Latest news with #UKGovernment
The Sun
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Sun
UK readying charter flights to rescue trapped Brits from Israel as Iranian missiles fall & US weighs strikes
UK nationals are to be evacuated from Israel by emergency chartered flights from Tel Aviv. British authorities are scrambling to arrange the planes after they were slammed for being too slow as the crisis spirals. 2 2 The UK government is working with the Israeli authorities to arrange transport after Sir Keir Starmer urged all sides to reach a diplomatic outcome. is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Pro-Palestinian activists break into UK military base
Pro-Palestinian activists have broken into a Royal Air Force base in central England and claimed to have damaged two military aircraft to protest against the UK government's support for Israel's war on Gaza. The campaign group Palestine Action said two members entered the RAF Brize Norton military base in Oxfordshire, spraying paint into the engines of the Voyager aircraft and attacking them with crowbars. 'Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel U.S./Israeli fighter jets,' the group said in a statement on Friday, posting a video of the incident on X. 'Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.' The video showed footage of two people whizzing on electric scooters through the Brize Norton base. One of them then used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray red paint into the turbine group said the red paint 'symbolising Palestinian bloodshed was also sprayed across the runway and a Palestine flag was left on the scene'. It said the activists were able to exit the military facility undetected and avoid arrest. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the 'vandalism' as 'disgraceful' in a post on X. The Ministry of Defence and the police were investigating the incident. 'Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain. They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all,' a ministry statement said. 'It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.' Earlier this month, pro-Palestine campaigners gathered outside the British Parliament in London to demand a full arms embargo and hard-hitting sanctions on the Israeli government. The UK-based Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) found the UK increased its licences to Israel for military equipment after the government announced a temporary arms suspension in September 2024. The government also refused to suspend the shipment of components of F-35 fighters, arguing it would cause a 'profound impact on international peace and security'.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
The 7 major holiday hotspots you'll get a fine of up to £5,600 for vaping – are you heading to one this summer?
VAPING has soared in popularity over the past few years, with users attracted to the brightly coloured packaging and enticing sweet flavours. However, the UK has begun a crackdown on the smoking alternatives, banning single-use vapes earlier this month to stop children getting hooked on the devices and to protect the environment. 2 2 And the UK isn't the only country to enforce laws against vaping, with some of the most visited countries in the world dishing out fines of up to £5600 for using electronic cigarettes. Are you travelling to one of these holiday hotspots this summer? Spain Spain is the country visited most frequently by sun-seeking Brits, but it has strict regulations when it comes to vaping. Although vaping is legal in the sunny nation, any Brits caught vaping on beaches will be find 200 euros (£168). And vaping indoors has an even heftier fine of up to 500 euros (£420). United States Vaping in the US is legal for those over 21 but laws vary from state to state. For example, in Texas vaping is banned in all enclosed public spaces, with those breaking the rules facing a fine of £148. In Illinois, vaping is banned in all indoor places, with rule breakers facing fines of £185. Turkey In Turkey, the sale of vapes and e-liquids are banned, however, you are able to bring your own vapes on holiday with you. You must be over the age of 19 to vape, and vaping is banned in all enclosed public areas, the same as smoking. Vaping inside leaves film of 'thick, toxic slime all over home that can seep through skin' Anyone caught vaping or smoking in public indoor space will face a fine of around £35. Italy In Italy, it is legal to use and purchase vapes if you are over the age of 18. However, the use of electronic cigarettes is banned everywhere that smoking is, such as in enclosed public spaces, on public transport and in open air spaces near minors or pregnant women. Fines for breaking these rules vary across the country, ranging from £23.50 to £234. The 4 horrifying things that can happen to your body after vaping VAPES were once hailed as miracle devices to help adults ditch cigarettes. But while the devices don't carry the same risks as tobacco, experts have warned that vaping might not be so harmless after all. Here are five ways vaping could damage young users bodies: 1. It could slow down brain development Vaping nicotine can permanently affect brain development in people under the age of 25, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It said that nicotine consumed during teenage years can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control, as well as increase the risk of addiction. 2. It could lead to tooth decay Dr Michael Heffernan, a dentist at The Wessex Dental Specialist Care, said most vapes contain dangerous chemical that can harm your teeth and lead to decay. Puffing on the devices could also lead to mouth dryness, creating an environment in which harmful bacteria can grow. 3. It could damage heart health However, some of the chemicals found in vapes can be damaging to the heart, with the American Heart Association (AHA) stating that vaping is "as harmful to the body's cardiovascular systems as cigarettes". 4. It could cause lung disease Vaping from a young age could leave children with breathing difficulties, with paediatric respiratory consultant Dr Mike McKean saying he'd seen reports of people developing lung disease related to vaping. Researchers from the US also found that young people who vape are more at risk of bronchitis, inflammation of the airways, and shortness of breath. Read more on how vaping can affect your health here. Mexico In Mexico there is a total ban on the sale import and distribution of vapes. Using vapes for personal use is often treated as a grey area, but bringing vapes into the country is classed as importing, which is illegal. Fines for vaping in public range from £37 to £222. Japan In Japan, e-cigarettes containing nicotine have been banned since 2010. Vapes without nicotine in them are legal for anyone regardless of age, as there are no laws against them. Anyone caught vaping outside designated areas could be hit with a fine of up to £5600. Thailand In Thailand, there is a total ban on vapes, under strict laws which have been in place since 2014. Anyone caught using a vape could face up to five years in prison, and a fine of four times the product's value.
