Author: ALJAZEERA

Centre-right coalition gov’t says it will focus on ‘practical tools and technology’ to reduce agricultural emissions.New Zealand has scrapped plans for a so-called “burp tax” aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions from sheep and cattle. The country’s centre-right coalition government said on Tuesday it would exclude agriculture from the country’s emissions trading scheme in favour of exploring other ways to reduce methane. The move, which fulfils a pre-election pledge by former businessman Christopher Luxon’s National Party, comes after the plans to tax agricultural emissions from 2025 led to nationwide protests by farmers worried about the effect on their livelihoods. “It…

A fierce “edit war” has broken out on Wikipedia over a page dedicated to a deadly Israeli raid in the Nuseirat refugee camp near Deir el-Balah in central Gaza on the morning of June 8. The bloody attack – ostensibly to free four Israeli captives held there – killed nearly 300 displaced people and injured more than 700, overwhelming the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Now, the Israeli raid has become the focus of a heated editing dispute on Wikipedia, which has been forced to restrict editing access to the page dedicated to the incident. This is what we know about…

Labour Party leader rules out any rise in income tax, for national insurance or VAT.The UK’s opposition leader Keir Starmer has pledged to make wealth creation the top priority of his government in a pre-election pitch to voters. Speaking ahead of the release of the Labour Party’s election manifesto on Thursday, Starmer said he would prioritise economic growth and not raise taxes. “We will not raise tax on working people. That means no tax rises for income tax, for national insurance, for VAT [value-added tax],” Starmer said on Wednesday during a leaders’ debate hosted by Sky News. “The manifesto tomorrow…

The Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated M/V Verbena was delivering timber to Italy when it came under attack.Two cruise missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have struck a bulk cargo carrier in the Gulf of Aden, severely injuring one of the crew. The M/V Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, and Polish-operated ship, “reported damage and subsequent fires on board. The crew continues to fight the fire. One civilian mariner was severely injured during the attack,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Thursday. “Aircraft from USS Philippine Sea medically evacuated the injured mariner to a partner force ship nearby for…

Musk hails ‘awesome shareholder base’ after vote to restore compensation deal rejected by US judge.Elon Musk has won back his $44.9bn pay package at electric carmaker Tesla after shareholders voted to restore the compensation deal in a ringing endorsement of his leadership. The vote at Tesla’s annual meeting on Thursday came after a judge in the US state of Delaware threw out the deal after finding that the company’s board was too close to Musk and had not protected shareholders’ interests. “I just want to start off by saying, hot damn, I love you guys!” a jubilant Musk said as…

NewsFeedA video has emerged showing Israeli forces using a medieval-style catapult called a trebuchet near Lebanon’s southern border, where fighting with the armed group Hezbollah continues. Another video showed an Israeli archer launching burning arrows.Published On 14 Jun 202414 Jun 2024 Source link

US ambassador says returned assets can be used for original purpose of bettering the lives of everyday Malaysians.Malaysia has been handed back $156m in assets linked to the 1MDB scandal after an investigation by the United States, the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur has said. US ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D Kagan said the funds were the fourth tranche of assets to be returned to the country following a probe by the US Department of Justice. “This extraordinary sum of money is going back to the people of Malaysia where it belongs and where it can finally be used for…

NewsFeedSaudi Arabia has deployed robots in the holy cities of Medina and Mecca to help pilgrims undertaking the Hajj.Published On 14 Jun 202414 Jun 2024 Source link

Taipei, Taiwan – Earlier this year, electric car enthusiast Anders Berner eagerly opened the door of a BYD Seal to take the sedan on a test drive outside the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Berner was already impressed by how far Chinese EV makers like BYD Auto had come in a short time. “Many Chinese EVs are made with excellent materials and have been put together well – they are high-quality cars,” Berner, a mechanical engineer by trade, told Al Jazeera. “And in terms of battery technology for EVs, Chinese companies are leading the field.” Berner is among those who believe that…

More than 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims have gathered in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca for the start of Hajj, taking place this year against the harrowing backdrop of Israel’s continued onslaught on the Gaza Strip. The annual pilgrimage began on Friday with crowds of robed worshippers circling the Kaaba, the black cubic structure at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, many expressing sadness eight months into the Israel-Hamas war. “Our brothers are dying, and we can see it with our own eyes,” said 75-year-old Zahra Benizahra from Morocco. After more than eight months of war, Palestinians in Gaza were not able to travel to Mecca…