Author: News Desk

London: Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing increasing pressure to introduce a ‘pay-per-mile’ taxation scheme on electric vehicles (EVs) as the UK government seeks to address the growing revenue shortfall from declining fuel taxes. With the rapid adoption of EVs, traditional fuel tax revenues have plummeted, creating a significant gap in public finances that were historically bolstered by petrol and diesel taxes. Critics argue that without a new taxation model, essential services funded by these taxes, including road maintenance and public transport, could face severe budget cuts. The proposed ‘pay-per-mile’ scheme would see EV owners being charged based on the number…

BRUSSELS: The European Commission has reinforced the 100ml limit on liquid items when travelling in European airports. Coming into effect from 1st September, 2024, all liquids in cabin bags must be in bottles of 100ml or less; the same limit applies to aerosols and gels. It’s an abrupt about-face from a previous government mandate for European airports to install advanced scanners, known as Explosive Detection Systems for Cabin Baggage (EDSCB), which would allow up to two litres of liquids in carry-ons. The ‘3D’ scanners also meant passengers no longer had to take liquids out from their hand luggage. But their…

The UK immigration strategy, reflected in the government’s intensified approach to immigration enforcement, including increased raids, detentions, and deportations, is pushing more undocumented migrants into hiding and heightening their risk of exploitation, according to over 80 charities. Coordinated by Migrant Voice, the charities, including Care4Calais, City of Sanctuary UK, and Anti-Slavery International, have urged the Home Secretary to create simpler pathways for undocumented migrants to regularize their status. This change would allow them to work legally, reducing their vulnerability to exploitative employers and human trafficking gangs. On 27 August, the Home Office announced a week-long operation targeting illegal working. The…

The Israeli military has claimed killing Hamas group military wing commander in the West Bank city of Jenin along with two other operatives, in clashes and drone strikes, as a major operation continues for a third day in the north of the occupied West Bank. According to the Israeli security agency, Wissam Hazem was shot dead followed by air strikes on the other two as they attempted to flee. The Palestinian health ministry said the three men were killed overnight near the town of Zababdeh, south-east of Jenin. Hamas also confirmed their deaths. Israel claimed that Hazem was planning more…

GAZA: Israel has agreed to pause its military operations in Gaza to allow for a polio vaccination campaign targeting around 640,000 children, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The vaccination drive will begin on 1st September and will occur in three phases, with a three-day halt in fighting during each phase from 06:00 to 15:00 local time. The decision comes after Gaza reported its first polio case in 25 years, leaving a 10-month-old baby partially paralyzed. The WHO has stated that 1.26 million doses of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) are already in Gaza, with an…

Tokyo: Japan’s strongest typhoon of the year also known as Typhoon 10 has made landfall in the country’s south-west, bringing heavy rain and winds of up to 252 km/h (157 mph), that can create havoc. Typhoon No 10, caused landfall on the island of Kyushu. The power company reported that around 254,610 houses were already without electricity. “Typhoon Shanshan is expected to approach southern Kyushu with extremely strong force,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated. “It is expected that violent winds, high waves and storm surges at levels that many people have never experienced before may occur”, Hayashi added. In…

Gaza: The UN Secretary-General has shared concerns on the latest developments in the occupied West Bank, including Israel’s launch of large-scale military operations in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas governorates, and called for an immediate cessation of these operations. The military operations involving the use of airstrikes, resulted in casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. António Guterres strongly condemned the loss of lives, including of children. Guterres calls on Israel to comply with its relevant obligations under international humanitarian law and to take measures to protect civilians and ensure their safety. Guterres urges security forces to exercise maximum restraint and use…

London: The UK government has canceled a £40 million helicopter contract under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s administration. The contract, set for renewal, was scrapped by Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence, signaling a departure from previous government practices. Sunak’s use of RAF jets and helicopters for domestic flights drew criticism, with a BBC investigation in 2023 revealing that he used these services more frequently than his three predecessors. The decision to cancel the contract comes ahead of a speech where Sunak will emphasize that it will not be “business as usual” when Parliament reconvenes next week. A Labour source…

Texas: The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has issued a 14 days-stay order to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on temporarily halting a new immigration programme from the Biden administration that officials say could protect hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation. The District Court’s administrative stay order does not affect any applications that were approved before the administrative stay order was issued. On August 19, DHS implemented Keeping Families Together, a process for certain noncitizen spouses and noncitizen stepchildren of U.S. citizens to request parole in place under existing statutory…

US: SpaceX has postponed its Polaris Dawn mission, a planned private human spaceflight mission, due to a ground-side helium leak on the Quick Disconnect umbilical, critical component in the ground support system. The mission will be delayed by at least a day because of a helium leak in ground equipment at Kennedy Space Centre, the company said, hours before the scheduled liftoff of its Crew Dragon capsule. Despite the technical issue, SpaceX confirmed that the Falcon and Dragon remain healthy and the crew continues to be ready for their multi-day mission to low-Earth orbit. SpaceX targets Wednesday, August 28 at…