Reeves defends Labour’s £40bn tax rise as businesses prepare for NICs hike

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Chancellor says autumn budget enabled £25bn of extra investment into NHS and shorter waiting lists

Rachel Reeves has defended the £40bn in tax increases in autumn’s budget as businesses brace for their impact, saying NHS waiting lists would now be higher if she had not taken action.

Employers are set for a £25bn increase in national insurance contributions (NICs), which comes into force on 6 April, at the same time as consumers are being hit by a slew of increases in bills for everything from utilities to car tax.

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Putin calls up 160,000 men to Russian army in latest conscription drive, at crucial moment in Ukraine war – CNN

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  1. Putin calls up 160,000 men to Russian army in latest conscription drive, at crucial moment in Ukraine war  CNN
  2. Putin begins biggest Russian military call-up in years  BBC
  3. Putin to conscript 160,000 more Russians for war with Ukraine  politico.eu
  4. Putin Launches Largest Military Draft in Years Despite Ceasefire Talks  Newsweek
  5. So You’ve Been Drafted Into the Russian Army. What Does That Mean?  The Moscow Times
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Survivor challenges Israeli account of attack on Gaza ambulances – BBC

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  1. Survivor challenges Israeli account of attack on Gaza ambulances  BBC
  2. Some Aid Workers Killed in Gaza Were Shot Multiple Times, Officials Say  The New York Times
  3. IDF further investigating claims that troops in Gaza killed 15 medics, buried them in mass grave  The Times of Israel
  4. Israel executes unarmed Red Crescent paramedics with the west’s blessing | Ahmed Moor  The Guardian
  5. Israelis Will Have to Look in the Mirror and See the Gaza Atrocities Committed in Our Name  Haaretz
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Toddler finds nearly 4,000-year-old Egyptian scarab amulet while vacationing in Israel – USA Today

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  1. Toddler finds nearly 4,000-year-old Egyptian scarab amulet while vacationing in Israel  USA Today
  2. A toddler picked up a rock on a family trip. It was a 3,800-year-old artifact.  The Washington Post
  3. 3-year-old discovers 3,800-year-old treasure on family outing in Israel  Yahoo
  4. Three-year-old girl finds Canaanite seal where Bible says David battled Goliath  The Times of Israel
  5. Little girl discovers 3,800-year-old amulet with ties to Biblical people during family trip  Fox News
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Inside Mandalay: BBC finds huge devastation and little help for Myanmar quake survivors – BBC

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  1. Inside Mandalay: BBC finds huge devastation and little help for Myanmar quake survivors  BBC
  2. Myanmar’s military government announces temporary ceasefire to aid quake efforts  CNN
  3. Myanmar quake death-toll tops 3,000 as junta declares ceasefire  NBC News
  4. A Symbol of Mandalay’s Rapid Growth Comes Crashing Down in Earthquake  The New York Times
  5. What kind of support is the U.S. offering in the wake of the Myanmar quake?  NPR
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Exclusive | U.S. Looks for More Countries to Take Migrants – WSJ – WSJ

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  1. Exclusive | U.S. Looks for More Countries to Take Migrants - WSJ  WSJ
  2. How Trump Is Outsourcing His Mass Deportation Agenda  The Nation
  3. Trump is considering sending migrants to RWANDA eight months after Keir Starmer shelved similar Tory deal with  Daily Mail
  4. US seeks agreements with Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe to accept deported migrants - Exclusive by WSJ  Caliber.Az
  5. Trump administration seeks new deportation deals with nations across Africa, Asia, and Europe  Moneycontrol
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Airlines warned Heathrow about power supply days before shutdown – BBC

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  1. Airlines warned Heathrow about power supply days before shutdown  BBC
  2. Airlines warned Heathrow about power supply risks days before outage, MPs told  The Guardian
  3. Fire Briefly Disrupts Heathrow Airport Train Service  The New York Times
  4. Heathrow bosses were warned about power supply after stolen cables turned off runway lights, MPs told  Sky News
  5. Disastrous Heathrow power cut will cost airlines up to £100m, MPs told  London Evening Standard
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British activist in solitary confinement in India despite acquittal, family say

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Brother of Jagtar Singh Johal claims he is being ‘mentally tortured’ through unwarranted detention

The British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, detained for seven years in an Indian jail, has been placed into solitary confinement and under 24-hour surveillance despite being acquitted of all terrorism charges against him by a Punjab court on 4 March, his family have claimed.

Johal is still facing the exact same charges in a parallel case in a clear example of double jeopardy, his brother Gurpreet said when giving testimony at Westminster to an all party committee on arbitrary detention. He said the Indian courts have not granted his brother bail, despite the prosecutor’s failure to produce any credible evidence or witnesses in the Punjab court.

Gurpreet said UK consular staff met his brother in jail on Tuesday and were told he had been put into solitary confinement with a 24-hour guard, adding no explanation had been given.

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