World’s largest wealth fund says it has excluded bulldozer maker and five Israeli banking groups on ethics grounds
The world’s largest wealth fund has excluded Caterpillar, the construction equipment manufacturer, over Israel’s use of its bulldozers to destroy Palestinian property in Gaza and the West Bank.
Norway’s $2tn (£1.5tn) fund said on Monday it had excluded Caterpillar and five Israeli banking groups on ethics grounds.
Continue reading...Industry body calls for urgent tax cuts to save ‘cornerstones of community life’ and halt rise of ‘night-time deserts’
More than one in four late-night venues have shut their doors since 2020, figures show, prompting lobbyists to warn that the UK faces a worrying rise in “night-time deserts” without urgent tax cuts.
Nearly 800 late-night businesses have been forced to close over the past five years, according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), representing a 26.4% contraction in the late-night sector overall. That compares with a 14.2% contraction across the wider hospitality sector.
Continue reading...Officers step up patrols for Bournemouth’s Jewish community after teenage boy shot with air rifle
Dorset police have launched an investigation and stepped up patrols for Bournemouth’s Jewish community after a wave of antisemitic hate crimes in the seaside town.
Over the weekend, a teenage boy was shot with an air rifle and injured, and swastika graffiti appeared on buildings, police said.
Continue reading...Adass Israel synagogue board member says announcement of Iran’s involvement in December arson attack has caused ‘general fear’ among congregation
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Australian Jewish groups have applauded the government’s “entirely appropriate” move to expel the Iranian ambassador in light of Iran’s alleged connections to antisemitic attacks in Australia – but say the “horrendous” news has renewed fears among the already traumatised community.
Responding to news the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps will be listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia, Jewish community members said the action was welcome but overdue.
Continue reading...This blog has now closed
Wangaratta police have confirmed there is still an “active incident” ongoing and are continuing to urge people to avoid the area.
In a statement published to its social media page a moment ago, the local police service said Victoria police “continues to respond to an incident at a property in Porepunkah”.
This is still an active incident and we will provide more information when it’s operationally safe to do so.
We ask people avoid the area.
Tonight’s Ordinary Council Meeting has also been postponed, and will be rescheduled for two weeks’ time. Further details will be provided at a later date.
We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Continue reading...Activists claim Anant Ambani’s Vantara facility has no plan to return its endangered species to the wild
India’s supreme court has ordered an investigation into a vast private zoo founded by the son of Asia’s richest person over allegations of illegal wildlife imports and financial misconduct.
Home to a reported 200 lions, 250 leopards and 900 crocodiles, Vantara in western Gujarat state describes itself as the “world’s biggest wild animal rescue centre”. It is run by Anant Ambani, a son of Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire head of the conglomerate Reliance Industries, and was one of the venues for his extravagant wedding celebrations last year, where celebrities were encouraged to wear “jungle fever” outfits.
Continue reading...Levies and restrictions could hit UK’s digital services tax and EU states such as France, Italy and Spain
Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs and export restrictions on countries whose taxes, legislation and regulations target US big tech companies such as Google, Meta, Amazon and Apple.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, the US president said: “Digital taxes, legislation, rules or regulations are all designed to harm, or discriminate against, American technology.”
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