed since the Post published its story on Tuesday. 'Nothing can excuse anti-Semitic remarks and vulgar insults about women,' de Blasio said of the incident. 'I am disgusted and shocked by these outra