Author: News Desk

Israel passes law banning UNRWA amid Gaza aid concerns Israel’s parliament has approved legislation to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in Israel and Israeli-controlled East Jerusalem within the next three months. The new law prohibits contact between UNRWA staff and Israeli officials, severely impacting the agency’s work in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as cooperation with Israel’s military is essential for aid transfers into Gaza. UNRWA, the primary UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, will also see its East Jerusalem headquarters closed, and its staff will no longer have legal immunity…

At least 60 killed in Lebanon, including children, in Israeli airstrikes Lebanon’s health ministry has reported at least 60 fatalities following Israeli air strikes on the Bekaa Valley, a region known for its Hezbollah presence. Among the deceased were two children, with another 58 people injured. Rescue operations are still ongoing in the area, officials said. The strikes targeted 12 areas within the Baalbek region, which the area’s governor, Bachie Khodr, called the “most violent” since Israel intensified its operations against Hezbollah last month. The Israeli military has not yet responded to the reports. These strikes add to ongoing hostilities…

8 key things to watch out for in the autumn 2024 budget Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRachel Reeves is set to unveil Labour’s first Budget in a generation on Wednesday – and the first ever written by a female chancellor. She has warned that it will involve “difficult decisions” – as she blamed the last Tory government for leaving a £22bn black hole in the public finances. Paul Johnson, the director of the high-respected Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think tank has already said it…

How make-or-break Budget has fractured Keir Starmer’s cabinet Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRachel Reeves’ Budget is a make-or-break moment for Sir Keir Starmer’s government, potentially sparking a decade of national renewal – or sowing the seeds of Labour’s downfall.The prime minister’s poll ratings are at rock bottom after just over 100 days in charge, and the much-hyped “tough choices” to be unveiled on October 30 will likely do little to help boost his appeal.As the driving force behind the financial statement, expected to entail…

Royal news live: Prince William breaks silence on Harry in rare tribute as Charles set for full tour next year King Charles heckled by Australian senator: ‘Give us our land back’Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailPrince William has mentioned his brother, Prince Harry, publicly for the first time in years, as he paid tribute to their mother in his upcoming documentary.The Prince of Wales recounted an emotional childhood memory of the late Princess Diana taking him and his brother to visit a homeless shelter when…

Iran executes German-Iranian dissident Iran has executed Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-Iranian dissident convicted of “leading terror operations,” according to state media reports. Sharmahd, a US resident, was sentenced to death last year on charges of “corruption on Earth,” with authorities alleging he led a pro-monarchist group based in the United States. His family, however, insists he was only a spokesperson for the group. Germany’s foreign minister had previously warned Iran that executing a German citizen would have “serious consequences.” Sharmahd is believed to have been abducted by Iranian agents while in Dubai in 2020, and then forcibly taken to Iran.…

Nato confirms North Korean troops deployed to Russia’s border region For the first time, NATO has confirmed that North Korean troops are operating in Russia’s Kursk region, near areas where Ukrainian forces have gained a foothold. Secretary-General Mark Rutte made the announcement after meeting with South Korean security officials, citing weeks of intelligence reports. Rutte described the deployment as a “serious escalation” and warned it was a “dangerous expansion” of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin sidestepped questions on North Korean troop presence, stating it was “Russia’s sovereign decision” to use external support, leaving specifics ambiguous.…

Researchers study treatment for chronic pain in childhood cancer survivors Team at Nottingham Trent University is investigating how chemotherapy in early life could damage nerve cellsTreatments that could help alleviate the chronic pain experienced by thousands of childhood cancer survivors are being investigated by scientists and researchers in the UK. About eight out of 10 children survive their cancer for 10 years or more but more than half of them report delayed and ongoing pain in adulthood. Continue reading… https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/28/research-chronic-pain-childhood-cancer-nerve-cells-chemotherapy

Developer wants to cram 56 people into London house with one shared kitchen | UK News A property developer has applied to transform an east London townhouse to fit up to 56 people with just one shared kitchen. Dilawar Properties applied to Newham Council to turn the Victorian building on Romford Road in Forest Gate into a ‘co living space’. The application said it would create 28-units with each room including a double bed, kitchenette and ensuite shower room plus toilet. Developers also want to build a communal games room and a reception for residents. But despite their promises, the…

Reeves’s radical change to fiscal rules could go further – New Zealand shows how Nation follows net worth rules which count liabilities such as debt but also assets, including land, roads, hospitals and schools. Rachel Reeves will this week change the way the UK government’s debt rules are calculated to unlock billions of pounds in additional headroom for spending on long-term infrastructure projects. In what could be the most radical step in Labour’s first budget since 2010, the chancellor confirmed the decision while at the International Monetary Fund’s annual meeting in Washington DC last week, aiming to soothe any jitters…