Skip to main content

Record-breaking heat wave grips western United States

A record early heat wave striking the western United States on Friday is a one-in-500-year event and almost certainly the result of human-caused climate change, experts say. The heat has been toppling records this week and is set to continue into the weekend across western cities while expanding eastward. Four locations in the desert area near the California-Arizona border registered 44.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, a US national record for March. The readings were recorded near Yuma and Martinez Lake in Arizona, and around Winterhaven and Ogilby in California. Read: Intense heatwave grips US, triggering record-breaking temperatures Already, 65 cities have recorded new March highs, ranging from Arizona and California to Idaho, Weather.com reported. Death Valley reached 40°C on Thursday, while typically cool and foggy San Francisco tied its historic March record at 29°C. In Colorado, skiers were seen hitting the slopes shirtless. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warni...
Post a Comment

India's Congress party says bank accounts frozen over $25m tax demand

India's main opposition Congress party said on Friday its bank accounts had been frozen over a 2.1 billion rupee ($25.3 million) income tax demand in connection with a dispute, months before national elections. The party called the action "a deep assault on India's democracy", adding that an income tax tribunal had however allowed the party to partially operate its accounts until Feb. 21, when it would hear the case. Congress treasurer Ajay Maken told reporters the party had filed a complaint against the tax department after it told banks to freeze funds in its accounts. "We got information two days back that cheques being issued by us were not being honoured by banks ... We don't have money to pay electricity bills, to pay salaries to our employees," Maken said. Maken said the frozen accounts included funds collected by the party through crowd-funding and membership drives, adding that the dispute with the tax department was in connection with an issue dating back to 2018-19. Read also: Property seized in money laundering probe linked to Indian opposition's Gandhis The income tax department did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment. A source familiar with the matter said Congress was supposed to pay 1.05 billion rupees in taxes in the case and following payment delays, this amount had risen to 1.15 billion rupees and therefore an equal amount in the party's accounts had been frozen. "Congress has not been stopped from paying and receiving funds. This is routine procedure with those not paying taxes," the source said, adding that rules will be followed to recover 1.15 billion rupees. The tax department's action comes just weeks before dates for a general election, which has to be conducted by May, are to be announced. Congress, once India's most dominant party, has sunk to historic lows in parliament and in many states after Prime Minister Narendra Modi swept to power in 2014. "Power drunk Modi Govt has frozen the accounts of the country's largest Opposition party," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X. "We appeal to the Judiciary to save the multi-party system in this country and protect India's Democracy." Power drunk Modi Govt has frozen the accounts of the country’s largest Opposition party - the Indian National Congress - just before the Lok Sabha elections. This is a deep assault on India's Democracy ! The UNCONSTITUTIONAL money collected by the BJP would be utilised by them… — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) February 16, 2024  

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/gOqRy1N
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

US, Philippines kick off joint military drills in South China Sea with 16,000 troops

Some 16,000 US and Philippine troops kicked off the annual joint military drills on Monday in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), local media reported. WPS is the official designation by Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 US troops, making it the largest joint military drills between the two allies conducted in decades, local English daily Manila Times reported citing the military. A total of 14 nations, including Japan and India, will take part in the drills as observers amid mounting maritime tensions in the South China Sea. Contingents from the Australian Defence Force and the French Navy will also join the exercise as participants. Read also: China urges US to stop using Philippines as a pawn to destabilise South China Sea France will join the group sail but will only navigate on the edge of the Philippine E...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...
Post a Comment
Read more