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Record
New call to scrap National Insurance deductions for working people aged over 60
National Contributions are no longer taken from wages when someone reaches State Pension age. Income tax rises for Scots in April - how the changes affect you A new online petition is calling on the UK Government to scrap National Insurance contribution deductions for workers over the age of 60. People automatically stop seeing NICs deducted from payslips when they reach State Pension age, which is currently 66, but set to rise to 67 over 2026 and 2028. However, petition creator Mike Haynes argues making workers over 60 exempt from paying National Insurance would 'make it easier financially for older people to survive'. He added: 'We are calling for this as many over-60s are struggling to survive due to what we believe has been incompetent government spending over the past 30 years.' The 'exempt workers over 60 from National Insurance payments' petition has been posted on the UK Government's Petitions Parliament website. At 10,000 signatures of support, it would be entitled to a written response from the UK Government, most-likely The Treasury. At 100,000 signatures, it would be considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament - you can read it in full here. Understanding National Insurance The Chartered Institute of Taxation explains National Insurance is a tax on earnings paid by both employees from their wages and by employers (on top of the wages they pay out), as well as by the self-employed (from their trading profits). Technically National Insurance is a social security contribution rather than a tax, but really, it's a compulsory payment taken from you by the Government, a lot like a tax. Most people stop paying National Insurance contributions after reaching State Pension age. However, you only pay Income Tax if your taxable income - including your private pension and State Pension - is more than your tax-free allowances (the amount of income you're allowed before you pay tax). This has been frozen at £12,570 since the 2021/22 financial year, but will rise with inflation on April 6, 2028. Even if you're still working, when you reach State Pension age you usually stop paying National Insurance contributions. If you continue to pay them, you can claim back any National Insurance if you have overpaid. Calls to unfreeze Personal Allowance An online petition calling for the personal tax allowance to rise from £12,570 to £20,000 to help people on a low income 'get off benefits and allow pensioners a decent income' was debated last month by MPs in Parliament after more than 271,800 people across the UK have shown their support for the proposal. An update from the UK Government, related to the potential impact of increasing the Personal Allowance to £20,000, looks set to crush any hopes people may have of seeing the income threshold freeze lifted before the planned rise with inflation in April 2028. In a written response to Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Treasury Minister James Murray said the UK Government 'has no plans to increase the Personal Allowance to £20,000'. Mr Murray said: 'The Government is committed to keeping taxes for working people as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility and so, at our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds. 'The Government has no plans to increase the Personal Allowance to £20,000.' He went on to explain how increasing the Personal Allowance to £20,000 would 'come at a significant fiscal cost of many billions of pounds per annum' adding this would 'reduce tax receipts substantially, decreasing funds available for the UK's hospitals, schools, and other essential public services that we all rely on'. The Treasury Minister continued: 'It would also undermine the work the Chancellor has done to restore fiscal responsibility and economic stability, which are critical to getting our economy growing and keeping taxes, inflation, and mortgages as low as possible. 'The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process. The Chancellor will announce any changes to the tax system at fiscal events in the usual way.'
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Students in England now graduate with average debt of £53,000, data shows
Students in England are finishing their degrees with government loans averaging £53,000, a jump of 10% in a year, as they increase their borrowing to meet the rising cost of living. The Student Loans Company (SLC) has released figures showing individual loan balances were £5,000 higher in 2024-25 than a year earlier, when the average in England was £48,270. In comparison, students in Scotland – where undergraduate tuition remains free for local students – finished with just £17,000 in government loans. Those in Northern Ireland accrued £28,000 in debt and those from Wales £39,470. Rising costs also mean more students are taking on paid work during term time. A survey published by the Higher Education Policy Institute found 68% of full-time students worked for an average of 13 hours each week, the highest rate in the decade the survey has been conducted. The SLC reported that 62% of former students who are liable to repay their loans are in the UK tax system, with nearly 3 million (40%) making repayments averaging £1,100 in 2024-25. The government's total student loan book for England has hit £266bn, up from £64bn 10 years ago after the introduction of £9,000 annual tuition fees and loans. That figure will rise more quickly from next academic year after the government raised the tuition fee for domestic students from £9,250 to £9,535 from September. The extra income is unlikely to solve higher education's financial woes, as the government plans to reduce the number of international students and competition between universities for domestic students intensifies. Research by the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education found that a quarter of the sector's leaders say their institution will need a 'complete overhaul' to survive the crisis. More than half of the leaders surveyed said financial stability was now their 'top institutional priority', while 28% said that international student recruitment was their most important activity. A new report by the Tony Blair Institute found that as tuition fees from UK students have been eroded by inflation, falling by nearly a third in real terms since 2012, many universities now rely on international student fees to cross-subsidise courses for domestic students. The institute warned that a group of universities are now vulnerable to changes to student visas that the UK government is considering as part of its immigration white paper, including a 6% levy on tuition fees, stricter compliance regulations and a reduction in the amount of time international students can spend working in the UK after completing their course. Alexander Iosad, the institute's director of government innovation policy, said universities with lower international rankings and former polytechnics had weaker finances and were most reliant on international students, putting them most at risk from any visa changes. The report says: 'As the government seeks to reform the immigration system, it is worth considering the interplay of these changes with the broader need to reform the higher education funding system so that it is put on a more sustainable basis.'
