Starmer on shaky ground: Farage promises to dismantle two-child cap in game-changing election move?
Days after vowing to reverse Keir Starmer's 'Brexit Deal' if made PM, Nigel Farage has more plans for the United Kingdom. According to a report, the Reform UK leader plans on committing to implement two policies that are still being mulled over by the Labour-led government. The policies include restoration of the winter fuel payment to pensioners and removing the two-child benefit cap. Watch the video for full details.
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Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mumbai's rail overbridge opens amid claims for political credit
Mumbai: As the BMC opened the Vikhroli rail overbridge (ROB0 —a key east-west connector—at 4pm on Saturday, political sparring broke out, with both the UBT Shiv Sena , the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the BJP rushing to claim credit for the project. The bridge saw political party flags and banners being displayed on it even before it was opened to motorists. The area is represented by Sena MLA Sunil Raut, who broke a coconut at the site on Saturday, signalling the opening of the bridge. The 615-metre bridge, which links Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg in Vikhroli to the Eastern Express Highway, was on the drawing board for the past 15 years, with the work order being issued in 2018. It was completed seven years later, in 2025. No formal inauguration ceremony was held, with the Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis proposing to open it on Saturday evening. It is a two-way bridge. One of the political banners, put up by MLA Sunil Raut, claimed he was pursuing the project with the BMC and Central Railway since 2010. Another, bearing a photo of deputy CM Eknath Shinde and attributed to local neta Haroon Khan, declared the bridge a victory of his protest. Khan told TOI that in 2010, he and local residents staged a protest that brought train services to a halt. "There were repeated cases of people dying while crossing the tracks. We decided enough was enough and protested on the tracks. It was only after we received an assurance that the bridge would be constructed that we called off the agitation," he said. However, former BJP MP Manoj Kotak said he consistently followed up with the railways and the BMC to push the bridge work forward. "Those claiming credit don't understand the complexities involved. From acquiring land on the eastern side to ensuring minimal disruption to students near the school on the west, we worked persistently with the authorities to bring the project to completion. While COVID caused delays, the work picked up pace again after the pandemic," said Kotak. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Club World Cup: ICE agents presence adds unease to USA's litmus test ahead of 2026 WC, 2028 Olympics
On Thursday, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authority consented to removing a social media post from their handles across platforms. The purported reason? It seemed to be spooking football fans who are expected to flock to stadiums to watch the inaugural edition of the revamped Club World Cup, which kicks off in Miami early on Sunday. The CBP's post noted that they will be 'suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games'. It was also confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will also be at the games; the stated presence of these agencies being mostly for reasons of security. But some noted a coded messaging behind that vague reasoning, given the Donald Trump-led American administration's massive recent anti-immigrant push. As Thomas Kennedy, member of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, told NBC News: 'It's sort of alluding that people should have their paperwork in order to attend the games. It creates an environment where people are less likely to come watch the games because of sheer intimidation.' Why this assumes greater significance is that the upcoming Club World Cup will act as a litmus test for the two biggest sporting events in the world that will be hosted in the US during the ongoing term of the incumbent administration: the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Global sport is increasingly veering towards the commercial viability of American eyeballs – the third edition of the Major League Cricket franchise T20 tournament kicked off there on Thursday, after part of the T20 World Cup was also held in the US last year. In no market in the world does live sport make more money than in the US. And football is no different in attempting to cash in on that. Despite the guarantees that both FIFA and the IOC have publicly stated they have been provided in this matter, though, there will be some unease regarding US decisions that have made them less open to people from all over the world. A travel ban in the form of a new policy, issued by President Trump himself, came into effect there on Sunday. It places total restrictions on entry into American borders for residents of 12 countries, and partial restrictions on those of seven other countries. Included are countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Venezuela. The order contains an exemption for both the World Cup and the Olympics, but the US will get to decide which members of a team and support staff are deemed 'necessary' to be given entry into their country. The order also makes no mention of fans who wish to travel to watch those events. The exemption may ease fears held on paper but it does little for the uncertainty that will be felt on global events of such a massive scale, and in Kennedy's words, the environment of 'sheer intimidation,' may not make for the most welcoming tournaments. In the short term, regarding the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was seen meeting President Trump at the White House in March, has dismissed these concerns, even as he stakes his reputation on the smooth functioning of the tournament that he has personally pushed through. According to Infantino, the tournament, essentially his brainchild, will do wonders for the global game by addressing its current Eurocentrism and giving global teams broader visibility. 