Author: News Desk

London: Rachel Reeves, Britain’s new Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduced the UK’s largest tax increase in three decades in her inaugural budget, aiming to repair underfunded public services through substantial spending. The Labour Party’s economic plan targets businesses and the wealthy to bridge the nation’s budget deficit and enhance public services strained by years of economic instability. Reeves, a former Bank of England Economist, emphasised the need for stability and responsible spending, contrasting her approach with the unfunded tax cuts of former Prime Minister Liz Truss in 2022. The £40 billion ($52 billion) annual tax increase will raise the government’s…

New Delhi: Diwali, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” is one of India’s most significant and widely celebrated festivals, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. Typically lasting five days, Diwali falls between October and November, based on the lunar calendar. Homes, temples, and public spaces are decorated with oil lamps (diyas), candles, and vibrant rangoli designs made from coloured powders, rice, or flower petals. Each day of Diwali holds its own importance; Dhanteras: The first day focuses on wealth and prosperity, where people buy precious metals and new household items. Naraka Chaturdashi (or Choti…

Taiwan: Authorities in Taiwan are urging residents along the eastern coast to prepare for the impending impact of Super Typhoon Kong-rey, which has rapidly intensified after battering the Philippines. The storm is forecast to make landfall early Thursday in Taitung, a sparsely populated area on the mountainous southeastern coast of Taiwan. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC), Kong-rey reached super-typhoon strength on Wednesday, packing winds of up to 240 kilometres per hour (150 miles per hour), equivalent to a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane. Meteorologist Chu Mei-lin from Taiwan’s weather agency stated that, “As the typhoon continues its northwest…

Tokyo: Japan’s Mount Fuji has remained snowless, marking the latest date for its bare slopes since record-keeping began 130 years ago, according to the country’s weather agency. Typically, the volcano’s snowcap begins to form around October 2, with snow first detected last year on October 5. However, this year, no snowfall has been observed on Japan’s highest mountain due to warm weather, as noted by Yutaka Katsuta, a forecaster at the Kofu Local Meteorological Office. This marks the latest date recorded since comparative data became available in 1894, surpassing the previous record of October 26, which was set in 1955…

Sydney: Australia is enhancing its missile defence capabilities in response to “significant concerns” over China’s recent test of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in the South Pacific. The Australian government plans to increase its weapons stockpiles and expand exports to security partners, entering a new era characterised as a “missile age.” Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy remarked on the government’s commitment to enhancing its missile defence and long-range strike capabilities. Conroy emphasised the importance of collaborating with allies, including the United States, Japan, and South Korea, to ensure regional stability. The heightened concerns stem from China’s test of an…

Beijing: China celebrates the successful launch of its youngest crew of astronauts, including the first female space engineer, has successfully docked after a six-hour journey to the space station. This marks a significant milestone in its space exploration efforts. The crew will utilize the homegrown space station as their base for six months to conduct experiments and perform spacewalks, as Beijing works to gain experience and knowledge for its goal of landing humans on the Moon by 2030. Beijing has declared the launch of Shenzhou 19 a “complete success,” marking it as one of 100 planned launches in a record-setting…

Beijing: The Ministry of State Security of China has announced the retrieval of various spying devices located both on the ocean surface and submerged underwater, including advanced “lighthouses” designed to guide foreign submarines. The ministry revealed that these devices, hidden on the ocean floor, were relaying information that could potentially “pre-set the field for battle.” The statement underscores growing concerns over national security in the face of heightened maritime tensions. Recent confrontations in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, sparked by competing territorial claims have raised the stakes, particularly with the United States committed to defending the…

Jerusalem: Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has passed legislation banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Israel and Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem. Set to take effect within three months, the new law will also prohibit any contact between UNRWA employees and Israeli officials, significantly hampering the agency’s operations in Gaza and the West Bank. UNRWA is a critical player in providing humanitarian aid, education, and healthcare to millions of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, where the majority of the population relies on its support. The agency’s ability to transfer aid is…

United States: The United States and the European Union have called for a thorough investigation into reports of electoral violations following a contentious parliamentary election in Georgia. The recent development comes as President Salome Zourabichvili urged citizens to protest against the disputed results. With nearly all precincts counted, the election outcome represents a setback for pro-Western Georgians, who viewed the vote as a key choice between a ruling party that has strengthened ties with Russia and an opposition focused on accelerating integration with Europe. As the last independent institution, I cannot recognize these elections – it would legitimize Russia’s takeover…

United Kingdom: A new report from Oxfam highlights the alarming carbon emissions of the world’s richest 1 percent, showing how their extravagant lifestyles are exacerbating hunger, poverty, and excess deaths. The analysis indicates that the luxury consumption patterns of billionaires, such as private jets, superyachts, and investments in polluting industries are making it increasingly difficult to limit global warming to the critical threshold of 1.5°C. According to the report, if the entire global population emitted greenhouse gases at the same rate as an average billionaire, the planet’s remaining carbon budget would be depleted in less than two days. This stark…