Author: 5hspx
Getty ImagesBusinesses have hit out at a possible increase in national insurance contributions paid by employers, arguing it would make it harder to recruit staff and create new jobs.Leading business groups in the UK have raised concerns about a possible tax rise – something Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer did not rule out in an interview with the BBC on Tuesday.Some have warned that an increase in national insurance for employers would “hamper” economic growth, while one pressure group claimed it would “hammer” the hospitality sector.Labor has declared itself “pro-business” and wants to boost economic growth, but Sir Keir warned…
PA MediaSir Keir Starmer did not rule out an increase in national insurance for employers in the Budget, in an interview with BBC Breakfast.Labour's 2024 manifesto excludes increases in national insurance, income tax and VAT.But Sir Keir sidestepped the question of whether Labour's promise not to raise taxes on “workers” covered employers' National Insurance (NI).Speaking at Downing Street, Sir Keir said this month's Budget was “going to be tough” but would “focus on rebuilding our country”.Employers currently pay NI at the rate of 13.8% on all employee wages above £175 per week.Speculation is growing that the NI rate paid by…
AFPIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) shakes hands with Canadian Justin Trudeau ahead of the G20 summit in September 2023India and Canada have expelled their top diplomats amid escalating tensions following the assassination of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil, marking a new low in a historically cordial relationship.Although past disagreements have strained relations, none have reached this level of open confrontation.In 1974, India shocked the world by detonating a nuclear device, sparking outrage in Canada, which accused India of extracting plutonium from a Canadian reactor, a gift intended only for peaceful use.Relations between the two countries have cooled considerably…
Getty ImagesBaba Siddique was an influential politician who was part of the coalition ruling the state of Maharashtra.The murder of a politician in a busy area of the Indian city of Mumbai has sent shockwaves across the country.Baba Ziauddin Siddique, 66, was shot dead Saturday night near his car as he left his son's office. He later died in hospital.The assassination of Siddique, an influential politician who was part of the coalition ruling the state of Maharashtra – of which Mumbai is the capital – has sparked a political blame game.The motive for the killing is not yet clear, but…
Google has signed a deal to use small nuclear reactors to generate the large amounts of energy needed to power its artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.The company says the deal with Kairos Power will allow it to start using the first reactor this decade and put others into operation by 2035. Tech companies are increasingly turning to nuclear power sources to provide the electricity used by the massive data centers that drive AI.The companies gave no details on the amount of the deal or where the plants will be built.“The grid needs new sources of electricity to support AI technologies,”…
ReutersDonald Trump has pledged to significantly increase tariffs on foreign goods entering the United States if he is elected president again.He promised tariffs – a form of tax – of up to 20% on goods from other countries and 60% on all imports from China. He even talked about a 200% tax on certain imported cars. Tariffs are a central part of Trump's economic vision: he sees them as a way to grow the U.S. economy, protect jobs and increase tax revenue. He said during the election campaign that these taxes “will not be a cost to you, but a…
EspaceXSenegal's first satellite took off on a SpaceX launcher in AugustOne by one, the satellites – each encrusted with a hodgepodge of solar panels and other gadgets – broke away from their mothership.They had taken off from Earth an hour earlier, on August 16. The 116 satellites aboard the launcher were mostly designed and built by Western countries and companies – but one was different.It is the first spacecraft of its type ever developed by the African country of Senegal.A small CubeSat called GaindeSAT-1A, it will provide Earth observation and telecommunications services. The Senegalese president called this a big step…
Lilly Ledbetter, whose name appears in the US Equal Pay Act, has died at the age of 86.CBS, the BBC's news partner in the United States, quoted her children as saying she died peacefully on Saturday, surrounded by family and loved ones. “Our mother lived an extraordinary life,” adds a family press release. Ms. Ledbetter's activism led to the first bill signed by Barack Obama after he became president of the United States in 2009.The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act made it easier for workers to sue after discovering they were victims of pay discrimination.Mr. Obama said the law…
Ben TaggartAfghan special forces units known as the “Triples” worked closely with the SAS in Afghanistan.The government says it is allowing some “eligible” Afghan special forces soldiers who fought alongside the British Army to resettle in the UK, after previously being refused.Under the previous government, around 2,000 Afghans who served in specialist units – known as 'Triples' – were refused permission to settle in the UK after the Taliban took power in 2021 .Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard told the House of Commons a review found some requests had been wrongly refused.Pollard said there was no evidence of “malicious intent”…
Train operator Northern is withdrawing all current prosecutions against passengers reported for using railcard discounts for peak services where the original fare was less than £12.This follows the case of Sam Williamson, an engineering graduate, who was reported to the operator's debt enforcement and recovery department for using his 16-25 railcard to travel on a service to Manchester. Mr Williamson was prosecuted for paying £1.90 less than he should have paid, although he admitted his mistake and offered to pay a fine or a new tariff – which sparked widespread criticism towards Northern.The Department for Transport asked the company to…