Author: staff
Around 20 million households will be targeted for the energy payment “directly into people’s bank accounts to deal with rising energy bills,” Healey said. The scheme comes with a £2.6 billion price tag. On the revenue-raising side, Healey has opted to target Britain’s banks. While praising their “huge contribution,” the chancellor is hiking an existing surcharge on bank profits by three percentage points, taking it to 6%. The increase will last for 15 months starting in January. Healey has also opted to reduce his amount of fiscal headroom — the buffer between his projected tax and spending plans and the limits…
Published on 28 October 2026 – 14:29 GMT+1 US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday plans to significantly ease restrictions on methane emissions from oil and gas producers, targeting regulations aimed at limiting the release of the potent greenhouse gas. The regulations were introduced under former Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. “Tonight, I’m officially terminating Biden’s expensive and unnecessary methane regulations to save consumers and energy producers $45 billion,” Trump said at the rally in Lubbock, Texas. Trump told a cheering crowd that the move would “unlock vast quantities of Texas natural gas.” Texas is the largest fossil fuel-producing state…
Published on 28 October 2026 – 15:00 GMT+1 Britain’s economy will grow slightly faster than forecast this year before slowing in 2027, finance minister John Healey said on Wednesday as he presented the government’s annual budget. Gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to grow by 1.2% in 2026, Healey said, up from a government estimate of 1.1% issued shortly after the start of the US-Iran war. He told parliament that GDP growth would slow to 1.0% next year, down from the 1.6% growth forecast for 2027 by Labour in early March. Here are some of the key takeaways from his…
The use of artificial intelligence in the fight against doping was one of the key topics at the 3rd Anti-Doping Summit of Central and Eastern European Countries, held in Santorini with the participation of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officials and representatives from 26 countries. The event looked at new technologies that could help support data analysis, improve the planning of tests and contribute to investigative procedures. Some of these tools are able to process large amounts of data and could help many competent organisations – and others elsewhere. “We use AI in anti-doping, but… it also helps the cheats” “Artificial…
European travellers are the “most cautious” when it comes to adopting digital travel technology, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 2026 Global Passenger Survey. With results based on more than 10,000 responses from 200 countries, the survey found that Europeans are the least willing, at 70%, to share biometric data for airport processes. This is compared to the global average of 78%. Of all the regions, Middle Eastern and African travellers showed the most willingness, at 84% and 82% respectively. European travellers are also less enthusiastic about using a digital passport for online check-in, with 79% expressing interest,…
Published on 28 October 2026 – 13:53 GMT+1 Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, the Oscar-nominated and Palme d’Or-winning director of It Was Just an Accident, has been sentenced in absentia with a new ruling by a Tehran court. According to his lawyer, the five-year, one-month prison sentence also includes the confiscation of all his assets, a ban from engaging in social media activities for two years, and a two-year travel ban. The ruling, issued by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, was first reported to the online Iranian reformist media outlet Emtedad News Agency. The ruling was handed down without Panahi…
Ireland, the Netherlands and Iceland are again boycotting the 2027 competition but Spain and Slovenia “have not yet decided” whether they will compete, the EBU said. The Union has given both broadcasters until December to confirm their participation “in recognition of the complexity of the matter.” The song contest has been embroiled in controversy in recent years over Israel’s participation. The EBU changed its rules earlier this year to block countries involved in armed conflict or any other “sensitive geopolitical situation” from hosting the annual competition, after Israel almost won in 2025 and 2026. The winning country typically hosts the…
Published on 28 October 2026 – 12:14 GMT+1 The US State Department has said it would issue visas to defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and his family following his loss to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s runoff election. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to visa privacy laws, said “the State Department will issue visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family and allow them entry into the United States.” However, Bolsonaro’s whereabouts remain unclear, with conflicting reports about his movements after leaving Brazil despite a court order banning him from travelling abroad. Argentine…
By Euronews Roma Published on 28 October 2026 – 12:50 GMT+1 Across Europe, the production of satellites is increasingly being aligned with the pace of the manufacturing industry. That is the gamble behind the Stellar Hub, the new Space Industries factory inaugurated on 28 October in Settimo Torinese, just outside Turin: a plant designed to assemble, integrate and test satellites and spacecraft of up to 600 kilograms, bringing all the main production stages together under one roof. At its heart is a 2,000-square-metre clean room, among the largest in Europe. This is the space where Space Industries will concentrate the industrial…
Ryanair passengers checking luggage will need to drop their bags off at least 60 minutes before departure from next month. Currently, those travelling with the airline can use airport bag drop services up to 40 minutes ahead of scheduled departure. The change comes into effect at all airports it operates from on 10 November. First announced in April, the change was made to ensure customers have more time to clear airport security and passport control queues. According to Ryanair, just 20% of passengers currently check in bags on their flights. “This small change will give the 20% of Ryanair passengers…