32 teams will play – 12 from Europe, six from South America, four each from Asia and Africa, one from Oceania, and five from North America. According to his critics, it will serve none of those purposes, instead being a vanity project to portray Infantino in a good light, making lots of money for FIFA's 211 member nations and strengthening his grip on the global game. But buzz for the event has been low, a far cry from the international football tournaments that traditionally take place in the summer. Players have complained about the bloated calendar putting stress on their bodies. As a result, clubs are likely to rotate squads and not play their best team, reducing the quality of the football to a glorified pre-season tournament. Sponsors haven't expressed a lot of interest. Ticket sales were a concern: according to The Athletic, local Miami college students have been offered as many as five tickets for the price of one at $21. So were broadcast rights. When a lucrative deal was not struck, the rights were sold to streaming platform DAZN for $1 billion. The Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF then bought 10% of the company for $1 billion. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. When Lionel Messi's Inter Miami kick the tournament off at home on Sunday against Egyptian side Al Ahly, football will take the centre stage. Realpolitik will have to go behind the curtains, where it belongs. But the result of the tournament will be instructive of a few things: how successful football is in tapping the American market, and a glimpse of how the US manage hosting major global sporting events in today's uncertain, frayed times.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Karnataka Bike Taxi Ban to Take Effect
Bengaluru: As the clock strikes midnight on June 15, Karnataka's bustling bike taxi services, a lifeline for millions in traffic-choked Bengaluru, will grind to a halt. The Karnataka High Court's refusal on Friday to stay an order banning operations from June 16 has sealed the fate of aggregators like Rapido, Ola, and Uber, marking a contentious end to a decade-long run in urban mobility. This decision, rooted in the state government's failure to frame a legal framework, has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with fears of job losses, worsening traffic, and a blow to the gig economy. Bike taxis first emerged in Karnataka around 2015, with Rapido capitalising on Bengaluru's notorious congestion to offer affordable, nimble last-mile connectivity. Ola and Uber soon followed, tapping into a demand that public transport struggled to meet. By 2021, the BJP-led government launched an ambitious Electric Bike Taxi Scheme, positioning Karnataka as a pioneer in green mobility and job creation. Yet, the initiative faced immediate backlash from auto-rickshaw and taxi unions, who saw the cheaper fares as a threat to their livelihoods. The scheme's withdrawal in March 2024, citing safety concerns and misuse of non-transport bikes, underscored the political clout of these unions. A 2022 interim High Court order had briefly allowed operations to continue, but the April 2, 2025, ruling by Justice B M Shyam Prasad demanded a regulatory framework within three months, which is a deadline the Congress-led government ignored. The court's latest refusal to extend relief, reported by legal analysts, reflects this inaction, leaving operators with no recourse. The ban's immediate impact will be felt by over 600,000 riders and commuters, according to Rapido's estimates presented to the court. Social media has amplified the outcry. Former Infosys CFO T V Mohandas Pai took to social media platform X, urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to reconsider, calling the ban 'anti-citizen.' 'Please allow Bike taxis in Bengaluru. They are providing huge jobs, and very useful service for citizens. Our Metro is way behind schedule, bus service inadequate, we cannot have more using personal vehicles. Bike taxis reduce vehicles. Why is our govt hurting citizens like this? This is Anti Citizen', he said. Bengaluru, often dubbed the 'Silicon Valley of India,' grapples with some of the world's worst traffic. Bike taxis, with a Passenger Car Unit (PCU) of 0.38 for two passengers, offered a leaner alternative to cars (PCU 1.0). Their removal, critics argue, will clog roads further, forcing commuters into costlier autos or private vehicles. The state government defends the ban, citing safety risks and the lack of a legal framework under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Yet, no concrete data supports these claims, and the 2019 Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) report, which opposed bike taxis, focused on congestion without addressing operational safety. The ban's roots lie in a decades-old rivalry between traditional transport unions and modern aggregators. Auto unions, celebrating the court's decision, have long pressured the government which is a dynamic that led to the 2024 scrapping of the electric bike policy. This contrasts with a January 2024 Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways advisory encouraging states to legalise bike taxis; a trend Karnataka has bucked. Globally, cities like Jakarta thrive with regulated two-wheeler taxis, supporting 1.5 million drivers. In India, Maharashtra and Delhi are drafting frameworks, making Karnataka's stance an outlier. From June 16, enforcement will begin, with Transport Commissioner A M Yogesh confirming compliance with the court order last month. Riders may pivot to informal services, raising safety concerns without oversight. The ball is now in the government's court to draft regulations, but with the three-month deadline lapsed, optimism is low.
