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LONDON: The UK government is banning trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where it says “settler terrorists” are carrying out ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband says the UK will ban imports of all goods from the settlements, and some services including financing, construction, infrastructure, real estate and advertising for settlements.

In a toughening of its stance against Israel’s occupation, Miliband told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the government was acting to preserve the chance of a two-state solution.

Developing…

CENTER Parcs is introducing new rules when it comes to bookings at their resorts.

The policy change means all guests will now have to pay £5 per person to reserve restaurant bookings, in a bid to to prevent no-shows.

The new rules are being introduced on all holidays from November 16.

The rule change has been praised by families who say they hope it opens up more bookings.

One customer said: “I’m glad they are bringing this back as it stops people making unnecessary reservations. 

“I’ve really struggled to book what I wanted this year whereas previous years with the deposit there has been plenty of choice.”

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Another added: “Too many people not showing up and leaving restaurants empty. This ties you in unless you can afford to lose it.”

A third former guest pointed out the policy had previously been in place at Center Parcs in recent years, and he had appreciated the chance to spread the cost of the meal.

He said: “Great news, I loved paying the deposit, once the bill came it had £25 off… felt like I was winning.”

If a guest cancels 48 hours before the time of the booking they can get their deposit back, although some people felt the notice period should be less than two days.

Center Parcs has a broad range of restaurants across its five UK villages, including Huck’s American Bar & Grill (all sites), Rajinda Pradesh (all sites), The Pancake House (all sites) and Foresters’ Inn, at Longleat and Elveden. 

It is also possible to just turn up and hope a table is available, although there are no guarantees.

Some have raised issues with the new charge, in that not all of the restaurant menus shown online have prices displayed on them.

Many are arguing they should know the cost of a meal if they were partly paying in advance. 

A commenter said: “Surely you can’t take a deposit which is non-refundable on the day/day before if you don’t publish the prices of the meals?”

Center Parcs announced on its website: “To help us provide the best possible experience for our guests and make sure our restaurants are available for as many guests as possible, all restaurant bookings now require a deposit at the time of booking. 

“This will come into effect for all breaks starting from 16th November 2026 onwards.  

“If your plans change, you can cancel more than 48 hours before your reservation, and we’ll refund your deposit in full. If you cancel within 48 hours of your reservation, the deposit is non-refundable.

“Please note that restaurant bookings have their own cancellation terms, which are different from those for activity bookings.”

Sun Travel has contacted Center Parcs for additional comment.

Other new rules have been rolled out in recent months, including the scrapping of its creche service earlier this year.

Last summer it also changed its pool opening hours from 9am to 10am, while closing at 8pm instead of 10pm.

Check in times also changed last summer, depending on your lodge time – here is everything you need to know.

Holidaymakers are being warned of new rules around spending cash in popular hotspots which are set to be implemented by next summer

While many Brits use debit, credit, or travel money cards when they go on holiday, for some, cash is still king no matter where they go in the world.

But new plans from the European Central Bank (ECB) could see a digital equivalent to physical cash being introduced, and the first step, a cash payment limit in Euros, is set to be enforced as of next summer.

As reported by Majorca Daily News, as part of the move to a digital Euro, the cash payment limit of €10,000 (about £8,500) will be introduced in Spain as of July 10, 2027. It’ll apply to all commercial transactions for goods and services, and can’t be bypassed by making lots of smaller transactions, as linked cash payments will be treated as a single payment under the law.

For transactions between €3,000 and €10,000, merchants will be obliged to verify the customer’s identity before they pay in cash. This ensures that all financial transactions can be linked to individuals, even if cash is used, and aims to prevent money laundering. This could affect Brits looking to pay for hotels or car hire in cash.

EU countries will be able to set their own limits, and France has already confirmed for its own taxpayers the maximum amount will be just €1,000, but for holidaymakers it’ll be €15,000, about £12,800.

Banks in the EU will continue to monitor unusual deposits at cash points, and will also need to report transactions of over €3,000 where large banknotes are used. While it’s unlikely that the average tourist would ever carry this amount, there is also a limit on the amount of cash someone can carry in public when in Spain which is €100,000, about £85,500. which is to deter criminal activities and terrorism.

If you’re travelling between countries, even if you’re within the Schengen area, you’ll need to declare any amounts over €10,000 to customs when you arrive.

The digital Euro plan would create a central bank digital currency (CBDC) overseen by the ECB. It would offer a digital alternative to physical cash, and mean people could make on and off-line purchases free of charge with their Euros stored on a card or mobile app.

A rollout is planned for 2029, and aims to reduce reliance on US payment systems such as Visa and Mastercard. In Russia, huge numbers of people were left unable to make payments when the firms pulled out of the country due to the war with Ukraine, and Europe wants to avoid using US firms for banking functions in a time of political instability.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde claimed in a Euronews interview that the move to a digital Euro isn’t about scrapping cash and coins or monitoring citizens, saying: “Cash will not go away, it will be rejuvenated”.

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